I always think that it's the quality of reviewers that counts, as opposed to quantity… ;-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After working on the Leah Rodgers case together for a week, they were on the verge of getting a result. However, they hadn't even mentioned their kiss, and things had been very awkward between the pair of them. Their suspect had been under surveillance 24 hours a day, and he had finally led John and Tess to a possible location where Leah may be being held. It was an empty factory, and John and Tess were watching closely from their car as the suspect unlocked a door and entered the building.
Immediately, the two officers leapt out of their car and rushed over to the window closest to where the suspect had entered. All they could see was an empty room, so they slipped through the open door as quietly as they could manage. There was a corridor that led straight from the room, and Tess was the first one to dive into it. John followed in hot pursuit. Every time that Tess reached a room, she quickly and quietly pushed open the door, but to no avail. Where had the suspect gone?
Soon there was only one room left, without so much as a glance back at John, Tess approached the door, and flung it open. The first thing that she saw was a handgun being pointed straight at her. She looked behind the suspect, who was brandishing the gun, and she saw a young blond teenager lying bound up on the floor – Leah Rodgers. She was dirty and bruised, but otherwise looked okay. John was right behind Tess and also saw the scene that had greeted Tess behind the door.
"Put your hands up!" yelled the suspect, his hands tightening around his gun.
John and Tess both did as they were told and put their hands up.
"Now, don't do anything stupid," Tess warned "Just put the gun down."
"Do you think I'm stupid? Put the gun down so you can arrest me? I don't think so," yelled the suspect in a rage.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After an hour of both John and Tess trying to convince the suspect to give it up, they hadn't got very far. The suspect was extremely agitated and John and Tess were very worried that he would shoot. They didn't even have any back up, since they had been in too much of a hurry to radio in their location.
Tess decided to give the man some cold, hard facts about what would happen to him if he didn't give himself up.
"Look, if you don't stop this right now and let us all go, you are going to be facing a lot more than a kidnapping charge. Do you want to go down for murder?"
"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID COW," bellowed the man. He pointed the gun straight at Tess again, and his finger moved onto the trigger…
To Tess' surprise, John immediately moved in front of her and placed himself in front of the gun.
"If you want to shoot her, you will have to take me first," he snarled.
The man concentrated his attention upon John and got ready to shoot him. Tess watched his finger slowly start to apply pressure to the trigger. She couldn't let him shoot John.
She grabbed the man's arms and pushed them away from John, just as the gun fired. The shot went right into one of the walls. John helped Tess to restrain the man, and arrest him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later on, the CID team were enjoying drinks in a new, posh wine bar that Rod had insisted upon trying under the pretence of it having great music, although his real reasons were to check out the female talent there.
However, many rounds later the team were very merry and were having a great time despite the 'poncy' surroundings as John so tactfully put it.
John and Tess were sitting next to each other.
"Thanks for saving my life today."
"Thanks for saving mine," grinned John.
Tess leaned in a little bit closer to talk into John's ear.
"I didn't know you cared."
"Who says I do?" said John with a grin and a wink.
They both laughed and made no effort to move away from each other. Just as they both leaned in ever so slightly, they were rudely interrupted by a women with a dark brown shoulder-length bob.
Didn't expect to see you here bro," she said teasingly.
John looked very surprised to see her, but he recovered quickly.
"Tess, this is my sister Angie."
Angie looked Tess up and down.
"Nice to meet you Tess, do you work with John?"
"Yes, I do. Its very nice to meet you as well."
"So how are you then Ange?" John sighed.
"Not bad thanks. Still need to get someone to share my flat with. Won't be able to pay the rent on my own for much longer. Honestly, you would never think that this is London. Nobody seems interested at all."
"Really? I have been looking for a new place and haven't been able to find anywhere at all." Tess remarked.
"Well, you are quite welcome to come and live in my place. It's a really nice flat."
"Sounds perfect to me!"
"Well here's to new friends and flat sharing!" said Angie, raising her glass.
Tess smiled widely and raised her glass to touch it against Angie's.
John wasn't sure that he liked this at all…
