"Oh, oh Gene…it's M-Melody a-a-and Maxy…they've been t-t-taken!"
Gene was in the Quattro as quick as humanly possible the minute he heard his Bolly say their kids had been taken. He had sent both the uniform and plain clothes officers out into the streets to look for Melody and Maxy, sent Chris and Ray round to the neighbours' for statements and had called for forensics to check the kids' bedroom.
Gene slammed the door of the Quattro with his heart pounding, head spinning and stomach threatening to tie itself into painful knots. He approached his house to see the forensics van outside and men walking in and out with equipment. CID officers were scattered around, including Chris and Ray.
"FIND MY KIDS, DON'T FANNY ABOUT, YOU TOSSERS!" he roared at them, venting his anger. Gene stormed into his house, desperately searching for Alex. Despite their argument, he needed to hold her, to comfort her, to know that she was okay.
Gene stopped dead when he spotted Alex sitting on the sofa with Danny Jamieson's arms around her, rocking her gently and stroking her hair soothingly.
That lecherous little wanker, Gene thought thunderously, striding over.
"There, there, sweetheart," Danny cooed sickeningly as Alex cried into his chest, "it's all right, love; I'll look after you…"
The colour literally drained from Danny's face when he spotted Gene.
"Hop it," Gene snarled, his face contorted with anger. Danny quickly removed himself from Alex and legged it, causing Alex to sit up in a startled manner. Then she caught sight of Gene.
"Gene," Alex whimpered, "I…it wasn't…please, don't think that…Danny was just…I would never…"
"I know," Gene cut her off, sitting down next to her on the sofa, "come 'ere, sweetheart."
"Oh Gene!" Alex cried, collapsing in his arms as fresh tears surfaced. "They're gone…they're g-gone…and it's all m-m-my f-fault!"
"No it's not, Alex," Gene swallowed, blinking the tears away, "don't you dare blame yer self. They'll be okay. Everyone's lookin' for 'em. We'll find them. We'll find them. Shush, Bolly. It's okay. Don't cry, sweetheart…"
Alex looked up at him, her eyes laced with tears. "I can't believe you're talking to me," she squeaked, "I thought I'd lost you."
Gene kissed her lightly. "You're the most precious thing in my life, Alex. I'm so, so sorry. I should've listened to yer. I should've known you'd never lie ter me. I love you. And I love our children, and I will not rest until I've found them."
Alex nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'm so scared, Gene!" she wept. "I'm so scared!"
"I know, love," Gene sighed, hugging her close, "so am I. But we'll find them. I promise."
For a good ten minutes Gene and Alex just sat there cuddling each other comfortingly, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the detectives and the forensics. Gene now knew that Alex wasn't to blame for those boxer shorts – just like he wasn't to blame for that photograph. Someone else was behind this. Something bigger.
Suddenly, Ray and Chris came bursting into the living room, their eyes wide with shock.
"Guv," Ray breathed, panting, "you are not goin' ter believe this."
Alex sat up quickly, holding Gene's hand tight. "You found them?" she pleaded hopefully.
"No Ma'am," Chris said sadly, "but we think we know who did it."
Gene clenched his fists angrily as he felt Alex inhale a sharp breath from beside him. "Who did it? When I get my hands on the miserable bastard they'll wish their mother bloody aborted them!"
"We were talking to the neighbours round the back of the house, Guv," Ray said slowly, "and they said they saw a woman in her early forties maybe wi' long black hair take the kids. About five foot six or seven. Then…we talked to the wardens and the officers of Wrortmoor Prison."
Alex's heart leapt. No. No. This couldn't be going where she thought it was going.
Gene looked at her fearfully. "Go on," he urged Ray through gritted teeth.
"They admitted to CID that they covered up a break-out," Ray said tentatively, preparing himself for the Guv's uproar.
"No," Alex whispered, "please no!"
"This is the bit yer goin' ter hit the roof about, Guv," Ray swallowed, "the woman matches the description of one o' the two hushed-up escapees. One forty-somethin' year old woman wi' greasy, long black hair and five foot seven with a history for hurting kids."
Ray looked directly into Gene's eyes. "One by the name o' Katherine Hunt."
"WHAT?" Gene thundered, standing up furiously. "MY EX-WIFE? MY EX-WIFE TOOK MY KIDS?"
"There's more," Chris gulped, "the second escapee is her accomplice. It's Drake, Guv. It's Jack Drake."
"Oh my God, no!" Alex shrieked, covering her mouth. "No, no, he's got them! He…he…oh Gene!"
And Gene was beside her again, taking her in his arms and enveloping her protectively. "I'm not goin' ter let him near yer, Bolls," Gene promised firmly, "or our kids. I'm going to find them. Then I'm goin' ter kill 'im!"
Gene nodded to Chris and Ray. "Good work you two. Go get statements and find out anything yer can on the whereabouts of our exes. Tell uniform and CID exactly who ter look for. I want their faces on every window, every lamppost and every blooming street corner of London!"
Chris and Ray scuttled off, talking animatedly about the situation. Gene couldn't believe it. His ex-wife and Alex's ex-husband had united to bring them down. And now they had their children.
"This explains so much, Alex," Gene muttered, "they're tryin' ter get at us. Destroy us. Break us. They almost did when they planted those boxers. And that photograph. And now taking our children."
Alex pulled away from Gene. "You still had a secret child though," she whispered.
Gene took her face in his hands. "Listen to me, Alex. Amanda wasn't mine."
Alex's eyes widened. "What?"
"The little girl. Amanda. She wasn't mine. When Katherine fell pregnant, I was sure it was my child. I was goin' ter be a father. I was excited, shit scared, nervous…all those things together. But when she was born…that's when Katherine told me. 'She ain't yours, Gene.' Those exact words."
Gene turned away from Alex. "Turns out she'd been shaggin' the electrician. The baby was 'is. I was furious, broken, hurt…and also relieved. That's when she left. She left and went off with the electrician. That photo was clearly a keepsake of hers that she wrote on days ago to split us up."
Gene turned back to Alex who was wearing an expression of pure shock and sympathy. "The last thing I heard of Katherine was that she was in prison in Manchester. Murder. Child abduction."
Alex gasped, covering her mouth.
"She'd murdered a couple o' kiddies and kidnapped others," Gene said bitterly, "the ones she abducted were found, but the ones she murdered could never be brought back. Amanda lived with her dad, and I was so glad I had no connection to that evil, poisonous bitch I once called the love of my life. And now she's teamed up wi' your raping, murdering, bastard of an ex-husband. And she's up to her old tricks."
Gene took Alex's hand in his. "I won't let her harm our children, Alex," Gene promised her, "I swear, I will hunt that bitch down and get Jack as well. They're not going to live after this if I have any say."
Alex threw her arms around Gene's neck, tears pouring down her face. "I'm so sorry, Gene," she shuddered, "I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea. No idea at all. I…I love you. Please find them. Please."
Gene kissed Alex tenderly, stroking her hair lovingly. "I will, Bolls. I will."
