Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.

2.7-2 After Oliver's Dead and Done

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James Lester tried very hard to keep his face composed as he watched Oliver Leek's last minutes on the television screen. He told Lorraine to turn it off as he went to join Tom Ryan and the last security vehicle going to Leek's base of operations.

When Lester and the Captain arrived, Hendriks directed Abby who was carrying a wounded Rex, Connor, Percy and Caroline into the back of their SUV. Then Hendriks, Stephenson and the remaining soldiers from the ARC began their entrance into the building.

Ryan was intently following the movements of his security staff on the headphones. Lester looked at the four adults and one lizard crammed into the back of the vehicle and decided questions would have to wait. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his inside vest pocket and passed it back to Abby.

At her questioning gaze, Lester replied "For the lizard… can't have him bleeding all over government property."

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"They're coming back now," said Tom Ryan. He reached for the cell phone and dialed 999 requesting an ambulance.

Lester looked at the man. "Who?" he asked simply.

The Captain looked at him "Cutter might need sedating," he answered. Then at Lester's questioning look, he added "Stephen didn't make it."

The sound of horrified gasps told Ryan that the team members sitting behind him had heard his comment, but he was watching Lester. The man opened the door, stepping outside of the SUV.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked the Captain as he started to slowly get out of the vehicle.

"I'll go," Lester said.

"Just because you can walk faster…" began Ryan.

"Don't be ridiculous," replied Lester. Gesturing to the people in the back seat, he continued "You're the one with the gun… keep them safe… it's what we pay you for."

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Nick Cutter was sitting on the back of the ambulance. The medic was dabbing at the cut on the side of his face. The professor kept trying to speak, but he was gasping between words.

"My fault," Cutter said, his eyes wide and staring. "We should… never… have…"

Whatever else he was going to say was drowned out by Lester contradicting him.

"It wasn't your fault," Lester interrupted forcefully "I'm the one called him… got him back to work… told him we needed him…"

Nick started to say something more, but the medic shoved the oxygen mask over Cutter's mouth before the man could start objecting again.

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Abby couldn't believe it.

Cutter had been taken to the first ambulance. Lester was there now, talking to the professor. In the SUV, they could hear some of what was being said.

The ambulance crew was bringing up a covered gurney. It was taken to the second ambulance.

Percy was arguing with Captain Ryan.

"I need to get out," said Percy "I've got a job to do… need to talk to Cutter and Lester."

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Connor was staring. He watched the second ambulance get loaded and drive off. A third ambulance pulled up to take its place. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the sound of Percy and Captain Ryan arguing, but really all he could think was no, not again… not another friend dead.

Caroline stepped out of the SUV to let Percy go, then she climbed back inside. She turned sideways somehow facing the ambulances, oblivious to the fact that she was now taking up more room in the back seat than she and Percy had used together. Caroline leaned back against Connor.

Connor scooted a little bit away from the woman. Caroline leaned back across the seat even further. Connor scooted sideways again, he scooted closer to Abby. Their bodies touched. Connor looked at Abby. Tears filled her blue eyes, matching the ones threatening to spill out of his brown eyes. They leaned together, supporting each other.

Beside them, Caroline didn't care if Abby thought she had manipulated Connor yet again. Caroline hadn't done it for Abby.

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Percy had heard the Professor's account of Stephen's last words too.

"He didn't want the creatures to get out," said Cutter. "Stephen said can't take the risk and then he said for me to tell Abby and Connor to stay out of trouble."

Percy thought, the risk that Stephen wouldn't take… didn't have a thing to do with creatures getting loose.

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Claudia thanked her boss for once more giving her a ride to meet Nick. She exited the jaguar and hurried across the pavement to the ambulance. The medic was unsuccessfully trying to bandage her husband, while Lester and the new public relations person were arguing.

"Nick," asked Claudia reaching for his hand "are you all right?"

"Claudia," exclaimed Nick pulling her close "I'm so glad to see you… I thought I'd lost you too."

"What?"

"It was Helen…," replied Nick "she was working with Leek… she's mad… kept on talking about you and some woman named Jenny Lewis."

"Who?"

"I don't know… never heard of her before," answered Nick "but Helen… she kept talking about changing the world… sending it in a new direction… and asking what happened to Claudia Brown."

"What did you tell her," asked his wife.

"Claudia Brown doesn't exist any more," said Nick with a tiny trace of a crooked smile "but I didn't think Helen needed to know about Claudia Cutter."

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Vivian Lester watched as the ambulance with Claudia and Cutter left. Then another covered gurney was loaded into the last ambulance. It left the building that Leek and Helen had used to warehouse the creatures. Lester walked Percy back to the SUV, then the younger man climbed inside. The SUV followed the remaining ARC security vehicles out of the parking area.

James Lester watched them go, then turned and sauntered back to the parked jaguar. He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. James looked at his wife.

"Stephen, Leek and an inordinate number of creatures are dead," James told her "but she's still out there."

"When would it ever be that easy?" asked Vivian "But we will capture Helen… before she changes the world."

James Lester reached his hand across the space between them to take her long slender fingers off the gear shift. Bringing her hand to his lips he placed a tender kiss on the back of her hand.

"Wouldn't want her changing the world now," he replied, unknowingly echoing Cutter's earlier words "I happen to think the world is rather beautiful just the way it is."

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