Chapter Seven.
A/N - Thank you guys for all the amazing comments, reviews and the alerts that have been coming my way! I wasn't sure I would be able to get this Chapter finished for a few days, with crazy life stuff happening - but you all blew me away so much that here it is! I'm working on the next installment for you now - I promise! Until then - as always, hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think.
Luke attempted to slouch down even further in his booth and avoid the gaze of the other patrons – he really hated this place – the food was awful, coffee was foul and the service was even worse. Unfortunately, it was the closest suitable meeting spot for Andy – which was the reason he was now huddled over his half mug of coffee scowling at anybody that sat within a 5 metre radius of his current position. He added two extra spoonfuls of sugar to the brown liquid in front of him – hoping to make it a little bit more palatable and stirred away until he was sure he had almost broken through to the table. He was so focused on his coffee that he didn't even notice when she arrived, or sat down in the booth opposite him.
"Do you read coffee beans now...is that a new talent you're utilising on this case?"
He smiled automatically, and glanced up at the women sat opposite him – but his smile instantly faded as soon as he saw the horrific black eye, cut cheek and split lip opposite him.
"Jesus Andy! What the hell happened?"
"I attempted to get in the way of an organised gang rape of a fourteen year old girl...apparently this was my reward. It's fine – I'm fine...just cuts and bruises, they'll heal." She graced her statement with a small smile in the hope that he would let it rest.
"It doesn't look fine – have you had it checked out?"
"It worked. I couldn't exactly insist that they take me to St Pats...its fine – you should've seen me two days ago – did you check out that lead? – The Mason guy – did you find anything?"
Luke took in her hopeful gaze and battled a defeated sigh. "Yeah I did...the trail ran cold – it was dead end Andy. I'm pulling you out."
"What? No! What about Sarah? I can find the evidence Luke – just give me a bit more time."
"Not a chance! Look at you! It's too dangerous – these guys are head cases! We have enough to lock them up for a very long time...I'm not risking anything happening to you."
"Just let me have one more week...that's it. If I still haven't found anything then you can pull me...I'm close – I can feel it."
"Andy...it's a case that's years old...nobody has ever found anything yet, why would this be any different?"
"But you said..."
"I know what I said...I said there was a chance; I didn't say it would definitely work out. We have enough to shut them down Andy - lock them up for a very, very long time! "
Andy opened her mouth to argue back at him, but nothing came out, and a heavy atmosphere descended over their table; she wasn't ready to let him dismiss everything with one single sentence, but she wasn't quite sure what to say to make him change his mind.
"Don't worry about it – I'm sure Swarek won't hold it against you." Luke delivered his line with what appeared to be a genuine smile, but the bitter tinge his voice gave to Sam's name riled Andy's defences. If he had been any closer she was pretty sure she might even have hit him.
"This has nothing to do with Sam!"
"Really? Case file gives the name of Sarah Swarek...I'm pretty sure that's his sister."
"I can do this...ok?...me wanting to find justice for her has nothing to do with Sam...It has to do with me wanting to do my job."
"The leads have all run cold...I can't let you stay under based on a hunch."
"I'm just asking for one more week...that's it! Why are you being so difficult about this? – if it's about the budget then just don't pay my overtime!"
"It's just one person Andy...I can run a whole operation based on an attack on one girl, many years ago - that we have a minimal chance of solving!"
Andy's eyes flashed angrily at him, and she stared pointedly at him from across their booth - her lips pressed together in a tight line displaying the tension she was sending his way.
Luke held his hands up in surrender, "Ok – fine. One week – that gives you one week from today, and then we're moving in...whether you can make Sarah Swarek stick or not."
Andy nodded her head in acceptance, and gave him a small smile. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me – just...don't take unnecessary risks, and be careful."
"Always am."
"I have to go...I'm in court this afternoon. I'll call you and let you know what's going to happen next week as soon as we have everything in place – and let me know if you find anything."
Andy nodded her head again in acknowledgement, and Luke threw some crumpled notes on the table to cover his now cold coffee and made his way out into the street and the rain.
...
Sam paced back and forth outside Callaghan's office with a growing impatience and agitation. He had managed to peel some information from Jerry – who had admitted to Sam that Luke was pulling Andy out and she was coming home, but that was supposed to be yesterday. He had forced himself to wait a whole 24 hours before he found himself here, in the hope that she would be in touch – a call, message – something – but so far nothing. He had tried not to let it bother him, tried to act like he was taking it all in stride – but his friends had seen straight through him, seen the tension and his anxiety growing with each passing hour. He had been attempting to avoid concerned glances from Oliver all day, and his pointed questions over his required dim sum this afternoon had almost landed Sam's fist on his nose.
"Can I help you with something?"
Sam clenched his jaw and his fists simultaneously in an attempt to rein in his urge to hit something for the umpteenth time today, and turned around to face the blond haired, blue eyed detective who was currently standing behind him.
"Where the hell is McNally?"
Luke eyed the man in front of him through narrowed eyes, and tried to weigh up the best route to deal with the situation he found standing in front of him. The childish element of him really wanted to enjoy inflicting a little bit of pain, and lording his slightly more privileged situation over Sam Swarek but he could sense the tension bounding off him in waves, and he had received firsthand experience of the anger that he could unleash when it came to Andy – he didn't particularly want to go down that route again.
"You know I can't discuss this case with you."
Sam's eyebrows shot up so high in disbelief they practically disappeared into his hairline. "What case? I thought you had your case – you we're supposed to be pulling her out."
"Something came up." Luke pushed past him into his office, and dumped a box of old paperwork on his desk. He turned to reach for and shut the door, and felt his annoyance twinge when he discovered Sam had followed him in.
"Something came up?" Sam repeated his phrase back him, his words dripping in sarcasm.
"Yes – something came up. Who the hell told you I was pulling her out anyway? You can't go anywhere near this – I'm not letting you mess this up because you're missing your benefits!" Luke attempted to match the glare currently being levelled at him from across his office with one of his own.
Sam clenched his fists even tighter; turning his knuckles almost white and hissed "This is me not being anywhere near...and you still haven't answered the question." his voice was dangerously low, and displaying his very thinly disguised anger. There was no way he was going to let him weasel his way out of this conversation without giving him something.
"What can I say...she's just too good at whoring herself out, we're getting too much out of her to pull her back now." Luke faced out his provocation with a smirk – he didn't mean it, not even close – in fact he figured he was just as worried about her as Sam was – but he couldn't resist jibing him. He knew it was pathetic and childish – but it gave the jealous green eyed monster in him a huge amount of satisfaction.
Sam didn't really even register what came next – he saw red, and flew at Callaghan – that he knew. The next thing he knew Jerry and Oliver were attempting to pull him off the floor and far enough away from him that his fists could no longer make contact. He's pretty sure his elbow accidently made contact with the side of Oliver's face too – considering the way his hand was shielding it from view and the daggers he's flying in his direction.
Luke scrambled to his feet, and attempted to catch his breath – wiping blood from the side of his mouth and scowling in their direction. "Get him the hell out of here!"
...
Oliver gingerly placed another whiskey on the bar, and patted his friend on the shoulder. Sam didn't even acknowledge his friend – merely reached for the alcohol he offered, and downed it in one. Oliver raised his eyebrows in question – but didn't let the words pass his lips, he knew better. He pulled himself up onto the bar stool next to him and motioned to the bartender for two more. He saw his friend drink down five more glasses in very quick succession before he ventured into the murky depths of Sam's mind.
"Sam – she's ok."
"I know."
"We would know about it if something had gone wrong – she's fine."
"You would." The edge of Sam's lips turned up in a sardonic smile at that statement, and Oliver puffed out an exasperated sigh aimed in his friend's direction.
"She knows what she's doing – you trained her well."
Sam turned slightly and offered his friend a small nod in acknowledgement that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm sorry about that..." he grimaced and pointed at large purple bruise forming on the side of his friends face.
"You really went for him..."
"The guy's an idiot – he wound me up."
"You let him wind you up."
Sam shrugged non-committedly, and reached for another drink. He didn't want to be sober when he headed home tonight.
