𝘾𝙇𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝙂𝙄𝙍𝙇 | Jurassic Park Fanfiction

✨―Prologue―🦖

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧02/05/1993ˏˋ°•*⁀➷


The air was thick with damp humidity, despite the night times being cool here usually. Today, and tonight, had been terribly hot. Making tensions even more tense as little beads of sweat drooled down Laken's forehead, she wiped it away with a swift back side of her hand. Hand returning to her hip, thumb hooked through the belt loop as it loomed over the electrical rod on her belt.

The engineer's stance was stern, as stiff as a stone wall and just as much, was her gaze. Laken's green eyes scanned over the heavily secured paddock, counting the flaws in her work, counting the possibilities, counting on something to go wrong.

But they spared no expense! So they claimed at least.

They'd spent months on this, not even to mention a few months to plan the transfer out down to the nano-second. They made the routine, tested it out a time or two. Hammond dared to say they were over-thinking things, everything would work out just fine he reassured.

I suppose now they would have their answer.

As trepidation settled on Laken's expression, her attention was brought back to focus as she turned to face the far side of the jungle clearing.

The rustling of trees and foliage, and a low rumble of an engine cut through the clearing as the forklift drove closer to the concrete platform, only a few feet away was the large concrete paddock in all it's glory. Laken's eyes remained vigilant, searching for something, she didn't know what.

As the forklift pulled closer to the platform, it gradually lowered it's arms to lay down the steel crate it had been carrying. Firmly settled on the concrete and secured in a railway on the floor. Phase two could begin.

"Okay, pushing team move in there. I want tasers on full charge!" The English accent broke through the already bustling air, breaking through to Laken's apprehensive mind.

The 'pushing' team moved forward, the workers in their neon orange helmets stepped forward attentively and gripped the handle bars of the crate. Startling at the sound of the being within the crate huffing and growling lowly as it's sniffed around to become aware of it's surroundings within it's confines.

There was a loud click like thud as the crate was pushed against the large door. One beep, a red light. One beep, a orange light. Third beep was a green light that flashed brightly, then another loud click like thud to signify it was secured in place.

Time for phase three, things were smooth. Her mind was hopeful.

"We're locked. Gatekeeper, move into position." Laken announced and prompted in a crystal clear, authoritative tone.

"Joffrey, raise the gate." Muldoon prompted as the said gatekeeper, climbed up the short ladder and stood above the crate.

With a strong and steady pull, the gate began to raise. Casting dappled shadows as the bright spotlights shined through the grates.

But within a single second the prehistoric creature rushed out of it's box as soon as freedom was in sight, bashing into the door above and abruptly shoving the cage back.
It didn't lock!

Joffrey fell onto the ground with a thud and a groan, hardly having a moment to react as he was suddenly grasped by his ankle and yanked back roughly into the now open space between the enclosure and cage.

Everyone scrambled to approach the crate, tasers flashing as they jabbed them through the grates of the cage, trying to desist the velociraptor from it's potential next meal.

Muldoon rushed forward without a moments thought, dropping his rifle aside he locked onto Joffrey's arm, attempting to pull the man back from the creature's jaws only to be roughly knocked backwards as the raptor shook it's prey in defiance.

Her eyes widened as a sharp inhale caught the back of her throat, without a second thought or hesitation.

Laken scurried over and by Muldoon's side as he stumbled backwards.

Within a heart beat her hands and arms locked around the Ingen employee. Holding tightly onto the helpless, Joffrey.

His hands dug into her sides as he frantically held onto anything that would keep him grounded as the tension in his leg began to build from the forceful tugging.

She shoved her foot against the cage, trying to create some sort of traction for her to pull him backwards yet her strength was nothing compared to the scaley beast.

A grotesque symphony erupted—a sickening pop, the cracking of bones, and Joffrey's agonized screams, a haunting aria to the impending tragedy.

Laken made a desperate attempt to pull one hand away, reaching for the electrical rod strapped to her belt still, though felt the weight tugging on her again. Her hand fled back around Joffrey.

Her teeth clenched together as she tried to hold onto him, all while feeling his hands digging into her waist. He was screaming and rambling in his foreign tongue. Undoubtedly praying or begging to be saved, begging to be spared as his eyes looked at her with desperation and agony. Blood drooling down the corners of his mouth.

Though another deep and low growl sounded from the velociraptor. Laken's eyes snapped upwards, her eyes making out it's form in the shadows as the tasers flashed with electricity shocks every few moments.

That's when she saw them.
It's deep amber colored eyes, they stared straight through to her very soul. Emitting an eerie chill up her spine as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Never before had she felt like the prey, but now there she stood, a mere few feet away from the predator.
There was something about it's eyes that told her it knew, it knew what it was doing, it knew her. It knew it would win the struggle, and Laken knew that it very well might.

"Shoot her! Shoot her!" Muldoon shouted, his aid immediately coming back to Laken and feverishly grabbing onto the engineer to ensure she didn't get dragged in either.

Abruptly, Joffrey's hand slipped out of Laken's grasp and was yanked into the darkness of the paddock with a blood curdling, final scream. Blood, a gruesome offering, painted Laken's skin, a visceral reminder of her failure.

"No!" Laken exclaimed and tried to launch herself forward in a failed attempt to grab onto the man one last time as someone grabbed onto her waist and yanked her backwards.

"Let go of me! We have to save him!" She shouted defiantly, struggling to break free from the grasp of Muldoon.

"Close the gate, now!" Muldoon ordered sternly, looking over at the men as they rushed to close the gate. The steel gate slammed down with a heavy, rumbling thud against the concrete ground. Locking the dead bolts over the door securely before waiting for the second step of locks to engage.

First beep, second beep, third. The door was locked.

"Are you bloody insane?!" Muldoon finally looked down at Laken, still holding onto her tightly so that she couldn't free from his grasp and rush into the jaws of danger as she was so determined to do.

"Yeah! I'm fucking insane, now let go of me! we have to save him!" Laken exclaimed, shoving her hand against his chest in another failed attempt.
The panic washing over her as quick as storm clouds began to fill the night sky, darkening the terrain even within the fluorescent spotlights surrounding the jungle clear. Little droplets of water falling and landing in a sprinkling pattern.

"Settle down, settle down!" Muldoon assured her, his arms tightening around her as he pulled her back down into his chest. "He's gone. You can't save him, Ken!"

"No, No, no..." Laken stammered in her struggle but gradually as the realization struck her that it was too late to do anything, it was like a train had hit her, her arms no longer fought against the game warden's grasp.

She let him slip right through her hands! How could she let that happen! The doors didn't lock, did she make an error in her work? What could she have overlooked? They should've prepared for much longer! They should've sedated the raptor first!

Her head thudded weakly against Muldoon's chest as her heart sunk in her ribcage.
Laken's mind was gone as she thought about everything.
She could feel the raindrops begin to soak into her clothes as the storm began to pass over head, but she couldn't move, she couldn't speak. All she could think about were those... amber eyes.