Chapter 6: There Is No Better Friend Than A Mamuth

Summary:

A little whim that has always, always haunted my head: what would have happened if Richard and Camille are aware of and are direct witnesses of the dangers that the ARC holds? I love this scene from Primeval! They have already begun to make James Lester someone really very special and who they counted on. A delight for all of us!

Chapter Text

The chamber they can access only overlooks the great main room of the impressive ARC. Obviously James Lester has come down from his office due to the obvious silence of the room, even Richard and Camille remember the commotion that always existed in that area. Now there is only silence, a thunderous silence. When James walks over to the monitors where anomalies are detected, he doesn't see anyone and asks, "Hello? Anyone here? ". But nobody answers him. His concern and alarm grow by the minute. His adrenaline shoots up. Suddenly Leek's image appears on each of the monitors. The hatred he feels towards James is palpable. He can't help it.

Richard watches the scene with great concern and great frustration. What they are seeing cannot be true! Camille places both hands on his shoulders, he´s terribly rigid, She has never seen him so worried, but even she herself remains silent because she´s horrified, she smells the enormous danger that Richard's cousin is in and also regrets that she cannot do anything to help him. They both do something they haven't done in a long time: pray. Although they both keep it to themselves.

Follow the breathtaking scene in the great hall of the ARC. James Lester feels in great danger, but by no means is he going to let a roach like Leek see him shake. He calls security: "Security! I want security here now!" But no one comes, he begins to look from side to side without knowing what he´s doing or where the danger is going to come from. In one of those movements he comes face to face with a monster, one of the deadliest he has ever met. He knows its lethality. He can't help but scream in surprise and fear. Then, thanks to a reflex action, he runs out of the great room and the involuntary surveillance of Richard and Camille.

"Camille! ..." Richard can't or doesn't dare to continue speaking. He´s living a nightmare from which he cannot wake up. Camille squeezes her shoulders to encourage her, although she´s very scared herself. She had never seen anything like it.

Minutes later, it seems like hours, they see him come back and his shirt is full of blood!

James Lester stands up, he needs to rest and think, he must do something! A comment from Abby comes to mind about the great mammoth they have locked up and decides to gamble everything on a single card, he knows he has no chance of getting out alive on his own. He walks with a steady, calm step toward the cockpit of the mammoth and takes command.

"What is he up to, Camille? Has he gone mad?" Richard finds himself holding Camille's hand at heights, although he´s not very aware of his actions.

"I don't know, really, I don't know" is the only thing she can answer. Come as James Lester says something to Leek: "You really are a tiresome little man." Then he shuts up and presses a button on the remote he had previously picked up. "Come on" he says, almost ordering something James Lester, he's going to fight to the end! And the great automatic gate opens just as that hideous beast darts from the roof to deliver the final blow to James Lester. He closes his eyes, he has already done everything he had to do. Richard and Camille can't help staring at that horrible scene. Richard will make Leek pay, one way or another.

But everything changes in a split second. They only get to see the filthy beast bleeding to death skewered on one of the impressive fangs of that great marvelous beast. At least it is for Richard, Camille and, of course, James Lester, who is now releasing all that adrenaline by holding onto his knees. But he still has the strength to congratulate the animal: "Good mammoth"

Richard wakes up from his slumber thanks to Camille:

"Richard! Everything is over, he's fine! " And hugs him tightly. There´re people walking down the street who look at them strangely, but not too much. They are used to eccentricity. She immediately pulls away with force to urge him: "What are you doing standing here? Let's see how he is! At the very least, he needs urgent medical help. Let's go!" And they go as fast as their legs can.

They run back to the ARC, find Lester changing his shirt and talking to Nick Cutter. "These Englishmen and their sense of knowing!" Camille thinks .Not even after having run a serious danger of death do they lose their composure. They arrive in time to hear Lester's comment to Nick Cutter: "My children have been heavy for a long time because they want a pet," he says, speaking of the mammoth. When Lester separates from Cutter, who is left with an angry Jenny Lewis, Richard and Camille approach him:

"Are you okay?" Richard asks "I don't have jurisdiction here, but you should call the competent authorities right away. They have to arrest Leek! He forced us to see what happened to you! "

Camille squeezes Richard's arm. Rarely, if ever, have you seen him so nervous and worried.

James Lester looks at them in amazement. He´s the highest authority of the ARC!

"Relax, Richard, I'm fine. You must calm down. I am afraid that my work is subject to unpredictable risks. Not that they are welcome. But…"

Suddenly they hear a warning from Connor Temple. He has been searching ARC personnel for information on Oliver Leek. He has found a clue. Lester, sensing problems, decides to remove Richard and Camille from the ARC and calls in a militarized guard.

"Sorry. My secretary has prepared rooms for you in a hotel very close to here. You must leave at once. Richard and Camille look at him in amazement and don't want to leave. Lester looks at them with authority and great seriousness. "You cannot stay here. In fact, he will "escort" you to the area of your rooms and will stand guard together with two others so that you do not approach here. It's for your good, he emphasizes. You will be notified as soon as there is news, I hope very soon. " And he heads quickly to where Connor and the others are.

Richard and Camille are "kindly" forced to obey the guard. Together with two other people, they go to the hotel, where they are left in rooms with a connecting door. They quickly grab their communication devices, but this time they have disconnected the ARC cameras. They don't know what happened.

"Camille, I hate Oliver Leek! As after all this something happens to him ... "

Camille walks up to him and says, "He's a resourceful man, Richard, just like you! He also has many means. He will know how to take care of himself. If he has managed to face and get rid of such a beast ... "

Richard understands and tries to calm down.

"How about we order some food that we can eat in peace, forget about anomalies, problems and so on for an hour or so and try to calm down? We must rest well later, Richard, there have been too many emotions, "says Camille.

"Okay, you choose and let's eat together. Thanks, Camille, for everything. And for not blaming me that all this is for having such a "special" family." Richard sincerely thanks her.

Camille thinks about it for a second and answers: "I was going to ask you for more than one 'compensation' ..." Richard looks at her scared, "but you're not guilty of anything and it wouldn't be fair. I'm too good, believe me!"

And she laughs softly.

Richard is also left thinking "Well, what a shame!"

Notes: I sincerely hope you liked it. It is my little tribute in the form of my own version of what could have happened. Anomalies allow many things!