Page 19 of Lagoon

“Well, maybe it will be better with Bub in captivity, in the end,” he said, shaking his head.

“Or, maybe… maybe there’s a reason these creatures are dying out. Maybe we shouldn’t be getting involved.”

Jonathan chuckled.

“No, really, Dr. Greyson, my work with the chimps was very heavily predicated on the idea of allowing them to be on their own and to simply observe, never to interfere. This isn’t science, what you’re doing, it’s some kind of Frankenstein experiment.”

Jonathan folded his arms over his chest. “You’re simply concerned because of whatever it was Bub did to you when he took you. I understand. We’ll fix it if anything has gone wrong. It’s been an awful day. For all of us.” He took the tranquilizer pistol down from off the wall. “I brought this back in here after I took it off of Nick.”

“You went to his body, took the gun, and then called his wife?”

“I was busy, yes. Couldn’t sit still.” Jonathan strapped the belt around his waist. “Let’s go. I think I may have an idea where Bub might have taken Nancy.”

JONATHAN RACED AROUNDthe side of the lagoon, trying to keep the thoughts that were rising within him at bay. Riley Stine was following him, but he wasn’t talking to her. Instead, he was thinking about the things she’d said to him.

Was she right? Had he let this whole thing get out of control?

He’d been so consumed with trying to figure out how he could preserve this species he hadn’t stopped to wonderwhyhe was preserving the species.

Did the world need a new species of creatures, especially ones that were huge and strong and had violent tendencies? Intelligent creatures who humans nevertheless could not communicate with?

Perhaps it was best to leave it the way nature had brought it about.

Bub’s species was going extinct.

Perhaps, he shouldn’t interfere.

He had wanted to, yes, but now he began to wonder if his passion for the project had been ultimately selfish.

He wanted to make a discovery. He wanted to be celebrated for his genius work. He wanted the accolades that would come from being a pioneer.

That was never why he’d become a scientist, however. No, he’d wanted to learn and observe and to make contributions to the world. He’d wanted to… toservesociety.

How had he lost sight of that?

He was so distracted that he shouldn’t have been surprised when Bub leaped out of the undergrowth and tackled him.

But he was.

He fell on his side, his arm pinned underneath him. The dart pistol was up on the other side, but he couldn’t reach it, because Bub had his other arm, wrenching it painfully behind his back.

He looked for Riley to tell her to run, but before he could say anything, Bub shrieked into his face and then hauled him up by his shirt. Jonathan dangled there, feet off the ground, now fumbling for the pistol.

He never got to it. Instead, Bub hurled him backwards.

Jonathan hit the rocks with a painful thud and then he rolled.

Distantly, he could hear Riley calling his name.

CHAPTER SEVEN

ANGELA GOT THElaptops and electronics, deposited them in the mess hall, and then left, because no one was there. She didn’t see Harris or the others anywhere, and she decided she’d do as she’d promised and try to help Dr. Greyson and Dr. Stine.

Drawing her gun, she made her way up the rocky path that led to the lab. She stopped off there and spoke into the intercom.

But she got no response, so she went up, further up, all the way to the lagoon.

There, she was struck by the beauty of the place. It was getting late now, and the sun was hanging heavy in the sky, but the air was still warm. The lagoon reflected back the changing colors of the coming sunset. It was gorgeous.

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