The night passed slowly, they had put her into CAD to cover for Dean, he was leaving and they hadn't replaced him yet. It was looking like a uniform was going to have to cover when he did go, just as long as it wasn't her. Cienna had been with the MET for 10 years all that experience to answer the phone. Her last call had been a 999, someone reporting their dog as lost! Some people just don't think, she was pissed off so she told the caller to ring back on the non emergency number, the switchboard could transfer it to Marilyn so she could take the report. Cienna hated CAD, at least in custody there were real people. Smithy had come in a few times to speak to her but she wasn't in the mood to talk. The last time Smithy had come in she had just taken another 999 call this time from someone who just wanted to say how crap the police were and to be abusive. 'Idiot' she thought as she created a log on it, she now had to waste time creating a record so that if he called back enough times they could prosecute him for misusing the 999 system. It really pissed her off, she hated waste of time calls when someone who really needed help may be trying to get through! She'd taken it out on Smithy, she was starting to feel sorry for him, until she remembered who it was who wanted her confined.
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The ride home wasn't silent this morning, Smithy knew Cienna hated being stuck in the station but he'd suggested it anyway so she was going to take it out on him. They quieted down as they went inside, the neighbours generally didn't like being woken at at 6-30 am by a domestic. Any continuation of the argument once inside Cienna's flat was stopped short by the sight of another envelope sitting on the floor. Smithy scooped it up, Cienna hadn't even seen him put the gloves on. He pulled the pictures out again target marks were drawn around Smithy's head on the back was written 'He won't know what hit him.'
'They were taken 2 days ago,' Smithy said.
Cienna looked again and saw he was right, they'd known about the pictures but still hadn't seen the photographer taking them. Smithy walked over to Cienna and slipped his arms around her,
'l love you,' he wispered. RIght now Cienna was too tired to wonder if he meant it.
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Another night in CAD and Cienna was grouchy, she hated the night shift. She'd always had trouble sleeping during the day and these photos wern't helping. Dean was still off so she was working with Yvonne. Yvonne was always cheerful and tonight it made Cienna want to throw up. To make it worse Smithy was out of the station in Sierra 86 with Kerry, had he done that on purpose?
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Smithy was driving, he'd seen Kerry's driving and never let her drive if he could help it. Cienna's voice came over the radio.
'Any units, disterbance on the Coal Lane Estate.'
'We'll take that,' Smithy told Kerry as he turned on the sirens. Cienna gave Kerry the details and acknowledged that Tony and Gabriel in the area car were also responding.
Calls into CAD were coming thick and fast, Cienna wanted to be out there dealing with some of them not stuck inside having to answer the phone, when the shift ended she was going to have to shout at Smithy some more, it didn't change anything but made her feel better. She'd been so busy she hadn't realised that she hadn't heard from Smithy or Kerry in over half an hour. The area car had resumed 10 minutes ago so where was Smithy?
'Sierra Oscar to 54' she repeated twice but got no answer back.
'Sierra Oscar to 202,' after all they were working together.
'They're probably in a dead spot,' Yvonne said, 'you know what the Coal Lane is like.'
'Yeah,' Cienna replied as she tried them both again, what she was really thinking was they'd found a quiet spot for a quickie. Cienna felt bad for thinking it but she didn't trust Smithy or Kerry when they were together and Smithy had admitted that he and Kerry had used the back of a panda before....
Yvonne kept trying them when finally Kerry responded 'l haven't seen Smithy in about 5 minutes,' she said, 'he went after someone,' Kerry sounded breathless.
Cienna started to panic was Kerry covering what they'd been doing or was Smithy really in trouble, what if the photographer had got to him?