Chapter 11: To Raid Or Not To Raid?
Author's Note: Thank you for the new reviews and encouragement, hope you enjoy this update!
The door to the Superintendent's office burst open, Heaton looked up about to berate the person who had so rudely interrupted his meeting with his DCI and DI; but then he saw the look on Smithy's face and his irritation was replaced with concern.
"Have you had a message from Max?" Smithy demanded "He's just sent one to me saying that Tremaine has Lexi somewhere and is holding her as an insurance policy to make sure Max goes through with his part of the deal!" Smithy was almost breathless with worry. DI Manson groaned and rubbed his forehead, this was not part of the carefully constructed plan.
"Could he know that they are police officers?" Heaton questioned.
"No – if he did he'd have dealt with them by now, this is just a warning to Max as it's his first job with them. Lexi should be fine as long as Max does everything he is supposed to; the problem for us is that if we strike as we intended while Tremaine is there with them and they still have Lexi then they could harm her. It means we'll have to abort the operation – at least for today" Manson chewed his lip frowning.
"So all this work has been for nothing then?" Heaton growled running a hand through his ginger hair. "Could we not risk it?" Smithy, Meadows and Manson all looked at him in horror, was he really proposing to put Lexi in danger in order to make an arrest.
"If we don't break their cover then we may get another chance – once Lexi has been released Max might be asked to help sort out the distribution and then we could get Tremaine. I'm not taking the chance." Manson asserted.
"And I wouldn't allow him to – there is no way we could risk Lexi's life like that – and it would be risking her life – Sir, Robert Tremaine is a very dangerous man and has killed in the past. Smithy can you text Max and tell him to stay calm and that unless we tell him otherwise the arrest is off and to keep up the act. In the meantime we'll work on finding Lexi's location; if we can retrieve her then the raid goes ahead. Make sure that Max knows her safety is our priority otherwise he might go all Rambo on us" Jack said with authority, despite the fact Heaton was his superior the man wasn't going to argue with the Yorkshiremans logic and orders.
"Will do Guv'" Smithy nodded, only slightly calmer than he had been when he walked in. "The briefing is still set for two o'clock, we'll need to meet to decide what we'll be doing before then either way."
Smithy and DCI Meadows spent most of the morning in the command centre in the middle of the police station, using every available resource to try and locate their missing officer.
"Thanks for sticking up for Lexi in there; I thought the Super might insist on continuing regardless." Smithy said quietly as he handed the older man a cup of tea.
"No problem, he counts statistics, we count the safety of our own – the man's been driving a desk too long to be handing out operational orders. We will find her Smithy!" Jack assured the sergeant.
"Sir, we've got a location for Lexi's mobile phone signal!" PC Leon Taylor rushed over to the two men waving a piece of paper urgently, all of the uniformed officers were in overdrive as their colleague who was also their friend was in danger. "It's not precise, but it seems to be showing up somewhere on the Tamworth Avenue Industrial Estate. And that's assuming that the phone is in the same place as Lexi."
"It's a big estate though, there must be over forty warehouses and yards, she could be anywhere" Smithy ran a hand through his short hair in frustration.
"Tremaine has a warehouse there – he brought it just before the operation began. We can get the exact location it's on the file in my office." Jack pointed out rubbing his chin, Smithy and Leon looked at each other in anticipation of a good lead. "We'd have to check it out first – make sure that was the right place..."
"One of us could pretend to be a delivery driver who's got lost, try and snoop around for any activity – if we get caught we apologise and run away." Leon suggested enthusiastically
"Is that you volunteering Leon?" Smithy questioned with the hint of a smirk
"Any of us would do it to make sure Lexi's safe Sarge'"
After checking the files up in the CID offices, Jack Meadows confirmed the exact location of Tremaine's warehouse; Leon managed to get a close look at the premises and confirmed that their missing officer was being held there, and so uniform and CID were briefed.
"Right, it's been confirmed by Leon that Sergeant Brandon is being held in this warehouse here – in a large room at the back of the building" Jack informed the gathered group, pointing to the map and photograph displayed on the powerpoint at the front of the room. "So here's what we are going to do" Jack went on to explain the plan in detail, two raids were to take place simultaneously with armed assistance. A second armed response unit had even been drafted in from a neighbouring force to provide enough officers for both of the strikes, uniform and CID officers were assigned to their groups and duties. Once everyone knew exactly where they were supposed to be and what they were doing the signal was given to get ready to go. "Now don't forget that Tremaine is known to be dangerous and that he has in the past carried fire arms. This could be the biggest catch we've had in years – but the thing to constantly bear in mind is that we have two of our own in there and their safety is the main goal!"
With those words the officers left the room in silence, determination visible in every face, they headed towards the cars and vans waiting in the yard at the rear of the station.
Max was trying to stay calm as he helped to unload the large quantities of illegal substances, alongside the panic he also felt ashamed, not so long ago he was helping to fund this type of activity through his usage of the drugs. That was all in the past now though, he had a new lease of life and in some senses a new life to begin – with Lexi. Thinking of Lexi sent another surge of panic and fear coursing through his body, he hoped and prayed that she was safe.
A large crash erupted from the door way of the hangar like building they were in, Max turned to see a van had driven through the metal concertina doors and people were rushing in shouting wildly. 'This is it' he thought, it was all over. The armed response officers led the way motioning to the criminals to put their hands in the air and remain still. As one of the officers went to handcuff Max, Jack rushed forwards, waving his hands
"No, no, he's one of ours!" Jack said smiling in relief and shaking Max's hand heartily. A couple of the officers who had worked with Max in CO19 chuckled slightly, but he didn't notice, he was anxious to hear Lexi was safe.
"Lexi?"
"We know where she was being held and we went in at the same time, we are just waiting for the all clear" No sooner had he stopped speaking than his radio crackled and Smithy's voice came through.
"Sierra Oscar one to Sierra Oscar five-two, Sergeant Brandon has been recovered and is safe. Repeat Lexi is safe, over." Relief could be heard in the sergeant's voice. Max closed his eyes, silently thanking whatever or whoever was smiling down on him that day.
"Can you take me over there?" Max demanded, Jack nodded and ordered a passing uniform officer to take the Detective Sergeant over to the Tamworth Avenue Industrial Estate, he even gave permission for blue lights and sirens to be used while he finished up where he was. Max jogged out of the building, ignoring the shouting and cursing Tremaine was angrily aiming at his departing back.
Lexi was sat wrapped in a blanket on the steps of an ambulance, when the patrol car screeched into the gateway to join the many others already parked at the warehouse. Max jumped out and ran to the large yellow van leaving the passenger door wide open. Smithy stepped to the side, as Lexi stood up to greet Max, who gathered her up into his arms, hugging her tightly. He pulled away to look at her properly, she looked intact apart from a bruise on her left cheek and slightly red eyes.
"She's refusing to go to the hospital, maybe you could convince..." Smithy began, but stopped abruptly as he realised that the two officers in front of him were kissing each other passionately. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, unsure of how to proceed. He looked around and noticed that a number of the other Sunhill officers were also staring at the occurrence, so he cleared his throat loudly. "Maybe now isn't the time or the place guys!" He said gently, Max and Lexi sheepishly pulled apart, but kept their hands clasped together.
"I don't need to go to the hospital – I'm fine really! Just a couple of bruises!" Lexi insisted to both of the sceptical men stood by her. "To be honest all I want to do is go home and have a nice hot bath – but we'll have to have the debrief first, so the sooner we get started the sooner we'll finish"
