Chapter 1

It was dark and still. Men stood around. Not milling. Watching, waiting. The tropical trees suddenly began to groan and creak as they parted for the large box being carried by the forklift.

It was carefully lowered onto a large concrete platform so that it was connected to another cage. Men surrounded it swiftly, carrying guns, cattle prods and animal wranglers.

"Open the gate!" Someone called, and the man stood on top of the boxes lifted the barrier between the cages. Suddenly there was crashing and squawking from inside and the cage slid back, causing the man to fall between them.

"Get him out!" Prods were stuck into the cage and there were bright flashes of blue as the animal snarled at the pain, but didn't release the man. He clung to the corner of the metal wall, and screamed as he slowly slipped through the grip of the men trying to pull him to safety.

"Shoot her!" The director called. "Shoot her!" Guns cracked and banged, and everything went quiet.

'God I hate the Isle of White,' thought John Watson. It was cold and windy, and miserable. He was only here because his boyfriend Sean Sawyer was a paleontologist. A really good one actually, but it meant that he spent a lot of time away.

Right now though, at least he was close enough that John could visit. It wasn't uncommon for him to have to jet off from their home in London off to the deserts in Nevada or remote areas of Africa to help out on digs.

Most of the time they only even saw each other when Sean was working in the museum.

They had been together for a few years now, not long since John had gotten back from Afghanistan, and he had been so desperate to fit in and to feel normal again that he had agreed to move in with Sean almost straight away.

Things had been good, and they had gotten along well all this time, but they had been having a few rocky patches lately. Which was why John was here right now, to visit Sean and show that he was interested, even if the other man didn't exactly reciprocate.

But none of that was particularly important, as two days ago a man had come to see Sean. He had had mid length dark hair, and looked sort of how John imagined a young Snape from that Harold Potter thing would look... He had offered Sean a great deal of money to come and look at his park. He said that he needed 'endorsements' and that, as the top of his fields, Sean was the man he wanted.

At first, Sean had declined, saying that he had too much work to do here, and also that as John had come to visit him, he couldn't really just jet off. But then, the man, Anderson, he had said his name was, and told them that John could come as well, and if they did, he would fund Sean's dig in Nevada for a full three years. How could Sean resist? Which was why they were now preparing to travel away from the cold Isle of White to the very different islands of Costa Rica.

Still, he couldn't deny he was interested to see what this 'park' was about, and maybe it would be good for them, to have a holiday.

"It was the mother." Sherlock was just about to swoop out when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Wait a moment Sherlock."

"What do you want Anderson?" He sighed, not even bothering to turn around.

"I've recently come into some money lately-"

"Yes, I know, quite a lot. I can tell from your new watch-"

Turning round at last, "Oh give it a rest! Anyway, I've been using the money to start a little project near Costa Rica, and I would quite like you to come and see it."

"You want me to come to Costa Rica, just so you can show off how rich you are and rub your own ego?"

"Well everyone's invited of course, but I'd REALLY like for you to be the first one who sees it. But Of course I promise you it will be worth it. It's absolutely fascinating, after all, I've spared no expense." He smirked.

Fine. Sherlock would go, and he would rip any credit from Anderson's stupid project and remind him of what an idiot he really was. Oh how that man annoyed him.

At that same time, two men sat outside a cafe in Costa Rica.

"1.5 million for all 15 embryos. Here's half now. Also, we have this special canister for you. It's refrigerated to keep the embryos viable. If they're not viable, you don't get the money. Be at the docks at 8pm tomorrow."

"Of course." He laughed.