Jurassic: The New World

Chapter Three

Claire's blaring phone woke her and Owen from their fitful sleep.

"Did you find Maisie?" Claire asked as an answer.

"What? Maisie is missing?" Karen responded.

Claire sighed. "I'm sorry, Karen. I should have called. Maisie... we think she was kidnapped this morning."

Owen tried not to be disappointed. He climbed out of their bed to use the bathroom while Claire spoke with her sister.

"Oh my God, Claire! How did this happen? Who took her?"

The reality of the situation sunk in for Claire. How dare she sleep while her daughter was missing? She'd been a mother for a day before the unthinkable happened. Whenever Claire was in charge, something terrible happened. Why hadn't she learned her lesson with Jurassic World? After Maisie is rescued, Claire would leave her and Owen to live without Claire around to screw it up.

"Claire, where is your head? Come back to me."

She sighed. "I don't know what to do, Karen. We went to sleep after the cops left."

"And now you're refreshed and ready to find that little girl. Listen, Claire, the boys and I are coming over. We'll help you search for Maisie."

"Thank you, Karen," Claire said.

Owen climbed out of the miniscule bathroom. "How is Karen?"

"She and the boys are coming over."

He nodded. "Good. We need all the help we can get."

"I'm a terrible mother," Claire blurted. "You would be better off without me."

Owen sat down on the bed and laughed. "It's been less than twenty-four hours, Claire."

"And Maisie is missing, then we went to sleep!"

He rubbed her back to try and calm her down, but Claire pulled away. "Listen, Claire," he said. "There was nothing we could have done at five in the morning. Three hours of sleep cleared our heads. We're ready to go."

"We should have started looking three hours ago!" Claire cried.

"And done what? Scoured the woods? We know she's not out there. Someone took her. Knocked down InGen's door? That would have gotten us arrested. We'd be no help to Maisie from behind bars. Don't beat yourself up about this. It's not your fault and it's not mine."

Claire sobbed. She'd cried a lot the last few days. First, it was about the court appearance and worrying Maisie would be taken away. Now, it was because Maisie had been taken. Just not by the courts.

"What if we don't find her?" Claire asked. She finally allowed Owen to wrap her in his arms.

"We will."

"How can you be so sure?"

Owen adjusted them on the bed so he could look in Claire's eyes. "We made it out of Jurassic World. We made it off Isla Nublar when it was basically exploding around us. We got out of Lockwood's Estate. If we can get through all that, we can find our daughter."

Claire knew she'd have to hear this over and over again before she believed it, but for now it was working.

A knock on the trailer door drew them out of the moment. Karen threw her arms around Claire the second she opened the door. "Oh, Claire. I'm so sorry. Tell us what we can do."

Claire took in her nephews behind her slender sister. The boys got their father's brunette hair and height. Zack towered over her and Gray seemed taller than the last time she saw him. Had it only been two weeks? They had come to pick up Maisie for the weekend so Claire and Owen could have some alone time. It felt like a lifetime ago.