When Harry came to all he could see was vague shapes in the darkness. He tried to remember what had happened and how he got here, not that he knew where here was. He tried to sit up but realised very quickly that his hands and feet were fastened tight. He remembered the gun fire and the agonising pain that had sliced through his head before darkness had come over everything. Then, with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach he remembered the last thing he saw before his eyes closed. Tom had been running towards him through the rain of bullets. He was now sick with worry as well as the pain in his head, and prayed to god that Tom was alright. Right now all he knew was that he himself was very definately not alright. For a start, he didn't know where he was or how the hell he got there. His thoughts whirled as he tried to loosen the restraints that were cuttung into his wrists, but to avail. After a few minutes of futile struggling a noise alerted him to another presence in the room.
"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" he called to the figure obscured by the shadows.
"A little bit of revenge" Raymond Crane said as he stepped out of the shadows. "I'm going to take a little something from you and your friends until I've got back some of what you took from me".
"Where's Tom? What did you do to him?"
"Officer Hanson? Don't worry, you'll see him and the rest of your buddies soon enough."
"You don't stand a chance Crane. They'll be out looking for me already."
"I'm counting on it." he said flashing Harry an eerie and sadistic smile. "Before I'm done you'll be wishing that bullet had finished you off."
"Every cop in the city will be looking for you. How do you think you're gonna get away with this?"
"Let me worry about that Officer Ioki, or would that be Officer Van Tran?" he gave a sly smile when he saw Harry's dark eyes grow three sizes wider. "Oh I know all about you my friend. Maybe you should write and let Granny know you're going to be a little late." he said as he walked towards the door at the end of the dark room.
"You stay the hell away from her" Harry yelled as an irrational fear took hold of him.
"I'll have to let you know about that one. See you soon." he shot back as he locked and bolted the door leaving Harry alone in the darkness.
"This is bullshit!" Tom said as he raked his hands through his thick unruly dark hair in frustration. "We're getting nowhere! Slowly!"
"Calm down Hanson! You heard Fuller, every unit in the city is out there looking for him."
"Patrol?" Tom laughed bitterly."When were they ever any use. Damn it Doug, we can't even run checks on buildings without waitng hours for clearence"
"Red tape, man. Perk of the job" Doug said with a wry smile
"Why are we bothering with this shit!"Tom yelled
"Hey!"Doug said trying to calm him."It beats sitting around waiting for news"
"Yeah, or listening to Fullers lectures".
"I didn't tell him Tom."
"I know, it's OK" Tom said giving Doug a wan smile.
"Something's been bothering me though" Doug said. "Why would Crane just go after Harry? We all helped put him away."
"Maybe he's not just after Harry"
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. Crane's not stupid. He knows we're gonna be looking for Harry."
"You think he's planning something? Like what?"
"I don't know. That's what we've gotta figure out. Say he's not just after Iok. Why would he grab Harry, have his goons shoot at me and a bunch of kids and run? One of those kids was his own nephew"
"Trying to send us a message?"Doug sugested
Tom let out a heavy sigh, still tugging at his thick mess of hair.
"Look we need to move fast or Harry's going to be in serious trouble"
"So what do you suggest?"
"I think we need to get a little help from an old friend" Tom said, a sly smile playing on his lips as an idea began to form.
"Dennis, phone!" came a shout from the next room.
Dennis Booker sat at his desk, his head resting on his arms, bored to tears.
"No more missing animals Elaine, I mean it".
"He says his name's Tommy Hamburger. Mean anything?"
"Tommy Hamburger?" He puzzled this over for a few moments. The name sounded familiar. Then it hit him and he snatched up the reciever, a grin spreading over his face.
"Hanson?"
"Hey Dennis. How's business?" Tom's voice came from the other end.
"Slow."
"Good, cos we need your help."
"You heard about Crane then? You on the case?"
"Kind of" Tom said evasively
"Meaning not really I take it then Tommy?"
"Look Booker, the cop he grabbed, it was Harry!"
"What do you need?"
"Anything you have on Crane. Family, friends, aquantences, anyone he's ever come into contact with. We also need records of anywhere he may still own or have access to. We need some kind of lead on where he might be. We've just been hitting dead ends and red tape."
"Sure. You know you could get all this through official chanels Tommy".
"I don't want to go through official channels. Too slow".
"Fuller warned you off!"
"Not exactly. So you going to help us out or not?"
"Yeah, i'll get you anything you need. Not like I have anything else to do".
"Thanks man! See you at Dougs in a couple of hours?"
"Jesus, Hanson, you're not giving me much time."
"Yeah well, time's somthing Harry may not have the luxury of wasting."
"Ok, i'll see you in a couple of hours. Good to hear your voice Tommy."
Please don't say it, Tom thought, dreading the "how are you doing really Hanson" question. Instead Dennis simply said goodbye and hung up the phone. Tom smiled to himself, good old Dennis, self -absorbed to the last, god bless him.
"So is he in?" Doug asked
"Yeah he's in. Come on before Fuller realises we're back"
"We gonna bring Judy in on this?"
"Detective Hoffs? No way, man. Much as love Judy, she'd tell Fuller as soon as she knew what was going on".
"Good point!"
"What good is this going to do you Crane?" Harry asked "You're going back to jail. This is going to add years to your sentence. Escaping police custody, double homicide , kidnapping a cop, not to mention open fire on civilians. Not going to look to good is it?"
"Doesn't matter, they won't find me and by the time they find you I'll be long gone."
"Turn yourself in man, they might go easy on you, spend a couple of nights in solitary."
"I'm not going back! I've got nothing to lose cos you and your little friends took everything I had."
"What?" Harry said in disbelief. "You want pity! Well you've got the wrong guy man, or did you forget you tried to have me killed. Not only that but you framed one of my closest friends for murder. He spent months in jail and I spent months in a coma. I'm a bit short on pity!"
"Oh yes, your buddy Hanson! Don't worry, you'll be reunited soon."
Harry glared at Crane, his dark eyes boring a hole in Crane's forehead.
"Now what you're going to do is call your little family at your cosy chapel and get them down here so we can have a happy reunion." Crane said signaling to the same five men he had had bust him out, all still carrying thier guns.
"You think I'm stupid? I'm not getting my partners down here for you!"
"You must be stupid. Either that or you want to die" Crane said as five guns were pointed at Harry.
"You wont shoot me. You'll never get them down here without me!"
Crane walked over to where he had handcuffed Ioki to a pipe. Carrying a phone in one hand and a handgun in the other he said "Call them. Now!"
He cocked the gun and held it against Harry's temple and handed him the phone.
"Now call Jump Street Chapel and tell them I want to speak to your Officer Hanson."
"This is Judy" came Hoffs voice as she picked up the ringing phone on her desk.
Harry choked back a flood of emotion at the sound of his partners voice. Keeping his voice steady and almost cold he said in his most professional tone "This is Officer Ioki, could I speak with Officer Hanson?"
"Harry!" Judy screamed. At hearing this, Tom and Doug, who were making their way towards the door spun round and darted over to Judy's desk.
"Harry are you alright? Where are you?"
"I'm ok. If he's not busy please put Hanson on".
"Harry?" Judy said, distraught once again at her partners distant behaviour.
"Please!" he said, the slightest trace of desperation in his voice.
"What's wrong Jude?" came Hansons soft voice from over her shoulder.
"It's Harry. He wants to talk to you" she said somewhat dejected as she handed him the reciever.
"Harry? It's Tom, man, where are you?"
"Hello Tom", came Crane's voice.
"I want talk to Ioki right now!" Tom said, seething anger held just below the surface, eyes blazing. Judy had called Fuller in by this time, and he, Judy, Doug and Blowfish all stood round, questioning eyes all focused on Hanson.
"You're in no position to be making demands here Officer Hanson! Listen carefully"
There was some kind of noise in the background and Tom was straining to make out what Crane was saying while trying to identify what the noise could be.
"I want you and Officer Penhall to come down to the Harely Davidson garage on 5th" Crane continued, "I want you to arrange for access to my bank accounts and a car to the airport. Once I'm on the plane I have my men release your zip head friend."
"That's it? You want to flee the country" Tom said almost laughing. "The authorities will be over you like a swarm of locusts. But hey, if that's what you want just tell me when."
"Tomorrow, 10pm. Oh, and Hanson, if I am followed or I get even a whiff anyone but you and Penhall your friend is dead" he said before breaking the connection.
"You get all that Captain?" Tom asked as he replaced the reciever.
"I think we got enough!"
"Can we get a trace?" Doug asked
"Well, lets see what we can do" Fuller said as he headed back to his office to call it in.
"Is Harry gonna be OK?" Sal asked, eyes fixed on Tom and Doug.
"He is if we have any say in it Sal" Hanson answered. "Don't worry Jude" he continued turning to Hoffs, and looking into her huge dark eyes and remembering how those eyes had looked at him not so long ago. "Harry can handle himself, you know that right?"
"Just get him back safe Hanson All three of you!" she said shifting her gaze from Tom to Doug.
That's all for now folks. I'll update as soon as I can :0)
