A/N: And we're back! Thanks for supporting me throughout the progress of this story! I hope you like my new instalment, in which a lot happens.
Disclaimer: Checking…checking…nope, not mine.
On with it…
Well, so far so good. You're three weeks in this new situation now and hard as it is, you're adjusting as well as you can. The same afternoon of your meeting with Dan, the microphones are placed all around your flat. They're so small and so cleverly concealed, you don't even know how to find them. It was decided you shouldn't know where they were in the first place. That way, you'll be acting way more natural instead of trying to steer Adam into the near vicinity of one of them. Nothing should cause you to get yourself into any more potentially dangerous situations than you already are.
There's a different surveillance team outside your building every day. You've memorized a list of cars they'll use and Matt keeps you updated as well. The coppers are disguised as mailmen, sales agents, plumbers and mechanics. As joggers or couples walking their dog. It's a happy coincidence Adam never noticed, let alone cared about your neighbours. He wouldn't separate the officers following him from the people belonging in your building or the surrounding area.
He's gone a lot these days. It doesn't help the situation in progress, but it does help you to relax. You're still not a good liar and this whole charade is grating on your nerves. If you'd been more in love with Adam to begin with, it might help you with acting nice and sweet and concerned about him. The fact that you have started to resent him, hate him for the way he's disrupted your life, makes it harder and harder every time he is there to pretend you love and care for him.
But then again, so far, so good.
Then, at the beginning of the fourth week of operation "Adam downfall", as you have dubbed it for yourself, things suddenly start to move faster. So fast, you're caught off-guard.
It's been a very long day at court, with the usual lying witnesses and pesky questions and objections. You're exhausted and much like any other time these last few weeks, you silently hope to spend the night alone again. It's creepy enough to realize that, with all the microphones inside your home, your privacy is already compromised as it is and you know that with Adam absent all the time, the investigation might not come to speed, but still...one night of not thinking about this situation shouldn't be too much to ask, should it?
Apparently, it is.
When you enter your flat, the coat on the rack immediately informs you Adam's there. You can smell the fragrance of garlic and some other herbs wafting from the kitchen and involuntarily, your mouth waters. When he's in the mood, Adam's quite a good cook.
The man himself however, is not in the kitchen when you take a peek. Following the sound of his voice, you find him in the bedroom, where he's sitting on the foot end of the bed, talking on his cell phone in a hushed, yet agitated voice. You want to knock and enter, but something holds you back. He's talking about a 'her'. And there's no question who this 'her' must be.
"No, I tell you, I told her nothing. I'm not an idiot. She knows nothing. How can she?"
Of course you can't hear the voice on the other side of the line, but you can tell by Adam's gestures he's not happy with what he's hearing.
"Of course I'm aware who or what she is! But if I dump her now, she'll have even more reason to suspect me."
Silence, growing agitation as he listens.
"Again, no. Jack, I searched her flat, I'm in there now. There's nothing here to suggest she has as much as a clue...yes of course I know where she is. I make it my business to know."
So he has you followed...must not be a good tail then since Adam's so far unaware you've arrived home.
"Besides, the woman loves me, adores me, and the lifestyle I provide. I have her eating out of my hand. And believe me, if I go down, I'll take her with me. So don't you worry. The deal's still on...yes, day after tomorrow. You know where. I'll set everything up. Thirty percent, like we discussed. Yes, I'll talk to Dan."
Silence again, then a sigh, followed by a blood-churning answer to a question you can guess.
"Yes. If she does find out anything, I'll take care of her."
He's about to end the call. He hasn't seen you yet. Quickly, you make a beeline for the front door, grab your bag, purse and keys and get out the door, shutting it quietly behind you. Standing just outside your door in the hallway, you send a quick text to Matt to inform him something's about to happen day after tomorrow. You don't tell him about the last comment you heard your boyfriend make. There's no reason to upset anyone. If it doesn't get blown out of proportion, you might trick yourself into believing nothing has happened. That you were not threatened in your very existence by the man who's supposed to love you.
He calls immediately. He already knows. Dan has informed them and the plans for an arrest are already in the making.
"It's almost over, love. Hang in there."
You end the call and push the keys back into the lock, pretending you've just arrived and hoping Adam will believe you.
All during dinner, he's preoccupied and brooding. But since that's nothing new, you don't comment, only compliment him on the wonderful meal, even though thanks to the nerves, you have no idea what you're eating. Could have been baked sawdust for all you know.
"Alesha, you're hardly eating anything. Are you alright?"
Thank God your answer is both plausible and at least a bit true.
"I'm okay. Just tired. Long day in court. I'm sorry for your dinner. It's really lovely."
"In that case, how about some desert? Warm apple crumble sound good to you?"
With a smile you accept his offer, forcing yourself to eat it all.
His phone buzzes and he checks the message, frowning when he reads it. He types something back, than stands and grabs his jacket from the armrest of the sofa where he dropped it when he came in.
"I'm sorry darling, there's a bit of trouble at the office. I have to go back there for a while. See you later?"
You nod, trying not to shy away from his obligatory kiss on the cheek. A moment later, you breathe in relief as you hear the front door close behind him.
Your relief is short-lived though. This time, it's your phone buzzing and the message is all too clear. It's from Dan.
Pack whatever you can and get out!
Matt's on his way to collect you.
Lock yourself in until then.
Throw away this message
In a panicked frenzy, you delete the text and grab a suitcase, carelessly filling it with clothes, toiletries, your passport and some knickknacks you can't stand to lose. You check your purse for your keys and wallet and finding everything there, you stand in the middle of your hallway, waiting and fidgeting. Within five minutes, Matt knocks on the door. He takes the suitcase from you, grabs you by the hand and sprints away, leading you out the backdoor.
At a run, you make it to a waiting car and only when Matt has navigated the vehicle into the busy London streets, does he talk to you.
"Sorry, love, for the rather dramatic exit, but we can't be sure we're not being watched."
"Matt, what's the panic about exactly?"
"That text you received from Dan came after he got a summons from Jack to tell Adam the deal's on for tonight instead of day after tomorrow. Since we don't know what has gotten them into such a hurry all of a sudden, we figured it was best to act soon and get you out of there. Whatever does or doesn't go down tonight, your safety is paramount."
"Where are you taking me?"
"To a flat owned by a retired copper who's a friend of Dan's. It's more comfortable than a safe house. As a bonus, the neighbours don't know that's what it's used for, so that makes it all the more safe."
"And then you'll leave me there?"
"You won't be alone. Natalie's going to stay with you. We'll all come back to the flat after we've made the arrests."
"Promise?"
You know you sound like a scared little child, and that's exactly how you feel. Scared and too tired to try to hide it. Too much of your world has shifted in too little time and at least with your current companion, you feel comfortable enough to show how much the events of these past few weeks have affected you.
True to his nature, Matt doesn't mock you. He just takes one hand off the steering wheel to grab yours, squeezing it softly and holding onto it for the remainder of the ride.
At a nondescript brick building he pulls into a parking lot. You're too nervous to take in much of your surroundings, letting Matt lead you inside a lift taking you to the third floor and from there to one of the blue doors. He fishes out a single key from his pockets and a moment later, you find yourself in a small but cosy living room. It's odd. Under other circumstances, you'd appreciate the comfortable, relaxed atmosphere of the space, but as it is, it could be a prison cell for all the comfort you're taking out of it.
Nat appears from what is probably the kitchen, carrying a tray with a coffee pot and some sandwiches. Behind you, Ronnie arrives and right behind him, Jake and Henry show up.
As a true mother hen, Nat orders all of you to sit down and eat. In the meantime, she explains to you and your superior officers what's planned for tonight.
"You'll need your energy lads. This might be the last chance you get of a proper meal before you go out and make an end to this all. Ronnie and Matt will stay here until Dan's car GPS is activated. Then they'll follow him to wherever he's going. They'll have an arrest team of twenty men with them and another twenty on emergency standby. They're to take Jack, Adam, Dan and whoever else is with them into custody, Dan to be released later of course, but we cannot blow his cover yet. After the arrests are being made, we'll swap positions. If everything goes according to plan, Matt and Ronnie will drop off their cargo at the station and Matt will drive over here to take Alesha home...unless you don't want to go home. There's a bedroom here too. It's up to you."
You shrug. Despite of being tired to the bone, sleep is the last thing on your mind. You're worried sick. It all sounds way too easy and you can't quench the sickening feeling something will go horribly wrong. Yet, you keep your comment to yourself. Matt doesn't need to know how scared you are for his wellbeing. It'll only add more stress to an already stressful situation.
During your silence, three phones buzz at the same time. As if one person, Ronnie, Natalie and Matt grab their cell phones and look. Nat speaks first, announcing the unavoidable.
"Dan's on the move. You know what to do. Good luck and be safe, boys."
Ronnie stands, gesturing for Matt, but he has turned to you. His crystal gaze meets your chocolate one, filled with all the love and concern you're no longer hiding from anyone.
"Be careful Matt."
"I will. I'll come back to you, love."
He stands too, grabs his coat and car keys, but before following Ronnie out, he hesitates. Then, as on a whim, he strides over to you, pulls you in his arms and kisses you hot and quickly on the mouth. Before you can react, he lets go.
"That's my promise."
He then leaves without looking back, not noticing the colour rising in your cheeks and the knowing looks of his mate and his DI.
The door closes behind them, the room suddenly turning empty and silent. Your hand comes up and touches your mouth, still burning from his kiss.
Matt has kissed you.
He's coming back for you.
Never before has he stated his intentions so clearly. Huh, at least now you have something to thank Adam for.
Nat doesn't say anything, the only visible evidence of her thought about this new development being the small smile across her lips. She supports you then.
So now the waiting game begins. Nat suggests a movie and without anything better to do, you agree, though you have no idea what it is you're watching. Your coffee has gone cold and your not even half-eaten sandwich lies forlornly on the coffee table. In your mind, a tennis game of conflicting emotions is going on. One moment you're jittery and lightheaded with his kiss and the promise it might hold. The other moment your stomach clenches with anxiety. It's like you've never realized before on this level how dangerous your friend's job really is.
And it's doubly painful to know that it's your supposed boyfriend who's now getting the man you really love in danger. Top that off with the sad admission that Matt might not even know how much you love him yet and you have a whopping big mess.
Way to go, JCP Phillips. You've always known you were stupid, but this tops it all.
In a feeble attempt to get your mind off the current situation, Nat tries to engage you into some small talk. To humour her, you try and listen to the story of her son's first school camp, but she may just as well talk about her latest visit to the mermaids for all you care. Thank God Nat knows better than to blame you for your lack of attention.
Perhaps it has taken only a few minutes, perhaps it has taken weeks, in reality it has taken over two hours, closer to three even before Nat's phone buzzes. You jolt from a fitful state in between sleep and wakefulness in time to see the frown on the DI's face. Something's gone wrong.
You start to feel sick.
Nat types something back, presses the send-button and slowly puts down the phone, as if it's some kind of trigger to an explosive she can't stir too much.
Then she looks at you, trying to get her worried face back into a more neutral expression.
"Nat?"
"They're on their way back. It was not an easy arrest. There's been some heavy shooting all around. And Alesha, I'm sorry to say this but..."
"Not Matt! Please, don't let it be Matt!"
You're not aware you've said this out loud until Nat answers.
"Matt's fine, Alesha. He was shot, but the bullet merely grazed his arm, so it's nothing more than a flesh wound and there won't be any permanent damage. But Dan and Adam both got in the middle of a crossfire. Dan's being brought to the hospital in critical condition, but Adam...I'm sorry, but he died instantly."
A tidal wave of pure relief floods through you, followed by a sense of dread for Dan's sake. It's funny how your opinion of the man has changed since you know him to be one of the good guys. You can now sincerely hope he'll make a full recovery.
You wait until your concern for both men is replaced by sadness over Adam. But instead of feeling sad, you feel guilty for not feeling anything of the sorts. What kind of a woman does it make you that you cannot even bring up the right emotions to mourn the man you were supposed to love?
Perhaps because, like you confessed to Matt, you never really did love him to begin with.
Another twenty minutes have passed before the doorbell buzzes: one long buzz, followed by two short ones. The good guys. Even before Nat can get up, you jump up to open the door. A weary looking Ronnie comes in and gives you a quick hug. Behind him, Matt stumbles in, his left arm in a sling, looking like he hasn't slept in about a year. Upon seeing you, his tired eyes light up though. As Ronnie steps away to make room, you stretch out your arms and he makes a beeline toward you.
Careful not to hurt his injured arm even more, you close him into your embrace and he clings to you for dear life. He's shaking with fatigue, weariness and worry for the health of one of their own. In the meantime, you're trembling with relief. He's safe now, he's kept his promise and came back to you.
After a while, he lets go of you a little, just enough to acknowledge the presence of his superior officer. Nat gently leads both men and yourself to the comfortable couches. Ron sets himself down in one of the separate chairs and so does Nat, leaving yourself and Matt to take the sofa. Since he's still holding onto your hand like it's his last link to normality, you sit down closely next to him.
All is quiet for some time. Than Natalie walks out of the room to the kitchen, cell phone in her hand. She comes back after fifteen minutes or so, carrying four mugs of coffee she hands out to all of you.
"I just got off the phone with the hospital. Dan's just out of surgery. He's still critical, but stable. They'll keep us informed. Adam's remains – so sorry Alesha – have been taken to the morgue for the autopsy. If you want to, I can arrange for you to see him there in the morning. You might want to say a proper goodbye."
You're quite frankly not sure you do, but you can't tell Natalie as much. She's going out of her way to help you and you can't be ungrateful and throw it back in her face. So you just nod. If you actually go there, you'll ask Matt to come with you.
In the meantime, Nat continues with the status quo.
"Jack's been taken into custody. I'll drop by the bureau for a few minutes later tonight just to oversee the right procedures. We'll interrogate him tomorrow when we're all a little more rested. That is me and Ronnie. Matt, you're on sick leave until further notice."
The fact Matt's too tired to protest says enough to all of you. You squeeze his hand in silent support and he squeezes right back, using his other hand to lift his mug and take slow, small sips of his coffee. Yours is getting cold on the table in front of you, the warmth Matt's providing good enough for you for the moment.
"Now, there's nothing more any of us can do at the moment. Ronnie, I'll see you at nine for the interrogation, Alesha, you let me know when you'll be coming in if you want to see Adam. Matt, you take care of yourself and your lady here. I'll give you a ring in the morning, but I don't want to see you anywhere near the bureau. "
Clear as ever in her instructions and not waiting for any possible arguments, she bids you all good night and leaves the flat. Ronnie soon stands to leave too, slapping his friend on the uninjured shoulder and giving you another quick hug. Never much of a tactile person in normal situation, this behaviour tells you it's been a haranguing day for all of you. Matt sees it too.
"Ronnie, mate, will you be okay for this interrogation in the morning?"
The older DS's normally animated face turns grim for a moment.
"After what that worthless piece of cow dung has done to you, to Dan, to Alesha, you'd better hope there'll be anything left of him when I'm through with him."
With these words, he slips on his coat and after a last wave, leaves Matt and you to yourselves.
…To be continued…
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