"Unit 2 to Control, attending suspected B&E, over."

"Control to Unit 2, confirming suspected B&E. BOLO, over."

"Thanks, DI."

"I always find that so amusing."

The UFO lifted her head from the radio settled on a clip at her breast, an eyebrow raised. "What's that?"

"You and Lestrade when he's on Control."

"What do you mean?"

"Unit 2? Control? B&E, BOLO, over? You sound like you're in a really bad story about police action and drama."

"Just because we follow protocol…"

"DI Lestrade don't ever say BOLO to me."

"Yes, well you're a thrawing old bastard in desperate need of a new pair of shoes, you see."

"Cheeky."

The two had approached the door by this point in their shared banter. It was a council flat in the less pristine area of London, a place so run down and vandalised that it was difficult to tell what was suffering from old age and what was suffering from the teenage.

"Does that lock look forced to you?"

"No, kid… Looks like it's been scuffed by a few drunken attempts at opening the door, but I'd warrant that those marks have been there since the last tenants were in. It's a young mother of two in here right now, so 'Control' tells me…"

The UFO lifted a hand to knock on the door with a sharp look at the elder officer – a forty-three year old man who insisted on being addressed by his last name.

"Heard any movement in there?" the youngest of the pair asked as she leant in to peer through the grubby door window. "I can't see anything… Looks like it's a GOA job."

"You're telling me. I hate bloody GOAs. If someone is going to break into a house, can't they just stay here long enough for us to nick 'em? The paperwork that comes with a Gone On Arrival just pisses me the hell off."

"Any kind of paperwork pisses you the hell off, Wiseman."

"Right enough. I'll go check the back – see if the door's open, would you, kid? Line respondent said that the lady who phoned sounded right distraught."

"Will do."

With that, the two parted ways.

"Control to Unit 2, please relate current situation, over."

"Unit 2 to Control, apparent GOA. We split up to check out the garden and the door… I'll get in contact with you in ten minutes, DI. Over."

"Just watch yourself, okay? SKELLS are crawling in that area. Over."

"Hearing you loud and clear, DI – about to enter, need to cut you off. Ten minutes, DI. Over."

The radio went silent as UFO, in all of her subtle wisdom, nudged the door open with a foot and then proceeded into the flat. She found it quite strange that Wiseman had yet to meander back to her to report that no, nothing was there and this was a wasted journey, but this might've been the one night where he actually found something before she did.

"Missus Noble, I'm with the police," the female called warily. The phone cradle was empty in the hallway, suggesting that the woman who called the crime in had taken the handset itself away with her or –

It had been knocked to the floor when some form of struggle or panic occurred.

"Shit…" Out came UFO's police issue handgun, along with a torch that she hadn't felt necessary until now. It was half-past three in the morning and, despite there being several lampposts within the area, they only let so much light in. "Missus Noble, my name is Police Constable –"

There went the gun, skittering down the hallway as UFO herself was knocked to the ground with the force of a body hitting her from the side. She grappled for some semblance of control and managed to knock over one side table in the process, but eventually the person who had attempted to attack her was left writhing on the ground whilst the officer picked herself up.

"Unit 2 to Control, attempted NAI, please advise, over."

"Control to Unit 2, we're sending out a bus for any casualties. Continue as briefed. Over."

The nameless officer finally took a deep breath and looked down to find that her attacker appeared to be more or less unconscious. The occasional writhe or groan was all that he gave, and that suited her just fine. She stopped as she continued down the hall to retrieve her firearm and her torch (she had to check the rest of the house ASAP - if that woman who had called in the Breaking and Entering had been injured, she would need help quickly), but unfortunately did not make it into the next room, for her 'unconscious' attacker was at it again, and this time the UFO was not ready for the sudden movement.

Especially not when the six-inch blade that the assailant pulled and consequently dug into the side of her torso sank through the fabric of her reflective jacket – so much for protective clothing.

The shock of actually being stabbed in the gut was mirrored in her attacker's face. He clearly hadn't thought the attack through, and had reacted instinctively to the danger of being pursued by two police officers when he was probably looking for something to flog for drug money if the dark circles under his eyes and thin, hollowed features were anything to go by. The two stared at one another for what seemed to be a long time, but then Wiseman was there and the youth cleared off, bloodied knife dropped onto the outside steps and lost in amongst shrubbery.

"Call it in, kid, the sirens are blaring already. Call it in." She knew fine well that he was just trying to keep her conscious and somewhat alert. The large man was pushing down on her side in such a way that although it may have been stemming any blood flow, it was causing a lot more pain than necessary. He was panicking.

"Unit 2. Unit 2 to Co'trol, POLABH, NFA possible. Suggest alerting a back-up team…"

"Control to Unit 2, identify fallen officer, over."

UFO snorted, shaking her head and wondering why the hell she was even bothering.

"S'me, Lestrade."

"Control to Unit 2, bus is en route. Whereabouts of suspect? Over."

This time the injured woman did not reply and instead fell morosely silent, nose wrinkled at the way she could taste and smell copper.

"Unit 2, respond ASAP, over."

Unit 2 did not respond. It was only when the ambulance crew reported an unconscious officer with bodily harm going into severe shock that they received any form of information.