Chapter 5

"Nick?" Jenny said uncertainly, feeling panic pulsating through her as the room started to sway violently.

"It's okay," he said immediately as he stood up, in what he must have thought was a calming tone.

Jenny got to her feet also, stumbling slightly, and looking around in disbelief. Every object in view was swaying alarmingly - what the hell was going on?! Jenny sensed something above them move, and both herself and Cutter looked up in the exact same moment to see the gigantic glass casing of the light detach. In what seemed like slow motion, Cutter dived on top of her and pushed her out of harms way just in time; there was a deafening crashing sound as the casing hit the ground and smashed to smithereens. Jenny was on the ground on her side with Cutter next to her; one of his arms around her head to shield her from the glass.

"Abby!" she heard Conner yelling over the noise.

"Conner, GET DOWN!" Cutter barked, holding Jenny tighter.

Everything was happening so fast it felt like a blur. All of a sudden, pain erupted from Jenny's cheek bone as a small object fell on her from above. Both her and Cutter looked up in time to see the shelf case containing various artefacts leaning over - it was going to fall on them! Jenny heard herself screaming and felt Cutter pulling her into himself more, so that he was practically on top of her. Then she felt a massive pressure hit them as the shelf landed hard on Cutter's back, causing him to yelp loudly in pain. As quickly as it started, the shaking stopped and the room became still.

"Oh my God, Nick! Oh my God!" Jenny found herself shrieking before she could stop herself; her voice muffled in his top.

"It's alright," he replied through gritted teeth, as she felt his body tremble on top of hers with the weight of the shelves. "We're okay."

Jenny could hear Conner skidding to a halt next to them.

"Okay," he shouted in a high pitched panicked voice. "Just stay still, I'll get it off you!"

Jenny felt the pressure on top of them lessen slightly, only to redouble a split second later as Conner had evidently dropped the it back down, causing Cutter to groan in pain again.

"I can't lift it!" Conner cried. "It's too heavy!"

"Go and get help!" Jenny shouted back, and she heard him immediately run out the room. "Nick, are you okay?" she added.

"I'm fine," he breathed, completely unconvincingly. "Just stay still; we'll be out in a moment."

Hurried footsteps signaled the return of Conner who, judging by the voices, had brought Becker and Abby to their aid. Together, they managed to heave the heavy piece of furniture off and roll it over onto the floor. Cutter got off Jenny slowly, shaking from head to toe, and Abby grabbed her under the arms and pulled her to her unsteady feet with surprising strength for someone so small.

"Is everyone okay?" Becker asked, sounding out of breath.

They all nodded dumbly.

"What the hell was that, an earthquake?" Abby asked in disbelief.

"In Britain?" Conner gasped, clutching his side.

"It's not unheard of," Abby pointed out, her voice still shaky.

"Yeah, but not of that magnitude! That's not normal!"

Jenny heard their discussion as though it was from a great distance away as her full concentration was on Cutter. He was bent over the desk slightly, clutching his ribs.

"Nick," she said quietly, as she was sure he wouldn't want anyone else to know he was hurt. "Are they broken?" she added, indicating her ribs.

"No," he replied in a low voice, offering her a weak smile. "I think they're just bruised,"

"CONNER!" Lester's voice issued into the room.

Everyone looked out of the glass pane and saw him standing with a group of soldiers gesturing wildly at the Anomaly Detector which screens were jumping erratically.

"Sugar!" Conner exclaimed, hurrying out of the room to fix the Detector.

He was followed by Abby and Becker, leaving Cutter and Jenny alone. She looked at Cutter again, and for the first time noticed how scratched his face was from the broken glass. She felt a slight pang of guilt; he had been too busy concentrating on keeping her safe rather than protecting himself. She reached out and stroked his hair back.

"Your face looks awful," she whispered.

"I thought you thought I was pretty?" he smirked with a slight wince as he straightened up.

"I do," she laughed slightly, "But you're covered in cuts."

"You're not looking so glowing yourself," he cringed as he ran his fingers gently over her painful cheekbone. "You're going to have a fantastic black eye tomorrow."

"Here's hoping - "

But she stopped speaking as the sound of the Anomaly Detector alarm filled the building, as usual making them all jump violently. They hurried over to join the rest of the team at the Detector as Conner was getting the location.

"It appeared while the Detector was offline!" Conner informed them, his face paler than usual. "It's been open for a while."

"Where is it?" demanded Lester.

Conner was silent for a moment, still typing wildly. He looked confused for a few seconds; his brow furrowed and his lips thin.

"It can't be," he muttered, more to himself than the rest of them.

"What?" Abby asked urgently, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"It's outside," he replied, looking up at Cutter in bemusement.

"So? Most of them are outdoor ones," Abby said impatiently. "Where about's is it?"

"No, it's actually outside of here!" Conner corrected her.

Jenny and Cutter exchanged a confused glance. Surely that was way too much of a coincidence? They sprinted to the ARC entrance, closely followed by Abby, Conner and Becker. Lester remained behind with some of the soldiers. As they approached the outer gate, Jenny gasped as her eyes found one of the strangest sights she had ever seen (and she had seen a lot of strange things). In the road outside of the ARC grounds was a gigantic hole; it looked like a massive split in the concrete that had formed into a crater. In the middle of it, one of the biggest anomalies they had ever seen was glimmering in the sunshine.

"What on earth . . .?" Cutter muttered beside her in disbelief.

"Is that what caused the earthquake?" Conner asked, his mouth hanging slightly open in shock.

"I'd say it was definitely in the frame - "

Jenny squinted past the anomaly, and her stomach tightened uncomfortably; a crowd of passing civilians had gathered on the other side of the road, all gapping at the flickering light in front of them.

"Oh shit," she sighed, closing her eyes for a second.

Think . . . think . . . how can I explain this? she thought in a panic, her brain working furiously.

"Open the gate," she ordered to Becker's security soldiers.

"No, hold on!" Cutter said quickly, not taking his eyes off the anomaly.

Jenny looked back at it, and saw what he was talking about; the light was swelling as though something was about to come through.

"RUN!" Conner gestured wildly to the ever-growing crowd. "Get out of here - !"

As if it was something out of a horror film, countless Future Predators began to pour out of the bulging anomaly; some of them lunging towards the crowd, and some making straight for them at lightening speed.

For a second, the team remained paralysed on the spot in shock.

Then chaos ensued.

"GO!" Cutter bellowed, his eyes wide with fear. He shoved Jenny in front of him as they all turned to sprint back into the ARC.

"But what about them?" she hear Abby cry from beside her, obviously talking about the public.

"There's nothing we can do about them now!" Cutter shouted.

The soldiers at the entrance had lines up in formation and were firing manically at the rapidly approaching beasts; the sounds of bloodcurdling screams and shouts could still be heard as they flew down the ARC corridor back to the main room.

Lester looked up from the Anomaly Detector as they all piled in, looking mildly interested.

"What is it?" he asked casually.

They were spared answering by Becker, who turned around and began shooting at the circular wall.

The Predators had followed them inside.

They poured in, scampering across the walls like gigantic spiders.

"What the - !" Lester began, jumping to his feet.

"You lot run down to the safe house!" Becker barked as he continued to fire his gun. "GO!"

"JENNY LOOK OUT!" Abby screeched, indicating the ceiling.

Jenny looked upwards and felt terror bolt through her . . . rubble was falling at her from the ceiling. Instinctively, she flung her arms over her head . . . she felt something hit her heavily . . . and then nothingness.

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Cutter looked over at Jenny, and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest - there was a Predator dangling on the ceiling above her, and around it, part of the ceiling was collapsing in with it's weight. As if in slow motion, the Creature scampered out of the way, only to be brought down by one of Becker's well-aimed bullets; however the ceiling caved in - the heavy debris crashing down on Jenny. She threw her arms around her head, but in a split second, she was no longer visible; hidden under a pile of rubble.

"NO!" Cutter cried, sprinting haphazardly over; ignoring the pandemonium around him.

He and Abby shifted manically through the debris, the deafening sounds of bullets pounding in his ear. Where was she?!

"Cutter, here!" Abby shouted over the noise, as she scraped away some pieces of plastic to reveal Jenny's battered and scraped face.

She was unconscious . . . she had to be . . . either that or . . .

"Help me get her up!" Cutter ordered as he quickly pulled Jenny free.

Both he and Abby supported her weight, each taking up one of her arms over their shoulders. Her head lolled alarmingly and she remained out for the count.

"GO!" Becker repeated, taking aim at another creature. "NOW!"

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