Sorry it's a long one, I felt it would be better in this chapter was not to cut it in half. Any way first Chapter of season 2, please R&R, thank you.
Forest:
Indie continued to stare from the car window. She watched as the chaos resumed. What had just happened? Yesterday morning she woke up feeling as if her life was back on track, almost normal... but now... well, her life had just been turned upside down. So much had changed in such a small amount of time, some changes big and some bigger than ever.
She watched her Dad panic as he realised Claudia Brown no longer existed.
' Oh my god.' Nick shouted out.
He was stood directly in front of the anomaly. Connor, Abby and Stephen stood facing him, along with a small group of soldiers. Connor measured the strength of the anomaly with his compass.
' It's closing.' Connor stated as he put the compass back into his pocket.
Nick turned to face the glowing phenomenon and tried to run back through, Stephen and Connor grabbed him and pulled him back. Nick tried his best to fight them off of him but it was usless.
' No.' Stephen said to him sternly as he tightened his grip.
' No, no, no. No, I have to go! I have to make things right!' Nick begged as he pushed himself forwards.
'Don't be stupid, you'll get marooned there. ' Stephen shouted.
The anomaly closed and Stephen let Nick go. Lester stood in the background on his mobile phone, not seeming the least bit concerned to what was going on around him.
'Right, I think we're done here' He started to walk off towards his car.
Nick ran after him and stood infront of him, blocking his way to the car.
'No, no, Claudia Brown. Claudia Brown, she's been with us since the beginning, she was in charge of the day-to-day running of the anomaly operation.' Nick explained in a panic.
'No, that's Leek, Oliver Leek. You can't have forgotten him, you saw him at the ARC this morning.' Lester frowned .
Nick looked at him bewildered. 'The what?'
'The ARC. The Anomaly Research Centre.' Abby replied looking confused.
' No, no, you mean the Home Office.' Nick corrected.
'No, we moved from that place ages ago.' Abby stated, still looking baffled.
Lester rolled his eyes at the situation. 'Sorry, is he having a nervous breakdown? Anyhow, I've got a meeting, so if someone could call an ambulance…'
'He's fine.' Abby responded bluntly.
Lester walked off to his car. Nick fell to the floor clenching his stomach , everything became muffled mess for him. Where was Claudia? What happened?
'Where's Indie?' He manged to mumble.
'She's in the car.' Stephen replied, leaning against the car waiting to leave.
Indie opened up the car door and got out. She ran over to her Dad and helped him up to his feet. She propped him up and lead him to the car.
'This is your fault.' She spat as she passed Stephen.
They both climbed into the back of the car and Stephen drove off.
Shopping mall
The mall was empty, only the cleaners and security guards were left inside the large building. One security guard was sat in the conrol room watching the cameras that surrounded him, making sure everything was running as it should. Another security guard walked into the room with a cup of tea and stood by the side of him.
'Quiet night?' He said as he sipped out of his cup.
One of the cameras captured a bowling ball rolling up the gutter from the wrong direction.
' What the…' He put his drink on the desk and continued to watch the recording.
'Spoke too soon. Probably kids.' The other one sighed as he got up. He took a torch and a radio from a drawer before leaving the room and heading down to the bowling area of the mall.
The other security guard remained to watch the cameras.
The security guard who went down to check everything crouched down by the pins and shone his torch past them. A snarl came from behind the pins.
He went around the back to come face to face with a raptor. The prehistoric predator turned around and lunged at him. Killing him.
The other security guard heard the shrieks of his co-worker and ran down towards the bowling alley. The snarls of the dinosaur continues. The remaining security guard backed up and ran down an access corridor. He just about reached the doors to the main shopping centre before he was grabbed. His blood stained hands clung to the corner of the wall as the raptor killed him.
The ARC:
The team entered the ARC and went into the locker area, where some soldiers were already changing. Stephen, Connor and Abby all headed in different directions leaving Nick and Indie lost in the middle of the corridor.
Nick spotted a locker with his name on it. He walked down a corridor, passing people along the way. Leaving Indie alone in the corridor. She turned around and went into the room that she saw Stephen enter.
Stephen leant against the wall as he saw her walk in.
'I thought I'd be the last person you'd want to talk to.' He stated.
Indie checked the room to make sure they were alone, then turned around to close the door. She leant against the door frame and looked at him with no expression.
'To be able trust someone is hard for me, but falling for betrayal just makes it worse.' Indie gulped.
Stephen moved off of the wall and moved closer to her.
'I'm sorry. It was wro-' He started before she interrupted him.
'I knew. I knew what happened years ago- and it hurt.' She interrupted with little emotion in her voice.
'If you knew already then-?' He started to ask before she interrupted him again.
'Because I didn't know about yesterday or however long it's been going on for since she's been back and no matter how long ago I was told, it's still going to hurt when it gets brought up.' She choked.
' Ind, I'm sorry. It was wrong. You know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you purposely.'
'If you knew it was wrong, you would have known it was going to hurt me.' She sniffled.
This time Stephen couldn't explain himself. What she was saying was true but at the time he didn't think of it like that. He looked up to the ceiling and ran his hand through his hair.
'Why did you do it?' She asked quietly, her tone of voice lowering.
'I don't know.' He replied shortly. It was the truth, he had no idea to why he had done it. Not this time or the time before.
Indie turned towards the door and paused, not looking back. 'I trusted you, Stephen... but now I've come to realise, you can only trust yourself... Don't bother trying to say sorry because can't forgive you for this.'
She opened the door and walked out. Stephen walked over to the window that looked over the center of the ARC.
Indie walked aimlessly around for a while before she finally found her Dad. He was in a large, open room, that looked to be the center of the building. He was stood with Connor, Abby, Lester and another man, to whom she had never seen before.
'Who the hell are you?' Nick asked looking at the man.
'Oh, yes. Professor Cutter's suffering from some kind of stress related amnesia. He seems to have forgotten, well, pretty much everything really.' Lester explained the man.
'No, I haven't forgotten a thing. Wish I could.' Nick muttered
' Now he's being enigmatic as well. What a vivid repertoire. You really telling me you don't know who this man is?' Lester sighed and rolled his eyes.
'You have no clue to what we've just been through!' Indie snapped as she approached her Dad and stood by his side.
Nick looked off to the side and acknowledged Connor watching, he looked worried. Nick turns back to Lester and the other man.
'No, of course, it's Leek. Oliver Leek. I know exactly who he is.' Nick smiled.
Indie looked at her Dad confused.
' Is this some kind of industrial action, or did no one hear that we have a creature sighting in a shopping mall.' Lestion voiced out.
Stephen walked in.'Guys, come on.'
Stephen left, closely followed by Abby. Indie looked towards Nick, before she too followed out. Nick hesitated then started to walk towards the door, Connor also waited back for a moment.
Shopping mall:
The team arrived in the underground car park of the shopping mall. Nick stood away from the others. Abby and Stephen are preparing tranquiliser guns whilst Connor and Indie watched.
'What are we using?' Stephen asked.
'Ketamine phenyl, but it would help if I knew what size creature we were dealing with. I've had to guess at the dosage.' Abby sighed.
'Where's our guns?' Connor questioned.
Abby and Stephen gave each other a look.
'Abby's got one.' Connor stated.
Indie kept quiet.
' She knows how to use it.' Stephen rolled his eyes.
' How many animals have you tranquilised?' Abby asked looking at them both.
' I lived in the Jurassic for eight years. I know how to knock out a Dinosaur whether it involves a gun or not.' Indie snapped.
Abby looked shocked at Indie's tone of voice.
They all fell silent for a minute before Connor started talking again. 'I've played darts. You know, sometimes I think you don't trust me with firearms.'
'Don't know what gives you that idea. You ready?' Stephen muttered.
' Yeah.' Abby replied.
The four of them closed the equipment cases and walked over to where Nick was stood.
'So what now?' Stephen asked.
'We go in.' Nick responded.
They all entered the mall with Indie trailing behind, seperating herself slightly from the others. All she wanted to do was to go home and go to sleep, not chase Dinosaurs through a shopping mall.
The team walked down a corridor, the end of which was blocked by a solid metal shutter. As they approached it, a loud banging noise came from the other side of the shutter. Indie quickly caught up with the others. Abby and Stephen raised their weapons. The shutter lifted and stood behind was the manager of the mall.
'Who are you?' Nick asked cautiously.
' Duty manager.' The man replied looking wary.
'Tell us what happened.' Stephen ordered as he lowered his gun.
'We got an emergency call from one of our operatives. We haven't been able to raise him since.'
'What did he say?' Indie asked.
'He didn't really say anything, he just sort of screamed.'
Indie's face dropped as she had a flash back of 's limp body. Nick looked at her as he saw her face. He sighed heavily.
'Did you see anything in there?' Nick asked.
The manager shook his head.
'I want you to close these shutters behind us, and I don't want you to open them again until I tell you it's safe, because whatever happens, it mustn't get out.' Nick warned.
The manger looked at Nick very concerned 'What mustn't get out?'
Nick walked off through the shutter and the others followed him. The manager moved into the corridor and pressed the button to close the shutter. As he pressed it some relisastion came into his mind .
'Hang on, who the hell are you lot?'
Nick and Stephen walked through the central area of the shopping mall. Abby and Connor walked a little way behind them and Indie walked inbetween them.
' Are we okay?' Stephen asked Nick cautiously.
Indie slammed her eyes from behind. Of course he's not going to be okay.
'About what?' Nick responded
'Can't ignore what happened.' Stephen muttered quietly
'Oh, you mean the fact that you slept with my wife? Stephen, if you're looking for closure, I'm a little bit busy.'
Abby and Connor exchanged uncomfortable glances.
'I don't blame you for being angry.' Stephen stated.
Nick looked back to see how close Indie was to them.
' Look, Helen never cared about any of us. She's mad.' He quietly said so Indie couldn't hear.
' Mad? ' Stephen questioned.
'Took off through an anomaly for eight years, does that strike you as well balanced? Just forget her. I'm finished with the past. It's just, I don't know if it's finished with me and Indie.'
'Don't you hate it when people bring their personal lives to work with them?' Connor muttered to Abby. Indie heard his comment and raised her eyebrows at him.
Connor sat in front of the CCTV screens. Nick, Indie, Stephen and Abby peered over his shoulders.
'Can you get any closer? Come on, show us what you are.' Nick asked impatiently.
The raptor dashed across one of the screens.
'What's that?' Indie asked.
' Not sure.' Connor shrugged as he rewound the video tape to get a clearer look.
'Cretaceous era, theropod dinosaur. Genuine article.' Nick explained looking star-struck.
'Raptor. I always thought we'd get one someday.' Connor beamed.
'It's beautiful.' Nick awed.
They all jumped back as one of the cameras was attacked by the raptor and the screen went to static.
'Well that wasn't such a pretty image.' Indie cocked her head.
' I said it was beautiful, I didn't say it was friendly.' Nick looked around at everyone who looked rather shocked.
The five of them entered into bowling alley. Nick and Stephen headed off into different directions, Connor went back the way they came.
'Oi, where are you going?' Abby called out to him.
'I'm going to get a slushy. Shh.' He whispered back.
'Aw! Let me come! I haven't had one of those since I was nine!' Indie ran after him with a rather big smile.
Abby sighed before following them both.
Connor filled his plasic cup up from the slushy machine, Indie was beside him doing the same. Abby joined them.
' Oi! Hope you're going to pay for that.' She raised an eyebrow at them both.
'Yeah, if you can lend me a fiver.' Connor laughed.
Abby rolled her eyes and got out the money from her purse and handed it over with a shake of her head.
' Thank you, Abby.' He smiled.
'Doesn't mean I going to pay for it. After today, a free slushy is the least I deserve.' Indie muttered under her breath before walking off. Abby followed her.
'Are you sure you're okay?' Abby asked.
Indie stabbed the ice in her cup with the straw a couple of times before looking up.
'Um, yeah, I'm good.' She smiled back.
Abby felt almost awkward. It was clear that there was something was up. Abby could only imagine what it must of been like for her, seeing so many people being ripped to shreds by a creature that seemed 'not from this world' or at least it wasn't yet.
They continued to walk in silence. A snarl came from around the corner. Both girls looked at eachother wide eyed. They ran over to the corner and peered around to see Connor backing up.
'Abby! ' Connor called out sounding very cautious.
' What? '
'Close the shutter.' He gulped.
Abby and Indie looked at eachother again before they both sprinted over to close the shutter as the raptor acknowledged Connor's presence.
'Abby, quickly.' He called out as he turned and ran. The raptor lunged after him.
Abby pressed the button and the shutter started to close.
'Run, Connor! Connor, run! Come on!' The girls called out.
Connor raced towards the shutter, the raptor knocked over several of the sweet stands as it chased him. Connor turned and lobbed his cup of slushy, hitting the raptor in the head, before sliding under the shutter as it closed. There was thudding as the raptor head-butted the shutter. Nick and Stephen approached the three of them.
'Oh, I hate that.' Connor grabbed the side of his head as he curled up on the floor.
'What?' Nick asked.
'Brain freeze from the slushy.' He responded.
Nick rolled his eyes and looked between Connor and Indie, knowing that going to get a slushy would of been something they would have decided between them. ' Just stop wandering off, unless it's important.'
The raptor screeched and thudded against the shutter again, but with slightly more force. Stephen raised his gun.
' Right, go check the atrium, make sure we can contain her.' Nick directed.
The team walked through one of the upper levels of the mall. Nick , Indie and Stephen in front, Abby and Connor behind.
'We need more firepower. This is a raptor.' Stephen stated.
'No. We don't.' Indie snapped.
Stephen decided it would be best to ignore her. He understood that she was angry at him but it was getting to the point to which everything he suggested she'd contradict to. He looked straight to Nick.
' I've just lost a friend because we interrupted nature once too often and I don't intend to let it happen again.' Nick responded flatly.
'You're sure you're ok?' Stephen asked once again.
Nick stopped walking as did Stephen. Indie carried on. Nick's eyes follwed her before responding.
'Under the circumstances, I'd say I was doing pretty well.'
A hissing sound came from down the corridor. Indie came to a sudden halt and then backed up towards the rest of them. Nick held up a hand to stop Connor and Abby from walking any further.
'Whoa. Abby, give me your gun. Stay here.' He ordered.
He and Stephen advanced down the corridor.
'You're good? Go.' Nick directed.
Nick and Stephen lunged around the corner, weapons raised, to find a cleaner riding a buffer machine.
'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't shoot.' The cleaner begged raising his hands about his head.
He switched the machine off as Stephen lowered his gun.
'Abby, Connor, get this guy out of here.' Nick ordered.
Abby and Connor walked over to Nick. Nick handed the gun back to Abby, then she and Connor escorted the cleaner away.
'What about me? Do I go?' Indie asked.
'No, You stay here. It seems to be when ever you and connor are put together you make some sort of mess that I have to clean up.' Nick sighed.
Stephen's phone started to ring.
' Hello?' He asked down the phone.
'Where else is he going to be?' He continued before looking up and over to Nick. ' Lester wants to know what's going on.'
The phone was passed to Nick.
' We've got a confirmed anomaly and one very angry raptor.' Nick explained.
Abby and Connor took the cleaner down the escalator. Nick, Stephen and Indie headed towards the laser arena. The examined the damage.
Nick looked at the door that had been pulled of its hinges 'Smashed clean off its hinges. It's big.'
The three of them walked through the smashed doorway and into the laser quest arena. A target dropped down and started making noises, startling them. It was dark, the lights that were in there only made it more difficult to see. They split up. Nick and Indie wandered through a doorway. A raptor leapt into an opening on the other side of the room. It moved away and dropped down behind them both. The raptor knocked some of the pillars down and they topple over onto Nick, Indie managed to jump out of the way. Stephen appeared from around a wall and tried to hold the raptor off with one of the targets, he dropped his gun as the creature pushed him to the floor.
'Cutter!' Stephen shouted out.
Indie grabbed the gun, she had no idea what to do with it. Nick quickly freed himself and snatched the gun from Indie and took aim.
' In your own time!' Stephen remarked sarcastically as the raptor teeth got closer to his face.
Nick fired but nothing happened. Indie froze. She didn't particularly like Stephen that this point in time but watching him getting decapitated by a raptor was not in her plans. She looked around, realizing there was nothing she could do to help. She turned and ran for the exit of the laser arena. Nick hesitated as he watched her run but Stephens shouts for help seemed more important, after all the raptor was here and not with Indie.
'Shoot! Shoot the damn thing! Shoot it!' Stephen shouted.
Another target dropped down and scared the raptor off. Stephen sat up.
'Are you all right? Gun jammed.' Nick asked.
Stephen gave him a unamused look.
'We need to find Indie.' Nick explained.
Stephen looked at him confused and then realized she was not there. 'Where did she go?'
'I don't know, she ran off but we need to get to her before raptor does.'
Abby, Connor and the cleaner walked down the access corridors. They reached the locker room.
'Wait, did you leave that door open?' Abby asked with her eyes widened.
'What?' Connor paused 'I don't remember.'
'Give me the gun.' He added.
Abby raised her eyebrows 'What?'
'Come on.' Connor gave a smile.
Abby looked at him with a straight face ' No.'
' It's just for a minute. You want to go in first?' Connor decided blackmail would work best for this.
Abby sighed and handed the gun to him.
'Thank you.' He grinned.
Connor entered the locker room and checked it out in a James Bond style.
'Clear! Clear, guys.' He confirmed.
' Connor. You're ridiculous.' Abby rolled her eyes.
'Indie would have found it funny.' Connor sighed.
'I'm not Indie though am I? There's a place and a time, Connor. You're ridiculous.' Abby responded.
Connor headed over to Abby as the cleaner walked over to his locker.
'What do you mean, I'm ridiculous. I'm just doing my job.' He contradicted.
The cleaner opened his locker, a juvenile raptor leapt out and latched onto his throat. The cleaner fell to the floor, his wound poured blood. Connor and Abby followed the young raptor. It hid under a wooden bench.
' Shoot it!' Abby called out.
Connor circled the bench trying to give himself some encouragement. 'All right. Fine. Got it, got it. It's fine.'
'Come on.' Abby sighed.
Connor moved down onto his knee's and peered under the bench. 'It's not exactly staying still for me, is it?'
'Shoot it, Connor!' She snapped.
Connor took his aim and fired. The dart missed the raptor and hit Abby's leg instead. She let out a squeal and looked between the dart and Connor. She shook her head as she started to fall 'You idiot.'
Nick and Stephen walked through an electronics store, their picture showed on all the TVs for sale. Nick stopped and Stephen turned to face him.
'Now hold on. So you think that I would have just stood by and watched you get torn to pieces?' Nick questioned.
'Well, I guess that depends on how much you resent me for what happened with Helen.' Stephen responded.
Nick sighed. Right now all he wanted to do was find his daughter.
' Yeah, you know, you're right. I do, I resent you. But if I wanted you dead, I'd have shot you myself but lets discuss that later, right now all I care about is getting this raptor back through the anomaly with out my daughter in its stomach.'
Neither of them noticed the image of the raptor that flashed across the screens behind them. Nick passed the gun back to Stephen and continued to walk off. He froze when he heard a chattering sound. Nick and Stephen looked at each other before making a silent decision to get away from the noise. They both ran down an escalator to a home ware shop. They both stood at the bottom of the escalator glancing around, various noises of things falling over were heard. Stephen noticed a wobbling garden parasol and raises the gun.
'Stephen.' Nick said cautiously.
The raptor appeared and jumped along the top of some display cases and then lunged towards them. Stephen attempted to fire but it didn't shoot.
'Run.' Nick said sternly.
' It's jammed.' Stephen muttered to himself as they both turned and ran down the closest escalator.
As they reached the next floor they both stopped at looked back. Various stands were being pushed over. Stephen glanced over to Nick, who was completely focused on what was going on above him. Stephen hesitated for a second, he looked from his gun to the escalator before running up it.
'Stephen, wait here.' Nick called out as he noticed him heading towards the raptor.
'No. Indie might be up there, we didn't have time to check.' Stephen responded as he crouched down to take an aim.
The raptor leapt over Stephen's head. He just had about enough time to shoot, it hit but then bounced off the raptor's scales. As it landed on the next floor it advanced on Nick. Nick started to back up, even though he knew he wouldn't stand a chance of out running it. As the raptor came closer its eyes began to flicker, gradually the creature became off-balance and fell to the floor.
Nick and Stephen sat on one of the mall's walkways, the unconscious raptor was laid out on a sheet between them.
'She wasn't up there.' Stephen broke the silence.
Nick sighed but then looked down at the creature. 'Look at it, just a perfect killing machine. Do you know, in a fair fight, mammals wouldn't stand a chance.'
'Well, speaking as a mammal, I'm all in favour of cheating. Yeah, about the gun… I was wrong.' Stephen replied in a sort of apologetic way.
'Never mind. Listen, you could have gone with Helen, you could have left, but you didn't, and right now that's all that really matters. So… so just forget about the rest.' Nick smiled, it was slightly forced but he couldn't stay angry at him forever.
' If only Indie would think the same way...' Stephen sighed, looking down at the raptor.
Nick looked at him. It was clear he cared about her. Nick knew they were close.
' Yeah, well, that just happens to be a trait she gets from her Mother, she's not so good at forgiving...' Nick responded.
Stephen looked up 'Do you think she'll be back?'
'Do you mean, do I think she's finished messing with us? I seriously doubt it. Helen never handled rejection particularly well.'
Their conversation was interrupted by Connor's call.
'Professor? Stephen?'
Nick and Stephen got up and walked to the end of the walkway. Connor was pulling the unconscious Abby on a trolley. Both Nick and Stephen looked at Abby and then then to Connor.
'What happened?' Nick asked.
'I shot her... Collateral damage though, because I got the raptor, too.'
'You brought down a full-sized raptor on your own?' Nick questioned raising an eyebrow.
'Yeah. He's nearly full-sized. Is she going to be all right?'
'She will have a nasty headache, but she should be fine.' Stephen answered. He looked up to Nick and rolled his eyes. As he looked at Nick his focus moved to behind his shoulder. Nick looked at him confused and then turned around. He let out a relieved sigh as he saw Indie stood about 20 foot away from him, looking rather sorry for herself.
'I'm sorry guys...' She said as she approached them.
'I'll question you later.' Nick spoke sternly. He then turned back to the unconscious Abby. 'Well she better come around soon, because I'm going to need all of you to get the raptors back alive.'
Nick and Stephen used the sheet to drag the raptor through the electronics department. Indie followed along behind. As they went past the radios, Nick noticed that the music coming from them kept being interrupted by static.
'Ugh, I hate it when radio's do that... such an irritating noise' Indie complained.
'Interference.' Nick muttered to himself.
Back in the bowling alley, Connor arrived and deposited the juvenile raptor next to its parent, which was wrapped in the sheet with its mouth taped shut. Both laid there unconscious. Connor pulled Abby in on the trolley and put her behind the reception counter. She was too, still unconscious. Indie sat on the trolley next to her. Stephen stood nearby.
'She's going to kill me when she wakes up.' Connor stated.
Stephen nodded.
'I would.' Indie responded.
Stephen left and joined Nick in the security office. Nick sat, reviewing the tapes.
'First security guard was attacked here, second one here, both attacks happened within seconds of one another, which means there's at least two of them.' Nick explained.
'We've only found one.' Stephen stated.
'Yeah.'
Connor walked up behind them.
'And a baby.' He added.
' What are you doing here? You're supposed to be watching over Abby with Indie.' Nick questioned as he realized both of the girls were left there on their own.
Connor looked over to Stephen 'I thought you were doing that?'
'Right because leaving a rather pissed off Indie, alone, with me, would have been a great idea.' Stephen responded sarcastically.
' Look.' Nick pointed towards one of the screens that showed another raptor running.
'Oh, god.' Connor muttered.
' Stay here, tell us where it's going.' Nick ordered.
Nick and Stephen left the office and Connor grabbed up a radio that was on the desk.
' Right, stay here, tell them where it's going.' Connor repeated to himself quietly over and over.
He scanned the screens. It's not on any of them.
Bowling alleys
Abby was still unconscious on the floor behind the reception at the bowling alley. Indie was sat on the counter looking over her, completely oblivious to the fact that a raptor was on its was towards them.
Control office
Connor still couldn't find the raptor.
'Come on, come on, where are you?' He muttered to himself.
He caught a glimpse of it running across one of the screens. He grabbed the radio.
'I can see it, Cutter, it's on the level beneath you. I repeat, on the level below.'
As he looked back to the screen he once again lost sight of the killing machine. ' I can't see it, it's disappeared again. Where's it gone? Oh, for crying out loud, how hard can it be to see a raptor in a shopping centre.'
He spotted it and realised where it was heading. He spoke down the radio. ' Oh my god. Guys, it's heading straight towards the bowling alley. He's going towards Abby and Ind, you're going to have to be quick, he's moving pretty fast.'
Nick and Stephen raced down the mall. The raptor ahead of them.
Nick and Stephen reached the bowling alley. They spotted Indie, who was still sat on the counter playing on her mobile. They approached the counter. Both were fine, although Abby was still passed out. Nick sighed in relief and responded to Connor.
'Connor, their fine.'
'Why wouldn't we be?' Indie asked.
'Just get off the counter and try to keep yourself quiet and hidden.' Nick replied.
Indie did what as she was told with out anymore questions.
Stephen prepared another dose of tranquilizer as the young raptor started come round.
'Oh, she's coming around again. I'll just give it a quick…' Stephen muttered to himself.
'No, hang on, just wait a minute. There are three raptors, one of them is a baby, so the chances are they're a family unit. So maybe we don't have to go looking for daddy. 'Cause maybe this little fellow will bring him to us.' Nick smirked.
Nick and Stephen chained the baby up, who was now wide awake. Connor arrived with Abby's gun and joined Indie and Abby behind the counter.
Nick took the gun off Connor, and walked away from the raptor. The baby starts calling. The remaining raptor heard and was attracted to the calling.
Nick and Stephen crouched behind the racks of bowling balls. Connor sat next to Indie in the entrance to the reception area. Abby still was laid out on the floor. They heard the call of the adult raptor, before it leapt onto a counter. It headed towards the baby and Stephen took aim. The adult advanced forwards, sniffing the juvenile before it unexpectedly grabbed it, swallowing it whole. All four of them watched with shocked faces. Abby started to stir, before getting to her feet. Indie and Connor didn't notice her until she started to speak.
'What's going on?' She asked as she stretched.
The raptor turns and sees her. Indie pinned herself to the side of the counter whilst Connor also stood up and grabbed Abby's hand, pulling her away.
'I'll tell you later.' He responded.
The raptor jumped onto one of the pool tables, heading towards Abby and Connor. Nick and Stephen got up and started firing at it but it was not affected by any of the tranquilizers. Connor grabbed a couple of pool cues and tossed one to Abby.
Nick and Stephen reloaded and took aim as Connor and Abby moved into a fighting stance with the pool cues. One of the games machines suddenly started to play music, distracting the raptor. It lunged at the machine and smashed the glass case, before running off. Nick and Stephen fired at it as it left the bowling alley.
'What just happened?' Connor asked.
'That's two doses of tranquilizer and it's still on its feet. We're going to have to up the amount.' Nick responded.
Stephen laid his rifle on the pool table and stormed off. Nick followed as did Indie.
Car park
In the underground car park, Nick , Indie and Stephen walked to the car.
' They're too dangerous. We can't keep taking stupid risks.' Stephen snapped as he started to unpack a "proper" gun.
Indie slammed the lid down on it and glared up at him, pushing all of her weight onto the case so he couldn't re-open it.
' Move.' He glared back at her.
'No.' Indie responded bluntly.
'For god sake, Indie! If you don't move that Raptor is going to end up killing someone else!' He shouted.
'Stephen, everything we do has an impact.' Nick interrupted.
'We've killed creatures before and nothing's happened' Stephen explained.
'Yeah, how do you know that for sure?' Nick questioned.
'Look, maybe the strain of going through the anomalies has got to you. Maybe you only think these changes took place.'
'What? Do you think I dreamed Claudia Brown?' Nick snapped.
'The whole pattern of evolution changes, but just one person disappears? One person who happens to be a friend of yours' Stephen responded, sounding very agitated.
'No, it's not that simple! The ARC didn't even exist before we left, there's a whole load of people in there we've never even met before.' Indie shouted back at him, letting go of the case.
'There may be countless other things, big and small, I don't know yet.' Nick added.
Stephen reached into the case for the gun. 'Look, I'll only use it if I have to.'
Bowling Alley
Indie went back to join Abby and Connor. It wasn't too long before Nick came on the radio.
'Connor, where the hell are you? We're on our way up to the second floor.'
Indie and Connor looked at each other and then to Abby.
'You two go, I'll be fine on my own.' Abby smiled.
Indie and Connor sprinted out of the bowling alley and headed up to the second floor. Once they reached the second floor they could see Nick and Stephen straight away, they were face to face with the raptor. Connor looked at Indie and they both nodded before running towards them.
' Look out, out of the way!' Connor called out.
Connor ran up and shot the raptor. He hit its shoulder on the first shot. It didn't seem to do anything at first, but then the raptor collapsed at Nick's feet. They all sighed in relief, Indie ran over and hugged her Dad and Stephen sat down.
'I bet you boys are glad you gave me a gun now. Huh? Yeah.' Connor grinned, making Indie giggle.
Connor tried to twirl the gun and almost dropped it. Nick walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder, leaning on him slightly.
Indie and Stephen made eye contact for a brief second or so before they looked away awkwardly.
Stairs of the mall
Abby, Indie and Connor headed down a flight of stairs. Abby took her time walking, wincing as every time her foot touched the ground a shooting pain would shoot up to the wound that the dart left.
'Ow.' Abby winced before coming to a halt.
Indie looked back and saw her struggling. 'How are you feeling?'
'Terrible.'
'Do you want me to get you something? I could run and get you a glass of water…' Connor butted in.
'Stop fussing, Connor, I'm fine.' Abby snapped back.
Connor then went on to gabble about how he'd never want to shoot her. 'Okay. You know, Abby, I want you to know something. If I was going to shoot anyone, you'd so be like the last person I'd shoot. Apart from my mother, obviously. But you'd be way down the bottom of the list with her... and you Indie, the three of you, right at the bottom. In fact I don't think I'd shoot any of you.'
Indie rolled her eyes, resting her hand on her hip. Connor started to play with the gun whilst continuing to speak.
'Can you drop this?' Abby asked.
'Yeah.' Connor quickly responded before he ended up "digging himself a hole".
'Can you move the gun out of the Abby area?' Abby sighed as she noticed that the gun was pointing at her side.
Connor moved the gun out of her direction. Indie looked at Connor with a raised eyebrow and snatched the gun from him before he caused anymore damage to anyone. They all resumed their walk down the stairs.
The stairs lead them into the room with the anomaly. Abby felt the arm of one of the raptors, feeling for its bone structure. Nick crouched down beside her.
' What can you feel?' He asked.
'It's strange. His bone structure feels more like a bird's wing than anything reptilian.'
Nick smiled at her, then straightened up and stood in front of the glowing anomaly, Indie joined him.
' So, guys, let me get this straight. All we have to do is drag two of the angriest creatures in the known universe, through a hole in time, back into an ancient world where we don't know what's waiting on the other side for us?' Connor frowned.
'When you put it like that it sounds so easy.' Stephen remarked.
'I'm going to do this on my own.' Nick announced.
Indie pulled a face of disagreement.
'We'll help.' Abby said, eager to join in.
Connor gave her a funny look 'Who's we?'
The team looked at him rather shocked.
' I didn't say I wouldn't. I just prefer it if I could do my own volunteering. Thank you.' He quickly added.
'Dad, I'm coming with you.' Indie moved back onto the topic.
Nick turned to face her. 'Look, I'm going to do this on my own. I don't want any arguments.' He then looked over to Connor and called him over.
Connor walked over to join Nick, facing the anomaly.
'How long have I got?' Nick asked not taking his eyes of the large, glowing, rip in time.
'Uh… I don't know. You know, it's so hard to say. Ninety percent of the anomalies are gone within hours, this one's been here most of the night already.'
Nick turned to face Connor. 'Come with me.'
The pair of them walked off.
Indie and Abby exchanged a confused look.
'Where they going?' Indie asked not aiming the question at anyone in particular.
'Your Dad, earlier, had a theory about the interference of the radio's being something to do with the anomalies magnetic field.' Stephen replied.
'Oh...' Indie responded.
She turned and sat down on a box next to Abby.
'Why do you think he wants to do all of this by himself?' Abby asked her quietly.
'Don't know... Maybe he wants to check if Claudia's there ' Indie sighed.
Abby looked at Indie confused. She still had no idea who "Claudia" was.
Stephen raised an eyebrow as he heard what Indie said. The realization came to him, he knew exactly why Nick wanted to go alone. He wasn't planning on coming back. He was going to do exactly what Helen had done, only Nick's intention wasn't to find the future, it was to find this "Claudia" woman, who according to Stephen was just a fragment of Nick's imagination.
Shortly after Nick arrived back downstairs, he had picked up a couple of weapons. Indie was stood at the back of the room in a daydream. Abby gave one of the raptors a final dose of tranquilizer, she looked up at Nick.
'Cutter, I've been meaning to ask you, this Claudia Brown, what was she like?' She asked.
'What does it matter? I mean, to you she never even existed.'
'Tell me anyway?'
Nick went on to describe her. 'She was okay. Good at her job, loyal. Team player. And not as tough as she pretended to be. But she was strong when it mattered.'
' She meant a lot to you.'
'Yeah.'
'I'm sorry.' Abby said quietly.
' What for?' Nick looked confused.
'That I didn't know her, and 'cause you lost her. I want to believe you. I really do. But it's hard.'
'I know.' Nick looked down to floor before he pushed the trolley of raptors towards the anomaly. Stephen, Abby and Connor stood behind him. Indie joined them as she snapped back to reality.
'These two won't be asleep for much longer. Okay, this is as far as you go.' Nick smiled as he went on to push the anomaly through the anomaly.
Indie, Stephen , Connor and Abby stood in silence for about twenty minutes. Abby looked down at the time on her phone, Connor had his compass out and Indie looked hopeful towards the anomaly. Stephen rolled his eyes, fearing that his earlier thoughts were right.
' You know, I don't think he's coming back.' He stated.
Indie turned to face him. 'Don't be stupid.' She snapped.
'I'm not.'
'What makes you think that?' Indie narrowed her eyes.
' He's gone through that anomaly by himself, purely to find "Claudia", he's not coming back.'
Indie slammed her eyes. 'He wouldn't leave us.'
Stephen turned his back on her and grabbed a rifle. 'Yeah, well I'm going to make sure of that.'
Indie stepped back and watched him walk through the anomaly after her Dad.
Abby watched Indie's reaction to everything. She waited till Stephen left before talking to her.
'You seem more hurt than your Dad was about it all.' Abby said in a sympathetic voice.
Indie sighed. 'It's complicated.'
Abby could tell that she wasn't up for talking about it so dropped the topic. Indie gave Connor a look as if to say 'Don't say a thing.'. The three of them sat in silence on a box.
Nick dived through the anomaly, Connor and Abby ran over to help him up.
'You all right?' Connor asked.
Indie stepped back. 'Where's Stephen?'
Stephen's hand appeared through the anomaly, he was shouting out for help.
Connor looked down at his compass,
'The anomaly's closing.'
' Pull.' Stephen yelled.
Nick and Connor grabbed his hand and start pulling back. The raptor had his foot locked in its jaw.
'Come on. Pull, pull!' He yelled again.
The anomaly started to flicker more rapidly before it once again closed. Unfortunately for the raptor, it was half way between the anomaly as it closed, which meant it's head was sliced off. It's jaw opened as the head fell to the floor. Stephen stood up, cursing in pain, he uses Nick's shoulder for support.
It wasn't long before the team gradually dispersed off. Nick went of to talk to Connor in the electronics department and Abby went to put all the guns back in the car. Stephen remained in the room and sat on a box. Indie stood in the doorway and looked back at him. She walked back in the room and sat next to him, noticing that he had his hand gripped around his ankle.
'Let me have a look?' She asked.
Stephen looked at her, he wasn't expecting her to show any sympathy for him. He loosened his grip and let her look at the open wound. She gently ran her finger over it, he gritted his teeth at the pain.
'You're going to need some stitches for that...' She pointed out.
Stephen nodded, before changing the subject.
'Earlier, in the laser arena, you ran off. Why?' He asked her.
'Look, I'm not particularly happy with you, if you haven't noticed already but it wasn't in my plans to watch you get ripped up.' She responded.
Stephen smirked slightly before looking to the floor. 'I meant what I said, back at the ARC. I really am sorry.'
Indie sighed. 'You keep saying...'
He looked back up at her. 'I know you're angry but do you think we can at least be civil towards each other? I really do hate arguing with you.'
' I can't forget about this morning but you did stop my Dad from running off...' She smiled before continuing. ' I suppose what's done is done, nothing we can do about it now... Sorry for being such a cow.'
' Honestly, I deserved it.' He replied.
'C'mon.' Indie stood up and held her hand out to help him up.
'We alright then?' He asked.
'Friends...yeah.' Indie smiled.
Car park
Nick waited in the car along with Connor and Abby. As Indie and Stephen approached he opened the window and called out to Indie.
'Lester has someone he wants me to meet at nine.'
Indie looked at the time on her phone. 'But it's seven now!' She exclaimed.
'Well, then by the time we get home you have about an hour and a half to sleep.' Nick responded.
Indie rolled her eyes. 'Alright.'
The ARC:
Indie arrived at the ARC at 9am, she separated from her Dad and went over to Stephen who was in the infirmary room about to have stitches put in his ankle. She stayed with him whilst he had it done.
'Bloody thing.' Stephen cursed at the now-dead raptor as the last stitch was put in.
' Look, I'm going to find my Dad, I want to see this new person. Probably see ya later.' Indie said before heading towards the door.
'After this, I'm going home. I'm not hanging around unless another creature is sighted. So I'll probably see you tomorrow.' Stephen responded.
She turned back and gave him a smile before leaving.
Indie opened the double doors that lead into the open room at the center of the building. She froze in the doorway and stared at the woman. She was wearing a black silk dress with a red belt. Her face was quite heavily made-up with her hair done to perfection. Underneath all the make up she closely resembled the long-lost Claudia brown. In fact they'd look identical.
'Ah, and this is Indie, Nick's daughter.' Lester pointed at Indie as he noticed her stood in the doorway.
' Hello, Jenni Lewis.' The woman spoke with a smile.
Indie didn't respond, instead she just stared at the woman wide-eyed. She looked past her shoulder so she could see her Dads reaction.
'Claudia Brown.' Nick called out, making the woman look at him again.
