She's the One

Chapter 10

The minutes just ticked by for the rest of that day. One second it was twenty past twelve, the next it was half two, then ten to four, and then quarter to eleven. Everything was ready. All they needed now was for midnight to come, and for them to finally have this over with, and Gabriel put behind bars once and for all.

Kerry was waiting in the sergeant's office, waiting to be briefed by Adam Okaro and Gina Gold. The waiting was nerve-racking and highly annoying. She kept shaking nervously and she bit her fingernails to stubs. Kerry decided she couldn't sit there doing nothing, so she switched Smithy's computer on. What was the password? She tried football…no…lager…no…Kerry…yes! She was in!

Smithy's password was her own name? That was a strange thought. She clicked around, trying to find some clues into her sergeant's life. Kerry thought to try his email, but maybe she was being too nosy. She over-came it, and found his inbox. There were several unread messages. One was from someone with the name of Sadie Smith, his sister, perhaps? She decided to read the email.

Dale, I know you're not talking to me at the moment because of the thing that happened with Dad, but don't you think we need to get over it? He never wanted either of us to join the Army, or the police force for that matter. What I'm trying to say is, well, I never meant for you to get hurt. All I wanted was for Dad to accept who we are. Anyway, I'll be seeing you soon. I've just been transferred to a Canley station; I'm not sure which one yet. Talk to you soon, big brother, love Sadie x

So it was his sister. Maybe he had a picture of her in the picture files. Sure enough, she found a file named 'Sadie's 21st'. Kerry opened the file to find a picture of a young woman, a few years younger than herself, with long dark hair tied into a cute side pony tail. She had Smithy's entrancing eyes and his jawbones, but her smile was completely different. Kerry could tell that Smithy's sister was much louder in personality than her brother.

Kerry decided she had seen enough, so she closed down the windows and logged off the computer. Right on cue, Adam Okaro entered the room.

"Right, Kerry, time for your instructions," he began, taking a seat. Kerry listened attentively.

"We need you to meet Gabriel in half an hour, just where he said. We'll drop you off a mile from where you're supposed to be, and you'll be wearing a very well hidden wire. If you don't mind, you can out it under your leg, near your groin. It'll be uncomfortable, but it's the best place for it. Talk to Gabriel, try and get him to reveal where Dale is. If he does, we'll tell you to duck, and we'll send in SO19. Don't loose your temper, as you'll loose concentration as well. Don't attack him, only fight in self defence. If things get too out of hand we'll be in to help."

Kerry inclined her head in serious understanding. Just one thing was bothering her.

"Sir, what happens if Gabriel has a trap set? Say if I make a wrong move, and he sets off a device which could instantly kill Smithy?"

Adam flashed a warm smile.

"Don't worry, nothing like that is going to happen," he said reassuringly, "we're too far ahead of him."

"Thank you, sir."

"Okay, let's go and get you equipped."

Smithy had woken up once more. He felt extremely groggy; the drugs were killing him. He wondered if they were actually harming him, and not just sending him to sleep. Gabriel was no where in sight. He heard a familiar sound; the gentle ticking of what could be a clock. He noticed a slight beeping also; that could be a digital clock. He felt very tired and stiff, having not moved for two days.

His wrists were still tied tightly behind his back, but he noticed his feet were loose. He tried to get up, but the chair was too heavy; one leg was weighed down by chains. Smithy heard footsteps outside, and an ambulance siren. Would he ever get rescued?

Everything was in place. DCI Meadows, DI Manson and DS Nixon were in a car just behind a corner. They had radios on standby and the speaker on. They could see every move Kerry was making as she made her way to the Thames.

"Sierra Oscar 1 from 52; standby," Adam muttered into the radio, "Kerry's approaching destination."