The farm looked like something straight out of a horror movie. There were old, rusty vehicles scattered across the front lawn, doorway to sold stables sealed up with corrugated iron plates and weeds growing up through the yard as high as my elbows.

As I pulled the keys from the ignition it left an ominous silence.

'Right,' Nick said, 'this is the place...' I climbed out, moving quickly around the front of the truck when Nick put an arm out to stop me. 'I'm gonna... I'm gonna take a look in the barn,' he said. 'Stay here.'

'Nick.'

'Just-' he continued, '-stay here.'

I leant back against the truck, one hand reaching for the grip of my knife just in case, whilst with the other I reached into the back and rested on the strap of my rucksack.

'What do you want?'

I was startled by the voice of the middle–aged man who appeared from behind the barn, several silver buckets in his hands and what I thought looked like blood on his waistcoat. Nick turned away from the barn doors towards him. 'I'm from The James Lester Animal Foundation. You've probably heard of us.'

'No.'

'Oh never mind. We had a bit of bad luck, had to have a lion put down. I heard you might be the man who could help us replace it.'

'I'm not in that game,' he replied.

Nick held the stare for a second or two longer, before he looked purposely down to the bucket. 'Well you're not exactly gonna be feeding chickens with all that meat,' he said, 'Are you? What you got in the barn?'

'You have to leave,' Mr West replied. 'Now.'

'Not till you show me what's in the barn!'

I pushed myself off the truck and jogged towards them. 'Mr West!' I called, 'Hi. Anna Havisham. Nice to meet you.' I held out my hand as I stepped closer, offering my biggest genuine fake smile.

His gaze immediately dropped to my chest, like he'd honestly never seen a woman up close before and didn't know how to behave in front of one. He took my hand and looked up with an awestricken expression to my face.

'Sorry about my colleague...'

As I gestured back to Nick, he crossed his arms. 'Boyfriend,' he corrected.

I gave him a look but said nothing. 'Right. Said it was a dirty trick.'

'Trick?' West repeated.

'Trying to catch you out.' I sighed. 'Had a report that you might have gone back into your old animal importing business. Came from the ministry.'

'That's rubbish,' he said.

'Course it is,' I replied. 'Wouldn't mind showing us then, would you?'

He eyed Nick, before he brought his shifty eyes back to me. 'It's dogs,' he said, 'that's all.'

Nick frowned. 'Dogs?'

'He loves dogs,' I said in response. 'Could we see?'

West sucked his cheeks in, trying to study my expression just a little more, but I knew he wouldn't find anything. My façade was floorless.

'Alright,' he finally agreed, digging around in his pocket for the keys. 'But you better stay back.'

He turned, walking over to the barn as Nick made his way back down the yard to me. 'What are you doing?' he hissed.

'Want to know if he's got the lions or not?'

His hand found the small of my back. 'Unbelievable,' he muttered.

I said nothing.

I heard the key turn in the padlock, and West pulled the barn door open.

Instinctively, we both stepped back, as two dogs on a chain came running out. For a moment I wasn't sure if we'd retreated far enough but then the chains rattled, the dogs reared up but were caught by the collar. 'I'm breeding them for pets.'

'Pets?' Nick repeated.

'Guard dogs.'

'Right,' I nodded. 'Thank you, Mr West. Sorry to have bothered you.'

I elbowed Nick and spun around on my heel.

'You're a flirt,' he said sharply, chasing me down as I started back towards the truck.

'Excuse me?' I replied, narrowing my eyes.

'You're a flirt,' he repeated. 'You were flirting with him. Don't try to deny it; I've seen it up close and it worked on me, didn't it? You got me to fuck you.'

My eyes bugged. 'Jesus Nick!'

'Oh come on,' he said, amused in what seemed like a bitter sort of way, 'you did.'

'Was just being friendly,' I replied.

'To me or him. Because if you mean him, I'd hate to see how you'd seduce him.'

'Your way wasn't working.'

'No,' he laughed, 'of course it wasn't. I don't have the eyelashes for it.'

And even though he was somewhat amused by the situation, for some reason I couldn't find it funny. 'Didn't ever flirt with you,' I announced, as we reached the truck and I pulled my door open, 'for the record.'

He stopped. 'What?' He took a sidewards side, and after a second I mirrored him so that we could talk across the bonnet. His expression was grey. 'Did you not...' he cut himself off, and paused thoughtfully, 'do you not find me...'

I knew where he was going. 'Nick!' I said in outrage.

'Attractive?' he finished.

He was the most attractive man I had ever seen in my goddamn life. I cocked my head. 'Seriously? Think I don't find you attractive?' I replied.

Nick rolled his eyes in some dramatic way I hadn't ever seen him do before and he snatched his door open.

'Nick...'

He ignored me.

I sighed, throwing my own door open. I jumped up into the drivers seat before I slammed my door closed behind me.

'Jesus,' he muttered, 'there's no need to be childish about it.'

I slowly turned my head, staring in disbelief before I started the engine. I couldn't think to do anything in retaliation but tut.

Stephen and Connor were waiting for us by the shelter when we got back to the park.

We hadn't said anything on the drive, and even now as we unloaded the gear ready to go off in search for the creature, we ducked and weaved almost seamlessly through each other so that we didn't have to communicate.

But my frustration must have been evident. Connor looked confused but by the grace of our ancestors he was smart enough not to say anything in that moment, and beside him Stephen was just sort of pouting, trying to pretend he couldn't feel the awkwardness seeping through the atmosphere.

The first camera I picked up I threw to Stephen. Then I grabbed a second one and launched it at Connor. I hadn't meant to. I'd been trying to dissipate my own anger by killing zombies in my head but I figured I'd distracted myself too well and the anger had remained trapped in my body and just disconnected from my mind. It hit him, almost bouncing right off his chest and he had to snatch his hands up to try and catch the devise before it fell to the ground, blinking back at me in shock. 'Jesus, A!' he said.

I muttered an apology.

'What are these anyway?' Connor questioned.

'They're heat sensitive cameras,' Nick replied. 'The creature knows its territory well. It's made a kill here, and we think it's going to come back. Now, most likely its nocturnal, so already we're at a disadvantage. Its senses will be sharper than ours. I shouldn't have to say this but be careful. Any questions?'

Connor raised his hand.

Nick sighed. 'What?'

'Can I have a gun?'

'Take a wild guess.' Nick passed a tranquilizer rifle back to Stephen before swinging his own over his shoulder.

'No?'

'Good guess. You...' he glanced across, eyes quickly finding me and I watched his jaw twitch before he returned his focus to Connor, 'you stick with me, Connor, alright?'

Connor frowned. 'What about Anna?'

'She's gonna stay with Stephen.'

'So,' Stephen said, sort of under his breath considering we were trying to be as quiet as possible. 'Do you want to talk about ... whatever that was... back there?'

I kept my attention on the picture before me. The trees, stretching up through the darkness into the sky.

No. I didn't.

I didn't want to talk to him about it anyway.

'Was nothing,' I shrugged.

Stephen tutted. 'It didn't look like nothing. Come on,' he groaned, 'it was definitely something. You two never argue.'

'Not arguing,' I insisted, 'not really. Nick's being a child, that's all.'

'No you're right it doesn't sound at all like you might be annoyed at him.' He sighed and I heard him stop as he turned to face me. I spun around too, finding his red and orange figure in my vision and promptly snapping my goggles up. 'What did he do?'

I didn't know where to begin.

Fancy him getting all flappy because of something I'd said to some other guy, who may or may not have been hiding a prehistoric predator in his barn. And fancy him having the nerve to suggest I didn't find him good looking enough to flirt with him when I didn't even need to. Why would I when flirting wasn't a behaviour I ever did with anyone, especially to get what I wanted.

Also, I didn't know why I should tell Stephen that. He wasn't really a friend. Unless people had friends who they sometimes talked to but didn't actually like much. He was barely a colleague. It wasn't his business even if he did want to help.

More than anything I couldn't be bothered. 'Honestly, doesn't matter.'

'Well it's got your knickers in a twist– '

'Stephen– '

But before I could be outraged I was interrupted. I heard a twig snap somewhere through the trees and I pulled my goggles back into place as we both turned towards it.