Studying has been a nightmare – my exams are in May and I am stressing so much already – so apologies for the late update. I can see a natural end approaching, so this will be one of the last chapters to be posted. Hope you enjoy, and you know the drill – please review! x
Jess carefully pulled open the door, hands quivering and breath shallow as she saw what she had been dreading. She lifted her weapon, ready to kill him if she had to. And then he moved. She ran screaming from the doorway, skin crawling as she imagined it scuttling across the floorboards towards her. She hated spiders. She hated all insects, for obvious reasons. But killing one was far harder than she had first thought, and even with the rolled up magazine in hand, she just couldn't bear getting close to it. It was the first time she actually wished she owned an EMD, and certainly not the first time she wished her husband was the one to save her.
Gingerly crossing into the living room, Jess decided the only way to distract herself from the terrifying creature, worse than any dinosaur in her opinion, was to return the flat to its former tidiness. She had to admit that she had been lacking her usual neat-freak nature since being without her family, but all that was going to change. She had to stay positive, and maybe if she cleared out all this mess, it would be one small step towards clearing out her cluttered mind.
Starting with the piles of paper currently scattered across the small kitchen table, Jess gathered them all together and dropped them on the rug in the living room. She sat on the floor, cross-legged, and began putting them into piles. She had a steady rhythm going when she came across some files that even she herself hadn't read. Flicking through them, frowning slightly at the science jargon, she suddenly froze as one name screamed out at her from the page. Leaning forward, she inhaled deeply as her eyes focused in on the underlined name. Helen Cutter.
"Oh my God."
Helen Cutter. The woman who had almost destroyed everything, including the entire human race. Why did she have a file on Helen Cutter? What did all these science theories mean? Why were any of these files even remotely relevant to her?
Skimming through the rest of the pile in case another 'Helen Cutter file' appeared, Jess then decided to read through each piece slowly and carefully. It was only when she reached the last one that things started to slot into place. Babies. Children. Unique individuals which could unlock answers to questions never asked before. Jess felt sick as she came to the end of the report, realising that all of this was connected to Bella, her darling daughter, who was currently extremely vulnerable.
It was a trap.
Standing up quickly, Jess knew that whatever Helen had started, Rowland was somehow involved. And though she daren't think about it, if Rowland was involved, then perhaps Lester was too. And if Bella's godfather had betrayed them, then her daughter was in terrifying danger.
"I told you to relax."
Jess whirled round just in time to see Rowland nudging the door shut. His cold, blue eyes were fixed on her, but all she could see was the ominous looking gun in his hand, directed straight at her.
xxx
He smiled absent-mindedly as Bella played with the toy dinosaurs in front of her, small, pink tongue stuck out the side of her mouth in concentration. She wasn't hard to love, by any means. In fact, Lester loved being godfather. It relieved him of all the responsibilities of being a parent, and left him with all the fun and funny moments which he had often missed out on with his own children. It felt like a second chance, and he was determined that from now on, he would protect her as much as he could.
But for now, he didn't need to worry. Jess was relatively safe, as was Becker. And Bella was completely oblivious to any danger at all. Things weren't going to be easy, but at least he felt the situation was under control. Or so he liked to believe. The frantic phone calls from Jess most days, and the rather erratic behaviour of his best soldier did nothing for his peaceful fantasy, but it didn't seem to be affecting Bella too much. And that was his number one priority in the end – her happiness.
His eyes glanced upwards, having sensed someone moving outside his office, and his eyebrows rose as two official looking agents entered.
"I'm a little busy at the moment, gentlemen…"
"I'd rather we skip the small talk, if it's all the same. We've come for the girl."
Lester almost laughed - it was like something from a movie. And yet the uneasiness knotting in the pit of his stomach told him that something was wrong.
"Now, you know I would never allow that."
"We weren't asking, sir. We have our orders, and we will carry them out with or without your permission."
For threatening secret agents, they were awfully polite, Lester thoughts as he tried to calm himself. Stepping from behind his desk, he gave them an easy-going smile and stood in front of Bella.
"I have contacts in the highest echelons of the British and American governments. I have the Prime Minister on speed dial. Do you really think that I am unprotected?"
The taller, broader man gave a low, menacing growl and took a step forwards. "Get out of the way or I'll blow your brains out."
Lester took a moment to consider this, before finally replying: "No."
It was an antagonising approach, and one he knew could backfire, but if he showed weakness, they would take him by force. The fact was, Lester had always abhorred security within his office, and kept all the gadgets for the ARC itself. A decision he was severely regretting now.
The younger, skinnier man pulled back his friend and gave a small chuckle. "You're brave, I'll give you that. But brave men are often the most foolish, and you are no exception. The girl is of interest to us – she won't be harmed, I give you my word."
"Your word means nothing to me when you force yourself into my office and threaten myself and an innocent child," Lester retorted angrily.
"The child is innocent, but the parents are guilty of bending the rules you created. Time is a commodity none of us will ever fully understand, and they manipulated it. We need to make sure there will be no consequences."
At this, Lester had no answer. He had no idea what Becker and Jess had done, but he was sure that whatever it was, they had done it for a good reason.
"I stand by my team," was his only reply, and he meant it.
"Then I'll return to my previous statement: you are a brave man, and a fool."
It was the last thing Lester heard his head ricocheted off his desk and the world went silent.
xxx
Jess backed away from the papers littering the floor, arms slightly raised as adrenaline rushed through her body.
"You don't need that gun, Rowland. I'm unarmed," she said shakily, desperately trying to figure out his weaknesses.
He remained silent, gun still pointed at her chest, eyes still focused on her terrified face.
"I know about Helen. I know that she was a scientist, married to Nick Cutter, who travelled through time. She explored and experimented and was a genius. And I know she was completely insane, and is now dead."
"No."
"Yes. Believe me, I have read the reports."
"Reports don't equate to a dead body though, do they?"
Jess gulped. If Helen was alive, then everyone was in danger, not just Bella. From what she had been told by Connor and Abby, Helen was obsessive about science – neurotic. She was the most dangerous woman on earth, and she almost succeeded in wiping out every human being to have ever existed, including herself.
"I suppose they don't. Are you saying she's alive?"
"I'm saying her work is carried on through others."
"Including you?"
"Including me," he said proudly, lowering his gun slightly, subconsciously.
"Then you must love science as much as she did," Jess continued. "After all, trapping me and fooling Lester must have been extremely difficult."
In truth, Jess had no idea where she was going with this. All she knew was that the more she talked about him and Helen, the more relaxed he became, and the more he lowered his weapon.
He gave a slight smile, the only emotion she had seen since he arrived. "Surprisingly simple, actually. I have military training, a sharp mind, and Lester and I have been old friends for years."
Jess nodded, glad Lester wasn't involved. She had hated herself for being suspicious of him, but this situation just showed she couldn't trust anyone.
"Gosh, well you certainly fooled me. And what exactly do you want from me, then?"
At this, he gave a hearty laugh and dropped the gun completely. "I don't want you, Jessica. I just needed you out of the way so we could get to Bella."
xxx
Matt knew as soon as he entered the ARC that something was different. It was quieter, tenser, as though the building itself was holding its breath. The others were still unloading the truck, and he had gone on ahead to check on Lester and Bella, but the closer he got to the Hub, the more nervous he became.
His eyes slid towards the glass office where he hoped to see them both still playing happily, but it was empty. Scattered toys on the floor, crayons covering the carpet, and…
He stopped. A hand. An arm. A body slumped on the floor. His heart stalled and he sprinted up the steps and into the office, kneeling on the ground and checking for a pulse. He was still alive.
"Lester? Lester, wake up! Where's Bella? Lester, where is Bella?" Matt yelled, shaking him by the shoulder.
The older man gave a slight groan and rolled onto his side. There was a large bump on his forehead and his cheek was grazed from the fall, but he was awake.
"Where is she, Lester?"
It took him a moment to come up with a coherent response – his head was pounding so hard he couldn't think clearly, but eventually he managed to whisper: "They took her. I'm sorry."
It was all the answer he needed, and he rushed from the room just in time to crash into an oblivious Connor.
"Grab the rest of them. Bella's been kidnapped."
xxx
Connor's hands were shaking as he checked over the CCTV of the ARC, and Abby rested a gentle hand on his shoulder for reassurance.
"This is all my fault," he whispered to her, but she merely shook her head, knowing better than to argue with him right now.
Matt and Emily stood to one side of them, deep in conversation. They had been working for over an hour, and still they were no closer to knowing who had taken Bella.
"We'll find her," Emily said encouragingly, hoping that by saying it enough times, it might actually come true.
Matt shook his head. "One of us should have stayed behind. Lester isn't trained to defend anyone – he wasn't equipped to protect her."
"We can't blame him-"
"No, but I know who we can blame. Where the bloody Hell is he? He should be here!"
Emily sighed, in some ways agreeing with him. "Becker won't have just gone for no reason. We'll find him."
Matt laughed harshly, feeling nothing but hatred for the man right now. "As well as finding Bella? I don't think so. She is our main concern, and he can go hang for all I care."
She had never heard him like this before, so bitter and unfeeling. Matt and Becker had become so close, but since Jess had left, it was as though Matt had no time for Becker's grief. All he cared about was Bella's welfare.
"I don't understand what's happened to you, Matt. I know she's a little girl, and we are all worried about her, but Becker is her father-"
"Correction, Becker was her father. Today has just proved that he isn't up to the job."
Silence descended as the comment sunk in, and Emily was inches from slapping him across the face. She refrained, but only just. "You tell me what's going on right now, Matthew, or I swear I will never speak to you again. And I mean it."
He couldn't tell her. He just couldn't. She would treat him differently. She might even stop loving him. And he couldn't break a confidence. Jess had written him that note in good faith, and he couldn't break that now, not when Bella's life was at risk.
"Matt, please," Emily begged, squeezing his arm tightly. She needed him to trust her, but it looked like he couldn't make that leap.
"Don't ask me, Emily. I can't tell you."
"If this has anything to do with Bella, then you have to tell me. It could help, Matt. It would be selfish to keep such important information to yourself."
He sighed, shutting his eyes for a second as he tried to make the right decision. When he opened them again, he gazed at her for a long moment and then pulled her out into the dark corridor and kissed her.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know how you're going to react. That's my goodbye if… if you can't get passed… what I am."
"What you are?" Emily questioned, eyes searching his face for an answer he was desperately trying to conceal.
He gulped hard, knowing that he had to tell her the truth, but terrified in case she couldn't accept him for who he was.
"I'm more like Bella than you could possibly imagine, Emily. She isn't… your average child. She was born in the past, but she was conceived in the future. Does that make sense?"
It took her a moment to comprehend that possibility, but once she had got it straight in her mind, she nodded. "Jess and Becker made Bella in the future."
"Yes. And then Jess travelled back in time and gave birth in the present, or in the past, depending on your viewpoint."
Again, Emily nodded, still unsure what this had to do with Matt.
"Emily, Jess was terrified about what Bella might become, because she thought Bella was the first child to have been created this way. Bella is an anomaly, but she isn't unique, and she isn't the first."
It dawned on her, like a sudden epiphany, what Matt had been trying to tell her all this time. His strange behaviour, his bond with Bella, his hatred towards Becker, all suddenly made sense.
"You're the same as Bella. You're the first," she whispered, before pulling him into an embrace which left him in no doubt whatsoever – Emily was the most remarkable woman he had ever met, and he loved her completely.
P.S. Some may be confused as to why Matt was so averse to having a child with Emily when he knew all along that it was possible. All will become clear in the next chapter, so don't worry if you still have some questions. It's all part of the suspense ;)