>Chapter 01
>Chapter 02
>Chapter 03
>Chapter 04
>Chapter 05
>Chapter 06
>Chapter 07
>Chapter 08
>Chapter 09
>Chapter 10
>Chapter 11
>Chapter 12
>Chapter 13
>Chapter 14
>Chapter 15
>Chapter 16
>Chapter 17
>Chapter 18
>Chapter 19
>Chapter 20
>Chapter 21
>Chapter 22
>Chapter 23
>Chapter 24
>Chapter 25
>Chapter 26
>Vote Story
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Chapter 22
Frank Warren had enjoyed his first few weeks back at work but not as much as long hot bath he was enjoying now. It had taken him all day just to sort through his post and e-mails, most of them irrelevant. He had recieved an invitation to speak about palentology and what sort of career it offered the students studing it. He'd had a few invitations to speak at Oxford university about his work before but he didn't really want to go in to the teaching aspect of his work. He prefered the hands on experience. He put the flannel over his resting eyes. He was almost on the verge of sleep when a furious knocking at his front door disturbed him. Scrambling for a towel to cover his modesty, He went to see who was there, leaving a trail of soggy footprints in the shagpile carpet.
0pening the door Frank was surprised to see Wes, His partner in crime. "I know you like me but you could of waited till the morning to see me!" Frank stood aside to let him in.
"Sorry, couldn't wait till morning. You need to pack a bag and come with me now. I'll explain on the way!" Wes stormed through in to the living room.
"On the way where? What are you going on about?" Confusion was beginning to set in.
"You know I had to go somewhere a few weeks ago right? Well they want you as well and it's big, god man it's so fucking big!" Wes was sweating now, the drips using his nose as a mini ski jump.
"What's big? I don't understand." Frank was now totally lost. He stared at his friend for a few seconds before asking, quite seriously, "Are you on drugs Wes?"
"No I'm not but I think I need to be. Give me a scotch will you. Right I'll start at the beginning. The other morning, a few weeks ago, I had a call from the army. They said to go up to the roof of the museum as they had a chopper waiting for me!" Frank handed him the scotch and he took a large gulp.
"A chopper?" Frank was so confused. Why a chopper for his mate? It had to be a wind up.
"Yes a god damn fucking chopper. They blindfolded me and took me to this place where they say they need my help to catch this thing that's escaped. I have to pick a team but you have to be in it aswell. So I'm like what is this thing and their like you have to sign the offical secrets act first before I can tell you. So come on pack a bag we've got to go."
"Wait a minute, you don't seriously expect me to go with you do you? It's a Sunday." Frank handed Wes his scotch and poured another for himself, gulping it back quickly. This couldn'tbe happening.
"I need you frank. You're the best tracker in the world. And anyway an army helecopter will be here in five minutes to pick us up and if you don't come their going to kill you." Frank waited for the cheeky grin to appear on Wes's face but it didn't come. "Your serious aren't you?"
"Of course I'm serious now get dressed and get packed quick. Now come on."
Frank went to his bedroom. He dressed and packed in two minutes flat. Was this really happening. The army wanted them to hunt down some little animal. There had to be more to it than that. But what? Nevermind he would find out sooner rather than later. "You ready?" Wes was standing in the doorway with another scotch for them both. "Here we need this. And look whatever happens we'll stick together ok man! You're my bud and I love you."
"Hey don't get all sentimental on my arse. Give me that drink monkey boy!" Frank smiled as he took his drink. "So what exactly is this thing? Mammal, primate? Any info about it at all?"
"Not much. Its mammal I think. Well part mammal anyhow!" Wes diverted his eyes to the floor.
"What do you mean part mammal anyway? It's not all the same animal? What is it a hybreed or something?"
"Well it's definatly something! I cant explain here you have to see the tape. We have our own flat and offices over there so I'll explain later okay?" The pager in Wes's pocket started to bleep, alerting him that the chopper was on the roof. "Right, you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be I supose. Are you?" Frank looked around the apartment before locking up and setting the alarms. He wondered when he would be back and what he would find when he got there. His mind was going into overdrive the whole way to the roof. What could possibly be part mammal? Why were the army involved? Why wouldn't Wes tell him any more details? Why was he here? There were just so many unanswered questions that he wasn't sure he'd ever know the answer's to.
The helecopter was so big Frank wondered how it had ever managed to get up in the air. Three armed soldiers stood lining their path to the chopper. A man in a different uniform stood at the door. As they aproached he held out his hand.
"Proffesser Frank Warren I presume. I'm Luietenant Davis at your service. Now sorry to have to do this but you need to be blindfolded as a precaution." Luietenant Davis handed them both a blindfold which they both then put on. As they were guided in to the chopper Frank had a funny feeling that his life would never be the same again.
The helecopter took nearly thirty minutes to get to wherever it was going. Frank had to admit he was interested, scared and excited all at once. The helecopter finally landed and Franks blindfold was removed. He adjusted his eyes and looked around. Above him flaps from the roof were enclosing the helecopter what looked like a huge steel warehouse. It was the size of a small football pitch, with army personell milling about around the other helcopters and planes stored here. Luminous lights glared from the ceiling panels that were now fully closed. Now this was weird.
"Professer Warren, this way please." Luietenant Davis was standing outside the helecopter with another much larger man and Wes. "Captain Spencer," the larger man offered his hand as Frank stepped out. "Frank Warren." Frank replied as he returned the handshake.
"Well now we are all introduced lets get down to business." Captain Spencer led the way across the large room to a door in the wall. He insterted his keycard in to the slot, opening the door to the lift. As before they decended at great speed. The lift door opened and they stepped out in to the metalic brightly lit corridor, continuing until they reached Captain Spencer's office.
Frank and Wes sat on two leather chairs whilst Captain Spencer sat opposite with Luietenant Davis standing behind him. Captain Spencer opened his desk drawer, took out a form and passed it to Frank. "Your collegue has already signed this but we need you to sign before we can proceed any further." Frank looked at the form. It was the offical secrets act alright. Wes hadn't been shitting him after all. There was no way on this earth that Frank wouldn't sign that piece of paper. He wanted to know what was going on now, his curiosity had been alighted. He took his parker pen from his left inside pocket and marked his name at the bottom. Captain Spencer smiled as he took the signed form. "Good." He placed the form back in to the drawer and removed a video. "This is for you two. It's a video of the creature you are looking for. So far this thing has killed everything in it's path bar one thing, a boy. His name is Wayne and he's five. His parents were killed this week, but the animal left him alone. We need you to find out why." Captain Spencer looked at Frank who had visably paled. "I'll let Davis take you to you apartment. It's been a long day. We'll take you to the labs in the morning and give you limited access to our computers." He stood up and shook both of their hands again. Frank and Wes stood up and followed Davis in to the corridor.
Frank Warren stood in a state of shock. He hardly belived the events that had unfolded today. Yesterday morning had been normal like any other, he was sitting eating his cornflakes without a care in the world and this morning he was in an army base talking about a genetically modified animal that had escaped and was heading to London. That part of it he understood, sort of. What Frank didn't understand was why was he here? Yeah he was a palentoligist and that but he had never dealt with genetically modified animals. He wondered where on earth he would begin the search as it was highly unlikely that there were reference books on beasts.
The corridors of this building were long and very unfriendly. It took about five minutes to walk around to the lift's which Davis opened with his keycard. "What is this place?" Frank gasped as they walked though door after door, looking at technology they hadn't known was invented. "This is where it all started." Davis outstreached his arms and twirled around. "This is where eight months ago our lives changed forever."
"Heavy shit man." Wes shot Frank a wink, but Davis didn't realise he was taking the piss.
"No, really, it changed like you wouldn't believe. The scientist guys came up with the idea of implating genes in to embryos. More specifically killer genes of other animals in to an animal with the strength and potental to be a killer. So what do you get if you mix killer instinct with killer capability what do you get?"
"An angry bunny?" Frank couldn't contain his laughter over Wes's one liner.
"No you get a mother fucking killing machine. This Beast has got the capability to destroy the earth."
"Surely not. How, I mean why don't you just shoot it?" Frank was worried. There was something about this whole thing that just didn't add up.
"It's not as easy as just shooting it as you put it Mr Warren. This creature has regeneration propities and can heal itself faster than you can whack another bullet in. It also has a chip in its head and managed to download most of our computer database and reprogram it. He has perfect night vision and perfect daytime vision too now I come to mention it. It has the strength of fifty men and a running speed faster than anything else on the planet. It can detect our radars and tune in to our radio signals. It also has heat sensors so it doesn't matter if he cant see you he can sense you. And he has killed everything in it's path and I mean everything down to flys even ants, everything but the boy."
"Why is that? What does the boy have the others didn't?"
"There wasn't enough of the others to determine anything. We only found the boy by chance. His parents were both killed in front of him. Were trying to get him to tell us something but we've had no joy so far."
"It bound to take time for him to adjust he's what five, six?"
"Five. He's a lovely lad. He's really pleased that he's in the army!" Finally they reached their flat. It was nice and comfy with their own kitchen and bathroom. A roomy lounge boasted a large television and cream leather sofa, whilst each of the two bedrooms had large double beds. Frank dived straight in to his bed and collapsed for the night.
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