/I'm so very sorry everyone, I hope you're still with me and that you're enjoying the story!

I should be able to update regularly now. Again, I'm so very sorry. Thanks for asking about it, reading and reviewing. Your support keeps me going!

Chapter Four – Appearances

OOOOOO

Constable Rowan curiously walked down the corridor to meet up with his sergeant. Blaketon eyed him suspiciously as he neared.

"Are you injured, Rowan?" he asked and for a moment Nick thought he heard concern in his voice.

"No, sarge, I'm fine," he replied. "How are Phil and the others?"

Blaketon let out a long breath. "Bellamy has sprained his wrist, other than that he's a lucky man," he filled in. "We'll hear about the others when we get back to casualty. I was just on my way there when you sprinted away from the place."

Nick nodded slightly and felt a slight quiver in his knees. His legs felt like jelly, the adrenaline rush had long left his body. He turned around to look back down the corridor but at this early hour not many people occupied it.

"In the meantime," Blaketon spoke up, "you're going to tell me what on earth has been going on."

"In full?" Nick questioned and the look on his sergeant's face told him everything he needed to know.

"We cornered him up at the canyon, he resisted the arrest. When DS Lawson went forward he shoved the shovel at him," Nick reported dutifully and stepped to the side as a patient was being wheeled by in the corridor.

Blaketon cast a glance at him, waiting for Nick to continue and then walked up beside the constable again as he had stopped just behind the young man.

"Phil and DC Smith moved forward while DC Dobson trailed behind a bit. I stopped by DS Lawson, to make sure he was alright. When I had deduced he would be okay on his own for a while I set off after the others. When I drew near I caught the reflection of a knife blade in the moonlight and hollered a warning; unfortunately DC Smith wasn't fast enough," he let on sadly, thinking back on the events.

The Ashfordly sergeant pursed his lips and clenched his jaw. "This man is dangerous," he deduced gravely.

"I couldn't agree more," Nick admitted. "Anyway, Phil managed to grab him a bit further away and they took a tumble down the canyon. I ran around the steepest part and took him out at the bottom and DC Dobson arrived just minutes after me. We hauled him back to the vehicle," he explained as they neared the entrance to the casualty unit. "The rest you know."

Sgt. Blaketon nodded as they walked through the doors.

PC Phil Bellamy looked up from the bandage on his wrist he'd apparently been studying while sitting in wait on a stretcher. The young DC Smith had been rushed in haste to the operating theatre and the only thing remaining, speaking of his earlier presence, was the blood soaked cloths on the floor.

Nick felt sick all of a sudden. The detective constable was only a few years younger than himself and he was now lying fighting for his life because of another man's wrongdoing.

Blaketon focused on a bed behind a drawn curtain as he heard voices. A doctor most likely was calling out orders to a nurse. He guessed that's where they kept the ranking CID officer.

"Did he get away?" Phil asked, almost reluctant to know judging by the look on his colleague's faces.

Nick tore his eyes away from the blood cloths and frowned, looking at his friend with a grave expression. "No," he assured darkly and Phil detected anger in his voice that he'd rarely heard.

Bellamy frowned as well as it wasn't like Nick at all.

Then Nick spoke up again, this time in his normally soft voice. "DC Dobson hauled him out to the waiting transport at the back of the hospital," he informed.

Blaketon was about to say something when a doctor walked out from behind the curtain and headed in their direction.

"Sergeant," he acknowledged politely before fixing his eyes curiously on Nick. "Constable did you get the man responsible for this mess?" he asked seriously and he wasn't the slightest amused.

Nick nodded. "Billy Logan has been apprehended," he confirmed professionally. "How's DS Lawson doing?" he asked.

The doctor made a face. "Well, he's doing fine, all things considered," he informed. "He's severely bruised where the shovel hit him and his head will be rather sore for a while after that glancing blow from the criminal."

Blaketon's mood turned sour feeling the doctor was telling him, between the lines, that he couldn't do his job. "Rowan," he said, his voice sharp as he fixed the Aidensfield bobby with a glare. "Care to tell me what the blazes was going on here!" he demanded.

"I wasn't present," Nick returned succinctly, momentarily puzzling the sergeant.

Phil jumped off the bed he'd been sitting on and walked over to aide his colleague. "Nick was called away, sarge," he explained. "There was some commotion outside in the corridor. DC Dobson was filling in some forms about DC Smith and DS Lawson was guarding the prisoner."

An incredible look passed the sergeant's face. "DS Lawson was guarding the prisoner?" he echoed.

The doctor broke in. "Your wanted man was resting on a stretcher, he looked pretty out of it. He fooled both me and my staff," he admitted sheepishly. "I argued with the officer in charge to let him free of his restraints."

Blaketon huffed.

"Apparently DS Lawson spotted him trying to sneak away and went to get him," Phil informed. "Logan obviously had a fair idea about what was happening around him because most of the staff where busy stabilizing the DC and I was at the back, getting my wrist looked at."

"And the other CID officer?" Blaketon pushed.

"Like I said, popped outside for a moment to fill in some forms," Phil added.

Blaketon sighed looking exasperated. "What a mess," he murmured.

Nick turned to look at the casualty doctor. "Will DC Smith make it?" he asked.

The doctor scratched his forehead and hesitated for a second. That didn't sit well with Nick.

"To be honest, there's no telling at the moment, the knife did some real damage," he replied seriously.

OOOOOO

Dozing in the sofa Kate snapped to attention as she heard a motorcycle outside. She hastily got up and headed for the door as it opened and her husband entered.

"Nick," she exclaimed taking in his filthy uniform and haggard appearance, "are you alright?"

He broke into a tired grin, strangely assuring in a way, and hung up his helmet on the hook. "I'm fine, love, everything is fine," he said as he shrugged out of his coat and turned around to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

Kate eyed Nick suspiciously as he walked over to the sink and started to fill the kettle. She walked up behind him and sneaked her arms around his chest as he put the kettle on the stove.

Nick bravely disguised a wince, unconsciously tensing as her small hands tightened the grip around him.

"What's the matter, love?" Kate asked worriedly and her slightly cunning smile disappeared with a frown, replaced by a far more serious look.

He turned around in her embrace with a half-smirk on his face. "I'm a little bruised, that's all," he let on cryptically.

Kate narrowed her eyes as if trying to deduce if he was telling the truth or not.

"Really, I'm fine," he assured, his voice soothing. "I met James on the hospital; he was tending to one of your patients. I promised to tell you he'll give you a call later," he added.

"Have you been to hospital?" she questioned, concern seeping into her voice. "Nick, what's been going on?"

"I told you, everything is fine," he tried and gently guided her to a nearby kitchen chair. "We apprehended the villain…" he trailed off as she fixed him with a stare. "There was a commotion, he injured some of the CID officers and then got hurt in the process."

"Okay, officer," she said sternly but her lips parted in a faint smile, "take your shirt off, doctor's orders."

OOOOOO

Gina stifled a yawn as she walked into the kitchen, grabbed some toast and then went to retrieve the vacuum cleaner from the locker. She glanced at the watch and swore under her breath as she realised half the day had almost passed.

"You had a good time last night?" George asked gently as he walked through the pendulum door to the kitchen with a few plates.

Gina beamed. "Yeah we had a great time," she said happily. "He's not like anyone I've met before," she added with a twinkle in her eye.

George made a face and then hesitated, seeing the joy on his niece's face. "Gina," he began, not quite sure how to continue. "While you slept Sgt. Blaketon was here, he went through Billy's room."

A look of confusion shrouded Gina's pretty face. "What?" she exclaimed.

"We owe Claude an apology," George said suddenly, confusing Gina even more.

"You don't make sense Uncle George, what does Claude have to do with all of this?" she questioned.

He walked out in the snug and she followed. "Billy Paxton is not who he said he was. His real name is Billy Logan, the nephew of Andrew Logan," he explained with a pained expression. "Do you remember the large bank job back in Leeds a few years ago?"

Gina nodded, still a bit stunned by the news. "The bank robber," she stated.

"It's him, not Claude, who's been doing the digging around the canyon. Apparently the money is there somewhere," George finished.

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"On a prison transport to Leeds," he informed and then fixed his niece with a sad look, almost foreboding. "Gina, he nearly killed a CID officer and injured two officers, one of them Phil."

"Oh my gosh," she exclaimed putting a hand over her mouth, "I don't understand, he seemed so nice."

OOOOOO

4/20

To be continued