Chapter 9

Time passed.

Words passed.

Truths were spoken.

How could so few minutes change so much?

~x~

The handle turned and Kim stepped out of the interview room, her face streaked with tears which she hastily wiped roughly with the back of her hand. Her stomach was in knots, she could barely breathe and her head hurt from the truths she'd learnt but couldn't cope with. Behind her Kay stepped out of the room, her head low and tears still threatening to fall. She felt wrung out emotionally; backed into a corner and left with no choice but to admit the truth, it had been so much harder to say than she'd ever thought possible.

"Please," she caught Kim's sleeve and turned her around, "you won't tell her, will you?"

Kim close her eyes and swallowed, then very slowly she shook her head.

"No," she whispered, "I won't."

A little relief crossed Kay's face but her expression was already so haunted that it made little difference. Her lips fought between a smile and a grimace as she fought again not to cry.

"Thank you," she whispered, "thank you, so much."

"You have no idea how hard this will be for me," Kim warned her.

Kay felt a pain in her chest as she whispered;

"I'm sure that one day I will find a way to repay you."

The look of devastation on her face worried Kim.

"You say that like it's already happened," she whispered.

Kay didn't reply. She couldn't. She gave one loud, gasping sob and threw her arms around Kim in a tight hug that only made Kim's anxiety increase but despite that she couldn't help but hug her back. What that girl had been through – it was more than anyone should have to live with.

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly caused both to end their hug, both jumping guiltily as they turned to see Alex approaching, a look of confusion and curiosity on her face.

"I'd better get back to the canine unit," Kay said quickly with a noticeable tremor in her voice, "got something I need to write up."

"Alright," Kim roughly wiped her eye again, terrified of anyone seeing the telltale sign of emotion, "you, um," she cleared her throat, "you know where I am, alright?"

Kay nodded, biting her lip.

"Always," she said quietly before she turned and left quickly, breaking into a run as she made her way further along the corridor.

"Kim?" Alex frowned, approaching her.

Kim took a deep breath. Deny everything.

"Ma'am," She said quickly, "what's going on with Fallows?"

"He's… back in the cells," Alex couldn't have cared less about the man in question, "Kim, what's happened?"

"Just a bit shaken up," Kim shuddered, "that's all." She felt her breath hitch and knew she was close to tears again. "Sorry, ma'am I've got to…" she flinched, "to the toilet, just…" she swallowed very hard and knew she couldn't get out another word. She just needed to escape for a moment, to be alone to deal with the shock. She rushed away, just hoping that Alex wouldn't follow her. She knew Alex wasn't stupid, far from it, and she knew that questions were sure to follow but she hoped for just a few minutes to get herself together.

She was relieved to find nobody in the toilets as she rushed in and let the door slam behind her. Her breaths were fast and shallow, she could hardly get enough oxygen into her body to keep going. She stumbled to the sink and clung to it, staring at her reflection just as she had in the club the night before. Once again she looked haunted and pale but this time it wasn't the sight of her old clothes that had caused it, it was the young woman who'd been wearing them.

"Keeping it in the family," she whispered.

With a shaking hand she switched on the cold tap and let the water run freely for a few moments. The sound of it covered up the rambled thoughts that were spewing forth from her mind. So many memories came back to her, along with the question she'd never even dared ask before.

What happened after I jumped?

She shuddered and took a cupped handful of the cold water, splashed it onto her face and swept her damp hands through her bleached spikes. She blinked some of the droplets away from her eyelids and stared at her reflection again. She didn't look much better if she was honest, just wetter.

"Damn," she mumbled, grabbing a few paper towels and drying herself. As she chucked them in the bin she took a few more deep breaths, this time managing to slow her breathing just a little, then she looked at herself one last time. "Life is one hell of a scriptwriter," she whispered, "that's all I can say."

She shook her head and left the toilets, eyes fixed upon the floor. She didn't look up once as she took a fast, shaky walk through the corridors of Fenchurch East, from custody up to CID. She swallowed as she entered the office and saw Gene just emerging from his office.

"Blimey," he raised an eyebrow at her slightly bedraggled appearance, "what happened? Batman set the drool patrol on yer?"

Kim crossly brushed her fingers through her damp hair but ignored his comment.

"I just came in," she whispered, "to tell you," she flinched, "that I concede."

Gene stared at her.

"You what?"

"The bet," Kim finally looked him in the eye, "I give up. You win."

Gene narrowed his eyes at her.

"You booby-trapped my car or something?" he demanded, "I park my derriere in the driver's seat and a piercing needle shoots out and gives me a Prince Albert?"

Kim shook her head, her stomach churning with emotion.

"No, you were right," she said quietly, "it's impossible to get information out of her. Whatever her secret is it's just not worth it. Let's call it quits." She turned around, her face starting to burn. "I'll leave the car outside your place tonight."

Gene stared at her, aghast.

"Two piercing needles and a set of nipple piercings?" he guessed but Kim shook her head.

"You won, Guv," she said, "let's just leave it at that."

Gene frowned.

"Hold on, Stringer," he barked, "the bet was for who found out her secret first. That's still not out in the open."

"Some things aren't worth the struggle, Guv," Kim shrugged and shook her head, "You win."

Gene wasn't going to leave it there. At the very least he was going to rub it in a little more, but before had a chance Marci flew into the office, her face stricken.

"Guv," she whispered, trembling all over, "the docks… we need to get to the docks right now."

"I don't do after-dinner speaking on cruise liners any more," Gene said sarcastically but Marci wasn't listening.

"The fourth man, Guv," she swallowed, "the one who got away?" she paused and closed her eyes, "we found him. Or he found us," she looked at him frantically, "he's got a hostage."

Gene's expression changed as Kim spun around.

"Civilian?" she asked.

Marci swallowed as her eyes spilled over.

"Shaz," she whispered.

Kim's mouth dropped open and her heart stopped.

"What?" she breathed.

"Rest of her unit's heading down," Marci whispered.

"With me on their tail," Gene mumbled, striding to the door.

"Wait," Kim cried, "take me."

"Piercing me nips on the way?"

"Hostage negotiation training," Kim hissed. She closed her eyes momentarily, "and frantic ex-girlfriend who's going to remove your giblets if you leave me here."

Gene gulped.

"Fair enough," he said.

~xXx~

"Oh my god."

Kim felt as though her heart had been put through a mangle for the second time in less than an hour.

"How did Ringo get hold of the Canine division's finest?" Gene demanded.

"Ringo?" Simon frowned.

"Got the other three, just need to collect this one and we'll have our own fab four," Gene told him.

"I thought Fallows was the crap one?" Simon frowned, "shouldn't he be Ringo?"

"Look," Kim barked, "while you two attempt to reform the Beatles from the Fenchurch underworld I'm more concerned about stopping Shaz from being turned into Pulp!"

A car came to a halt and a worried Robin jumped out with two more members of the canine division, one of whom was a pale and nervous Kay.

"Kim," he cried.

"Rob?" Kim jogged to him as fast as she could, "tell me what the hell is going on, Rob. What was Shaz doing down here anyway?"

"Had a call from a member of the public after the fourth member of the gang fled the scene," Robin told her, "In his hurry to get away he knocked an eighty-two year old woman flying. Her teeth ended up somewhere in the Thames, apparently." He shook his head, a horrible feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, "Shaz was finishing up at the warehouse and answered the call. From what they told me at the station there were witness up and down the dock, all pointing the way. She went in and he took a chance."

"Why did she head off alone?" Kim demanded.

"We're over-stretched, Kim!" Robin put his hand to his head, "there was no one else. No one but her dog."

"Where's the dog?" Kim asked, suddenly fearing the worst, "Oh no, he didn't…"

Robin shook his head.

"Practically did a Lassie," he said, "tried to protect Shaz at first, when the guy looked like he might do the dog some damage Shaz sent her away and she barked at the passers-by until they called nine nine nine."

"Stringer," Gene's voice was serious and dark, "you up to this?" Kim looked around, shocked by how much she was shaking, "only you look whiter than a Polar bear doing the Daz doorstep challenge."

Kim took a deep breath. Her heart was going at a rate of knots but she nodded, determined.

"I'm up to it," she said.

Another car swerved in, a pool car from which Alex ran, with Jake close behind.

"Oh god no," Alex whispered, the sight of Shaz with a knife to her throat chilling her to the core. It wasn't so long ago she saved the girl from the end of a screwdriver. Surely she hadn't saved her life just to watch her lose it?

"Shaz," Jake whispered. He ran to Marci who could barely stay on her feet.

"I'm not losing another one," her voice was frantic and her eyes full of fear, "not again. Not after Eddie."

"You won't lose her," Kim said flatly, fighting back emotion. There was no time for that and no room for error. She tucked her radio into the top of her trousers and began to move towards the area.

"Kim," Alex said quickly, "I'm coming."

Kim had never felt as grateful for anything as she had for the hand on her shoulder and rock by her side as she continued towards the scene before them.

"Thank you," she whispered. The sound of Shaz's terrified whimpers broke their hearts and sent fear through their bones as they drew closer. Both had experience of stand-offs and they hadn't always gone well. This time it had to have a positive outcome.

Shaz was not going to die.