unfortunate ➸ primeval

Chapter 26

"Nick," Clara pointed just behind where the mammoth was now stood, spotting the thing over his shoulder. "The anomaly!"

Nick followed her gaze to the shimmering ball of light that sparkled in the late morning sunlight. "Let's go!" He shouted, slipping his hand into Clara's and pulling her along the lanes of abandoned cars.

They reached the anomaly quickly, managing to dodge the mammoth and not attract its attention. A loud engine revved and then died behind them, and they turned to see Abby hopping out of an expensive-looking sports car.

She handed a large tank of something to Nick, who took it and inspected it curiously. "What's this?"

"Female elephant urine," Abby answered proudly. "He'll want to follow the scent. There was a safari park one junction down," she added at their bewildered looks.

"Yes," Nick nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Brilliant!"

While Abby and Clara stayed behind the anomaly, Cutter stood in front of it and sprayed the elephant urine on the floor, attracting the mammoth. He stuck his trunk in the air almost immediately, sensing the scent. He began to bound over as Nick continued the trail, but with a blinding flash of light the anomaly closed.

"Cutter!" Abby cried, catching his attention. "The anomaly!"

Nick's face fell, but then his eyes travelled to the open trailer door of a truck. He sprayed the urine in a trail towards the open truck, sprinting as the mammoth came up right behind him.

"Connor's in that truck," Abby called helpfully.

"Connor!" Nick bellowed as he neared the ramp. "Pull up the ramp!"

Cutter stopped on the ramp, spraying the last of the urine onto it and turning around. "Connor, pull up the ramp!" He stumbled backwards off it, though, as the mammoth swiped his trunk at him, clambering into the back of the truck.

Finally, the ramp went up, trapping the mammoth inside. Clara rushed over to Nick, helping him up. She couldn't help but laugh along with him as they watched the trailer of the truck shake with the movement of the mammoth.

"We caught a mammoth," he breathed, a wide grin on his face.

"We caught a mammoth," Clara repeated, shaking her head in disbelief.

As some of Lester's soldiers went and took care of the mammoth, the four of them - with Jake, the young boy - got back into Nick's four-by-four and drove up to the police tape. Cutter slowed to a stop and got out, followed by the others. Connor got out last, Jake on his back. "Come on, Jake, let's find your mum, eh?"

Nick's gaze turned hard as he spotted something in front of him. He stood in front of his bonnet, Abby and Connor on either side of the car and Clara next to him, hands on her hips. Stephen was identical to her in the way he was stood, Helen leaning casually against his car eating an apple with her knife. Connor let Jake run off to his mum alone.

Cutter and Clara started forward, the younger two following as though they were sidekicks. The former two stood as close to Stephen as they dared; Nick's gaze cold while Clara's was confused and hurt.

"So where the hell have you been?" Nick spat. "We could have been killed."

"You weren't," Stephen shrugged.

"Not this time," Nick said. "But Clara almost was."

Stephen turned to her. "You were?"

She shrugged. "I could have."

"Are you just going to ignore me, Nick?" Helen smirked from where she leaned against the car. Just her presence was infuriating Clara. Nick didn't even cast a glance at his estranged wife.