DISCLAMER: I Do Not Own The Taggart Team. (If I Did Then I would technically own John Michie...I could live with that! =D)

I Do However Own The Characters Owen McPhearson and PC Ross =]

Owen McPhearson tightened his grip round the womans throat, cocked the gun and shoved her closer to the edge of the building.

Jackie closed her eyes and took a long and deep breath in. This was not the first time her life had been in danger but it was the first time she honestly thought she was going to die.

'I could die up here, and I'd have never told Robbie just exactly what I feel for him.'

Robbie stood helpless at the foot of the building staring up towards the sky. Squinting his eyes, he could just make out the two figures on the edge. Only one of those figures meant something to him.

He closed his eyes. Alright, so this probably wasn't the first time Jackie had found herself in this situation but he could bet that it was the first time she'd ever thought she was going to die.

A gut wrenching thought hit Robbie so hard he could have been winded.

'Jackie could die up there and I'd have never told her just exactly what I feel for her.'

Back up on the rooftop Jackie was starting to get McPhearson to explain his actions.

"Why Owen? Why all those women? What had they ever done to you?"

"All those women had -at some point- rejected me in one way or another DS Reid and I had finally reached my boiling point. After Rachel denied me I couldn't take it any more. All my life my mother rejected me -that type of rejection can never be healed- it just builds up like lava in a volcano until finally, -BOOM- all that hurt, anger and frustration come spilling out and over the top", he explained as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jackie could pure and hatred and venom lacing every word he spoke.

"Have you ever been rejcted DS Reid? Rejected by the one person whom you think ought to love you", he growled.

Jackie peered over the edge and cast a look down at the crowd below. 'Christ, where the hell are backup!?' she thought to herself. Her eyes fell upon the small figure on her right hand side.

Robbies frustration was builing up by the second.

"Sir, where the hell are backup?!", he hollered at DCI Burke.

"They're coming Robs. Keep calm mate", answered the young copper on Robbies right hand side. "All we can do now is wait and keep our eye on McPhearson", he added.

Burke couldn't keep waiting any longer himelf. "PC Ross, get on the radio and find out where the fuck backup are!", he ordered.

"Sir", PC Ross replied tipping his cap as a way of acknowledging the order.

He walked to the car, opened the door and leant inside to grab the radio. Just as he went to talk, Stuart leant into his ear.

"Back up is here. They came round the other way so McPhearson didn't see. They're making their way up to the roof now."

"Thank heavens for that!", signed PC Ross. He loked uptowards the figure of Jackie and gave her a thumbs up sign. He wasn't sure whether she'd see it, but it was worth a shot.

As Jackie stood watching the people below she caught sight of PC Ross giving her a thumbs up, which she could only assume meant that back up were here and on their way.

Jackie breathed a short sigh of relief, okay so she was still being held at gunpoint, still on the egde of the building and McPhearson still had his arm round her throat but she had practically escaped unscathed!

'Your one lucky woman Jackie Reid'

Meanwhile, the back up team had managed to get onto the roof without being seen or heard. They'd gradually crept closer until they were able to seize McPhearson and move Jackie away to safety.

However, in the spilt second that the officer holding McPhearson was distracted, he'd taken aim with his gun and fired.

The team looked on in horror as they saw Jackie slump to the ground. Before they knew it the paramedics that had been on the scene had jumped into action and had summoned an ambulance.

After a short time, back up appeared shoving McPhearson who wore a smile as if to say 'I won.' They were closely follwed by the paramedics who had Jackie strapped to an stretcher.

As the area emptied a parameic walked towards Burke and the team.

"Your Sergeant is quite seriously injured i'm afraid. Is there someone able to come with in the ambulance?", he asked.

Robbie stepped forward, "I will", he whispered, the tears falling down his face unable to contain his emotions any longer.

Burke placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll come down later."

Robbie threw his cars keys to PC Ross before climbing into the ambulance. The doors were closed and the ambulance sped off.

Stuar twas just about to speak when a shout from behind made them turn to look.

"Sir, he's done a runner!", hollered a uniformed policeman.

"Right everyone move out and search for McPhearson. Go Go Go!!!", shouted Burke.

Everyone jumped into their cars and took off.

It was now 6pm and after hours of searching McPhearson still hadn't been found. Burke rang Fraser and PC Ross and told them to call it a night. They'd try again in the morning.

So they'd stopped with the search and gone down to Glasgow General Hospital to meet up with Robbie and get the lowdow on what was happening with Jackie.

Later that night

A lone figure stood motionless behind the concrete post, only moving once to check the time. At 1am, footsteps could be heard approaching the riverside.

Owen McPhearson stood and looked out across the water. As he stood there he went over the events that had happened the day before. He started to laugh to himself, the laugh getting louder and louder the more he went over it in his mind. It was to be the last thing he did!

He was so busy laughing he hadn't heard the gun being cocked but he was suddenly aware that someone was laughing with him.

McPhearson spun round.

'CRACK', the gun went off at close rage firing point blank into his head.

The figure left standing hooked a foot under McPhearsons legs, tipped him over the edge and into the Clyde before disappearing into the night.

Authors Note: Would you like the epilogue now? =]