A/N Oh dear, another apology for slowness in updating. Real life has such an annoying habit of getting in the way …

-ooOoo-

Grace turned back to Neil as the door closed behind them with a clunk for the second time. She tried to catch his eye but his mind was already on his phone, appearing to read a message, an amusing one judging by his expression. Jake, she guessed. They seemed to have been trading text messages all day. At the beginning she found it endearing, the devotion they shared wouldn't fail to touch even the hardest of hearts, but slowly as the day wore on she became irritated, wishing he would pay a little more notice of the other players in his life. She wondered if this was what Suzie had to put up with every day, wondered if it was the hope of receiving the crumbs of his affection that had kept her close to him over the years. Perhaps that was the reason for Suzie's apparent defection to Tommy's side.

Standing, waiting for him to return to the small matter of an interview that had seemed to promise so much at the outset but yield nothing, it played on Grace's mind that maybe Hammond might have been persuaded to open up a little more, or at least could have been pushed harder. Instead, all that Neil seemed to do was give Hammond a sound warning to only talk to him. It nagged at her that perhaps Neil wanted to carefully filter anything that Hammond might have to say, that this abduction wasn't at the top of his priority list. The bad taste returned to her mouth and the need to talk it away, to be convinced otherwise, was overwhelming. But yet she waited, unable to bring herself to interrupt whatever it was that was so diverting. Behind him, Millie emerged from the observation room, furtively looking down the corridor towards them and briefly stared directly at Grace before she turned abruptly to dart away out of sight without so much as a flicker of acknowledgement. Grace frowned. During the course of the interview, she had become resigned to Millie's inevitable dissatisfaction and likely anger but somehow Millie's odd behaviour was even more disturbing.

As Grace stared down the corridor to where only Millie's echoing footsteps indicated that she had been there at all, Neil shoved the phone back into his pocket. He took a deep breath, his shoulders rising with the effort, once again gaining her full attention. "So, I guess we'd better catch up with Max. Figure out where we go from here."

Grace gave him a little grimace. "Max isn't going to be happy. And as for Millie-"

"We did the best we could," he interrupted, a little too briskly she thought uneasily. "Tell you what, Grace, you track them down and I'll join you in CID in a few minutes. I need to make a call."

-oo-

Tommy backed up to the door of the observation room and pushed it shut, sealing them from those with suspicious agendas and ulterior motives. The only light came from the room next door. Now no more than a dormant stage on which the latest act had come to a frustrating end.

"I take it that didn't go well?"

Max rubbed at his forehead. "You could say that. Hammond had nothing to say that helps us."

"Do you believe him?"

Max sighed in resignation. "As much as I'd like to think otherwise, yeah. Yeah, I do believe him."

"How did Millie take it?" Max stared back in silent reply. "That well, eh?" continued Tommy. "So," he went on, "the Russian is conscious. You want to head over to St Hugh's with me?"

"Fallen out with Suzie, have you?" answered Max with raised eyebrows, grateful for the slightest distraction that the Tommy-Suzie counter-romance gave him.

It was Tommy's turn to grimace. "Something like that." he muttered. "Not sure that I'm going to be able to stay civil with her at the moment."

"Because she kept quiet about what she knew about Hammond or because she didn't know enough?"

"Ah! I'm not sure," Tommy replied with unusual frankness. "Perhaps I've a little wounded pride."

"Well, either way, I need to stay here. So I suggest you pull it together enough to get something out of … what's his name?"

"Beloi. Petr Beloi."

"Beloi," Max mulled the name over for a few moments, hoping that it would mean something to him. But of course he was grasping at straws. "Do what you can, Tommy, although," he looked back to Hammond still in his chair with deepening pessimism, "I'm beginning to believe that no one is going to talk about Antonov."

"Because they're too scared?"

"Yeah, and because he's always a step ahead of us. Austin knew nothing, Barsukov's left the country and Hammond, well who knows what he's hiding."

Tommy took a step back to open the door. "Perhaps I should take Suzie to interview Beloi?"

"Why's that?"

"Well, she's the only person I think might be scarier than Antonov. No offence, Guv," Tommy finished kindly.

"None taken," Max smiled wryly as together they walked back out into the light of the corridor. "So, she's got you running scared then? Trust me, it's a slippery slope, a slippery slope ..."

-oo-

"Yes, Georgie. I can talk now."

"He's rung."

"Who?" Millie's heart beater faster, hoping he would be Antonov. Hoping that he wouldn't.

"Niko. Nikolai Antonov." Millie swallowed hard and rested a hand against the cold wall in an effort to stem the dizziness that suddenly threatened. "He wants to see me."

"What about Mum? Did he say anything about Mum?" Desperation filled her demand.

Georgie hesitated, fuelling her dread. "Yeah, he's got her. Said he was looking after her."

Like he looked after Carly? Millie wanted to ask, but she didn't dare. After the pointless interview with Hammond, this was all they had, the only way in was through Georgie and reference to his dead daughter was hardly likely to be useful. Instead, she kept it coolly business-like. After all, it was impossible to live with Max Carter and not pick up some of his traits. "Right. So … so what did he say?"

"I told you, he wants to see me."

"Where? When?"

"In the disused brewery, off Harpsden Road. Do you know it?"

Another derelict building. Another body? "Yeah. Yeah I know it. Why does he want to see you?"

"Says he wants to talk."

"About what?" Georgie hesitated again. "Okay, stay where you are. I'll get Max and-"

"No!" exclaimed Georgie violently. "No, you can't do that!"

"What-"

"No police. He said no police!"

"Georgie, you can't meet him on your own! He's … he's-" Millie floundered.

"I know what he's done. And I know it is my fault! I'm responsible for this, you said it yourself!" Georgie's voice cracked and Millie knew that tears would be falling onto his cheeks. "I've got to do this," he pleaded. "If there's any chance I can …" he trailed off and Millie knew exactly what he meant. "It's me he wants and I … without Carly …"

"I'm coming with you. I'll meet you there. Don't go in, you wait for me."

"No!"

"He's got Mum and I want her back," Millie spat out. "Why have you called me? What did you expect me to do? Let you go on your own so that you can get yourself and Mum killed as well?"

"I don't want you hurt, Millie. I'm … I'm sorry about what I said before, I didn't mean it. You know I didn't mean it."

"I know, I know," she tried to sound soothing, but a cold determination was talking hold once again. "Are you still at home?"

"No, I managed to get out while your mate was in the loo."

"Right," Millie inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders. "I'll meet you there in," she checked her watch, "fifteen minutes should do it."

"Millie, please, no," he begged forlornly.

"I'm not backing down, Georgie, this isn't just about you anymore."

Millie disconnected the call and thought on the dilemma for a moment. Of course she should tell Max. Of course it was suicidal to go after Georgie alone. And, her car was at home, which made things trickier, she couldn't exactly ask Max for his keys on the premise of nipping out for a magazine from the supermarket up the road. But if she did tell Max that Georgie was on his way to meet Antonov, he would insist on half the station, CO19 and quite possibly the dog unit being there as well. She slumped against the wall struggling against a crushing sense of despondency, but it lasted only a few moments before she pushed back with resurgent tenacity and propelled herself forward in the direction of Max's office. There were no other options on the table right now, she had no choice. There was no way she could take the risk that turning up mob-handed would force Antonov into harming her mother.

The corridors were eerily silent as she quickly made her way into the domain of CID and studiously avoided the glances of the few officers at their desks. She knew exactly where he kept his spare car keys, at the back of the second drawer down on the left hand side of his desk. Quietly Millie slipped into his office. The room was still bare except for the standard issue Met Police furniture, despite his occupation of it for a couple of years. Personal effects were kept to the minimum, no sign that he had any sort of life outside the station. It might have bugged her once upon a time, but she'd become accustomed to it over the years. It was just the way he was and she found it strangely endearing, even comforting that he so jealously guarded their private life. Rounding the desk, she reached into the back of the drawer, her fingers finding not only the keys but also brushing against a slim leather wallet. She pulled it out, recognising it as a gift from her mother the previous Christmas. Trembling slightly at the memory and in expectation of what she would find inside, Millie opened the wallet. A photograph of two people smiled back at her, a newly engaged couple, their joy evidence of such happiness just a few days before. It all seemed a lifetime ago, before mistrust and tragedy had entered their lives to test them to the limit. She snapped the wallet shut and replaced it reverentially in the drawer before her resolve weakened, clutching the keys tightly in her fist.

-oo-

Grace could have sworn that it was Millie's hair disappearing around the corner and out towards the yard as she made her way up the stairs but she carried on, reaching the top before Max called out to her.

"Grace? Have you seen Millie anywhere?"

"Er, I thought I saw her head that way," she gestured in the direction of the exit to the yard at the rear of the station. "Not sure though."

Max scowled, irritated by Grace's inability to give him the answer he wanted. Irritated that he'd lost sight of Millie and certain that she was in a fragile state of mind. And worried. Suddenly very worried. He turned on his heel and sprinted after her, snapping at loitering PCSOs and a recently returned team of air-conditioning engineers in his path. By the time he burst through the door at the top of the ramp, she was already speeding out of the yard in his car.