escape. ➳ jurassic world

thirteen

back where it began

The truck came to a halt just outside of the Innovation Center back at the epicenter of the park. Elliot, Zach, and Gray quickly climbed out the back of the vehicle and met Claire and Owen outside. Owen grabbed ahold of Elliot's hand (and even though she wasn't a toddler, she didn't tell him off for it) and quickly ushered them all up the stairs towards the building. He dropped her hand to push the door open and then stepped aside to let them all in ahead of him.

The group dashed inside, Claire pointing them in the direction of the control room, which would take them directly to the helicopter landing pad. The nightmare was almost over. The PA was still going, and Elliot could barely make out the announcer saying something about the dilophosaurus's eating habits.

They were running through the laboratory area when they heard glass shattering. Elliot slowed to a stop, glancing over at her father, who had his gun up and ready.

"They evacuated the lab," Claire whispered, moving towards one of the open doors that led into a back room that was usually off limits to the public, not apart of the spectacle.

Elliot followed close behind her father as they all moved into the lab. There were several terrariums stacked together, each housing some sort of reptile or amphibian. Gray was looking at a chameleon that stared at him for a moment before quickly grabbing a bit of food out of its bowl. There were snakes and other lizards scurrying around their habitats, causing Elliot to give an involuntary shiver. Talk about eery.

A door to their left suddenly opened and several inGen agents came waltzing out, each of them carrying special cases for the dinosaur DNA that was housed in the labs. Hoskins was just behind them. "What are you doing?" Claire demanded.

"I'm afraid that's above your pay grade, honey," Hoskins responded.

"Where's Henry?" Claire continued.

"Dr. Wu, he works for us," Hoskins said smugly.

Gray poked his head out from behind Owen and glanced at one of the computer screens. "That's not a real dinosaur," He said. Elliot followed his gaze and realized that he was right—the creature on the screen wasn't any species she had ever heard of before. It looked almost like a velociraptor, but not quite... right.

Something weird was going on here.

"No, it ain't, kid," Hoskins agreed. "But somebody's gotta make sure this company has a future. Imagine—that one? Fraction of the size, deadly, intelligent—able to hide from the most advanced military technology. A living weapon unlike anything we've ever seen."

"You're insane," Elliot said. Hoskins looked at her and her father raised an arm out in front of her, stepping slightly to the side to hide Elliot from his view.

"I'm a visionary," Hoskins retorted. "You see, millions of years of evolution—what'd we learn? Nature is the gift—oh shit!"

One of the raptors had found them. It was staring directly at Hoskins, its gaze intent. Owen quickly pushed the rest of the group behind him, holding his arms out in front of them all to keep them out of the raptor's view. Hoskins held his arm up to the raptor, the way he had seen Owen do before, and began backing up as the raptor continued towards him.

Owen started cautiously guiding the group back towards the lab entrance so they could make a break for it.

"Easy," Hoskins said. "Easy, boy, easy! Hey, hey! We're—we're on the same side, right? Easy..." He stammered out. "I'm on your side—"

The raptor locked its jaws around Hoskin's arm and clamped down, hard. Hoskins screamed in pain and Owen quickly shoved them all towards the door. "Go, go!" He exclaimed. Elliot didn't need to be told twice.