"Math Tapes: Linton Worm" Ian/Nikki (Numb3rs/Lost Tapes crossover)
Crossover of Lost Tapes with Numb3rs. Since the Lost Tapes focuses on the idea that a cryptid is real, I'm going to use the Numb3rs universe unchanged (except for that cryptid). Wish me luck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Piece of advice," Parks told Nikki.
"Yeah?" Nikki asked.
"If you start to smell anything, run. Don't shoot or stare - just run. What we smelled at the cage was how Linton worms smell after most of the stink's dispersed."
"Skunks are roses in comparison?" Nikki asked, skeptical. To Ian, "Watch yourself."
Rather watch you, Ian thought to himself as he and Parks headed towards the gun oil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the 12th Century, the Linton worm was described as
Ane hydeous monster in the forme of a
Worme...in length three Scots yards and some-
what bigger than an ordinary man's leg, with a
head more proportional to its length than to its
greatness, in forme and colour like to our com-
mon muir adders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian was glad this woman wanted to leave ASAP - it meant he didn't have to shove or push her to get her moving faster than a crawl. Even so, the supplies - gun oil included - were on the other end of the building, in the far corner. "How'd you get the worm here?" Ian asked, figuring that the same strategy could be used here and now to deal with it.
"Once we captured it," Andrea Parks said, "we froze it: dumped buckets of ice on it. Damn thing wouldn't die." Just got sluggish enough for transporting. "And no, we don't have any ice in here." And I'm not naming names on who helped us get it in the country, not until I'm outside.
"So much for that," as they turned the corner and went down the long aisle, their target in sight. Ian couldn't see a lock on the door, but it was a type opened by turning a knob rather than an easy-to-push bar. "What's it look like?" passing an albino grizzly bear as cowed as everything else here.
"Nasty, brutish, and burly."
"You mean short." Hard to get more cliched than that.
"No, I don't."
There was that rumbling again, followed by the sharp report of Nikki's sidearm firing. "Move faster," Ian warned Parks.
The supply closet - a corner shed within this shed of a building - was opened up as soon as they reached it, just as one more gunshot was heard. "After a big meal, it likes to sun itself - bask under the lights," Parks said before Ian could remark. "Given the overall climate and how warm its been lately even for around here, I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised that the worm's taking less time to digest its food."
Whatever, Ian thought irritated with her. "Give me a hand here," and they each carried one end of a torso-high beer barrel that, Ian could tell (and had checked just to be sure) contained gun oil instead.
Partly from nervousness, partly to try one more time to get Agent Edgerton to understand or appreciate just how deadly the Linton worm is, Andrea told him, "When it's defending itself, it opens its mouth to let out a toxic cloud. The odor causes disorientation by striking at the nose and Jacobsen's Organ, then the stale air fills the lungs, keeping the victim unable to move while the Linton worm comes up to finish the victim off." It sometimes uses the strategy to hunt, too.
They managed the rest of the way in silence, setting the barrel down less than a foot from Nikki, who Ian darted to the side of. "You okay?" Ian asked, seeing the top of Nikki's wrist and hand bleeding. "What happened?"
"It charged me," Nikki said. "Ambushed, I suppose - something that big's not supposed to be able to hide as well as it does. I fired a few at it," and fell on my backside when I tried backing out of its way too fast, "and it tried to bite my hand off."
Yep, you're too tough to nip at, Ian thought proudly.
"Fired a shot through the roof of its mouth, which made it turn its head fast to run off. This," meaning her wrist and hand, "happened when it turned." Glaring at Parks, "It's a croc."
"Close enough," Parks said indifferently.
"No, no, not 'close enough.' This thing was a big croc. Nothing more." Can't be more. To Ian, "I say we hit the lights, power, anything else that'll knock it out."
"You're kidding," Parks said. "Y- You're not kidding? Seriously? This thing is a Scottish ectotherm, and we're in Los Angeles. Even if you shut off all the lights, this building was designed to retain heat all night long."
While the ladies talked, Ian kept a weather eye open and removed the lid from the barrel.
"I don't care if it's a Nigerian spammer," Nikki said. "We'll take care of it."
Parks answered, "You're not listening. This worm is more active here than it was back in its homeland."
"How'd they kick its butt back in merry ol' Scotland?"
"They found a hero who was willing to set fire to its stomach," Parks said.
"Then that's what we'll do," Ian said.
Andrea was starting to throw her hands up in surrender, when pain lanced up from her leg - where the worm had just bitten down - and she fell forwards when the worm jerked its whole body backwards to get away with its snack.
From the sound of the impact, Ian knew she wasn't walking out of here without medical attention - and that was when he and Nikki shoved the barrel over, splashing some on the Linton worm and spilling most of it across the floor in all directions.
Nikki spun around and pulled a small rescue signal flare from one of Ian's pockets, then spun back to keep watch on the beast.
"How'd - ?" Ian started to ask, wanting to look at her, see the sparkle in her eyes, but knowing that now was the worst possible time for it.
"Trust me," Nikki said, "I noticed the last time we tried to cuddle - but right now, I'm not complaining you always carry one on you," and slapped the flare so it burned. "Hungry? Try this on for size!" she told the worm.
Tremors? Ian thought just as Nikki tossed the flare into the oil not too close to their own bodies.
The worm dropped Parks and tried to retreat, though all directions forced it to walk through the gun oil like a small child through a particularly wide puddle. It bellowed its anger as the flames began to lick its legs and flank. The bellows were so close to being a scream as the Linton worm spun around, slamming into cages in an attempt to get away. Flakes of skin dropped off.
Ian and Nikki, keeping close to one another, kept their sidearms ready for one last showdown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A crocodile can also hold its breath under water for up to two hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colby and Liz were the first through the door - once SWAT knocked it to the floor - "Over here!" Colby said, he and Liz running over to where Nikki and Ian were huddled together, their arms tightly holding on to one another, their heads turned to keep watch out on the aisles and caged animals and the fire in so many places by now.
After checking her eyes, Colby put his hands under her armpits and started to lift Nikki up -
"Nnnn," Nikki said, a sembalance of a "No!" Not gonna let go. Can't let go. Won't let go, with a similar set of thoughts running through Ian's head.
Colby shared a nod with Liz: Who knows what they'll do if we pry them apart. Let's just get them out of this hellhole. Liz and Colby lifted them at the same time and let them keep holding on the whole way to the door and from there to the van.
Firefighters were going in right after the four of them got out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agents Betancourt and Edgerton were treated for cuts of varying degrees of intensity - including one which Agent Betancourt required numerous stiches for - as well as a medical regimen to deal with the heat blisters and minor burns both agents suffered. They are presently attending therapy. A thorough investigation of the grounds uncovered any evidence of the large crocodile-like creature described by Agents Betancourt and Edgerton. The deaths of wildlife smugglers Juan James Jr and Andrea Parks were attributed to a large monitor lizard which is believed to have broken through a ventilation panel before help or witnesses could arrive - meanwhile, several more monitors were in locked cages at the time backup arrived. Analysis of the charred tissue was not possible owing to the state the material was in. When questioned, the United Kingdom stated that there are no large reptiles in Scotland not in zoos.
But the experiences of Nikki and Ian lead some to wonder
do they live among us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Piece of advice," Parks told Nikki.
"Yeah?" Nikki asked.
"If you start to smell anything, run. Don't shoot or stare - just run. What we smelled at the cage was how Linton worms smell after most of the stink's dispersed."
"Skunks are roses in comparison?" Nikki asked, skeptical. To Ian, "Watch yourself."
Rather watch you, Ian thought to himself as he and Parks headed towards the gun oil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the 12th Century, the Linton worm was described as
Ane hydeous monster in the forme of a
Worme...in length three Scots yards and some-
what bigger than an ordinary man's leg, with a
head more proportional to its length than to its
greatness, in forme and colour like to our com-
mon muir adders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian was glad this woman wanted to leave ASAP - it meant he didn't have to shove or push her to get her moving faster than a crawl. Even so, the supplies - gun oil included - were on the other end of the building, in the far corner. "How'd you get the worm here?" Ian asked, figuring that the same strategy could be used here and now to deal with it.
"Once we captured it," Andrea Parks said, "we froze it: dumped buckets of ice on it. Damn thing wouldn't die." Just got sluggish enough for transporting. "And no, we don't have any ice in here." And I'm not naming names on who helped us get it in the country, not until I'm outside.
"So much for that," as they turned the corner and went down the long aisle, their target in sight. Ian couldn't see a lock on the door, but it was a type opened by turning a knob rather than an easy-to-push bar. "What's it look like?" passing an albino grizzly bear as cowed as everything else here.
"Nasty, brutish, and burly."
"You mean short." Hard to get more cliched than that.
"No, I don't."
There was that rumbling again, followed by the sharp report of Nikki's sidearm firing. "Move faster," Ian warned Parks.
The supply closet - a corner shed within this shed of a building - was opened up as soon as they reached it, just as one more gunshot was heard. "After a big meal, it likes to sun itself - bask under the lights," Parks said before Ian could remark. "Given the overall climate and how warm its been lately even for around here, I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised that the worm's taking less time to digest its food."
Whatever, Ian thought irritated with her. "Give me a hand here," and they each carried one end of a torso-high beer barrel that, Ian could tell (and had checked just to be sure) contained gun oil instead.
Partly from nervousness, partly to try one more time to get Agent Edgerton to understand or appreciate just how deadly the Linton worm is, Andrea told him, "When it's defending itself, it opens its mouth to let out a toxic cloud. The odor causes disorientation by striking at the nose and Jacobsen's Organ, then the stale air fills the lungs, keeping the victim unable to move while the Linton worm comes up to finish the victim off." It sometimes uses the strategy to hunt, too.
They managed the rest of the way in silence, setting the barrel down less than a foot from Nikki, who Ian darted to the side of. "You okay?" Ian asked, seeing the top of Nikki's wrist and hand bleeding. "What happened?"
"It charged me," Nikki said. "Ambushed, I suppose - something that big's not supposed to be able to hide as well as it does. I fired a few at it," and fell on my backside when I tried backing out of its way too fast, "and it tried to bite my hand off."
Yep, you're too tough to nip at, Ian thought proudly.
"Fired a shot through the roof of its mouth, which made it turn its head fast to run off. This," meaning her wrist and hand, "happened when it turned." Glaring at Parks, "It's a croc."
"Close enough," Parks said indifferently.
"No, no, not 'close enough.' This thing was a big croc. Nothing more." Can't be more. To Ian, "I say we hit the lights, power, anything else that'll knock it out."
"You're kidding," Parks said. "Y- You're not kidding? Seriously? This thing is a Scottish ectotherm, and we're in Los Angeles. Even if you shut off all the lights, this building was designed to retain heat all night long."
While the ladies talked, Ian kept a weather eye open and removed the lid from the barrel.
"I don't care if it's a Nigerian spammer," Nikki said. "We'll take care of it."
Parks answered, "You're not listening. This worm is more active here than it was back in its homeland."
"How'd they kick its butt back in merry ol' Scotland?"
"They found a hero who was willing to set fire to its stomach," Parks said.
"Then that's what we'll do," Ian said.
Andrea was starting to throw her hands up in surrender, when pain lanced up from her leg - where the worm had just bitten down - and she fell forwards when the worm jerked its whole body backwards to get away with its snack.
From the sound of the impact, Ian knew she wasn't walking out of here without medical attention - and that was when he and Nikki shoved the barrel over, splashing some on the Linton worm and spilling most of it across the floor in all directions.
Nikki spun around and pulled a small rescue signal flare from one of Ian's pockets, then spun back to keep watch on the beast.
"How'd - ?" Ian started to ask, wanting to look at her, see the sparkle in her eyes, but knowing that now was the worst possible time for it.
"Trust me," Nikki said, "I noticed the last time we tried to cuddle - but right now, I'm not complaining you always carry one on you," and slapped the flare so it burned. "Hungry? Try this on for size!" she told the worm.
Tremors? Ian thought just as Nikki tossed the flare into the oil not too close to their own bodies.
The worm dropped Parks and tried to retreat, though all directions forced it to walk through the gun oil like a small child through a particularly wide puddle. It bellowed its anger as the flames began to lick its legs and flank. The bellows were so close to being a scream as the Linton worm spun around, slamming into cages in an attempt to get away. Flakes of skin dropped off.
Ian and Nikki, keeping close to one another, kept their sidearms ready for one last showdown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A crocodile can also hold its breath under water for up to two hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colby and Liz were the first through the door - once SWAT knocked it to the floor - "Over here!" Colby said, he and Liz running over to where Nikki and Ian were huddled together, their arms tightly holding on to one another, their heads turned to keep watch out on the aisles and caged animals and the fire in so many places by now.
After checking her eyes, Colby put his hands under her armpits and started to lift Nikki up -
"Nnnn," Nikki said, a sembalance of a "No!" Not gonna let go. Can't let go. Won't let go, with a similar set of thoughts running through Ian's head.
Colby shared a nod with Liz: Who knows what they'll do if we pry them apart. Let's just get them out of this hellhole. Liz and Colby lifted them at the same time and let them keep holding on the whole way to the door and from there to the van.
Firefighters were going in right after the four of them got out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agents Betancourt and Edgerton were treated for cuts of varying degrees of intensity - including one which Agent Betancourt required numerous stiches for - as well as a medical regimen to deal with the heat blisters and minor burns both agents suffered. They are presently attending therapy. A thorough investigation of the grounds uncovered any evidence of the large crocodile-like creature described by Agents Betancourt and Edgerton. The deaths of wildlife smugglers Juan James Jr and Andrea Parks were attributed to a large monitor lizard which is believed to have broken through a ventilation panel before help or witnesses could arrive - meanwhile, several more monitors were in locked cages at the time backup arrived. Analysis of the charred tissue was not possible owing to the state the material was in. When questioned, the United Kingdom stated that there are no large reptiles in Scotland not in zoos.
But the experiences of Nikki and Ian lead some to wonder
do they live among us?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
the end