Chapter 5

Being at the ARC felt so surreal to Jenny; it was like it was all a dream. As soon as she stepped into that building, it felt like all the fear and danger was erased, and that she was in charge of her own life once more. She had sworn Cutter to secrecy about everything, which he was not happy about, but if everyone knew, their shock and sympathy would be unbearable. No one was any the wiser, which meant that she could pretend like all was well when she was at work. However, if Cutter had it his way, she'd be locked in a tower guarded by soldiers twenty-four hours a day.

One day when Cutter, Conner and Abby were out dealing with an anomaly, Jenny was summoned to Lester's office. He sat behind his desk as she entered, surveying her with the tips of his fingers pressed together as though in deep thought.

"You wanted to see me?" Jenny asked coolly, unable to shake off the feeling she always got when she was summoned to his office; like she was back in high school about to be yelled at by her Headmaster.

"Yes, take a seat," he said, gesturing at the chair opposite him.

She perched on it, adjusting her skirt as she did so, and wondering what on earth this was about. As far as she was aware, the team had been doing beautifully recently, and had certainly not done anything to warrant a telling off. There was silence for a few moments, which made her shuffle uncomfortably. Lester however seemed perfectly at ease as he lounged back in his chair, watching her as though he was expecting her to talk first.

Eventually, unable to stand the silence any longer, Jenny cleared her throat.

"Is something the matter James?" she asked, feeling a pang of irritation.

"Why don't you tell me?" he replied cryptically.

"I don't know what you mean?" she answered slowly.

Sighing, he lifted up a file from his desk and flopped it back on the table in front of her. Bemused, she opened it and flicked through a few of the pages.

It was a copy of the police statement she had given a few days previously.

"Oh," was all she could think to say as her heart sank.

"Oh indeed," he nodded, sitting forward slightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's nothing to do with you," she snapped, more bluntly than she intended. He raised an eyebrow at her before she corrected herself. "I mean it's not affecting my work, so I didn't see the point in bringing it up."

"So it didn't strike you that I might have been able help?"

"By doing what?" Jenny asked in puzzlement.

"By providing you with a military escort?" he suggested.

Jenny smiled, and looked downwards.

"That's very nice of you, but it's not necessary."

"I assume Cutter knows?" he asked, his tone implying a hint of knowing.

Jenny and Cutter had never officially told Lester about their relationship, and he had always feigned deafness when anyone made any comments referring to it. He had never really seemed thrilled at the idea of them as a couple; probably because he wondered if it would ultimately result in the two of them being unable to do their job properly.

"Yes, I'm staying with him," Jenny answered quietly. "Temporarily," she added, feeling the need to justify herself.

"Good," Lester nodded, taking Jenny by surprise. "As long as you're safe. You have no idea how much paperwork I would have to fill in if one of my staff was strafed on my watch."

Jenny grimaced. She knew his little sarcastic blunt comments were Lester's way of being friendly and an attempt to put her at ease, but the matter was a little to serous for her to find his joke amusing.


"What was all that about?" Sarah demanded, looking up from her work as Jenny entered the room. She was obviously referring to her meeting with Lester that she could see through the glass walls.

"Nothing," Jenny lied immediately, taking a seat opposite her.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's nothing," Jenny repeated insistently.

Sarah nodded but looked unconvinced, and returned her gaze to her work.

"Oh by the way, you've got a package there," Sarah added as an afterthought, pointing over to the table next to them with her pen.

Jenny looked over, distracted, and saw a long-ish white parcel sitting there.

"Who's it from?" Jenny asked, as she got up.

"I don't know, one of Becker's soldiers brought it in before," Sarah explained. "Said it had been left at the front desk for you. He didn't look to happy about it though - told me to remind you he's not a post man and that this is a secret facility and not your personal warehouse."

Jenny laughed slightly, and opened the lid of the box by undoing two clamps at the side of it. A vile smell filled the room immediately, making the two of them gag and clap their hands over their mouth and nose. Inside the parcel was a bunch of rotted red roses with horrid maggots crawling all over it.

"Oh my God," Jenny breathed, backing away from the box with her heart hammering.

Sarah took one look inside, and ran to the doorway shouting for Becker. He came rushing in from the main room with two of his men and gently pushed Jenny out of the way with his hands on her arms. He looked in the box with his nose wrinkled, and slowly put his hand in and pulled out a white card. He flicked a couple of maggots of it, looking disgusted, and read it aloud.

"'My darling Jenny, it is with a heavy heart that I prepare for our union in the next world'." He looked up at Jenny, confusion written all over his tanned face. "Do you know who sent this?"

"No," she answered quietly, breathing fast to desperately stop the tears falling from her eyes.

"Who brought it in?" he said urgently, holding the card up.

"That would be me," one of his soldiers answered. "A man left it at the front gate for her."

"And you took it?" Becker demanded, looking at him in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind Brookes?"

"I didn't see the harm - " the soldier stuttered.

"What did he look like?" Becker interrupted forcefully.

"He was tall," Brookes began, his forehead wrinkled in thought. "About six foot two. And he had blonde curly hair . . . he was quite stocky . . . and that's all I noticed if I'm honest . . ."

"How long ago?"

"About twenty minutes."

Without a word, Becker made towards the door, only turning when he reached it.

"Stay here," he ordered to Jenny and Sarah, before taking off again, his soldiers trailing behind him.

Sarah was looking at Jenny with mingled sympathy and shock.

"What's going on?" she asked gently as she approached Jenny.

"I . . . he . . ." Jenny tried to explain, but her voice cracked, and she was forced to put her hand to her mouth to stop herself sobbing; tears fell hard and fast from her eyes.

Sarah put her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She still looking bewildered, and Jenny knew why; Sarah had never seen her lose control like this.


After Jenny had calmed down, she begrudgingly explained everything to Sarah, who listened with her mouth open.

"And you have no idea who it is?" Sarah asked in disbelief after she had finished.

Jenny shook her head.

"Not a clue. But now apparently it's some tall blonde haired guy - " Jenny began, but stopped as she truly thought about the description the soldier had given: Tall, stocky, blonde curly hair . . .

Mark.

He was the only person she could think of that fitted this description to the letter.

"Jenny?" Sarah probed, apparently curious why she had stopped speaking and looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"I have to go," Jenny said blankly, standing up and walking towards the door.

"What?" Sarah exclaimed, looking at her as if she was crazy. "But you can't! Becker said to stay here! It's not safe - "

"Just . . . cover for me okay?" Jenny said, walking off down the corridor before Sarah could protest further.


Rapidly coming to a conclusion! Just to re-iterate, I got the idea for this fic from a One Tree Hill episode, so no flames please if you notice a correlation between the two storylines! X