Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters belong to Impossible Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N - This is set concurrent to series 1 in the AU that Cutter has yet to discover on his return from the Permian. It sets up all that happens in series 2.

WARNING - moderate bad language and some mildly sexual references


Alliance

Oliver Leek unlocked the door to his flat, switched on the hall light and kicked the door shut behind him. He'd probably order a takeaway after the day he'd had so there was no point locking it properly just yet.

He placed his keys and mobile on the hall table, and his briefcase beside it then hung up his overcoat and loosened his tie.

He headed for the living room in dire need of a whisky, switching on the table light as he poured a tumbler of single malt. He'd had one hell of a day pandering to that sarcastic bastard, Lester. He thought he was so bloody clever and so bloody funny. Huh, if only he knew how stupid he looked when he was giving one of his smug smirks.

And that Scottish shit, Cutter had simply ignored him. He had reports that needed filing to keep the Minister happy and Cutter couldn't be bothered to complete them, as normal. That man was an arrogant tosser. Just because he was a professor, and Lester had given him almost free reign of the newly formed ARC for some unfathomable reason, didn't give him the right to look down his nose and sneer at Leek.

And that bloody kid Temple. If he found that bloody skateboard in the break room again he was going to take great delight in smashing it to pieces. Why they had the pathetic child on the payroll he'd never understand, with his stupid hats, annoying giggle and the way he trailed round after Abby, who obviously had no interest in him.

Ahh Abby, now she made his job bearable with her hot little body in those tight tops. How he'd love to show her what a real man was like instead of that self-absorbed knob Hart she lusted after. He began to sip his whisky. He could just picture himself fondling those plump little breasts, suckling her delicious nipples and pushing his fingers into …

"Oliver Leek?"

"What the hell!" Leek nearly jumped out of his skin. His hand that had been drifting towards his trousers, flew back up to safety as though he were burned - a muscle memory from his youth. He spun round to locate the source of the woman's voice. It was deep, lustrous and sensual. It was a voice that he hoped went with a matching body. Well he would hope so if it was anywhere but in his bloody flat.

"Who's there? What are you damn well doing in my flat? How did you get in?"

"Questions, questions, so many questions." The voice was causing quite a reaction. He hoped he could locate its source soon.

And there she was.

She walked out from his darkened bedroom, the light catching on the blade she was playing with between slender fingers. Leek's breath hitched. Despite the danger he could so obviously be in, the sight of this toned, leather clad women playing with a hunting knife was perhaps one of the most erotic things he had seen.

"Oliver Leek, I have a proposition for you. A proposition that could make you a very. Powerful. Man. I'm sure you'd like that."

As she came further into the light of the living room, Oliver could see that she was indeed a very attractive woman with brown hair and brown, sparkling eyes. She was clad in some sort of figure hugging leather outfit that appeared to be hand made. She definitely liked to show some cleavage, which he was by no means adverse to. He wondered if that golden tan was all over. And her voice still held that seductive tone. The real turn on was the blade still playing in her fingers and the way she thought she was in control.

Her eyes drifted appreciatively to the bulge in his trousers and she passed the tip of her tongue over her lips, knowing he would see. She was having the effect she wanted - good this would make things easier.

"Helen Cutter. How delightful to finally meet you after I've heard so much about you."

"So, you recognise me then?"

"Of course, we have an extensive file."

"Ahh. And how is everyone? Is Lester still the sarcastic prig, and what about dear sweet Claudia Brown?"

Leek looked confused. "Sorry, who?"

"Oh yes, I forgot. Well never mind." She sometimes found it difficult to keep all the timelines straight in her head when she entered an alternate reality. It had begun to cause her headaches, but nothing she couldn't handle. It was just Time, playing with her, but she wouldn't be beaten.

Glossing over his confusion, Oliver tried to wrong-foot her. "Your husband is well, if you're interested."

"Ahh dear Nick, He has no idea who he's missing … yet, but soon. And Stephen, is he still obediently following my husband around like a lap dog or has sweet little Connor Temple taken over that honour yet?"

Leek got the feeling that there was some deeper meaning behind these questions that he was missing, but he answered as best he could, unwilling to surrender any ground.

"Stephen is still playing the mighty hunter, and Temple follows Abby around like a puppy, hanging on her every word."

"Ahh yes, the delightful Abigail Maitland." She paused as though she was finalising something, then she spoke again, her voice still low and seductive.

"Oliver, a man of your abilities shouldn't be someone else's flunky. How would you like to be running the ARC? In fact how would you like to be running the country? I have it within my power to help you do just that, if you can do a few small favours for me."

She had perched herself on the arm of his sofa, and finished the sentence by looking up at him through her lashes, her mouth slightly open and pouting. Despite her years jumping through time and alternate realities, she still knew how to play men. She could tell from the shine in Leek's eyes, the quirk of his lips and the way his eyes never left the blade as it played in front of her breasts that she had his undivided attention.

"Of course I would like that, but what would you need from me?"

"First of all, I need you to find an attractive young woman we can pay to … redirect Connor Temple's attention away from dear, sweet Abigail, and preferably away from the anomalies as well. I need that little romance broken up and dear Abigail too heartbroken to pay attention."

"Don't you mean Stephen Hart?"

"No, Connor Temple. I'll take care of Stephen." She smirked at the thought.

"Alright, if you're sure." Leek was confused. Temple and Abby, well, well. But Helen seemed to know what she was talking about, He could play along ... for now. "That won't be a problem. I know a young lady called Caroline Steele who is very adept in these situations. She won't ask questions as long as she is well paid and will put up with just about any disgusting attention Temple could inflict upon her for the right price."

"Excellent. The funding for this project is not an issue. We don't need her quite yet and she will need to be trained to play her part just so. That will be your job. She is not to know I exist - no-one is." Helen's eyes sparkled and a half smile played on her lips, as though she was taking pleasure in the thought of disrupting young lives. "Then I need you to locate and secure an abandoned building, perhaps a factory or warehouse. It needs to be isolated, but within easy distance of London. It must have a good power and water supply. We'll need to install the highest security. I have a team of men who can install the equipment we need, but locating the building will be your job. The need for extreme secrecy goes without saying"

"Very well, but I'll need to know what you're planning to use it for so I can get the specifications right."

"I want you to steal dinosaurs." She smiled as he tried to cover up his gasp of surprise. "I want you to redirect all those beautiful, dangerous creatures that Nick so desperately wants to send home, and ship them over to our containment unit. My men will install secure pens to keep the creatures happy while we train them to work for us."

"Train them? How?"

"Oh, I have my methods." Again he saw her knowing smile. He would have to find out what she was hiding. Her plan was obviously bigger than just him and he needed to know all to be prepared.

"And then what?"

"And then we bring down the ARC and reshape the future."

Oliver Leek licked his lips as happy thoughts of power played through his mind. He would use Helen Cutter to achieve his ends and once he'd used her, in every way possible, he would dispose of her. The way his heart raced and his trousers further tightened at the thought made him smile, as he raised his whisky glass in salute to the stupid woman who thought she could use him.

"You have a deal."

"I thought I might."


Well, what do you think?