The diesel engine of the InGen barge coughed and sputtered, struggling to pull the heavy vessel away from the aviary docks.Dr. Alan Grant stood at the wheel, his knuckles white as he pushed the throttle lever as far forward as it would go. Behind them, the dark surface of the water was being sliced open by a massive, blood-stained sail. The blue bioluminescent stripes on the monster's submerged flanks cast an eerie, pulsating glow through the dark river."Go, go! Alan, it's gaining on us!" Amanda Kirby screamed, her arms wrapped tightly around Eric as they huddled against the metal storage crates in the center of the boat.Billy Brennan scrambled to the stern of the boat, grabbing a heavy iron pole to push away any floating debris that might jam the propeller. He looked back at the closing wake, his face pale with a terror he couldn't hide. "Dr. Grant! We aren't going to make it!"He was right. Isaiah—Asset 87—was perfectly adapted for the water. His massive, webbed feet propelled his multi-ton frame through the river with terrifying speed.Suddenly, Isaiah dived.The glowing blue stripes vanished beneath the black surface. The river grew unnaturally still, the only sound being the desperate chugging of the boat's engine."Where did it go?" Eric whispered, his eyes scanning the water.The answer came a split second later in a violent explosion of water and metal.Isaiah did not breach from behind. He swam directly beneath the barge and lunged upward. His massive, armored snout slammed into the bottom of the boat, lifting the entire multi-ton vessel several feet out of the water.The impact was catastrophic. The rusted metal floor of the barge buckled and tore open. Amanda and Ericwere thrown violently against the side rails, while Billy Brennan lost his footing completely.As the boat crashed back down into the water, tilting violently to the side, Billy slid off the slick, blood-covered deck. He let out a gasp of pure terror as he splashed into the freezing, dark water of the river."Billy!" Alan yelled, abandoning the wheel and running to the edge.Billy surfaced, gasping for air, desperately swimming toward the side of the tilting boat. He reached up, his fingers grazing the wet metal of the hull.But he never made it.Beneath the surface, Isaiah's amber eyes locked onto the struggling human. The giant predator opened his long, narrow jaws.With a chilling, effortless speed, Isaiah lunged. His rows of serrated teeth clamped down hard on Billy Brennan's waist.Billy didn't even have time to scream. He let out a wet, gurgling gasp before Isaiah's immense power dragged him violently down into the dark, crushing abyss of the river. Streams of thick, red blood bubbled up to the surface, painting the dark water a deep crimson.A heavy silence followed, broken only by the lapping of the bloody water against the side of the crippled boat.The human boy inside Asset 87's brain felt a sudden, sickening wave of shame, but it was instantly washed away by the dark, primal satisfaction of a successful hunt. He was fueling his body. He was securing his dominance.A moment later, the water exploded again.Isaiah breached the surface right next to the boat, his massive body towering over the survivors. He was dripping with dark river water and Billy's fresh blood.Amanda Kirby stood frozen at the edge of the boat, staring up at the massive, blue-striped titan in a state of hyperventilating shock. She didn't run. She didn't scream. Her mind had simply broken.Isaiah did not hesitate. He lowered his massive, elongated snout.With a brutal, lightning-fast snap of his massive jaws, Isaiah clamped down on Amanda's torso. With a display of horrifying, god-like strength, he bit down hard.A sickening, wet crunch of bone and flesh filled the air. Amanda Kirby was bitten completely in two, her lifeless remains falling into the blood-stained water on either side of Isaiah's jaws."MOM!" Eric screamed, a sound of pure, unadulterated agony that tore at Alan Grant's heart.Alan didn't let the boy look. He grabbed Eric by the collar of his jacket and hauled him over the side of the boat, diving into the shallow, muddy water near the bank of the river.They scrambled onto the shore, leaving the boat and the bodies behind. They didn't look back. They ran blindly through the dense jungle, driven by a pure, animalistic instinct to get as far away from the river as possible.They ran for what felt like hours, their lungs burning, their bodies covered in mud and the blood of their fallen friends.Finally, the dense jungle canopy began to thin out. The heavy, claustrophobic smell of decay was replaced by the clean, salty breeze of the ocean.Alan and Eric burst out of the tree line and onto a wide, sandy beach.But they weren't alone.Lined up along the shore were several massive, heavily armored amphibious assault vehicles. Dozens of United States Marines in full combat gear were stationed on the sand, their rifles raised, creating a perimeter of high-caliber safety.At the center of the formation stood a man in a military uniform, looking out at the jungle with a pair of binoculars.Dr. Alan Grant and Eric Kirby collapsed onto the sand, gasping for air, safe at the very edge of the island as the military rescue operation stood ready to take them home.
