"Kenji, look over there."
Darius and Kenji wedged themselves into the narrow gap between the dinosaur shipping containers. At this point, even an idiot could see what was going on: this was a full-blown dinosaur smuggling operation.
"Is… is that Big Eatie?"
Kenji followed the direction of Darius's finger and noticed a Tyrannosaurus rex locked inside a heavy iron cage.
"Yeah... but she's not the T. rex from Isla Nublar. Look at her hide, she's still got those scars left by that unknown dinosaur, so..."
The answer spoke for itself.
Clanking of heavy chains...
Roar of truck engines...
"Grrrnng—"
Disturbed by the commotion around her and suffocated by the confined space, Big Frankie let out a low, defiant rumble to bolster her own courage.
The shipping container holding her cage was hoisted into the air and loaded onto a flatbed. Yet, despite the massive scale of the operation, the order within the port remained completely undisturbed.
Dozens of freight trucks moved in perfect, synchronized lines, transporting the dinosaurs and casting an even darker, more mysterious shroud over the already eerie harbor.
"How many people are involved in this? And who's the mastermind behind it all?"
"Maybe we can find some answers over there."
Kenji managed to pick out a massive, dark silhouette cutting through the heavy fog. At the same time, the sun began to rise, slowly burning away the mist.
As the fog dissipated, the giant shape revealed its true form. Was it a... warehouse? No, it was more than that. The building was outfitted with a high-tech security system, completely different from any other structure in the port.
A ship's horn blares...
The massive cargo ship docked at the pier finally came into full view. Its loading platform was already stacked with multicolored containers, but every single one of them shared the exact same ventilation slots... Is this entire ship loaded with dinosaurs?
"There are workers everywhere..."
Driven by their signature, borderline-reckless curiosity, Kenji and Darius used the shipping containers as cover to creep up to the side of the warehouse. Along the way, they had even managed to hitch a ride on the back of a forklift completely undetected.
As for how they pulled that off... it was probably thanks to the stealth skills they had honed after surviving on Isla Nublar for over half a year.
"We need to find another way inside... Darius, look."
The clearing of the fog wasn't doing them any favors; it only increased their chances of getting spotted.
Both boys realized this, but luckily, Kenji's sharp eyes caught sight of an overhead pipe route.
Grabbing the water pipe, Kenji scaled the wall with astonishing speed, hauling himself up toward a window near the top of the warehouse. Darius could only watch from below, completely dumbfounded.
Wait, seriously, man? You can actually do that?
Darius knew Kenji had opened a rock-climbing club on his own a few years back, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone scale a wall so aggressively without any safety gear or ropes.
"Alright... alright..."
Muttering to himself, Darius grabbed hold of the water pipe. It seemed the Darius who survived Isla Nublar hadn't gone completely soft either. He managed to scramble up without any major mishaps, though he did need a hand from Kenji to pull himself through at the very end.
Insert "You're not too bad yourself" meme here.
…
The container carrying a Acrocanthosaurus rolled slowly into the warehouse on the back of a flatbed truck. Operating with mechanical precision, a crane hoisted it up and stacked it neatly alongside the others.
"Darius and Kenji's signal is right here..."
Yasmina and Sammy were no pushovers either. One was a former star track athlete, and the other had spent years training in martial arts after leaving Isla Nublar. They had slipped into the warehouse by clinging flat against the undercarriage of a truck.
Ben wasn't with them; he had stayed behind to move the weakened Ankylosaur, Bumpy. With Ben's help, however, the two girls had successfully tracked Darius's signal and infiltrated the port.
Sigh... like breeds like, doesn't it?
Were all the dinosaurs and humans who graduated from Isla Nublar really this terrifyingly badass?
Up above, Kenji and Darius were slithering like shadows along the steel rafters, speaking in hushed whispers.
"Look at this place. It's way too big, and there are too many workers and dinosaurs. There's no way just the two of us can handle this."
Ever the idealist, Darius still harbored hopes of rescuing these dinosaurs. Even though he was currently being hunted by an unknown enemy using dinosaurs, his dedication as a true dino-nerd remained unshakeable.
"Good thing we aren't alone, then."
Kenji looked worried, but from his vantage point up on the rafters, he quickly spotted Yasmina and Sammy on the ground below.
The girls, however, hadn't noticed them yet. They were entirely focused on dodging the patrolling workers. Yasmina held Ben's tracker in her hand, her face twisting into a look of confusion as she stared at the faintly glowing screen.
"The signal says... we're standing right on top of Darius? How is that even possible?"
Thud—
A small, crumpled ball of white paper drifted down from above. The faint noise wasn't enough to alert the workers, but it perfectly caught the girls' attention.
Both looked up simultaneously, their eyes locking onto the two faces peering down from the rafters. After a brief moment of stunned silence, all four of them flashed knowing smiles.
Kenji pointed in a direction, signaling them to meet up in a secluded corner over there.
"Let's move, the boss wants us to start loading."
Right at that moment, the workers abruptly vacated the warehouse. They all left together, including the security patrols.
The heavy warehouse doors slam shut...
The iron gates descended slowly, sealing shut with a heavy, final click.
As the saying goes: when too many coincidences happen at once, it's highly probable that it isn't a coincidence at all.
…
"Bumpy... are you going to die?"
Bumpy the Ankylosaur lay by the side of the road, her face twisted in pain. Beside her stood a human figure, dwarfed by her massive size, who was, in a way, her parent.
Ben stroked Bumpy's hardened head, his own expression just as strained. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.
Scuffling footsteps...
The roar of engines...
The chopping beat of helicopter rotors...
A barrage of noise gradually closed in on the boy and his dinosaur. A massive herd of large dinosaurs was crossing the highway, moving steadily toward the Mojave National Preserve under the escort of several vehicles and helicopters.
"Aunnng—"
The cries of the herbivores echoed back and forth. A scouting vehicle leading the herd drifted to a sharp halt right next to Ben and Bumpy. The Triceratops skull logo emblazoned on the vehicle and the workers' uniforms was stark and unmistakable.
"Unexpected situation ahead, yield the right of way."
"Copy that, guiding the herd around."
After notifying the rest of the convoy, a worker stepped out of the vehicle to inspect the situation. Completely ignoring Ben, who stood frozen on the side, the worker gently lifted Bumpy's head with both hands.
"Who are you people...?"
The worker didn't bother answering Ben's question, raising his radio instead.
"We have a pregnant Ankylosaurus here. Requesting medical personnel immediately."
What?! Pregnant?!
Ben's mouth fell open, but no sound came out. His face contorted through a wild sequence of emotions before he finally broke down, weeping tears of pure joy.
"Copy that, dispatching medical team now."
"Alert, Ankylosaurus Three has broken formation. Preliminary assessment shows no threat. Do not provoke."
"Aunnng—"
Ankylosaurus Three, otherwise known as the Rebel from the Primeval Ecological Zone. After all these years, the spikes on his carapace had begun to curve into the distinct shape of a scimitar, looking exactly like those of his late older brother.
He trotted over to Bumpy's side by the road, nuzzling her with immense affection.
Seeing this, Ben, who was still crying tears of joy a second ago, instantly froze.
Oh no. It's a homewrecker.
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