I would love to hear from anyone who is reading my story. I don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive.

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Chapter 52

As Alex moved to the edge of the bed she grasped Duncan's arm, he looked over his shoulder "Alex no"

"Duncan, it's me he wants. Isn't it?" she said as she moved slowly keeping eye contact with Thomas "You don't really want to hurt them Thomas. It's not your style" As she spoke her hand ran along the bed her fingers moving the pillow until her fingers found the cold metal of the gun she had taken from Thomas. Alex slowly lowered herself to the floor as she tucked the gun into the waistband of her trouser. Thomas laughed as he watched her struggle to stand and move Duncan's arm to one side. "How touching" Thomas said as he wiped an invisible tear from his eye. "You nearly had me convinced that you have a heart but you forget I know what you are. You can tell as many of your stories as you want but you really should stick to the truth". As Alex went to move past Duncan he stepped forward barring her path "I can't let you do this". Alex smiled up at him but before she could speak someone entering the basement room took attention her.

Lazarski flicked the windscreen wipers on and off as the rain wasn't quite enough to keep them on and he couldn't see if he left them off. This was not improving his mood as drove towards the airfield. As he drove up the perimeter road towards the group of hangers, he could see one of his men was waiting to greet him by the partially opened door. "Good morning Mr. Lazarski. The goods are on board but the hold has been left open for you to inspect them" Lazarski didn't answer as he got out of the car pulling the collar of his coat around his neck before opening the trunk and lifted out two black leather bags. He then threw the car keys to his man "Get that back to the hire company I wouldn't be needing it any more" Lazarski then walked into the hanger, a gleaming white Gulfstream G550 sat in the middle. He smiled to himself as he climbed on board. It was his pride and joy it had been all over the world with him and he had enjoyed the fact that others had paid for it. Opening one of the lockers he stowed his bags before wandering to the galley. He poured a whisky from the crystal decanter and sat down in one of the large pale leather seats.

After draining his glass he climbed down the steps and wandered round to the cargo hold. Inside he found two small wooden crates, the lids were loose on the top so he lifted the first lid and moved aside the packing material. Carefully he lifted out a small wooden square box Lazarski placed it careful on top of the other crate as he pulled back the latch. Nestled inside tightly packed in foam was a glass vial. The sight of the a pale green liquid inside made Lazarski smile "Liquid gold" he said out loud before closing the box and returning it to the crate.

"Ray?" Alex exclaimed unsure of whose side he was on but as he entered the room she saw the gun levelled at Thomas "You really want the truth? Do you think you can handle it?" Thomas was startled by Ray's entrance and he backed away against the wall pulling Joe with him the gun pressed into Joe's back "What are you doing here?" Thomas asked as his eyes flashed between Duncan and Alex and Ray. "I want to stop you making the biggest mistake of your life"

"This isn't a mistake, this is justice" Thomas spat back. Ray turned to Alex "Tell him truth. All of it" Alex swallowed hard "He doesn't need to know"

"Oh I think he does" Ray said as he smiled at her to give her encouragement.

"Ok but it won't do any good." She said as she looked over at Ray "The day Christina was killed I left Ray at the warehouse I followed the technical guys back to Headquarters they had all the equipment Christina had been using. She always recorded everything; she was always very particular in things like that. Before the technical guys could sort through the gear I managed to get into their workshop. I didn't have much time all I got was the videotape but I wanted whoever pulled the trigger as well as Maxwell. I'd take anything I could get. I went into stores picked up my gear and took off. First I went home made some calls one of them gave me the lead, I had to move fast or the trail to would go cold. I'd threw down everything I wouldn't need before I headed out, the videotape among it I thought I'd come back for it later if the leads dried up. I hardly ate or slept for weeks as I trail from one source to another some easily gave me the information I wanted, others I had to persuade a little." Alex's eyes looked around she found it hard to look anyone in the eyes "I'm not proud of what I did, I've had to live with it but all I wanted was revenge, I was consumed by it I wanted some one to pay for what happened to Christina." Alex looked over to Duncan she was ashamed of the memories and she searched his face to see if she could see how he felt about what she said, but his face was impassive. "Alex go on" Ray remarked to give her encouragement.

"It took me nearly five weeks before I got the name of the man who killed her, his name was Walker. It didn't take me long to find his home but when I called he wasn't there only his teenage son was home. At first he tried to protect his father, telling me that he'd moved out months ago but I finally got him to tell me where he was." The image of the fear in the child's eyes and his tear stained face flashed before her eyes she had never forgot it and it had haunted her in her nightmares ever since "I made a son give up his father" Alex shook her head as she fought with her emotions she hadn't hurt the boy but she had scared the hell out of him. "Walker was at his country house I watched the house for a while until I was sure he was alone. He must have thought he was safe there; he didn't have any of his men with him so it was easy for me to get inside. I surprised him as he came out of the bathroom it took a few seconds but he recognised me."

Alex stood on the deep pile red carpet her gun in her hand by her side as she looked at the man in front of her. He was in his early fifties with thinning brown hair, there was a large white towel around his waist only just managing to go around his pot-belly "So you found me, your good" he said as he crossed over to the bed picking up the white robe that was laid on the bed "Stay where you are" Alex said lifting her arm and pointing the gun at him as he slipped on the robe "What can I do for you?" He said as he tied the belt of the robe around him "I want Maxwell and the bastard who killed my partner".

"You have no idea do you?" Walker said smirking "what are you talking about?" his attitude too Alex by surprise. Walker sat down on the end of the very large bed "You've really good at making yourself a pain in the ass. You know it was supposed to be you. Maxwell put big money out to get you off his back." Alex's mind raced as she tried to process what she was hearing "but I hadn't planned to be there that night, so why would they think she was me?" Alex asked as she moved to one side but keeping Walker in her sights. "We didn't know you were going to be there it wasn't until I did a sweep of the area"

"A sweep of the area?" Alex was finding it difficult to understand. She hated the way her question made Walker smile "One of yours planted a little something that was supposed to tip us off you were around"

"No you're lying" Alex said through gritted teeth as she stepped towards Walker flicking the safety off. Walker laughed at her reaction "You must have really pissed off one of your own badly, he didn't want anything, he just wanted you out of the way". Alex paced the room she couldn't think; this had been the last thing that she imagined she would have found. Christina died because one of her own hated her so much to betray everything criminal intelligence stood for. Walker knew that she was now off emotionally off balance by the news, so he slowly got to his feet watching as Alex paced the floor trying to sort everything in her head. He inched his way towards his jacket that was laid over the chair by the bed. Just visible under the black jacket was the brown leather of his gun holster, his eyes flicked between the jacket and Alex. Just as his fingers touched the worn leather Alex whirled around "DON'T. Get back over there" Alex said as she moved towards him her mind focused back on why she was there. "Good try, but you're not going to throw me off with your little story. I want Maxwell now where is he?" Alex said as she moved closer to Walker "Do I look stupid to you, he'll have me killed if I tell you" Walker laughed.

Alex walked up beside him her face devoid of emotion "There is a chance he might if he finds out it was you but it's nearly a certainty that I will kill you if you don't" Alex said as she placed the gun at Walker's temple as her finger tightened around the trigger the image of Walker's son's tear stain face flashed into her mind. Alex moved the gun in one smooth movement to his right knee and pulled the trigger. Walker collapsed screaming on the floor, blood splattered over the white bedspread as he fell. Alex leaned over Walker as he writhed in agony trying to stop the blood with his hands "Now you have a choice you can tell me where Maxwell is and I call an ambulance or you can bleed to death right here."

"YOU BITCH" Walker shouted as he managed to move so he was sitting with his back against the bed. "It's more of choice than you gave my partner. NOW WHERE IS HE?" Alex said as she pointed the gun at Walker's other knee. One look into her eyes told Walker all he needed to know she would do it. "Ok.ok.he's got a boat it's berthed in on the coast some where"

"WHERE?" Alex shouted as she glared down at him.

Alex looked around at the faces in the room she felt the hate from Thomas, as his eyes seemed to burn into her, she then continued. "I found Maxwell sleeping on his yacht in Southampton, his bodyguard was sleeping on deck, he didn't hear me coming at all. I went below I checked every cabin. My partner was lying in the ground while he was surrounded by luxury. I found him in the master bedroom, sleeping like a baby. I stood over him I lost track of time, my gun inches from his head. He must have felt my presence as he finally opened his eye. He started crying like a baby he begged me for his life but all I could see was Christina's body on the floor of that warehouse. I pulled the trigger I don't remember the sound of the gun firing. The journey back to London passed in a blur. All the way Walkers words echoed around my head I couldn't shake it I think it was the only thing that kept me awake. I still didn't want to believe it; I needed to know if he was telling the truth so I went to my apartment I could hardly get the key in the lock my hands were shaking so badly. When I got inside I rested my head back against the door, as the adrenalin started to fade all the things I had done became all too real to me. I'd done many things that I'm not proud of but I'd never killed in cold blood. I slid down the door and I cried like I have never done before." Alex started to sway, as she was still weak Duncan moved towards her taking hold of her arm helping her towards the bed. Alex couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Thanks" Alex said as she settled herself so the bed supported her to her surprise Duncan didn't leave her side. She took a deep breath before she continued "I must have slept there for what must have been 3 hours before my nightmares woke me up they were filled with Walker laughing at me as he told me why Christina died. Then I remembered the videotape I knew it would tell me what I needed, I found it where I'd dropped it the day she died."

"This is very touching but I'm not impressed by your story" Thomas glared at her as he moved Joe over towards the door with the pressure of the gun in his back. "Thomas stay where you are. You're going to hear this whether you want to or not," Ray said as he blocked Thomas's path. He then looked over to Alex "Tell him all of it"

"I was right she had been really careful the tape recorded from the moment she set up, the empty warehouse where the only sound was her ranting about our argument, then she went quite as the warehouse started to come alive. There must have been half a dozen men but they just sat around, which was very strange there was nothing much other than idle chatter then Walker arrived still no one moves. He takes out a briefcase and out of it he took a small black box. He seems to be sweeping the area my heart was in my mouth as I watched just hoping that he wasn't doing what I thought he was. Then Walker stopped and looked straight into the lens of the camera and I knew that what he told me about the location device was true. Christina didn't realise that she had been made, otherwise she would've run but she just sat there. As it sank in I threw up lucky for me I was by the waste bin, I couldn't seem to stop. I'd left the tape running when I couldn't be sick anymore I collapsed back against the couch. It was then I noticed that they were dragging Christina into the middle of the warehouse floor. They forced her onto her knees in front of Walker, he lifted her head he said 'It's not her'.