This is the second chapter uploaded this weekend to make up for not posting last one. Please R&R both. If you found the last chapter a little dull, then hopefully this one will be more exciting...you know I mentioned the drinks cabinet at the start? you may want to poor yourselves a stiff one!

Chapter 10

"One warrant! You'd better be right about this Dempsey..I do not want another cock up." Spikings handed Dempsey a folded piece of paper which was the much needed search warrant for Jimmy's garage.

"Thanks chief, I am right, that stuff is evil alright." He snatched the paper from Spikings and placed it between his teeth leaving his hands free to shrug on his gun holster.

"Well, you two keep your radios on, any sign of trouble you call for back up." Dempsey and Makepeace hurried for the door.."Do you hear me?...keep that gun holstered!" he bellowed after them.

"We will Sir..." Harry called back.

They couldn't wait to get in the car and get going, they had waited a long time for a result like this and taking Jimmy MacKintosh's scalp was a prize they had longed to get their hands on. A police officer was only as good as their last collar...or non collar as the case had been with jimmy...pride was at stake. Not only that, banging up Jimmy would mean they had time to focus on other things...things they should have discussed long before now. They both knew it was overdue, the case had been a welcome distraction at first, but now it was getting in the way of them thrashing things out on a very personal man to woman basis. Yes 'thrashing' would be the word for it. With Dempsey and Makepeace it was never going to be hearts and flowers with pink and fluffy declarations of love, more like peace talks at the United Nations. Each side putting their side across, arguing the toss until one of them caved in and some sort of agreement was reached...stale mate wasn't an option; they had been at that point for some time now. What was needed was to sit down and have a frank, open conversation about the direction they were heading in, the sticky question was when would be a good time...there never seemed to be one.

As they got into Harry's car this question played in both their minds...if they left it much longer it could blow up in their faces and the opportunity lost...their little slanging match the other day very nearly was their undoing, it wouldn't take much for them to be right back to square one again.

Dempsey had made his mind up, arrest jimmy, close the case, take Harry out to dinner, ply both of them with plenty of wine and let his feelings spill out. Harry was thinking similar thoughts, arrest Jimmy, close the case, cook Dempsey dinner, ply both of them with plenty of alcohol for Dutch courage and take him to bed before they had a chance to change their minds. A little forward, maybe? A little hasty?...no, they'd already done that bit.

Then the doubt crept into her thoughts again. Could she put the past behind her? Dempsey wasn't Robert, Dempsey was unique on so many levels, Alex had pointed that out to her. Could she trust him to be a loyal, loving partner? He was loyal to her every day in working situations, looking out for her, protecting her, would he be the same as a lover? These thoughts buzzed around her head. Thinking of Dempsey as a lover still amazed her, how she ever found such a loudmouth, rude, arrogant, American attractive baffled her. But deep down she knew the answer, she only wished she could find the right words to explain it to him.

Harry chased the thoughts from her mind; they had a job to do. They were cops; a good cop was never off duty, as Dempsey would tell her...the job always came first. Wordlessly she started the engine and pulled out of the SI10 compound.

Alex was suffering; she was finding the airport lounge stuffy and hot, for some reason the lounge was over-crowded with holiday makers all waiting for their flights home. Alex felt like a sardine which had been left in the sun too long, she would give anything to be able to sit down, but the grey brigade had seemed to have commandeered every available chair in the airport. She had thought about asking one of the less elderly gentlemen if they wouldn't mind giving up their seat for ten minutes, but she decided against it fearing the disapproval and wrath of their woman folk. Instead she had taken to leaning against one of the concrete pillars for support sweat trickling down her face; at least the concrete was relatively cool on her back. She closed her eyes willing the nausea away and hoping Gene would be back soon with an ice cold drink before she passed out.

"You Okay dear?" an elderly voice broke her thoughts. Alex opened her eyes to find a kindly woman in her seventies peering up at her. "You look very flushed."

"I'm not very well." replied Alex "It's very hot in here." She rasped her throat feeling like a desert.

"It is very hot; you'd think they would have some air-conditioning. I've been all round the world and airports in other countries manage it, it's a disgrace. You need to sit down, can't the staff find you a chair, a woman in your condition shouldn't be made to stand in this heat, it's not human."

"I'm okay, I didn't want to make a fuss."

"My dear, you would cause more of a fuss if you were to pass out." The lady smiled "I'm going to talk to the staff."

"Really, there's no need, my husband will be back soon." She protested although half heartedly.

"And what would your husband do? He would find you a seat." The lady smiled before turning to grab a smartly dressed clerk. She explained that Alex needed to sit down. The clerk was swift to act.

"Madame you should have said," said the clerk amazed that Alex was still standing. "Come with me, you can wait in the staff room, it's much cooler there. Fraid our aircon isn't up to scratch hence the temperature being in the mid thirties."

"My husband?" stuttered Alex as she was being lead away.

"Don't worry dear I will point him the right direction, won't be hard to spot a lost man." The old lady grinned at her.

Alex mouthed her thanks to the woman.

As Alex disappeared from view, Gene arrived on the scene clutching two bottles of water. Sure enough he looked suitably lost for the woman to recognise him. "She's been taken to the staff room to sit down." She called out to him "She wasn't feeling well."

"Whassup with her?" asked Gene concerned.

The woman shook her head chuckling "You men are all the same...clueless." Gene knitted his brow confused. "I'm sure she'll tell you in time." She sang and drifted off back into the crowd.

Gene would scratch his head if he wasn't holding the water; instead he shook his head and strode towards the information desk muttering something about barmy women.

Dempsey and Makepeace arrived to find the dealership deserted, Andy hadn't appeared to try to sell them a car and there wasn't the usual sound of Rick, the mechanic, tinkering with a motor in the garage pit. They found it odd that the gates were wide open looking like it was open for business, but not a soul was there. Every instinct told them that there was something wrong, it was quiet, too quiet. They subtly tiptoed their way to the showroom, senses on high alert, watching for any movement amongst the cars and tyres.

They shrugged at each other when they found the showroom disturbingly empty as well. Dempsey reached for his gun; he wasn't going to take any chances. They made their way to the back offices still scanning the room for threats. Harry flicked through lose sheets of paper in an in-tray on a desk, nothing unusual there. Dempsey reached the back door which lead into the service bay. He waited for Harry to join him, as she did so she too pulled out her gun. Hesitantly they walked through the connecting door into the service area; memories of what they found last time were at the forefront of their minds. Harry hoped she was not going to be confronted with Andy's spotty bottom again.

On the count of three they burst into the service garage...deserted. An old Vauxhall was stuck in the air on the ramps above the inspection pit; tools lay scattered on the floor around it as if someone had been working, the days greasy tea mugs sat abandoned on the side along with a half eaten bacon butty.

The two detectives wandered around the room picking up objects for inspection...nothing out of the ordinary there until Dempsey picked up a monkey wrench. "Harry?" he said quietly.

Harry turned to look at the wrench he was holding "Blood?" she asked, Dempsey nodded. One end of the wrench was splattered with blood; they were now looking for a victim. Harry walked over to Dempsey's side of the garage, their eyes were instinctively drawn down into the inspection pit. There at the bottom of the dark pit was the body. Jimmy lay on his back motionless, his eyes staring blankly up at Dempsey and Harry, his head was at an awkward angle, covered in blood where he'd been hit with the wrench, his neck broken.

Dempsey and Harry stared forlornly at Jimmy. Although the detectives had seen many dead bodies like this, somehow it never got easier. It was always shocking what one human being could do to another. Jimmy didn't deserve this; he was a two bit petty criminal dealing in insurance write-offs, not a murderer, rapist or paedophile. "Poor Jimmy." Harry whispered.

"They screwed him over alright." replied Dempsey throwing down the wrench in disgust.

"What could possibly be so valuable in those barrels that someone would kill for?"

"Men have killed for less, partner. It's a sick messed up world."

A red tranisit van was mere streets away from the dealership, Bill was at the wheel, Lance's hulk in the passenger seat with a terrified, shaking Andy wedged between them.

Lance chuckled delightedly to Andy "Not long now son and you can have a chat with ye Gunvnor."

Bill grinned manically "Yeah, you can have the rest of time to say as much as ye want to 'im. Don't think he'd be listening though, no eardrums." The two men guffawed at their own jokes.

Andy was full of dread, he had half an idea what lay in store for him. "Please let me go," he whimpered, "I had nothin' to do with this. I promise I won't tell the old Bill...please?"

A dirty grin passed between Bill and Lance, but they said nothing. Andy turned nervously behind to look at the rest of the gang in the back of the transit. Three men sat passively holding sawn off shot guns as if it was the most natural of things to be carrying, Andy shuddered. "Please!" he whimpered again.

Lance beamed at him wickedly "No can do kid, you're the insurance policy."

As the van pulled up outside the dealership gates, Lance clocked Makepeace's silver Escort "Hey up, looks like we've got company."

Bill leant over Andy to get a better look, he grinned wolfishly at Lance "Now there's a result!" Bill then turned to the lads in the back "Plenty of room for three?"

"Yeah boss, we've got plenty of concrete for three...it will be nice and cosy for them together."

Andy's eyes widened in horror "You're not going kill them are you?" he stammered.

"A good cop is a dead cop, even if they are blonde and shaggable." smirked Lance.

"Shame that," sniffed Bill "She could be my page three anytime..oh well, she decided to be a cop and not my fantasy pin-up." Bill killed the engine and indicated that everyone should get out.

Lance grabbed a painful, firm hold of Andy and dragged him out of the van. "You stay with me" he growled leaving Andy with no doubt that Lance meant business.

Harry froze "Did you hear that?"

"Car engine?" replied Dempsey. He walked over to the garage shutters and attempted to peer through the cracks. "Can't see anythin'"

"Maybe we should get out of here?" Harry felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, there was something about the way in which Jimmy had been killed which suggested the perpetrator had a brutal, callous streak...something Harry had no intention of witnessing.

"Yeah, let's split." agreed Dempsey. "Come on, this way." Cautiously he opened the side door to the yard, Magnum at the ready, he was about to set foot through when Andy came hurtling towards them. Andy had managed to give Lance the slip and now he was running for his life, eyes wide with terror. For a second Dempsey and Harry were confused by the sight of skinny Andy, but soon realised he was in desperate trouble.

Andy was feet away from the safety of the service bay and the detectives when a deafening BOOM! rang out. Dempsey instinctively fired blindly back in a futile attempt to give Andy cover.

Andy was hurled forward, his face a picture of surprise and fear, his body flung into Dempsey's. Dempsey caught him as he fell and dragged Andy's limp body with great effort backwards into the garage.

"Is he dead?" breathed Harry as she watched her partner struggle with Andy's dead weight.

Dempsey couldn't hold him any longer and was forced to let Andy slump to the ground. "He's dead." He replied flatly with no emotion."Bastards." He looked at his denim jacket with distaste; Andy's blood was smeared across the blue cotton. Harry couldn't bear to look at the blood, it wasn't because she was squeamish, it was the sight of Dempsey covered in it which she found upsetting.

Dempsey picked up on her distress and quickly shrugged off the jacket, throwing it to one side.

They didn't have any time to think what to do next as another gunshot ripped through the shutters, whizzing past their heads. They both flung themselves hard to the ground "Christ!" exclaimed Dempsey "Keep down!" he barked at Harry, although she had no intention of getting up.

Another shot splintered through the wooden side door, narrowly missing Harry and she shrieked in surprise.

"Get behind the tool box." Shouted Dempsey as a third bullet hit the shelf above their heads sending various tins clattering to the floor. They both crawled along the ground with their elbows to take shelter behind the huge metal toolbox. They ducked as a bullet ricocheted off the Vauxhall and pinged into the toolbox "Shit!" grimaced Dempsey keeping his head low as possible.

A fourth, a fifth, then sixth shot was fired into the garage, then it was constant gunfire, bullets flying in all directions around the concrete walls of the garage, ripping through metal, glass and wood.

Harry screamed as one of the tea mugs exploded inches from her face, one of the shards of pottery nicking her cheek, a bright red streak of blood quickly appeared.

Firing back was useless; there was no-one visible to fire at. "We're trapped!" yelled Dempsey over the constant, relentless crack of gunfire. "We're like fish in a barrel Harry!"

Harry reached out and grabbed her hand bag, dodging the bullets and shrapnel. She spoke rapidly into her radio "Charlie five to control? We need back up immediately...aaaaah! Like now!" she yelled as more tools, tins and debris were sent hurtling to the floor.

Spikings's voice boomed over the radio "Harry, back up on its way...hold tight girl."

"The door, got to get out!" Dempsey couldn't keep the adrenalin out of his voice; his heart was pounding in his chest. "Babe, when we reach the door, we gotta blast our way out."

Harry nodded "Okay." She checked her gun.

"Head for the pallets." He added, Dempsey knew they only had a slim chance of getting out alive, "Crawl to the door, then on my mark run for the palettes firing...yeah? You can do that?"

Harry was visibly trembling "Yes, I'll follow you."

Harry followed Dempsey to the side door, they snaked on their bellies until they reached the now splintered frame, all the time they were under fire.

Dempsey looked at Harry with a pained expression, their situation was desperate, there was no way they could fight this many assailants, he knew this. He swallowed hard "Y'know babe, life is hard..." he left his favourite phrase hanging in the air, never before had it been so true.

Harry gave him a weak smile and whispered with a hint of regret "I know...Dempsey...I just wanted to say..."

Dempsey placed a finger to her lips "Shhhh, not now." His finger lingered on her lower lip then gradually travelled to her chin to gently lift it up to face him.

She stared at him glassy wide-eyed fighting back the tears, had they left things too late? "Dempsey?" she whispered again her voice laced with fear.

Dempsey answered by placing his lips on hers and giving her a deep, tender kiss which bellied the situation. He pulled away slightly and brushed away the single tear which shone on her cheek. "You and me babe, it's just you and me."

Harry gave a small fatalistic, choked chuckle "Like Bonny and Clyde."

Dempsey smiled "Quick fire, like they do in the westerns, y'know?"

She nodded in understanding.

"Okay," he pulled her to her feet "Ready?"

"Yup, I'm ready."

"Go!"

He kicked open the door and before they knew it they were running into the daylight under a hail of bullets, returning fire as quickly as their weapons would allow. Adrenalin and fear spurred them on as they charged towards the pallets which were stacked in front of the barrels. The distance was short, but it felt like an age to reach the relative safety. With one last burst on energy they both launched themselves diving to the ground behind the stacked wood... they had made it.

The barrage of gunfire continued in its ferocity sending wood splintering all around them. They rapidly tried to reload their guns, if they could hold Bill, Lance and their cronies off long enough, then help would arrive to save them.

Lance was a lousy shot with a shotgun; he couldn't believe he had missed them, in frustration he fired a manic salvo at the pallets. He missed completely and hit the barrel tower behind Dempsey and Makepeace. The force of Lance's onslaught sent the barrels into freefall.

"Look out!" yelled Dempsey as he threw himself onto Harry. Using his body as shield to protect her, he braced himself for the inevitable crushing blows to hit his body.

The last thing Dempsey and Makepeace saw were sixty barrels of toxic chemicals avalanche on top of them, the world turned black and the yard fell into deathly silence.

I thought it was time a killed a few people off lol. Oh dear, it doesn't look too good for our dynamic duo.