JURASSIC WORLD:TAINTED

Chapter 5

It was around that time, when the girls were almost grown-ups, that other trainers and keepers called the four The Grady Gang or Raptor Squad openly. No more manips on his door or in his email. It was almost normal now.

What he still got were the occasional visiting scientists or students gaping at him, arguing safety and sanity, and downright calling him suicidal.

The pack distrusted them on sight and only came closer or even out in the open because Owen whistled a command.

Outsiders. Not-pack. Intrusion.

X XX JW XX x

"Didn't you read the history books?" one of the interns asked, eyes wide, as Owen watched the four adolescents tear into the carcass of a cow as he stood outside the fence.

He wasn't stupid enough to get between them in a feeding frenzy. Today had been downtime; no active hunting. Twice a week they were allowed to use the restricted area to hunt. Wild deer, goats, sheep, whatever they found. They were becoming skilled stealth hunters, adept at herding the prey to where one of them would take it down. Usually it was Blue. Hunting birds was a challenge and Owen was amused by their antics.

"Raptors aren't tame! No one wants to get too close to them and if they weren't such a tourist magnet, no one in their right mind would have them in this park."

Owen wondered how many times he would have to tell the same story. Velociraptors were just as dangerous as the t-rex, who had been at the park for twenty-five years now. She was fearsome and fierce. People wanted to see the huge dinosaur, came in huge numbers to the feeding times. You could get your eyes gouged out by an angry bird of prey, mauled by a lion or tiger, and drowned by an orca or even a dolphin.

"You know what happened to others who underestimated the raptors?" The intern's voice rose a little as he watched Delta break a thigh bone and chew happily on it.

Owen had heard those arguments often before. He also knew the answers. He was quite aware of the fate of many of the early staff.

"They got killed. They hunt you, stealthily, lay traps, wait, and then they pounce. Just because you raised them doesn't mean they respect you."

Yeah, he had heard that enough times, too.

"They're animals!"

They were, yes. But their intelligence was higher than anyone knew. Owen had more of a connection than any of the other trainers or wranglers. It was his secret, the secret to his success.

"You can't trust those things. They're the worst. A t-rex is more under control than them!"

Owen ignored them all. He knew what he was doing. He did it with respect and caution, always on his toes, and he was more aware of them than anyone else could ever be. He was balanced, grounded and calm, projecting all of that in the way he interacted with the pack.

Blue was amused by the others, by their fear. Prey didn't fear a sated and full predator. She could walk among the prey and they would only look at her, knowing she wasn't hunting. But humans always feared what could kill them, what was stronger and more powerful.

Owen stood outside the paddock, looking at her as she enjoyed the midday sun, her thoughts lazy and flowing, but there was always the sharp watchfulness.

Delta gurgled quizzically and Echo padded over to him, snuffling a little. Charlie was playing with a large bone, chewing on it. If she wanted, she could break it in half just like her sister had done.

X XX JW XX x

At eight months they were fully grown.

The park operations manager, a woman called Claire Dearing, told him that if he took them out of the paddock they needed to be muzzled now. Owen had stared at her, hard. She had given him this cool look, one that spoke lengths. Dearing was more than just the typical manager type, one who had been promoted to look good and represent. She was a paleogeneticist, had worked for Masrani for a while now, and she knew her stuff.