The tension outside the bank was cooler. The SWAT mobile command centre had arrived and Hondo was inside. He had managed to open communications with the gang, and apart from the very strange request he had just received, it was a good sign. Snipers from 50David were now sat on the roof buildings surrounding them, there was a communication block in place and he was just putting the final touches to his entry plan in his head. He watched the clock count down in front of him, six minutes to go till he had to call back.

Hondo had high hopes for the negotiations, he had to. 20David and 50David were on scene waiting for his orders. They had been through the hostage files and following the gangs M.O. they knew one of the hostages would be leaving the building with them. He needed to secure their safe release before it came to that. Two files sat in front of him. The first one was Claire Reathon, twenty-eight. Her picture was clipped to the outside of the brown file. The other was an empty folder. None of them needed a folder for Chris, but her picture was clipped to the front the same as Claire's.

He was looking down at her picture when he felt someone at his shoulder.

'Is it bad I want him to chose Claire,' Hondo looked up from Chris's photo and turned to the voice he couldn't place. Erica continued: 'I know Chris will be able to look after herself better than this girl. But how can we,' she stopped talking finding it difficult to finish her sentence. She was resigned to the fact one of the girls would have to leave with the gang. That is how they kept getting away from them. They used the young woman's life as a bargaining chip, and it had been a very successful tool for them so far.

'They answered the phone. That's a good sign,' Hondo couldn't put his feelings into words. He knew his answer had come up short, 'I don't want it to be her either,' he admitted, but part of him had a gut feeing it would be Chris. It was the CCTV. As soon as he knew that this crew were the same gang that had done the four other jobs, he knew there would be a hostage and he needed to work out who it would be. He'd gone over the footage several times, but it didn't change the facts. These two were the only ones that fit into the profile of the other woman they had taken at the other robberies.

It was the way he searched Chris that gave him real cause for concern. He had searched the other woman quickly taking her phone from her and moving on in a couple of seconds. His stomach knotted, his mind could now replay the search by memory. He, like Deac, had thought that she had her gun with her. He was surprised when her search came up clean.

Hondo had requested the CCTV from the other robberies. He had watched through that footage as well when it was sent over. All the jobs went down the same, they entered, searched the hostages, and then smashed the cameras. Hondo had watched this guy search sixty-eight people with speed and diligence, every time he moved quickly onto the next person; and then there was Chris. Something made him give her special treatment, but he couldn't work out what it was.

All the girls had been recovered alive so far, but it was touch and go. Three of them were still in the hospital emotionally and physically scared. The men liked to play games, and always left them in a life threatening situation with a count down to their deaths. This was about more than stealing money for at least one of them.

Erica hadn't said another word and had left him to his own thoughts. A timer beeped. Two minutes to go until the call. Hondo collected himself. If he was right he was two minutes away from talking to Chris. He couldn't think what on earth Chris would need them to drop off for her, but these guys liked to play games so he had to be prepared for anything. As long as he got to hear her voice he would be able to judge the situation better.

The team had gravitated to him in the last minute and by the time he was dialling the number they were all stood around him silently. He hit call. Placing the phone on the table in front of him. He put it on loud speaker. He would never normally have put a hostage call on speaker, but with Chris on the other end of the line he wanted all the ears he could get, incase she could leave them a hidden message in her words.

The phone was answered immediately. Hondo waited for a hello. A second passed, and another and he was getting agitated to hear her voice.

'Hello,' he finally spoke first.

'Take the phone,' a male voice muttered aggressively.

'Chris,' Street's could be heard shouting in the back ground. A clanging noise indicated the phone had been dropped. The backs of Hondo's knees went funny. This was not meant to happen.

'Nobody move,' another voice could be heard in the distance. Some sounds followed, but without seeing what was going down Hondo couldn't work out what was going on. He just knew that it wasn't good. A door slammed and muffled shouting started, but it wasn't audible. Hondo hit the mute button.

'I need ears.' Someone behind him moved and Hondo continued to stare at the ongoing call screen, like it would help him work out what was happening inside the bank.

A large thud could be heard.

'Chris,' Street's shout came again, 'don't hurt her. Please don't hurt her.' There was notably no noises made by Chris.

'Sit down or I will shoot you,' there was a small pause, 'then I will shoot her.' Street must have complied because not another word was said. It was all quiet on the other end of the phone, and somehow that was even worse than the noise.

'What's going on?' a third unknown voice asked.

'Bitch, freaked out. Rod's got her. She won't be a problem anymore,' He sniggered.

'Fuck,' the phone was picked up and promptly cut off.

'Where are those ears?' Hondo turned to see the rest of the team looking fearful.

'Rocker,' Deacon answered Hondo's question.

'Why the hell didn't she speak to us?' Luca found his voice and stepped forwards watching the CCTV of the outside of the bank.

'She will have a reason. It's Chris,' Deacon's head was spinning. He had been sure that Street and Chris's reaction to the body search had been because Chris had her gun on her, but the guy had come up empty. His blood pressure had gone through the roof as he had to watched him feel Chris up. Now this. It just didn't sit right with him. Something wasn't adding up. He was sure Chris would have wanted to speak to them. Get them some kind of message. Let them know that she and Street were ok. So why refuse to take the phone. Something had to be wrong, and something certainly did go wrong with that call.

He had just been glad that Street was in there with her. Their relationship shouldn't have come as such a shock to them all. They were so close, but he had never seen a reason to question their friendship. After having a couple of minutes to get his head around it he was really happy for them, and couldn't wait to congratulate them. He could see why they had kept it a secret. They wouldn't be able to work with each other now.

The phone buzzed on the table in front of them. Someone inside the bank was calling them back.

'Silence,' Hondo ordered the room. 'Hello,' he answered the call.

Hondo hoped it would be Chris on the other end of the line.

'Do it,' the angry mutter insisted.

'I won't,' they all heard Chris's voice clearly. They breathed a little easier physically hearing her, but their relief didn't last long.

'I'll do it,' the mutterer warned Chris. Promising to carry out whatever punishment he had set out for her not complying.

'Kill me,' they all heard her say. Eyes went wide as the situation escalated. Hondo wished he had never picked up the phone.

'There's no need for that,' he spoke hoping to get their attention. 'I'm sure we can come to an understanding.'

'You might as well kill me. I won't read that for you,' her voice was loud, clear and determined. Damn Chris, Hondo thought as she ignored his attempts to deescalate the situation. There wasn't a hint of a wobble from the woman who had just told a known murderer to kill her.

The noise that followed would haunt them all. With a grunt from Rod a sickening crunch filled the air. Followed by the thud, they assumed it was Chris falling to the floor. She didn't cry out in pain.

'Don't. I'll do anything,' Street tried to intervene, but it was too late the blow had landed. 'Chris. Chris can you hear me?' Street's voice was all over the place. He was in panic mode and his team felt his pain.

'Turn that bloody thing off,' one of the guys spoke and the phone was hung up again.

Hondo made a hasty exit out for the mobile command centre, taking big strides towards the bank. The bank seemed too far away now as it took him a minute to arrive on the sidewalk in front of it.

'Where are my ears?' he shouted. He needed them now.

'Movement at the door,' a call came and Hondo turned his attention to the door swinging open at the front of the building. It was Street. Hondo went forward to meet him. He didn't want to process the information in front of him. Street looked uninjured.

'I need a first aid kit,' his shout was desperate.

'Get me a kit,' Hondo ordered, stopping to wait for it. A few seconds later a first aid kit was thrust into his hands and he jogged the rest of the way to Street.

'What's happened?'

'Chris,' was all he said as he turned to the bank to help her.

'Street,' Hondo stopped him. 'How bad?' Street couldn't find the words.

'She, she, she's bleeding,' Hondo could see the shock setting in. He knew she was bleeding. The blood was all over Streets hands. 'They won't let her go. I begged. She needs a hospital.'

With that he shook off Hondo's grip on him and made a dash for the door.

'Get ready for entry,' Hondo spoke into his radio.