tli_productions | Fic: Things Present (2/3)

Header information and notes contained in Part 1.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

2

Stephen stays crouched on the ground besides Claudia while Obaid and his team lock the anomaly. He watches it pulsate then close in on itself, pleased as he recognises Connor's handiwork.

“Perhaps we should inform someone of this,” Emily says from behind him. When Stephen twists round to look at her, she stares pointedly at him and continues: “Then perhaps someone could explain why this is 'impossible'.”

Stephen glances at Obaid, then Claudia. “Can you stand?” he asks quietly.

She considers it. “I think so.”

Stephen stretches slowly to his feet and then helps Claudia stand. Her legs seem stiff, and she cradles one arm protectively, but she's steady. He can't see any dried blood on her, or any other obvious signs of injury.

Claudia points at Emily for a few seconds but doesn't say anything. Stephen thinks he knows what she means though.

She wants to know what's impossible about her as well.

“Emily Merchant, this is Claudia Brown,” Stephen says quietly. “Claudia, Emily Merchant.”

“Hello,” Emily says.

Claudia nods.

Stephen takes a deep breath, now acutely aware that Obaid's team are watching from behind them. “Claudia... doesn't exist in this timeline.”

Emily looks nonplussed.

Claudia closes her eyes and sighs. “Nick was right,” she whispers.

“Tell me how she got here,” Nick demanded after they'd rescued Abby and the kid from the Mer creature. “Claudia Brown.” He said the words like they were from an alien language.

Stephen shrugged. “Same way we did.”

A combination of pure dumb luck and fight over flight.

“Yeah,” Stephen says.

“You're him,” Claudia says.

Stephen nods. “And you're her.”

“You are... both from the same timeline?” Emily asks.

Claudia makes a snorting sound. “More or less.”

Before Stephen can wonder what that means Obaid steps into his peripheral vision.

“I'm calling this in,” he says without preamble.

“Make sure you speak to Lester directly.” Stephen says, surprising himself. Maybe it's a belated resolution, just in time for his second chance in this present: don't make the same mistakes twice.

Better late than never.

“Problem,” the soldier says. When everyone turns to look at him, he points to his earpiece. “Lester's AWOL.”

Stephen frowns. “Does Jess know?”

Obaid raises an eyebrow and points to Stephen's head.

...Oh.

Stephen taps his own earpiece. “Jess?”

“Ste... Doctor Hart,” Jess says quickly. Too quickly, like she's out of breath, or focusing on something else. “Problem?”

Stephen glances at Claudia again. “I could say the same thing. Where's Lester?”

“Meeting. Again, is there a problem at the site?”

“Good,” Jess replies. “Because we've got a situation at the other anomaly site.”

“Back-up, ma'am?” Obaid asks; beyond him, Emily frowns as she realises there's an entire conversation happening that she's not privy to.

“Is the anomaly still open?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Then no. Doctor Hart, any idea how long that anomaly will stay open?”

“Unlikely to be more than two hours from start to end.” Stephen wishes he'd been able to keep the locking device. At least that way he could force close the anomaly and they could go to Hilary's anomaly site.

He wonders what the situation Jess had referred to could be. Nothing too serious, otherwise it could have bled over the comms.

He winces minutely. Bad choice of metaphor.

It's almost a minute before Jess replies. “Orders are to stay put and prevent civilian access until the anomaly closes.”

Obaid nods, though Jess can't see him. “Ma'am.” He taps his earpiece to end the transmission and signals for his team and Stephen to do the same.

“I hope you know what you're doing,” Obaid tells Stephen.

So does Stephen.

“We stay put for now,” he tells Claudia and Emily. He's itching to contact Hilary at the other anomaly site, find out what's going on there. Calling it a 'situation' is deliberate; surely Jess would have indicated if there's an emergency.

It's only then that Stephen realises just how little he knows the current system, and the people in it.

And where is Lester?

o o o o o

Jenny laid down covering fire while Danny dragged Becker to the anomaly. After a few missteps Becker shook off Danny's grip, reloaded his handgun, aimed to his upper right and fired.

A creature shrieked, then fell forwards off a bus. It hit the ground and instantly smaller maggot like creatures swarmed over it.

The anomaly was ahead of them, a small leap off the edge of the plateau. It left no margin for error. Beyond it was nothing but crumbling edges and dust clouds. It was all too easy to imagine what could be at the bottom of the cliffs.

Whatever wisecrack Danny might have otherwise conjured up about the space between the ground and the anomaly didn't come. Instead he clasped Becker's shoulder with his good hand, then launched into a sprint. He sprang off the edge and through the anomaly.

Two more gunshots rang out behind Becker, quickly followed by the sound of boots on gravel. Jenny was breathing heavily but moving fast. She passed Becker wordlessly; he fell into pace behind her and they jumped through the anomaly and -

- and landed on a cold concrete floor. Becker winced as his shoulder made contact, then rolled to the side. When he looked up, Lester had already sealed the anomaly. Danny was on his feet and pulling Jenny to hers.

“I suppose a retrieval's out of the question,” Lester said quietly, without his usual bite. Wearing 'civilian' clothes, pristine, dark running gear and matching hat, he didn't look like the man Becker was used to.

He thought of the maggots that had swarmed over anything dead, and shuddered.

“We... we lost Sarah,” Danny said when he realised Becker wasn't going to say anything. “No sign of Abby, Connor or Stephen.”

Lester pursed his lips. “That's unfortunate.” It sounded sincere. “I'll return the equipment before the administrators realise it's gone. You three... you should head home. I'm sorry.”

Jenny closed her eyes tightly for a second. Danny wrapped his good arm around her, murmured something into her hair. “Come on, Becker,” he said a few seconds later. “Drive me to A&E.”

What – just like that? No. Becker shook his head. “No. We... we can't do nothing!”

“We can't do anything for her,” Danny said again. For a split second Becker was back in the perimeter of the future ARC building, standing over Sarah's burned -

He forced himself to focus on Danny. “...back, we'll get killed.”

“And then we're no good to anyone,” Becker said dully. He knew the drill. Didn't mean he had to like it. “She's a civilian, Danny.”

Jenny made a choking noise. “So are we.”

“You're both firearms certified. She isn't.”

“She chose to be here, Captain.” Lester set aside Connor's equipment and stepped into the circle. “As did all of us, tonight. She knew the risks. We all did.”

He was doing all the right things. Making all the right noises.

But Becker wanted none of it.

Three months, and no sign of Stephen or Connor or Abby, alive or dead. No sign of Helen Cutter. And now Sarah was...

No.

“Jenny,” Becker says. He feels faintly stupid for not having realised before.

“Becker,” Jenny says again. She lets out a long breath. “I don't want to sound rude, but what are you doing here?”

“Anomaly,” Becker says. There's no point dressing it up or dancing around it. It's been almost ten months since she and Danny left, maybe she just needs to hear it out loud.

Jenny closes her eyes. “Okay,” she says quietly. “Yes. Right.”

There's a tiny tremble in her hands as she smoothes her shirt.

“I'm sorry,” Becker says. And he means it. He's sorry the team is here, that he's here.

There'd been a small part of him that hoped he'd never see Danny and Jenny again. He tries not to think about it most days, about his reasons for thinking that.

That way he can believe it's for the right reasons.

The corner of Jenny's mouth twitches. She gets it. “Who are you meeting downstairs?”

“Events director.”

“Claire.” Jenny nods. “Let's go.”

And they go. Jenny falls into step beside Becker down the stairs. On the first right turn she asks: “What do I need to know?”

Becker hesitates, then gives her the facts: secured anomaly, unconfirmed and unidentified human intruder. The bare minimum. “I'd say congratulations,” he adds before he can help himself.

Jenny smirks, eyes Becker's uniform. “Likewise.”

Claire Duchemin's office is oblong and surprisingly airy. One wall is dominated by windows and French doors that open onto the grounds. A smartly-suited woman Becker doesn't know – Duchemin by process of elimination – is standing by the desk with Sergeant Emerson.

Becker shakes Duchemin's hand; she greets Jenny far more warmly, all air kisses and hand waves that make Becker want to roll his eyes.

“You... know these people, Ms Lewis?”

Jenny affects a wide smile. “Former colleagues,” she says airily. “I would say this is their idea of a prank.”

Duchemin raises an immaculate eyebrow, and shoots Becker a brief but thoroughly dirty look. “I'm not laughing.”

Becker's not sure if he's supposed to say anything or not, but Jenny makes the decision for him. “They're ex-army, sense of humours are in short supply.”

Duchemin humphs.

Jenny sighs but someone else interrupts her: “And they're tracking a person of interest last seen on site.”

Danny Quinn strolls into the office, followed by one of Becker's team and a man he doesn't recognise. It's easier than Becker thought it would be, but he only gets a moment of self-loathing before Danny gives him a toothy smile and sweeps him into a brief hug.

“Oh captain, my captain, last person I expected to see here today! Jen,” he adds in a much softer tone, and lets go of Becker to touch Jenny's arm. “All right?”

She nods. “You?”

Danny takes a moment before nodding. He moves around Jenny to stand closer to the wall; the move gives him a clear view of the rest of the room and through the windows. Jenny moves slightly backwards as well, affording herself a similar view.

“Mr Quinn,” Duchemin says, “I don't like so-called jokes or pranks. What, exactly -”

“Ma'am.” As a rule Becker dislikes interrupting civilians when there's no immediate threat but there are always exceptions. “Danny – Mr Quinn – was telling the truth. We've been tracking an individual, and he was last sighted in the grounds of this building.”

True enough, if a little back to front.

“We're conducting a thorough search,” Becker continues. “It was never our intention to disrupt any of today's proceedings.”

“Now say sorry,” Jess prompts. She sounds amused.

Becker coughs. “Our apologies for any inconvenience. But this is an important matter. Had we been able to locate you when we arrived, we'd have brought you up to speed then.”

Duchemin looks far from impressed. But she nods. “And the fact that you all know each other...?”

“Coincidence,” Jenny says. Her gaze flickers to Becker briefly but her face stays expressionless.

“We should resume the search, sir,” Emerson says, recognising her cue.

“And then,” Jess adds in Becker's ear, “I want details.”

Becker tries not to groan.

o o o o o

“Matt? I think I've found something.”

Matt waits until Becker disappears down the narrow staircase, then flicks to the private channel Jess is using. “What is it?”

“I've got someone breaking into the building through a west-facing side door.”

Matt heads for the nearest staircase. “When?”

“Time stamp says two hours ago. Image isn't great – but, Matt,” Jess says quietly. “The description matches the one Emily gave of Ethan Dobrowski."

Matt halts in the middle of the corridor. Looks around; no one else either from the project or the stately home's staff. “How close?”

He can practically hear her pull a face, re-evaluate the image and shrug. “Close. It's impossible to call, but... maybe.”

Matt considers his options. Emily – Dobrowski's likeliest target – is back at the ARC. The anomaly – Dobrowski's only other feasible target – is sealed and guarded by two of Becker's security team. “West facing door?” he asks.

Jess' reply is instant. “Yes – and the time frame matches with the assault on Colin Wrathall – the wedding guest Connor and Abby found,” she adds.

Matt remembers. “Where did they find him?”

“In the... north wing,” Jess says. “Ground floor.”

“So if it's the same man...” Matt begins.

“Then he's looping around!” Jess exclaims. “There are no internal cameras, and there's nothing else unusual from the external feeds. A couple of cars registered to guests, that's it.”

“Question is, what's his target.” Matt heads back towards the west wing, where Dobrowski – the easiest label to give the intruder until a definitive identification could be made – had entered the building.

“Yes, I – hang on.”

“Keep the channel open,” Matt reminds her, but Jess is already talking to someone else.

“Doctor Hart. Problem?”

Stephen. Something with his laboratory or reintegration process, possibly. Matt tunes out the rest of what Jess says until she reintroduces herself to him.

He remembers most of the building's layout from when Becker's sergeant had passed around the plans on the way over earlier, and finds the right entrance point easily. The door is closed but unlocked, and some of the wood varnish around the lock is scuffed.

A good job, but not the best Matt's ever seen.

From there it's easy enough to find the room where Abby and Connor had found the civilian. Most of the doors on Matt's route are closed, some even locked, and Wrathall's room is the first one Matt finds that is both unlocked and open. He glances around the room, then turns around to stand in the doorway.

If he had broken into this place, taking a suit would be the logical step. Even without a wedding, smart clothes ensured he would blend into the background and allow him to move with impunity.

So whatever Dobrowski was doing here, he had a plan.

Matt allows himself to frown. The undisguised opulence of this place would be recognisable to anyone – even he felt under-dressed just coming through the gates – but could a man like Dobrowski come here and improvise or was his plan at least partly constructed beforehand?

He considers his geography again. From this room he estimates a four minute direct route to the anomaly – clearly not Dobrowski's immediate concern as no alarm had been raised by Becker's men. Nor had anyone else on site reported the presence any unknown individuals.

Matt taps his earpiece. “Brooks? Check in.”

Brooks is the senior soldier guarding the anomaly, and responds immediately. “No change, sir.”

It's at that moment that Jess comes back on the comm. “Matt.”

“What is it?”

“You're not going to believe this,” she says excitedly. “Danny Quinn's just shown up – and Becker's found Jenny.”

“Jenny?”

“Jenny Lewis.” Matt instantly recognises the name. “She's Danny's fiancée – they're getting married!”

It's a coincidence Matt could have done without. “Where are they?”

“Events director's office.” Jess gives him directions then signs off the line.

Matt closes Wrathall's door behind him and starts to head back the way he had come. He gets a few feet when a gun clicks behind him.

“Don't move,” Ethan Dobrowski orders him.

o o o o o

Onto: Part 3

o o o o o