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Welcome...to the Illusion

Chapter 21

Rising Pulse

"It's about the green," Lowery sighs looking up towards the ceiling. "It's always about the green."

Owen shakes his head from where he sits leaned against the wall to Haven's left. "I don't understand. Why create a park if you don't really care if it runs or not?"

"It's not about the park," Haven says, crossing her arms. "Never has been. InGen's goal is to fund their private ventures."

"Ventures you refuse to share," Lowery interjects with a pointed stare.

"I've told you a million times, I'm not at liberty to say."

"Why are you protecting them?" the man questions and a twinge of betrayal is heard in his voice. "They're the enemy and you're keeping all their secrets. What? Does it earn you some frequent flier miles?"

When there's no reply, Owen looks at Haven. Her gaze is fixed on Lowery, but there's a firm seal on those lips. A seal he's seen on more than one occasion which makes him realize that it's not just him she's closed-mouth with. And it means that whatever she knows about InGen, she's unwilling to give up.

Whether it's to keep them safe or not, Owen hasn't the slightest.

Instead, he works to find a way around it while ignoring the growing growl in his stomach. "Why have the park, then?"

Haven turns to him. "Originally, it was capital for their ventures."

"So, the park is just part of the scheme?" Owen questions and Lowery nods. "Why do any of this? What could they possibly be working on that requires this level of smoke and mirrors."

"The perfect dinosaur," Lowery informs. "They truly believe the experiment with the raptors will lead to a better form of warfare. Military contracts keep people very rich. They're looking to corner the market."

Owen understands that. With as adamant as Hoskins is to get these Velociraptors trained, he's surprised the man hasn't done it himself.

However, when he glances to Haven, there's conflict in her eyes. As if there's something she wants to add or correct but knows better than to run her mouth. So, while Lowery believes what he's telling them, Owen isn't sure it's the truth.

As if to emphasize the point, silence lapses in the room, thick and heavy. Lowery presses a few buttons on the laptop, but apart from those taps, the weight of silence is enough to drag them to the depths of hell—which, given InGen, it very well might.

When the roar in his stomach breaks the silence, he knows he has to eat something. Pulling a Jurassic World granola from his pocket, Owen opens it and offers some to Lowery and Haven. Both shake their head. Despite how noisy it seems, he decides eating the granola is better than allowing his stomach to rule the silence.

Finally, Haven leans forward, palms on her knees. "InGen has many projects that would never—could never—be government sanctioned, by any government. Jurassic World was a way for them to obtain funds originally and now launders the income," she explains. "It's also a way for them to cover what they're doing. Cloning dinosaurs for entertainment looks a lot better on paper."

Owen chuckles because he's seen quite a few movies where science has lost control. In fact, the original park is a testament to that. But he was in the Navy, knew—knows—about the darker side of things. There's nothing he's heard that has ever been considered by some asshole on a watch list.

Looking at Haven, his brow rises because there seems to be something hiding in her comment. "What could be worse than cloning dinosaurs?"

To that, Haven doesn't answer.

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There is a shiver in the wind tonight as the moon rises high above us. I find my way deep into the bushes before settling down. The creature in my stomach gurgles uneasily. It flips and tenses before spilling into my limbs and finally spitting cold burn down my back.

Echo whimpers in her dream, tail slightly thrashing from time to time. Soft growls of Gopher leave her lips. Other times her talons flex as if she's being chased.

Charlie's buried her head in my stomach. Even in sleep, her breaths are uneasy. I can feel her shiver.

Delta shifts next to me, nose flaring as she scents. She casts a glance at Echo and Charlie, gaze softening on both of them. Fear expands from her body like a breath washing over me and causing the creature inside to flop about.

Something is very wrong tonight.

Slowly, I rise from my spot. Delta's head shifts and she looks up at me. With a snort, I silently acknowledge she's on watch before I take off into the brush. There's barely a rustle in the leaves as I sprint towards the large jaws.

Stopping just beyond the leaf line, I shake my head. Every piece of my skin hums with danger. It's uncomfortable like I've been out in the sun too long. Like my skin doesn't fit me. As if I'm being clawed from within.

I shiver. Holding my breath, I look at the jaws.

There's nothing.

I look towards the night caves.

Nothing again.

My nose twitches.

I know there's something here. Something around. Something I've never faced. Spinning, I see nothing. Instinct drives me to scent the area. I have to find what's out there. Have to find what's wrong. Have to find out what's threatening.

Cold burn rips through my limbs as Charlie shrieks.

Talons dig into the wood chips. I leap forward towards the chorus of snarls. Feet fly beneath me as Charlie shrieks again.

I left my sister's alone. Left them to face whatever has entered our territory. Left them a raptor down.

The bushes brush past, barely a feel on my skin. Nearing our nest, I don't hesitate as I launch onto the pale creature shoving Delta to the ground. It's larger than I am, sharp points down its back, but it will not harm my hatch mate.

It will not kill Delta.

The creature roars as my claws slash into its side. We tumble through the bushes. It hits the ground. I roll onto my talons. Teeth bared. I'm on the creature again before it can breathe.

"Kill!" It screeches. Its claws rake across my leg.

My teeth tear into flesh, ripping a chunk of white skin. Claws shred its chest.

The creature slashes; flips me on my back. Teeth seek my neck.

The world is hazy from woodchips. A flash of light green passes. The creature snarls. Hits the ground with a heavy thud. There's a snap. It roars.

"Kill!"

I'm up on my talons. I will not limp. I cannot show weakness.

Large eyes narrow on me. The creature is at least a head taller than I. Despite the blood leaking from tears, it approaches me as if it has not been hurt.

I miss the tail snap toward me.

Laying on the ground, my body doesn't respond. My talons don't flex. My claws stay still. I am helpless as its jaws seek my neck.

A blur of brown is all I see.

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"They said they wouldn't go after you. I'm training the girls, and they'll find out firsthand how dangerous raptors are."

She sighs. "You don't understand. Hoskins and O'Reilly told you that, but it's not how it works."

As they meander through the structures, Owen's surprised to see just how well the old facility has stood the test of time. He knows newer things never last as long as their older counterparts which makes him question the lifetime of the new facility. There wouldn't be a huge shock if something happened and the cages opened.

An inside job did it before.

Picking up another branch, he looks at her. "I'm telling you, you can go home. They won't harm you."

She shakes her head. "You're still naïve when it comes to InGen."

Owen feels like he's going 'round and around in circles with her. There's something she's not telling him. He can feel it in every part of their conversation. In the way she looks at him. In the voiceless sighs. There's a reason why Hoskins and O'Reilly are looking for her. A reason she doesn't feel he needs to know.

And whatever it is, has her running scared, he decides. It's the only possible reason he can think that she keeps him in the dark.

"How long did you work for them?" he questions, picking up a few more palm branches they've been collecting along the way.

Haven kneels and adds another branch to the stack in her arms. "Six, well, seven years I suppose since I came back. I was just starting my masters when they hired me."

"Why did they hire you?" he asks because he's not sure if what she's said before is the truth behind the matter.

Not that she'll tell him the truth now.

Ducking into a room, she looks around the inside of a studio apartment as he lingers in the doorway. It's not much larger than a bedroom. In fact, his dinky kitchen is probably larger than this room. The floor is covered in leaves and various debris.

Walking in, Haven sets the branches on the ground. "They said they hired me because I was good at understanding animals."

"But that's not why?"

Her gaze drops.

Setting his pile down, Owen moves back to the door and tests the handle. It does lock, so she should hopefully be okay. Returning to the woodpile, he starts on a quick platform for a basic bed. As long as it gets her through the dark night, he's sure she'll be fine.

At least, he keeps trying to reassure himself of that. After all, she's made it clear she can't go home.

"I'm sorry," he says, breaking the silence.

"It was my fault," she responds and glances at him. "I didn't tell you anything. Kept you in the dark. You were protecting your girls, and I was too blinded to see that."

"Yeah, it pretty much is your fault," he teases and gives her a smile. "And you're not really shining any light on it now."

When her gaze meets his, he sees it. The darkness and fear deep within. Something she's witnessed is far more terrifying than she's trying to let on.

"I can't. You wouldn't understand, and it would make you a target," she says, covering the bed with leaves. Pausing, she looks up at him. "Be careful what you eat."

His head tilts to the side because it's more random than a lottery pick. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Biting her lip, she shakes her head. "Just… Never mind."

It's at that point, Owen knows he needs to sleep. He doesn't want to guess anymore. Doesn't want to play games. He just wants to lay down and forget this entire day ever happened.

If only for a little while.

He clears his throat. "Are you okay out here? By yourself?"

Haven nods and gives him a smile. "I have the Dilophosaurus, right?"

"I suppose so, but it's still dangerous." He takes off his watch and hands it to her. "At least keep this. That way you'll know what time it is."

Pausing, she looks at the watch before the bed of leaves. Her gaze then reaches his. "This is heaven compared to InGen."

"This belongs to InGen."

"Yes, but Hammond was safer than what they've become."

"You met him?"

She nods. "A few times before. Kind man, though flawed like all."

"He wanted this park brought back to life," Owen states.

She shakes her head. "After the tragedy of Jurassic Park, he wanted Sonar and Nublar to be a sanctuary for what remained. Fought for that with his final breath."

He takes a step closer. "How do you know all this?"

"I told you," she says, looking at him. "I worked for InGen for a long time. You don't sign your soul to the devil without repercussions. Without learning what lurks in the dark."

"That so?" he questions and wonders how much of it applies to him.

She nods. "With so many ventures, they sign most up without their knowledge. One of the projects...Starvation... It was a theory tested on humans and animals alike. To date, we've all proved that hypothesis right."

"Which was?"

"That even the noblest creature dying of hunger would become malleable and easy to coerce to the point they go against their very morals and destroy the world around them." Her shoulders sag underneath an invisible weight which he'd imagine weighs more than Soni.

He wets his lips. "But they never starved me."

She looks at him. "No? Not with Jess? Your girls? Blue?"

That's a realization he doesn't want to admit.

Because hunger comes in many forms.

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