The Grant Files: Stranded on Isla Sorna

Chapter 8

When he knew that the boy wouldn't cry out, Grant took his hand off Eric's mouth. They both stayed completely silent. All this time, the satellite phone was ringing. Then it stopped, and after an agonizing beat, the beast moved on. At first Grant wasn't sure which direction it was headed but finally he could tell that it was moving away and once the sail was finally out of sight, Eric broke away from Grant's hold and dashed to his parents' arms. They scooped him up; hugged him, kissed him, their affection unquenchable, he was crying. "Sweetheart, you're okay," Amanda reassured him, then paused a moment to assure herself, "you're okay," but another pause, "you're okay," she said in disbelief.

"Never had a doubt. Never did. Us Kirby men, we stick around, huh?" Paul tried to lighten the mood in the slightest.

"We do," Eric replied.

Looking at her grubby son, Amanda licks her shirttail, trying to rub his face clean. "Honey, there's not enough spit in the world for that," Paul smirked. She laughed. It's the first time she's laughed in two months.

The moment the Spinosaurus was gone, Jami quickly sprinted to her father's side, embracing him tightly, "oh, Dad, I was so worried," she cried softly. "I thought I'd never see you again," she admitted, "being on this island, I was sure I would lose you." The girl tightened her grip on her father, "I'm so relieved to see you, Daddy," she hid her tears from everyone by hiding her face in her father's shoulder.

"Oh, Jami," with a soft tone of voice, Grant pulled his daughter in close, stroking her hair and placing a chaste kiss to the top of her head. "I'm glad you're safe, babygirl," he squeezed her to him. "It's alright now, we're together again," he assured her, "nothing's going to take me away from you, nothing," he promised the young paleontologist.

Jasmine came sauntering up to the two of them, smiling happily. "Good to you see you, Uncle Alan," the alien slayer said playfully, "for a minute there I thought I'd have to fend off raptors or even that Spinosaurus again due to Jami's crying."

The father reached out for the young woman who took his hand and the two gently squeezed each other's fingers. "Well, it's nice to know that you're both alive," he smiled at his honorary niece before placing another soft kiss to his daughter's head and squeezing her gently once more. Not more than a moment later, "alright, now, Jami, we should get a move on," he released her and gently pushed her back.

"Okay, Dad," she pulled away, she was glad to have him back in her eyesight, it calmed her nerves.

Billy crossed the distance to Grant and the girls, but they ignored him. "We need to keep moving," the paleontologist said.

"Alan, I want to tell you that I'm sorry about the-" Billy tried.

"Billy, I can't talk to you now," Grant said without looking at him and walked off, "not about the raptor eggs or anything else."

As soon as he said raptor eggs, Jasmine knew what was up, "so I was right?" The alien slayer said under her breath, having noticed the way he had zipped up his camera bag.

The young man followed him, "please, okay? Just yell at me. Call me an idiot. An asshole. Stupid. Tell me I screwed up because I know I did," Billy continued, desperate but Grant didn't respond, "I thought if we could get a raptor back to the mainland, we could get serious money for it. Enough to fund the digging for 10 years. More. Whatever it took."

Grant shook his head, disgusted but didn't stop though the young man's words caught the full attention of Jasmine, who was shocked to hear them, "what the bloody hell were you thinking, Brennan?!"

"You have to believe me. I did it with the best intentions," Billy continued speaking to Grant before acknowledging Jasmine's words, "I sort of stole raptor eggs, in order to try and get one to the mainland," he said with a grimace, "to fund the dig."