Chapter 25
Gene glared at Smith seated at the table opposite him in the interview room. Dempsey stood behind Smith at the back of room, leaning against the wall, arms folded.
"I'm not telling you anything Hunt." Smith smirked "What Daly does is up to him."
"Yeah, but you do his dirty work for him, which makes you just as much as a rat as him." growled Dempsey, itching to get hold of his neck.
"Really don't have a clue what you're talking about." He sang back
"DON'T PISS ME ABOUT!" yelled Gene, thumping his fist on the desk, "You were there about to make an X rated film...that makes you an accessory."
"Hahahahaha." Smith chortled loudly "I get it, bad cop, good cop. Hahahahaha."
"No, you dirty little scrote, him bad cop, me your worst nightmare cop." spat Gene starting to lose his temper. Him and Dempsey had been interviewing Smith for best part of half an hour, and still hadn't got anything out of him.
Dempsey's temper was also fraying as he unfolded his arms and started to massage his knuckles in anticipation "You start talking turkey, or I might have to be a little more persuasive." He said with warning.
"Hahahaha." Smith laughed again "You two crack me up. It's like watching Eric and Ernie."
Dempsey made a move towards Smith, but Gene flashed a warning glance at him, he backed off.
" I know, let's make this a more enjoyable experience." Smith grinned "Let's get DI Drake in here, she's much better to look at than you two, especially in her knickers. Don't you agree, Hunt?"
That was it, Gene lost his temper. Quick as a flash Gene lunged at Smith, forcefully grabbing hold of his shirt collar, he pulled Smith across the desk. Dempsey shot across the room grabbing smith's arm and bending it up painfully behind his back.
Smith grimaced in pain as Gene brought his face to his "Didn't your mother teach you to respect women eh? DI Drake is no cheap tart to get your pervy thrills with, she is a Metropolitan police officer and you will treat her as such." Gene said sternly
"Like you did, in that alleyway? You got yer kicks that night." Smith smirked again
Dempsey snapped, he cranked Smith's arm higher up his back then smacked his head hard on the table. Gene let go of his collar just in time as Smith's head connected with the surface.
Smith, although, now in a considerable amount of pain and with a bloody nose, was enjoying goading the detectives.
"Hit a nerve did I? Shafting her on a regular basis eh? What about DS Makepeace are you two slipping her one as well?"
With a roar Dempsey yanked Smith up from the desk and hurled him across the room. Smith's body hit the wall with a sickening thud. He had no time to recover as Dempsey scooped him up by his collar and rammed him against the brickwork. Gene marched over and powerfully punched him in the guts. Smith coughed and spluttered winded.
"Now you talk scumbag." Hissed Gene
"Did you hear that?" Makepeace asked Alex stood by the door.
"You mean that dull thud of body connecting with interview room wall?...no." Alex shook her head feigning innocence.
"Me neither. Must be hearing things." Makepeace lied "strange sounded just like a bastard getting his comeuppance."
"Yes very strange." agreed Alex keeping up the jokey pretence, "perhaps we'll give it another 15 minutes before calling the doctor...just be on the safe side."
Alex and Makepeace smiled at each other in conspiracy. They didn't normally condone their male colleague's thuggish tendencies, but on this occasion it was thoroughly deserved.
Dempsey continued to pin Smith against the wall as Gene rammed his fist into his stomach once again. Blood was pouring down his face. Satisfied Smith was now suitably softened up to talk, Dempsey let go of him. He crumpled to the floor groaning , coughing and writhing in agony. Dempsey was liking this DCI more and more.
"Where will we find Daly?" Gene barked
Smith spluttered and coughed again.
"You heard him? Where?" demanded Dempsey his voice rising to a yell.
"He has another warehouse down Millwall way, behind the football ground...number 11." He croaked. "That's where he hides from other gangs when it gets too loud."
Gene and Dempsey charged out of the interview room, they gathered up Makepeace, Alex and the rest of CID and went on their search for Daly.
The Skip walked into the interview room and sighed at the sight of yet more blood to clean up. Come on Sir let's get you to your cell, I'll call the doctor."
The team approached the warehouse with caution. It was at the end of a row of dilapidated buildings in the run down area of Millwall. The old Victorian building loomed darkly over the officers as the cold wind whistled around the maze of alleys. Old signs creaked and swung on rusty hinges giving the whole place a sense of eeriness. It was if they had stepped back in time, except the inhabitants were long gone and only their ghosts remained to walk the area. Alex shuddered in the cold as she scanned the warehouse for any signs of life.
Spikings rested his head in his hands with a cigarette clamped between his fingers. "Come!" he beckoned as he heard Chas knock.
"Here's the full list of the arsenal plod recovered Guv." Chas handed Spiking's the list.
Spikings eyes widened in surprise as he read down the page. "Good God! What were they planning to do with that lot?" he asked amazed.
Chas shrugged. "Search me Guv, sell it?" he offered "perhaps Daly's doing a bit of arms dealing on the side?"
"A bit? There's enough on here to arm a small army and blow up half of London..." Spikings stopped abruptly, "they wouldn't would they?"
"Sir?" queried Chas puzzled
"Get on to Special Branch, I want that Barton in my office within the hour. He's got a hell of a lot of explaining to do. Where are Dempsey and Makepeace?"
"Gone with Hunt's team to pull in Daly."
"Get on the radio and tell them to do nothing until I find out what the hell is going on here first." Spikings ordred.
"Yes Guv." With that Chas left the Guv's office, closing the door behind him.
Each member of the team took up their agreed positions and on Gene's mark, started to search the warehouse stealthily. The warehouse was dark and dank making each small movement louder than it was. Ray, Chris and Shaz's hearts thumped in their chests as they warily crept round the walls in their section of the building. Gene and Alex did the same, guns at the ready, ears tuned to the slightest sound. Makepeace shadowed Dempsey with practiced ease, knowing his every movement. They checked room after room, each officer covering the other. Dempsey and Makepeace moved silently towards the back of the building, unbeknown to them that Chas was desperately trying to raise them on the radio. The RT crackled and fizzed to an empty car.
Daly smiled to himself as he heard Dempsey's progress along the corridor. He checked his gun snapping back the barrel.
"No answer Guv." Chas sighed to Spikings
"Keep trying. Any luck with Barton?"
Chas shook his head "Apparently he's having lunch with the commissioner."
"Oh lucky him." said Spikings sarcastically. "Come on, we'd better get over to wherever Cagney and Lacey have got to...before Dempsey starts world war three."
Daly stood silently waiting for his opportunity. He had no idea that CID were in the building as well as the two SI10 officers.
Dempsey motioned to Makepeace that the coast was clear. Makepeace was about to step through the door when she heard the click "DEMPSEY!" she yelled. He ducked just in time as the bullet whizzed past him and buried itself in the wall behind.
The others on hearing the shot hurried towards the source of the sound. Dempsey took off through the back of the warehouse after Daly returning fire. 'BOOM!' another shot failed to hit Dempsey. Makepeace raced after, with Gene and Alex rapidly making up the distance between them.
Daly jumped down a flight of stairs with ease and speed as Dempsey quickly followed. At the bottom Dempsey fired again, but as ever Daly's reactions were too fast. The realisation dawned on the American that Daly was no amateur, he had been trained at some point. Daly charged down an alley and ducked into a door way. Seconds later Dempsey emerged into the grimy daylight, still running full throttle. Daly grinned, aimed and fired. Dempsey's gun was shot clean out of his hands. He stood frozen to the spot as Daly aimed his gun at the Leftenant's head.
The other officers had now caught up, but stopped abruptly as they heard Daly speak.
"You're a traitor Dempsey."
"A traitor?" Dempsey questioned not understanding what Daly intoned.
Daly spoke clearly and menacingly "You know what we do to traitors in my country?...we blow their kneecaps away." In a heartbeat Daly switched his aim from Dempsey's head to his knee and pulled the trigger. Dempsey dived quickly but he was too slow.
Dempsey yelped in pain as the bullet ripped through the top of his thigh. He crashed to the floor clutching the wound.
With a sickening laugh, Daly fled down the alley again. This time it was Gene and Ray who followed.
Dempsey writhed in agony as blood poured through the gaping wound. Within seconds Makepeace, Alex and Shaz came to his aid. They stared in horror at the extent of the blood. Because Dempsey had been running, his heart was beating fast so it pumped the red liquid rapidly around his body. Makepeace dropped to her knees by his head "It's ok...it's not that bad." She lied trying to sooth him.
"Arrrgh!" Dempsey grimaced through pants.
All three woman stared in disbelief at the felled leftenent . Alex thinking quickly directed "Shaz your scarf."
The young DC obliged deftly undoing her scarf around her neck and handing it to Alex. Alex wrapped it tight around the top of the wound. On seeing Chris appear she motioned for him to take his tie off. She secured it tightly around the base of the wound to form a tourniquet. She then removed her jumper and pressed down hard on the raw, bloody flesh.
Dempsey cried out again. Makepeace positioned Dempsey's head in her lap and proceeded to stroke his hair in an attempt to calm him.
"I must be in heaven. I have three beautiful women looking down at me." He croaked trying to lighten the mood.
"Shhh, Your not in heaven yet...sorry to inform you." Makepeace quipped back .
Alex and Shaz continued to attend to his wound, applying Shaz's jumper to Alex's already blood soaked garment, they desperately tried to stem the flow.
"Chris call an ambulance." Blustered Alex
"On its way boss, er Ma'am."
Dempsey was starting to feel weak and tired, he felt sure this was the end "This is it partner, life is hard then you..."
"You're not going to, do you hear me?" snapped Makepeace "I am not sending you back to New York in a box draped in the Stars 'n' Stripes...you understand?"
"You say the sweetest things, Harry." He said faintly.
The women exchanged anxious glances as Dempsey had become a deathly pale, his lips rapidly turning blue as the life drained out of him.
Makepeace studied Dempsey's face intently as she continued to caress his hair, she could see that he was losing consciousness. He had become very still and calm.
"Stay with me Dempsey. I promise to take you out to dinner. Anywhere you want to go." Her voice cracked as she gently tapped the side of his face, trying to keep him awake, but his eyes fluttered closed.
"Dempsey...stay with me." She croaked with urgency as she clapped his face more forcefully.
There was no response. She looked at Alex with an awful pained expression, tears forming in her eyes, Alex too was failing to keep her eyes from welling. As if on cue the wail of the ambulance siren could be heard.
Gene and Ray, failing once again to find Daly, hurried back to the scene, but baulked when they saw the vast pool of blood which had formed around Dempsey's body. They could do no more for him as the ambulance reversed into the confined space. One of the drivers sidled quietly up to Makepeace "Come on Miss we need to take him."
She reluctantly shuffled out from under Dempsey and placed his head gently on the ground. She stood with unsteady legs, dazed. Alex stood also, gently tugging at Makepeace's arm, she led her away from him.
As Dempsey was lifted into the ambulance Gene whispered to Alex "Go on, go with her." Alex nodded her appreciation and guided Makepeace back towards her car to follow Dempsey to hospital.
Arrrgh! I'm so sorry I have shot Dempsey...or rather Daly has. How much do we despise Daly now? As always your thoughts are greatly appreciated QQxx