The Significance Of An Old Swedish Military Jacket
Title: The Significance Of An Old Swedish Military Jacket
Author: TalliW
Characters: Danny Quinn, Nick Cutter, James Lester
Rating: K
Wordcount: 3117
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading.
Summary: Danny and Cutter don't get along so well until to the day one of them gets fired
AN: written for the team fest using the prompts of Cutter's lab fortnight's challenge:
Write a story about Nick which includes these elements; raptor claw, Talisker, Forest of Dean.
"Bloody hell." Danny heard Cutter curse as he inspected the damage the raptor's claw had done to his favourite jacket.
Although the thick wool fabric had protected Cutter from serious injury it hadn't withstood the force of the raptor. Now an ugly tear was present in the back of his jacket, that couldn't be properly repaired even by the most skilfull seamstress. It was the third piece of clothing Cutter had lost this week and it wasn't even Wednesday.
"Another one?" Danny Quinn asked with a badly concealed smirk, earning him a dark look from Cutter.
All right, just because he had knocked Helen out before she could shoot Cutter didn't mean the guy had to like him. But they could at least pretend to be civil to each other whilst the others were around..
Danny watched how Cutter slipped out of his ruined jacket with a mournful sound and threw it on the front passenger seat of the SUV.
In that moment Cutter more closely resembled a little boy who had lost his security blanket than the arrogant, stubborn man Danny had grown to loathe and a wave of sympathy surged through him. Patrick had had the same lost look in his eyes the day his beloved cuddly bear had fallen into the river and couldn't be retrieved.
"The beast has battered my leather jacket too. Do you think Lester will pay for a little shopping trip? After all, our clothes were damaged in the line of duty."
"Not bloody likely."
Danny heaved a sigh as Cutter brushed past him with a scowl. 'Well, that's what you get if you try to be friendly,' Danny thought, angry that he'd let himself be fooled by Cutter's sad expression.
His dearly missed, sweet baby brother and Cutter had as much in common as Sid and Nancy had with the raptor who'd just chased them.
"I’m driving!" Cutter announced, as if he was expecting Danny to challenge him.
Danny rolled his eyes and climbed into the passenger seat. At this rate, Cutter would probably haul his cock out and piss on his leg next. The guy was as territorial as a terrier and just as edgy.
And the concept of teamwork seemed to be completely beyond the man's comprehension.
The tension in the car was thick enough to cut with a knife. No one dared say a word for fear of setting Cutter off.
Danny cast a disapproving look at Cutter. He liked Connor's carefree babble. It took his mind off things and brought back good memories. Patrick had be able to talk about his favourite subjects nonstop for hours as well.
With a sigh, Danny let his head fall back against the headrest of the passenger seat. Nothing was going to plan.
The day he had found out about the anomalies he had thought everything would change for the better. He finally had an inkling what had happened to Patrick all those years ago. And there was even a small bit of hope that Patrick was still alive somewhere out there.
If Cutter's wife could survive then Patrick could too. He didn't think that Helen Cutter had been much of an expert on outdoor life prior to her vanishing in the Forest of Dean. Patrick on the other hand had been a Scout since the age of ten and had even been appointed Assistant Patrol Leader a month before he had gone into that haunted house.
His brother had had the knowledge, the skills and a fairly flexible mind to go with it. That meant there was a good fifty-fifty chance that Patrick was still traveling the anomalies, looking for a way back home.
Helen Cutter had found the right anomaly, even if she’d decided not to stay. Maybe Patrick would have the same luck.
But so far there hadn't been any trace of other time travelers. Even Helen was believing she was the only one knowing how to use the anomalies.
On top of that came Cutter's irrational behaviour. Today they both had nearly been killed because Cutter had ignored his suggestion and had gone off on his own. How often would he have to proove to the guy that he wasn't after his job, that he was willing to take orders, provided they made sense?
Danny sighed a second time. The daily quarrel with Cutter was wearing him down. The sensible thing to do would be to quit before something really bad happened. But there was the promise he had given his mother on her death bed to never stop looking for Patrick.
Maybe there was a way to talk it out with Cutter. You would think Cutter would understand his reasons for wanting to work on the project. The man had lost his wife through an anomaly too. But then, after what he'd heard about Helen Cutter, her husband had probably been glad that she was gone.
With new resolution, Danny hopped out of the car as it finally stopped in the ARC's underground car park As soon he had showered and changed his clothes he was going to have a chat with Cutter.
Cutter didn't even made an attempt to keep his voice down.
"That isn't working. Either he goes or I do," Cutter yelled in Lester's office, loud enough to entertain the whole building.
So much for talking it out.
Danny had thought he had explained everything fairly well earlier. But bloody Cutter had only laughed when he had told him of his hope to hold his brother in his arms again. In a lecturing voice he had pointed out how vicious the creatures out there were and what little change of survival a boy had when even well-honed fighters had been failing.
This time Danny's anger had won over his common sense. He had answered heatedly that his brother wasn't one to trap himself with a bunch of animals and wait to be torn apart. That he would have found a way to defend himself.
It certainly hadn't been his smartest move bringing up Stephen Hart, knowing Cutter was still traumatised by watching his former best friend die. But after a month of being treated like shit by the self-righteous Cutter, his anger had simply boiled over.
And now Cutter wanted him gone. That came as no surprise. The professor had fought him tooth and nail from day one.
But this time he wouldn't stand by silently and take the abuse. He certainly had to say a thing or two about Cutter's way of leadership.
"I want him sent packing by Friday," Cutter hissed furiuosly after Danny had described the events at the railway station from his own viewpoint.
"Don't I have a say in it?" Lester asked, amused.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You offered me a choice between you and Quinn. Well, I have decided to keep Danny."
"What?"
Cutter staggered slightly, completely taken aback by Lester's decision.
"You can't do that." he gasped.
"Oh, but I can, Cutter. I'm responsible for hiring staff... or firing in this case, and I have choosen what I think will be more benefical for the project in the long run. So let’s not get over dramatic about this. You have worked nonstop for two and a half years for the ARC. It is now time to turn towards other projects again. The government is very thankful for your undoubtedly valuable input and wishes you all the best for the future. You will of course receive payment for the full month. If that is all, I would like to be left alone now. Someone around here actually has work to do."
"But..."
"Goodbye, Cutter. Don't let the door hit your arse on your way out."
"Congratulation, you’ve won.You must be so proud of yourself, " Cutter muttered with contempt and sarcasm as he carefully made his way down the ramp.
But Danny was neither proud nor happy about his victory. Had that been tears glittering in Cutter's eyes?
Danny marched right back into Lester's office, ignoring the exasperating look on his boss’s face.
"You can't do this."
"Hadn't we just established that indeed I can. You are the new teamleader and Cutter is history. Now don't keep me from my work any longer."
"No, I mean... You can't fire Cutter. He's indispensable for the project."
"At the moment he's a liability. He's still reacting irrationally. That same behaviour got a good man killed last year. And from your report I could conclude that history almost repeated itself today."
"I can work with his irrationallity. From what I have heard about the warehouse accident it wasn't entirely Cutter's fault. No one realised there was something fishy going on with Leek for months, not even his superior."
Lester's face screwed up in a frown and resentment flashed in his eyes.
It had been a low blow but Danny hadn't seen another way to get through to Lester.
"The government can't afford to pay for two teamleaders. Your assistance was always planned to be only of a temporary nature. After you were so insistant to get into the project, are you telling me now that you are willing to step down for Cutter?"
"I wouldn't go that far. But isn't there a way to keep us both? Cutter has knowledge in areas I haven't the slightest clue about. The project would suffer if he left."
"This might be true. But the expenses..."
A sly smile flitted over Lester's face.
"Well, there might be a way. Would you be ready to share your salary with Cutter?"
Danny exhaled in relief. His salary at the ARC was five times more than he had earned as a police officer, including overtime.
"That won't pose a problem," he said grinning.
"All right, that is settled then. You can tell Cutter the good news yourself. By the way, Danny, don't even think of putting your battered leather jacket on your expenses claim."
Cutter was gone when Danny arrived in the atrium. Abby told him he had left in a hurry with a large cardboard box in his arms and without a word of farewell.
Maybe he should give the guy a little time to cool down first. He wasn't keen on serving as an punch bag for Cutter's anger.
Danny strolled through the shopping centre, proudly showing off his new leather jacket and winking at the ladies crossing his path. He knew he was stalling for time. But facing Cutter after everything that had happened today wouldn't be an easy task. There was a high chance that Cutter wouldn't even open the door.
A moment later, Danny's eyes were drawn to a group of young women, dressed in slightly too short skirts and revealing shirts. That was when he saw it. Right behind the leggy blonde in the window of a secondhand shop hung a jacket similar to the one Cutter had worn that morning.
For a split second Danny debated with himself, then he headed towards the shop, completely ignoring the attributes of the girls blocking his way.
When Danny drove torwards the area where Cutter's house was located he was absolutely sure he had done the right thing. Cutter had been so off-balance after he'd left Lester's office that the jacket could be just the ticket to give him back a little safety and self-assurance. Although the jacket had been ridiculously overpriced; even an original Swedish military jacket from around 1950's couldn't be worth more than £100, Danny was pleased with himself. The purchase would pay off when Cutter was willing to hear him out.
Danny held the jacket out in front of him like a shield as Cutter opened the door. Maybe that saved him from a good right hook.
"My jacket. Fully repaired," Cutter whispered in awe. "How did you manage that?"
"It's not yours. I found this one in a secondhand shop in the city. It's an old Swedish military jacket."
"It looks exactly like mine. Even the size is right. I will pay it in full, of course."
Without preamble, Danny was ushered into the house. He was already sitting on Cutter's couch in the living room before Cutter remembered that he should actually be mad at him.
For a few seconds they stared at each other like combatants before a battle then Cutter shrugged and offered him a drink.
"Now speak up! Why did you get it for me? We didn't really part on good terms," Cutter asked after he had provided Danny with a soft drink and himself with a tumbler of Talisker.
"I know what it’s like to lose something important to you. Five years ago when someone nicked my motorbike I almost went nuts."
Cutter settled down in the chair across from Danny, his chin propped on his right hand.
"Did you get it back?" he asked with real interest.
"Only a few parts of it. They had dismantled it and were selling the bits on ebay. From the insurance money I got a new, larger model."
"It that he same one you’re still riding?"
"Yep."
"A right beauty."
Danny grinned. It was strange to have a normal conversation about motorbikes with the man who had wanted to get him fired just a few hours ago.
"That she is. My beautiful dark lady. I’ll beat up anyyone who dares touch her."
There was a glint in Cutter's eyes that told Danny he had just set himself up for trouble. "Can you even ride a bike?" he asked, irritated.
"If you managed it, it can't be so difficult," Cutter said lightheartedly. He froze as he realised what he had just said.
Although the insult must have slipped out habitually, it still stung. Disgruntled, Danny got up from the couch, making his intent to leave known. It had been stupid to come here.
"Oh, come on, sit down. I didn't mean it that way. My social skills are a little rusty," Cutter said lamely.
Danny was still standing in front of the couch, quite upset by Cutter's remark and unsecure how to proceed.
"Do I have to beg you first?"
"Nick Cutter and begging? I didn't even know that word was in your vocabulary."
Exasperated, Danny flung himself back down on the couch.
Cutter chose to ignore his comment and went right back to their earlier conversation.
"To answer your question, I took a few lessons when I was in my late teens. Back then I was crazy for all sorts of motorbikes."
"Why didn't you get yourself one later?"
"By the time I was old enough and had the money to buy one, my rational side had kicked in. I thought it more sensible to get wheels that I could impress a girl with, without getting rained on or freezing my arse off."
Danny gave a laugh at Cutter's accurate description. He couldn't count the times any more that his dates had ended with a angry, wet girl storming off or with him losing out on a kiss because the girl had been shaking with cold and had left him standing in favour of a hot cup of tea.
"Want to go on a ride?" he asked impulsively. "I drive, of course. You couldn't anyway after your glass of whisky."
Danny could see the battle warring inside Cutter and waited curiously to see which side would win. More than once he had noticed Cutter's eyes resting almost wistfully on his motorbike. To be offered the culmination of a heart's desire by an assumed rival must be hard for Cutter.
"I don't have a helmet," Cutter said. Although his voice was slightly tinged with regret Cutter nevertheless seemed to be glad to have found an excuse.
"My spare is in the motorbike case."
"So quite accidentally you have your spare with you. Did you come here with the plan to abduct me for a ride and drop me off in the middle of nowhere?" Cutter asked with fake suspicion.
"No, I just wanted to hand you the jacket. Earlier, I gave Connor a lift because Lester's still in a meeting in Whitehall."
"What has the one to do with the other?"
"You don't know that Connor is staying with Lester since Abby's baby brother has moved in with her?“
"I don't pay much attention to such things. But I'm once again pleasantly surprised that Lester has something like a heart under his expensive suit."
"Of course Lester was going out of his way to keep it secet. But I'm not so easily fooled."
"You weren’t following them around, by any chance?"
"Of course not. With today’s advanced technology there are other ways of observation. I simply bugged Connor's pen."
Cutter's chuckle was catching. For almost a minute they were simply grinning at each other about the fact that the ARC's technical genius had been tricked by a such a simple device as a bug in his pen.
Cutter was the first to recover from their bout of mirth.
"You are putting a lot of trust in me," he mumbled. "What is if I rat you out to Lester?"
"Oh, I hope you have more integrity. Lester is supposed to be our common enemy. Besides there could be something I might bribe you with."
"What would that be? Another jacket?"
"Something less important. But I think I’ll save telling you for later. Want to go on a ride now or not?"
"Aye. I will just get my jacket. Have to check out after all if this one keeps me warm just as well as the old one."
Cutter yelled as Danny took a sharp curve with a touch too much verve and felt Cutter's arms cling around his midsection. For a tiny moment it had sounded the way Patrick had yelled the day he had taken him on the maiden voyage with his brand new motorbike.
With a smile on his face, Danny took the next curve. If Cutter didn't stop him he would drive on till the sun had set and maybe even beyond.
And he still hadn't told Cutter that the team would have two leaders from now on.
On the right side you see an original Swedish military jacket from around 1950's. The colour is a little off but otherwise it looks the same to me.
Author: TalliW
Characters: Danny Quinn, Nick Cutter, James Lester
Rating: K
Wordcount: 3117
Disclaimer: Primeval is the property of Impossible Pictures. I write just for fun.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Fredbassett for beta-reading.
Summary: Danny and Cutter don't get along so well until to the day one of them gets fired
AN: written for the team fest using the prompts of Cutter's lab fortnight's challenge:
Write a story about Nick which includes these elements; raptor claw, Talisker, Forest of Dean.
"Bloody hell." Danny heard Cutter curse as he inspected the damage the raptor's claw had done to his favourite jacket.
Although the thick wool fabric had protected Cutter from serious injury it hadn't withstood the force of the raptor. Now an ugly tear was present in the back of his jacket, that couldn't be properly repaired even by the most skilfull seamstress. It was the third piece of clothing Cutter had lost this week and it wasn't even Wednesday.
"Another one?" Danny Quinn asked with a badly concealed smirk, earning him a dark look from Cutter.
All right, just because he had knocked Helen out before she could shoot Cutter didn't mean the guy had to like him. But they could at least pretend to be civil to each other whilst the others were around..
Danny watched how Cutter slipped out of his ruined jacket with a mournful sound and threw it on the front passenger seat of the SUV.
In that moment Cutter more closely resembled a little boy who had lost his security blanket than the arrogant, stubborn man Danny had grown to loathe and a wave of sympathy surged through him. Patrick had had the same lost look in his eyes the day his beloved cuddly bear had fallen into the river and couldn't be retrieved.
"The beast has battered my leather jacket too. Do you think Lester will pay for a little shopping trip? After all, our clothes were damaged in the line of duty."
"Not bloody likely."
Danny heaved a sigh as Cutter brushed past him with a scowl. 'Well, that's what you get if you try to be friendly,' Danny thought, angry that he'd let himself be fooled by Cutter's sad expression.
His dearly missed, sweet baby brother and Cutter had as much in common as Sid and Nancy had with the raptor who'd just chased them.
"I’m driving!" Cutter announced, as if he was expecting Danny to challenge him.
Danny rolled his eyes and climbed into the passenger seat. At this rate, Cutter would probably haul his cock out and piss on his leg next. The guy was as territorial as a terrier and just as edgy.
And the concept of teamwork seemed to be completely beyond the man's comprehension.
The tension in the car was thick enough to cut with a knife. No one dared say a word for fear of setting Cutter off.
Danny cast a disapproving look at Cutter. He liked Connor's carefree babble. It took his mind off things and brought back good memories. Patrick had be able to talk about his favourite subjects nonstop for hours as well.
With a sigh, Danny let his head fall back against the headrest of the passenger seat. Nothing was going to plan.
The day he had found out about the anomalies he had thought everything would change for the better. He finally had an inkling what had happened to Patrick all those years ago. And there was even a small bit of hope that Patrick was still alive somewhere out there.
If Cutter's wife could survive then Patrick could too. He didn't think that Helen Cutter had been much of an expert on outdoor life prior to her vanishing in the Forest of Dean. Patrick on the other hand had been a Scout since the age of ten and had even been appointed Assistant Patrol Leader a month before he had gone into that haunted house.
His brother had had the knowledge, the skills and a fairly flexible mind to go with it. That meant there was a good fifty-fifty chance that Patrick was still traveling the anomalies, looking for a way back home.
Helen Cutter had found the right anomaly, even if she’d decided not to stay. Maybe Patrick would have the same luck.
But so far there hadn't been any trace of other time travelers. Even Helen was believing she was the only one knowing how to use the anomalies.
On top of that came Cutter's irrational behaviour. Today they both had nearly been killed because Cutter had ignored his suggestion and had gone off on his own. How often would he have to proove to the guy that he wasn't after his job, that he was willing to take orders, provided they made sense?
Danny sighed a second time. The daily quarrel with Cutter was wearing him down. The sensible thing to do would be to quit before something really bad happened. But there was the promise he had given his mother on her death bed to never stop looking for Patrick.
Maybe there was a way to talk it out with Cutter. You would think Cutter would understand his reasons for wanting to work on the project. The man had lost his wife through an anomaly too. But then, after what he'd heard about Helen Cutter, her husband had probably been glad that she was gone.
With new resolution, Danny hopped out of the car as it finally stopped in the ARC's underground car park As soon he had showered and changed his clothes he was going to have a chat with Cutter.
Cutter didn't even made an attempt to keep his voice down.
"That isn't working. Either he goes or I do," Cutter yelled in Lester's office, loud enough to entertain the whole building.
So much for talking it out.
Danny had thought he had explained everything fairly well earlier. But bloody Cutter had only laughed when he had told him of his hope to hold his brother in his arms again. In a lecturing voice he had pointed out how vicious the creatures out there were and what little change of survival a boy had when even well-honed fighters had been failing.
This time Danny's anger had won over his common sense. He had answered heatedly that his brother wasn't one to trap himself with a bunch of animals and wait to be torn apart. That he would have found a way to defend himself.
It certainly hadn't been his smartest move bringing up Stephen Hart, knowing Cutter was still traumatised by watching his former best friend die. But after a month of being treated like shit by the self-righteous Cutter, his anger had simply boiled over.
And now Cutter wanted him gone. That came as no surprise. The professor had fought him tooth and nail from day one.
But this time he wouldn't stand by silently and take the abuse. He certainly had to say a thing or two about Cutter's way of leadership.
"I want him sent packing by Friday," Cutter hissed furiuosly after Danny had described the events at the railway station from his own viewpoint.
"Don't I have a say in it?" Lester asked, amused.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You offered me a choice between you and Quinn. Well, I have decided to keep Danny."
"What?"
Cutter staggered slightly, completely taken aback by Lester's decision.
"You can't do that." he gasped.
"Oh, but I can, Cutter. I'm responsible for hiring staff... or firing in this case, and I have choosen what I think will be more benefical for the project in the long run. So let’s not get over dramatic about this. You have worked nonstop for two and a half years for the ARC. It is now time to turn towards other projects again. The government is very thankful for your undoubtedly valuable input and wishes you all the best for the future. You will of course receive payment for the full month. If that is all, I would like to be left alone now. Someone around here actually has work to do."
"But..."
"Goodbye, Cutter. Don't let the door hit your arse on your way out."
"Congratulation, you’ve won.You must be so proud of yourself, " Cutter muttered with contempt and sarcasm as he carefully made his way down the ramp.
But Danny was neither proud nor happy about his victory. Had that been tears glittering in Cutter's eyes?
Danny marched right back into Lester's office, ignoring the exasperating look on his boss’s face.
"You can't do this."
"Hadn't we just established that indeed I can. You are the new teamleader and Cutter is history. Now don't keep me from my work any longer."
"No, I mean... You can't fire Cutter. He's indispensable for the project."
"At the moment he's a liability. He's still reacting irrationally. That same behaviour got a good man killed last year. And from your report I could conclude that history almost repeated itself today."
"I can work with his irrationallity. From what I have heard about the warehouse accident it wasn't entirely Cutter's fault. No one realised there was something fishy going on with Leek for months, not even his superior."
Lester's face screwed up in a frown and resentment flashed in his eyes.
It had been a low blow but Danny hadn't seen another way to get through to Lester.
"The government can't afford to pay for two teamleaders. Your assistance was always planned to be only of a temporary nature. After you were so insistant to get into the project, are you telling me now that you are willing to step down for Cutter?"
"I wouldn't go that far. But isn't there a way to keep us both? Cutter has knowledge in areas I haven't the slightest clue about. The project would suffer if he left."
"This might be true. But the expenses..."
A sly smile flitted over Lester's face.
"Well, there might be a way. Would you be ready to share your salary with Cutter?"
Danny exhaled in relief. His salary at the ARC was five times more than he had earned as a police officer, including overtime.
"That won't pose a problem," he said grinning.
"All right, that is settled then. You can tell Cutter the good news yourself. By the way, Danny, don't even think of putting your battered leather jacket on your expenses claim."
Cutter was gone when Danny arrived in the atrium. Abby told him he had left in a hurry with a large cardboard box in his arms and without a word of farewell.
Maybe he should give the guy a little time to cool down first. He wasn't keen on serving as an punch bag for Cutter's anger.
Danny strolled through the shopping centre, proudly showing off his new leather jacket and winking at the ladies crossing his path. He knew he was stalling for time. But facing Cutter after everything that had happened today wouldn't be an easy task. There was a high chance that Cutter wouldn't even open the door.
A moment later, Danny's eyes were drawn to a group of young women, dressed in slightly too short skirts and revealing shirts. That was when he saw it. Right behind the leggy blonde in the window of a secondhand shop hung a jacket similar to the one Cutter had worn that morning.
For a split second Danny debated with himself, then he headed towards the shop, completely ignoring the attributes of the girls blocking his way.
When Danny drove torwards the area where Cutter's house was located he was absolutely sure he had done the right thing. Cutter had been so off-balance after he'd left Lester's office that the jacket could be just the ticket to give him back a little safety and self-assurance. Although the jacket had been ridiculously overpriced; even an original Swedish military jacket from around 1950's couldn't be worth more than £100, Danny was pleased with himself. The purchase would pay off when Cutter was willing to hear him out.
Danny held the jacket out in front of him like a shield as Cutter opened the door. Maybe that saved him from a good right hook.
"My jacket. Fully repaired," Cutter whispered in awe. "How did you manage that?"
"It's not yours. I found this one in a secondhand shop in the city. It's an old Swedish military jacket."
"It looks exactly like mine. Even the size is right. I will pay it in full, of course."
Without preamble, Danny was ushered into the house. He was already sitting on Cutter's couch in the living room before Cutter remembered that he should actually be mad at him.
For a few seconds they stared at each other like combatants before a battle then Cutter shrugged and offered him a drink.
"Now speak up! Why did you get it for me? We didn't really part on good terms," Cutter asked after he had provided Danny with a soft drink and himself with a tumbler of Talisker.
"I know what it’s like to lose something important to you. Five years ago when someone nicked my motorbike I almost went nuts."
Cutter settled down in the chair across from Danny, his chin propped on his right hand.
"Did you get it back?" he asked with real interest.
"Only a few parts of it. They had dismantled it and were selling the bits on ebay. From the insurance money I got a new, larger model."
"It that he same one you’re still riding?"
"Yep."
"A right beauty."
Danny grinned. It was strange to have a normal conversation about motorbikes with the man who had wanted to get him fired just a few hours ago.
"That she is. My beautiful dark lady. I’ll beat up anyyone who dares touch her."
There was a glint in Cutter's eyes that told Danny he had just set himself up for trouble. "Can you even ride a bike?" he asked, irritated.
"If you managed it, it can't be so difficult," Cutter said lightheartedly. He froze as he realised what he had just said.
Although the insult must have slipped out habitually, it still stung. Disgruntled, Danny got up from the couch, making his intent to leave known. It had been stupid to come here.
"Oh, come on, sit down. I didn't mean it that way. My social skills are a little rusty," Cutter said lamely.
Danny was still standing in front of the couch, quite upset by Cutter's remark and unsecure how to proceed.
"Do I have to beg you first?"
"Nick Cutter and begging? I didn't even know that word was in your vocabulary."
Exasperated, Danny flung himself back down on the couch.
Cutter chose to ignore his comment and went right back to their earlier conversation.
"To answer your question, I took a few lessons when I was in my late teens. Back then I was crazy for all sorts of motorbikes."
"Why didn't you get yourself one later?"
"By the time I was old enough and had the money to buy one, my rational side had kicked in. I thought it more sensible to get wheels that I could impress a girl with, without getting rained on or freezing my arse off."
Danny gave a laugh at Cutter's accurate description. He couldn't count the times any more that his dates had ended with a angry, wet girl storming off or with him losing out on a kiss because the girl had been shaking with cold and had left him standing in favour of a hot cup of tea.
"Want to go on a ride?" he asked impulsively. "I drive, of course. You couldn't anyway after your glass of whisky."
Danny could see the battle warring inside Cutter and waited curiously to see which side would win. More than once he had noticed Cutter's eyes resting almost wistfully on his motorbike. To be offered the culmination of a heart's desire by an assumed rival must be hard for Cutter.
"I don't have a helmet," Cutter said. Although his voice was slightly tinged with regret Cutter nevertheless seemed to be glad to have found an excuse.
"My spare is in the motorbike case."
"So quite accidentally you have your spare with you. Did you come here with the plan to abduct me for a ride and drop me off in the middle of nowhere?" Cutter asked with fake suspicion.
"No, I just wanted to hand you the jacket. Earlier, I gave Connor a lift because Lester's still in a meeting in Whitehall."
"What has the one to do with the other?"
"You don't know that Connor is staying with Lester since Abby's baby brother has moved in with her?“
"I don't pay much attention to such things. But I'm once again pleasantly surprised that Lester has something like a heart under his expensive suit."
"Of course Lester was going out of his way to keep it secet. But I'm not so easily fooled."
"You weren’t following them around, by any chance?"
"Of course not. With today’s advanced technology there are other ways of observation. I simply bugged Connor's pen."
Cutter's chuckle was catching. For almost a minute they were simply grinning at each other about the fact that the ARC's technical genius had been tricked by a such a simple device as a bug in his pen.
Cutter was the first to recover from their bout of mirth.
"You are putting a lot of trust in me," he mumbled. "What is if I rat you out to Lester?"
"Oh, I hope you have more integrity. Lester is supposed to be our common enemy. Besides there could be something I might bribe you with."
"What would that be? Another jacket?"
"Something less important. But I think I’ll save telling you for later. Want to go on a ride now or not?"
"Aye. I will just get my jacket. Have to check out after all if this one keeps me warm just as well as the old one."
Cutter yelled as Danny took a sharp curve with a touch too much verve and felt Cutter's arms cling around his midsection. For a tiny moment it had sounded the way Patrick had yelled the day he had taken him on the maiden voyage with his brand new motorbike.
With a smile on his face, Danny took the next curve. If Cutter didn't stop him he would drive on till the sun had set and maybe even beyond.
And he still hadn't told Cutter that the team would have two leaders from now on.
On the right side you see an original Swedish military jacket from around 1950's. The colour is a little off but otherwise it looks the same to me.