Primeval - A Grave New World

19. Loose Ends

Major Leeds tracked across the green, avoiding the numerous bodies and gore, whilst taking note of anything of interest. He was joined by Becker who followed behind solemnly. Both the men slowly made their way towards the only other man around, now completely blended in with modern society. It was almost like he hadn't been living rough in the past for over a year now. His clothes, aside from the slight tear here and there from the current events, looked immaculate - a far cry from the rugged red and white chequered top he'd been sporting for so long. Danny Quinn was standing still as a statue, his tidier brown hair gently blowing in the breeze, gazing down at a particularly bloody scene before him.

"Poor bastards," he muttered, noticing the other two now joining him.

"Well," started Becker, "there's nothing that can be done for them now."

"Except perhaps a decent funeral," added Danny glumly.

Leeds ignored them, except for a cursory grunt of agreement and continued to search the dead. Every direction he looked, there seemed to be another new victim. Were there really this many people here when all the calamity ensued?

One particular body stuck out to him, it was a youngish man who was wearing a black uniform with a stand out patch sewn onto it. An ARC patch. This was Lambert. Along the sides and front of his lifeless body were deep gash marks which looked to be inflicted by the Ceratosaurus. Blood pooled in a small puddle out his mouth and one of his legs was missing completely. It was a grim sight. He signalled the others to come and see.

"Looks like we found your Lambert, Major," Becker said.

"Yes, but who was he?" asked Leeds, "if he wasn't one of us, then what the hell was he doing here?"

"I really wish I knew," replied Becker, "I don't like how this is going. The ARC definitely needs some tighter security measures to be put in place if someone can just waltz in and assume the role of a soldier."

"Even after all this time you haven't got round to fixing up security? I bet I could still find a way in." commented Danny, trying to lighten the mood.

Leeds then proceeded to kneel down by the corpse, his usual squeamishness was gone. He needed to know who this man was and what he was up to. He desperately searched the remains of the body for any sort of evidence that could help explain who this man was. Every pocket and would-be hiding place.

"Find anything, Major?" asked Becker, impatiently.

Leeds didn't reply, his mind was too concentrated on Lambert's corpse. There had to be something incriminating on him. Whoever he was, he surely wasn't operating on his own in whatever his ultimate goal was. He kept on searching. After agonising minutes of no luck, he gave up.

"There's nothing!" he finally shouted, alarmingly louder than anyone else expected him to, "nothing to link him to anything wider going on!"

"He must've had some plan though, right?" Danny asked.

"And he can't have been working alone," Becker added, but Leeds didn't seem to notice their words. He was angry at himself for letting this man slip through his grasp.

"That little sneak!" he muttered under his breath, "masquerading as an ARC soldier. I should've guessed that guy was phoney from the start! We need to contact Lester!"

"I'm on it!" replied Becker quickly.

Danny was left wondering what on earth was going on, due to his lack of involvement in the last few years, he still wasn't quite up to speed on everything that had happened since he left. Leeds meanwhile was busy searching through Lambert's belongings to see whether he could find anything that would help.