| Chapter 03: Underneath the Surface |

××××

| Arthur Reacher - 3rd Person Pov |

. . .

. .

.

The early morning air on Isla Nublar was a welcome contrast to the midday heat that would inevitably settle in later.

Arthur Reacher stood alone near the Giganotosaurus paddock, watching as the morning mist rolled off the jungle trees and across the ground. The quiet moments like these,— before the park woke up, before the chaos of visitors and dinosaurs,— were his favorite.

He sipped his coffee slowly, his eyes drifting to the massive creature inside the paddock.

The Giganotosaurus was still resting, its hulking body curled near the edge of the artificial water pool. It would wake soon, though. It always knew when Arthur was nearby.

Arthur allowed himself to enjoy the stillness a bit longer, savoring the brief peace. But beneath the calm exterior, his mind was already working. The breach in the restricted zone a couple of days ago still gnawed at him.

InGen was getting bolder, and while Maserani was content to run things from the surface, Arthur couldn't afford to ignore the warning signs. Not when the stakes were so high.

But there was no need to rush. Not yet at least.

. . .

. .

.

As the sun began to rise higher, Arthur made his way toward the Raptor Paddock. Owen had sent him a message earlier, hinting at some "new tricks" the raptors were learning, which Owen obviously wanted brag about.

Arthur knew better than to take Owen at face value however,— his idea of "new tricks" usually involved the kind of chaos that would send park management into a panic, and the former laughing it off.

When Arthur arrived, Owen was already inside the paddock, moving through his routine with Blue, the lead raptor. The other three raptors,— Charlie, Delta, and Echo,— watched from a distance, their sharp eyes tracking every movement.

"Well, if it isn't the man himself." Owen called out, flashing a grin as he guided Blue into a crouch. "You're up early. Trouble sleeping, or just miss me that much?"

Arthur smirked, leaning against the fence. "Just wanted to see how you plan on getting yourself killed today, after the messages you sent me."

Owen laughed, stepping away from Blue's sight and making a hand signal to release her from the command. "Ah, you know me. Gotta keep things interesting while at work."

Arthur's gaze shifted to the raptors, watching the way they moved, — intelligent, calculating, dangerous. He had always been impressed with Owen's ability to communicate with them, to establish a bond that went beyond mere training. In many ways, it was similar to Arthur's connection with the Giganotosaurus, though his relationship with the giant predator was far less structured. It was more… instinctual.

"You ever get the feeling they're sizing you up for a snack?" Arthur asked, eyeing Blue.

Owen chuckled, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Every day, my friend. But that's the game, isn't it? Trust and respect. They should know I'm the alpha though."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "For now."

Owen threw him a sideways glance, grinning. "Careful, Reacher. You start talking like that, and Claire's gonna start wondering why you're so interested in all the animals around here."

Arthur didn't take the bait, though the mention of Claire did stir something in the back of his mind. Their relationship,— if it could even be called that,— was a delicate balancing act. Claire was sharp, driven, and more perceptive than people gave her credit for. She had a way of digging into things, even when she didn't fully understand what she was looking for. And lately, her focus had been turning more toward him.

Something he couldn't afford to let escalate yet.

"Speaking of Claire." Owen said, tossing a rag over his shoulder, "She's been on edge the past couple of days. You might wanna check in with her before she starts thinking you're hiding something."

Arthur smirked, his tone playful but guarded. "Who says I'm not?"

. . .

. .

.

| Anne Sutton - 3rd Person Pov |

Over at the genetics lab, Anne Sutton had settled into the routine of her internship. It was both thrilling and intimidating, working under Dr. Wu. She spent her days cataloging genetic data, running diagnostics, and observing the inner workings of Jurassic World's most impressive feat,— dinosaur creation.

But beneath her professional enthusiasm, Anne couldn't shake the feeling that she was only seeing part of the story.

Dr. Wu was a brilliant scientist, no doubt, but there was an eerie coldness to his methods.

He treated the dinosaurs as products,—

numbers on a spreadsheet rather than living, breathing creatures. And while Anne understood the need for scientific objectivity, there were moments when the experiments they ran felt like they were crossing lines.

Today was no different. Anne was hunched over a DNA sequencing chart when Wu called her over to his workstation.

"Miss Sutton." Wu said, not bothering to look up from his data as she approached. "I need you to run a comparison between these two sequences. Make sure there's no drift between the hybrid samples."

Anne nodded, accepting the data tablet. As she worked, she couldn't help but glance at the closed-off areas of the lab,— those places Wu didn't let the interns access.

There were more restricted zones than she had initially realized, and the deeper she got into her work, the more questions it raised.

What kind of hybrids were they experimenting on? And why were they so secretive about certain projects?

Her mind wandered back to Arthur. There was something about him,— something more than just his mysterious demeanor. He wasn't just another park worker, she knew that much. He moved through the park like he was in control, but never openly. And then there were his warnings from the other day.

Anne couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said,— about InGen and the dangers lurking behind the scenes.

She had a feeling that Arthur knew far more than he was letting on.

. . .

. .

.

Later that day, Anne found herself wandering the north quadrant, closer to where the larger predator enclosures were located. She hadn't meant to end up here,— her work had mostly been confined to the genetics lab and visitor-facing areas of the park. But something about the northern part of the island drew her in. It was quieter, more isolated, and held an air of mystery she couldn't ignore.

As she walked along one of the service paths, her thoughts focused on the questions that had been building over the past few days. The restricted zones, the rumors about hybrid experiments, Arthur's cryptic warnings,— it all swirled in her mind, creating a storm of curiosity that she couldn't shake.

Suddenly, she spotted him,— Arthur,— leaning against the railing of the Giganotosaurus observation deck. He hadn't noticed her yet, his eyes fixed on the massive creature below. For a moment, Anne hesitated. She had seen him around the park a few times since their last encounter, but she hadn't approached him.

Not until now.

Anne took a deep breath and approached quietly, trying to gather her thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to come off as intrusive, but something about Arthur made her feel like she needed to know more.

"You always hang out with the big guys?" Anne called out, her voice light but curious.

Arthur didn't turn right away, but a small smirk crept onto his face as he recognized her voice. He shifted his weight, turning slightly to face her. "Guess you could say I've got a thing for dangerous company."

Anne smiled, stepping up to the railing beside him. "Doesn't seem like you scare easily."

"Not much that can scare me anymore." Arthur replied, his eyes still on the Giganotosaurus. "But it's not about fear. It's about respect."

Anne followed his gaze, her heart skipping a beat as the massive creature stirred slightly.

The sheer size of the Giganotosaurus was overwhelming, and the idea that Arthur had some sort of connection to it,— that he wasn't just another park employee,— made her even more intrigued.

"I guess I never thought of it that way." Anne said quietly. "They're not just animals, are they? There's something… more."

Arthur nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It's not about control. You don't control something like that. You work with it. You understand it. But you don't own it."

Anne studied his face, sensing that there was more behind his words than he was letting on. She had the feeling that Arthur wasn't just talking about the dinosaurs,— that there was something personal buried in his philosophy. Something from his past.

"So what's your story, Arthur?" Anne asked, turning to face him fully now. "You're not like the others here. You're… different."

Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You've got a habit of asking questions, don't you?"

Anne shrugged, her lips curling into a smile. "I'm a curious person."

Arthur didn't answer right away, his eyes drifting back to the Giganotosaurus as it shifted in its sleep. He could feel the weight of Anne's question lingering in the air, but he wasn't the kind of man who handed out answers easily. Not about himself, anyway.

But there was something about Anne's curiosity, the way she asked,— not demanding, but genuinely interested,— that made him pause.

"Let's just say..." Arthur began slowly, "I've been around long enough to know there's more to this park than people usually think."

Anne tilted her head slightly, studying him. "And what about you? You've got more to you than you let on, don't you?"

Arthur gave her a sidelong glance, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. "I could say the same about you."

Anne smirked, but before she could press further, the ground beneath them trembled,— a subtle vibration that sent a shiver down her spine. Her eyes widened as she glanced toward the Giganotosaurus, which was now awake, lifting its massive head from the ground. Its nostrils flared, and its piercing eyes fixed directly on Arthur.

Anne froze, her heart racing. The Giganotosaurus was terrifying in its sheer size and power, and yet, there was something almost deliberate about the way it regarded Arthur. It wasn't the wild, predatory gaze she had expected from such a creature.

It was… calmer. Focused.

Arthur didn't flinch. He stood completely still, meeting the dinosaur's gaze with a quiet confidence that seemed to transcend the moment.

The Giganotosaurus huffed, its breath stirring the dust around its enclosure as it slowly rose to its feet. For a moment, Anne thought it might charge, the way its muscles tensed, but then something strange happened. The massive creature lowered its head ever so slightly, almost like a bow,— its eyes still locked on Arthur.

Anne's breath caught in her throat. "How… how are you doing that?"

Arthur didn't answer right away. His hand remained steady on the railing, his eyes never leaving the dinosaur's. It was a bond,— one that Anne couldn't fully comprehend, but that Arthur had lived with for as long as he'd been at Jurassic World. The Giganotosaurus recognized him, knew him, and, in a way, trusted him.

Finally, Arthur spoke, his voice low and calm. "It's not about control. It's about respect."

Anne could barely believe what she was seeing. "That's… incredible. How…?"

Arthur let out a small breath, breaking eye contact with the dinosaur. The Giganotosaurus, satisfied with whatever unspoken exchange had just taken place, turned and lumbered back to the far side of the paddock, its massive footsteps shaking the ground as it went.

"I've spent a lot of time with him." Arthur said quietly, finally answering Anne's unspoken question. "It's not something you can explain. You just… know."

Anne was still processing what had just happened, her mind racing with a thousand questions. She had seen Owen's connection with the raptors when she had taken a guided tour through the park, but this,— this was something entirely different. There was a depth to it, something primal and ancient, like the bond between a Targaryen and their dragon from the books she used to read. It wasn't just training; it was understanding on a deeper, almost instinctual level. ( A/N: ;) )

But before she could press Arthur any further, her comm device buzzed, pulling her back to the reality of her internship. She glanced down at the message,— Dr. Wu was calling her back to the lab for another round of data analysis.

Anne sighed, reluctantly stepping away from the railing. "I should go. Dr. Wu's got me on some genetic sequencing project."

Arthur nodded, his expression returning to its usual calm. "Good luck with that."

As Anne turned to leave, she paused, glancing back at him. "Arthur… thanks for letting me see this. I won't forget it."

Arthur gave her a nod, watching as she disappeared down the path, her curiosity clearly piqued even more than before.

. . .

. .

.

As Anne made her way back to the genetics lab, her mind buzzed with everything she had just witnessed. Arthur's bond with the Giganotosaurus,— it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. She had read about behavioral conditioning, about how Owen worked with the raptors, but this was something else. This was instinct, something almost mystical.

The way Arthur had spoken about the dinosaurs, the respect in his voice,— it made her wonder if there was more to his story.

How had he come to Jurassic World? Why did the dinosaurs respond to him like that? And what did he mean when he said the park wasn't just about dinosaurs?

But there was no time to dwell on it now. Dr. Wu's lab awaited, and while Anne found her work fascinating, there was a growing unease about the projects they were involved in. She had seen glimpses of files marked classified, areas of the lab she wasn't allowed to access, and vague mentions of "new hybrid development" in the genetic records.

Something was going on,— something far beyond what they were being told.

. . .

. .

.

| Claire Dearing - 3rd Person Pov |

Claire Dearing stood in the control room, eyes scanning the park's operations on the large monitor in front of her. The park was running smoothly,— for now. But in the back of her mind, there was a growing tension, a sense that things weren't as controlled as they appeared.

She had been going through reports all morning, reviewing the security protocols, the animal behavior logs, the upcoming projects.

And then there was the Indominus Rex.

It was supposed to be the park's next big attraction, the ultimate predator, the crown jewel of Jurassic World. But the more she read, the more uneasy she became. The genetic modifications, the aggressive tendencies,— they were creating something that even the scientists couldn't fully predict.

And Dr. Wu,— he was secretive. Too secretive. He always had an answer for everything, but Claire had learned to read between the lines. There was more going on with the Indominus than Wu was letting on, and the stakes were getting higher.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost time for her meeting with Wu to go over the latest developments in the Indominus Rex paddock. She had a feeling Arthur might be interested in this, but she wasn't sure how much she could share with him. He had always been a bit of an enigma, and while she trusted his instincts, there were things about the park's operations that she couldn't fully discuss with just anyone.

Still, maybe it was time to start asking more questions. The park's future depended on it.

. . .

. .

.

| Arthur Reacher - 3rd Person Pov |

Arthur knew the moment was coming. The longer he stayed in the shadows, the more the pieces would start to fall into place, and it would become harder to stay under the radar. Claire's curiosity was growing, just like Anne's, and the park's secrets were becoming harder to keep.

But for now, his focus was on InGen. The breach in the restricted zone was just the beginning,— he could feel it. They were planning something, something that would change the landscape of the park forever.

And Arthur wasn't about to let that happen without a fight.

He moved quietly through the service paths, heading toward the restricted zones near the northern paddocks. The park may have seemed peaceful on the surface, but Arthur knew better. Beneath the surface, the power struggles were starting to unfold.

It wouldn't be long before the secret of the Indominus Rex project came to light, and when it did, everything would change.

For now, though, Arthur would wait,— keeping his knowledge on the projects under wraps.

He had built a network of people,— his own private army,— and they were ready for whenever he wished. When the time came, he would have all the leverage he needed to keep the park from falling into the wrong hands, he just didn't want to turn the park into a warzone with so many people touring on it, each and every day.

And as Arthur made his way deeper into the park, he glanced toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set. The shadows were growing longer, and with them came the certainty that the storm was on its way.

But Arthur Reacher was always ready.

. . .

. .

.

× × × ×