Fractured Luck // Owen Grady

•18

Before

Outside of the octagonal paddock was a barred room to protect the entrance. On the right side of the wall, the four raptors were each trapped in place by muzzles.

"Oh, Blue," Owen whispered, placing his hand gently on her face. He moved between each raptor, caressing their faces to calm them.

Leaning on the bars on the opposite wall, I watched him with a smile. It was clear to me, by the gentle touches and the sadness in his voice as he said their names, that he cared about those raptors. He had told me many times before that he admired working with them, but seeing it gave meaning to those words.

Ending with Echo, Owen turned to me. "If this was Mo.. Would you let her out?"

"You know it's different for Mo," I muttered, "She's bigger than the raptors. Hey, if using the raptors doesn't work, maybe that's our next plan."

"What, bring the Indominus to Mo?" Owen asked.

Interrupting my agreement, Zach and Gray leaned in from the outside, on either side of me.

"Are they safe?" Gray asked Owen.

Owen looked at his raptors in defeat. "No, they are not."

"What are their names?" Zach asked.

Owen pointed to the far left. "Charlie. Echo. Here is Delta, and that's Blue. She's the Beta."

"Who's the Alpha?" Gray wondered.

While pointed at Owen, he nodded and said, "You're lookin' at him, kid."

"Aren't you scared to go after that dinosaur, Lauren?" Zach asked.

"If I was scared easily, I wouldn't have taken the job in the first place."

Owen winked at me proudly. "That's my girl."

"Zach's girl," Gray corrected.

I turned my head, looking at Zach with my eyebrows raised. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

I laughed. "That's what I thought. Yeah, I'm twenty nine, kiddo. I'll sneak you into bars, though."

"I will take you up on that offer," Zach agreed, sharing a smile with me.

Standing near an ACU truck, Claire yelled her nephews name, motioning for the boys to come to her.

"You two better go," I said, reaching between the bars and patting their cheeks, "See you, losers."

As he followed his brother, Zach chimed, "Don't die, Lauren."

"Don't get eaten," I countered.

"You're great with kids," Owen said sarcastically.

Another man, the one from earlier, entered the paddock. He passed Owen the chunk of skin the Indominus' tracker was in. "For them to get the scent," he explained.

While Owen started to go down the line, holding the skin to the raptors noses, the man turned to me. "Lauren, right?"

"Yes, I am," I said, shaking his hand, "I'm afraid I don't know you. What's your name?"

"Barry," he said with a friendly smile.

"You'll be riding with him," Owen called as he moved to Echo, "I don't want you near the raptors."

"Yes, sir," I agreed.

Barry reminded me he would be on the four wheeler before he exited the paddock to bring it to the front.

Owen wrapped the skin into a cloth as he walked to me. "You sure you aren't scared?" he asked, a smirk on his lips.

"Not yet," I admitted, "Good luck, okay? Don't die on me. If that thing comes at you, run really fast."

Owen's brow raised in mock confusion. "What was that? Was that Lauren being caring?"

"You're making me regret it," I said, rolling my eyes.

Owen kissed the top of my head. "Go on, Lo."