unfortunate ➸ primeval

Chapter 2

Stephen pulled up in the empty car park of Castle Cross Shopping Centre, just on the outskirts of London. He and Abby sorted out the guns and the tranquilliser dosage, while Clara and Connor stood back. Nick stopped at the front of the car, leaning against the bonnet and deep in thought.

"What are we using?" Stephen asked Abby as she set up the tranquilliser guns.

"Ketamine. But it would be useful if we knew what we were dealing with," Abby tutted. "I've had to guess the dosage." She loaded her small gun and shoved some tranquilliser darts in her pocket. Stephen did the same, but his gun was bigger. Abby then handed another small handgun to Clara while Connor watched jealously.

"Where's my gun?" He asked. Stephen gave him a look. "Abby's got one! And Clara!" Connor whined.

"They know how to use one," Stephen dismissed simply as he tested out his own gun.

"Just how many animals have you tranquillised?" Abby raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"I've played darts," Connor defended. "Sometimes I think you don't trust me with firearms."

"Don't know what gives you that idea," Stephen smirked. "You ready?" He asked Abby.

"Yeah," she nodded, closing the gun cases and striding towards Nick. "Come on, Connor!"

Groaning, Connor slammed the lid down on the last gun box and sidled after Abby, leaving Clara and Stephen alone. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Clara held her hand up to stop him. "Don't get any ideas," she snapped, following her friends.

Disgruntled, Stephen approached Nick. "So what now?"

Nick turned his head. "We go in."

With Nick in the lead, they strode through the entrance to the shopping mall, stopping when the shutters ahead of them began to rattle and clatter noisily. Immediately, Clara, Abby and Stephen pointed their guns at the steel shutters, the latter down on one knee due to his gun being the biggest.

The shutters began to rise, and Clara's breath quickened as they reached the top. But she breathed a sigh of relief when a small man in an ugly beige suit jumped and put his hands up defensively. She felt the others relax as well.

"Who are you?" Nick asked.

"Duty manager," the man squeaked.

"Tell us what happened," Stephen demanded.

"We got an emergency call from one of our operatives," he explained. "We haven't been able to raise him since."

"What did he say?" Nick pressed.

"He didn't really say anything, he just sort of. . . screamed," the duty manager shuddered at the thought.

Cutter stepped towards him. "Did you see anything in there?" The man shook his head. "Right. I want you to close these shutters behind us, and only open them when I tell you it's safe. Because whatever happens, it mustn't get out."

"What mustn't get out?" The man gulped, but Nick walked right past him. Stephen, Abby, Connor and Clara followed him, and the duty manager pressed the button that closed the shutters.

Abby and Connor watched him while the other three walked off, just in time to hear him say: "Hang on, who the hell are you lot?"

Clara marvelled the complexity of the shopping mall as she walked through it; it was a mass of glass and metal, a mixture of doors, lifts, shop windows and escalators.

She walked a little way behind Nick and Stephen, but ahead of Connor and Abby. She wanted the former two to talk alone, and Stephen took the opportunity perfectly.