She was awake earlier than he was. She was never up earlier than him, but he guessed today could be classed as a different day. Don Flack rolled over onto his side and looked at the empty space next to him where she should have been but wasn't. Don groaned inwardly and then sat up and rubbed his eyes dazedly, he winced as he heard the slamming of cabinet doors and then he stood up. He changed quickly into his suit and began to place his tie on as he walked out into the open spaced living and kitchen area. He saw her slamming things into the dishwasher and he opened the fridge. She didn't acknowledge his appearance and instead she shut the dishwasher and grabbed her bag from the worktop and fished around for her keys.
"I'll see you tonight" she said brashly in her strong English accent and tried to walk straight past him. Don grabbed her around the waist to prevent her from going but her eyes bore into his.
"Let me go" she snapped at him and he did as she had asked. He knew better than to mess with her when she had that angry look in her eyes.
"We need to talk" Don pleaded to her as she stood near the door placing her coat on.
"There's nothing to talk about. You said it all last night" she said as she slid a hand under her coat collar and pulled her long blonde hair from under it.
"Victoria...we need to sort this out" Don pleaded and he saw her take a deep breath and then turn to look at him.
"I'm leaving Don...I'm going back to England" she said and he blue eyes met his and he shook his head compulsively.
"You don't mean that" he said and she nodded.
"I can't stay here...we don't want the same things Don" she spoke clearly and picked her bag up again.
"Victoria...it was one stupid argument" Don snapped and she laughed hysterically.
"It was over our future Don! How is that stupid? I know you don't want to marry me and I get that...my parents are divorced and I can see why you don't want marriage but I thought maybe you could handle raising a family with me!" she yelled at him and Don's eyes opened wide with horror.
"You think I don't want to marry you? You think I haven't thought about proposing to you and how we would have a huge wedding? I can't marry you and we can't have children!" Don snapped, his arms waving around manically. Victoria felt tears welling up in her eyes but she didn't allow them to come.
"Why can't you marry me? I love you Don Flack! God damn it even when I'm pissed with you I love you!" she roared at him and Don placed his hands on his hips and looked towards the ground hoping it had the answer there.
"My job is too dangerous...you know how many people I put away...some would come after you if they knew we were married...and a child...God Vic...I don't want to place a child in danger" Don told her and she allowed a tear to fall.
"I put arseholes into jail Don...you think I don't know the danger of my job? But if it will prevent me from living my life then I don't want it..." she told him and Don nodded.
"I can't give up my job Vic" he said, his eyes boring into hers and she nodded.
"I know...but I can't give up my dream of having children Don...I can't stay with someone who doesn't want what I want. I'll pick my stuff up tonight" she finished and opened the door.
"Vic..." he began but the door closed before he could say anything more.
...
Victoria got to the outside of her building's apartment and leant against the concrete wall and developed into floods of tears. She loved Don for the two years she had been with him but now she knew how he felt and it ate her apart. She knew his job had risks involved, so did hers, but she wanted them to start a family together...she wanted to marry him. She wanted him to produce a ring of any expense and ask her to be with him for the rest of her life. She would have said yes. But now, she wouldn't know what to say. She wiped her eyes and held her head high as she walked to her Mercedes and made her way to work.
...
Don waited at the window and stared at her as she left down the road in her silver car. In frustration her slammed his fists against the wall and leant his head on the cold paint work. He wanted to be with her, but marrying her could ultimately place her in danger. He never knew if anyone would come after her. But he loved his job. He loved the sense of putting scumbags in jail. It was the other week when she had asked what he had felt about children when he felt himself starting to lose her. It wasn't until the other night when they had their first full on argument. Flack had heard about cops whose wives and family were killed because of what the cop had done. He didn't want the same for Victoria. He knew her job was dangerous too but she didn't catch the guys, she just put them into jail. It was the ones who caught them who were the ones the criminals found to be the target. Not the lawyers.
...
Don returned home that night and he found that she had not got home yet. It was either that or she had left all her stuff behind her. Don didn't know what to do. What he should say when she returned home...he knew he wasn't going to let her go back to Britain. He waited until eleven and she still hadn't returned. He knew she worked late often, but never this late. He pulled his cell out and dialled her number but there was no answer. Just her British accent telling the person she was busy and to call back later. Flack was beginning to get nervous. She couldn't have just left him. He rang around the airlines but found nothing. It wasn't until half past twelve when he received the call.
"Mac" Don answered and he heard sirens in the background.
"Flack...we need you down at Half Street" Mac said into the phone and Don's pulse quickened.
"What's going on Mac?" he asked the CSI and he heard a sigh.
"We found a car belonging to Victoria Adams, Flack...we think she's been abducted" Mac said and Flack's voice caught in his throat.
"I'm coming" he simply said and he ran from his apartment and down to the garage.
...
"I don't know why you're bothering doing this" Victoria snapped as the tall blonde man in his mid thirties tied Victoria's wrists together as she was sat in the back of the van.
"Because we want a ransom Miss Adams...and you were the best looking bird" the tall man who looked younger spoke and Victoria snorted.
"Bird? Please...I was leaving him you idiots. I'm not dating him anymore" she hissed and the brunette raised a brow.
"Oh really? How stupid of us!" he mocked in her English tone and the other man snickered. There was them two kidnappers in the back and one more driving. That was all Victoria knew.
"I was leaving him. I was off to pack and travel back to London but you imbeciles messed that plan up" she snapped at them and they looked from each other back to her.
"Why was you leaving him?" one asked and folded their arms over their chest. Victoria looked at the floor and felt her eyes water again.
"It's none of your business" she whispered harshly and they laughed at her.
"I think it is our business if you value life" the blonde said and he drew his gun from his waistband and pointed it at her. Victoria stared challengingly at him.
"He didn't want to marry me or have children. Happy?" she spoke loudly and he nodded.
"Now, Miss Adams, what I want you to do is phone our little detective and tell him we have a demand and then I shall take over the conversation" the brunette told her and produced a cell phone and began typing in the detectives number. Once he heard ringing her held it to Victoria's ear.
"Vic?" Flack's deep voice asked her from the other side of the line and Victoria felt like sobbing.
"Don" she croaked.
"Vic...thank God...where are you..tell me" he begged her and she shook her head. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to hear his voice tell her it was all alright. She wanted him back.
"I don't know Don...there's some people here...they want to talk to you" she said and Don ran his hand though his hair and looked into the lights of New York City.
"Vic..I didn't mean anything I said... I love you...please remember that...I still love you...I'm so sorry...I've been an idiot" Flack apologised and Victoria let out a sobbing noise at what he was saying.
"But we don't want the same things..." she croaked and her two captors looked on disapprovingly.
"No...we don't...I want what you want but I don't know if I can give you that...we'll discuss it when I find you okay Vic? Let's just get you home safe. Okay?" Don persuaded her and she nodded. They would talk if she got home.
"They have a demand Don...they want to talk to you..." Victoria told him but she had no chance to listen to his reply as the phone was taken from her ear and pressed against the brunettes.
"Detective Flack I believe?" he asked and Flack looked at Mac who nodded at him.
"Yes. Where is she?" Flack asked and there was a tut tut noise from the other end of the phone.
"Now now Detective. A little patience please. She will remain safe as long as you do what we ask" he told Flack as he extended a hand to touch Victoria's cheek. She quivered away from his coldness and then he began to walk the length of the stationary van.
"What is your demands?" Flack asked, annoyed he couldn't do anything but ask this.
"You Detective...sent our father to jail...he was a good man, he killed the scum of the earth and you punished him for that" he snapped down the phone.
"Who was your father?" Flack asked, going over the names of people he had arrested previously.
"Good try Detective. Giving you our father's name would surely lead you to us...you Detective are the reason for our father's demise" he replied, anger building up in his voice.
"I'm sure he deserved it" Flack pushed it and the brunette hit Victoria straight across the face, causing her to yell in pain.
"What did you do to her?" Flack demanded down the phone and the brunette straightened up as Victoria sat back upright and flung her head to the side so her hair came out of her face.
"You test me and I hurt her Detective. Don't worry. She's still alive for now" he threatened.
"Listen hear you scumbag. You touch her again and I'll kill you. You understand that jerk?" Flack roared and the man laughed.
"I don't think you're in a position to threaten us Detective. We have something you want" the brunette said "All we ask for is one million. One million dollars as revenge for our father who died in jail. Consider it illegal compensation"
"More like blackmail" Flack spat
"You have twelve hours or you're girl here...well...she won't be on this earth much longer." He chuckled and Victoria felt the blood drain out of her body. The brunette laughed and Flack groaned.
"Twelve hours isn't a lot of time" Flack stated and Mac shook his head.
"Well you seem a clever man Detective. Do something about it" he snapped the phone shut and looked down at Victoria before bending down to her height.
"I want you to be a good girl when we get out of this van in a moment...no noise or anything...or your boyfriend may not have a girlfriend to come back to. Understand me?" he asked her and she nodded. Mainly due to the fact he had a gun against her head and his voice was deep and oozing in seriousness. He yanked Victoria by the arm and made her roughly stand up due to her wrists being tied. He banged on the van doors and a second later they opened. There was sunlight streaming in due to the early morning and it hurt Victoria's eyes to start with. She looked around her surroundings and the first thing she saw was the Statue of Liberty. The brunette dragged her further towards the statue until they were at the foot of it where the other two men were stood at the back of the statue near a door of some kind. After a moment they opened the door and walked swiftly inside before closing it and locking it. All they walked into was a small room full of pipes made from steel.
"We hide here until it's time. When it is I'll phone the Detective and tell him to meet us at the dock two minutes away. After that there will be a boat which we then use to get us away from here as fast as possible" the one who Victoria didn't know said and the other two nodded. The wait was long and boring. But it gave her time to reflect on what Don had said. She wasn't even sharing his surname and someone had found her out and was threatening to kill her. And a child? She didn't want to bring a child up in the Big Apple. It wouldn't be fair. She and Don had stressful jobs; they had worked hard to get where they was and due to long hours it wouldn't be fair on a child. But she wanted them to be a family. And yet it was a massive sacrifice. She was all ready to settle down with Don but maybe they could give it a few more years. They were still quite young. And besides, she wanted to get out of this mess first before concentrating on the future.
The three men sat in silence as so Victoria didn't speak. It wasn't until later when they decided to phone Don.
"Hello" Don answered as he clutched the case of one million dollars in his hand as he stood against the van.
"Detective Flack...I trust you have our money" the blonde smiled and Flack looked down at the case.
"I've got it" he promised and the blonde gave a look of surprise. He hadn't expected it to be that easy.
"Very good Detective. Meet us at the dock near the Statue of Liberty. We want the area cleared within a mile radius. No one is to be near the dock except you. Understand?" he commanded Flack and Victoria continued her staring at the floor.
"But there's thousands of tourists near that dock...how can we clear it in two hours?" Flack complained and Mac who was listening in shook his head in disbelief.
"I don't care how you do it. Just do it" the blonde commanded.
"Fine. Can I talk to Victoria?" Flack asked and the blonde considered it.
"Seeing as you asked politely I suppose so" the blonde said and he held the phone to Victoria's ear.
"Don?" Victoria asked and the man on the other line to the phone sighed at hearing her voice.
"It' me Vic...How're you doing?" he asked her
"I'm fine Don...I just want to see you" she said honestly and Don nodded.
"I know Vic...I'll get you back...I promise" he swore and she believed him.
"I'm coming to understand Don...why you don't want children...it's dangerous..." Victoria spoke and Don groaned.
"Vic...I want children...hell I want to marry you and live with you for the rest of my life...but I don't want to give up my job" he said and she nodded.
"I know Don...I know what you mean. Maybe in a few years time we'll feel differently" she said
"Maybe" he agreed
"And besides...my job isn't full of nice people either" she said. She knew of some lawyers who had met a sticky end for placing a criminal in jail.
"I know baby...but let's focus on getting you out of there first. Okay?" he checked with her.
"Okay...I love you Don Flack...don't forget that" she told him forcefully
"I love you too Victoria Annabelle Adams" he said and then the phone was taken from her ear and snapped shut.
"We move soon" the blonde said and then the time seemed to go even slower than before. It was about five to six when the door opened and the brunette man stepped out. He nodded once and the blonde dragged Victoria out.
"If I end up with a bruise from you dragging me around I'm suing" she moaned and the blonde glared down at her bus said nothing. The four of them walked down the long dock, the silence was eerie. This was a place which was normally heaving and full to the brim. But at the moment it was quiet with no one there.
"He has four minutes" the red head driver stated and he began looking at his watch. The blonde pulled his gun out and pressed it to Victoria's temple. Victoria quivered and her shoulders rose in tension.
"Three minutes" the red head stated and the brunette began pacing.
"What if he doesn't come?" the brunette asked.
"He will" the blonde said confidently.
"Two minutes" he continued the countdown.
"Don!" Victoria suddenly yelled as she saw a man in a suit come slowly walking towards them. She tried to fling herself out of the blondes grasp but he kept her to him and the gun to her temple.
"Stay there Detective" the red head demanded and Don stood there and continued staring at Victoria.
"You have the money I trust" the brunette spoke and Don nodded.
"I've got it. Now give me Victoria" Don commanded and the red headed nodded at the blonde and he began to drag Victoria towards Don. He stopped about three metres away from him and looked at him.
"Place the case at my feet and step back five spaces" he demanded and Don dropped the case at his feet. He was so close to holding Victoria...but he didn't. The brunette picked the case up and opened it before nodding at the blonde.
"Very good Detective...now we're going to leave Victoria down near our boat and then you can come and fetch her once we have gone" he said and Don began to sweat. If they knew...if they found out in the next few moments. The blonde began dragging Victoria back down the dock until they came to ladders.
"Hurry along Miss Adams. We haven't got all day" the blonde said and released Victoria. Victoria began to walk back along the dock as Don ran towards her and scooped her into his arms.
"Victoria..." he sighed and he held her close.
"Don...oh God Don...I thought I was dead..." she sobbed and Don held her closer.
"No baby...you're fine...we've got to get out of here" he told her and he wrapped his arms around her waist and began to walk quickly down the dock. Suddenly there was a gunshot.
"Son of a bitch!" someone behind them roared and Victoria screamed. Don grabbed her hand and began running down the dock. Victoria didn't dare look behind her but she could hear the bullets growing louder. Then she stopped moving. Don felt himself pulling on a dead weight. He looked at Victoria who stared back at him and then his eyes drew closer to the blood on her white blouse.
"No...Victoria" Don sobbed and he caught her and guided her into his arms, he sank to the floor with her in his arms, blood was everywhere. It was on his suit and was growing on her.
"Police! Get down now!" there was shouting. They must have heard the shots. Don didn't pay attention to the noise. He focused on Victoria as he placed his hand on her wound.
"Don..." she croaked
"Sh...don't speak. Save your energy" he advised her.
"I love you" she whispered and he began to cry.
"Don't...don't say goodbye Vic..." he begged her and then her eyes shut.
...
Don Flack had given them one hundred dollars in real money at the top of all the other fake notes in the case. There was no way he could get one million dollars. But that would mean there was no chance of getting Victoria back. The three men had been the sons of Ronnie Grant. The man who murdered prostitutes and druggies. He was highly religious and had died in prison for it. His sons wanted revenge. Jamie, Ron and Carl. Ron was shot in the seize. The other two were rotting in jail. Don Flack had gotten his Victoria back. He had taken her back to his apartment after a week in hospital where she had suffered internal bleeding.
"Can I get you anything?" he asked her and she groaned.
"Don Flack. If you ask me that once more I will kill you" she threatened and Don grinned sheepishly before settling down on the sofa next to her.
"I just want you to be alright" he said and he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"I am Don...I'm alive and have you...I'm better than fine" she promised him and he kissed her tenderly.
"Good...because I have been meaning to ask you something" he said and he got off the sofa and bent down onto one knee and dug into his pocket for something.
"Don...are you serious?" Victoria squealed and Don chuckled.
"I haven't asked you anything yet" he laughed and then he produced a ring.
"Victoria Annabelle Adams...will you marry me?" he asked her and she nodded.
"Yes...yes..." she said and he hugged her and placed the ring on her finger.
"Why Don? You said you didn't want to..." she asked him.
"I realised that I want to be with the one I love forever." He spoke honestly and he kissed her again.