Chapter 16- Betrayal

Avery leaned against the window sill that was facing the garden in the backyard waiting for Claudia. She thought the garden was once well kept but had started to be overcome with weeds and littered leaves. Toys where scattered around the ground leaving her to believe someone lived here with their kids.

Claudia walks towards them carrying a handkerchief with the words H C plastered on the white surface. She noticed Avery didn't seem particularly shocked leading her to believe that perhaps the girl knew that Helen was still around, or at least had suspected it. She waited patiently for either of them to start talking, she wouldn't be very good at her job if she could not be able to crack people.

"Helen's mad old aunt used to give us those handkerchiefs, um… Same present every single birthday and Christmas, and we used to make jokes about them." Cutter said.

Avery remembered when she was younger her father had told her that anything written on the handkerchief could not be read by her, it was a secret between him and mommy. Of course being a rebellious child she had peaked at the handkerchiefs many times. She wondered what was so secret about them for years, they only really asked stupid things like what's for dinner or what are we going to watch tonight, until one day she opened one and it read 'GOTCHA' as a hand came upon her shoulder. Her father and mother had laughed as the child jumped, her face turning a bright shade of red.

"That's a message. It means Helen's waiting for me on the other side of the anomaly." He continued, shuffling around. Avery knew Nick did not like to talk about Helen, even if she was still alive.

"Just like she was in the Underground." Claudia said expectedly.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me? You lied to me, to all of us."

"Try and see it from my perspective. I had just found out that my dead wife was still alive."

"She might know things. Things that could help us. You have no right to decide what we should know and when we should know it."

"She's my wife." Nick said rubbing the back of his neck. Even though she had supposedly 'died' eight years ago didn't men he did not love her. When Helen had disappeared it broke his heart, and now as he was starting to get over it the anomalies had started to appear, along with Helen who was determined to torment with him.

"Maybe in your mind that gives you some kind of special privilege, but this affects all of us. If you can't see that, then you just can't be here anymore." Claudia chucked the Handkerchief onto the ground and walked away, vexation lacing her words.

"Why is she playing with us? It wasn't enough for us to think she was dead, now she won't even face us. What did we do to drive her away?" Avery said anger starting to fuel her rage.

"I don't know, but we'll find out. I promise." Nick said walking way. If Helen was waiting on the other side of the anomaly he would go in after her to find answers not only for himself but for Avery as well.

Lester rounded them all up in the living room of the house to discuss the recent turn of events. He stood before them largely displeased, arms crossed, back straight. "The revelation that Helen Cutter's still alive changes everything." He said out loud alerting Connor and Abby to the news.

"She's still alive? Um, how did I miss that?" Connor cut in.

"Long story." Claudia replied before looking down as Lester shot her a look.

"So, eight years, she's been living in the past. My God. How are we going to explain Celebrity Love Island to her?" Connor joked, trying to ease the tension in the room. Only to be cut off by Claudia.

"Shut up Connor."

"She's eight years ahead of us in terms of understanding the anomalies." Lester continued. "Her knowledge could be priceless and we have to share it."

"Which is fine if she was here, but she isn't." Stephen said.

"Which is why we're going to go and find her. We know she wants to make contact. She must be brought back here, by force if necessary."

"This is my wife you're talking about." Nick challenged.

"Which is why I want you to go through the anomaly and bring her back." Lester challenged back, eye twitching when Cutter met his gaze. "You will of course have a military escort."

"To do what? Shoot her if she won't come back?"

"To protect you, both of you." Lester explained. Avery knew it was not the only reason, but maybe if Ryan was the soldier taken alone her mother won't be shot. "The alternative is you sever all ties with the anomaly project with immediate effect, and we'll go and find her ourselves."

"Okay, on one condition. I go on my own." Nick said, with a tone that did not allow any argument. "There's no question of force. I'll do my best, but if she doesn't want to come back, then that's it."

Looking at these two men Avery was reminded of two alpha's fighting for dominance, from their tone, to their posture and even to the roles they held. Sometimes they could behave but when one of them was displeased with the other, they would both challenge each other.

"How can we trust you?" Claudia jabbed at Cutter. Nick stared at her incredulously.

"Oh, I'm sure Professor Cutter won't let us down again." Lester stepped forward to leave but turned back to Cutter. "You will try and remember what side you're on, won't you?" He added before walking off, Ryan and Claudia following him.

"I wish I could come with you." Avery said as Connor and Abby left the room.

"You can't." Cutter said. "If you come Lester will insist someone go with us. As far as he knows us we would leave with Helen. Then he would lose precious information. No it's better if you stay here. I'll see you later." Cutter said, putting a hand on her arm. He walked out to put his diving gear in, leaving Stephen and Avery in the room.

"That's not the only reason he's going." Avery said, staring after Nick.

"He's probable going to reassure himself that he's coming back." Stephen said.

"Yeah, maybe." She said then walked outside to talk to Connor.

Stephen walked into the room looking at the watch on his arm. "Abby, how long has he been?"

"91 minutes, 41 seconds." Abby said, checking a stopwatch.

Avery and Connor stood at a table in the middle of the study, the same place they had the meeting earlier.

"The drains. Stephen? In theory, a creature could make its way along the sewage system all the way to the river, and once it's there, it could go anywhere." Connor explained.

"And?" Stephen asked, leaning on the table.

"Well, good news is the size of the drains rules out anything bigger than a small mosasaur." Connor said.

"Well, how small." Abby asked.

"Not small enough." Avery cut in. "If it was somewhere where the water was colder we might have a chance of them not coming out. But the water in the basement comes from the anomaly. We can only hope something hasn't swam through already."

Claudia entered room opposite as a bunch of soldiers carrying swimsuits came in. There was a handheld radio on the table next to them and they could hear a lot of chatter about them preparing to enter the anomaly.

"What's going on?" Stephen asked Claudia. She didn't answer. Not wanting to face them she closed the door. Stephen approached it and tried the handle, but Claudia had locked them in.

"His times up." Abby said later as the stopwatch went off. She picked up the radio and contact Stephen "Stephen, that's two hours. He'll be running out of air."

A little while later there was a commotion in the hallway and they rushed outside to see Cutter being led to an ambulance.

After a while he woke up. "How long have I been out for?" Nick asked.

"Not long." Abby said.

"I have to talk to Claudia." Nick said getting up.

"There's something you should know." Abby tried to explain, but was cut off as Nick stepped out of the ambulance.

Three soldiers had rushed forward guns aimed at him. "Stand still. Don't move!" One of them yelled.

"What's going on?" Nick asked confused. He turned to Avery who was trying to hold off her anger as her mother was marched out of the house, hands enclosed in handcuffs. Helen shoot an accusing glare at Nick, then her gaze softened slightly at seeing Avery. Avery turned her head back to the house, old rage rising up inside of her. Stephen was being held back at the house by a soldier as Helen was put into a car. Lester got in a car with Claudia and the two cars drove away, escorted by police.

An hour later Ryan approached them telling them to go home, and that he was sorry. They would be called when they where needed again. Avery tried to glare at him but she couldn't, not in the same way she was angry at Claudia. Ryan was a soldier, and doing his job was a part of his nature. On top of that he looked generally sorry about the betrayal.