Second chapter. Enjoy - again, sorry for the language used, but it's supposed to be... realistic (that's what us writers do ;))
I must look an utter mess.
Everyone stares at me as I walk into the lobby of the Home Office. I feel their eyes linger on the red mark spanning the length of my face, and then come to rest on the angry, hand shaped stains stretching across my neck. My eyes are puffy as well, I can feel it.
They must all think I've got an abusive husband, or something.
The receptionist, who usually smiles and bids me good day as I go by, tries to hide his alarm but fails.
"Miss Brown?"
I turn, and smile faintly, "Yes, Frederick?"
"Are... are you alright, ma'am?"
At first I wonder whether I should answer, and as the other receptionist, a woman I don't recognise, conspicuously moves closer towards us, I give him a thin-lipped smile, "Fine, thank you."
The part of the floor where the anomaly research team are based is completely empty when I get there, that is, except for Lester's office.
He's on the phone as I enter, and doesn't even bother to look at me as he slams the phone down, "Where the hell have you been?"
"I'm awfully sorry, Sir-"
"We had a rather worrying anomaly sighting in an office building this morning, something about prehistoric worms. I had to put Captain Becker in charge of mediation between the Home Office and the field team because you didn't bother to show up! He's barely been working here a week and I'm already having to put him in situations not suited to his job description because-"
Lester trails off, glancing up for the first time to see my face. For a moment he's silent, expressionless, and then concern floods his features, "What the hell happened to you?"
"Helen Cutter-"
"What?" He's on his feet in a matter of milliseconds, walking around the desk and gently grasping my shoulders, "You're saying Helen did this to you?"
"This morning she... uh, jumped me in my car." At this point I have barely any energy left to care, or feel emotional about it.
"She was in your car?" I can see the fury in his eyes.
"Yes."
"And she... tried to, to what, strangle you?"
I merely nod, not wanting to elaborate on exactly why she wanted me dead.
"Helen actually tried to kill you?" The anger is becoming more apparent in his voice as he leads me into the chair opposite his desk. He bends a little so we are face to face.
"She would have succeeded if two men hadn't intervened-"
Lester stands to his full height, and dials a number into his phone, "Tell me everything."
I explain to him what happened, being careful to leave Nick out of it, as he waits as the phone rings.
He nods as I finish, and someone picks up on the other end, "Hello? Becker, yes, sorry to bother you, I'm sure you're busy but this is rather important- no, yes, I understand you're pre-occupied but this takes precedence... is there an anomaly there? Well has it closed? Okay. I want you to make sure the entire team understand what I am about to tell you, do you understand? Even Cutter – no I don't give a damn if he doesn't bloody well listen to you, make him listen. You and your men, and even those in the field team, including Cutter, are to shoot Helen Cutter on sight. Do you understand, Becker? I don't give a fuck if it's his wife and refuses to do so, anyone found to have the chance to shoot that woman dead on sight and doesn't do so will suffer serious repercussions, do I make myself clear?!"
He crams the phone into the cradle, and then looks at me, "You should go home."
"I'd rather not. She knows where I live – I'd feel much safer at work for the time being."
"I have a flat in London I barely use. You could use it for the moment, until we've got this... thing sorted out."
I'm touched by his kindness, if a little surprised, but I know better than to argue with him, "Thank you, Lester."
We settle into a momentary silence, before I speak once again, "Don't you think shooting on sight is a bit of an overreaction?"
"Of course not. For god's sake Claudia the woman tried to murder you!" He sees my expression, and then calms down, "I'm sorry... I'll go see if I can find that woman who makes the tea and get her to... make a tea."
When the field team arrive back, I've already finished most of the work that needed doing for the day, and have started trawling through some old police files to see if I can pinpoint any possible past anomalies for future reference.
Nick's the first one in through the door, and doesn't see me at my desk tucked in the corner. I rejoice in that fact, because I'm fairly certain I know what's about to happen.
Throwing Lester's office door wide open, he begins to shout, "What the hell are you thinking? You can't just order the execution of someone like that, even if it is Helen!"
My heart sinks. How can he still defend that woman? He told me he didn't love her anymore... he doesn't, does he?
"I damn well can, and don't you dare try my patience on this Cutter!"
The door swings closed and the shouts become somewhat muffled, though not by much. Abby and Connor stand in the middle of the room, a little unsure themselves of how react to what's going on.
Abby looks over towards me, seemingly about to say something, when she stops herself and her eyes roam over my face. I watch as she puts two and two together.
"Claudia, whoa, oooph-" Connor recoils at the sight of the marks on my face and neck – they're probably turning black and blue by now - and Abby promptly elbows him in the ribcage.
"I'm sick of this," I snap, collecting up my files and making a bid for the door.
"Look what you did!" Abby hisses to the clueless Connor, "Do you know what tact is Connor? Do you need a bloody dictionary?"
Just as I reach the door, Stephen barrels through, straight into me, and my files go everywhere.
"Oh god Claudia, I'm sorry." He bends down as I do to pick them up, and hastily shoves them into one unordered pile, which irritates me.
"Don't worry about it," I sigh, standing up and attempting to get past him, but he stops me, his hand gripping my upper-arm.
"What-"
"Will you all just quit it!" I cry out, getting angry once again, yanking my arm from Stephen's grip.
"What the hell's going on?" Asks Becker as he too comes through the door, pressing into my back, wedging me between him and Stephen. He looks at Stephen, and then frowns. I don't think they particularly like one another.
I wriggle free from between them.
At that precise moment Lester and Nick's yells fill the room, full volume, as the office door opens, and Lester rushes through.
"You think that woman deserves to live Cutter? After everything she's done!" I've never seen James Lester so angry, not even when that intern spilt boiling coffee all down his brand new suit.
"I'm not defending her-"
"I'd bloody well hope not-"
"But she has human rights, you can't just put a bullet in her head because you feel like it-"
"Feel like it? Feel-" Lester storms over towards us, heading straight for me, and pushes Stephen out of the way, "Do you think I'm just going to let that bitch of a wife of yours do this to my employees? Do you think this is acceptable Cutter?!"
Nick doesn't respond. He simply stares at me, absolute horror fixed on his face.
"Dinosaurs I can't do a damn thing about, but I'm not letting some raving lunatic stalk and murder the people under my care, who are my responsibility, if I can help it!"
"Claudia..." Nick fails to say anything else, and shakes his head in utter disbelief, his eyes trained on me.
After a moment's silence, I turn to Lester, "Do you have the keys to that apartment? I think I ought to leave."
I don't meet Nick's gaze as Lester takes a specific set of keys off a ring, and hands them to me.
"Claudia." Nick's voice is firmer, and I feel his hand at the side of my face, turning me to face his. At first I think he might kiss me, in front of everyone, but instead he stares into my eyes, his lips parted lightly. I see the pain in his eyes.
"Get off me, Nick," I say, pulling away from his touch. I feel sick again. I feel even more hurt then I did before. How could he...? How could he even suggest Helen deserved equal treatment? I can't stop the hurt that shines through in my words, "You know when we were drunk, and you had the prospect of climbing into bed with me, you said you didn't love her anymore. I can't believe I thought you genuinely meant it!"
Everyone else in the room looks away awkwardly at the mention the two of us nearly having sex. I instantly regret it, the heat of embarrassment flaring up in my cheeks, making the injured cheek throb.
Nick shakes his head, "Please don't do this..."
I grab my briefcase from my desk and make for the door.
"Claudia! Claudia! Get the fuck off of me!" Nick desperately struggles against Becker's grasp as I leave, "Claudia!"
I can still hear Nick calling out my name as make my way down the corridor, and towards the elevator.
Eventually he becomes hysterical, and starts screaming for me.
Please review!
GPR
