The trio exchanged glances. Connor nudged Abby nervously.

"Ladies first."

Her glare motivated him. He peeked round the corner of the van ready to run. Connor was very good at running when it was called for, a headache and general tiredness wouldn't get in the way of that. Fortunately he had no need this time. The Troodon slumped; part of its sharp claw was embedded in the leather to the left of the window. It was unconscious and stuck fast. Matt stood in front of it toting his tranquilizer gun in triumph. Connor approached him.

"It's good to see you mate."

"Yeah, you too." Matt acknowledged.

Abby and Becker came round the van corner. Becker stiffened; Abby ran towards the pair then stopped unsure of how to greet her stoic leader.

"Hi." she greeted awkwardly.

She noticed he wasn't wearing a comm, but then again the man was technically not part of the ARC so it was no longer necessary for him to wear it whilst in the field.

"It's about time you showed up!" Jess chirped reading everyone's reactions correctly.

"Sorry I'm late, traffic was horrendous. Let's go to the anomaly."

"You know where it is?" said Becker finally.

"Yes."

Matt thought carefully about the culprit as he drove the van - it contained the Troodon. The leader was running through a mental checklist. Abby would never hurt anyone or have the know-how to affect the anomalies. She was definitely safe. Connor wouldn't willingly harm anyone; he'd want to protect Abby, however Phillip had been leading him astray. The geek could be a culprit but Matt simply couldn't envision it. As for Becker? He'd saved Phillip knowing the man couldn't be trusted. He was their 'security'. Matt stopped fantasising. If anything he was making himself more paranoid. He sounded like his father; the only people he knew were innocent for sure were Abby and Emily - along with Ethan of course if only in some respects of the word.

He was surprised Connor wasn't mad at him for attempting to kill the boss. Then again their reunion had been far too brief to have had time for bitterness. Becker however had been another story. After a vicious argument between him and Jess he'd given in to Matt's control as the leader did at least know where the anomaly was. Matt smiled, how couldn't he know it? The anomaly led back home.

He'd checked, the future hadn't changed yet. It was still the same old hellhole he'd left behind. Matt wanted to at least make Abby understand his predicament before he became a killer. It was at times like these that he really missed Emily. Maybe he could go find her once this was all over and done with. The Troodon probably came from a different anomaly nearby that led to the Cretaceous but he knew that the one he'd visited was more of a threat.

"Matt we're going the wrong way." Becker pointed out.

"There are two anomalies, trust me this one is the problem."

"Fine!" Becker humphed and leant over Matt putting his foot on the peddle.

The car stopped.

"You know you could've just asked." Connor said.

"Connor come with me, Abby keep an eye on Matt." Becker commanded stepping out of the van.

"Where are we going?" asked Connor nervously as the van drove away, regretting his response already as his eyes focussed on Abby's face through the broken window.

"To the anomaly that we were commissioned to."

So they started walking in an uncomfortable silence.

The van arrived at the second anomaly barely five minutes after the group had split up. Abby climbed out of it with the extra locking mechanism. After this morning's near disaster they'd packed spares. Matt's car sat beside the glittering anomaly just where he'd left it. Fortunately for the others he'd only been a walking distance away from their yells. All the same he'd felt safer in the shell of the van.

The creature stirred, Matt shot it again for good measure. Abby began to set up the locking mechanism. She was no expert but Jess's mentoring and her past experience taught her the basics.

"Abby I need to show you something." Matt announced.

She looked up at him curiously. Matt went through the anomaly before she could stop him.

"Jess I'm going to go offline for a minute." she informed, the urgency clear in her tone.

"What? Why?"

"If I don't reply in half an hour's time send the boys over."

"Abby what are you –"

But Jess's voice trailed off into static as Abby stepped through the anomaly. The sensation felt like pins and needles and she felt an insane urge to giggle. Matt took her hand and she sobered up considerably. She was on the other side.

All Abby could do was gape as she looked down through the smoggy brown atmosphere. The place was a scrap yard. The little light there was illuminated wrecks of human civilisation. The cold wind cut through Abby like a knife. All around them were craters. Three holes surrounded the nearest remains of a building. The rubble seemed to shelter them from the harsh wind.

She started to cough. Matt shoved her back through the anomaly. He cast a final glance at his home before following her back through.

"What is that place?" she gasped promptly collapsing.

"I'm sorry; I forgot how the fog pollution can damage. You were only breathing it in for a few minutes so you should be fine." he spoke as he knelt beside her.

"You didn't answer my question. Besides, how come you're okay?"

"It's my home and your future. I've adapted." he explained taking out her earpiece. "Something big is going to happen with the anomalies. It turns this place into that. I grew up underground, bits of pollution seeped through our ceilings but never enough to kill. Those three holes you saw lead to my remaining family."

"Why aren't you with them?"

"I was one of the few people chosen to be sent back at different points in time to prevent the change. I have to do whatever it takes to stop it."

"On your own? How old were you?" Abby asked in concern.

Matt couldn't bear those sympathetic eyes. He didn't deserve them; he just needed to get the job done.

"My father travelled with me. He's dead now. It's ironic that natural causes got to him before anything else." he deadpanned, concealing all emotion.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about your 'job'? We could've helped you!"

"The change could be made by anyone. There are very few people I can trust."

Abby was glad that Matt at least trusted her.

"You told Emily didn't you."

It was a statement, not a question.

"She's not important." said Matt although his heart screamed otherwise, quoting his father did not make the lies any less brutal.

Abby raised an eyebrow; she knew how close the pair had been.

"Don't you trust Jess?"

"She's too close to Becker and a rubbish liar. He'd wheedle the truth out of her in ten seconds flat. Plus the comms record everything we say."

"Why don't you trust Becker?"

"He saved Phillip."

"Connor would've done the same."

"I don't trust him either."

"Matt – " Abby began.

"I just wanted you to understand why I have to kill Phillip."

"Kill!"