Thanks to Hollie and Jo for the lovely starting reviews. I'm excited about this story, which is why I've done the first chapter so quickly. Enjoy!

A good night had been had by all. Well, if you were out with Beth, Will, Nate, Jess, Sally and the others, a good night was pretty much guaranteed. They had been out since eight that evening, first they had dinner before going on to the club. There were joined by members of CID; Max, Jo, Stevie, Mickey, Terry and a few others. Even the Inspector had shown up! But tonight was a celebratory night: one of the biggest crime families in Sun Hill had been taken down due to a lot of hard work and collaboration between CID and uniform. Gina was proud of her troops, I mean she was proud of them all the time (though she didn't show it), but tonight, well, they had made the streets a much safer place, they had made an active difference. She felt like a mother who was proud of her children, something she had never had the chance to actively experience, but she thought it would feel something like this.

*

The Inspector and a few of the older members of the team had gone home at around eleven, citing that they had work the next day so wanted to have a clear head. As Terry left, Will started taunting him, "Terry, are you really leaving because you've got work tomorrow, or because you're getting too old to keep up with us young'uns?"

Terry turned to face Will slowly, his left eyebrow raised, his mouth set in a dead line, "William, let's see who feels old tomorrow. You my friend, are going to have one hell of a hangover which will make you feel like you are ninety. I, on the other hand, will be fresh as a daisy, feeling not a day over twenty one." Terry said completely dead pan. Will looked confused for a minute, letting his drink addled mind process what Terry was saying. Then he shook his head.

"Nah Terry my old mucker. I'm gonna be absolutely fine tomorrow, you wait." Will slurred, leaning heavily on Callum, who didn't look amused.

"Will, if you're sick on me..." he growled menacingly.

"Chill sarge, it's all good. I'm never sick!" Will said happily.

*

Half an hour later, Will emerged from the toilets a bit green around the gills. Callum was leaning against the bar with Jess, and when he saw Will he turned round, a big grin on his face.

"Jess, I'm pretty sure Will said that he's never sick. Did you hear that as well?" Callum asked, mock-confused.

Jess put a finger on her lips, as if thinking about it, "Hmm, now you mention it, I'm sure he always brags how he can hold his drink."

Will staggered to the bar, leaning on the bar stool, "Alright fine, I was sick. But this is the first time."

"Sure William, just keep telling yourself that." Callum said with a smirk, finishing his pint.

"Do you want some water Will?" Jess asked, bending so that she could see his face better. He nodded slowly, but stopped when that made him feel sick again. Jess rolled her eyes and straightened up, signalling the bartender, "Can I have a pint of water please, and some aspirin if you have any." The bartender handed Jess the two small white tablets and a pint of water.

"If he's sick on the floor, he cleans it up." the bartender said before handing over the pills.

"Yes sir." Will said, saluting the bartender before slumping on the bar.

"Here you go, have this. Then I think I should take you home." Jess said, holding the glass steady as Will poured it in his mouth.

"Nah, don't wanna go home, it's only..." Will squinted as he tried to make out the numbers on his watch, but they kept squiggling.

"It's one thirty Will, don't worry, you're not gonna lose your party animal title just because you went home a little early." Sally said as she walked past and perched on the bar stool next to Jess'.

"God Will, you're such a lightweight tonight!" Nate said, punching Will lightly on the arm.

"Shove off Nate, I reckon someone spiked my drink." Will said, nodding.

Nate laughed, "No-one would want to spike your drink my friend. Right, me and Sally are off, see you all later."

Sally hugged Jess, waved at Callum, and patted Will on the arm as she went by, "Try not to be sick anymore Will. Bye!"

"I wasn't sick, just...just...oh God..." Will got off the stool, running into the bathroom.

Jess looked from the door to Callum, "Maybe you should go check on him?"

Callum sighed, "Fine, but if he's sick on me, even if it's just a drop, you're cleaning it off!"

Jess smiled, "I can do that, and then I can clean it off you as well...fancy hopping in the shower when we get home?"

Callum raised his finger as if to wait, "Hold that thought. Let me go check on young William."

After Will had finished being sick again, Jess and Callum had taken him home to wallow in his drunkenness. Jess made sure there was a big glass of water on his bedside cabinet, with a whole packet of aspirin and a bowl by the side of his bed just in case. They left his flat quietly, feeling sorry for him when he would have to work tomorrow with a monster hangover.

*

Will stumbled into work the following afternoon, feeling as if a sumo wrestler had taken up residence in his head alongside a pissed elephant. The effect was not nice, and it hurt to even blink, let alone get up and move around. He made it into briefing, and sat as still as possible in the seat.

"Alright Will? Got a nice headache this morning?" Nate whispered to him, but to Will it was as if he was shouting.

"Sh'up Nate." Will muttered, massaging his temples.

The Inspector started dishing out who was doing what that day, and Will was partnered with Jess in one of the patrol cars. As everyone was dispersing to find their partners, Will just sat still, knowing Jess would come to him.

"I'll drive then shall I?" Jess said with a smile as she helped Will out of his seat and through the station, out to the yard to their car.

"I have no idea how I'm going to make it through the day." Will said feebly as he strapped himself in.

Jess peered at him, pausing in starting the ignition, "You do look peaky still. Were you sick anymore?"

Will shook his head slowly, "No, but my head is pounding and I keep going hot and cold, you know like when you have flu?"

Jess frowned, "I don't think you're as hungover as we thought. I think you're actually ill. Maybe you should stay in the station today, I can go on patrol on my own."

Will peered at her through semi-closed eyes, "Are you sure?"

Jess nodded, "Yeah course. Hang on, let me tell Smithy." Jess got out the car and walked to where Smithy was, about to get in his own patrol car. "Sarge?"

"Yes PC Hunter?" Smithy asked, shutting the door to the car.

"I don't think Will should be out on patrol today. He's really not well." Jess explained.

Smithy didn't look convinced, "Do you mean by not well, hungover?"

"No sarge, at first I thought he was, but it's not like any hangover I've seen before." Jess said. "Come and see."

Smithy followed Jess to her patrol car, leaning in the window of her side, "Alright PC Fletcher? Jess says you're not feeling too good.

Will was leant against the window, and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his face, "No sarge, I'm really cold. Can I go in the station? It's warm in there."

Jess looked at Will, concerned, "Sarge look, he's sweating but saying he's cold."

"Alright, I'll get him in the station, the FME can look him over. Are you alright doing patrol on your own?" Smithy asked opening Will's door and supporting him into an upright position.

"Yeah I'll be fine. Let me know how he is. Thanks sarge." Jess said with a nod, smiling at Will as he was led into the station by Smithy.

*

Jess had pulled up on the side of the road next to a diner, grabbing a quick bite to eat and a coffee for her dinner. She had rung in to the station not too long ago, finding out how Will was. According to Sally, the FME had checked him over and deduced that Will had food poisoning. It made sense, seeing as they had gone out to dinner the night before, Will had a seafood dish. So he'd been sent home not long after, being no use out on patrol and being too ill to even work in the station. So it wasn't a hangover like they had all thought, he was just generally ill. Jess had just settled down in the car, eating her toasted sandwich, when a car sped by her. She placed the food on the empty seat next to her, put on her seatbelt and quickly pulled away from the kerb, flicking on her lights and sirens. The car was obviously doing more than 30mph, and it surprised Jess that the car hadn't noticed her sat there under a street light. She sighed and kept one hand firmly on the wheel as she called it in,

"Sierra oscar 134 to any units dealing." Jess said into the radio, placing both hands on the wheel as she went round a sharp bend.

"Go ahead 134, over." Smithy's voice came over the radio.

"In pursuit of a dark blue Ford Mondeo, registration Lima Yankee 3 4, 8 November Tango. Doing well over 50mph in a 30mph zone. I've flashed him, currently pursuing down Dover Street, showing no signs of stopping, over." Jess briefed quickly.

"Received. How many people in the car, over?" Smithy asked, giving Nate directions on how to get to where Jess was.

Jess looked closely at the car she was pursuing, and she thought there was only one person in the car, but she couldn't be sure, "One I think, can't be sure though. Now doing a left, that's a left, onto Jackman Road, over." Jess said, following the car tightly.

"That leads down to the industrial estate, you'll have him then. We'll be with you in a minute, traffic is holding us up, over." Smithy said, frustrated.

"Received over." Jess confirmed.

"Oh, and Jess, proceed with caution, over." Smithy warned.

*

The car she was pursuing braked violently as it entered the industrial estate. Jess stamped on the clutch and brake, swinging the wheel to the left to avoid hitting the other car. Once the car had spun to a halt and Jess' heart had resumed beating, she got out of the car, grabbing the flash light from behind the seat. She flicked it on, the lights from her car casting blue and white patterns onto the other car. The other car was silent, there was no movement from within. Something was definitely not right. This didn't feel like most other pursuits. Jess flicked out her asp, not wanting to take any chances. She crept over to the car, sweeping her flash light along it, and seeing that there indeed was only one person inside.

"Police! Out the car, hand over the keys." Jess shouted. The driver still didn't move. Jess warily walked around to the drivers side of the car, never letting her flash light leave the driver, keeping her eyes on him at all times. "I said out the car!" The drivers door slowly opened, and Jess felt like her heart was in her throat. She prayed that Smithy and Nate would get there soon. The driver got out the car at a leisurely speed, not allowing Jess to see his face. "Keys?" The driver reached into the car, supposedly getting the keys from the ignition. But instead, when he spun round, it was a gun in his hands, not keys.

"Sorry officer? What was that?" the man asked. His face was masked, his hands gloved. Jess knew that he had baited her there, and she had followed all too willingly. She backed up slowly, her hands in surrender.

"Put the gun down carefully." she said clearly, not allowing her fear to taint her voice.

"Sorry officer, no can do. See you're a message. It won't be clear what at first, but eventually, she'll understand. It's necessary you see? And it's not going to stop with you. There will be more until she realises that it's me, until she realises that I will keep hunting her officers unless she comes to me." the man said slowly, his voice relishing every word he said.

"Who? Who are you talking about?" Jess asked, trying to keep him talking.

"Ah, I can't tell you that. I really am sorry about this, but she put me in that hell hole. And now I will cause her to live out her private version of hell where her officers keep dying because of her." the man said, and Jess could tell that she was smiling. And then it clicked.

"Inspector..." but the second word was cut off with a gurgle as the man shot her at point blank range, the bullet ripping through her body, cutting a path through muscle and tissue and bone. She dropped the flash light and it landed on the dirt with a dull thud, spinning idly in a circle until it came to a rest, aimed at the man's feet. Her asp landed with a clatter next to it, and Jess' hands came up to cover the entry wound the bullet had made in her diaphragm. She could tell that the bullet had gone straight through her left lung, collapsing it, making it feel like she was being suffocated from the inside. "Help...me..." she gasped, the words feeling like sandpaper in her throat.

"I don't think so." the man said coldly. As Jess collapsed onto her knees, the blood shining ruby red on her hands, the man dragged her away from the cars. She watched in horror as he doused both cars with petrol, pulling a lighter out his pocket which he threw on to his car, instantly catching it alight. The flames ripped through the car, licking at the upholstery, carving a trail to the petrol in the tank. Jess knew there were moments until the car would explode, also causing her car to explode. She looked frantically to where her attacker had been stood, and realised with a jolt that he had gone. She collapsed onto her side, losing energy. She wouldn't be able to keep pressure on the wound much longer, and then she would bleed to death if she didn't suffocate to death first. Her breath made a horrible rasping noise as it rolled up from her deflated lung and out her mouth...in...rasp...out...rasp. A never ending cycle. Well, one that would be ending shortly with the young officer's death if help didn't arrive soon enough.

*

Smithy and Nate screeched to a halt yards away from the inferno. They could barely make out the shell of one car, and then Smithy noted Jess' patrol car, flames hungrily winding their way through it.

"Sierra oscar 134to 54. Do you read me, over?" Smithy said frantically into his radio while Nate radioed for the fire service. "Sierra oscar 134 from 54, do you read me, over?" There was no answer. Smithy scouted the area around the burning cars, trying to see if Jess was there, or if the person she was pursuing was there.

"Sarge, fire service will be three minutes tops." Nate said, running over.

"Where is she?" Smithy asked, pacing in front of the burning cars. One of the windows in Jess' car exploded, glass shattering and whipping through the air like tiny needles. Smithy and Nate covered their faces, the glass slicing through their arms. They both had small cuts all over their arms, but none of the glass had stayed in their arms, luckily.

It was then that Jess' voice came over the radio, barely audible over the inferno, "Smithy..." was all she said.

"Sarge, what if she's in the car?" Nate asked, looking at what was left of the patrol car.

"No, she would be dead if she was still in there. JESS!" he shouted into the night, hoping to get some answer. Nate and Smithy moved around the burning cars so they were on the other side. It was then that Nate spotted the track of light that Jess' flash light was making on the dirt.

"Sarge, here!" Nate called, picking the flash light up, then spotting the asp, picked that up as well. "Her torch and asp. She dropped them by the looks of it."

As Smithy took the torch from Nate's hands, it swept over the place Jess had been dragged to, a short distance from the flaming cars, "JESS!" Smithy shouted, sprinting to his fallen officer, "Nate call an ambulance now!"

"This is an ambulance call. Ambulance needed at Meadowhill industrial estate. PC Hunter has been shot in the abdomen, I repeat, PC Hunter has been shot in the abdomen. It doesn't look good, over." Nate said frantically into his radio.

Smithy unzipped Jess' stab proof vest, where there was a clear hole where the bullet had gone through. The zip may have slowed the bullet down so that it didn't penetrate her body any further, but it hadn't protected her. Smithy yanked the vest open, then ripped Jess' shirt open, causing the buttons to pop off. The bullet had entered just below her left breast, far enough down to miss the heart but still getting the lung. Smithy balled up Jess' shirt, placing it firmly on the wound. "Jess? Jess can you hear me? You're going to be ok, we've got you now."

*

From the trees he watched the chaos he had caused. An officer near death, and this was just the beginning. She wouldn't understand at first, she would just think it was a tragic shooting of one of her officers. But when more of her officers begin to get hurt, surely she would notice the pattern? And then she would know it was him. And then she would find him, hunt him. But not before he had hunted her, made her pay for what she had taken from him. Oh yes she would pay, with her officers lives, starting with the pretty young blonde who was lying in the dirt right now, a bullet wound in her body, a bullet in her chest, in her deflated lung. It would be such a shame if she died, but it didn't trouble him whether she lived or died, just so long as Inspector Gold realised that this young officer of hers was the first of the messages. Let's hope that the Inspector is as sharp as she used to be if she wants to save her other officers. The man smiled hugely, and then retreated through the trees, home.