Title: Who Knows what the hell to do?
Author: Lisa
Email: lisacheerio_85@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Yeah, uh, blah blah I don't own Stingers, etc. etc.
Note: Part 5 (I think the next one will be the last, but you know by now not to take my word for that!)
Mac left her crutches leaning against her desk.
"You don't want them?" She shook her head.
"Can't get around the same with them." Pete raised his eyebrows.
"You can without them?" She looked around, before trying it out. She managed to balance very quickly on the bad ankle, before moving to the other, shrugging.
"Not too bad." He managed a laugh and she looked up, grinning. "I need to get around Peter." He nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll take the van, eh? Fit all four of us in."
"Sure, but Oscar and Ange decided against it, didn't they? Garry and Paul right to stay?"
"Oh, okay. We'll take the sedan then. Mm, they're sorting out all those files for you now."
*
Mac and Pete pulled up amid the other police cars still parked around the factory. Paul Smith came out to greet them, Pete getting out and helping Mac out on her side first.
"Mate," he stated to Pete. "We haven't got much at the moment. The Medical Examiner took your friend an hour or so ago. Autopsy's in another one. Mac, you interested?" She looked over at Peter.
"We might come just for the start Paul. We don't want to stay."
"Yeah, no, course not. Um, come on, I'll show you around." Mac smiled.
"Oh look Paul I'm sure you've got other things to do. We'll be right."
"You sure?" His eyes flicked to Pete, who nodded.
"Don't worry mate, we'll be right."
"They're all leaving bout now, so you'll be by yourselves."
"It's okay," Pete maintained. Paul nodded, looking back at Mac.
"Take care then."
*
"Now see, this place has had fifty people trampling through it and it's still cleaner than that place over the road."
"Not quite over the road there-"
"Close enough." He looked around as they stood in the desk area. All the bullet holes were marked with coloured tape, numbered, measured. "So what do you want to do first?" She shrugged.
"Um, can you explain how they locked the doors down to me? I wasn't there-"
"On the fence, yeah?"
"Something like that." He nodded, gesturing towards the evidence still sitting on one of the desks, the two constables responsible for it only just starting to pack up.
"Long day?" One of them mentioned to Pete, not realising who he was.
"Yeah, seems it," he replied. "You mind if we take a look at this stuff?"
"Go ahead." Pete picked up the plastic bag with one of the clamps on it.
"Looks like a smaller, modified tyre clamp." He nodded.
"It is, pretty much, except it was wired with electricity." Mac picked up some of the pictures of the clamps still attached to the doors.
"This really was an inside job. When did they do this?"
"Honestly can't be sure Mac. Sometime after you left for HQ."
"They would have had to leave though at some point."
"Yep." Mac thought. "And even if one of our guys was responsible for planning it, he could have easily gotten a couple of mates to come in and shoot the place down."
*
"Oscar where are the phones?" Angie asked, striding quickly towards him.
"Uh..." He looked around, before pointing to Mac's desk. "Mac has one. Who are you calling?"
"Mac."
"Her mobile's off."
"Church?"
"Same. We're not supposed to use them."
"That's pathetic."
"Yeah, well, what did you remember?"
"How did you know I remembered something?" He shrugged, avoiding her eyes. Angie grimaced. "They used names."
"That just supports the theory of staff, no great revelation. Wait until they get back."
"Not our names, their names!" Oscar looked up.
"Their names?" Angie nodded.
"Yeah, I don't know if it were their real names but- And they did know us, at least one of them."
"Are you sure?"
"Does, 'You shot Danni you shits!' count?" Oscar smiled.
"Most definitely. But we can't contact them."
*
Pete led Mac into her office.
"Anything?" she looked around, before her eyes caught more papers strewn on the floors.
"Incompetent-" she started to exclaim, attempting to kneel down to retrieve them. Pete held her waist, kneeling down beside her as she balanced on one foot and one knee, sifting through the papers. "This is my file, Danni's-oh yes!" she whispered under her breath, grinning. "Minor staff."
"Do you think they copied anything?" She looked over at him, eyebrows raised.
"You mean did they stop at a Xerox on the way out?" She raised the pitch of her voice. "Ooh let's destroy the office, shoot a couple of people, and no, wait, don't go yet we have to wait for the photocopier to print a hundred." She sighed. "Really Peter!"
"It was just a thought."
"Yeah well maybe you'd be better of not thinking!" Pete didn't reply, looking away. "Sorry," Mac admitted finally, looking over at him. "I didn't mean that. It was a valid suggestion, it still could be-"
"It's okay," Pete replied. They watched each other before Mac broke away.
"Why didn't they pick up these papers along with the others?"
"Maybe they didn't want you to get them back? Police conspiracy? But there I go thinking again-"
"Then why didn't they destroy them?"
"Um..." He watched her. "At least your files are secured now?" he attempted. She laughed.
"Yeah, thanks." He shrugged. "I don't think we're going to find anything." She used the desk to push herself back up, pressing down on Pete's hand also, before hobbling to the police tape over the entrance to the small hall. Pete followed reluctantly.
He found Mac leaning against the hallway in between the bedroom and bathroom.
"This is so shit," she whispered. He nodded, hugging her tightly. "There's nothing!"
"There'll be something."
"You want to go see Danni now?" She looked up at him.
"Guess so," he answered, soft but tense. She reached up, letting her fingers run along his cheek.
"I'm so sorry." He shook his head.
"Thankyou though." They smiled at each other, before both looking down, depressed. Mac slipped her arm around his waist as he helped her back to the car.
*
"They said they'd be back by now," Angie maintained. Oscar sighed.
"Calm down, they'll be here soon."
"But what if-"
"They're in a secure police area."
"So were we last night!" Oscar put his head in his hands.
"For someone who was so grateful to see me again last night and who said some pretty deep stuff I don't understand why you're suddenly so against me."
"I'm not against you, and, and I didn't mean it."
"Oh, you didn't?" Paul and Garry just looked at each other, listening on.
"No, it was just like sister stuff, all right? I love you like a sister. That's all I meant!"
"You mean that's all you think I want you to mean."
"Just shut up," Angie mumbled, standing and walking away. Oscar looked over at Garry and Paul, whose eyebrows were raised.
"We have a slight thing," he mumbled, getting back to his paperwork. Paul and Garry both had the same thought:
If Oscar and Angie had a slight thing, and the boss and Church had a standard thing...Then there were only the two of them who weren't involved...
They both looked at each other at the same time, eyes wide with fright and repulsion, before looking away. Oscar looked up at the prolonged silence.
"What?" he asked. Paul shook his head as Garry started to laugh.
"Nothing mate, everything's good."
*
Mac folded her arms as the Medical Examiner explained the procedures to them, procedures they almost knew by heart, procedures they'd watched, seen, heard about. Inside Danni was lying on the table, sheet up to her neck.
"Would you like a moment before we begin?" Mac looked over at her, managing a small smile.
"Peter?" she asked, turning to him. He looked over at the two women, sighing.
"Yeah, okay, thanks." The examiner smiled.
"Not a problem. Just don't touch anything." Pete nodded, walking inside with the Medical Examiner as Mac turned from the observation window, not being able to handle going in there herself.
*
Pete was silent on the drive back, Mac not knowing what to do with herself. More than ever she was feeling like a burden. Someone he was forced to look after in one way or the other, and that wasn't the kind of person she'd always thought she was, dependent wasn't her style.
"Where's Ange?" she asked, hobbling along by herself – ignoring Pete's assurances that it was all right to hold onto him, she didn't feel like holding onto anybody, she'd held onto Pete long enough. Tears stung her eyes but she fought them back. The day wasn't over yet. Oscar shrugged meanwhile.
"I don't know. Stormed off in a huff."
"What did you do?" Pete asked, coming up beside Mac, wanting desperately to know why she was suddenly shrugging him off. Garry laughed, handing Mac some files.
"They had a slight thing." Mac smiled knowingly.
"Oh." Pete chuckled.
"Where'd she go Stone?" he asked. Oscar shrugged and so Pete went off to find her himself.
"What's this?" Mac asked Garry watching Pete leave.
"Uh, files and stuff."
"I noticed. Oh, hey can you reach into my bag for me." She turned to her side, arms still full of the files Garry had handed her. "There's a couple of folded up pieces of paper." He nodded, taking them out. "Stick the white ones on top of your pile-" He put them on top of the pile of papers in Mac's arms. "Not that pile!" she started, but when he went to take them back she stopped him. "No, no, it's all right. The other one there is my minor staff. Get looking."
"Yes boss," he replied as she turned and limped back to her desk.
"Mac!" she called back, taking a seat, grateful for the chance to get off her feet.
*
Pete found Angie sitting in an empty, deserted room, head in her hands.
"Ange, you awake?" he asked, walking over to her. She lifted her head. "Just, I see!"
"Mm, just thinking."
"Dreaming you mean." She narrowed her eyes, grinning.
"When did you get back?"
"About five minutes ago. Everything all right?" She sighed as he sat on the floor next to her.
"Yeah, fine."
"You know I don't believe you." He paused. "They're doing the autopsy now." Angie nodded.
"Were you there?"
"Yeah...for a bit. I didn't stay I mean, I couldn-"
"I know, hard for everyone."
"Oscar too. He found her." Angie looked up at him, tears on both their cheeks.
"Yeah, I know," she replied, sniffling. "It's stupid, I, oh I don't know!" Pete smiled, letting an arm rest around her shoulders. "So they're letting us go home?"
"For now, yes. But you don't have to, if you don't-"
"I'd rather be home than here."
"Yeah, but at least here you're not alone."
"Good point..." Angie drifted off, looking out into space as she leant into Pete. Mac came into their view soon enough, crutches digging under her arms.
"Everything all right?" Angie smirked.
"You guys are too similar." Mac looked at Pete, surprised.
"Us? Peter Church and me? Oh I don't think so...But, Oscar says you remembered something about names?"
"Yeah, uh, Mac one of the guys called out to someone else using 'blob.'" Mac's eyes widened.
"Blob was involved?" Angie shrugged.
"Possibly. That's what I heard." She looked up at Mac. "Hey do you mind if I go home for a bit, change clothes, clean up?" Mac shook her head.
"Of course not. They've got some new cars for us parked along outside you would've noticed." Angie nodded. "You can have any of them except for that metallic orange one."
"That's yours is it?" Mac smiled.
"Certainly is. And uh, Ange will you be coming back tonight?"
"Yeah, course I'll be back in an hour or so. Why?"
"Uh, well we've got extra personal security. Just until we've got a lead. We do now, thanks to you-" They smiled at each other. "But I don't want you going home by yourself just yet I don't think."
"So where's this extra security?" Pete asked. Mac sighed.
"They're running late. So Ange, take your pic. Pete, Stone, Garry or Paul. I would go with you but my ankle needs a break. I wouldn't be very much help if there were trouble." Angie sighed, resting her hand on Peter's knee.
"What do you say? You wanna come sit on my lounge chair while I have a shower?" He smiled.
"Always did me good to watch a woman shower." Angie laughed, helping him up.
"You're not watchin' mate!" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh no?" Angie walked out, passing Mac. However she blocked Pete's passage for a second, her hand resting on his chest. He put a hand to it, taking it in his and lowering it.
"Take the two of you for a drive, somewhere nice, I don't know. Just relax a bit, okay?" Pete nodded, brushing past her.
"Could say the same for you Mac."
*
As they left Mac raced as fast as she could back to Paul and Garry and Oscar.
"Oscar, get me everything you can on Blob."
"Blob?" he asked. Garry started laughing. Mac narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, Blob. It's an unusual nickname and that's the name Ange heard last night."
"On it. Do you know his real name?" Mac thought.
"No, I don't think I do actually...Everyone just called him Blob. Bernie even."
*
Pete looked up from the television as Angie came back from the bathroom wearing a skirt and shirt, her wet hair hanging around her shoulders loosely.
"So how's Mac handling everything?" she asked, moving to the kitchen to get them a drink each. "I've got coke or lemonade, you can't drink and I shouldn't." Pete laughed.
"Coke's fine. Why shouldn't you?"
"Driving, and it's a depressant."
"Good point there." She came back with the two soft drinks. "Isn't this stuff also?"
"I dunno. I just feel like bubbles." Pete opened his. "What are you watching?"
"The news."
"Anything good?"
"We're not on it if that's what you mean." She smirked.
"You're avoiding my question."
"Which one?"
"How's Mac?"
"Oh, she'll be right."
"Isn't that what everyone always thinks?"
"I hardly ever think that. I'm lying through my teeth."
"I noticed. So then..."
"Look the whole Danni thing, it's confusing her and both of us, she's got lots of pressure from up top at the moment and yeah well...What do you want to know again? You lost me."
"Amidst all this crap...Any sparks?"
"Mmm," he mumbled.
"Is that a good mm or a bad mmm?" Pete sighed.
"Well it was going great the other night until guns became involved."
"Ahh, were we already hiding in the cupboard?" she raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Or maybe not hiding?" He shot her a death stare.
"No, actually," he grinned to himself. "Bathroom floor."
"Oh Church!" They laughed.
"Look you and me eh?"
"Yeah I won't tell."
"It's just too complicated now."
"Do you want it to be more?"
"I dunno Ange. I just don't know."
"Yeah," she sighed. "You know what I think? I think you do."
"You know me too well." Angie turned to him.
"I never had a brother you know, but I've always had you."
"Still do, eh?" She nodded, fighting back tears as they hugged tightly.
*
"Blob's dead," Oscar stated. "At least, the original Blob is dead."
"What?" Mac exclaimed, looking up from her desk at Stone. He nodded.
"Two years ago. Heart attack."
"Who told me?"
"No one it seems."
"And we still employed him?" Oscar nodded.
"Yep."
"So who is it now?"
"I think it's Jeff."
"Who?"
"Do you remember Jeff?" Mac shook her head.
"Not really."
"Neither do I. Bernie fired him. You'd only been there for a couple of weeks, Angie had just arrived."
"Ah, okay. And so he looks like Blob?"
"Well see, that's the strange thing. How could no one ever notice the difference?"
"A mask?"
"That's what I'm thinking. Whatever it was, Jeffrey Hopkins has disappeared off the face of the earth, but Blob still reigns." Paul snickered.
"Right," Mac replied, smiling. "Um..." she spread her arms. "Find him?"
"Not that simple."
"Why not?"
"Blob's disappeared too. When HQ tried to contact him to explain what had happened, they couldn't find him anywhere."
"Who else couldn't they find?"
"That's it."
"Who else took it strangely?"
"Uh...They said Deb reacted awkwardly." Mac picked up her phone and called Angie's house.
"Hello?" Pete answered.
"Church, Ange there?"
"A-huh, nearly missed us. We're just going to pick everyone up some food."
"Sure, I'll pay you when you get back."
"Ta, I'll just get her." Moment of silence.
"Yeah Mac?"
"How's it going?"
"Good."
"Do you remember hearing any women's voices?"
"A woman? Um...possibly, yeah...I mean I just thought it was higher- pitched but it could be a deep woman's voice-"
"Anything they said?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "When they were searching the overnight room I was right underneath them. They were talking um, there were two of them I think."
"What did they say?"
"Didn't stay there long but I heard something like 'There's no one here,' or something like that. It sounded familiar. It could've been a woman, yeah. Who?"
"Okay thanks Angie. Look I'll see you back with some food then?"
"Yeah sure, talk soon."
*
Angie turned back to Pete.
"I think Mac's onto something." He nodded.
"We better get back then."
"You wanna stop by your place?"
"It's all right, I'll go home for the night a bit later on."
TBC...
Author: Lisa
Email: lisacheerio_85@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Yeah, uh, blah blah I don't own Stingers, etc. etc.
Note: Part 5 (I think the next one will be the last, but you know by now not to take my word for that!)
Mac left her crutches leaning against her desk.
"You don't want them?" She shook her head.
"Can't get around the same with them." Pete raised his eyebrows.
"You can without them?" She looked around, before trying it out. She managed to balance very quickly on the bad ankle, before moving to the other, shrugging.
"Not too bad." He managed a laugh and she looked up, grinning. "I need to get around Peter." He nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll take the van, eh? Fit all four of us in."
"Sure, but Oscar and Ange decided against it, didn't they? Garry and Paul right to stay?"
"Oh, okay. We'll take the sedan then. Mm, they're sorting out all those files for you now."
*
Mac and Pete pulled up amid the other police cars still parked around the factory. Paul Smith came out to greet them, Pete getting out and helping Mac out on her side first.
"Mate," he stated to Pete. "We haven't got much at the moment. The Medical Examiner took your friend an hour or so ago. Autopsy's in another one. Mac, you interested?" She looked over at Peter.
"We might come just for the start Paul. We don't want to stay."
"Yeah, no, course not. Um, come on, I'll show you around." Mac smiled.
"Oh look Paul I'm sure you've got other things to do. We'll be right."
"You sure?" His eyes flicked to Pete, who nodded.
"Don't worry mate, we'll be right."
"They're all leaving bout now, so you'll be by yourselves."
"It's okay," Pete maintained. Paul nodded, looking back at Mac.
"Take care then."
*
"Now see, this place has had fifty people trampling through it and it's still cleaner than that place over the road."
"Not quite over the road there-"
"Close enough." He looked around as they stood in the desk area. All the bullet holes were marked with coloured tape, numbered, measured. "So what do you want to do first?" She shrugged.
"Um, can you explain how they locked the doors down to me? I wasn't there-"
"On the fence, yeah?"
"Something like that." He nodded, gesturing towards the evidence still sitting on one of the desks, the two constables responsible for it only just starting to pack up.
"Long day?" One of them mentioned to Pete, not realising who he was.
"Yeah, seems it," he replied. "You mind if we take a look at this stuff?"
"Go ahead." Pete picked up the plastic bag with one of the clamps on it.
"Looks like a smaller, modified tyre clamp." He nodded.
"It is, pretty much, except it was wired with electricity." Mac picked up some of the pictures of the clamps still attached to the doors.
"This really was an inside job. When did they do this?"
"Honestly can't be sure Mac. Sometime after you left for HQ."
"They would have had to leave though at some point."
"Yep." Mac thought. "And even if one of our guys was responsible for planning it, he could have easily gotten a couple of mates to come in and shoot the place down."
*
"Oscar where are the phones?" Angie asked, striding quickly towards him.
"Uh..." He looked around, before pointing to Mac's desk. "Mac has one. Who are you calling?"
"Mac."
"Her mobile's off."
"Church?"
"Same. We're not supposed to use them."
"That's pathetic."
"Yeah, well, what did you remember?"
"How did you know I remembered something?" He shrugged, avoiding her eyes. Angie grimaced. "They used names."
"That just supports the theory of staff, no great revelation. Wait until they get back."
"Not our names, their names!" Oscar looked up.
"Their names?" Angie nodded.
"Yeah, I don't know if it were their real names but- And they did know us, at least one of them."
"Are you sure?"
"Does, 'You shot Danni you shits!' count?" Oscar smiled.
"Most definitely. But we can't contact them."
*
Pete led Mac into her office.
"Anything?" she looked around, before her eyes caught more papers strewn on the floors.
"Incompetent-" she started to exclaim, attempting to kneel down to retrieve them. Pete held her waist, kneeling down beside her as she balanced on one foot and one knee, sifting through the papers. "This is my file, Danni's-oh yes!" she whispered under her breath, grinning. "Minor staff."
"Do you think they copied anything?" She looked over at him, eyebrows raised.
"You mean did they stop at a Xerox on the way out?" She raised the pitch of her voice. "Ooh let's destroy the office, shoot a couple of people, and no, wait, don't go yet we have to wait for the photocopier to print a hundred." She sighed. "Really Peter!"
"It was just a thought."
"Yeah well maybe you'd be better of not thinking!" Pete didn't reply, looking away. "Sorry," Mac admitted finally, looking over at him. "I didn't mean that. It was a valid suggestion, it still could be-"
"It's okay," Pete replied. They watched each other before Mac broke away.
"Why didn't they pick up these papers along with the others?"
"Maybe they didn't want you to get them back? Police conspiracy? But there I go thinking again-"
"Then why didn't they destroy them?"
"Um..." He watched her. "At least your files are secured now?" he attempted. She laughed.
"Yeah, thanks." He shrugged. "I don't think we're going to find anything." She used the desk to push herself back up, pressing down on Pete's hand also, before hobbling to the police tape over the entrance to the small hall. Pete followed reluctantly.
He found Mac leaning against the hallway in between the bedroom and bathroom.
"This is so shit," she whispered. He nodded, hugging her tightly. "There's nothing!"
"There'll be something."
"You want to go see Danni now?" She looked up at him.
"Guess so," he answered, soft but tense. She reached up, letting her fingers run along his cheek.
"I'm so sorry." He shook his head.
"Thankyou though." They smiled at each other, before both looking down, depressed. Mac slipped her arm around his waist as he helped her back to the car.
*
"They said they'd be back by now," Angie maintained. Oscar sighed.
"Calm down, they'll be here soon."
"But what if-"
"They're in a secure police area."
"So were we last night!" Oscar put his head in his hands.
"For someone who was so grateful to see me again last night and who said some pretty deep stuff I don't understand why you're suddenly so against me."
"I'm not against you, and, and I didn't mean it."
"Oh, you didn't?" Paul and Garry just looked at each other, listening on.
"No, it was just like sister stuff, all right? I love you like a sister. That's all I meant!"
"You mean that's all you think I want you to mean."
"Just shut up," Angie mumbled, standing and walking away. Oscar looked over at Garry and Paul, whose eyebrows were raised.
"We have a slight thing," he mumbled, getting back to his paperwork. Paul and Garry both had the same thought:
If Oscar and Angie had a slight thing, and the boss and Church had a standard thing...Then there were only the two of them who weren't involved...
They both looked at each other at the same time, eyes wide with fright and repulsion, before looking away. Oscar looked up at the prolonged silence.
"What?" he asked. Paul shook his head as Garry started to laugh.
"Nothing mate, everything's good."
*
Mac folded her arms as the Medical Examiner explained the procedures to them, procedures they almost knew by heart, procedures they'd watched, seen, heard about. Inside Danni was lying on the table, sheet up to her neck.
"Would you like a moment before we begin?" Mac looked over at her, managing a small smile.
"Peter?" she asked, turning to him. He looked over at the two women, sighing.
"Yeah, okay, thanks." The examiner smiled.
"Not a problem. Just don't touch anything." Pete nodded, walking inside with the Medical Examiner as Mac turned from the observation window, not being able to handle going in there herself.
*
Pete was silent on the drive back, Mac not knowing what to do with herself. More than ever she was feeling like a burden. Someone he was forced to look after in one way or the other, and that wasn't the kind of person she'd always thought she was, dependent wasn't her style.
"Where's Ange?" she asked, hobbling along by herself – ignoring Pete's assurances that it was all right to hold onto him, she didn't feel like holding onto anybody, she'd held onto Pete long enough. Tears stung her eyes but she fought them back. The day wasn't over yet. Oscar shrugged meanwhile.
"I don't know. Stormed off in a huff."
"What did you do?" Pete asked, coming up beside Mac, wanting desperately to know why she was suddenly shrugging him off. Garry laughed, handing Mac some files.
"They had a slight thing." Mac smiled knowingly.
"Oh." Pete chuckled.
"Where'd she go Stone?" he asked. Oscar shrugged and so Pete went off to find her himself.
"What's this?" Mac asked Garry watching Pete leave.
"Uh, files and stuff."
"I noticed. Oh, hey can you reach into my bag for me." She turned to her side, arms still full of the files Garry had handed her. "There's a couple of folded up pieces of paper." He nodded, taking them out. "Stick the white ones on top of your pile-" He put them on top of the pile of papers in Mac's arms. "Not that pile!" she started, but when he went to take them back she stopped him. "No, no, it's all right. The other one there is my minor staff. Get looking."
"Yes boss," he replied as she turned and limped back to her desk.
"Mac!" she called back, taking a seat, grateful for the chance to get off her feet.
*
Pete found Angie sitting in an empty, deserted room, head in her hands.
"Ange, you awake?" he asked, walking over to her. She lifted her head. "Just, I see!"
"Mm, just thinking."
"Dreaming you mean." She narrowed her eyes, grinning.
"When did you get back?"
"About five minutes ago. Everything all right?" She sighed as he sat on the floor next to her.
"Yeah, fine."
"You know I don't believe you." He paused. "They're doing the autopsy now." Angie nodded.
"Were you there?"
"Yeah...for a bit. I didn't stay I mean, I couldn-"
"I know, hard for everyone."
"Oscar too. He found her." Angie looked up at him, tears on both their cheeks.
"Yeah, I know," she replied, sniffling. "It's stupid, I, oh I don't know!" Pete smiled, letting an arm rest around her shoulders. "So they're letting us go home?"
"For now, yes. But you don't have to, if you don't-"
"I'd rather be home than here."
"Yeah, but at least here you're not alone."
"Good point..." Angie drifted off, looking out into space as she leant into Pete. Mac came into their view soon enough, crutches digging under her arms.
"Everything all right?" Angie smirked.
"You guys are too similar." Mac looked at Pete, surprised.
"Us? Peter Church and me? Oh I don't think so...But, Oscar says you remembered something about names?"
"Yeah, uh, Mac one of the guys called out to someone else using 'blob.'" Mac's eyes widened.
"Blob was involved?" Angie shrugged.
"Possibly. That's what I heard." She looked up at Mac. "Hey do you mind if I go home for a bit, change clothes, clean up?" Mac shook her head.
"Of course not. They've got some new cars for us parked along outside you would've noticed." Angie nodded. "You can have any of them except for that metallic orange one."
"That's yours is it?" Mac smiled.
"Certainly is. And uh, Ange will you be coming back tonight?"
"Yeah, course I'll be back in an hour or so. Why?"
"Uh, well we've got extra personal security. Just until we've got a lead. We do now, thanks to you-" They smiled at each other. "But I don't want you going home by yourself just yet I don't think."
"So where's this extra security?" Pete asked. Mac sighed.
"They're running late. So Ange, take your pic. Pete, Stone, Garry or Paul. I would go with you but my ankle needs a break. I wouldn't be very much help if there were trouble." Angie sighed, resting her hand on Peter's knee.
"What do you say? You wanna come sit on my lounge chair while I have a shower?" He smiled.
"Always did me good to watch a woman shower." Angie laughed, helping him up.
"You're not watchin' mate!" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh no?" Angie walked out, passing Mac. However she blocked Pete's passage for a second, her hand resting on his chest. He put a hand to it, taking it in his and lowering it.
"Take the two of you for a drive, somewhere nice, I don't know. Just relax a bit, okay?" Pete nodded, brushing past her.
"Could say the same for you Mac."
*
As they left Mac raced as fast as she could back to Paul and Garry and Oscar.
"Oscar, get me everything you can on Blob."
"Blob?" he asked. Garry started laughing. Mac narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, Blob. It's an unusual nickname and that's the name Ange heard last night."
"On it. Do you know his real name?" Mac thought.
"No, I don't think I do actually...Everyone just called him Blob. Bernie even."
*
Pete looked up from the television as Angie came back from the bathroom wearing a skirt and shirt, her wet hair hanging around her shoulders loosely.
"So how's Mac handling everything?" she asked, moving to the kitchen to get them a drink each. "I've got coke or lemonade, you can't drink and I shouldn't." Pete laughed.
"Coke's fine. Why shouldn't you?"
"Driving, and it's a depressant."
"Good point there." She came back with the two soft drinks. "Isn't this stuff also?"
"I dunno. I just feel like bubbles." Pete opened his. "What are you watching?"
"The news."
"Anything good?"
"We're not on it if that's what you mean." She smirked.
"You're avoiding my question."
"Which one?"
"How's Mac?"
"Oh, she'll be right."
"Isn't that what everyone always thinks?"
"I hardly ever think that. I'm lying through my teeth."
"I noticed. So then..."
"Look the whole Danni thing, it's confusing her and both of us, she's got lots of pressure from up top at the moment and yeah well...What do you want to know again? You lost me."
"Amidst all this crap...Any sparks?"
"Mmm," he mumbled.
"Is that a good mm or a bad mmm?" Pete sighed.
"Well it was going great the other night until guns became involved."
"Ahh, were we already hiding in the cupboard?" she raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Or maybe not hiding?" He shot her a death stare.
"No, actually," he grinned to himself. "Bathroom floor."
"Oh Church!" They laughed.
"Look you and me eh?"
"Yeah I won't tell."
"It's just too complicated now."
"Do you want it to be more?"
"I dunno Ange. I just don't know."
"Yeah," she sighed. "You know what I think? I think you do."
"You know me too well." Angie turned to him.
"I never had a brother you know, but I've always had you."
"Still do, eh?" She nodded, fighting back tears as they hugged tightly.
*
"Blob's dead," Oscar stated. "At least, the original Blob is dead."
"What?" Mac exclaimed, looking up from her desk at Stone. He nodded.
"Two years ago. Heart attack."
"Who told me?"
"No one it seems."
"And we still employed him?" Oscar nodded.
"Yep."
"So who is it now?"
"I think it's Jeff."
"Who?"
"Do you remember Jeff?" Mac shook her head.
"Not really."
"Neither do I. Bernie fired him. You'd only been there for a couple of weeks, Angie had just arrived."
"Ah, okay. And so he looks like Blob?"
"Well see, that's the strange thing. How could no one ever notice the difference?"
"A mask?"
"That's what I'm thinking. Whatever it was, Jeffrey Hopkins has disappeared off the face of the earth, but Blob still reigns." Paul snickered.
"Right," Mac replied, smiling. "Um..." she spread her arms. "Find him?"
"Not that simple."
"Why not?"
"Blob's disappeared too. When HQ tried to contact him to explain what had happened, they couldn't find him anywhere."
"Who else couldn't they find?"
"That's it."
"Who else took it strangely?"
"Uh...They said Deb reacted awkwardly." Mac picked up her phone and called Angie's house.
"Hello?" Pete answered.
"Church, Ange there?"
"A-huh, nearly missed us. We're just going to pick everyone up some food."
"Sure, I'll pay you when you get back."
"Ta, I'll just get her." Moment of silence.
"Yeah Mac?"
"How's it going?"
"Good."
"Do you remember hearing any women's voices?"
"A woman? Um...possibly, yeah...I mean I just thought it was higher- pitched but it could be a deep woman's voice-"
"Anything they said?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "When they were searching the overnight room I was right underneath them. They were talking um, there were two of them I think."
"What did they say?"
"Didn't stay there long but I heard something like 'There's no one here,' or something like that. It sounded familiar. It could've been a woman, yeah. Who?"
"Okay thanks Angie. Look I'll see you back with some food then?"
"Yeah sure, talk soon."
*
Angie turned back to Pete.
"I think Mac's onto something." He nodded.
"We better get back then."
"You wanna stop by your place?"
"It's all right, I'll go home for the night a bit later on."
TBC...