Disclaimer I do not own Law and Order UK. This story follows on from my previous two L&O UK stories. It may help if you read those. Sort of an AU series 4 I think!

Lost

"What do you mean Ronnie's gone? Where 'as he gone?" Natalie almost shouted into the phone. She could feel the start of a headache as she wondered what mess her Detective Sergeant had got into this time. He had always been unpredictable but just lately his behaviour had become increasingly irratic. She just hoped whatever he was up to he was ok.

"Right Matt, I'm on my way" She grabbed her jacket as her oldest boy let himself into the house.

"Hiya Mum"

"Martyn, look after your brother" She was out the door before Martyn could argue. He shrugged his shoulders as his mother left the house. He knew something was up but he had no idea what. Natalie drove towards the pub where Matt and the others were waiting for her. She had a nasty feeling that if they didn't get their act together quickly Ronnie Brooks was about to become victim number five.

xxxxxxxxxx

Matt stared at the broken mobile phone at his feet. James followed his eyeline. The Crown Prosecutor was completely out of his depth as he began to realise what had happened.

"It's definately his?" James asked as Matt nodded.

"Yeah" Matt sighed "It's ancient but he refuses to upgrade it"

The deserted alleyway outside the pub was lonely at the best of times, late at night it was plain eerie. Alesha looked up as Matt and the SOCO team began cordening the area off as they began their work.

"Hey" She rested her hand on Matt's arm.

"Something has happened to him Lesh, I just know it has" His jaw clenched as he spoke. "I should have come out here with him"

"Matt, Ronnie is an adult. He is more than capable of answering the phone. We will find him, I mean he can't have gone far" Alesha bit her bottom lip as she thought of the reports she had read of the case. The thought that something like that could be happening to Ronnie as they stood there made her feel sick. The older detective had always looked after her and she hated to admit it but she was just as worried as Matt.

"CCTV?" Matt smiled as he followed Alesha's eyeline towards the small camera on the wall of the pub. "You Alesha Phillips are brilliant"

"Let's just hope it isn't a dummy camera" She looked around to see Natalie approach James.

"I'll go and talk to the landlord" Matt stepped back as he saw his boss approach them.

"Ma'am" Matt sighed as he ran a hand over his face.

"Matt, hello Alesha luv. Can't you four even have a quiet drink in peace?" She shook her head as Alesha looked at her. Natalie closed her eyes as her mobile phone began to ring. She stepped away from her team as she took the call. Matt wandered into the pub as James walked towards Alesha.

xxxxxxxx

"Alesha" James started. He wasn't used to feeling so out of his depth. "You think Ronnie has been taken?"

"Looks like it" Alesha closed her eyes as James stared at her. "If he has then we are witnesses. How can we prosecute a case when we are witnesses?"

"George will work something out" The older man returned his attention to Natalie and Matt as they both walked towards them. Natalie was paler than ever as she waited for Matt to speak. The SOCO officers continued to work around them.

"Landlord, Jim Jones is getting the CCTV footage from the last two hours for us" Matt smiled slightly. Natalie nodded.

"Good" She sighed "Look it seems our friendly neighbourhood psychopath has changed his MO. He's just only bloody phoned me. He has Ronnie and he knows he is a copper. He states he did kill all the victims, including Joe" James swore as Alesha covered her mouth with one hand. Matt remained rooted to the spot.

"The pathologist said Joe died of natural causes" Matt remembered the meeting at the morgue.

"Well, his killer begs to differ" Natalie snapped. "We find this nutter and we find our Ron. Now I dunno about you but I don't fancy telling his kids their dad is dead because we were too slow to help him."

"yes Ma'am" Natalie nodded as Angie joined them. She smiled sympathetically at Matt although it was clear the DC had been crying. Matt sighed, if Angie was upset then there was a good chance they really did have something to worry about.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The station was a hive of activity as James and Alesha joined the others. Angie seemed to be glued to the phone as she stared at the computer. Matt was immediately trying to analyse the footage from the pub's CCTV. He was desperate to find out what may have happened to his friend. Alesha picked up one of the reports on the previous victims and began trying to look for a link between Ronnie's abduction. James merely felt out of his depth.

"Right" Alesha threw the file back on Ronnie's abandoned desk "Seems to me, Natalie is right. This man has changed his way of working"

"In what way?" James perched himself on the edge of his desk.

"All the other victims were younger than Ronnie, with the exeption of Joe."

"Yes?"

"All were killed quite soon after being taken. The pathology reports all state that all victims were found no more than 24 hours after they have been killed" Alesha read the last report in the file on the young teacher that had been killed. "The first two victims were gay. Leading the police to think the killer was commiting homophobic murders which is sick and twisted but then the third victim was married with three children and the last victim was Joe, again married with children. Now Ron"

"Divorced, three girls" James thought of Chloe, Sarah and Lucy. The youngest girl was definately a daddy's girl but Chloe had only just got to know who her father was. He felt sick at the thought all three could loose their father at such a young age. "None of the other victims' families had been contacted either"

"Exactly" Alesha said. It seemed James just wasn't getting it. "Why the sudden change in the MO? Why change pattern now?"

"Opportunity?"

"Yeah" Matt joined them "Opportunity like this, come and see what was picked up on the CCTV. I think our killer just got careless."

"He's on the CCTV?"

"Oh yes" Matt smiled as Natalie pressed play on the DVD player.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh come on" Ronnie rubbed his head as he looked around. "This is unbelievable this is"

"DS Brooks"

"You my friend are taking the mick" Ronnie watched the thin man opposite him.

"DS Ronald Brooks. Major Incident Unit."

"Right, you've read my CV. What the 'ell you playing at son?" Ronnie had a feeling that he was in more trouble than he had been in for a while. He desperately wanted a drink. For the first time in years he really wanted a double vodka. He had no idea how he had come to be in what looked like a basement. All he knew was his head ached and his ribs screamed in protest every time he took a deep breath.

"I am not playing. Don't tell me you don't remember me? Meeting your old pal was a bit of a lucky break but finding out you were the investigating officer into his death? That was just karma"

"Karma? For what son? I've been whacked on the 'ead. Might 'av affected my memory a bit"

"Ok, fair enough" The man nodded "Lets just say we met before. 1997"

"What? Did I nick you for summin?"

"You" The man laughed "You are going to pay for what you and your mate Joe did"

"Maybe. But what about the other poor sods you killed? The schoolteacher for one. What did they ever do to you?"

"We all have our price to pay DS Brooks. We all have something to pay for" He laughed as he walked away leaving Ronnie in the cold and dark. C'mon Matt, get your act together and work this out before I become number five. Get a bloody move on.

A/N sorry for delay in updating. Please review