In honour of 'Happy Thursdays'. Still hoping they will return some day,… soon.
Thank you, MiniMetro, for your quick feedback and your encouragements.
Did Dempsey survive or not? Read on if you want to find out!
(Note: Thank you for the kind reviews, they're much appreciated.)
Chapter 19 : Bullseye!
Sitting on her knees, Harry turned her partner onto his back. His eyes were closed. No sign of life. "Please, don't die. I need you." Her revelation was sincere, as was her fear that she'd lost him. Just a few seconds,... two shots. That's all it took. No, this couldn't be true! He promised… She quickly checked his vitals. Thank God, he was still breathing! And she could feel a pulse. "He's alive! We need an ambulance here! Quickly!" she shouted out.
Since she saw Chas respond to the call, she returned her attention to her partner. She searched his body where he was hit, meanwhile cursing him. "You bloody, bloody fool, what have you done? Why, for once in your life, couldn't you just do as told, and stay away from here? " Due to the moistness in her eyes, she didn't notice he stirred.
"Isn't this the part where you're supposed to gimme the kiss o' life?" she heard a familiar voice asking, a pair of hazel eyes looking up at her.
Harry froze. She stared at him, open-mouthed. "You bastard, you made me believe you were dead! I thought they shot you?"
"They did." His face contorted with pain as he tried to sit up. Automatically, she helped him.
"But how come…?" No blood stains could be seen on his dark-coloured shirt. Her fingers slid over his chest, trying to detect where the bullets had hit him. She felt something under his shirt. Without thinking, she unbuttoned it. To be stopped by him taking her hands.
"Wow, Tiger. You sure you wanna do this here?" he growled. "Thought we were gonna keep it secret 'bout us." With a wink he took over, slowly revealing the dark garment he wore underneath his shirt. "Bullet proof vest." He clarified with some pride.
"You never wear bullet proof vests!" she could hardly believe her eyes. All those years she'd worked with him, no matter how dangerous, she never saw him wear a vest before. It had even led to some serious discussions in the past. Eventually, she'd given up. Water off a duck's back.
"Thought I'd make an exception this time." He grinned. "Looks like I was right." He showed her the bullet holes at chest level. "Bullseye!"
All colour drained from Harry's face. If he hadn't been wearing the vest…., she dreaded the thought. Something dawned on her. "What if they had aimed at your head?" Her blue gaze pierced his.
"Guess I would've had a bit of a problem then."
"A bit of a problem? Is that all you have to say? For God's sake, Dempsey! You could have been killed! I still can't believe Spikings let you do this!" A deep frown on her forehead, she followed his movements as he took off the vest. The longer she thought about it, the more her blood was boiling. Despite his promise to be more careful, he'd taken such a big risk again!
"And what 'bout you, huh? At least I was wearing a vest, while you…" he retorted accusingly.
"Oh no, don't you turn the tables! I'm sure they wouldn't have shot me. That bastard was only bluffing to lure you out. And you were stupid enough to fall for it!"
They were so engrossed in their discussion, that neither of them paid attention to what was happening around them.
"Finished, you two?" a voice addressed them from behind.
"No!" they responded simultaneously. Only to realise a moment later that the voice sounded painfully familiar. As they peeked up, they saw the Chief Superintendent looking down on them, arms folded in front of his chest.
"Well, at least one thing you two agree on." Spikings barked. "But if you don't mind me interrupting your little disagreement, I need you two in the house for your statements. At once!"
"Of course, Sir." Harry sprang to her feet, while her partner had more trouble getting up.
"Gimme a hand, will ya, Harry." Dempsey groaned, supporting his sore ribs in his attempt to get up.
A moment of hesitation, then Harry returned to her steps. "I thought you weren't injured?"
"The vest stopped the bullets, but not the impact." He grabbed her extended hand. "Think I have some bruised ribs." His face twisted in pain as she helped him get on his feet.
Spikings watched the duo. "Oh, for goodness' sake. Have yourself checked by those paramedics first." He gestured to the ambulance that had arrived. "You too, Sergeant." He added, pointing to the cut above her eye. "Then come straight to the house for your statements."
"Yes, Sir." Without giving him a chance to protest, she turned her partner in the right direction.
"And don't you dare sneak away again, Dempsey!" The boss shouted after them, his voice echoing loudly over the site.
"I see you've made yourself popular again with Spikings." An arm around his waist, Harry supported him on their way to the ambulance. "What have you done this time?"
Dempsey shrugged. "Dunno. Breathing, maybe."
"Don't be ridiculous. He usually has good reasons to be angry with you. Come on, spit it out. What have you been up to?" Before he had the chance to come up with a suitable answer, she added. "And don't say you managed to escape from Winfield Hall. I know Spikings agreed to let you come along, God knows why. We still need to have a word about that!" Her voice sounded threatening.
"How about finishing what we started last night? As I recall, you were pretty quick to leave this morning. Without even saying goodbye!" The reproach in his voice hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Yes, I'm sorry about that. I figured it was the easiest way for both of us. I didn't think you would've let me go."
"Damn right I wouldn't have!" Dempsey dropped the discussion as his attention was caught by some commotion further down the driveway. After a short but fierce gunfight Harry's kidnapper had been captured. However he was now resisting arrest. His gaze on the American, Dempsey let go of Harry and headed in the man's direction. Keeping her distance, she followed him.
His hands cuffed, the killer was escorted by two uniformed police officers. As soon as he set eyes on Dempsey, he lost all interest in everything and everyone around him. A shiver ran down her spine when Harry saw the man looking at her partner. Cold, emotionless, his eyes full of hatred.
"This ain't over yet, Dempsey. It's only the beginning. Better watch your back from now on. You never know if there's gonna be a gun aimed at ya!" The cold gaze changed into an evil grin.
Frowning, Dempsey studied the man. "Who are you? Who sent you?" His fists were itching to tackle that son of a bitch. He had to keep himself in check. He needed answers. And he couldn't let this thug get away with it. Any smart lawyer would use it in court if he lost his cool.
The only answer he received was a loud burst of laughter as the man was pushed into the police vehicle.
Harry approached her partner. "Do you know him?"
Dempsey shook his head, staring at the departing car.
"Are you sure? He seems to have a grudge against you." Harry pressed.
"Never seen him before. He said anything to you in the car?"
"No, he hardly said anything at all. Except snarl some instructions on what I had to do. He nearly broke my arm when I didn't get out of my car quickly enough." Immediately she regretted having said that, when she saw the ominous look in her partner's eyes. "Do you think he was bluffing, about others coming after you?" she tried to change the subject.
"I don't know, Harry. I really don't know." Dempsey turned around and continued his way to the ambulance, a gloomy expression on his face.
While they were taken care of by the paramedics, Harry tried to read her partner's face. Deep in thought, he was staring in front of him. She hated it when he shut her out. It made her feel uncomfortable. What was he thinking? Was he up to something again?
A small band aid on her forehead and the advice to take it easy for a while, she was now watching how one of the paramedics was examining Dempsey's thorax. Suddenly, she turned pale. She jumped up and fumbled under her blouse. "Shit, I'm still wearing that microphone!" Holding the small device in her hand, she looked shocked at her partner. "Can you remember what we said?"
Dempsey shook up from his reverie. "What? Hey sweetheart, I was just shot at. I didn't even recall you were wearing the damn thing!" He glared at the paramedic, who held him firmly in place for the medical examination.
"Do you know who was listening?" She held her breath, awaiting the answer. Please, not Spikings.
"Watson and Hargreaves were. But I believe Watson was sent to find the sniper by the time I left the house." He made a painful grimace when the medic touched one of his sore ribs. "Don't know if Hargreaves was still listening though."
Harry looked thoughtful. "Maybe I should have a word with her. Ask her to keep quiet about what she may have heard?"
"But what if she hasn't heard anything? Then you're gonna make her suspicious. No, better wait if she says something to you. And hope she doesn't talk to someone else first."
Dempsey grimaced as he put his shirt back on. Feeling a little better after receiving a strong painkiller, he hastily left the ambulance. An angry Harry followed him on his heels.
"Why do you always have to be so bloody stubborn?" She called after him, oblivious to the audience around them. As they were used to their colleagues arguing, the other detectives hardly paid them any attention.
He stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Harry, please, gimme a break. I told you, I'm fine!"
"Of course you feel fine now, you've just been given a high dose of painkillers! And after that, huh? Didn't you hear what the doctor said? You may have broken ribs or even internal bruising, which they can't see without further testing!"
"You shouldn't believe everythin' that young brat said. Besides, he's not a doctor!" He sighed when he saw the worried look in her eyes. "Look, I promise I'm gonna keep calm. And if I don't feel better by tomorrow, I'll go for that x-ray. Hell, you can take me to a doctor yourself!"
He saw she wasn't convinced. He stepped a little closer and whispered in her ear. "Please Princess, it's been a rough day for both of us. I just wanna be with you tonight."
Harry swallowed. His words moved her. On top of that, his proximity made her head spin. The vibrations of his deep voice near her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin. She lifted her hand to touch his face but lowered it again, aware of the people around them. "I want to be with you too, but…"
He didn't let her finish. "Shh, no 'buts'. This ain't the first time I've got bruises. I know what to do, trust me."
Sighing, she gave in. "Alright, but if the pain gets worse, I'll take you to hospital straight away! No argument. Agreed?"
"Anything you say, Princess." Glad they had come to a compromise, Dempsey pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. "Now let's go and face Grumpy over there, huh? I bet he can't wait to grill me."
Side by side, they headed for the house. "I wouldn't provoke him too much if I were you." A brief silence, then she glanced sideways. "But on the other hand, you'd miss the thrill, wouldn't you?"
The conversation with Spikings went as Dempsey had expected. He got the full blast for his disobedience, while Harry sat listening in silence. With restrained anger, he could see it on her features. Alright, he lied to her. And yes, he had put his life on the line. But everything turned out well in the end, didn't it? For both of them. Surely, she must realise that too?
"C'mon, Harry. Don't be like this." Dempsey pleaded, following her out of the house. "It's bad enough the boss is pissed at me…"
Fuming, she turned around. "The boss has every reason to be angry with you! And so do I! Not only did you come here, against all agreements, but you also lied to me about knowing the location of that sniper. And last but not least, now it turns out that Spikings didn't send you to exchange places with me! In fact, he strictly forbade you to leave the house! But you just couldn't leave it, could you?"
He waited patiently until she'd blown off steam, before he made an attempt to soothe her. "I know I lied to you, but I had no choice. That bastard would've shot you!"
"No, he wouldn't. It's not me he wanted."
"Don't be naive, Harry. Guys like that don't leave behind witnesses. Tell me, did he make any effort to cover his face for you?" He let his words sink in. "You're a cop, you know what that means." When he saw her reflect on his words, he continued in a softer tone. "Look, sweetheart. We both survived, that's all that matters, right? If only Spikings could see it that way too."
"Spikings is our boss, and you deliberately disobeyed every one of his orders. Of course he has to punish you. What did you expect? A pat on the back? You're damn lucky he didn't suspend you!"
"He cut me off completely from the investigation. Even though it's vital for me to know whether those killers were sent by someone, or if they were working alone!"
"He knows how important it is to you, Dempsey. I'm sure he'll do everything he can to find out. He did say he would lead the interrogation himself, didn't he?"
"Yeah, yeah." Dempsey growled. At that moment, Watson came from around the corner. He was on his way to the Chief Superintendent to report on what happened to the sniper. He stopped when he saw Dempsey.
"Sorry mate, I know you wanted to question that sniper, but he left us no choice but to shoot him. The guy went crazy when he spotted me. If Johnson and Fry hadn't turned up, I wouldn't be standing here right now." Watson was clearly still impressed by the event.
"No problem, pal. I understand. Thanks for backing me up." Dempsey gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Anyway, we've still got the other killer. He'll have to do the talking now."
They became silent when they saw two men walking past, carrying a stretcher with a body bag. Cigarette in his hand, Spikings stood in the doorway overlooking the scene. As he walked up to them, he dropped his half-smoked cigarette on the ground and extinguished it with his foot. With his hand, he gestured the men with the stretcher to stop and open the body bag. "Lieutenant, see if you can identify this man."
As instructed, Dempsey took a look at the sniper. "Never seen this guy before either, Chief. No passport?"
Spikings shook his head. "No, neither of the two men carried an ID card or any other document to identify them. We'll send their pictures and fingerprints to your colleagues overseas. No doubt these guys have a criminal record." The Chief Superintendent pulled a photograph from his side pocket and gave it to Dempsey. "This is the only thing we found on Harry's abductor."
Harry saw Dempsey frown upon seeing the picture. She came closer and peeked over his shoulder. The picture showed two police officers in uniform, laughing and making funny faces. Her eyes widened when she recognized one of them. "That's you, isn't it? When was this taken? And who's that officer next to you?"
"That's from a while back. Joey and me in happier times. Before he decided to change sides."
"How did your assailants get hold of this picture?"
Dempsey's frown deepened. "I've no idea. They must've broke into my flat back there."
"Assuming they needed the picture to know what you look like." Harry thought aloud. "This would imply they were indeed sent by someone, to kill you. Question is, by whom? Coltrane?"
Dempsey didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the man in the body bag. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something didn't add up.
"This one won't give you any answers, Dempsey." Spikings motioned the two men to remove the body from the scene. "Luckily we have the other assassin. We'll focus on him."
"Let me interrogate him, Chief. I'm sure I can get him talking."
"Out of the question, Lieutenant. I thought I made myself clear that I don't want you near our 'American friend'. Besides, you're not on active duty yet. Go home, Lieutenant. Before I change my mind and suspend you."
One look in the boss's eyes told Dempsey it was better not to defy him. He was about to leave, when Spikings added. "Oh and Dempsey, maybe it's better to stay away from your apartment for now. Until we've interrogated the man in custody. You never know if someone is still watching your place. I'm sure you'll find accommodation with one of your many girlfriends, for a few days. If you ask them nicely." He added with a smirk.
Taken by surprise, Dempsey didn't quite know what to say. He avoided looking at Harry, but felt her gaze on him as he stammered. "Yeah… sure."
"Off you go then. Don't forget to let us know where we can reach you." With these words, Spikings turned and walked up to Chas, who was waiting for him to sign some documents.
Watson was talking things over with Dempsey, when Harry saw Joyce at the end of the driveway. She was in conversation with Johnson and Fry. Occasionally, the three detectives glanced in her direction. Harry frowned. What were they saying? Were they talking about her? Just when she decided to join them, Spikings called Johnson and Fry for their statements.
"Well, that was quite an eventful day, wasn't it?" Joyce addressed Harry the moment they were alone. "You sure gave us a fright. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, thank you. A few stitches and a splitting headache, but nothing I won't survive." Harry let out a deep sigh. "What's worse, I still can't believe I was such an easy victim. While I was prepared! I should have seen it coming."
"It wasn't your fault, Harry. They took us all by surprise. Even Spikings." Joyce rubbed her friend's arm. "Anyway, I'm glad you're alright."
Harry offered her a faint smile.
Then Joyce took a car key from her pocket and handed it to Harry. "Johnson and Fry brought your car. They said you'll be able to make it home, but you ought to take it to the garage as soon as possible."
"Thanks." Surprised her car was still running, Harry accepted the key.
"You know, our two colleagues are feeling quite guilty about the abduction. They fear the wrath of both Spikings ànd Dempsey!" Joyce let out a compassionate chuckle. "Poor guys, I don't know which of the two they should fear most."
"Everything turned out well in the end. I think they'll get away with a scolding from the boss. As for Dempsey, I'm sure he'll have cooled down by the time he goes back to work."
"I guess you know him best." Was there an undertone in Joyce's voice?
After a moment of silence, Joyce started somewhat hesitantly. "Harry,…" However, she stopped when she saw Dempsey coming their way. "Never mind. I think I'll better check up on my partner. See if he's alright."
The moment Joyce wanted to go to Watson, Dempsey joined them. "Sorry to interrupt this ladies' get-together, but I'd like to get outta here, if you don't mind."
Harry noticed her partner supported his chest, and he had trouble standing up straight. She realised he was in pain again. Without hesitation, she led him towards her car. "Get in the car, you. I'll drop you off on my way home."
She opened the door for him and walked to the other side of the vehicle, making a painful grimace when her eyes fell on the front of her Escort. After having said goodbye to Joyce, Harry took a seat behind the wheel and started the engine.
Standing at the window beside Chas, Spikings watched the departing vehicle. "Chas, have you noticed anything unusual about those two?" the boss pointed with his chin towards the white Escort.
"Hmm?" Chas looked up from the documents he was holding in his hands. "About Dempsey and Makepeace, Guv? Like what?"
"I don't know exactly, but there's something different about them. They seem to get along really well, don't they?"
Chas shrugged. "They were in the thick of the battle, both risking their lives to catch two dangerous killers. I would say it's quite normal they get along well."
"They were quite…erm… protective of each other." Spikings continued.
Chas frowned, wondering if he had missed seeing something unusual in his colleague's behaviour. "Protective? I'd say neither of them wants to budge. Harry wanted to prove herself to him, as usual. And Dempsey's a stubborn fool. Too proud to accept that Harry would put herself at risk for him." Chas grinned at the memory of their heated discussions after the shooting. "As far as I could tell, they were arguing just as they always do."
Spikings nodded slowly, not fully convinced by Chas's arguments. "Hm, you could be right. But I'll keep an eye on them, just in case. I hate surprises, especially if it affects the smooth functioning of my team." Then he pointed in the direction where Dempsey and Makepeace had driven away. "And some sort of amorous relationship between those two, my friend, would be a surprise we can do without. Mind my words!"
(TBC)