So I have finally finished this, I hope someone is still reading. Big thanks to everyone who has left me the generous reviews, put this on alert and stuck with it. Thanks to warbs1981 for the nagging (I needed it). I hope I haven't built this up too much!!! x
Still don't own anything, including the title stolen from Madonna.
Chapter Thirteen
Alex stared down the long row of riverside lock ups. There were more than she had hoped. She glanced at Gene, to see how he was holding up, he was very good at putting on a brave face, she momentarily considered asking him if he was alright. It was a stupid question, of course he wasn't alright, his daughter was missing, probably hurt, even... She banished that thought from her mind. She was still unsure how she expected him to react, if he was falling apart she would understand, she had a daughter, remembered vividly the moment of blind panic when Layton had dragged her away, but if he was falling apart, her constant, she knew instinctively she wouldn't know what to do, how to behave around him. At least this way he still resembled the Gene Hunt she recognised. He looked stern, serious, annoyed and angry, she'd seen that before, knew how to handle it.
She surveyed the area; the sky was grey and overcast, matching the grim, grey concrete cubes and the dull, peeling paint on each of the doors. The area was run down and dilapidated, the only colour coming from the parked lorries and trailers bearing the gaudy livery of various businesses. Bold red letters caught her eye on one in particular, 'Rainer Imports', they were at least in the right place.
Alex pointed in the direction of the trailer, "he must bring the girls in on the lorries and keep them here until it's safe to move them," she offered, trying to be positive.
"Right, you two, start at that end," barked Gene signalling to Ray and Chris to make their way to the opposite end of the block.
Alex and Gene knocked at each lock up in turn, calling for Sarah, listening for a sound inside, a sign of life. Alex spotted something amongst the gravel and bent to pick it up. It was Sarah's student card, slightly dog-eared and worn, but the name and photograph of the smiling girl were clear.
"Guv," she called showing him what she had found.
Gene's eye's shot to the closest lock up and he began to bang against the metal door, "Sarah love, are you in there sweetheart?" he bellowed.
Alex shushed him to listen for a response, all seemed silent inside.
"This is a waste of time, if she was 'ere she's not bloody 'ere anymore," a frustrated Gene said as he turned away.
As Alex went to following him, a crash of metal from within the concrete walls rang out.
"Gene, I think she's in there," Alex said hopefully.
Smashing at the padlock, Gene forced open the door and slid it up and over.
Chris and Ray made their way down toward the furthest end of the long block.
"Who'd have thought it, the Guv 'ad a daughter," Chris said.
"I know and never told us, told bloody Drake I see," Ray added with irritation.
"DI Drake knew?" Chris replied with surprise.
"Well she knew before we did, I knew soon as she turned up, got the Guv wrapped round her little finger."
"Do you think they're," Chris questioned followed by a little whistling, its implied meaning, very clear to Ray.
Ray rolled his eyes at Chris, "are we meant to bloody look in all these lock ups? We'll be 'ere for weeks."
Ray spoke looking back over his shoulder at Chris who trailed a few paces behind. He came to a sudden stop, walking into something solid. He turned slowly to find himself looking directly at a wall of black leather. He raised his head slowly scanning the broad chest and shoulders in front of him, to finally be met with a wide grin from the mountain of a man he had just walked into. It was Rainer's bodyguard, closely followed by the second, equally large minder who had accompanied him to Luigi's.
"Oh...shit..." Ray said managing to catch the widening eyes of Chris who was mouthing similar expletives.
Light flooded in to the dark, dank lock up. Sarah was bound and gagged in the corner, a huge red pool surrounding her. Alex's heart pounded as they dashed to her side. They both let out and audible sigh of relief as on closer inspection the pool was the contents of a paint tin Sarah had managed to kick over to make a noise to alert them she was inside. Gene pulled the gag away from her mouth and worked quickly to untie the rough cord which held both her wrists and ankles together and had cut into her skin, leaving bloody tracks. She was dirty and dishevelled, but seemed not to be seriously harmed, at least visibly.
Alex took a step back and Gene swept the tiny girl up into his arms.
"Dad," she sobbed, clinging on for dear life, burying her face into his chest.
Alex was reminded of the way he had carried her, out of the freezer at Chas Cale's restaurant, into the station when she had first arrived, as a child moments after she had witnessed the death of her parents. It was a safe feeling, being in those arms. Her eyes briefly met Gene's and she gave him a warm smile. Whatever had happened during her captivity, Sarah was alive and well, and safe.
"It's alright sweetheart," he said softly, brushing a lock of her blood tinged hair away from her face.
"Aw what a pretty picture," came a cold, chilling voice from the doorway, it was unmistakable as that of Davey Rainer.
He was armed pointing a gun straight at them, a familiar sneer across his face.
"Didn't I tell you Hunt, you'd be sorry," he snarled.
Gene put Sarah down and positioned himself in front of her and reached out to pull Alex in behind him too.
"Bastard, you'd better make sure you finish me off first time because if I 'ave any breath left in me, you'll be a dead man," Gene said defiantly.
Sarah was still sobbing and Alex put a comforting arm around the girl and hugged her close, as she choked down her own fears and tried to stay strong on the surface.
"Come on Davey, it doesn't have to end like this, you're not a murderer, you're a business man, where's the money in this, you won't get away with it. What will happen to your empire if you're in prison?" Alex tried to reason.
"You're wasting your time Bols, this piece of shit doesn't do reasoning, not bright enough," Gene responded almost flippantly.
"That's really helpful," Alex snapped.
"When you've quite finished your domestic, prison, don't make me laugh, your bodies will be in the river in..." he stopped and examined his watch, "let's say the next ten minutes, the car will be in a scrap yard within half an hour and a hundred people will say I've been at a party all day," he smiled smugly.
"Scrap my bloody car, you really are an animal," Gene retorted.
"Enough of the chat," Rainer said as he took aim and the gun made the ominous sound as he prepared to fire.
"No, Dad, love you Daddy," Sarah wailed as Gene aligned himself squarely in front of her and Alex as they huddled together.
"I love you..." Gene paused, "both of yer," he said awkwardly.
"I love you too, Gene," Alex said, reaching out to squeeze his hand.
Time slowed down for Alex as she heard a shot ring out, she shut her eyes tightly and clung to Sarah as a silent tear rolled down her cheek and Sarah screamed out. She really did love him, more than she ever knew. If only they hadn't wasted so much time, played silly games, left far too much unsaid. Alex tried desperately to compose herself and try to find a way out of this, as much for Sarah as herself. Where the hell were Chris and Ray? God, what if it was too late, they were already... The second seemed to last an eternity, before it dawned on Alex that Gene was still tightly gripping her hand, and as she slowly opened one eye he was still standing. She peered out from behind him. Rainer lay on the ground, shot, dead or very close to it and there was Andy, frozen, a still smoking gun in his hand, a blank expression on his face.
Alex drew herself up to her feet, holding on to Sarah, who could only cough out a sigh of relief. She looked the boy in the eye.
"He killed her, she never hurt anyone, I'm not sorry he's dead," the broken young man explained, throwing the gun down to the floor as he burst into tears of anger and frustration.
Just then Chris and Ray came running into view.
"Smashing, here comes the bleeding cavalry just in time to nick an unarmed bender in tears," said the now fully composed Guv.
"Bloody 'ell," Chris said, looking on in confusion.
"You should've seen 'em, Guv, ran into them two minders from the other night, saw 'em off though," Ray said as he collared a compliant Andy.
"Yeah they ran off when they 'eard the shot go off," Chris added.
Ray shot him a look of irritation, "twonk," he said.
Sarah hugged Gene, "it's all over now sweetheart, we should get you to 'ospital, get yer checked over," he said gently leading his daughter toward the car.
"Bolls, in one piece?" he asked.
"Hmm," she said her smile almost smug, "you love me. Gene Hunt actually used the word love."
Ray gave a look of disgust.
"Well life or death situation and all that," he said noting Ray's expression, as they passed him on the way to the car.
"What about us, Guv," Chris shouted over as Gene put Sarah into the back of the Quattro.
"Wait for bloody uniform, walk, fly, I don't care Christopher," came the answer.
"So, was that all it was then," Alex ventured quietly, "life and death situation."
Gene pouted, taking in what she was saying.
"Something like that," his cryptic reply.
"Well either it was or it wasn't," she prodded defensively.
"Last moment on earth, Bolly, there yer go," he said.
"Well did you mean it?" her voice betraying her feelings.
"Yes I bloody meant it. Did you?" there was nothing soft or sentimental in his voice, they could have just as easily been arguing about a suspect.
"Yes, I meant it," she said softening a little.
"Good," he said opening the passenger door and motioning to the seat, "well shut up and get in the bloody car."
The End