Annie pushed open the door to Sam's flat; Gene sat on the bed his head in his hands.

"Guv?" she asked softly.

"Where is he Annie? We need him, like it or not we're nothing without him."

"Guv…that's not true…"

"Can't find my own DI… I deserve this." Gene handed her some papers,

Annie's fast brain picked out a few words

Suggested retirement…pension…

She laughed,

"You can't retire!"

Gene looked at her surprised,

"What do you care? Sam will be next in line for promotion."

Annie looked at Gene hard,

"So" she bit her lip and forced the words out, "you think we will find him?"

"Not if we sit here all day, waiting for the ponce to turn up by himself."

Annie smiled as she saw the Guv's confidence returning and followed him as he walked out, shutting the door carefully behind her.

The water had risen to ankle height and Sam was shaking from the cold, he drew his leather jacket closer around his body and hugged himself tightly. He hoped the rain would stop, he hoped someone would come and get him out…Annie and Gene could be on their way…he hoped that any one would come and find him even if it was the people who had taken him the silence and repetition of raindrops made his ears hurt.

Gene found himself wandering the dark streets; night brought the sounds of drunks, police sirens, and dogs barking. He smiled content in the knowledge that he was the sheriff, out and about, looking after his town. A noise behind him alerted him to the fact that he was not alone, someone pushed him against the wall and hit him very hard over the head, and luckily he threw himself to the side just in time, the bottle smashed against the cold brick wall. Another dark figure rushed him and Gene tried to fight back but they smacked him round the head and he fell to the ground senseless.

Annie was asleep when they came for her, she was tired out after helping the Guv' look for Sam and when she woke up she was propped up against a wall in shallow water, with a splitting headache and so cold she wondered if she was dead.

Sitting up properly she saw two dark figures lying with their backs against the wall, they too were stirring from some kind of sleep.

"Ahhh bloody hell…"

"Gene?" Sam didn't remember falling asleep, just being to tired and exhausted to stop himself.

"Sam? Where in the name of God have you been?" He groaned, "Never mind that, where the hell are we?"

Sam didn't reply but strained his eyes to see the figure stirring opposite him and Gene.

"Annie?" his voice was wavering as he tried to stop himself bursting with emotion that she was here.

Annie heard Sam's voice and moved towards him,

"Mind out Cartwright,"

Annie cursed her aching head and the inability of her eyes to be able to focus; bumping into her DCI was not part of the plan.

Sam reached out and pulled her into a damp but firm hug,

"Oi' Cartwright where's my hug?"

Sam laughed, and Annie smiled as Gene stood up.

"It's all very well you two getting all snuggled and having a bit of a snog, but we need to get out and the only people who can get us out of here are Chris and Ray, so we, by my calculations are in a bit of a pickle."

Sam also got to his feet and helped Annie up.

"The people who put us here are…not very nice." He finished lamely, remembering the pipe smacking into his back and wriggled the fingers of his left hand, which seemed to be working again.