In the lab, they added Laser Activation

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ℂ𝕃𝔸𝕀ℝ𝔼 stood in the control room, her eyes fixed on the monitor, watching a reunion between a mother and her child. The joy on their faces was undeniable, a moment of pure happiness amidst the chaos of the island. The sight stirred something in Claire—a reminder of the family she had, of the nephews she had been so focused on, yet hadn't seen in hours. Her heart tightened, the weight of responsibility sinking in.

Her mind raced, and her nephews' faces flashed across her thoughts. They weren't where they were supposed to be. They were supposed to be safe, but now, in the midst of everything that was happening, she couldn't shake the fear gnawing at her.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her phone and dialled Zara, who was babysitting them. The phone rang only once before Zara answered, her voice tight and frazzled. "Hello?"

"Zara," Claire's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it now. "I need you to bring the boys back to the hotel right now."

Zara's response was shaky, her words rushing out in a panicked blur. "I don't know... I've been looking everywhere for them. It's just been quite a while." There was a faint crackling in her voice, the sound of worry threading through her words.

"Slow down. I can't hear you," Claire urged, her grip on the phone tightening.

"They... they've run off," Zara's voice cracked. "Zach and Gray... they're gone."

Claire felt a sharp pang in her chest, her mind struggling to process the words. "They what?" The words barely escaped her lips as the room seemed to close in around her.

Without another thought, Claire ended the call with Zara, her mind now fully focused on finding the boys. She quickly dialled Zach's number, her fingers trembling with urgency.

"Hey, Claire," Zach's voice came through, but there was something off about it—static, broken. The line wasn't clear, but Claire felt an overwhelming sense of relief flood her chest just hearing his voice.

"Zach, thank God. Is Gray with you?" Claire asked quickly, her heart racing.

There was a delay before Zach's voice came back, sounding distant and muffled. "I can't really hear you. We're in the hamster ball."

The mention of the Gyrosphere made Claire's stomach drop, but she pressed on. "Okay. Zach, listen to me. I need you to—"

The call suddenly distorted. "Hello?" Zach's voice was unclear, lost in the static.

"Zach?" Claire called, her voice rising with panic. But the call ended abruptly, leaving nothing but silence on the line.

Claire slammed the phone down onto the control panel, her pulse quickening. She marched over to Lowery, who was monitoring the feeds from his station. "Are there any Gyrospheres left in the Valley?" she demanded.

Lowery glanced at the screen before answering, "No, they're all accounted for. It's my job to—" He paused, his fingers stilling on the keyboard. "Wait. What? There's one in the field."

Claire's heart skipped a beat, and she wasted no time. She turned on her heel and headed straight for Vivian, who was coordinating security. "Send a team of rangers to bring them in," she instructed, her voice firm with urgency.

Vivian nodded without hesitation and spoke into her communicator, "Security, we need a search and rescue in the Valley."

The radio crackled, and a man's voice came through, heavy with frustration. "It's gonna be a while. We've got our hands full out here."

Claire's frustration boiled over, and she snapped back into the communicator. "No, there are two guests missing! You need to make this your top priority!"

"We've got a lot of guests missing, Claire," the voice on the radio replied, the tone of the man's voice distant and unfazed. "We're doing the best we can."

Claire's patience snapped. She slammed the communicator onto the table. "Okay. Fine. I'll do it myself," she muttered under her breath.

Just then, a voice caught her attention, pulling her back to the monitors. Claire's eyes widened as she saw Owen and Rosita on the screen, shouting at the security guards in the lab. The guards had clearly tried to block their path, but Owen and Rosita were having none of it. "Hey! Do you think we're the ones you need to be worried about right now? Back off!" Rosita's voice rang out with authority. An idea sparked in Claire's mind—a risky one, but it might be their only option. She knew Owen and Rosita were more than capable of handling themselves in a situation like this, and the boys needed rescuing fast.

Rosita's frustration was palpable as she muttered a string of curse words under her breath, her annoyance simmering just below the surface. The day had been a whirlwind of chaos, and the last thing she needed was more stress. But then, Owen's phone buzzed with an urgent message from Claire. Rosita rolled her eyes before Owen quickly scanned the message.

"We need to meet her at the lobby," Owen said, his tone shifting as he stood up from the table.

Rosita nodded, though she wasn't happy about the interruption. The last thing she wanted right now was to deal with more crisis. They made their way to the lobby, which was buzzing with families and children, all of them looking around in awe at the giant holographic images of the Raptors. The sounds of children's laughter mixed with the hum of excitement in the air, but Rosita couldn't shake the unease crawling under her skin.

They spotted Claire, walking briskly through the crowd. The hologram of a Raptor shimmered around her, and for a moment, it seemed like it surrounded her. Rosita's focus shifted to Claire, who was scanning the lobby, looking for them. Owen called out, "Claire!"

The moment Claire heard him, she sighed in relief, her posture relaxing. She walked quickly up to them, her face clouded with worry. "I need you," she said, her voice sharp with panic.

Owen looked at her, taken aback. "Okay."

Claire's eyes darted nervously between them before she spoke again, her words quick, urgent. "I need your help. Both of you. My nephews, they're out in the Valley. Please, if anything happens to them..."

Rosita could hear the panic in Claire's voice, and it cut through her like a knife. She had never seen the woman so vulnerable.

Owen, always the level-headed one, grabbed Claire by the arm, gently pulling her away from the crowded lobby and into a quieter corner. "How old?" he asked, trying to focus on the practical details.

Claire blinked, the weight of the moment clearly rattling her. "Uh, the... um... The older one, he's high school age. The younger one, he's... He's a few years..." She trailed off, her thoughts scattered.

Rosita's eyes narrowed at Claire, and without thinking, she snapped, "You don't know how old your nephews are?"

Claire seemed caught off guard by Rosita's sharp tone, but Rosita wasn't concerned about the apology. Something about Claire's frazzled demeanour stirred something in Rosita—she couldn't shake the memory of the boy and girl she was with when she was at the park, their faces twisted with fear and uncertainty. It made her gut twist in knots, knowing that the same fear could be haunting Claire's nephews now.

Rosita quickly pulled out her phone, her fingers flying over the screen as she sent a message to Barry: How are Blue and the Raptors? Is everyone okay?

She needed to know that Blue, the raptors, and the rest of the team were safe before they could head out. It was instinct—Blue had been with her for so long, and the Raptors were like family. She cared for them deeply, and the idea of something happening to any of them was unbearable.

Owen looked back at her, his expression serious. "We need to go," he said, his voice tinged with urgency.

Rosita didn't hesitate. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and nodded at Owen. She could feel the tightness in her chest at the thought of the Raptors, especially Blue, but there was no time to dwell on it now. Claire's nephews were out in the Valley, and if anything happened to them, it would be on her conscience.

With a final glance at Claire, Rosita followed Owen out of the lobby, her mind still reeling from the flood of thoughts and emotions she was processing. She hoped Barry's message would bring her some peace, but in the meantime, her focus had to remain on the task at hand.

The tension in the car was palpable as Claire furiously redialled her nephew's number, her knuckles white as she gripped the phone. Each unanswered ring only deepened her panic. "Come on, Zach. Pick up," she muttered under her breath, her voice trembling with worry. But there was no response. She lowered the phone in frustration, her chest tight as fear gripped her.

Next to her, Rosita sat silently, her gaze fixed out the window. Her mind was elsewhere, her fingers absently clutching her phone. The lock screen illuminated briefly, revealing a photo of her and Blue, the playful raptor nuzzling her shoulder as Rosita smiled. The memory now felt so distant, a fragile moment of peace shattered by the chaos they were living in. Rosita's grip tightened on the phone, her heart heavy with dread.

Suddenly, the car came to a halt, jolting both women out of their thoughts. "Stay in the car," Owen said firmly, his voice steady as he grabbed his rifle and stepped out into the open field.

But Rosita couldn't obey. Something about the atmosphere outside—the eerie silence, the stillness—pulled at her. She pushed the door open, ignoring Owen's warning, and stepped out into the field. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell on the sight before her.

A massive Brachiosaurus lay on the ground, its immense body heaving with laboured breaths. Its once-majestic form was now marred with deep scars and bloody gashes, evidence of a brutal attack. Its mournful eyes flickered weakly, and Rosita instinctively brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

"Rosita, stay back," Owen called, but she couldn't. Her feet moved on their own, carrying her closer. She knelt down beside the injured dinosaur, her voice trembling but soothing. "It's okay. You're alright," she whispered, reaching out to gently stroke the creature's rough skin.

Owen stood beside her, watching silently, his expression grim. Rosita's hands moved with care, her touch tender as tears welled in her eyes. "I know," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I know. It's okay."

Claire approached hesitantly, her own heart breaking at the sight. She knelt on the other side of the Brachiosaurus, her hand shaking as she reached out to touch its skin. "You're okay. It's alright," she murmured softly, trying to comfort the creature as it struggled to lift its head.

The Brachiosaurus let out a low, mournful groan, its body shuddering before it finally stilled. Its laboured breaths ceased, and its massive form fell silent.

Rosita's hand froze as the realization hit her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead against the creature's now-still body. Claire's sobs broke the silence, her face streaked with tears as she looked at Owen for some kind of reassurance. But his jaw was tight, his gaze hard as he scanned the field ahead.

"Come on," he said gruffly, rising to his feet. Claire and Rosita exchanged a glance before following him, their steps heavy with grief.

As they crested a small hill, the full horror of the scene unfolded before them. The entire herd of Brachiosaurus lay scattered across the field, some motionless, others groaning in pain. The air was thick with the stench of blood and death, the ground littered with broken trees and churned earth.

Rosita's knees threatened to give way as she stared at the devastation. "No..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Owen's grip tightened on his rifle as he took in the carnage. His face was stony, his voice low and bitter when he finally spoke. "It didn't eat them," he said, his words cutting through the silence like a knife. "It's killing for sport."

Claire covered her mouth, her tears flowing freely now. Rosita's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her heart shattering not just for the fallen dinosaurs, but for the cruelty that had caused it. The image of Blue flashed in her mind—alive, fighting, vulnerable—and a fierce determination lit up in her chest.

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By: SilverMist707