"Mark," Cheryl sighed. "I know you are worried about Steve and Jesse but Steve knows what he's doing. He would have contacted us if anything was going wrong."

"But what if he was unable to?" insisted Mark, looking impatiently at his watch. Cheryl had been tied up with other business and it had been a while before Mark and Amanda had got to talk to her. Now she didn't seem to be taking the situation seriously.

"Look at the photos!" Amanda exclaimed. "Steve would never allow that to happen to Jesse."

"If he doesn't ring tonight for his update call then I'll worry," Cheryl said. "There's probably a simple explanation."

"What time does he usually ring?" Mark demanded.

Cheryl shrugged. "Well, any time in the afternoon or evening. We don't have a set time because it depends when he can get a moment to call."

Mark paced up and down the office in the police station where they were talking. "Cheryl, there's something wrong. I've got a hunch, an instinct. You've known me long enough, trust me on this."

Cheryl pulled a face. "There's not a lot I can do. I'm not rushing in there and risking ruining the operation. But I tell you what," she continued hastily, seeing Mark and Amanda both about to jump in, "I'll ring his cell phone. Even if he doesn't answer, which is likely," she warned, "he'll know I've tried to contact him."

"Will you do it now?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," Cheryl said, dialling the number from the phone on the desk. She pressed the speaker phone button so they could all listen in. It rang twice, then was answered.

"Lieutenant Steve Sloan's phone," an unfamiliar voice announced.

The three in the office exchanged uncertain glances. "Uh, is Steve there?" Cheryl queried.

"Nope," the voice replied. "He's dead." And the line cut out.

There was silence in the little office as no one could think of a word to say.

X X X

"He might be bluffing," Cheryl said eventually, breaking the silence. "But… I'm sending everyone I can to the warehouse. It's time we went in." She hesitated, as if wanting to say some words of reassurance, but none came easily to mind, and she went out to organise the raid.

Amanda turned to look at Mark, whose face was ashen. "Sit down," she said gently, leading the older doctor to a chair and pushing him onto it.

"I knew something was wrong, I should have insisted harder, and sooner!" he said with anguish.

Amanda put an arm around his shoulders, aware that she herself was shaking.

"He can't be…" Mark tailed off, unable to say the word. "But they know exactly who he is! They know he's a police officer. If they know that, he must be in trouble."

Amanda had been thinking the same thing, but aloud she said, "He's got good instincts, like you. Steve can look after himself."

"I'd like to think so," Mark said in a hollow voice. "But he's not invulnerable."

"Let's go home," Amanda suggested. "I'll drive you."

"I can't just sit at home waiting for news!" Mark proclaimed, standing up quickly. "I've got to go to the warehouse and see what's happening."

"Mark, are you sure that's a good idea?" Amanda said, putting out an arm to stop Mark rushing off. He was about to reply when a sound made them stop. They looked around.

"It's Cheryl's cell phone," Mark said. "She's left it on the desk."

"Answer it," Amanda said, so Mark did so.

"Cheryl's phone, Mark speaking," he said.

"Dad?" said a puzzled voice on the other end.

"Steve?" cried Mark incredulously.

"Dad, I need to talk to Cheryl," Steve started, unaware of the feelings of joy and relief that were running through his father.

"You're alive?" Mark blurted. "I mean, are you safe? What about Jesse?"

"We're both fine," Steve said, realising that his father must have been worrying about him. "Just a little bruised. And wet." Mark heard Jesse mutter something in the background and both he and Steve chuckled.

Mark sank back into a chair, grinning up at Amanda with unashamed delight. "They're both okay!" he whispered.

"We need to organise a raid on the warehouse," Steve was saying, obviously impatient to get his message over. "They are clearing out, they discovered who I was."

"Cheryl's already on the way there," Mark told him.

"What!" Steve exclaimed. "Tell her to stop! We've got to get the timing right so that we strike when Terrell Clark is there. He's the main mastermind of the whole thing."

"I'll go and find her right now," Mark promised, handing the phone to Amanda and running out of the door in search of Cheryl. Further conversation could wait now he knew his son was safe.

Amanda put the phone to her ear. "Where are you?" she asked.

"On our way back to the city. We should be there in about an hour. Get some surveillance on the warehouse and call me back if they see Terrell Clark there." Steve gave Amanda a description of Terrell and the other men involved, then hung up.

Amanda put the phone back on the desk, then allowed herself to do a little dance of happiness and relief, stopping quickly as she realised she could be seen through the window. She went out in search of Mark.