Shades of Grey Chapter 30
Title: Shades of Grey Chapter 30
Author: TalliW
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Nick Cutter, James Lester, Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Jenny Lewis, Oliver Leek, Lyle, Finn, Helen Cutter, Ditzy
Rating: K+, T in later chapters
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle and Finn belong to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to the wonderful Fredbassett for beta duty.
Summary: Ryan has survived but he isn't the man he was. Can Stephen and Cutter manage to work together to help him? Perhaps Ryan has changed in more ways than it appears on first sight.
AN: For the former chapters look at my Masterlist
The team had gathered around Lester and Cutter. Cutter spoke quietly so as to not attract the attention of the other visitors.
There were a few intakes of breath and Jenny looked quite shocked. She still got goosebumps when she thought back to how close Abby and Cutter had been to becoming dinner for the last sabre-tooth cat.
"Lyle, how fast can your team get here? We need weapons."
Finn and Lyle shared a wicked look.
"We have weapons," Lyle declared. "There’s a full arsenal in the boot. I prefer to be prepared for all eventualities."
"I could kiss you," Cutter mumbled.
"Hey, no promises you don't intend to keep."
Lyle's joke released a little of the tension that had been building since Cutter had informed them of the situation.
"Besides the rifles are all charged with live ammo," Lyle added.
"Better than facing a Smilodon empty-handed."
"Did someone think of bringing a handheld detector along as well?" Lester asked and noted with satisfaction that indeed every one of the field team had been that sensible.
"Well, then I will go and inform the park manager," Jenny said, not all too happy to have to explain to Peter Campbell that the park had to be evacuated once again.
"And I will go and change back into a more adequate attire."
Cutter opened his mouth to complain but then closed it again with a huff. There were other things to worry about than Lester's pay up to a lost bet.
Bouncing up and down on his feet with excitement, Ryan tugged on Stephen's sleeve. "Are we going tiger hunting?"
From the remarks Ryan had picked up from the other staff members he had conjured up his own theory about what the field team would have to deal with.
Stephen sighed. He desperately wished it was only a tiger they had to go after and not the much more dangerous smilodon. The bad feeling he'd been having all morning had increased tenfold by now.
"Tom, the park will be closed. You and the others will wait outside in the car park until we have caught the creature. You hear?"
As expected Ryan didn't want to leave.
"Please, Tom. Don't make a scene. Just do what I say," Stephen pleaded.
Something in Stephen's expression must have given his worries away because Ryan was suddenly clinging to him as if for dear life.
"You will be careful, won't you?" Ryan blubbered out after he'd lost the fight to hold back his tears.
When Lorraine led him away, Ryan turned around and gave Stephen such a look of misery that Stephen's heart lurched in his chest. Stephen would have run after Ryan to assure him that everything would be all right, if Lyle hadn't shoved a rifle in his arms at that moment and reminded him that they had to hurry.
"I don't want your chaotic group wrecking harvoc in my park. One of them almost shot me in the head last time. Why can't you just call for Mr Leek? His men worked so efficiently," the theme park manager Peter Campbell complained to Jenny.
"Excuse me, I don't understand. What has Oliver Leek been doing here?"
"He came over with some soldiers and took care of that second tiger, lion or whatever that creature was. And his men worked really fast, I must say. What's more I didn't need to close the park."
"A second creature? There was another one?"
"Just three weeks ago. Your department was informed immediately."
Lester was deeply disturbed when he learnt about Leek's little stunt. He was sure the soldiers helping Leek hadn't belonged to the ARC. That meant he'd been working together with someone. On Monday he would pay Oliver Leek a visit and ask him a few very direct questions.
"Valerie Irvin must have found three cubs or maybe even four or five," Cutter said. "There's no indication of a new anomaly in this area."
"Let’s hope the creature you saw is the last one," Lester replied. "Lyle, you accompany Abby and Connor, Finn, you go with Cutter and Stephen. Cutter, no solo runs. I don't want a repeat of the disaster from last time. And Connor... take a gun too but please avoid shooting at mascots."
"Please, let me go. Stephen needs me. Something bad will happen, I know it," Ryan begged in anguish, the tears now streaming freely down his cheeks.
"Nothing will happen." Lorraine tried to soothe Ryan and herself as well. It was hard to wait there in the open with the knowledge that a dangerous prehistoric creature was prowling around. She had never really thought about the risk the field team was taking every time an anomaly opened.
"Stephen will be back in no time, you’ll see," a lab technician called Mary Fry added. But her voice also sounded a little shaky.
Ryan sat down on the ground and wrapped his arms around himself, obviously not believing them.
Ten minutes later, when Lorraine and everyone else was distracted by a dispute between two men in their group, one of them demanding to return to London immediately, Ryan slipped away and hurried back to the theme park.
"He was killed a few days ago. The paintball area seems to be their favourite hunting area," Stephen declared as they found the remains of an unlucky fellow who had been fallen prey to the smilodon. The body was already starting to decompose and the smell was unpleasant.
"Why hasn't someone reported him missing? The guy has to have friends and family."
"I don't know, Finn. The whole case is strange. I mean a young woman finds some odd-looking cubs and decides to keep them, even after her boyfriend was killed by one of creatures. What on earth was going on in her head?"
"I guess we'll never know. She wasn't very forthcoming when I talked with her. And the next time I met her she set her pet smilodon on me," Cutter answered before their talk was interuppted by gunfire.
"That’s coming from over there."
Stephen, Cutter and Finn stormed through the undergrowth. They found Abby kneeling next to Lyle, securing her belt around his arm to staunch the blood flow from a deep scratch.
"What happened?"
"The smilodon... It came out of nowhere."
"Caught me off guard," Lyle gasped out. "But I think I nabbed it."
"Abby, can you manage?"
"Yes, yes. Go! Help Connor. The idiot ran after it."
They followed the tracks Connor and the smilodon had left on the soft forrest ground until to a small clearing. There the smilodon's traces ended abruptly whilst Connor's continued on the narrow path, leading away from the clearing.
"Damed it, it must have climbed the trees."
"At least it hasn't attacked Connor yet."
Cutter had just said that as they heard the sound of Connor's gun going off in the distance.
Once again they started to run, Stephen taking the lead instantly, followed by Finn and Cutter.
"Don't wait for me!" Finn shouted at Cutter as his left foot got tangled in a bramble and he tumbled to the ground. It took Cutter some seconds to sidestep Finn and by then Stephen already had a large lead.
Stephen burst on the meadow near the house Valerie Irwin had inhabited. From a distance the house looked abandoned but on closer view Stephen could see some shirts hanging on a drying rack on the balcony and there were fresh flowers planted in the oversize flowerpots on the patio.
With his rifle at the ready, Stephen speeded closer, his eyes scanning frantically for any sign of Connor or the smilodon.
He spied Connor at the side of what seemed to be a garden shed and headed towards him, wondering why Connor stood frozen to the spot.
"Stephen, mind out. Behind you."
Stephen swiveled around as he heard Connor's warning and found himself face to face with a gigantic smilodon. His finger automatically squeezed the trigger of his rifle and a salvo of shots went off.
The smilodon had done a big leap up the balcony and so avoided a direct hit. Yet Stephen could see that it was bleeding from a wound on its left shoulder, although that wound could stem from Lyle or Connor just as well.
Quickly, Stephen adjusted his rifle and was about to make shot work of the smilodon when a familiar voice said, "Impressive, Mr. Hart. Now put down your weapon and kick it over here or I'll find myself forced to shoot."
"What's all this about?" Stephen asked whilst he grudingly put the rifle on the ground and kicked it towards Oliver Leek.
Leek simply ignored him and turned to Connor, although he continued to hold his gun aimed at Stephen.
"Last chance for you. You know they will never respect you. Do you really prefer to stay the geek people only laugh about? That way you will never get a girl."
"I already have a girlfriend," Connor answered defensivly.
"Caroline, you mean?"
Leek's laugh sounded nasty and a icy chill run down Stephen's and Connor's back.
"Well, no one can say I didn't make you a fair offer," Leek said smiling. "I heard you are a regular jogger, Hart. So how fast can you run?"
Stephen swallowed heavely when a second Smilodon, not much smaller than the first, appeared on the patio and eyed him hungrily. To his surprise it had some sort of device on top of his head that flashed red.
"What's that on its head?" The question came from Connor who had also noticed the strange device.
"Oh, that's just a nice little toy to ensure their obedience. But enough of this talk. Let the game begin. I will be generous and give you both a headstart. Well, what are you waiting for? Run!"
The instant they started to run Stephen realised that Connor wouldn't be able to keep up with him.
"Try to reach the forest. Finn and Cutter will arrive any minute," he yelled.
"And you?" Connor panted.
"I will distract it until then."
For once, Connor didn't protest. He knew that without him Stephen had a better chance of survival. It was more important to get help.
Gasping, Stephen leaned against the wall of the garden shed. Once the smilodon had started to run, it had reached him with a few steps. But instead of attacking him it had herded him back to the place where Leek was still standing. Stephen assumed Leek didn't want to miss the big moment of the kill and was controlling the smilodon to that effect. 'Where the hell were Cutter and Finn?'
"Can you put it down without hurting Stephen?" Cutter asked anxiously. His own shooting skills at long distances were average at best. He would probably end up killing his friend.
"Of course, but what about Leek? I can't deal with both of them at the same time. And Connor said there's another cat somewhere. I'm good, man, but not that good."
Cutter muttered some colourful metaphors whilst Finn changed position to get a clear shot.
"That thing on its head. It's a control device," Connor gasped from a few feet away where he'd collapsed after his quick sprint to the edge of the forest. "Leek’s commanding the smilodon with it. Maybe it will be enough if you destroy it. The shock could stun the smilodon long enough for you to bring Leek down."
"That might work."
"Or you take care of the creature and I give Leek a nasty surprise," Lyle said with a grin as he crawled next to Finn and positioned his rifle.
"I've never been more glad to see you. Can you take him on with your arm?"
"With closed eyes, Finn. Abby is a genius. Patched me up like a pro. And the best thing is that she’s got warm hands."
Leek didn't know what had hit him. The smilodon went down like a cut tree, the device on its head suddenly only a heap of wires and plastic pieces. At the same time, Leek felt a piercing pain in his hand and involuntarily let go of his gun.
With a garbled whimper, he dived for cover behind one of the big flower pots, glad he had decided to keep them, and fumbled for the remote control. He had still the other smilodon at the ready and he could call the mercenaries for back-up, so not everything was lost yet. He wanted to know where the hell the snipers had come from so suddenly. Hadn't his informant told him Stephen was only making a private trip to the theme park with Ryan?
Realising the danger had been minimalised, Stephen ran up the stairs to the patio and tackled Leek just in the moment he had finally managed to pull his mobile and the remote control out of his pockets.
The devices slid out of Leek's hand and clattered to the stone slab out of his reach. Leek gave a curdling scream as his arm was twisted when Stephen hauled him upwards.
Rage raced through Leek's veins and the rush of adrenaline blocked out his pain. He wouldn't let Helen or her stupid lover boy get the upper hand again.. All the anger at Helen, gathered in weeks of being ordered around by her, unloaded on Stephen. In a fury, Leek lashed out until Stephen, after receiving a few painful punches in the ribs and face, was forced to retreat.
His fists clenched in triumph, Leek prepared for another attack as pain lanced through both his thighs and his legs sagged unter his weight. Leek's knees connected hard with the stone slab, then everything went black.
"Perfect timing. I never liked the little weasel."
Lyle looked down at the man he and Finn had immobilised with two well-targeted shots in the legs and grinned at Stephen. "Don't you want to thank your saviours?"
Stephen ignored the banter. Carefully he touched his fast-swelling upper lip and grimaced. Even though Leek didn't look like it, he really knew how to throw a punch.
Then he fetched the rifle Leek had removed from him and began to check the first room. "There’s still an injured smilodon on the run. We’d better get a move on."
Cutter squatted down by the unconscious smilodon, relieved that it was still alive.
"We have to confine it as long we still can. I don't want to be near it when it comes around again," he said to Abby and Connor.
"The basement should be safe enough until we have the equipment to sedate it and transport it to the ARC."
"We better do the same with Leek," Connor added.
Purposefully, Ryan ran towards the house, afraid of what he might find there. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he felt the presence of the predator nearby, waiting, lurking. Although he was already gasping for air, Ryan redoubled his efforts. He had to hurry. Stephen was in danger.
They had checked room after room without success. There was no sign of the second smilodon anywhere. But Stephen's instinct told him the creature was still in the vicinity. Maybe it had climbed the ladder to the attic...
Ryan's feet pounded up the stairs to the house, his fear growing that he might be too late. Inside the house the smell of blood was heavy in the air, mixed with the odour of stale meat and Stephen's scent.
Stephen cursed silently as his rifle jammed a second time. He had been stupid to go up there without back-up. The smilodon, cornered in his last retreat, growled and hissed, but was apparently still kept from attacking by the strange device on its head.
"Oops, sorry," Finn mumbled sheepishly and picked up the remote he'd accidentally stepped on from the stone slab. The remote had a crack in it and the red button was pushed in. He just hoped it wasn't something important.
Slowly, Stephen inched towards the open hatch, his eyes never leaving the smilodon. The smilodon whipped its tail and struck at Stephen with its paw but was still not moving closer. Then suddenly the device on its head stopped flashing and Stephen knew his time had run out.
Using the rifle as a club, Stephen hit the sabre-tooth cat on the nose and dodged the snapping jaw just in time. Although the animal was handicapped by its shoulder wound it was still awfully fast. Stephen knew if he didn't manage to reach the exit, or Lyle and Finn didn't realise his predicament and come to his rescue again, his odds of survival were rather slim. He probably wouldn't manage to evade another attack.
The next moment Ryan was standing in the attic. Stephen gasped for air as he tried to get his head around the fact that one of his worst nightmares had just become reality. He, Tom and a predator were cooped up in the same room.
"You can’t have him. He's mine," Ryan snarled and put himself in front of Stephen.
Stephen moved quickly to the side and tried to draw the creature's attention away from Ryan but Ryan would have nothing of it. Again he placed himself between Stephen and the smilodon.
The smilodon hissed some more and swayed its head from side to side. Its ears were pointing back, flat against the side of its head as it took a first step backwards and then started to retreat.
Stephen stared wide-eyed at the sabre-tooth cat, now sitting hunched in the farthest corner of the room. He didn't understand what had just happened.
"Come on, we can go down."
Ryan tugged on Stephen's arm and motioned towards the hatch. Bewildered, Stephen followed Ryan, climbed down the ladder and closed the hatch to block the smilodon's chance of escape.
"We’ve caught the tiger in the attic," Ryan announced loudly, a proud grin on his face as the others came in and gaped at him, aghast.
Author: TalliW
Characters: Stephen Hart, Tom Ryan, Nick Cutter, James Lester, Abby Maitland, Connor Temple, Jenny Lewis, Oliver Leek, Lyle, Finn, Helen Cutter, Ditzy
Rating: K+, T in later chapters
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Lyle and Finn belong to Fredbassett.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to the wonderful Fredbassett for beta duty.
Summary: Ryan has survived but he isn't the man he was. Can Stephen and Cutter manage to work together to help him? Perhaps Ryan has changed in more ways than it appears on first sight.
AN: For the former chapters look at my Masterlist
The team had gathered around Lester and Cutter. Cutter spoke quietly so as to not attract the attention of the other visitors.
There were a few intakes of breath and Jenny looked quite shocked. She still got goosebumps when she thought back to how close Abby and Cutter had been to becoming dinner for the last sabre-tooth cat.
"Lyle, how fast can your team get here? We need weapons."
Finn and Lyle shared a wicked look.
"We have weapons," Lyle declared. "There’s a full arsenal in the boot. I prefer to be prepared for all eventualities."
"I could kiss you," Cutter mumbled.
"Hey, no promises you don't intend to keep."
Lyle's joke released a little of the tension that had been building since Cutter had informed them of the situation.
"Besides the rifles are all charged with live ammo," Lyle added.
"Better than facing a Smilodon empty-handed."
"Did someone think of bringing a handheld detector along as well?" Lester asked and noted with satisfaction that indeed every one of the field team had been that sensible.
"Well, then I will go and inform the park manager," Jenny said, not all too happy to have to explain to Peter Campbell that the park had to be evacuated once again.
"And I will go and change back into a more adequate attire."
Cutter opened his mouth to complain but then closed it again with a huff. There were other things to worry about than Lester's pay up to a lost bet.
Bouncing up and down on his feet with excitement, Ryan tugged on Stephen's sleeve. "Are we going tiger hunting?"
From the remarks Ryan had picked up from the other staff members he had conjured up his own theory about what the field team would have to deal with.
Stephen sighed. He desperately wished it was only a tiger they had to go after and not the much more dangerous smilodon. The bad feeling he'd been having all morning had increased tenfold by now.
"Tom, the park will be closed. You and the others will wait outside in the car park until we have caught the creature. You hear?"
As expected Ryan didn't want to leave.
"Please, Tom. Don't make a scene. Just do what I say," Stephen pleaded.
Something in Stephen's expression must have given his worries away because Ryan was suddenly clinging to him as if for dear life.
"You will be careful, won't you?" Ryan blubbered out after he'd lost the fight to hold back his tears.
When Lorraine led him away, Ryan turned around and gave Stephen such a look of misery that Stephen's heart lurched in his chest. Stephen would have run after Ryan to assure him that everything would be all right, if Lyle hadn't shoved a rifle in his arms at that moment and reminded him that they had to hurry.
"I don't want your chaotic group wrecking harvoc in my park. One of them almost shot me in the head last time. Why can't you just call for Mr Leek? His men worked so efficiently," the theme park manager Peter Campbell complained to Jenny.
"Excuse me, I don't understand. What has Oliver Leek been doing here?"
"He came over with some soldiers and took care of that second tiger, lion or whatever that creature was. And his men worked really fast, I must say. What's more I didn't need to close the park."
"A second creature? There was another one?"
"Just three weeks ago. Your department was informed immediately."
Lester was deeply disturbed when he learnt about Leek's little stunt. He was sure the soldiers helping Leek hadn't belonged to the ARC. That meant he'd been working together with someone. On Monday he would pay Oliver Leek a visit and ask him a few very direct questions.
"Valerie Irvin must have found three cubs or maybe even four or five," Cutter said. "There's no indication of a new anomaly in this area."
"Let’s hope the creature you saw is the last one," Lester replied. "Lyle, you accompany Abby and Connor, Finn, you go with Cutter and Stephen. Cutter, no solo runs. I don't want a repeat of the disaster from last time. And Connor... take a gun too but please avoid shooting at mascots."
"Please, let me go. Stephen needs me. Something bad will happen, I know it," Ryan begged in anguish, the tears now streaming freely down his cheeks.
"Nothing will happen." Lorraine tried to soothe Ryan and herself as well. It was hard to wait there in the open with the knowledge that a dangerous prehistoric creature was prowling around. She had never really thought about the risk the field team was taking every time an anomaly opened.
"Stephen will be back in no time, you’ll see," a lab technician called Mary Fry added. But her voice also sounded a little shaky.
Ryan sat down on the ground and wrapped his arms around himself, obviously not believing them.
Ten minutes later, when Lorraine and everyone else was distracted by a dispute between two men in their group, one of them demanding to return to London immediately, Ryan slipped away and hurried back to the theme park.
"He was killed a few days ago. The paintball area seems to be their favourite hunting area," Stephen declared as they found the remains of an unlucky fellow who had been fallen prey to the smilodon. The body was already starting to decompose and the smell was unpleasant.
"Why hasn't someone reported him missing? The guy has to have friends and family."
"I don't know, Finn. The whole case is strange. I mean a young woman finds some odd-looking cubs and decides to keep them, even after her boyfriend was killed by one of creatures. What on earth was going on in her head?"
"I guess we'll never know. She wasn't very forthcoming when I talked with her. And the next time I met her she set her pet smilodon on me," Cutter answered before their talk was interuppted by gunfire.
"That’s coming from over there."
Stephen, Cutter and Finn stormed through the undergrowth. They found Abby kneeling next to Lyle, securing her belt around his arm to staunch the blood flow from a deep scratch.
"What happened?"
"The smilodon... It came out of nowhere."
"Caught me off guard," Lyle gasped out. "But I think I nabbed it."
"Abby, can you manage?"
"Yes, yes. Go! Help Connor. The idiot ran after it."
They followed the tracks Connor and the smilodon had left on the soft forrest ground until to a small clearing. There the smilodon's traces ended abruptly whilst Connor's continued on the narrow path, leading away from the clearing.
"Damed it, it must have climbed the trees."
"At least it hasn't attacked Connor yet."
Cutter had just said that as they heard the sound of Connor's gun going off in the distance.
Once again they started to run, Stephen taking the lead instantly, followed by Finn and Cutter.
"Don't wait for me!" Finn shouted at Cutter as his left foot got tangled in a bramble and he tumbled to the ground. It took Cutter some seconds to sidestep Finn and by then Stephen already had a large lead.
Stephen burst on the meadow near the house Valerie Irwin had inhabited. From a distance the house looked abandoned but on closer view Stephen could see some shirts hanging on a drying rack on the balcony and there were fresh flowers planted in the oversize flowerpots on the patio.
With his rifle at the ready, Stephen speeded closer, his eyes scanning frantically for any sign of Connor or the smilodon.
He spied Connor at the side of what seemed to be a garden shed and headed towards him, wondering why Connor stood frozen to the spot.
"Stephen, mind out. Behind you."
Stephen swiveled around as he heard Connor's warning and found himself face to face with a gigantic smilodon. His finger automatically squeezed the trigger of his rifle and a salvo of shots went off.
The smilodon had done a big leap up the balcony and so avoided a direct hit. Yet Stephen could see that it was bleeding from a wound on its left shoulder, although that wound could stem from Lyle or Connor just as well.
Quickly, Stephen adjusted his rifle and was about to make shot work of the smilodon when a familiar voice said, "Impressive, Mr. Hart. Now put down your weapon and kick it over here or I'll find myself forced to shoot."
"What's all this about?" Stephen asked whilst he grudingly put the rifle on the ground and kicked it towards Oliver Leek.
Leek simply ignored him and turned to Connor, although he continued to hold his gun aimed at Stephen.
"Last chance for you. You know they will never respect you. Do you really prefer to stay the geek people only laugh about? That way you will never get a girl."
"I already have a girlfriend," Connor answered defensivly.
"Caroline, you mean?"
Leek's laugh sounded nasty and a icy chill run down Stephen's and Connor's back.
"Well, no one can say I didn't make you a fair offer," Leek said smiling. "I heard you are a regular jogger, Hart. So how fast can you run?"
Stephen swallowed heavely when a second Smilodon, not much smaller than the first, appeared on the patio and eyed him hungrily. To his surprise it had some sort of device on top of his head that flashed red.
"What's that on its head?" The question came from Connor who had also noticed the strange device.
"Oh, that's just a nice little toy to ensure their obedience. But enough of this talk. Let the game begin. I will be generous and give you both a headstart. Well, what are you waiting for? Run!"
The instant they started to run Stephen realised that Connor wouldn't be able to keep up with him.
"Try to reach the forest. Finn and Cutter will arrive any minute," he yelled.
"And you?" Connor panted.
"I will distract it until then."
For once, Connor didn't protest. He knew that without him Stephen had a better chance of survival. It was more important to get help.
Gasping, Stephen leaned against the wall of the garden shed. Once the smilodon had started to run, it had reached him with a few steps. But instead of attacking him it had herded him back to the place where Leek was still standing. Stephen assumed Leek didn't want to miss the big moment of the kill and was controlling the smilodon to that effect. 'Where the hell were Cutter and Finn?'
"Can you put it down without hurting Stephen?" Cutter asked anxiously. His own shooting skills at long distances were average at best. He would probably end up killing his friend.
"Of course, but what about Leek? I can't deal with both of them at the same time. And Connor said there's another cat somewhere. I'm good, man, but not that good."
Cutter muttered some colourful metaphors whilst Finn changed position to get a clear shot.
"That thing on its head. It's a control device," Connor gasped from a few feet away where he'd collapsed after his quick sprint to the edge of the forest. "Leek’s commanding the smilodon with it. Maybe it will be enough if you destroy it. The shock could stun the smilodon long enough for you to bring Leek down."
"That might work."
"Or you take care of the creature and I give Leek a nasty surprise," Lyle said with a grin as he crawled next to Finn and positioned his rifle.
"I've never been more glad to see you. Can you take him on with your arm?"
"With closed eyes, Finn. Abby is a genius. Patched me up like a pro. And the best thing is that she’s got warm hands."
Leek didn't know what had hit him. The smilodon went down like a cut tree, the device on its head suddenly only a heap of wires and plastic pieces. At the same time, Leek felt a piercing pain in his hand and involuntarily let go of his gun.
With a garbled whimper, he dived for cover behind one of the big flower pots, glad he had decided to keep them, and fumbled for the remote control. He had still the other smilodon at the ready and he could call the mercenaries for back-up, so not everything was lost yet. He wanted to know where the hell the snipers had come from so suddenly. Hadn't his informant told him Stephen was only making a private trip to the theme park with Ryan?
Realising the danger had been minimalised, Stephen ran up the stairs to the patio and tackled Leek just in the moment he had finally managed to pull his mobile and the remote control out of his pockets.
The devices slid out of Leek's hand and clattered to the stone slab out of his reach. Leek gave a curdling scream as his arm was twisted when Stephen hauled him upwards.
Rage raced through Leek's veins and the rush of adrenaline blocked out his pain. He wouldn't let Helen or her stupid lover boy get the upper hand again.. All the anger at Helen, gathered in weeks of being ordered around by her, unloaded on Stephen. In a fury, Leek lashed out until Stephen, after receiving a few painful punches in the ribs and face, was forced to retreat.
His fists clenched in triumph, Leek prepared for another attack as pain lanced through both his thighs and his legs sagged unter his weight. Leek's knees connected hard with the stone slab, then everything went black.
"Perfect timing. I never liked the little weasel."
Lyle looked down at the man he and Finn had immobilised with two well-targeted shots in the legs and grinned at Stephen. "Don't you want to thank your saviours?"
Stephen ignored the banter. Carefully he touched his fast-swelling upper lip and grimaced. Even though Leek didn't look like it, he really knew how to throw a punch.
Then he fetched the rifle Leek had removed from him and began to check the first room. "There’s still an injured smilodon on the run. We’d better get a move on."
Cutter squatted down by the unconscious smilodon, relieved that it was still alive.
"We have to confine it as long we still can. I don't want to be near it when it comes around again," he said to Abby and Connor.
"The basement should be safe enough until we have the equipment to sedate it and transport it to the ARC."
"We better do the same with Leek," Connor added.
Purposefully, Ryan ran towards the house, afraid of what he might find there. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he felt the presence of the predator nearby, waiting, lurking. Although he was already gasping for air, Ryan redoubled his efforts. He had to hurry. Stephen was in danger.
They had checked room after room without success. There was no sign of the second smilodon anywhere. But Stephen's instinct told him the creature was still in the vicinity. Maybe it had climbed the ladder to the attic...
Ryan's feet pounded up the stairs to the house, his fear growing that he might be too late. Inside the house the smell of blood was heavy in the air, mixed with the odour of stale meat and Stephen's scent.
Stephen cursed silently as his rifle jammed a second time. He had been stupid to go up there without back-up. The smilodon, cornered in his last retreat, growled and hissed, but was apparently still kept from attacking by the strange device on its head.
"Oops, sorry," Finn mumbled sheepishly and picked up the remote he'd accidentally stepped on from the stone slab. The remote had a crack in it and the red button was pushed in. He just hoped it wasn't something important.
Slowly, Stephen inched towards the open hatch, his eyes never leaving the smilodon. The smilodon whipped its tail and struck at Stephen with its paw but was still not moving closer. Then suddenly the device on its head stopped flashing and Stephen knew his time had run out.
Using the rifle as a club, Stephen hit the sabre-tooth cat on the nose and dodged the snapping jaw just in time. Although the animal was handicapped by its shoulder wound it was still awfully fast. Stephen knew if he didn't manage to reach the exit, or Lyle and Finn didn't realise his predicament and come to his rescue again, his odds of survival were rather slim. He probably wouldn't manage to evade another attack.
The next moment Ryan was standing in the attic. Stephen gasped for air as he tried to get his head around the fact that one of his worst nightmares had just become reality. He, Tom and a predator were cooped up in the same room.
"You can’t have him. He's mine," Ryan snarled and put himself in front of Stephen.
Stephen moved quickly to the side and tried to draw the creature's attention away from Ryan but Ryan would have nothing of it. Again he placed himself between Stephen and the smilodon.
The smilodon hissed some more and swayed its head from side to side. Its ears were pointing back, flat against the side of its head as it took a first step backwards and then started to retreat.
Stephen stared wide-eyed at the sabre-tooth cat, now sitting hunched in the farthest corner of the room. He didn't understand what had just happened.
"Come on, we can go down."
Ryan tugged on Stephen's arm and motioned towards the hatch. Bewildered, Stephen followed Ryan, climbed down the ladder and closed the hatch to block the smilodon's chance of escape.
"We’ve caught the tiger in the attic," Ryan announced loudly, a proud grin on his face as the others came in and gaped at him, aghast.