Disclaimer: The new DI's name is my own creation. Apart from that, I own nothing.
ASHES TO ASHES: ONE LAST JOB
Chapter 1: Drinking Night
Old habits die hard. It had been three months since Ray, Chris, Shaz and Alex had stepped through the door of the Railway Arms, but Friday night was still drinking night. At 7:30pm, the back door opened, and from the blinding white light, the four figures emerged into the pub.
"What you havin', mon bruvs?" Nelson asked cheerfully, as Ray and Chris approached the bar.
"The usuals, please, Nelson." This was always Ray's reply; sometimes Chris wondered why Nelson even bothered to ask.
"Comin' right up." Nelson began pulling the pints as Shaz approached the woman sitting at the far end of the bar.
"You alright, Phyllis?"
"Not so bad, Love…" Phyllis Dobbs replied. "But I don't think I'm the one you should be asking." She indicated Alex, who was already flicking through the channels on the wall TV.
"It's best we just leave her be." Shaz replied. Phyllis reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Alex found the first of two channels she wanted; Channel 906… Molly's channel. As usual, she was just fine. Her dad had moved back to London and she was living with him and Judy. He'd finally gotten himself a job and was making enough to provide for Molly and himself, and Evan came regularly to help in any way he could. Alex was happy enough that she was safe. There was no-one else she loved more than her daughter, but there was still one other person she was more worried about…
She flicked through the channels again until she found the other one that she wanted: Channel 6620… Gene's channel. He was doing what he did best; charging down the high street in his new Mercedes-Benz, his new DI in the passenger seat, hot on the tail of a couple of scumbags in an old hatchback. "Ride of the Valkyries" was playing in the background. DI Reece Devon had obviously gotten used to working for him; He wasn't complaining about the fact that Gene was breaking the speed limit, in fact he seemed to be enjoying it. He casually pulled his gun out of his shoulder holster, checked the clip and pulled back the slide.
The scene cut to a wide shot of a building site. The collars' car smashed through the gates and Gene followed. It was a dead end. The collars stopped and got out of the car, racing to the boot to retrieve their shotguns. Gene caught up, stopped, and stepped out, his Colt Python in hand. He fired a warning shot into the roof of the other car. The younger of the two collars ducked and scrambled round the far side of the car… right into Devon's line of fire. The collar raised his weapon and Devon fired, hitting the man right between the eyes.
At the same time, the other collar took a shot at Gene, missing him completely. Gene fired his second shot into the collar's left arm, then the third into this chest. The collar fell and the music reached its climax. The TV turned off.
Alex had been so engrossed in watching the screen that she hadn't noticed the man walk up behind her, reach around and press the power button on the remote. She turned to see Sam Tyler standing there.
"You don't need to worry about him, Alex."
She smiled. "I know", she replied. "But I like to."
"When did you get here, Boss?" Chris called from the bar.
"'Bout half an hour before you did, Chris." Sam replied. "Annie likes to get here before all the Kit-Kats are sold out.
"OI! Cheeky bugger!" Annie emerged from the corner booth and approached the bar. Sam and Alex followed. Nelson handed Alex her drink and asked if Sam and Annie wanted a refill.
By 11:30, the lights were dim and Nelson was closing the bar. Ray and Chris, while not paralytic, where in no fit state to do much else than go to sleep. Shaz was just helping Chris to his feet when the TV switched back on.
"Who's got the remote?" Sam asked. Alex looked around. The remote was on the bar, and Nelson was by the back door. The static screen suddenly became an image with sound. Flames. Rock. Screaming. It was obviously a representation of Hell. Gradually the multiple screams began to fade and a single person's cries of pain and anguish filled the room. Alex recognised the voice immediately, and could see looks of despair on the faces of Ray, Chris and Shaz. The scene changed to a dark room with the screaming man chained to the wall. The flames licked higher and the man became visible. Ray, Chris, Shaz and Alex saw to their horror the tear-strewn, terrified, suffering face of Sergeant Viv James.
"Oh, my God…" Alex said, just as another figure entered the scene.
"Enjoying yourself, Viv?" the second voice asked. Alex recognised this voice as well. The pencil-necked figure of Jim Keats approached Viv's shaking form.
"No?" Keats smiled. "Oh, well… you'll get used to it." Keats laughed to himself and walked out of shot. The screen went blank, and the pub phone rang.
"Hello?" Nelson answered. "Yes, sir. I'll let them know." He turned to the group. "That was 'Head Office'… they said to open the front door."