"We can't get any closer to them in the vehicles. Park here."
Owen kept his eyes fixed on the tracker. Once he confirmed that the distance between the team and the Raptor Squad was less than a kilometer, he motioned for them to stop.
Claire and Franklin were not part of the capture party; after all, they were neither professionals nor suited for field work. Only Owen and Zia, who had held the title of paleo-veterinarian for years yet was seeing a living prehistoric creature for the first time today, followed Ken Wheatley's men to track Blue and her sisters.
"Arms up, stay sharp, and watch your sectors. We'll keep you safe," Ken instructed his men before offering a seemingly reliable nod to Owen.
Owen nodded back, then picked up his radio to call Claire and Franklin back at the control room.
"Claire, I'm going in alone to scout the situation. I need you to keep an eye on their movements for me. Copy?"
"Copy that. We'll try not to let things end up like last time."
The control panel emitted faint beeps as four signals shifted constantly on the screen, appearing restless. The distance between them and Owen was shrinking, not just because Owen was approaching them, but because they were closing in on him.
Owen walked alone along a forest trail. Dense foliage completely blotted out the sky, leaving only needle-like slivers of sunlight scattered across the forest floor. The surrounding grass had long since grown taller than a man, easily enough to conceal an entire Velociraptor.
He moved with practiced stealth, making only the slightest rustle against the leaves, doing his best not to startle the raptors, though he knew that for them, it likely made little difference.
"Skree-ak! Skree-ak!"
Pteranodons shrieked as they soared overhead. Owen crouched down to inspect the tracks on the ground.
"Wheatley, I've got fresh prints. Wait for my signal."
Silencing the tracker and slipping it into his pocket, Owen pushed through a thicket into a relatively flat clearing. It didn't look like the kind of place a raptor would choose for an ambush, but even without looking at the device, Owen felt they were here. They were waiting for him.
"I found you," Owen muttered to a flipped-over Jeep, anticipating the raptors' appearance.
"Chirp... chirp?"
Two Compsognathus darted out from the wreckage, fleeing past Owen at high speed.
Not the raptors? Is the tracker malfunctioning…?
Realizing the Compsys were likely fleeing from something, Owen abruptly stopped his turn. Before he could scan the area again, a sharp bark accompanied by a heavy thud sounded beside him. Blue revealed herself, staring intensely at Owen.
"Aok!"
"Hey, girl. Did you miss me?"
Owen reacted calmly to the sudden confrontation, employing his signature hand-extended taming technique. He made sure Blue saw no trace of fear; showing weakness now was no different than exposing his back to a predator.
"Aok?" (Is it him?)
"Aok!" (It is him!)
Echo and Delta emerged from either side of the vehicle, flanking Blue. They began to circle Owen, sizing him up. A bead of sweat formed on Owen's brow. He lowered his center of gravity, keeping both hands outspread as he slowly pivoted, ensuring he wouldn't be caught in a flanking maneuver.
One might wonder: where was Charlie?
The capture team members peering through sniper scopes in the distance were wondering the same thing.
Rustle...
The nearby bushes swayed. A mercenary's heart leaped into his throat. He turned his head and locked eyes with a pair of intelligent, reptilian eyes.
"Clever girl..."
The humans had overlooked one possibility from the start: why couldn't those footprints have been left intentionally by the raptors to lure them in?
"I brought you something good."
Owen took the opportunity to pull out the small treats he used to feed them when they were hatchlings. While backing away, he gently tossed one to Blue. It bounced right off her snout.
(Note: After feeding reptiles, never pet them with hands that still smell like food. Don't ask the author how they know.)
"Hiss—!"
Blue let out a dissatisfied chuff, but Echo's attention was instantly snatched by the snack.
Boss isn't eating it... so I will?
With lightning speed, Echo ducked, lunged, and snatched the treat before darting away to enjoy her solo prize.
"Aok!"
Delta barked at Echo... she almost sounded regretful that she hadn't moved faster.
"Aoo-ngr!" (Pathetic! Turn in your raptor cards!)
Blue roared angrily at her sisters. How could she have teammates like this?
The tension broke slightly. Owen fought back a smile, keeping a serious expression as he locked eyes with Blue.
"Hey, you know me. Look at me."
Blue looked back at Owen with a hint of resignation. She had recognized him long ago, but his scent was cluttered with too many foreign smells; she had needed to be sure. She suppressed her threatening growl and slowly eased out of her combat stance, raising her head to meet Owen's gaze as an equal.
"Right. That's it... you remember..."
"Aok!"
Having finished her snack, Echo let out a chirrup for more, shattering the harmony and earning herself a death stare from Blue. Echo immediately cowered.
Blue turned back to Owen and gave a soft trill, as if to say: Welcome back.
Owen lowered his arms and slowly stood straight. He clicked the clicker in his hand, drawing the attention of all three raptors.
"Who's hungry?"
Though Charlie was still missing, Owen figured that since Blue was here, the last one wouldn't be far behind. Under Owen's lead, Blue, Echo, and Delta stepped willingly into the pre-positioned cages to feast on the meat provided by the humans.
Owen stepped back and keyed his radio. "Wheatley, wait for Charlie, the last raptor, to return before we close the cages."
"Yeah, copy that."
Despite the verbal confirmation, the cage doors slammed shut with a heavy clang.
"Aoo-kkrng!"
Panicked by the sudden entrapment, the three raptors began to thrash. Figures emerged from the surrounding foliage.
"What are you doing?! Wheatl—"
A dart carrying a massive dose of tranquilizer slammed into Owen. The tracker slipped from his hand as he collapsed uncontrollably to the ground.
"We can handle the last one ourselves," Wheatley said coldly.
Zia rushed to Owen's side, pulling the dart from his shoulder. There was still over half the dose left in the chamber; it wasn't a lethal amount, but it was enough to put him under.
"Let's see where the last one is..."
Wheatley picked up the dropped tracker and began searching for Charlie's signal. At the same time, the surrounding mercenaries realized something was wrong and began looking at each other.
"Where's Dutch?"
"Micah's gone too..."
Wheatley, still staring at the tracker, suddenly widened his eyes and looked toward a nearby thicket.
"Oh, god..."
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