fredbassett | Fic, Death and the Maiden, Part 1, Claudia, Team, 15

Title : Death and the Maiden, Part 1
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Claudia/Nick, Stephen/Ryan, Lester, OCs
Disclaimer : Not mine (except the OCs), no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Word Count : 21,221, divided into in 8 parts.
Summary : Dinosaurs are not the only things to come through the anomalies.
A/N : This series is early in my main ‘verse, not long after the events of The Devil’s Crowll. It arose nearly three years ago out of a chat with

steamshovelmama. I owe an absolutely huge debt of gratitude to

aelfgyfu_mead as her assistance with Middle English made this story possible. I am also grateful to

talliw for information on clothing and shoes. And as ever, thanks are due to

lukadreaming for her beta help.

The anomaly sparkled in the warm haze of late morning sun filtering down through a canopy of branches. Three soldiers were on duty, keeping the flickering light in view, covering it at all times with their rifles.

It was beautiful, Claudia would give it that much, but it still managed to send a shiver down her spine every time she came here. She wished she knew what it was about the Forest of Dean that seemed to attract these things like fleas to a fox. As far as they could tell, this one led to the Permian again, although Lester had resolutely refused to sanction anything more than a very short excursion to the past. It had appeared late the previous night and had been reported by one of the local policemen who walked this route with his dog every day.

So far, they’d been lucky. There were no signs of life on the other side, just a wilderness of rock and wizened trees. She shivered again.

Something warm settled round her shoulders and she found herself staring into a pair of concerned blue eyes.

“You look cold,” said Nick, by way of explanation for the jacket he’d just draped around her.

Claudia pulled the coat closer, ignoring the slight tremor in her own hands, and made an effort to smile.

His answering smile was teasing. “Come on, a brisk walk back to the hotel will warm you up, Miss Brown.” He held out his hand and looked at her expectantly.

Ignoring the speculative looks on the faces of the soldiers, Claudia grasped his fingers firmly in hers and together they made their way back along the track.

They walked in companionable silence. Claudia’s feeling of foreboding started to subside, although she remained lost in her own world, so much so that she contrived to miss whatever statement Nick had made immediately before he’d stopped abruptly in the shade of an oak tree, and enveloped her in his arms.

“I said, ‘Would you object if I kissed you, Claudia Brown?’” he repeated, with a smile.

“Even though one of Captain Ryan’s men is no doubt lurking in a bush somewhere, making sure we get back safely?” she teased, conscious of the fact that she was playing for time, in the hope getting her heartbeat back under control.

“I’m sure the whole squad have been hand-picked for discretion,” murmured Nick, slipping one hand under her chin and tilting her head back.

Claudia laughed. “I very much doubt it. I’ve heard them gossiping. They’re worse than a bunch of schoolkids.”

His arms slipped around her under the jacket and she closed her eyes, waiting for his kiss, feeling rather embarrassingly like a teenager again.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Nick said quietly, moments before his lips closed over hers.

The kiss tasted pleasantly of the mint he’d been sucking as they’d left the hotel. His lips were thorough, yet never demanded more than she was prepared to give. He worked patiently at her mouth until she relaxed enough to allow his tongue to slip between her lips.

His hand slid up her back to stroke her hair, and the jacket dropped down with a rustle into the undergrowth. The kiss deepened and she felt the rasp of stubble on her face. Her own arms slid up his back, feeling the warmth of his body through the thin shirt. He smelled of soap, clean and surprisingly fresh after the sultry walk under the trees.

This kiss was nothing like the brief peck on the lips she’d pressed onto him in the hotel that first day. It was a kiss made more intense by a wealth of shared experience in a difficult and demanding job, where fear ran a race with exhilaration and occasionally collided messily. This wasn’t their first kiss, and Claudia very much hoped that it wouldn’t be their last either, but she knew full well that the spectre of Helen was still standing behind Nick Cutter’s shoulder, close enough to cast a shadow over their lives.

Helen, who always mysteriously appeared without warning, out of nowhere and disappeared equally mysteriously. Helen, who still taunted them all, both with her presence and with her absence. Helen, who quite obviously still held a piece of Nick Cutter’s heart, no matter how much he might deny it, even to himself. Helen, a woman whose motives Claudia had long since given up trying to guess. She had saved Claudia’s life once, seemingly to no benefit to herself, but in spite of that, Claudia still found it hard to feel any sense of obligation towards her. Helen was almost certainly the reason her own relationship with Nick had developed at a glacially slow pace. They’d kissed a few times, and gone out for the occasional drink, but it had never gone beyond that, and they’d never slept together, despite what the rest of the team seemed to believe.

“What are you thinking about?” Nick asked drawing back slightly, and raising his eyebrows in enquiry.

Claudia decided the answer your wife would almost certainly put a damper on the proceedings, so she smiled and provided the age-old lie, “Nothing important.”

“Lester works you too hard,” Nick commented, planting a kiss on the end of her nose. “You look tired and stressed.”

“Something about this forest gives me the creeps,” she admitted. “I’m not sure I can blame Lester for that.”

Nick grinned. “With a little effort I find I can blame him for most things.”

He linked his arms loosely around her waist then proceeded to kiss her again with admirable thoroughness. She relaxed against him, this time without giving any thought to his wife.

Without warning, a blur of movement to one side made her cry out in alarm. Nick grunted and suddenly lurched against her, propelled forward by some unknown force. She yelped in surprise, trying – and failing – to hold him upright as she staggered and almost fell. A hand snaked around her throat, yanking her backwards and choking off her scream. The smell of rank, unwashed human flesh assailed her nostrils and she gagged.

Her attacker grunted something unintelligible and she felt hands scrabbling at her blouse, ripping the fabric and clawing roughly at her breasts.

Claudia recovered her composure enough to jab her elbow backwards and stamp down with her foot, trying to rake the thin skin on the front of the person’s shin, the way she’d been taught in self-defence classes at university. She was rewarded by another grunt, followed by angry words in a language she didn’t recognise. A blow to the side of her head knocked Claudia to the ground and a foot slammed into her stomach.

She curled up into a defensive ball and tried to roll with the next kick, the way she’d been shown. Her attacker spat something at her that she still didn’t understand but she didn’t need to follow the words to know she was being mocked. Fearfully, Claudia opened her eyes and looked up.

A man stared down at her, grinning and leering. Shock hit her like an ice-cold shower. He looked like he’d spent the last goodness knows how long living rough in the forest. Filthy brown hair straggled down past his shoulders and he had an unkempt and equally dirty beard. His clothes were little better than rags and more rags were bound around his feet.

He laughed again, and shoved at Nick with his foot, rolling him over onto his back. Nick’s head lolled to one side, and he was clearly unconscious. A long knife was gripped tightly in their assailant’s grimy right hand and in his other hand the man held a wooden club. He swung it down hard and it impacted with a sickening thud against Nick’s upper arm, but the professor’s face remained slack and unresponsive.

The man laughed and turned his attention back to Claudia. A lascivious leer made his intentions all too plain.

Claudia cowered down on the forest floor, her eyes desperately seeking any opening that she could use to her advantage.

The man reached down and grabbed the front of her blouse. A hard yank was all it took to scatter the remaining buttons and rip the material, exposing the cream lace of her bra. A sick certainty settled in Claudia’s stomach. She was going to be raped.

She drew her feet up, pressing down with her heels, trying to move backwards away from her attacker, all the while clawing with her fingers at the soft earth. The man dropped to the ground next to her and reached out to grab her knees, yanking them roughly apart. Claudia threw a handful of earth and leaves into his face but all he did was shake his head like a dog and clutch at her again. Moments later, in spite of her struggles, Claudia found herself with one leg securely pinned down under her attacker’s knee, her bra sliced apart by the knife, exposing her breasts. He made an appreciative-sounding noise and Claudia felt a hot flush rising up her cheeks.

Her attacker extended his knife, clearly intending to cut away her trousers. She heard another voice calling something she didn’t understand and heard the sound of running feet. With a sick certainly, Claudia knew someone else was coming to join the party.

With a final, desperate heave, she twisted sideways, trying to upset the man’s balance and, at the same time, threw another handful of soil and small stones into his face. He shook his head and angry words exploded from a mouth filled with broken and rotted teeth. He cuffed Claudia hard on her cheek, snapping her head sideways.

A sudden burst of gunshots sounded close at hand and a voice shouted, “Leave her alone and stand back!”

Her attacker swivelled around, but made no move away from her. A moment later, the man let out a surprised yell, eyes suddenly wide with shock, a black knife hilt protruding from his upper arm.

Claudia rolled onto her side, pulling the ruins of her blouse around her breasts. The knife had fallen from her would-be rapist’s hand, and she grabbed it instinctively and started to struggle to her feet.

She saw two more men staring down at her, no more than ten paces away, dressed in rough, home-spun tunics over baggy trousers the colour of moss. For a dazed moment she wondered if they had walked into some sort of historical re-enactment. She turned her head in the direction that the knife had been thrown from and was inestimably relieved to see one of Ryan’s men, rifle raised.

“Just get up and move slowly towards me, ma’am,” said the black-clad soldier calmly. “I’ve got you covered.”

Green eyes glittered in a tanned face.

The soldier known as Blade had his rifle raised to his shoulder and was advancing on Claudia’s attacker.

Claudia’s reactions were heightened by the adrenaline rush from the attack. The cavalry had arrived, and from what she knew of her rescuer, a ragged tramp armed with only a club and a knife wasn’t enough to cause Blade to break into a sweat.

A dull thump broke the silence of the forest air, followed by a surprised gasp. The soldier’s thigh had suddenly sprouted a grey-fletched arrow. Claudia’s eyes widened with shock. A voice yelled something in the same unintelligible language. A second arrow hit the ground at Claudia’s feet sending up a small spray of dirt and leaves. A third one buried itself only inches from Nick Cutter’s still form. A fourth arrow took Blade in his right arm, but the soldier retained his grip on the weapon.

Claudia watched the two other men staring around them, looking as surprised as the soldier.

“Assistance needed,” said Blade, speaking calmly into his throat mike. “We have four hostiles in Sector 7. I repeat four hostiles in Sector 7. The professor is down. Arwen is here, uninjured. I’ve taken two hits. Whoever they are, they’re using fucking bows and arrows! Make it quick, guys. Out.”

With his left hand, Blade snapped both arrow shafts, grunting with pain. He took a step forward, but his injured leg buckled and he went down on the other knee, swearing violently. He swung his rifle around, and shouted at the first man to stay back, then he fired a short burst on automatic into the ground between Claudia and the other two men sending up a spray of earth and leaves. The recoil jarred his arm and drew another curse.

The first of the three men backed away, staring at the black-uniformed soldier, less confident now, clearly disturbed by the noise of the assault rifle. He’d dragged the knife from his arm, and had his hand clamped over the wound, trying to stem the bleeding.

Nick Cutter chose exactly that moment to start to regain consciousness. He groaned, and rolled over, shaking his head, trying to come up onto his knees.

Claudia stared around, trying to see where the arrows were coming from, but all she could see was trees. Still tenaciously gripping the knife she had taken from her attacker, she moved to Nick’s side, studiously ignoring the fact that her blouse and her bra hung in ruins around her naked breasts. She hoped Blade could manage to keep them covered, but her heart was still thudding uncomfortably in her chest.

Nick Cutter’s eyes were filled with confusion.

“We’re under attack,” she told him, succinctly. “One of them clubbed you. Another’s got a bow and Blade has been hit. We need to get away.”

With her arm around his shoulders, helping to support him, the two of them lurched for the shelter of an old oak tree. Blade followed suit. Two arrows hit the bark, narrowly missing their targets. The soldier returned fire. The staccato chatter of the rifle sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet of the forest. The other two men were backing away, fear and confusion showing plainly on their faces.

“Claudia, are you all right?” Nick’s voice was low and urgent, more concerned with her than with his own injuries, even though his right arm still dangled uselessly at his side, numb from the blow he’d taken.

Trembling, she nodded, shrinking back against the tree, one hand still clutching her shirt together.

“Help’s on the way, ma’am,” said Blade. “Sorry about this. I wasn’t expecting the bad guys from Robin of sodding Sherwood.”

“What have we done to upset the locals?” whispered Claudia, trying – and failing – to keep a tremor out of her voice.

“Nothing,” said Blade. “I don’t know who these bastards are, but they’re not from around here. Not with accents like that.”

“Don’t be too sure,” said Nick, still looking dazed. “We don’t know how they got here. There could be a second anomaly.”

Claudia and Blade both stared at him in amazement, until the thwap of another arrow striking the tree trunk drew their attention.

Blade squeezed off a burst of shots, intent on keeping their attackers at bay, as he muttered into his microphone, “Now would be a good time for some back-up, lads. I’m pinned down right now.”

“No deaths!” hissed Nick, vehemently. “If I’m right, the chances of changing history are too great! Tell them, man!”

“The professor says non-lethal force only,” said Blade talking to his comrades over the radio. “I repeat, do not kill. Acknowledge, please?” A moment later, he nodded to Nick, signifying that the orders had been accepted.

Claudia clutched the ruins of her clothing, doing her best to cover her modesty, even though staying alive was a somewhat higher priority at that particular moment, but old habits died hard.

“Miss Brown, I need something to use as a bandage, please,” said Blade, his voice unnaturally calm for a man who had two arrows sticking out of his flesh.

Without a second thought, Claudia threw modesty to the four winds and slipped off her blouse. In a series of quick movements, she used the knife to cut off the sleeve, then to split it into four long strips.

“Tie it round my leg to stop the arrow point from moving, please.”

In the circumstances, his politeness was almost as surprising as his air of calm. Claudia followed his instructions, mentally thanking Lester for insisting that every member of the team attended regular first-aid courses. She knew how to wrap the improvised bandage around Blade’s leg in such a way as to minimise the movement of the arrow in his flesh. The only reaction to greet her efforts was a very small intake of breath as she secured the strip of cloth in place with a knot.

Blade held his rifle one-handed while she dealt with the arrow in his arms the same way.

“Thanks, miss,” he said, quietly, ignoring the whine of another arrow passing close to their hiding place. In response to a question relayed over his radio, the soldier replied, “Yeah, fucking peachy, mate. In your own time, Finn ….”

“Claudia,” Nick’s voice was quiet, and she felt his hand on her shoulder. “Take this.” He was holding his own shirt out to her. With a grateful smile, she slipped it on and fumbled with the buttons.

A burst of gunshots sounded to their left, followed immediately by a single shot from another location.

“The lads are trying to get the guy with the bow to reveal his position, Professor,” commented Blade, forestalling any argument from Nick.

They remained crouched behind the tree, Blade positioned so he could lay down covering fire if needed, and Nick doing his best to shield Claudia with his body. She was grateful for his chivalry. Reaction was starting to set in now, and she was trembling.

“Won’t be long now, Miss Brown,” Blade said, reassuringly. “Finn and Kermit have got the bowman pinned down and they’ve already taken the other two out of action.”

In fact it took somewhat longer than Blade had predicted, no doubt due to Nick’s insistence on non-lethal force, but eventually a shout from Finn signified the end of a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. Claudia leaned against the tree, allowing the knife to fall from her hand. She’d gone beyond trembling into shaking, and had a nasty feeling she was about to burst into tears.

At her side, Blade slid, slowly and carefully, down the gnarled trunk of the oak tree, a faint sheen of sweat standing out on his tanned face.

Claudia took a deep breath and answered Nick’s look of concern with a wan attempt at a smile. “I’m all right.” It wasn’t true, but she had no intention of falling apart now, not while there was still work to be done.

Ignoring the tremor in her fingers, she pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket. They had a problem on their hands, and Lester needed to know about it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

adafrog

Very interesting. :D

From:

Fic, Death and the Maiden, Part 1, Claudia, Team, 15

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags