Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.

Behind the perimeter fence, a creature howled.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Jess jumped at the sound. Turning her head nervously she looked into the darkness, wondering what made that sound. Her husband had tightened his grip on her at the sound.

"s'all right," he whispered to her reassuringly. Then a little louder, Becker addressed both Jess and Abby, "We should get going… head back to the house."

Abby nodded and started walking in the direction of her home again.

"Abby," asked Jess "all these years, I thought you spoke that way because you knew you were on a public com line… do you really mean you thought it was a private line?"

"Yep," said Abby shortly "thought we'd switched over to two way comm."

"Yeah, well the guys in the locker room teased Connor for days…" began Becker.

Abby stopped abruptly and looked at him with another murderous glare. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know…" replied Becker "stuff like asking if they should ask you out…"

"What?"

"It's stupid… I know, but you did say something about dating within days…" he answered a little defensively "they were just having a go at him…"

Abby remembered. Connor had really thought he might die that day, and he'd been worried… not about himself, but about her. He had said something about her not ever looking at another man, and Abby knew he was really asking if she would be alright if things didn't work out for him. Her response had been meant to reassure him, she would be alright, she would get on with her life. She didn't tell him what she was really feeling at that moment. As usual, she held back, guarding her feelings.

"Just tell me what they said Becker," Abby hissed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Why would only one book be printed for an edition," asked Danny watching Matt carefully.

"We had that book printed up just for Helen about twelve years ago," he replied with an even broader grin on his face. "That second edition has all sorts of half truths and mistakes in it… Connor wrote it as if it were new research correcting old misconceptions… and introducing new ideas… then we left it where Helen could steal it."

"Where was that?" asked Danny narrowing his eyes.

"Well, it was supposed to be in Connor's lab at the Forest of Dean facility," answered Matt "left it out in plain sight... made sure Abby and the children were away on holiday with Connor's mum… and let something be said in a place we knew Helen monitored…"

"What happened?"

"Four days later, we had an anomaly open in the Forest of Dean facilty. And, the only breakout we ever had at the ARCs creature preserve happened," said Matt "a section of the perimeter fence broke down…" Danny looked in the direction he pointed. There was a strange looking vehicle with no tires hovering about a foot above ground, beyond it appeared a very sturdy fence.

"Right over there…" Matt continued "most of the creatures that broke out that day were herbivores… not dangerous really, but the two gorgonopsids…"

"And the mammoth," added Abby "don't forget Elton."

Danny, Matt and Emily turned to look at her. They hadn't heard her arrive. Becker and Jess were coming up the stairs right behind her. Jess' heels made little clicking noises on each step.

"The gorgonopsids and Elton all died," said Abby bitterly "because of your stupid plan."

"It wasn't a stupid plan," exclaimed Matt "it worked. Helen took the wrong book just like we wanted."

"You almost killed Connor!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Abby's shout sounded incredibly loud and angry in the silence created by a lull between one piece of music and another.

The chatter of young adults coming from the back yard hushed. Heads could be seen peaking around the corner of the house in concern. They may not have heard the argument in the living room when the doors had been closed earlier, but they definitely had heard this. And the people in the house had heard her as well.

Through the large plate glass window, Abby could see Connor sitting on the sofa with Jenny beside him, Duncan and Edie were seated in the overstuffed chairs, while Hendriks and Stephenson had finally come out of the kitchen and were leaning back on the settee. They all turned to stare at her. From the dining room, Connor's sister could be seen peering through the doorway, her husband and mother looking worried behind her.

"Abby, what do you mean?" asked Danny quietly.

She looked at Matt and huffed. "I'm going in," she replied "got to see to my guests. Let him tell you all about his great plan." She stalked right past Matt and Emily and into the house.

Danny watched her go, then looked at Matt.

"So mate," he said "are you going to tell me what she's mad about?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x

Danny looked at Matt expectantly, waiting for him to say something, but it was Emily who spoke first.

"Things didn't quite go according to plan," she said quietly. "We had made certain that Abby and the children wouldn't be home that week, and Connor knew the plan…"

"He was supposed to be working at his home lab that day…" added Matt "the set up was made to look as if the book was at the Forest of Dean offices … so Helen would take it from there… but Connor came in to the facility to check on Rex…"

Matt shook his head ruefully. "And that's when Helen arrived with her soldier clones, a Cutter clone, and a couple of Stephens."

"What?" asked Danny "what are you talking about?"

"Helen has several different types of clones," interjected Becker, describing them in a precise manner, "the soldier clone, or cleaner as Connor calls it, is an advanced model, capable of following complex orders and independent movement. The Cutter clone is also an advanced model, possibly capable of independent thought as well as movement… it has been seen to appear to resist Helen's orders. The Stephen clones come in three models, nonverbal, limited verbal, and advanced. We've also seen one Matt clone…"

"Yeah," sighed Danny, sagging back to lean against the porch railing, "he told me about the Matt clone, while you were…" Danny gestured to point in the general direction of the road. Danny shook his head to clear it. He then looked up at Becker.

"You describe those people as if you were talking about a new type of gun," he exclaimed.

Becker's eyebrows rose.

"In my view, they aren't people. The clones are weapons," he said quietly, "and the events of twelve years ago ought to convince everyone that they are dangerous weapons."

-x-x-x-x-x-x