The return journey was a lot slower than the outward journey. This is because the car they had left in had been replaced with a truck and the load being transported was not exactly light.

Jocelyne seemed to have taken a vow of silence. The same was true of Jackson. Neither of them really wanted to talk.

In the end it was Jackson who broke the ice: "I hope you know what you are doing"

"I know" Jocelyne replied simply. Though she had gone mute as her cloistered nun, her eyes still burned with determination, which was enough for Jackson to believe she wasn't lying. "Do I have your word that you won't speak?"

"I trust you and I know you have your reasons" Jackson replied. "As long as you promise me you won't make me wrestle with a carnotaur again, my lips are sewn up"

Jocelyne barely laughed at that joke. "I won't let you fight a dinosaur anymore, I guarantee it" she said. "How did you go with Abe?"

Jackson's face went dark, but not too dark. "He's fine, and that's enough for me. He assured me that they are treating him well and refused any kind of favoritism. Typical of him, despite everything he wants to stay behind until everyone else is released... even if I think I know why he is so reluctant to leave"

"And would that be?"

"He has found love"

Jocelyne almost jumped. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yes. She is a former soldier, Dariela Marzan. Last time I didn't have time to meet her, but today she introduced her to me. He obviously denied it, but I know him too well: the way she looks at her leaves no doubt"

Jocelyne was in shock for a moment, then she burst out laughing. "Seriously, Abe with a woman? He didn't seem interested in the female gender. You dated young ladies much more than him"

"Abe is attracted to strong women, so he didn't usually hang out with the ones we had available"

"I did not know. How is this Dariela?"

"Nice. Dark eyes, black hair, athletic body. She looks a bit like you. She's not my type, but I can understand why Abe likes her"

"I understand. How is their relationship?"

"For the moment it doesn't exist. Abe denies he has feelings, but I know that he really just wants to avoid complicating Dariela's emotional state while I'm still in that… difficult situation. He prefers to wait before making any moves. And personally I can't blame him. Abe told me how they met and what Dariela went through before meeting him. That woman has an iron will to have managed not to break down, but it's certainly not a good idea for her to mess her up even more by confessing her feelings to her"

Jocelyne didn't need much explanation. If this Dariela was a former soldier then she surely found herself involved in the battle between dinosaurs and humans. Jocelyne dared not even imagine what she must have experienced and she did not want to know.

She decided to change the subject. "So Abe is settled. And you? What's up?"

"Uh?"

"I'm talking about Chloe. What's up?"

Jackson nearly swerved: "How...?"

"Jackson, everyone knows. Everyone who has seen you at least. You haven't really hidden it"

The man bit his lip, then admitted: "There was... some flirtation while we were on the main continent, and he left me his number with the promise to call her back"

"So it's serious"

"Oh, stop it! Shouldn't I be the expert adult who throws digs at you guys? Why did the situation turn around?"

Jocelyne smiled mockingly. "I'm not really in a position to care about boys" she replied. "And I am not certainly an expert, but I have learned to recognize the situation... and to make fun of those concerned"

Jackson sighed deeply. He was amused by the joke but also a little saddened. He felt sorry for Jocelyne. In a fairer world, she wouldn't have to do anything but have fun and gossip about boys with her friends. Instead, she found herself holding the whole of humanity on her shoulders, having to continually predict the movements of her opponents and fear for her own life when she left the house with less than ten men for escort. That wasn't the life a fourteen-year-old girl should have lived.

Jocelyne knew practically nothing about the joys of her life. She didn't know what it meant to go to the movies, go out with friends, go to school, get a driver's license, have a boyfriend. She didn't even have a friend of her age. She was the smartest and smartest person in the world, but from Jackson's point of view she was also one of the saddest. She wondered if the reason she was so relentless on the dinosaur problem was because helping humanity out of that crisis made her happy. Or maybe she had decided that, since she couldn't have happiness, she at least she would make sure that others would have it.

In a way it was the truth. Jocelyne would have gladly traded all of her talent, her money and her intelligence in order to live a normal life. One where she didn't have to be afraid for her life and where she could get to know other people regardless of her status and her position. In a way it was she too for what she had accepted Sobek's proposal: if she wanted to change her life, she had to change her country in the first place... and if the rest of the world was added to this, she was fine. Jocelyne knew that by now she had completely lost her childhood and that she would waste her best years fighting for world peace, but she could still prevent other girls and boys like her from suffering the same fate.

Freedom was something she never had. But she could still make sure others had it.

A jolt on the road made the truck tremble. A voice emerged from the back: "Hey, be careful!" she burst out angrily.

The hair on Jackson's neck stood up slightly. "Do we really have to take them with us?"

"Look, we hear you!" was the answer that came from the back.

Jocelyne sighed. "Yes, Jackson. They have to come with us. Now think about driving. They are right, you need to be more careful"

Between the two fell silence again, which lasted throughout the journey. Apart from a few exchanges of words from time to time, they never spoke again.

They reached the border when it was already dark. As on the way, the border guards let them pass. Just to be safe, Jocelyne gave them another bag of dollars to entice them even more to silence.

After another two hours of travel they reached Stellin. They headed for the Jersey mansion and then entered one of their garages.

Once they got there, they parked the truck and then opened the back. "We have arrived. You can get off" Jocelyne said.

In an instant, about a dozen dinosaurs emerged from the back of the truck. They were almost all of medium size, although quite lethal (like the utahraptors) but there was also a large triceratops.

"Uff! Finally out!"

"Who do you tell! I could not do it anymore!"

"I was dying of heat in there!"

"Did we really have to pile up on each other?"

"Hey, you, driver! I hit the ceiling of the truck with my head because of you! Look, I still have the bump!"

Jocelyne ignored the dinosaur complaints and turned to the triceratops: "My family has a lot of garages. Once they know this is busy they won't come and check. Here you are safe. And in case someone comes, Lord Sobek told me you can disappear"

"That's right" the triceratops confirmed. "Thanks for the hospitality, Miss Jersey"

"Nothing, Maria" Jocelyne replied. "Do you already know what to do?"

"The pack leader explained everything to us. Don't worry, when the time comes, we'll be ready" replied the triceratops. "Also some of us will always follow you even if you don't see them. You don't have to fear for your life, we will protect you whatever happens"

Jocelyne did not know whether she was pleased with the added protection or irritated by the invasion of privacy, but under the circumstances she decided that she could not afford to be picky. "Won't that be a nuisance for you?"

"At all. Nobody will notice our presence" said Maria. "If we ever need to communicate with you, those of us who follow you will reveal and inform you. And if you have to communicate with us, just ask us to reveal us. Basically, you don't necessarily have to come here if you want to talk to us, you just need to be in a secluded place"

"All clear" Jocelyne replied. "Do you need something?"

"No. We have our own ways of getting food" Maria explained. Obviously Sobek had told her to keep the existence of [Teleportation] a secret. "Don't worry about us, Miss Jersey. Go and do what you have to"

Jocelyne yawned. "I'll get some sleep first" she corrected her. "Tomorrow... she'll start moving my pieces"

"Is it possible that I learn about the plan?" Jackson asked.

"No. Trust me, you better not know anything... for now"

Jackson nodded and told her to leave; he would take care of fixing everything. Jocelyne hurried to her room and, after making sure there were no bugs, she dialed a number on her phone. The called didn't make her wait. "Hi, Jocelyne"

"Hi, Chloe, sorry for the trouble but I need some advice. Where can I find a good hacker?"