Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me, this is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses etc is entirely fictitious.
3.11 Sticks and Stones
"This isn't over yet!"
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Lester strode quickly out the building towards the waiting SUV. He opened the door and gestured to Cutter, Claudia, Sarah and Becker. The foursome climbed into the rear seating compartment. Lester climbed into the front seat next to his wife. Turning to look towards the back, he glared at Cutter.
"You couldn't wait," snapped Lester. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
The Professor inhaled sharply. "I haven't caused any trouble," Cutter responded curtly. "You've allowed that woman to keep me from my research. Why?"
Claudia reached out a hand to Cutter's arm. "Nick," she said quietly "the first few months… while you have been home recuperating, there were some issues at the ARC."
Cutter turned to look at his wife, then beyond Claudia to Sarah. Sarah was frowning, looking down at her lap where she was clasping and unclasping her hands. The Professor began to understand.
"Claudia," asked Cutter slowly "what kind of issues? And… were these issues in the reports that Sarah brought me?"
"The doctor said you had to be kept quiet," began Claudia.
"No," answered Sarah. "I only reported positive developments."
"It was my orders," reminded Lester "I told her to keep the reports slightly dull, leaving out anything that might get your heart racing."
Cutter glared at Lester. "What did you leave out?"
Everybody spoke at once.
"Connor had a concussion."
"Percy nearly died and then he quit!"
"Christine Johnson tried to take over the ARC."
"No," corrected Becker "Christine Johnson did take over the ARC with her military group for eight hours and forty-three minutes."
Cutter started laughing. "It sounds like you were counting every second," he replied.
"Yeah," replied Becker seriously. "That woman and her plans are dangerous. She's not a proper military leader at all, but the minister was set to hand over total control of the ARC and all its research to her."
Lester looked at the soldier. "The military has classified research into anomalies since the 1940's," James said quietly. "We wouldn't have gotten the ARC back from Christine if it weren't for Becker's aid."
"What kind of research?" asked Cutter.
"The kind of research that gets people killed," said Vivian from the driver's seat. "We really don't want the military controlling the ARC."
"The minister is not happy about losing three key team members," replied Lester "we may not have a choice in the matter. For right now may I suggest we all go back to the ARC and try to do some work?"
"Yeah," replied Cutter "and from the sounds of it, I've got several months of report reading to catch up on."
Vivian shifted the SUV into drive. "I'll drop you lot at the ARC," she said "but Claudia and I will need to go in to our offices."
She pulled the SUV through the open gate and began to accelerate more.
Sarah screamed "Stop!"
Vivian slammed on the brakes, jolting everyone with the suddenness of the vehicle stopping.
"Oh what is it now?" asked James with a long suffering sigh.
"Jamal," answered Sarah pointing at a figure traipsing through the woods towards the pedestrian gate to the racetrack. "We've got to stop him."
She hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over Becker to get out of the SUV. Sarah ran quickly, calling Jamal's name. He stopped and turned towards Sarah. They spoke together for a moment, and then she reached a hand out towards him. He smiled and took her hand. Together they returned to the SUV.
Becker had moved to the rearmost seat when Sarah climbed in the SUV followed quickly by Jamal. Lester raised his eyebrows.
"He stays," said Sarah firmly, sounding oddly like Cutter. "We need his help on the anomaly mapping project."
"Oh by all means," replied Lester sarcastically, "Anything for the anomaly map."
Vivian shifted the SUV into drive again. "I think perhaps Claudia and I should come into the ARC for a moment or two," she said "to see this map of yours."
"You mean the map that doesn't exist?" teased Cutter with a grin.
"Yes," Vivian replied coolly.
"Then you don't want to go to the ARC," the Professor said "we've got it at home."
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Danny looked at Stephen in surprise. "Yeah," he replied "in my time your mother is alive. What happened to her in your time?"
Stephen swallowed. "After my Dad and brother died," he said "she was on lots of different medications… medicine to make her sleep at night and antidepressants… I don't even know all the medicines she was on."
Danny nodded as he listened to the young grad student. Stephen closed his eyes.
"She overdosed," said Stephen, taking in a deep breath, "and I don't really know if it was an accident… or not."
"I'm sorry," said Danny softly. He reached a hand out to clasp Stephen on the shoulder. "In my time, she's a feisty little woman that keeps Lester going round in circles with solicitors, the military and the minister."
"Who's Lester?" asked Cutter.
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Abby climbed up the embankment slowly. She had heard Connor's frantic shout to stay hidden, but then nothing more from him. Abby took a deep breath and pushed aside the evergreen branch, dreading what she might find.
Connor wasn't there.
Abby stepped out onto the roadway. She walked across the stones to the other side. There she bent down and picked up Connor's staff. It wasn't beside the tree where he had been sitting. Abby wondered for a brief moment whether Connor had moved it or someone else.
She looked around. Connor's rucksack with the stun grenades and the anomaly opening device was still hidden beneath the bush where it had been when she left to go get water. Abby picked it up, put the water bottle inside and shouldered it. Her rucksack was lying empty next to the tree. The last of the energy bars were gone. And the raptor's head was missing.
What kind of men would steal food, a raptor's head and kidnap Connor?
Abby took another deep breath and stared resolutely down the road. They could keep the energy bars and the raptor's head, but she was going to get Connor back. She followed the rutted trail of the cart down the roadway. Abby just hoped the spatters of blood in the tracks were all from the raptor's head.
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Connor groaned as consciousness returned to him. His head hurt and he was bouncing. Why was he bouncing? Connor opened his eyes. Then he shut them quickly. There was a raptor beside him. A long moment passed. Connor realized that he hadn't been eaten, so he opened one eye again. The raptor was still there. It hadn't moved. Connor opened his other eye.
The raptor wasn't going anywhere. The head, neck and upper torso of the creature was lying in a wooden cart next to Connor and some rather large barrels. The raptor, the barrels and Connor were all bouncing as the cart jolted its way down the road. Connor turned his head, and then groaned again and closed his eyes as the world went spinning in circles.
Someone gave a low, throaty chuckle.
Connor slowly reopened his eyes. A dark haired young woman in a green dress was trotting after the cart. She had to move quickly, Connor realized, or she would fall down. The young woman was tied to the cart. Connor remembered the oxcart and the men.
"Where are we going?" asked Connor.
The woman looked at him strangely. Connor tried the same question in French. This time the woman narrowed her eyes. She shook her head.
A rider approached. The big man was dressed in a short dark brown tunic and leggings. He wore a metal mesh over the tunic and carried a huge stick. He hit the side of the oxcart with the staff and said something incomprehensible to Connor.
Connor struggled to sit up straight. "Where are you taking me?" he asked.
The big man glared at Connor and muttered some more words. With a final blow to the side of the oxcart, he rode on forward. Connor watched him leave and then turned to look back at the woman. She was frowning after the big man.
She raised one hand in a rude gesture and then spat on the road stones. "Pah!" Connor agreed.
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