Reign of Chaos: Book 2: Biosyn

A Jurassic Park Fanfiction by Sassy Lil Scorpio

Disclaimer: All names mentioned in this fan-fiction are the creative property of Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg. No monetary gain is being made from this work. The following characters appeared in Topps Comics: George Lawala in RAPTOR 1 and 2, and RAPTOR ATTACK issue 4; and Sonya Durant and Raúl Lopez are in the RETURN TO JURASSIC PARK series, issues 2-4.

Summary: After Robert Muldoon and Dennis Nedry mysteriously disappear, the InGen staff is left to fend for themselves. A visitor arrives on the island, under the guise that they intend to help out. Unlikely alliances are formed and friendships are torn apart. AU.

Rating: T or PG-13 for language and situations.

Author's Notes: This fanfiction is the second part in a trilogy. It follows directly after Reign of Chaos: Book 1: InGen. If you haven't read the first part, then this part might be confusing. I suggest reading Book 1 first to understand what's going on with the story.

Similar to Book 1, Book 2 is an alternate universe and will showcase a few characters from the JP universe, who are recognizable by name and appearance, but are not presented as they were in canon. Characters such as these (Amanda K., Billy Brennan, Nash, Cooper, etc) make a one- time appearance and do not make a huge impact on the story. I felt a brief note was necessary to avoid any confusion.

Song lyrics and direct quotes from Michael Crichton will be given proper credit as always.

My thank you's will come at the end of Book 3. I've said this before in Book 1, but I wanted to mention it again. I appreciate those who have taken the time to read and/or review the story so far. And I am especially thankful to my friends for believing in my writing and encouraging me.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to Bob Peck for his brilliant portrayal of Robert Muldoon.

Biosyn: To Be the Best...Beat the Best

AWOL

"You still haven't answered my question. I want to know why you didn't call me when you had him detained. You can swear on a stack of Bibles that you and your co-workers were taking justice into your own hands. For all I know, you could've been harboring a fugitive. That equals jail time and fines. Do you want that?"

"No…"

"Then answer my question. Why didn't you call me?"

"We were going to."

"And?"

"We were taking care of him."

"How? By letting him munch on cheese and crackers?"

"No." Ray Arnold sighed and glanced at the interior of Hammond's bungalow. "We brought him here. He was sitting in this chair right in the middle of the room."

"Right where we're standing?"

"That's correct."

"And he was in this chair?" Antonio Contreras pointed down at the chair.

"Yes."

"You mean he just sat here while you and your buddies chatted with him about the latest fashion trends?"

"No."

"You better check your tone," Contreras said.

Arnold said nothing and exhaled slowly.

"Don't catch an attitude with me. You didn't do what you were supposed to do and now you got two missing men on your hands. One being a fugitive from the law. The other—"

"Yes, yes I know." God, how he wished he could light a cigarette right now.

"You don't know, but go on—he was sitting in this chair and?"

"We cuffed him so he couldn't get away."

"That's really nice. Handcuffs are great—when there are hands to cuff." Contreras slipped on a pair of gloves. He held up the handcuffs and then placed them on the chair. "Problem is they're useless now. Same with this hat. Stylish fedora, but its owner is absent. So what's the use? Then you got this shotgun that's just laying around, idol and useless. You follow me?"

"I do."

"And you think our favorite fugitive ran off with your friend?"

"It's possible. I wouldn't put it past him."

"What about your friend—Muldoon's his name, right?"

"Yes; his first name is Robert."

"I don't care about his first name. What'd he do to bring down the prime suspect?"

"He shot him." Arnold stared at the wall, arms folded across his chest.

"With what?"

"Darts. They had a serum in it. He didn't tell me what it was. They're extremely painful for the target."

"How do you know it was painful?"

"The expression on Nedry's face said it all."

"Wish I had been there to see it."

Arnold didn't answer. He was nauseated by Contreras' smile. What a sadistic bastard.

"Did you know he was planning on using darts to slow down your visitor?"

"Yeah, I knew ahead of time."

"How many did he use?"

"Two," Arnold lied. "One in the right leg and one in the left arm."

Contreras nodded. "Muldoon's smart," he said.

"He is," Arnold agreed.

"But he's gone now."

Arnold nibbled his lower lip and listened to Contreras rattle on.

"He's gone and we don't know where the hell he is."

Arnold closed his eyes. He wondered if he'd ever wake up. He was still in Hammond's bungalow with Contreras. He thought he smelled smoke and realized that he wanted to smell the intoxicating soothing aroma of Marlboro's cigarettes. He needed to.

"Do you think he's still alive?"

"I hope so," Arnold said quietly, opening his eyes.

"Do you think he's dead?"

Doesn't this guy ever quit? Arnold forced himself to mumble a response: "I hope not."

"He can manage himself."

"Robert's capable, he's a tough man." Arnold held onto his faith in Muldoon for the sake of his sanity. It was all he had right now.

"So how did our buddy get out?" Contreras tapped the chair. "He couldn't have possibly set himself free."

"I don't know."

"Unless Muldoon did the honors."

Arnold kept his voice even. "Muldoon wouldn't."

"Someone uncuffed him. Whoever did it took your friend along for the ride."

"That's possible."

"It's what happened." Contreras glanced around the room. Two police officers were dusting the place for fingerprints. "Find anything unusual?" he barked. They shook their heads. "This is why I should've gotten your fingerprints and your friend's."

Arnold nodded.

"All we have is a fedora, cuffs, and a fancy shotgun. Everything else is gone. The key to the restraints are missing, your friend is missing; and our fugitive is missing. Is there anything normal about this picture?"

"No."

"Do you have any idea who would do this? Something in this picture is missing."

No shit, Arnold wanted to say. He forced himself to swallow his words. "I have no idea."

Contreras shrugged as if to say: I figured as much. "Back to our favorite man and the reason I know you: Dennis Nedry."

"What about him?" As far as Arnold was concerned, he'd be happy if he never heard that name again.

"Do you think he's capable of violence?"

If Arnold had been asked that question on the day of Nedry's arrest, he would've said no. But now? "At this point, I think he's capable of anything."

"Really?"

Arnold sighed. "Yes."

"Why?"

He tried not to let his anger enter his voice. "He's changed. He started out as being dishonest and greedy—"

"That's the reason he got locked up."

"He's different now. He's still a money-grubbing liar, but now he doesn't care who he hurts. His actions put other people's lives in jeopardy."

Contreras leaned close, his eyes searching Arnold's tired face. "Tell me more."

With great reluctance, Arnold told him about what happened to John Hammond—he was careful to use a glossed-over explanation other than the real one. He described what Alan Grant had witnessed that day. Hammond had been standing in a clearing near a secure enclosure, when Nedry rushed at him and grabbed his arm. They started arguing with Nedry pulling Hammond's arm, attempting to drag him off. Their voices grew louder as they continued to shout at each other; Nedry being forceful, and Hammond telling him to stop and get off. That had happened, but the rest was a blur in Arnold's mind. He knew what took place afterwards, although he didn't like to think about it. So he made up the rest: Nedry shook Hammond roughly and pushed him to the ground. This badly frightened Hammond, who tried to reason with Nedry. It was a losing battle. Nedry wouldn't stop harassing him and that's when Hammond clutched his chest….

Contreras decided he had heard enough. "Assault," he said flatly.

Arnold's eyes widened. He didn't realize it would come off that way. "That's not what I meant. He—"

"Okay then, its aggravated assault. He intended to harm your boss and succeeded. Now Señor Hammond's in the hospital recovering from a stroke."

"But I don't think he meant—"

Contreras waved his hand, cutting Arnold off. "It doesn't matter if he meant to or not. He came back to the island knowing full well that he's not wanted here. He thought about what he was going to do and acted on it. It's premeditated."

"So…?" Arnold was confused. Now he knew why he had chosen a career in engineering and not criminal justice.

"So in my book he's guilty of aggravated assault. It's not just simple assault. He set out to hurt John Hammond. The fact that he took the time to think it through shows a lot of callousness on his part."

"I guess so," Arnold muttered. Then a question occurred to him. "What's the difference?"

"Between assault and aggravated assault?" Contreras squinted at him. "I'm familiar with American law so I'll break it down to you. Assault is using force against another person. There are various degrees of assault, such as assault in the first degree, the second degree, and so on. Sometimes it starts out as verbal threats. Most cases I've seen are the result of an argument. If violence occurs, then we call it 'battery'. Assault and battery are usually combined together.

"Aggravated assault occurs when the intention is to kill or do great bodily harm or to rape. If I beat you with a bat, that's aggravated assault. A knife, a gun, you get the idea. Even without a weapon, a person can still get charged with aggravated assault if they do enough harm so that the victim needs medical attention. From my understanding, assault by itself is considered a misdemeanor; no weapons used. It depends on the crime and the situation. Attach 'aggravated' in front of the word 'assault' and you've got a felony charge. I sound like a textbook now, but if you want to know my opinion, he should be charged with aggravated assault due to the circumstances."

"It's a serious charge."

"Extremely serious."

Arnold looked away and glanced around the bungalow, thinking of Hammond. He had a feeling that he better come clean. Nedry hadn't shaken Hammond—those actions hadn't lead to his stroke. It was the raptor jumping in midair and Muldoon shoving Hammond out of the way that sealed his fate. Then again, if Nedry hadn't released the raptors, Muldoon wouldn't have had to push Hammond to the ground to protect him. Arnold kept rethinking the entire situation. The more he thought about it, the dizzier he became from going in circles. Why did he overthink the entire thing anyway?

Arnold thought about it some more. If his white lies meant Nedry received more jail time, he could live with it. No sweat off his back. Nedry had caused a lot of trouble with the Biosyn team. He had put Hammond in the hospital, nearly killed Muldoon with his recklessness, let his cohorts bully Grant and Ellie, destroyed Wu's lab…the list was endless. Adding more years to his imprisonment was pure justice in Arnold's eyes.

What really bothered him was becoming a liar like Nedry. How could Arnold hate him, if he lied like him? How could he claim to be a better man than Nedry, if he stooped down to his level? (And to Arnold, Nedry's level was lower than anything imaginable.) He prized himself as an honorable hard-working man, who didn't have to rely on lying, conniving, or manipulating to get his way. He only lied to protect Hammond's and InGen's interests. He knew he couldn't honestly say what had almost attacked Hammond because then Contreras would know what was on the island. Then again, he probably knew what was going on at Isla Nublar. The Costa Ricans had heard enough rumors about the dinosaurs, although they had never seen them. So what was the point of lying?

Wait, Arnold told himself. I'm not lying. Nedry's actions had inadvertently caused Hammond's stroke. He knew he put everyone's lives in danger when he shut down the raptor pen's electricity. When he had pulled Hammond's arm and argued with him, that was the beginning of the end. Still, he shocked himself when he spoke his next words.

"He didn't directly cause Hammond's stroke," Arnold said.

"The stroke landed your employer in the hospital, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"He wouldn't have suffered a stroke, if good boy Dennis didn't do whatever he did. Shake him up, argue with him; let an animal loose, whatever. He still might have, but Dennis' actions pushed it forward."

"That's true." Arnold couldn't dispute that.

"He can face charges of reckless endangerment of human life or aggravated assault. I think he was convicted of the first charge two years ago. No matter, he'll be charged with it again. Either one he's charged with, he'll serve time under a harsh sentence when he's caught. Don't look so depressed about it. He dug his own grave; no one else did. You put the flowers on his headstone and let him rest in peace."

Arnold stared at the bungalow's polished wooden floors. He couldn't believe it came to this: Muldoon, gone without a trace and Nedry, a violent felon. As shocked as he was, he couldn't help but feel sad about the entire ordeal. He never expected it would turn out this way.

"I'm sorry about Señor Hammond. What happened to him is very sad. He didn't deserve that."

Arnold was surprised. It was the first time he had seen a shred of kindness from Contreras. "I'm sorry too."

"One last thing before I go."

"What's that?" Arnold asked. He hoped he didn't sound too eager. He couldn't wait for Contreras to leave.

"You mentioned earlier that he had shown up uninvited and that this wasn't the first time. Was he with anyone else this time around?"

"He's shown up twice in the past six months, and always with a group—and unexpected," he added quickly. "The third time was when Hammond had the stroke. When he showed up this last time, he was alone..." Arnold's voice trailed off and he shrugged. "Or he claimed to be alone. The staff doesn't trust a word he says, least of all Robert."

Contreras had taken out a notepad while Arnold was speaking and jotted everything down for future reference. Arnold described the people Nedry had shown up with, but he couldn't remember their names. The stress was devouring him alive, torturing him every second, and he longed for it to be over. Contreras maintained an iron calmness as if had enough experience with the situation to not get flustered. He scribbled on his notepad, focused and indifferent.

"You called my office after Hammond's incident and left a message. I think I got back to you."

"You gave him persona-non-grata status and said he'd be automatically arrested if he showed up again."

Contreras nodded while he wrote in the notepad. "I remember that. He's trespassed on private property several times. All the more reason why you or someone on this damn island should've called me the moment you spotted him." He shoved the notepad in his pocket.

Arnold watched as he ordered the officers to stop what they were doing. It was time to go back to the mainland. Contreras took the handcuffs, Muldoon's fedora, and shotgun, and made Arnold leave the building first, followed by his officers. Before leaving, he had the officers place yellow caution tape around the bungalow to block the entrance.

"No one is allowed in there. They're tampering with evidence and the scene of a crime if they do. Make sure no one goes near or inside the building."

"Okay." Arnold looked down at the ground.

Contreras backed away from the bungalow and shook his head. "It's a damn shame."

oOo

Arnold sighed in relief as he watched the helicopter fly towards Costa Rica. Deciding there was nothing else he could do, Contreras departed with his officers. Arnold was glad; being around the cop made him more tense than usual. Contreras was mostly mad that he hadn't been notified; if anything came from his visit, it was that Arnold knew he'd call him without hesitation if Nedry ever showed up on the island again. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was only five o'clock in the evening. He thought it would be six. Contreras had been there for only an hour, but it seemed like twice as long. Arnold drove back to the visitor center.

Once there, he left the jeep in front of the building and wandered back to Hammond's bungalow. Contreras was adamant when he stated he didn't want anyone going inside it. That wouldn't be a problem, Arnold knew. He'd send out a memo to everyone on the island, including Hammond's grandchildren. Arnold liked them; they were very mature and usually kept to themselves. Despite everything, they still offered to help out. Tim and Lex, Lex and Tim; he rotated the names in his mind. He wondered when he'd take them to see John again. They kept asking about their grandfather. He hoped to take them soon, since it was beneficial to both the staff and Hammond.

Arnold focused on the bungalow again, his eyes scanning the surrounding grass. It was a comfortable place, similar to Ellie's greenhouse. Hammond had it built for himself so that he could watch the progress of the park in privacy. Now it was blocked off by police yellow tape that screamed out caution.

He sighed and thought back to the night he and Muldoon had captured Nedry. Arnold knew their treatment of Nedry had been harsh and that was putting mildly. They had secured Nedry in the chair first thing to ensure he wouldn't escape or start any trouble. No chances were being taken with him after everything he had already done. Arnold had gone to the kitchen to call Gennaro, Harding, and Wu. When he had returned to the living room, Arnold watched Muldoon to see what he would do. At the time, he thought Muldoon wanted to play "good cop" and "bad cop" in order to get answers from Nedry. Arnold would be the former, while Muldoon would be the latter. It turned out that Muldoon had something else in mind and Arnold knew well enough that it was best not to interfere.

oOo

Muldoon stood over Nedry, waiting for him to speak. Nedry rolled his eyes, refusing to hide his annoyance. To Arnold's surprise, Muldoon slammed his clenched fist in Nedry's face. The impact was loud enough to make Arnold jolt wide awake. Nedry's head hung between his shoulders as if he were staring at the floor. Muldoon yanked his hair up forcing Nedry to face him.

"Look me in the eye," he growled. Muldoon released him and pointed to the scars on his face. "You see these scars? You did this. I bet you're happy." Muldoon punched him again and Nedry's face swung. "Where are your glasses?"

"Obviously not on my face."

Muldoon punched Nedry again, while Arnold flicked his lighter over a new cigarette and puffed calmly.

"You shouldn't have come alone, you sorry son of a bitch."

Arnold winced when he heard Muldoon slam Nedry's face in.

"You need help." Nedry's voice was low. A trail of blood leaked from the corner of his lips.

Muldoon laughed. It was a chilling laugh, full of anger. He laughed as if he was finally going to have his revenge and that he intended on enjoying every second of it. Arnold watched; the silent witness.

"No, you're the one who needs help," Muldoon's words were slurred and he tapped the scars on his face. "I need bloody plastic surgery."

"You got that right."

Muldoon punched him again. And again. Arnold shook his head. For everything that Nedry said, Muldoon punctuated it by punching him across the face.

"Your master, Lew Dodgson, gives you dental insurance, right? I'm sure he won't mind if you return a few teeth less."

Nedry mumbled under his breath.

"Say it so we can hear you!"

Nedry spat a clump of blood on the floor.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Muldoon leaned into Nedry's face and received a gob of blood and spit on his scarred cheek. He wiped his face and delivered another punch. "You're going to talk."

"Maybe I'm not."

"Maybe you will if I have to beat you bloody senseless."

"Be my guest."

Arnold stood still as Muldoon followed through and slammed a balled up fist, striking Nedry's nose and bloodying it. Muldoon's chest heaved up and down; he was on an adrenaline rush, having captured Nedry. He wiped his hand on his khakis, smearing them with Nedry's blood. All was quiet in the bungalow for that one minute. Nedry glanced at Arnold for only a second and received another backhanded fist from Muldoon.

"Don't even try it!"

"Try what?" Nedry asked, exasperated. The blood in his mouth clogged his words, making them unclear. "I—"

He didn't get to finish his thought. Arnold heard Muldoon crack his knuckles and knew what was about to follow.

"I know what you're trying to do, you manipulative bastard."

Nedry shrugged, completely bewildered. "I don't know—"

Robert needs to stop, Arnold thought, but he made no move to stop him. He simply let Muldoon take care of Nedry, while he stood back and watched.

"That's the thing: you never do anything. It's never your fault; it's always someone else's. Not this time. You're not blaming me, Ray, or John. Not this time—I won't allow it!"

Arnold wondered if Muldoon had been drinking heavily and was about to ask him, when Muldoon went to pick up his shotgun. He decided to intervene and talk to Nedry. Of course, he wouldn't do him any favors. He wouldn't take a damp cloth and wipe the blood off his face. Instead, he hardened himself and squashed any compassion that threatened to take over him. He can deal with it, Arnold thought, glaring at Nedry. He should know how to accept crap since he always dished it out. Nedry sat poker straight in the chair and Arnold could tell he was uncomfortable. That was to be expected after being surprise attacked, shot down, cuffed, and violently interrogated by Muldoon. He brought this on himself, Arnold kept repeating in his mind. There's no reason to feel sorry for what we're doing to him. It's a picnic in the park compared to the grief he's given everyone. Arnold couldn't bring himself to speak to Nedry and he didn't know what to say to him. Then he saw the backpack sitting on the floor in front of the sofa.

"What's in the backpack?" Arnold unzipped it and held up a stack of hundred dollar bills. "You thought you could pay your way out of this one?"

Nedry didn't answer. He bit his lip and stared at the floor, refusing to acknowledge Arnold. Try another approach.

"You got anything to say?" Arnold set the backpack down. He prepared for what he might hear. Knowing Nedry, it would be a pack of lies, outlandish, and laughable. It'd be something as crazy as pregnant cows swimming across the ocean to mate with the park's dinosaurs.

Nedry swallowed nervously, still refusing to meet Arnold's eyes. He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself. "Dodgson's going to take over InGen and the park. He—"

There was a loud sound like a heavy hammer slamming down a nail, followed by a shocked yelp. Muldoon shot Nedry for the third time that night. The dart stuck out of his chest and Nedry twisted in the chair, trying to alleviate the pain.

"Holy shit…Robert…" Arnold was beyond shocked. "That was…"

"That'll teach you," Muldoon's voice was dangerously low. He didn't let on that he had heard Arnold.

Nedry took slow breaths, all the while glaring at them. "What the hell are you shooting at me!?" The gleam in his eyes was murderous and if he weren't restrained, there was a good chance he would attack both Muldoon and Arnold.

Muldoon set his shotgun down and pointed at him. "Every time you lie, I take a shot at you. You better start telling the bloody truth."

"Truth is in the eye of the beholder," Nedry sputtered.

"Better load up on those darts, Robert." Arnold couldn't keep the glee out of his voice. "So you were saying that Dodgson plans on taking over the island." He chortled. "How's that going to happen?" Elbowing Muldoon, he said, "I'd have to see it to believe it."

While he waited for a reply, Muldoon pulled the dart out of Nedry's chest.

"Don't come near me," Nedry said through clenched teeth. "Get the hell away from me."

Arnold eyed Nedry wearily and then glanced at Muldoon, who didn't budge. Apparently, Nedry wasn't the only one in a foul mood. Nedry had better watch his step and check his attitude at the door. Muldoon had made it clear that he wasn't in any mood for his shenanigans. Arnold could tell he was extremely furious, even though he was silent at the moment. The last time Arnold had seen him like this angry was the day Nedry had freed the raptors from their pen. He learned that when Muldoon was cloaked in rage, it was best to keep out of his way. Finally, Muldoon spoke, his voice chilled like cold steel.

"You want another dart."

"I want you to keep away from me."

Arnold gently pushed Muldoon aside. "Let me talk with him first, and then you can have fun with him and the darts." He turned to Nedry and made sure the sarcasm in his voice was obvious. "Please continue."

Outraged and bloodied, Nedry looked from Arnold to Muldoon. "I don't have anything else to say."

oOo

And that's when it had all spiraled down. In between his claims that Biosyn was on their way to destroy Isla Nublar, Nedry had started again with his sarcastic retorts. Arnold shouted and smoked in his face, while Muldoon watched silently and grew angrier by the minute. Adding Gennaro, Wu, and Harding to the picture made matters worse. By then, Nedry was getting smart with Wu, cursing out Gennaro and Harding; and every chance he got he'd insult Muldoon, antagonizing him and daring him to shoot another dart. Then Malcolm showed up with the intention of helping…

Ian Malcolm.

The name lingered in Arnold's mind. He shouldn't have kicked Malcolm out the bungalow. He was wrong for doing that and Arnold didn't know how to apologize to Malcolm for what he did. Malcolm didn't hold it against him, but he held it against himself. For once, Malcolm was trying to help the staff and not lecture them, and Arnold thanked him by kicking him out of the bungalow. Everyday since that night, Arnold had been kicking himself mentally. It didn't seem likely that he'd stop anytime soon.

Arnold sighed. Even now, thinking back to that night, he could hear the distinct sound of Muldoon cracking his knuckles. Deep down inside, he felt justified that night and he knew Muldoon did too. Muldoon was finally having his revenge and Arnold was happy to see him go for it. A part of him knew it was wrong as in two wrongs don't make a right. But so what? Muldoon was entitled to dishing out his payback. They were giving back Nedry a taste of his bitter treatment and he hated it. Boo-fucking-hoo, Arnold thought. They responded out of frustration and anger from everything Nedry had pulled since the day of his arrest to the day he let the raptors out. He gave them no choice. He expected to be handled with kids gloves although he gloated about Muldoon's scars. Did he really think he'd come back and that nothing would happen to him? Arnold answered his own question. Apparently so.

What really bothered him was coming back to the bungalow later that night and finding it empty. That was the worst scare of his life and Arnold lived with it every waking moment. He stared at Hammond's bungalow. It stood impassive, not bearing witness to whatever took place that night. Arnold remembered what happened when he returned to this very place three hours after leaving Muldoon with Nedry.

oOo

Arnold trudged to the bungalow at a quarter to two in the morning. Better to be early than late. He used a flashlight to guide him. The bungalow and visitor center had lights lit around them, but he still liked to take extra precautions. Before entering the building, he lit a cigarette. That always helped to calm his nerves. It had been an exciting night and it could only get better—or worse. Arnold knocked and the door creaked opened on its own.

Something was wrong.

Arnold was a tense man by nature. He was well aware of this fact about himself. Knowing that he was naturally tense and even a tad suspicious would not help him in this situation. He tried not to get worked up when he was able to get into the bungalow without a problem. Maybe Muldoon had fallen sleep on the couch and left it open for him…

"Robert?"

Arnold padded into the bungalow and saw that everything was just as he had left it. The light in the kitchen was still on. Nothing was out of place or had been moved. Then his eyes focused on the center of the living room. He slowly approached the chair where Nedry was supposed to be sitting. His heart skipped a beat.

Sitting on the chair were Muldoon's fedora, his shotgun, and the handcuffs.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There had to be an explanation. He searched the bungalow, looking for any sign of them. Nothing. They had simply vanished from the building. Even as the realization struck him, he refused to believe it. They were here—they had to be. He had left them here only three hours ago. Had it been that long? Arnold made his way back to the living room again. The only sound he heard in the bungalow was the soft thudding of his heart against his ribs. It grew louder and louder until he stopped to put out his cigarette and light another one. The beating went away and then came back. His fear was not going away anytime soon and now his fear gave way to worry. Worry about where Muldoon was, if Nedry did anything to him, and if he was wrong to let Muldoon stay by himself in the bungalow.

Arnold puffed on his cigarette, and thought about the events from last night. He was still shaken up from holding Muldoon back. Muldoon had snapped. Completely snapped like he never did before, and Arnold realized that was only partially true. Muldoon's moment in the bungalow was parallel to the time when he went after Nedry and fought him on the same day Hammond suffered his stroke. But this time, Muldoon's finger was on the trigger and Arnold knew he had every intention of blowing Nedry's brains out. If it were possible to do so that night, he would've done it. Thankfully, Arnold, Wu, Harding, and Gennaro had held him down. Now he was gone.

"Where are you?"

Silence was his only answer.

Arnold glanced at his watch: 2:10am.

The time crawled. His heart knocked against his chest. There had to be an explanation.

There was none.

Arnold left the bungalow and headed for the garage. He knew what he had to do. He'd search the park inch by inch in the jeep. It didn't occur to him to check the visitor center—something told him they weren't there. He knew he should get the security guards to do it; that was their job after all. But there weren't many on staff and already Arnold was shouldering the blame for what might've happened to Muldoon and Nedry. For now, he'd drive through the park on the tour road to see if he found them. He doubted he'd see them, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

Moments later, the glare of the jeep's headlights shined upon the massive wooden entrance leading into the park. At the top of the gates, the words read in an arch: Jurassic Park. Arnold stared at the three flames on each side of the entrance. They never went out and right now, after two in the morning, they burned brightly. Hammond had thought the flames adorning the entrance gave the park a foreboding and dangerous feel to it. Great idea, John. Arnold watched the fire for a little while, and then decided to back the jeep up and go a different route. It'd be better to drive down the maintenance road. He drove around and headed towards the maintenance road. Better to just drive and not think. Arnold flicked on the jeep's high beams and hunched over the steering wheel. He had to find them here, where else could they have went?

The jungle was still and black in the early morning hours. Arnold stopped by the tyrannosaur paddock and saw the massive head looming high over the fence. At night, the tyrannosaur liked to stomp around in her paddock as if bored and looking for something new to do. The tyrannosaur's large yellowish-green eyes blinked and stared at the jeep Arnold was in. She let out an ear-shattering roar and then took huge heaving steps further into the paddock, the ground shaking as she moved. Arnold didn't breathe. He knew the electrified fence was on since the bulbs at the top blinked red and blue, indicating running power. It still unnerved him that the queen of all dinosaurs had more peace than he did at the moment.

Arnold drove down the road, passing by the dinosaur paddocks. Something told him to head towards the east dock. He didn't know if he was going there to relieve the memory of him and Muldoon discovering that Nedry had betrayed them to Biosyn. He had no idea what drew him forward, but he allowed his instincts to guide him. He pressed down on the gas pedal and steered towards the east dock. The ocean spread out before him and he slowed down when he thought he saw a figure lying in the road. The car's headlights picked up a fallen man—Arnold could tell by his clothes that the man was a maintenance worker. He got out the car to see if he could help him. As he came closer, he heard the man ask in a shocked voice:

"Señor Arnold?"

oOo

The worker's name was Ramón, Arnold remembered as he left the bungalow. He had been badly frightened and spoke rapidly in Spanish and English about four people who had pursued him from the dock. "Ropa negro!" he kept saying. Arnold knew little Spanish, but he knew the man was saying "black clothes." What the hell did that mean? He suddenly realized who the four people were when he saw Ramón's hand was bleeding. He needed immediate medical attention to take care of the wound. That required waking up Gerry Harding, since he was the closest they had to a doctor on the island. Once Harding was up, everyone woke up and it was up to Arnold to explain everything.

oOo

They trickled into the control room at four-thirty in the morning still half asleep and dressed in their pajamas, bathrobes, and slippers. They would've woken up after ten a.m. he knew, but he couldn't wait that long. Before summoning them to the visitor center, he had ordered the security guards to search the entire building to see if they could find Nedry or Muldoon. None of the security guards had returned to report anything. So now it was time to let the staff know what was going on. He figured the sooner the better.

Harding had waited with him in the control room for everyone to arrive. He said nothing, but Arnold knew he supported him and that was good enough as it is. He was content with Harding's silence. If Harding had asked him what he thought had happened; Arnold feared he'd crack up right on the spot. So Arnold kept himself busy by plugged in a coffee pot and set it aside next to his computer console along with donuts and milk. If he was going to tell them the news, he could try and cushion it as best he could.

Despite his efforts, Arnold could tell who didn't want to be there. He greeted all of them, although some were too tired to respond. Donald Gennaro's eyes were bloodshot and his facial expression read: there had better be a good reason for waking me up this early. Arnold ignored him. Ellie Sattler and Ian Malcolm came in together. Despite the fatigue in her eyes, Ellie looked annoyed to be there. Arnold avoided her cold gaze. Malcolm wore a poker face, but was curious about what was going on. Henry Wu stumbled in and sat in the corner. Finally, Lex came in, dragging Tim along. They bumbled around the control room in their fuzzy slippers. Tim carried their pillows. Arnold made room for them at his desk.

"You two can catch up on your rest." The two kids sat in the revolving chairs and put their head down, but kept their eyes and ears open. To the exhausted adults in the room: "Feel free to help yourself to coffee and donuts."

This was it. He had to tell them and he told himself again, that he was doing the right thing by telling them sooner and not later. Arnold wondered how they would take the news. It was bad enough that Hammond was in the hospital, still recovering from his stroke. That situation alone was stressful and he tried not to think about it. Now two men who hated each others' guts had disappeared without a trace. He stood up while everyone in the control room sat around exhausted and looking confused as to why they had been awakened so early. All eyes were glued on him. Where to start? At the beginning…

He explained to them what had happened from the moment Muldoon and him had been alerted about Nedry's intrusion on the island to when they detained him. The whole time he spoke, he kept his voice steady and at one point, he realized he wasn't smoking nor was he desperate for a cigarette. For the first time in his professional life, Ray Arnold had managed to stay calm, even if it was for a short time.

"So what you're saying is that we have two missing men?" Gennaro asked, not hiding the anger and disgust in his voice. "You're taking this pretty well."

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Arnold looked Gennaro straight in the eye. And no, I'm not taking this well at all, he wanted to say.

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know."

"You have to know. You were there that night."

"So were you," Arnold shot back.

The calmness, as he had feared, was temporary. It had been too good to be true, and now his chest tightened with the tension that he wore everyday. He knew he'd explode if Gennaro kept pestering him. Arnold had a short fuse when he was extremely stressed—like now—and he didn't want to blow up. Not now. He couldn't.

He wished that he'd be able to remain calm because he knew (without anyone saying so), that he was in charge now. It wasn't a position he wanted, which is why he looked to Muldoon to run the park after Alan Grant left. However, Muldoon had made the decision that if anything happened to him, Arnold would be the next one to run the park. And this was the position Arnold was in. The park's staff and operations were his burden now and he was petrified that he wouldn't be able to handle it. Muldoon was stern and tough—he was a natural leader. Arnold didn't think he'd be able to live up to Muldoon's expectations or come close to filling his shoes.

"Can't you do anything right?"

Arnold bristled at Gennaro's condescending tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Meaning can't you detain someone effectively without them running away? You're the chief engineer of this entire park and island and you're telling me you couldn't control one man?"

Arnold's mouth dried up. He licked his lips nervously. Somewhere inside of him, he found the nerve to fight back and stand his ground. "I don't know who you think you are talking to me in that manner," he started and a trace of satisfaction raced through him when he saw Gennaro scrunch up his face. Lawyers they think they have an answer for every-damn-thing. "But if I were you, I'd shut my mouth. You left early that night leaving Robert, myself, and Gerry to come up with a plan of how we'd deal with Dennis. You weren't there to give your input so you can't bitch about it now."

Gennaro nodded as if he agreed with him, but quickly threw his own dart. "Obviously your little plan wasn't escape-proof. He's gone now and he did God-knows-what to Robert." He smiled when he saw Arnold flinch. "You have no business managing this park. Hammond made a mistake when he made you the chief engineer. You should hand your papers in."

Arnold's jaw dropped. Who the hell did this little whiny bastard think he was anyway? He was going to speak on his own behalf when Malcolm stood up.

"The issue is not what he did or didn't do. You can keep wasting time arguing about that irrelevant topic and those two are still long gone. Matter of fact, the more you criticize Ray, the more time you allot for Dennis to get away with Robert. Even then, you don't know for sure if he took off with him. You just assume that based on your past preconceptions of him. For all you know, someone took off with both of them, but because of Nedry's record, you're quick to point fingers at him. How do you know Robert didn't do something to him?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Dr. Malcolm." Gennaro smiled wryly. "Everyone in this room knows Dennis has it in for Robert."

"And you have it in for Dennis, don't you? You still blame him for the park's opening delay, right or wrong?" Malcolm shot back. When Gennaro didn't answer, he clapped his hands together as to show that he knew he had won, as far as the last point was concerned.

Gennaro tapped his foot impatiently, as if trying to hurry Malcolm along. Malcolm ignored the rude gesture and continued as if Gennaro hadn't uttered a syllable.

"That's right, you have no idea. What if Robert did something? I saw him that night. I was there. He would've shot Dennis if he wasn't held back. And then he's left in the same room with him. That's got to be the stupidest thing the InGen staff has done—aside from cloning animals you know nothing about. You take your chances on insane risks and get mad when things don't turn out as you expect them to." Malcolm shook his head, but he wasn't totally shocked. "Unbelievable."

The entire control room had become as deathly quiet as a cemetery at night.

"Hold on one minute—" Gennaro started, holding up his hand in protest.

"You act like you know what you'd be doing if you were in Ray's position, but you're not in his shoes. Far from it. Were you there when he found out they were missing? What's the first thing you would do? I'll tell you what you'd do. You'd jump for joy that Dennis is out of your sight. Then you'd calm down and think 'wait, I have to find out about Robert,' so that in the end, you'd be in the same predicament as Ray."

Anyone in the room that had hoped to go back to sleep would have to wait for an afternoon nap. Malcolm's diatribe woke up everyone, literally and metaphorically. This wasn't a game; it was deathly serious. Muldoon and Nedry were both gone and this wasn't the time to point the finger of blame.

Arnold let out a low whistle. Gennaro, clad in his plaid bathrobe, glared at Malcolm, who was dressed (as always) in black. In fact, Malcolm was the only one wearing clothes; everyone else was still dressed in nightwear. It was as if he intended on searching the park for Muldoon. Gennaro's lips quivered, but he said nothing in response to Malcolm—or Arnold, for that matter. It was obvious that Malcolm had totally shut him down and that he was embarrassed—and angry.

The rest of the park staff was awed into silence. Arnold saw Wu's shocked expression. Wu's eyes were wide open and he was fully alert. Harding nodded in approval. A glimmer of pride revealed itself in Ellie's brief smile. Tim and Lex looked from Arnold to Gennaro to Malcolm. They wondered if the adults were going to spar again.

Nobody breathed.

The only sounds in the control room were the fans whirling above them. Arnold, not knowing how to break the silence, flicked on all the video monitors. He didn't have a reasonable explanation for leaving them turned off, but he knew from now on they would be on twenty-four hours. Grant had once reprimanded him and the park staff for not watching the park at night because that was the most opportune time for the dinosaurs to breed and fight with each other. Now Arnold had other pressing concerns for keeping an eye on the park during the night. He took a deep breath.

"Does anyone have suggestions?"

"I already told you what you could do," Gennaro snapped.

Arnold ignored him and looked to his colleagues for support.

Wu gave him the thumbs up. "It's in your hands, Ray. Dr. Grant's in the States, John still needs time to recover and heal, and Robert's gone…it'll be tough, but hang in there. I got your back."

Harding nodded in agreement. "It's up to you now."

Arnold nearly fell back when he allowed the full implication of Wu and Harding's words to him. They were electing him to be their leader. It was a tough role, a huge role to fill. Could he do it? It was a thought that wavered in his mind before, but now, after what they just said, he knew he couldn't get out of it. They even expected him to run the park now—and it wasn't because they blamed him for Muldoon's and Nedry's disappearance. It was because someone had to be in charge. He was sure he could step up to the task…even if he had his doubts.

One thought stood out in his mind: the first thing that had to be done was locating Muldoon and Nedry. He wouldn't stop searching for them until they were found. Especially Muldoon. Arnold couldn't care less about Nedry, but the first thing to do as the new leader was to find both men and be unbiased about it. It would be extremely difficult, but he could manage, especially with the support of his co-workers.

Arnold breathed a sigh of relief. He was thankful he wouldn't have to battle with Wu and Harding. That was the one good thing that had come out of this. If they had fought with him, it would've crushed him more.

"Thank you, Henry."

Wu got up and shook his hand firmly. Arnold searched his eyes and saw the same sincerity he had always appreciated in Wu. They had gotten along from the moment Hammond introduced them to each other. He had immense respect for Henry Wu and was glad to have him around in a crisis situation. He was confident that Wu would be a huge help and support. The same applied to Harding, who stood by his side, ready to do whatever needed to be done on the island.

"Thank you…I really appreciate this." Arnold hoped he didn't sound too emotional. The weight of the entire park and island resting on his shoulders was more than he could bear, but he knew he'd be able to do it with solid support from his colleagues who were also his friends.

Harding laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Take it one day at a time. That's all you can do." He poured himself a cup of coffee.

"We'll help," Lex said. "Tim and I." She elbowed her brother. "We can help out in the visitor center. We could sweep and mop the floors. We know how to cook too. Eggs, toast, spaghetti, salad, you name it, we can make it."

Arnold laughed. It was the first time since Hammond had been sent to the hospital that he expressed any joy. He was thankful that Lex and Tim had reminded him how to smile again. Later on, he'd explain to them that he'd like them to stay safe in the staff lodge and stick together or with an adult whenever they roamed the island's premises. He knew he could trust them; that wasn't an issue. He didn't want to chance losing them.

"You two don't have to pick up a pencil. Just hold onto your butts."

Lex giggled and Tim put his head down, still exhausted from being woken up so early in the morning.

Ellie stood up and met his eyes. Her cold look had disappeared and a warm expression had replaced it. "You helped build this park and you've been here the longest. It's fitting that you're the next in line to lead. If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me. You know , we work as a team here. You'll find them, don't worry. I'll be here with Ian." She smiled and hugged him, and joined Harding and poured herself a cup of coffee.

Arnold had barely gotten over his shock (and genuine appreciation) of Ellie's support—because he knew from the past experience that she didn't like to involve herself with InGen's problems—when Gennaro caught his eye. Gennaro didn't even try to hide his frustration. It was as if he wanted everyone to see how angry he was. Fuming, Gennaro paced back and forth in a mad rush in the control room and then stomped out, his footsteps slamming loudly on the floor.

Arnold shook his head. He couldn't please everyone. He was going to ask Tim and Lex what they wanted for breakfast when Malcolm came over to him. He wanted to thank Malcolm for speaking on his behalf, but he couldn't find the right words. So he just said 'thank you' and let it be. Besides, there was only so much he could say to him, since he had kicked him out of Hammond's bungalow the night before. From now on, he'd think twice before dismissing Malcolm, since it was better to have him on his side—rather than work against him.

oOo

Arnold entered the visitor center and went straight to the control room. He would've joined everyone in the cafeteria, but he had no appetite. Once inside the control room, he sat in front of his console and observed the video monitors. He could stay like that for hours. The third day that marked Muldoon's and Nedry's disappearance, he had stayed glued in front of the video monitors for twenty-four hours straight; the only thing keeping him awake was brewed coffee and his cigarettes. He checked out the videos on the night of Muldoon's and Nedry's disappearance, and still found nothing unusual. Afterwards, he had distributed walkie-talkies to everyone on the island under the strict order to alert him if anything came up. Meanwhile, he'd stay in the control room and pray and hope that the motion sensors scattered throughout the island would spot Muldoon and Nedry. He remained secluded in the control room, shut away from everyone. Ellie had offered to alternate twelve hour shifts with him, but he didn't want to. He felt responsible for what had happened and there was no reason why anyone else should shoulder the burden.

He glanced at the video monitor that showed a juvenile dilophosaur approaching the jungle river. The animal stood five feet when on its hind legs and had yellow leathery skin with scattered blackish red spots. She bent her head into the rushing water to slake her thirst. The double v-shaped red crests held Arnold's attention. The animal was docile until hungry for food. Then it morphed into a vicious monster—hooting, snarling, and spitting blinding venom.

Arnold wondered why he took on the job position of chief engineer. Bad enough to worry about dangerous and unpredictable animals, co-workers turned convicts, and employers shipped to the hospital, and lawyers who insisted on running things their way. He turned away from the monitor and opened his desk. Arnold took out a pack of unopened cigarettes and a worn picture folded in half. He unfolded the picture and smiled sadly.

Standing next to each other from left to right were Arnold, Muldoon, Harding, Wu, and Nedry in front of the visitor center. The picture had been taken the weekend before Hammond had invited Grant and the group down to inspect the park. Hammond and Gennaro had ordered everyone to come to the island two weeks ahead of time to prepare for the inspection. Hammond had been in a sentimental mood and took the picture. Arnold held a cigarette in the picture and wore his white lab-coat. Muldoon wore his fedora and didn't look too pleased about taking the picture. Arnold could tell by the scowl on his face. Harding had a pleasant smile and Wu broadcasted a wide grin and gave the camera two thumbs up. Congrats to us on an extraordinary job well done, Arnold remembered him saying when the picture was taken. Nedry looked bored by the whole thing.

They were the five main employees that Hammond had depended on. Hammond had other employees, but these were his "magical five" as he used to call them. Arnold shoved the picture back in the desk. He didn't want to think about it anymore. They weren't Hammond's "magical five" anymore. They were short one employee when Nedry betrayed them to Biosyn. That left only four employees. Now Nedry and Muldoon were gone, and the number dropped to three. So much for "magical five", Arnold thought. He reached for the pack of cigarettes when a hand grabbed the pack. Arnold glanced up and saw Malcolm standing above him.

"Smoking's bad for you," he said. "It's not going to bring them back." He let go of the cigarettes, respecting Arnold's right to release his stress through smoking.

"I know."

Arnold relaxed while Malcolm pulled over a swiveling chair. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He still didn't know what to say to Malcolm after all this time. Although Malcolm had defended him against Gennaro, he still feared his judgment and skepticism. Usually Arnold ignored Malcolm's diatribes, but this time he knew he couldn't avoid it. Malcolm was the most pessimistic person he had ever met and he was shocked that he had a hopeful attitude. Part of the reason was because Arnold thought he was being insincere. What if he was helping him so that he could laugh at him later to say: "haha I told you so"? He didn't want to think about it.

"Contreras left an hour ago," he told Malcolm.

"I saw them leave."

Malcolm had insisted that Arnold call the police when Muldoon and Nedry still hadn't turned up after a week.

"He said we should've called him sooner," Arnold said, trying not to let the disappointment be heard in his voice.

"It wouldn't have made a difference."

Arnold nodded. This was the pessimism he was used to. Then he corrected Malcolm. "He meant when we detained him."

"Ah, that night," Malcolm said. "There's no use wasting time thinking shoulda-woulda-coulda. What's done is done."

Arnold remembered Malcolm's offer to help. He should've let him stay. Instead, he had escorted him out and slammed the door after he left. He regretted that action everyday. Malcolm should've been mad; he had every right to be. Or he could gloat that he had been right and that InGen, as usual, had screwed up. Surprisingly, Malcolm never brought it up. He simply didn't take any satisfaction in the current situation.

"What do you think happened to them?" Malcolm asked.

Arnold thought before he answered. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I'm afraid Dennis did something to Robert. I can't shake that feeling off."

"You think he hurt him?"

Arnold puffed on his cigarette. "I really don't know. This is going to sound crazy, but sometimes I wonder if he broke out of those cuffs, held Robert at gunpoint, and dragged him to the garage. Like shoved him into the trunk and drove off somewhere into the park where he knew they wouldn't be found."

Malcolm thought for a moment. "No, I don't think that happened."

"Why not?"

"Robert wouldn't let him near his shotgun and he's not the type to be dragged against his will." Malcolm shook his head. "I can't picture that."

"He wouldn't, I know, but—" Arnold threw his hands in the air. "I don't know what to think. Sometimes I'm afraid they're…" he couldn't complete his sentence. When he spoke again, his voice was choked up. "Dennis was greedy and after money. He betrayed InGen with no regret. Robert stopped him that day at the east dock and testified against him. They've hated each other ever since."

"I remember that. But don't you think if he had it in for Robert, that he'd go after you too? I mean, if he wanted to get rid of him, he'd take you along for the ride, since both of you had an issue with him."

"After the whole thing with John, I don't know what to think anymore." The cigarette threatened to fall out of Arnold's grip and he quickly stubbed it in an ashtray. He took a deep breath and regained his composure. "I don't know if he harmed Robert."

Malcolm nodded sympathetically. "All you can do is keep your eyes opened for them."

"I've made an enemy out of Donald."

"No, he made an enemy out of himself. Don't waste a second thought on him."

Ever since Arnold had been chosen to lead the operations on the Isla Nublar, Gennaro had been seen slinking around the visitor center and park. He kept to himself and never missed an opportunity to take a shot at Arnold. He felt entitled to being the leader since he was Hammond's lawyer, but no one paid attention to him since he hadn't offered to help Arnold or anyone else. He didn't even mention Hammond's condition anymore.

"Trust me, he's not someone I'd want in charge of this place," Malcolm said. "Gennaro's driven by other motives."

Arnold heard what Malcolm had said, but his mind was already drifting elsewhere. He wondered if he'd ever see his friend again. What if Robert Muldoon was in a casket the next time he saw him? If that happened, he would never be able to live with himself knowing he could've prevented whatever had occurred.

"Wherever Robert Muldoon is, he's alive," Malcolm said and stood up. He was about to exit the control room when he turned around and noticed Arnold staring into space. "He'll be back."

Arnold didn't reply.

Malcolm knew it would be best to leave him alone, so that he could continue to search for Muldoon and Nedry. It was the least he could do for Arnold, who slept very little these days, and was constantly accompanied by stress in his every waking moment. He left the control room, the door closing softly behind him.