A Hint of Lies

Part 2

3rd POV: Northern Califorina

Claire looks up at the vast house in awe. It's been a while since she spoke with Benjamin Lockwood or Eli Mills. Her heels click as she takes the steps and rings the doorbell. An older woman by the name of Iris Caroll opens the door. 

"Ms. Dearing you're early." The woman states with a smile, "Would you like to step in?" 

Claire nods with a smile as Iris holds the door open a bit wider. "Thank you." She says

"I will inform Mr. Mills that you have arrived," Iris explains and walks off after closing the door. 

Claire nods, already distracted by the many paintings hanging on the wall. She mindlessly hangs her coat on a nearby coat rack and steps to take a closer look at the paintings. She turns and sees a painting of John Hammond. She smiles softly as she steps closer. 

"John Alfred Hammond. The father of Jurassic Park. But of course, you know that." A voice speaks up. Claire turns and sees Eli Mills at the top of a staircase wearing a nice suit and a grin on his face. "Hello, Claire, I'm, I'm Eli. Mills. I work for Ben Lockwood. We actually met once, 7-8 years ago, and you don't remember..."

Claire smiles and cuts him off, "Of course, I remember. Haven't you run his foundations since..." She trails off.

"Since college. Yeah. You remember?" Eli asks astonished, he honestly didn't think she'd remember him. 

"Yes!" Claire says with a laugh. 

"Wow, cool. He wanted someone young, and, idealistic to expand his fortune. And I used to be both." Eli jokes and they both laugh. "Follow me." Eli instructs and leads Claire into a big room that appears to be a personal museum with a bunch of dinosaur skeletons and different exhibits. 

Claire looks around in awe as a huge smile dances on her lips. 

"Let me give you a bit of history. This is where it all began. Before the islands, Sorna, Jurassic Park, all of it. Hammond and Lockwood built a custom lab in a sub-basement and extracted the first DNA from amber, right beneath our feet." Eli says as Claire continues to look around. 

Claire's smile widens, "My goodness! What they did here was a miracle I still believe that." She states happily. 

"So do I, Claire. So do I, and I still believe it matters, what happens to those animals. There is something Mr. Lockwood would very much like you to do, Claire. You can call it a favor for an old friend." He leads Claire over to a table with a model of an island built into the top. "We have a piece of land. A sanctuary. Protected by natural barriers, fully self-sustaining. A new home where the dinosaurs will be secure... And free." 

Claire runs her hand along the rough surface, "You're gonna get them out? You're gonna save them?" She asks, her voice full of hope. 

"No, Ms. Dearing. I'm going to save us." A new voice speaks up. Claire turns and sees Ben Lockwood rolling toward her in a wheelchair. "We could both use a touch of redemption, couldn't we?" He asks with a smile and takes her hand. "Lovely to see you again."

"And you, Mr. Lockwood." Claire responds. 

Lockwood drops Claire's hand and moves to the side of the table. He begins telling a story with a far-off look in his eyes. "This was all John Hammond's dream. To let these creatures live in peace. So, we have created sanctuary. No fences, no cages, no tourists. Just as Mother Nature intended. John said it best. "These creatures don't need our protection." "They need our absence." 

Claire glances over at a mezzanine where she sees a shadow of a little girl run off. She turns back as Lockwood continues talking promising herself to ask Eli about it later.

"When we were young, we both shared this passion, John and I. What fools we were. Trying to run before we'd learn to walk. As all young men do, I suppose. But, we learned. Unfortunately, in the end, it drove us apart. Life teaches us some very hard lessons... Doesn't it, Claire?" He looks over at Claire, who nods in agreement. 

"Yes." She says.

"Sir Benjamin," Iris calls out. Claire hadn't even realized the woman had come into the room. 

Lockwood looks over his shoulder at Iris, "Hmm? My bloody medicines. Would you excuse me, Claire?" He looks up at Claire as Iris comes to push him to another room. 

Claire nods, "Of course, sir."

"Eli here will help you with the details. We will save them. With a gift... For our children. Thank you. Iris?" Iris begins pushing Lockwood out of the room as Claire turns to Eli.

"Does he have children? I thought I saw... there was a little girl." Claire asks, pointing to the spot she saw the girl moments before. 

"Yeah, he has a grandchild. His daughter died in a car accident." Eli explains. 

Claire's face falls to one of pity, "That's awful."

Eli nods his head, "Yeah, I know. But they're very close. Really close." He says with a soft smile. 

Claire looks at Eli. Her mind made up and her heart ready. "So, what do you need from me?"

The two head through the house to Eli's office. Eli pulls up a map of Isla Nublar on a desktop made out of touchscreens. He turns the map to show Claire, "There was a tracking system in place at the park. - Radio frequency ID chips in each dinosaur." He explains. 

"I remember." Claire says noding. 

"Right, so if we could access that system, our ability to locate and capture those animals safely, will increase ten-fold." Eli presses the map and a bunch of little yellow dots appear on the screen along with various pictures of different species on the island next to the map. "We need your handprint to access the system. But what I really need, Claire... ...is you." You're our only shot at convincing the two raptor trainers. He thinks but doesn't say. He swipes the map away and leans on the desk. "Moving endangered species isn't exactly legal. But it's the right thing to do. No one knows this park as well as you do and we need that expertise."

Claire leans forward as well, "How many can you save?" 

"Eleven species. For sure, I mean, more, if we can. But time is against us I'm afraid." Eli swipes through pictures of different dinosaurs until he gets to Blue's picture. He slides the photo in front of Claire to show her. "There is one animal, in particular, that poses a real challenge for us."

"Blue." Claire says in realization. 

"I didn't know she had a name. But Blue, is potentially the second most intelligent piece of life on this planet. And she's the last of her kind. She must be preserved." Eli says. 

"She can pick up your scent a mile off. You will never capture her." Claire says. 

"Well... We thought you might know some people who could help." Eli states. Claire's eyes widened when she realized what Eli was suggesting. "Maybe you can convince them." 

Claire nods to herself. Maybe she can. However, Y/n would be a harder scale to tip. She'd have to win Owen over first. Claire looks up at Eli. "I'll get them." 

"Good. We'll put them on the manifest." Eli says.

Claire fiddles with her thumbs as she's led out of the house. She hopes she'll be able to convince the two most stubborn people she's ever met, to come back to the island that almost killed them.