Chapter 25

"When we get there, you three are to do nothing unless I tell ye….got it?" Gene ordered as he weaved the Quattro through the traffic.

The three women didn't reply, they were deliberately ignoring Gene as they were all individually thinking through their own personal plans of action. Pipa the distraught mother who only wanted her son back, Maddy the feisty family member who wanted nothing more than to witness her cousin's demise….payback for all the hurt he had caused her and her father and then there was Alex, the expectant mother to be who knew all too well the desperation Pipa would be feeling. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach at the thought of a mother losing her child in this way. Alex was determined Robert wasn't going to get away with it.

"Got it?" Gene persisted.

Alex folded her arms tight across her belly "Don't worry we'll stand back make jam and sing Jerusalem while you and Dempsey have your showdown at the Last Chance Saloon." She said sardonically "And if the excitement gets too much for us mere women we'll get our knitting out."

"I'm just saying I don't want any of you in the thick of it where you can hurt." Gene retorted, it was a very innocent request although Gene hadn't yet learnt how to be tactful. He was concerned, Alex could hold her own in dangerous situations, he had learnt that a long time ago, but she was pregnant so A) couldn't run as fast as she could normally and B) hormones had seemed to have taken over the rational part of her brain. Rational people didn't burst into tears without knowing why at the drop of the hat, but Alex's emotions were up and down like a yoyo. Pipa was clearly emotional and desperate, desperate people do desperate things without considering the consequences, this made her a loose cannon. Gene had noticed, also, that Maddy had a murderous look about her, he didn't put it past her to snatch Leroy's magnum and blow Robert's balls off. For Gene three narked women equalled potential disaster….make that four pissed off women, there was of course Harry Makepeace, the wife, who had the trained eye and aim to blow his todger clean off.

Gene inwardly groaned, picked up the radio and turned to Alex "What's Dempsey and Makepeace's call sign again?"

"Charlie five." Alex replied tersely.

"Daddy bear to Charlie five, do you receive me?"

"Yo! Daddy bear whass happening?" came Dempsey's reply.

"The scumbag is on the move again, forget the services he's heading straight to Dover."

"Yeah, we got that bit."

"What's your position?"

"Hey, that's a little personal dontcha think?" grinned Dempsey.

Alex and Maddy stifled their sniggers and Dempsey's quip while Pipa stared glumly out of the window.

"Where the bloody 'ell are ye?" snapped Gene, he wasn't in the mood for jokes.

Dempsey immediately picked up on the Guv's serious tone and dropped the comedy act "Oh errr, bout ten miles….urmm I think….passed….errr um." He hadn't a clue.

Harry snatched the RT from Dempsey's hand and spoke "We're just coming into Dover now ETA five mins from the port, over."

"Wait for me, it may need more bodies."

"Understood, we'll wait for you Gene."

Harry was about to replace the handset when the booming voice of Spikings issued forth "Charlie five! So nice of you to inform me you had signed yourselves fit for work – it is more usual for officers to report for duty before going out on an operation!"

A withered look passed between Dempsey and Makepeace "Sorry Sir, there was no time, we had to act."

"Hmmmmm" growled Spikings "Well it would have been considerate to contact me, we are a team of many, not just of two, y'know."

"Yessir. Do we know how far they have got?" Harry quickly diverted Spikings's attention to the operation.

"Not for definite, Chas has gotten on to the Ferry company they're going to get a message to the Captain to delay sailing – should give us a chance, don't really fancy chasing him across the channel. Knowing Dempsey he'd bloody well sink the thing before it reached France."

Dempsey shot a disgruntled look at the RT.

"Can't we stop them in the car park or something." asked Harry

"Possible Harry, but the ferry is already half loaded with cars."

"Wonderful." Sighed Harry

"So, he could already be on the boat?" asked Dempsey.

"Yes Dempsey, that means we have to tread carefully, no rampaging through the ferry like Rambo, catch my drift, I don't want terrified passengers jumping ship right, left and centre."

Dempsey pressed his mouth into a wry smile.

"We will be very discreet Sir. Out." She replaced the RT and caught the question written on his face. "Well?"

"How do you jump ship in the centre? Does it have a pool?" he grinned.

"Idiot! You know what he means…..softly, softly."

"Catch ya monkey."

"There's only one buffoon around here, and I'm looking at him." said Harry completely deadpan.

"Cute!"

Robert carefully followed the marshal's directions into his parking space on the ferry. When the marshal held up his hand to signal to Robert to stop, he yanked on the handbrake and killed the engine. He turned to Matthew in his car seat and smiled "It's adventure time." Matthew returned a bewildered look. He really didn't understand what was going on; he just clutched the toy bunny closer to his chest and nibbled on a soggy ear.

Robert checked around for any evidence of Police activity before finally getting out of the car. "Come on squirt, let's go see the sea." Matthew gingerly reached up to Robert as he helped him out of the car seat. Robert hoisted his son onto his hip, Matthew wrapped his arms around his neck and Robert felt the sensation of saliva soaked rabbit brushing against his skin which made him cringe.

With Matthew secured into position, he went to the boot of the car and pulled out a small bag containing toys, books, juice, wipes and a change of clothes for Matthew. He hitched it onto his free shoulder, locked the car and headed unnoticed for the stairs to go up on deck. To the staff and fellow passengers he was just another passenger on a day trip to France with his young son. Robert was praying it would stay like that.

"Okay this is what we're gonna do." explained Dempsey. Now that all the officers had congregated in a secluded part of the car park where the cars were lining up to be loaded into the ferry, he ran through the plan. "We don't know if he's already on the boat or waiting in the car lot. Pipa has done a light perusal of the lot and she can't see Robert's car, that's not to say he aint here. We split up and walk the length of the lines towards the boat. If he aint waiting we keep going right on to the boat….agreed?"

They all nodded in agreement.

"On the boat keep your eyes and ears open. A kid that age will want to visit the bathroom more than once, so that's where they could be. Blend in, look like vacationers; we don't wanna spook no-one. When you find him, me and Gene will deal with him….." Dempsey looked directly at the four women.. "Ladies, you just sit tight and keep calm, we don't want this to get personal."

"Personal!?" they chorused together indignantly.

"I know, I know." Dempsey held his hands up "you want beat shit outta him, I can understand that, but this has to be done the right way….like Police way, proper arrest annall.

"I want to beat the shit out of 'im." Piped up Gene. "Dempsey's right, we don't want any womanly hormones getting hysterical."

The girls shot Gene the most disgusted look….how dare he? They glared at him with their mouths open.

Dempsey gave the girls a placating smile "That's not quite want I meant….but you get picture." Dempsey carried on with his briefing.

"Did I say Buffoon?" muttered Harry under her breath "Looks like we're back to chauvinistic, Neanderthal cavemen"

Alex overheard Harry's mutterings "I wondered what that scraping sound was – It's Gene's knuckles on the tarmac."

"At least Gene has some sort of excuse, you're his with wife carrying his baby, he's bound to be over protective."

"Yes, and I'm sure Dempsey is viewing this as a dual for your honour."

"As long as they remember we are here to rescue Matthew. We can save the pistols at dawn at twenty paces for another day." said Harry, suddenly with a feeling of dread washing over her.

"Magnums at dawn." Added Alex

"Robert doesn't have a Magnum." Interjected Pipa absentmindedly "he has a pistol."

Harry and Alex shot a surprised look at Pipa. Harry couldn't help herself and snapped "You only just decided to give us that small nugget of information."

"Was his father's during the war….thought you knew…." She shrugged

"No I didn't!"

"Oh God!" stammered Pipa "You don't think he'd use it….I mean….Matthew…"

"More than likely…yes!" exclaimed Harry "And it will be aimed and Dempsey!"

"Or Gene…." Added Alex, amazed that Pipa hadn't even taken in the fact that one of them could get shot.

Maddy decided to join in "My Leroy could get shot!"

"Ohhhhh," Pipa tried to back track "He wouldn't, he couldn't!...That would be murder!"

The girls fell into a worried silence, four women and four men….four couples, it didn't bare thinking about that one of them would be going home without the other. For Harry the words smacked her in face, this was the first operation she and Dempsey were working as a couple…what if?

The men suddenly became aware that the ladies were staring at them, their brows furrowed with worry, their hearts heavy with dread. They were a study of fear.

Silently Dempsey looked to Gene and Gene looked back, unsaid questions flitted between them, puzzled they both turned to Leroy to see if he had any answer. Leroy tried to read Maddy's telepathic message, unravelling the clues on her face, finally he broke the silence "It'll be fine, don't you go worrying sisters, he won't do anything that might hurt his kid….believe me."

"Yeah, he aint that stoopid." agreed Dempsey although he wasn't entirely convinced himself.

"He's a daft twat, but he's not stupid….and he has the kiddywink with him…" added Gene.

The men found themselves having to pull their gaze away from their ladies, it was quite clear despite their reassurance; the girls just didn't buy it.

"Let's get on with it." Growled Gene, he didn't want to stand there and think about it any longer, toying with idea you might be leaving in a body bag was not the best frame of mind to be in when setting off on an arrest. He dismissed the idea as being irrational, hysterical even, there we go…back to hysterical hormones, he had obviously caught them off the women.

The group turned to start their search only to find they were one man short, one woman to be exact.

"Where hell she gone?" cried Dempsey.

Pipa had disappeared.

Without prompting Harry, Alex and Maddy took off in the direction of the Ferry. Pipa had already convinced herself Robert and Matthew were on board the ferry rather than sat in the in queue. His car was simply not in the traffic lines.

"I'll kill her, I will bloody kill her." Hissed Harry as they hurried passed the stewards flashing their warrant cards. They quickly made their way up the steps to the deck level.

"Harry, she's very upset." warned Alex striding to keep up with SI10 officer.

"She's upset, I'm bloody upset, we're all bloody well upset!" she blustered. Harry turned abruptly and jabbed a finger "If anything…ANYTHING happens to Dempsey because of THAT woman…"

"She's not thinking straight….I really." Alex tried to temper Harry's outburst.

"SHE, has already ruined one of my relationships….she…..she…." Harry ran out of steam, she suddenly looked downcast "Alex, I just can't…."

"I know." Alex placed a comforting hand on Harry's arm "She won't, trust me, you two have been through too much to let an ex and a woman with yoyo knickers ruin things."

Harry smiled slightly "Yoyo knickers, that's one way to describe her."

"She can't have got far, I'm sure we can hold her at bay long enough for the boys to sort him out."

As they reached the top of the corridor Pipa flew around the corner, flustered she gabbled at rapid speed "You've got to come now, he's on the upper deck showing Matthew the sea."

"You shouldn't have gone on your own." Blazed Harry "How can you be so idiotic?"

Pipa ignored Harry and continued to babble at Alex "Please, he's just sitting there with him, do something…" she pleaded desperately.

Harry forced her temper back down into her body, one look at Pipa's face told her that this was a woman who was beside herself with terror. Harry tried to put herself in Pipa's shoes and forget her personal grievance. She was the calm, cool police officer doing her duty not the cheated wife who wanted to scream out her hurt and frustration. She was not the betrayed best friend or the anguished girlfriend….she was Detective Sergeant Makepeace who was trained to deal with these situations.

"Harry?" Pipa's voice sounded pitched and feeble, like a woman dangling over the edge of a cliff. Her fingertips desperately clinging to any reassuring word Harry and Alex had to offer.

"Pipa, try not to worry, we will get him safely back to you, we just need to use tactics and use our heads not our hearts." As Harry said the words, she realised it applied just as much to her as it did Pipa.

"We're up here!" called Maddy down the steps which lead to the lower deck. She had caught sight of Gene heading in the wrong direction.

Gene turned on his heel and ushered Dempsey and Leroy up to the second floor.

"Where is the scrote?" "Where's the worm?" asked Gene and Dempsey simultaneously .

Pipa meekly pointed in the direction of the door which led up and out on to outside viewing deck. Gene, Dempsey and Leroy wasted no time and barged their way through the milling holiday makers. It was High Holiday season and the ferry by now was full to bursting. Dempsey, Gene and Leroy paid no attention to some of the passenger's protests as they shouldered them aside in hot pursuit of their prey.

They were even more bemused when they were barged out of the way for a second time by four women, with one of them, Maddy, shouting "Pregnant woman coming through!"

This caused much puzzlement and speculation amongst the witnesses as to which lady was indeed 'up the duff'. One OAP turned to her blue rinse friend and said "I think it's the tall one, either that or she's had one too many cream cakes." "Hmmmm" agreed her friend "Someone should tell her wearing heels like that while pregnant gives you varicose veins and bunions." "Gives you varicose veins if you've eaten too many cream cakes an all."

Sure enough at the top to the left was Robert holding Matthew up to the rails so that he could look for fish. "I'll go the t'other way round" said Gene to Dempsey.

Dempsey nodded and crept around the moored lifeboats and waited for Gene to appear, once in place, he signalled to Harry. She moved forward from the others to confront Robert. Pipa was eager to go with her, but Alex and Maddy were quick to hold her back. A strange hush seemed to descend as all held their breaths.

Harry quietly approached father and son as they leant over the side. "The games up Robert."

Startled Robert snapped his head and pulled Matthew close into his body "You can't take him he's mine." Matthew started to squirm against Robert's firm grip. Robert stood his ground.

"Come on Robert, he needs his mother." She kept her voice measured as to try and keep everyone calm.

"Over my dead body." He spat, his eyes growing wide.

"That's not necessary, he needs both of you." She reasoned.

"You're the last person I would hand him over to, career girl, what do you know about bringing up children?...this could have been us…"

Harry knitted her brow, what and odd thing to say, she thought. "This isn't about us." She puzzled.

"Isn't it?"

"It's about you, Pipa and Matthew." Harry could see wildness in his eyes which she had never seen before; coupled with his unshaven face he had taken on the appearance of a man losing his grip.

"You won't trick me; I'm far cleverer than you."

Harry took a small step towards him; he shied away partly obscuring Matthew from Harry's view.

"Please…" she held out her arms "Let me take him and then we can discuss things."

"Oh no, Harriet, that's not how it works, the boy stays with me…"

Slowly she took another tiny step, again he recoiled.

He swallowed hard "leave me alone, go away…." His voice was beginning to sound shaky.

Harry noticed he was starting to tremble "I can't do that Robert, it's my duty."

"Duty!" he laughed mirthlessly "What about your duty to me." Matthew was wriggling now and whimper sounded, he wanted to get down.

"You relinquished my duty, my loyalty when you were unfaithful."

"Duty my arse. Come any closer and we go over." Robert looked over the barrier and down into the icy sea.

"Don't be ridiculous," Harry instinctively jumped forward alarmed as Robert positioned Matthew a leg and arm over the edge "He's your son!"

Matthew, fed up of being restrained, let out a discontented wail .

"MATTHEW!" yelled Pipa briefly shaking off Alex and Maddy and lunging forward in reaction to her baby's cry. Alex and Maddy quickly wrenched her back.

"MUMMY!" he yelled back reaching out to her. Robert held him fast which increased his unease.

"You're all in this together!" barked Robert "It's a conspiracy! Where's the yank? He's got to be around he somewhere." Robert scanned the deck, his head spinning round, his eyes on stalks "WHERE IS HE?" Matthew wailed again at the rise in volume of his father's voice, his cheeks reddening and his face contorting.

Harry held out her hand in an attempt to calm him and Robert down "He's not here, it's just us…"

"LIAR!" he bellowed. He briefly relinquished his grip on Matthew to slip his hand into the bag.

Leroy was swift to react; he was hiding behind one of the metal staircases waiting." Freeze!" he bounded out pointing his Magnum at Robert, he face set in grit determination, but Robert had already found his pistol.

"You won't shoot me, you'd hit the boy" countered Robert. Matthew screamed loudly in to Robert's ear "DADDY!" the tears started to flow. "Shhh Matthew, Daddy knows what he doing."

"Awwwwwwaaallllloo" balled the boy as he twisted and squirmed in Robert's arms. His natural fear instinct had kicked in and he was fighting against Robert.

Robert didn't know who to point the gun at, he swung it from Harry to Leroy to Pipa and back again.

"Put the gun down." Pleaded Harry, she could see the situation escalating any second.

Robert shook his head in defiance "Never, you're not having him, he's mine." His eyes were wide with a mixture or terror and hate. "Okay, if you want to play it that way." He let the bag strap slip off his shoulder. He waved the gun around again as he backed towards a small metal rung of maintenance steps which lead upwards and over the side of the boat. With his back towards the side and the steps, he kept the gun trained on Leroy and proceeded to back heel the rungs of the ladder….he began to climb.

Pipa, Alex and Maddy realised what he was doing "ROBERT DON'T!" shouted a distraught Pipa "You'll kill him."

"MUUUUUMMMMY!" screamed Matthew, beside himself with terror "MUUUMMMY!"

"Robert this is absurd," squeaked Harry,

Alex couldn't hold back any longer, in panic she hurried to Harry's side "She's right, nothing can come of this." Alex sought some sort of verbal bargaining chip, however, none was forthcoming.

"Back off!" he aimed the gun at Alex's head. Alex baulked and her heart started to pound in her chest. Would he do it? Would he shoot her?

"Robert don't do this!" cried Pipa, tears cascaded down her cheeks "I'll do whatever you want….please, for Matthew's sake." She begged, reaching out, but Maddy kept hold of her arm to stop her.

"Too late for that." He had reached the top of the ledge. Still holding tightly to the fighting Matthew, he stood precariously on the edge of the boat, gun still pointed at Alex.

Harry spied from the corner of her eye the figure of Dempsey clambering up the side of the boat, god alone knows how he managed to get there, but Harry wasn't about to question it, she was just relieved to see him and apprehensive to boot.

Matthew was screaming at the top of his lungs, his little fists pounded at his father's shoulder frantically trying to break free.

Leroy saw Dempsey crouched on all fours on the narrow ledge gaining his balance. He had to think quickly to prevent Robert from clocking his NYPD colleague.

"Hey Brother," he barked at Robert to distract him "I'm talkin' now, you really think this is wise? Huh! You behaving like a stoopid dumbass…."

"Give up now Robert." Joined in Harry, she knew what Leroy was doing and she could see at the opposite end of the ledge was Gene heaving his cumbersome hulk onto the plank.

"Only dumbasses are stoopid enough to hold their own kid hostage." scowled Leroy "What kind of father does that make you?"

"It's your duty to look after him, not scare him witless." added Alex ganging up on the lawyer.

Robert didn't know who to listen to. His head jerked from one officer to the other, whipping the gun round."

Dempsey crept gingerly along the ledge while Gene wobbled his way along, both of them not daring to look at the swirling sea below.

Pipa, still straining against Maddy, watched on in utter amazement as Dempsey and Gene bravely negotiated the ledge towards her son, inch by unsteady inch.

Harry kept her eyes focused on Robert, she couldn't bear to watch Dempsey.

Dempsey told himself to keep looking ahead, 'easy does it, slowly does it, catch ya monkey'

Gene had his sights firmly set on the gun in Robert's hand. It was too dangerous for him to use his own, he could hit Matthew.

"Look at me brother.." demanded Leroy "I said look at me."

"Do as he says…" shouted Harry as both of them saw that Dempsey and Gene were making progress.

Robert suddenly noticed Gene was virtually on him "Back off!" he yelled turning his back slightly on Dempsey who had made it three quarters along the bar

"You stupid twat, what are going to do?" growled Gene "Where are you going to go? You're on a ruddy boat."

"What am I going to do? What am I going to do." He swallowed again as he looked down. Matthew wailed louder and wriggled hard in his last bid for freedom forcing Robert to lose his balance. Robert teetered precariously on the edge. He wobbled one way then the other, he couldn't use his arms to balance.

"Matthew!" screeched Pipa diving forward as Robert began to fall.

In the same split second Dempsey lunged to grab Matthew and Gene pounced on Robert. In slow motion gravity took over, the pistol was catapulted into the air as two bodies gracefully went over the edge and they were in free-fall, hurtling downwards. They couldn't hear any sound other than the breeze whistling in their ears., the smell of salty sea air hitting the back of their throats.

Dempsey clung on tightly to Matthew who clamped his arms around Dempsey's neck. The little boy shook uncontrollably, wracked with terrified sobs. Dempsey couldn't work out what percentage was Matthew quaking and what was his own body. His legs had turned to jelly and barely supported his weight. His muscles flexing and trembling welded his feet to the spot, he was paralysed with fear making his mind blurred, his head dizzy.

He held the boy close to his chest and rubbed his back to soothe him "Shhhh little fella, you're okay, we're okay, shhh, shhh." A wave of nausea swept through him and he inhaled deep breaths to counteract the sickness. His throat was dry, the blood pumped in his ears. He had to get down, he feared he was going to black out at any moment and his heroic rescue would have been in vain.

"Matthew, my baby." Pipa's voice snapped him back into reality. She couldn't quite reach them, but she stretched out none the less.

Shakily, Dempsey crouched down to a sitting position then lowered himself back onto the deck, all the time holding Matthew close to his body. He was relieved when he could hand Matthew over to his mother. Pipa gratefully took charge of him and proceeded to squeeze the breath out of his tiny lungs "Thank you, thank you so much James." Eyes shining with tears, she placed an arm around Dempsey's shoulder and pecked him on the cheek in gratitude "I can't thank you enough." Once she let go of him, Dempsey allowed his body to slump to the deck in ragdoll fashion, his heart still raced with adrenalin and his head span. He let his head flop back to rest on the barrier and shut his eyes. He didn't notice the panic which had enveloped the others.

"I can't see him! I can't see him he's gone!" It was Alex's turn to be panic stricken. "Gene!" see called out fruitlessly, it was unlikely he could hear her even if he was on he surface.

Alex, Leroy and Harry peered into the deep waters searching for a sign of Gene….and Robert. The two of them fell together into the swell, locked together.

"Oh my God, please Gene surface." prayed Alex. Gene must have heard her as two blonde heads emerged from the waves. Alex couldn't hide her relief at seeing her husband still alive and kicking.

Gene was not letting go of Robert. Robert thrashed around "I can't swim!" he exclaimed while spitting out sea water.

"Well stop struggling tosser" gruffed Gene.

Back in the car park, Pipa and Matthew had been whisked away, Gene was in the ambulance being checked over, Dempsey was leant over the bonnet of the Merc.

Dempsey rested his weight on his hands and bowed his head still recovering from the experience of nearly falling off a ferry with a three year old. It had rattled him in a way which he hadn't felt before. It was one thing to save his own skin, but that of a kid? The weight of responsibility had shaken him and he was struggling.

Harry was also struggling, as Leroy led Robert to the car, she needed to know what on earth it had all been about. She held her head high and walked over to him.

He looked dreadful; up close Harry could see the dark circles around his eyes, the gaunt, pale skin which made him look older. He paused, Harry seized her opportunity "Why Robert?" she asked simply.

Robert didn't understand himself; he couldn't give her a proper answer. He slowly shook his head "I still love you, you know, It's always been you…" He looked lost, distant, confused even. Harry sensed a man who was no-longer in control. "You picked a very strange way to show it." She searched his features, but quickly she had to accept he had no answer for her. "As the old hackneyed saying goes, if you love someone set them free." Harry glanced over her shoulder and then turned back to him and said "Sign the divorce papers."

Robert followed the direction of her sight path and saw Dempsey still propped on the bonnet of his car wrestling with his thoughts. Robert's hollow eyes drifted back to hers and he said with some sadness "Is that what you want…..him?"

Harry nodded "Yes"

Robert managed a ghost of a smile in resignation "So be it, you have my word."

"Thank you." She was genuinely grateful, they had come a long way to reach this point.

As Harry wandered back to Dempsey, she felt a weight had left her shoulders. She was sad, in a way that a chapter of her life was finally closed, but her heart was lifted that she could start a new one.

Dempsey said nothing as he righted himself to face her, he looked worn, tired, spent. All he wanted was a….. Harry read his mind and threw her arms around him and pulled him into a clinch. He responded by enveloping her and rested his head on her shoulder. They didn't care who was watching, some things were more important than keeping up appearances, some things were far more important than doing the job.

They we are a bumper chapter... Please R&R ;-)