Okay, as I said in my other story, I'm not keen on the new additions and I'm going to start dedicating chapters. This chapter is dedicated to Mew Tohru Kun, who's made a triumphant reappearance and was the only signed in review for the last chapter. (Hello to 'guest' too! (: )
I would also like to point out that I got out of bed because I forgot to post this. You're lucky I love you!
"Oh, this had better be good." You mutter as you extract yourself from Becker's grip and scramble out of the tent after Abby and Connor. It's an hour before dawn and the wind is still blowing. "God freaking damn it!" you wrap your arms around yourself, attempting to hold in your heat. It doesn't work and a few minutes later your shivering.
Matt zips shut the tent to preserve the heat inside and scans the area. "What's the matter, Robinson?"
"Look at the beach!" The soldier gestures to the beach, the tide half in and something large and black resting on the sand. You want to scream or be sick when you see what it is.
"Dear Lord." Sarah mutters. "Is that... is it really a..."
Abby swallows heavily and nods. "That's a Megalodon."
The shape is that of a shark on its side, but it's 15 meters long. You're just thankful it's dead. "How long would it have been dead for?" You ask shakily. The idea of being anywhere near the water with that this alive petrifies you.
"Jess, when did you say that anomaly opened?"
Approximately six hours ago. Please make sure it's dead before you go anywhere near it! Jess pleads and you can't help but think what would happen if it was somehow still alive.
"Six hours. It probably died three hours ago. We're just lucky that we don't have to go out looking for it."
"Lucky how?" Becker demands. "Now we've got to find a way to get it off the beach and away from prying eyes!"
"At least we don't have to go out and hunt it!" Abby snaps back and you wave your hands.
"Arguing isn't going to move it! I can't think of a possible explanation for a 49 foot, extinct shark on a beach in Wales, so get your heads together and sort something out!" you turn on your heel and march back towards the tent, punching in Jenny's number as you go. You slip back into the tent as Jenny picks up, sounding a little more that pissed.
How much longer are you going to be? She demands. I'm ready to kill that bitch.
"That depends how long it's going to take for Abby and Becker to stop fighting and work something out. We're looking at at least another twelve hours."
You have got to be kidding me! I can't but up with Chrissie for another twelve hours!
"Well, what have you done with her now?"
Sent her on a wild goose chase to the basement. I hope she dies down there.
"Nice." you laugh. "At least you're in a warm building. I'm in a cold tent."
Luck you. I was thinking of a possible cover story for all of this, but I've got nothing. Great Whites never get that big or that close to the Welsh coast. Calling it a Government experiment is just going to panic people. What the Hell are we meant to do?
"Tell them the truth and hope the don't believe us?" A hand sticks through the tent flap, waving in a 'come hither' motion. "I'm needed down at the beach. Lucky me. Give it a thought, but I don't think there's a believable excuse for this one." you end the call and wriggle out the tent, coming face to face with Sarah. She looks a little windswept but otherwise okay. She actually looks rather excited at the prospect of the prehistoric shark. "What's the matter?"
"You have to come and take a look at this thing! It's amazing!"
"Seriously? That's what you wanted? I thought someone was hurt or the public was here already." Sarah pays you no attention as she grabs your wrist, pulling you towards the now fully beached shark. You manage to free yourself a few feet away from the shark, but it's still too close to it. You can see its open eyes, slack jaw and rows upon rows of teeth the size of your hand. Every bone in your body is telling you to observe from a distance or start screaming. You reel back, bumping into Becker and gripping onto his jacket. "I think they're better from a distance." you say sheepishly. "Give me standard sized sharks any day."
"You aren't the only one." Becker mutters, wrapping his arms around you tightly. "We're going to try and put it on a boat then ship it round to Portsmouth then either incinerate it or chop it up and bury it. The boat will be getting here in an hour or so."
"You managed to get a big enough boat to transport this and get it without my help? You're better than I thought." you tease, twisting to look at him rather than at the shark. He raises an eyebrow and flexes his fingers lightly against your side. "Don't you dare." you warn. "It's not exactly appropriate at the moment." Becker grins and kisses your forehead, letting you go and moving down the beach to the other soldiers.
"Lovey Dovey in front of a dead shark. Very romantic." Sarah smirks.
"With Becker? That's the equivalent to a candlelight dinner for two and champagne and strawberries by the fireside." This has the others laughing loudly and those out of earshot of you looking at your group weirdly.
"But seriously. He hasn't told you?" Abby asks, looking a little disgusted. You shake your head.
"Who hasn't told who what?" Matt asks, leaning forwards slightly to hear better.
"Becker hasn't told her he loves her yet." Sarah fills the two oblivious boys in and their eyebrows shoot into their hairlines.
Abby laughs at them before turning back to you. "We all thought he had! The way the two of you look at each other is enough to make anyone buckle at the knees."
"Oh God." Sarah chokes. "What's it going to be like when he does tell her?" the earns another round of laughter. Connor falls onto his knees, gagging and pretending to be sick. "Yep! That's the reaction I'm looking for!"
"Who finally poisoned Temple?" your small group turns to face Becker and Robinson and none of you can help laughing again. The two soldiers exchange worried looks. "I think the dead shark's getting to you."
"Just you." you smile sweetly before turning serious again. "But seriously, what are we going to do with this thing?"
"I could test it to see what the meat on it is like. If it's identical to everyday shark-meat, or close enough to it, we could cut it up and sell it." Connor suggests. "Other than that we're going to need to bury it. As for actually getting it back to the ARC, cutting it up and putting it on a boat may be the best bet."
Abby nods in agreement. "It may take a day or two, but Connor's right. There really doesn't appear to be another option."
You nod and look upwards towards the sky. "I'll get a helicopter to come and pick me up. I'll head back to the ARC and jam any satellites over the area and relive Jenny of Chrissie. I'll call another one in for some soldiers to do an initial sweep of the area. I know sharks aren't pack animals, but it's worth checking anyway. Robinson, McKay, Down, Haynes and Pelt can head up in the air whilst you lot figure out how to remove this thing." you're aware of Abby and Sarah looking at you strangely but you don't know why. You shrug it off. "Jess, can you get to choppers down here?"
They're on their way. A Navy boat's also been dispatched for the transport. Some cutting tools are on board the choppers. ETA two hours.
Becker and Robinson put the soldiers to work pushing out the 'no-access' boundary to half a mile and the remaining soldiers using their pocketknives on the fins of the shark. Connor and Sarah volunteer to come back with you to get some paper-work done at the ARC. As a time waster Abby and you head back up the sand slope to the tents to start packing up camp. "You gave the soldiers an order and Becker didn't batter an eyelid." Abby replies when you ask her what the earlier look was for. "He gets touchy when Matt does it, but you say which soldiers you want where and he doesn't even blink!"
"I'm sure he'll make his own once I'm gone and completely overrule me." you try not to read too much into her words.
"Like Hell he will!" Abby laughs, folding the tent poles up. "He'll follow them as though he was back in Sandhurst and the orders came from his commanding officer, I promise you that much."
When the two choppers arrive, you find that Abby is right. Robinson, Down, Haynes and Pelt pile into one helicopter whilst you, Connor and Sarah pile into the other. Sarah still can't believe Becker hasn't told you and you find yourself regretting the decision to return to the ARC so soon.
"Okay, okay!" Uou cry, half and hour into the flight. "We've established that Becker hadn't told me he loves me. We've also established he's emotionally retarded so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. Besides, that practically was his confession of love."
Abby's voice suddenly crackled through your earpiece. Uh, guys? I can hear you.
"Shit." you groan. "Who's 'we'?" You aren't sure you want to know.
Me and Matt. Jess?
Loud and clear.
Don't forget me! Jenny chips in. I sent Chrissie for coffee so I decided to tune in. Glad I did!
You groan and smack your forehead. "Please tell me no one else heard that."
Becker's yelling at his soldiers on a different wavelength and none of them seem to have heard. Matt reports. All too soon you breathe a sigh of relief. I can change that though. BECKER! HEY! BECKER! EARPIECE!
Yes, Matt? Your eyes widen and your face looses its colour as Becker joins the conversation.
"Don't you dare, Matthew." you warn but he only laughs.
So, Becker, apparently you haven't told- You yank out your earpiece.
Connor and Sarah are still listening in and you judge the conversation by their facial expressions. They're trying to keep from laughing but they fail and end up spluttering. "Oh dear God, Becker!" Sarah chokes. "Bloody Hell!"
"Nah, don't worry mate." Connor grins. "She pulled hers out when Matt started speaking. I can tell her if you want?" Connor raises his eyebrows at the response.
"Blimey, Becker. That's a bit violent, isn't it? I suppose you're right. It is Connor after all. Hang on." Sarah turns her attention to you and smiles. "It's okay to put your head set back in now. That part of the conversation's over."
You wearily do so and catch the tail end of Becker's insult to Connor. …..squirely little bastard.
"You wha'?" Connor laughs. "Did you just call me a... a squirely little bastard?"
"Alex Cross." You inform him. "Becker's going through a fan girl stage with them at the moment."
I do not fan girl. I just read a lot.
"Whatever you say, Becks."
The rest of the helicopter ride is spent throwing insults at each other and listening to Jenny and Chrissie fighting back at the ARC. When you finally touch down at the nearby air base Jenny's waiting at the cars. "I couldn't stand her any longer." She glares as you near her. "I'm close to killing her!" You laugh but know that you wont last anywhere near as long as her. "I've done a preliminary sweep of the satellites over West Wales and none of them seem to be overlooking that area. I've got a couple of techies monitoring them anyway just to make sure. I've also put out a message that there's some military stuff going on and Castle Martin have agreed to help keep people away."
"See? This is why you should be running the PR department." You laugh as you get into the passenger seat.
"Yeah. The PR department that consists of you and I."
X
"You all stink!" You and Jenny reach the hub in time to hear Connor's exclamation five hours later. The Megalodon has been transported back to the ARC and is currently being tested. Lester will be able to make a decision tomorrow morning. As far as you're concerned it's one nightmare over with, another waiting to happen.
You hug Becker before stepping back with a disgusted look on your face. "You really do stink. You are not getting in the car like that. You can shower here or walk back to your flat. Your choice." You and Connor settle down in the hub whilst your respective partners head off to change and everyone else heads home. When Becker finally returns he tells Connor Abby's waiting for him in the locker room.
"That's not going to end so well for the unfortunate soul to enter the locker room next, is it?" You grin as you thread your fingers through his.
"Probably not." He laughs as he leads you from the ARC and towards the garage. "I was thinking that we need to meet up with Rob. I haven't seen him in a few months and you haven't seen him in nearly seven years. He's chewing my head off for it."
"And he can continue to do so too." You stick your tongue out at him as he starts the engine and heads towards the main road.
"Gee thanks. Am I dropping you off or what?"
"I'm crashing at yours. It's closer and I'm shattered." He smiles across at you as you fiddle with your seatbelt before looking forwards again.
"You know, you're quite nice from profile." You comment as he pulls up at a set of traffic lights.
"Thanks. I think." He reaches across to push your thigh gently and you grab his hand, lifting it to your lips and gently kissing the palm.
"It was a complement, believe it or not."
"Then definitely thanks." He squeezes your hand and doesn't let go until the two of you pull up outside his flat.
"C'mon you. I'm tired and I just want to go to bed."
"Wait a sec!" He calls as you're getting out of the car. "You don't have a set of night clothes here. You want me to run down to the store and get you something?"
"You have shirts, don't you?" He nods. "Problem solved!"
I'm going to start up a quiz soon that'll span over fourteen chapters to see who gets to make a special appearance in the honey moon chapters. Sound good?