The Hunter's Daughter

This is my first Jurassic Park fan fiction, and I'd like to know what you all think.  This story revolves around Robert and his 21 year old daughter Melissa.  They are the game wardens at the park.  The first chapter starts right after the first scene of the first movie and I hope to take the story up to Jurassic World.  I am pointing out that I made Robert schizophrenic in this story just to flesh out his character a bit more.

I do not own any of the characters from Jurassic Park, I only own my OC Melissa.  A brief description of Melissa- Age:21, Height:6'2", Eye Color:Blue, Hair Color:Sandy Blonde, Weight:Average, Looks:Like Robert only female.  Here's the first chapter.  Please read and review.


I sit on my desk in the office that my dad and I share while I watch my dad pace around the room.

“Dad, will you relax.”  I say.

“I can’t relax, John is going to kill us.”  My dad says.

“Why will he kill us?  Because one of his ‘precious’ animals killed one of our best workers?”  I ask.

“Our best?  Melissa, these guys follow my orders not yours.”

“You seem to forget that John hired  me as your second in command.  They have to listen to me.”  I say.

“She’s right Robert.”  John says.

“How long have you been standing there?”  My dad asks.

“Not long.  How did the transfer go?”  John asks.

My dad and I share this look that asks ‘Who will tell him?’

“It didn’t go that well.”  My dad says.

“What do you mean?”

“The raptor we transferred killed a worker.”

“Was the animal harmed?”

“If we would have had proper weapons and not tasers, then yes, but since we didn’t no.”

John goes to say something but I cut him off saying, “It’s so nice to see that you care about that worker.”

“He can be replaced.”  John says.

That statement gets my blood boiling.  I jump off the desk and walk over to John.  I glare at him for a few minutes before I can even say anything.

“A worker can be replaced, but a human life can’t.  You might want to remember that.”  I growl.

I walk out of the office and down the hall.  John’s going to be the death of me someday.  Little do I know, but that statement will nearly come true in a week.  I walk down the hall to the control room. I use my ID badge to open the door and go in.  Ray looks up from his work and I walk over to him.

I plop down in a chair and put my head in my hands.

“What’s wrong?”  He asks.

“John.”  I say.

“What did he do now?”

“He was more concerned about his ‘precious’ animal than the worker who died.”

“I see.”  Ray says.

“I want to see every one of those raptors destroyed.”

Someone puts their hand on my shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze.

“I have to agree with you.”  My dad says.

I look up at him and give him a small smile.

“How mad was John at my little outburst?”  I ask.

“He wasn’t that mad.  He realized you were right.”

“Good.”  I say.

“Although, I fear there might be some kind of lawsuit.”  My dad says.

“You don’t think Jophery’s family will try to sue for wrongful death, do you?”  I ask.

“I’m afraid so.”

‘Great we’re going to be subjected to yet another safety inspection.’  I think.

“You do know what that will mean, don’t you?”

I look at my dad’s face and see he’s thinking the same thing I am.  Another safety inspection is in the works.

“Yeah, another safety inspection.”  My dad says with a sigh.

I can see he’s fed up with everything that’s going on right now.  Is he thinking like me?  Does he just want to leave and go home?  I guess I’ll find out sooner or later.  Then a thought comes to my mind.

What if there isn’t a safety inspection?  What if the inspection involves people from outside the park coming in and looking around?  If things go wrong that could be a disaster.

“I have a feeling it might be more than a safety inspection.”  I say.

My dad lets out another sigh in response to that statement.

“We’re nowhere near ready for that kind of inspection.”  Ray says.

“The basic tour is ready, isn’t it?”  I ask.

“Yes, but all the kinks haven’t quite been worked out yet.”

“Weren’t we supposed to be getting someone to work on that?”  My dad asks.

“Yes, he’s arriving tomorrow.”  Ray says.

I look at my watch, it’s already 1:30 a.m.  Someone’s coming today to fix the system and he might only have a week to do it.  A small sigh escapes my lips.

“You mean later today.”  I say.

“Yeah.”

I let out a long sigh and rub my face with my hands.  How I’d like to just go back to the staff lodge and sleep for a month.   Although I know that sleep won’t come easy if at all for me tonight.  I just lost a good friend to those bloody raptors.

“Why don’t you go back to the staff lodge and get some sleep?”  My dad asks.

“I doubt I’ll get much sleep after what I saw.”

“Melissa, you’ve seen far worse while working in Kenya.”  My dad says.

“None of those people were my friends, and they weren’t killed by animals that are supposed to be extinct.”

“While that may be true, you still need to get some sleep.”

“I’m 21 years old.  I don’t need you to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do.”  I growl.

“Don’t use that tone of voice with me young lady, I’m your father.”  My dad sternly says.

‘Unbelievable.’  I think.

I’m 21 years old, I don’t need him telling me what to do anymore.  It seems like he doesn’t completely trust me.  Ray just stares at us.  I just give a small shrug of my shoulders as a response to his unasked question.  I know what he was going to ask, and I know what the answer would be.

He was going to ask what’s wrong with my dad.  And I would have told him nothing.  But, that’s only because I don’t want to tell him what’s really wrong.  How can I tell my friend that my dad is schizophrenic?  It hasn’t been easy to live with him, but he’s had things under control.

I just think the stress of getting the park ready is taking a toll on him.  It’s that, or his meds aren’t working right anymore.  I’m hoping it’s just stress because he never acts like this.  He’s never snapped at me like that before.

“I don’t need this.”  I mumble.

I stand up and walk to the door of the control room.  I open it and step out into the hall.  Letting the door slam behind me, I walk down the hall.  I head downstairs and walk out of the visitors center.  I sit down on the step and stare out into the dark jungle.

‘I really hate this bloody place.’  I think.

All I want to do is go back to Kenya with my dad.  A hand on my shoulder brings me back to my senses.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you.”  My dad says.

“I’m sorry too, I didn’t mean what I said.”  I say.

“Come on, lets go back to the staff lodge.”

I stand up and we walk to our Jeep.  We get in and drive off.  Our short drive to the staff lodge is silent.  My dad parks the Jeep and we get out.  We go into the staff lodge and head to our rooms.  I undress and crawl into bed.

I fall into a fitful sleep.  Over the next week my dreams get stranger and stranger.  On the day of the inspection, my dad and I are sitting in our office tracking a storm that seems to be heading right for us.

“You think that storm will hit us today?’  I ask.

“I hope it holds off until tomorrow.”  My dad says.

Out of the corner of my eye I see our guests running down the stairs.

“It looks like our guests have seen the baby raptor.”  I say.

“Lets head to the pen, shall we?”  My dad asks.

“You don’t need to ask me twice.  I’m ready to throw a spanner into John’s plans.”

We stand up, grab our hats, and head out of our office.  We walk down the hall and down the stairs.  We take the back way out of the visitor center and head to the raptor pen.  By the time we get there, the animals have just finished tearing a cow apart.  We walk closer to the platform.

“They should all be destroyed.”  My dad says as we walk up the stairs.

John just stares at us.

“Robert and Melissa Muldoon, my game wardens from Kenya.  Both are alarmists I’m afraid, but they know more about raptors than anyone.”  John says.

A man walks over to us.  He smiles at us.

“Alan Grant.”  He says.

He looks me up and down, then smiles.  I pretend not to notice and cross my arms.

“What kind of metabolism do they have?  What’s their growth rate?”  Alan asks.

“They’re lethal at 8 months, and I do mean lethal.  I’ve hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move.”  My dad says.

“Fast for a biped?”

“Cheetah speed.  50, 60 miles per hour if they ever got out in the open.  And they’re astonishing jumpers.”  I say.

“Yes, yes, yes.  That’s why we’re taking extreme precautions.”  John says.

I just roll my eyes at this.

“Do they show intelligence?  With their brain cavities we assumed.”  Alan says.

“They show extreme intelligence.  Even problem solving intelligence.  Especially the big one.  We bred eight originally, but when she came in, she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others.  That one, when she looks at you, you can see she’s working things out.  That’s why we have to feed ‘em like this.  She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came.”  My dad says.

“But the fences are electrified though, right?”  A woman asks.

“That’s right.  But they never attack the same place twice.  They were testing the fences for weaknesses systematically.  They remember.”  I say.

There’s a clunk as the harness rises out of the pen.  My dad and I turn to look in the pen as John asks, “Well, who’s hungry?”

The group walks away, but I see the woman standing there staring at my dad.  I elbow him in the ribs and he looks at me.  I gesture at the woman with my head.

“Did you need something?”  My dad asks.

“We weren’t properly introduced.  I’m Ellie Sattler.”  She says.

“Robert Muldoon.”  My dad says.

“And you?”  Ellie asks.

“Melissa Muldoon.”  I say.

I see Ellie’s face fall.

‘It’s not what you think.’  I think.

“Are you husband and wife?”  Ellie asks.

My dad chuckles at this.

“Father and daughter actually.”  My dad says.

“What happened to your wife?”

“She died 8 years ago when Melissa was 13.”

“I’m sorry, I know what it’s like to lose a parent at that age.”

I say nothing.  It’s like someone ripped a hole in my heart again.  My mum didn’t actually die, she left because of my dad.  She hated the fact that he was always working and left because of it.  I still don’t know why she didn’t take me with her.

Maybe she felt I was better off with my dad because we’re so much alike.  I still don’t understand adult matters and I’m an adult.  I let out a long frustrated sigh and my dad looks at me.  He put his hand on my shoulder and I’m brought back to my senses.  Ellie is now gone.

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth?”  I ask.

My dad gives a shrug of his shoulders as an answer.

“You will tell her, right?”

“When the time is right.”  My dad says.

We head back to the visitor center and up to our office.  I take a seat at my desk and start going through some papers.  I hope and pray this inspection goes well so the park can finally open.  Although I have this feeling that something’s going to go wrong today.  I have this feeling that Dennis will be behind it.  I’ve had my doubts about him since he started.   I just hope I’m proved wrong.

'Careful the things you say, children will listen.'-Children Will Listen from Into The Woods

Melissa is sitting at her desk with her head in her hands.  It seems like she is or was crying.  I walk up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.  I give them a gentle squeeze.  She sniffles and looks up at me.  She gives me a sad smile and looks away.

“I’m sorry I mentioned your mum.  I didn’t think it would get to you that badly.”  I say.

“It’s not that.”  Melissa says.

“What is it then?”  I ask.

“The baby triceratops that was born three days ago just died.  I was hoping she’d make it.”

“Yeah, me too.  She was a spunky one.”  I say.

“I think she was just too small to live.”

“Not to change the subject, but I want you on the last shuttle to the dock.  I don’t want you here if things go wrong.”

Melissa rolls her eyes at this.  I know she doesn’t want to go, but I can’t put my finger on why.  I run my fingers through my hair and let out a long sigh.  She’s thinking if I stay she stays.

“I’m not going anywhere.  If you stay I stay.”  Melissa says.

I knew that’s what she was thinking.

“I don’t want you getting hurt.”  I say.

“I won’t get hurt, I know how to take care of myself in dangerous situations.”

“You will leave, that’s an order.”

“Fat chance dad.  To hell with your ‘order’.  I’m staying.”  Melissa says.

I let out a long sigh and throw my hands up in defeat.

“It’s my job to protect you.”  I say.

“I understand that, but I’m still staying.  My gut  is telling me something is going to happen to you.  I’d never forgive myself if I left and you died.”

So, that’s why she wants to stay.  She thinks I’m going to die.

“Fine, you can stay.”  I reluctantly say.

“I just have this feeling that Dennis is going to pull something.  I’ve had a bad feeling about him since he started a week ago.”

“What do you think he’s going to pull?”  I ask.

“I’m not sure, but I’m guessing it’s not good.”

“He’s going to steal something, but I don’t know what.”  I say.

“Yeah, money from John.”  Melissa says with a laugh.

I go to say something, but I’m cut off by the phone ringing.  I reach down and answer it.

“This is Robert.”  I say.

“Rob, it’s Gerry.  I need your assistance with something.”  The voice on the other end says.

“What can I help you with?”  I ask.

“The triceratops is sick again.  I’m heading to her paddock and I need you to tranquilize her for me.”  Gerry says.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”  I say.

“Thanks.”  Gerry says and hangs up.

I hang up the phone and Melissa looks at me.

“That was Gerry.  The triceratops is sick again and he needs me to tranquilize her.”  I say.

“I’ll go.  I could use some alone time.”  Melissa says.

I know what she means by that.  She needs some time away from me and John.

“Fine, just be careful.”

“I’m careful, unlike some people I know.”

I know she’s talking about me.  I’ve gotten myself into some rough patches, and she’s always gotten me out of them.

“I’m not going to argue with you.”

Melissa stands up and walks out of the room.  I watch her walk down the hall and disappear downstairs.  How I wish I could have some time away from John and this island.  Maybe once the inspection is over I’ll take a trip back home to Kenya to see my parents and sister.  It’s been too long since I’ve seen them.

This chapter will alternate between Melissa's and Robert's point of view.


Melissa’s POV

I head downstairs and into the lobby.  There I see John, Ian, Dr. Grant, and Ellie.  The only person missing is Donald.

‘He must be elsewhere.’  I think.

I also see Lex and Tim, John’s grandkids.  They see me and run over.

“Melissa!”  They shout as they hug me.

“My goodness, you guys have gotten big.”  I say with a smile.

“Come now kids, don’t bother her.”  John says.

‘They weren’t doing any harm John.’  I think.

“Aw, grandpa.”  Lex says.

“Just listen to him, we’ll talk later.”  I say.

“Ok.”  Tim says.

They run off and join the group.  As I go to head outside, I brush past John.  As I do he grabs my arm.

“Where are you going?”  John asks.

“To tranquilize the triceratops so Dr. Harding can look at her.”  I say.

“Be careful.”  John says.

I nod my head in response.

I then pull my arm out of his hand and say, “If you ever grab me like that again I’ll sue you for harassment.”

I then turn and walk outside.  I hop in my Jeep and drive off down the service roads.  My thoughts are my only company on my journey.  They drift to my dad.  He’s been a little ‘off’ this past week.

Something’s not quite right with him, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.  I know he’s schizophrenic, but he’s had it under control for years.  It seems to me like he’s either off his meds or they’re not working anymore.

‘Dad, I’m worried about you.’  I think.

I arrive at the triceratops paddock and park my Jeep.  I sit there for a few minutes to collect myself before getting out of the Jeep.  I get out of the Jeep and start my walk into the field.

Robert’s POV

I sit at my desk in my office with my head in my hands.  I’m trying to calm my racing mind, but it’s not working.

‘Keep it together Robert.’  I think.

The voices in my head, which I’m trying to ignore, are saying something different.

“Robert, is this a bad time?”  John asks.

“No, not really.”  I say with a sigh.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“No, I’ve got the start of a bloody migraine.”  I say lying.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Are you sure?”

What is with all the questions?  My hands ball into fists and I’m about ready  to hit someone, namely John.  I slam my fist on the desk making John jump.

“Stop asking bloody questions and tell me why you’re here!”  I shout.

“I was just wondering if you had any update on that storm.”  John says worried.

“I’m still getting the printouts, but things aren’t looking good.”  I say.

“What do you mean?”  John asks.

“It’s still too early to tell, but it looks like the storm may hit us.”

“That’s no good.”  John says.

“Like I said, it’s too early to tell.”

John lets out a huff and I stand up.  I grab the printouts and we leave my office.  I look at them as we walk to the control room.

“National weather service is tracking a tropical storm about 75 miles west of us.”  I say as we walk into the control room.

“Why didn’t I build in Orlando?”  John asks.

“I’ll keep an eye on it, maybe it’ll swing south like the last one.”  I say as I look at a computer screen.

“Ray, start the tour program.”  John says.

“Hold onto your butts.”  Ray says.

I walk to the other end of the room and plop down in a chair and put my feet on the desk.

Melissa’s POV

I finish up in the triceratops paddock just as Dr. Harding arrives.  He gets out of his Jeep and walks over to me.

“I thought your dad was going to take care of this.”  He says.

“I told him I would take care of it because I needed some ‘alone’ time.”  I say.

“Someone or something bothering you?”  Gerry asks.

“A little bit of both.”

“What did Robert do now?”

“Nothing, it’s just that he’s been acting a bit off this past week.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed.  You think it has something to do with Dennis?”

I give a shrug of my shoulders as an answer.  I guess I never thought of that.

“You don’t know?”  Gerry asks puzzled.

“Gerry, there’s a number of things I don’t know.  Most of them have to do with my dad.”  I say.

“What are you saying?”

“There’s more to my dad then meets the eye.”  I quietly say.

“Such as?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Look, I know he’s not quite right in the head.”  Gerry says.

I say nothing and look at him shocked.

“I’ve heard him talking to himself.”

“I talk to myself too, does that make me crazy?”  I angrily ask.

“You don’t talk to yourself like your dad does.  I’ve heard him telling someone to be quiet when nobody is around.”  Gerry says.

“Gerry, he’s schizophrenic.  He hears voices in his head.”  I quietly say.

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t know.”

“How could you know?  He never tells anyone.”  I say.

“Not even John?”  Gerry says.

“I doubt it.”

“Oh.”  Gerry quietly says.

“Well, I have to get back to the control room before John starts missing me.”

Gerry says nothing and I walk back to my Jeep.  I get in, start it, and drive off.

‘Why did Gerry bring up that fat slob Dennis?’ I think.

I haven’t liked the man since he started.  I let out a long sigh and swear under my breath.  All I want to do is go back home.  I really don’t want to be stuck on this island 24/7 like I have been for the past five years.  Sometimes it seems like I’ve been here longer.

I guess dealing with John will do that.  By now I’m at the visitor’s center.  I pull around to garage and park the Jeep.  I get out and walk into the visitor’s center.  I head up the stairs and go to the control room.

Before I go in, I take a quick peek in the window.  My dad is sitting with his feet up on the desk staring off into space.  Everything else is running as it should.  I unlock the door with my ID badge and go in.  John looks up at me.

He seems worried about something.  I walk over to my dad and take a seat next to him.  Soon, I’m lost in my thoughts.  Something seems off to me, but I can’t quite figure out what.  John, Dennis, and Ray’s arguing brings me out of my thoughts.
My dad quickly puts a stop to it.

“Quiet, all of you!  They’re approaching the tyrannosaur paddock.”  My dad says.

‘They’re gonna try and tempt the rex.’  I think.

“That won’t work Ray, she just ate.”  My dad says.

“We can still try.”  Ray says.

‘Not like it will work.’  I think.

I’m proven right and the cars drive off.  After that, my dad gets up and starts pacing around the room.

Robert’s POV

My mind is racing as I pace around the room.  The voices in my head chime in with their opinions on what’s going on.

“I don’t care what you think.”  I whisper.

John looks up at me worried.

“You ok Rob?”  Ray asks.

“Fine.”  I say.

I go back to my pacing, but stop when I see everyone jumping out of the cars.

“Stop the program.  Stop the program.”  John says.

“I told you how many times, we needed locking mechanisms on the vehicle doors?”  I ask.

“They saw the triceratops, didn’t they?”  Melissa asks.

I give a nod of my head as an answer.

“I thought Gerry would be done with her by now.”  John says.

“John, it’s going to take him some time to figure out what’s wrong.”  Melissa says.

‘You’re going to die tomorrow.’  This voice in my head says.

“No.”  I mumble.

“What did you say dad?”  Melissa asks.

“Nothing.”  I say.

She says nothing and stands up.  She walks over to me and grabs my arm.

“We need to have a word outside.”  Melissa whispers.

We walk out of the control room.  I lean against the wall and cross my arms.

“Dad, you need to keep it together.”  Melissa says.

I let out a sigh through my nose.  Is it really that obvious that I’m having a hard time keeping it together?  I thought I was hiding it pretty well.

“I’m trying my hardest, but it’s getting worse.”  I say.

“What?”  Melissa asks shocked.

I know I have to tell her that my meds aren’t working right anymore and things are getting rougher.

“The meds aren’t working right anymore.  I’m having a really rough time keeping it together.”

The look on Melissa’s face says it all.  She’s shocked and saddened by what I’m telling her.  I feel like I’ve failed her as a dad.

“You need to try harder, or John is going to suspect something.”  Melissa quietly says.

“If he doesn’t already.”  I say with a sigh.

Melissa lets out a long sigh through her nose and looks at the floor.  She seems disappointed in me.

“Look, I’m sorry.”  I say.

“It’s fine.”  Melissa says.

It’s not fine.  Nothing is fine.  I’m a failure as a father and a husband.  This is why my wife left me, not because of  my job.  My wife left because she couldn’t take my mental problem.

I turn and unlock the control room door with my ID badge.  Melissa and I walk into the control room.  As we walk in, the phone starts ringing.  I walk over and answer it.  On the other end is Steve from the National Weather service.

“Yeah, got that.”  I say.

Melissa, John, and Ray look at me worried.

I put the phone to my shoulder and say, “That storm center hasn’t dissipated or changed course.  We’re going to have to cut the tour short I’m afraid, pick it up again tomorrow where we left off.”

“Are you sure we have to?”  John asks.

“It’s not worth taking the chance John.”  Ray says.

I put the phone back to my ear.  Things aren’t looking good at all.

“Sustained winds 45 knots.”  I say.

John and Ray are talking in the background.

“Yeah, got that.  Thanks Steve.”  I say and hang up the phone.

I sit back down just as John slams his cane into the ground and shouts, “Damn!”

‘It could be worse.’  I think.

But worse for who?  Me or John?  There’s something off about the vibe in the control room and I know it’s not me.  My gut is telling me something is about to go down.

‘Dennis is about to pull something.’ I think.

“What’s on your mind dad?”  Melissa asks.

“Lots of things.”  I say.

“Like what?”

I say nothing and look at Dennis.  Melissa looks over at him and rolls her eyes.  Is she thinking what I am?

“He’s going to pull something, isn’t he?”  Melissa quietly asks.

“Maybe.”

“And if he doesn’t, what then?”

“I don’t know.”

Melissa lets out a long sigh and swears under her breath.  I shake my head and go back to my thoughts.  The voices in my head start screaming at me?  What if they’re right?  What if I’m meant to die tomorrow?

Melissa’s POV

As my dad sits there lost in his thoughts.  I begin to wonder what Dennis is going to pull.  As I’m thinking I barely notice my dad getting up and moving behind John and Ray.

“So much for our first tour.  Two no shows and one sick triceratops.”  John says.

“It could have been worse John, a lot worse.”  Ray says.

My dad raises his eyebrows at this remark.  What the devil is going on here?  Is he trying to tell me something?  Is he saying that Dennis is about to pull whatever it is he’s going to pull right now?

“Anybody want a soda or something?”  Dennis asks.

‘Oh my God, he’s right.  Dennis is about to pull something now.’ I think.

Oh crap, thanks a lot dad.  Dennis babbles about something I don’t quite understand and then leaves the control room.  My dad starts pacing around the room and I walk over and join him.

“That’s odd.”  Ray says.

“What?”  John asks.

“Door security systems are shutting down.”

“Well, Nedry did say a few systems would go offline didn’t he?”  John asks.

‘It’s started.  Things are going to hell.’ I think.

Right in the middle of that thought, I see the map of the fences.  They go from green to red.  My dad and I both turn around to face John and Ray.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.  What the hell?  What the hell?  What the hell?”  Ray asks.

“What now?”  John asks.

“Fences are failing all over the park.”  Ray says as he shakes his head.

“Find Nedry! Check the vending machines!”  John shouts.

I run from my spot and head out of the control room.  I head around the visitor’s center looking for Dennis.  I don’t find him anywhere, but in my searching I do find Ellie.

“What’s going on?”  Ellie asks.

“Dennis, our computer guy, is missing.”  I say.

“That’s not good.”  Ellie says.

“No, it’s not.  Things have gone to hell.”  I say with a sigh.

“Oh.”

“How long have you been here?”  I ask.

“Not long.  Have the others come back yet?”  Ellie asks.

“No, not yet.”  I quietly say.

“Oh no.”  Ellie says panicked.

“Let’s go back to the control room and regroup.”

Ellie nods her head and we walk off.  We walk upstairs and head to the control room.  I open the door and we walk in.

“Did you find him?”  John asks.

“No.”  I say with a sigh.

“Damn.”  John says.

‘Yeah.’  I think.

Ellie takes a seat on an empty table and I walk over to my dad.

“How are you holding up?”  He asks.

“Ok, but I’m worried about Grant and the kids.”  I say.

“If they stay calm, they should be fine.”

“That’s a big if.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ray working at Dennis’ computer.

“What’s going on?”  I ask.

“Ray’s trying to figure out what Dennis did.”  My dad says.

“Did the cars stop somewhere safe?”

My dad  gives a shake of his head as an answer.  That can only mean one thing, they’re near the rex paddock.

“Where did they stop?”

“Near the rex paddock.”

My heart drops into my stomach when he says this.  How could this happen?

“Oh no.”  I whisper.

That’s when Ray starts going on and on about what’s wrong with the system and having to go through all the computers lines of code one by one.

“How many lines of code are there?”  Ellie asks.

“Bout two million.”  Ray says while exhaling cigarette smoke.

“Two million?”

“Yeah.”

“Great.”  Ellie says with a sigh.

“Robert, I wonder if perhaps you would be good enough to take a gas Jeep and bring back my Grandchildren.”  John says.

“Sure.”  My dad says.

He walks over to the door and Ellie and I follow him.

“I’m going with him.”  Ellie says.

“So am I.”  I say.

I don’t want to be anywhere near the control room if things get worse.  For that matter, I don’t even want to go into the park.  God only knows what we’re going to find when we get to the rex paddock.

We walk out of the control room and head down the hall to our office.  My dad goes in and comes back out a few minutes later with three raincoats.  He then hands one to Ellie and another to me.  We put them on and head to the garage.  The only sound that can be heard on the way there, is our boots thudding on the floor.