A/N:

Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. This is a bit of a quiet chapter, I'm afraid, but no less important in the long run. And I can promise you that the next instalment will be all-action.

"I think," Nick Cutter said decisively, "That this anomaly needs to be investigated."

James Lester sighed into his hand and contemplated how much trouble he would get into with those higher up if he just dismissed the professor and his team to do what they wanted, so long as they just stopped pestering him. Quite a lot, probably, considering the amount of damage they seemed to be capable of doing. He really should talk to them about that one day.

"And I think," he interrupted, before Cutter could get across more of his no doubt convincing argument, "That we should focus on the anomalies that are actually dangerous, before anyone else gets killed."

There's a silence at that and James thought ah, that shut you up.

"The man's death was put down to an escaped venomous snake someone was keeping as a pet. A green mamba, I believe." He looked at Jenny and she nodded at him. "The Euchambersia responsiblehas since been destroyed."

"What?" The girl, Maitland, frowned. Cutter was looking at him too, as if for an explanation.

"We could have learnt a lot from that creature," he protested.

"Yes, and we probably would have lost half of our technicians in the process. It was aggressive, and we're not here to start our own Jurassic Park," James dismissed.

He glanced at the pile of notes on the desk in front of him and frowned.

"The three deaths in Regents Park on Wednesday have been put down to an escaped bear." That would be more paperwork for him, then. Fantastic.

"With all due respect," Hart cut in, his tone anything but respectful, "We've had nine anomalies in the past week, seven of them the single one that keeps recurring. Don't you think we should at least send someone through to see what's on the other side?"

James frowned. "How do you know that it's the same one?"

And now it was Temple's turn to speak up for the first time this meeting.

"They all have a slightly different magnetic field. I've started recording them," he explained, enthusiastic, "And this one has the strongest field I've seen yet. Easy to recognise, really."

He raised his eyebrows, looking hopeful. James looked around the room, and was met by the sight of the team displaying a united front. They were all keen, it seemed to explore the single bloody harmless anomaly that kept appearing in the midst of dozens of dangerous ones. Sending a team through would mean getting them military assistance, weaponry and equipment - and all of that cost money. Money that they couldn't afford to be throwing around on useless ventures while elsewhere anomalies were opening and people were dying.

"I'm afraid it's just not feasible. We haven't got room in the budget for unnecessary excursions. Unless something comes through, this anomaly is to be kept under surveillance and left well alone."

Five minutes later he called an end to the meeting and stood up, watching the others grumble about his decision as they left. He didn't have time to care, though. Not when there was paperwork to do.


Connor jumped as something heavy clattered onto the desk above him. Stephen watched, faintly amused, as a surprised face appeared from somewhere in the mess of wiring and components that made up the Anomaly Detector. He gestured to the object on the desk, and Connor's eyes widened at the sight of the pistol that lay there.

"I get the feeling I'm going to regret offering," Stephen started, with a slight smile, "But do you fancy learning to use this thing?"

Connor shot up at once, grinning. "Yeah!"

"Thought you might say that."

Ten minutes later they were in the ARC's indoor shooting range, a room that Connor had never seen the inside of before, judging by the way that he was looking curiously all around as they stepped in. Stephen had practiced in here a few times, sometimes with the military guys and sometimes on his own. On a couple of occasions he'd dragged Nick or Abby along with him too, but never Connor. He didn't think that anyone had ever considered the idea that the younger man would need to know how to shoot before - Connor himself had said that he was just technical backup - but after the Anglesey anomaly a week ago Stephen was starting to reconsider.

If he hadn't found them when he did, he had no doubt that the creature would have made a meal out of Connor and followed him up with Abby as dessert. And that was a thought that left him cold. So yes, it was high time that Connor learnt to defend himself.

"Right. This is a Glock 17, semi-automatic pistol," Stephen held it out to Connor, who took it almost reverently, looking a little uncertain but extremely pleased.

"Okay," he held it in one hand, feeling the weight, getting used to the feel of it.

"This is the safety," Stephen pointed out a small inner lever in the trigger. "You press that, then pull the trigger. Pulling the trigger unlocks the two internal safeties, and-"

"Fires, gotcha."

"Yeah," Stephen agreed, amused,

The next hour was spent, somewhat tediously, going over how to load and unload the weapon and how to dismantle it and put it back together again. At first Connor was pretty terrible, dropping the magazine and fumbling over the parts, but each time Stephen told him to repeat every stage he improved a little, and by the end of the hour he was managing to do everything, if a little slowly, without any real mistakes.

Then Stephen pointed out the front and rear sights on the weapon, and how the rear one could be adjusted for different conditions, fairly sure that Connor was just nodding and agreeing with the last bit.

Finally he gestured at the targets lining the back wall and Connor's face lit up, just like he'd known it would.

"Come on then. Let's see what your shooting's like," he grinned.

Connor's first shot went wide; very wide, and struck against the wall behind the targets. Connor shot him a grimace over his shoulder and Stephen shrugged, mouthing 'again'.

So Connor did, and Stephen blinked in surprise. He hadn't hit the bullseye but he'd come pretty damn close, well within the target. Connor's face registered equal surprise, and then he grinned widely, leaving Stephen to wonder what sort of monster he had just created.