I must apologise on behalf of my computer...I have some security settings that won't allow me to enter certain words. I have gone back and corrected chapter 6! Once again, I really appreciate all of your kind reviews and I'm glad that people are enjoying this story. I estimate that I will have about 3/4 more chapters to go after this one!

"Your friends, maybe?" Evan said under his breath. "All guns blazing? As usual? It's a very blunt and direct tactic, I'll give them that...but...if they do that, they risk losing you. Oh dear." Evan's voice was cruel and mocking.

Outside, Ray was standing next to his car, loading up his gun. Chris got out and stood next to his colleague. He was holding the two suitcases and passed one to Ray.

"Right...let's go nail 'im." Ray growled.

Chris followed him into the derelict warehouse, both of them constantly panning with their guns suspiciously.

Silence. No movement...nothing. Nothing to suggest that there was ever anyone here. They entered a long hanger bay-type area and Chris nodded silently towards the end. There was a small door. It was the only really noticeable aspect of the location. Ray saw this and slowly moved forwards. The two men approached the hanger from different angles, covering all exits, just as the Guv had told them. However, the duo barely got halfway towards the door, when it suddenly opened. The injection of noise into the still air made Chris jump and quickly focus his aim at the man who stood in the doorway.

"Hello." Evan smiled at the two police officers.

When neither Chris nor Ray replied, he spoke again. "Don't worry...DI Drake is perfectly fine."

He reached behind him and pushed the door open further to reveal Alex, slumped on the floor, tied to a pipe and with a gag in her mouth. Her eyes were wide and desperate. She made eye contact with both Ray and Chris. Chris nodded reassuringly at her, and then turned his glare back to Evan.

"Now," continued Evan. "Where is Mister Hunt, I wonder?"

Ray swallowed. "He had to go somewhere. He sent us for him."

Alex frowned. Where on earth was Gene? Why wasn't he here with Ray and Chris?

"I find this hard to believe, Mister Carling." Evan said.

"Evan White...I am arresting you for the kidnapping and seizure of a police officer and for breaking into CID, armed." Ray announced gruffly.

"Ahh, slight problem there." Evan laughed. "You have absolutely no evidence! I mean yes, there is your word to go on, but who's saying that you two clowns make it out alive, eh? How d'you even know I'm telling the truth? I could be covering for someone! Didn't think of that one, did you boys?"

Chris and Ray scowled.

"It's still a crime! You broke into CID and took an officer hostage! We have witnesses in CID." Chris attempted to recover.

"Ah, but you forget…I'm a lawyer. If by any chance you do manage to arrest me, then remember, some of my best friends are judges and you have no evidence whatsoever that I said or did anything, except for maybe Alex's word. But, as you can clearly see, she is very distressed and upset…her judgment is vastly impaired and she is very weak too."

The two men could only watch as Evan put a hand behind his back and drew his own gun.

"Hold it there!" yelled Chris. "We will shoot!"

"No you won't, DC Skelton! Because if you do, there is a very high chance that the bullet will go straight through me and then straight into DI Drake, who is directly behind me."

Chris realised, with a horrible sinking feeling, that Evan was right. He continued talking.

"Right then, I believe you have some money for me?"

Okay, thought Chris, now all we have to do is hope that the Guv's little plan works.

"Yeah." Said Ray from the other side of the room. "I've got it here."

And he held up his briefcase.

"No he doesn't." piped up Chris. "I've got it…look."

Chris also held up the briefcase he was carrying.

Evan stared at the two of them incredulously.

"Let's stop playing games, shall we? Just give me the money and we will all make it out of here alive." Evan stated, somewhat calmly.

"But, it's true!" Chris exclaimed. "I'm the one who's got the money. He's just bluffing!"

"What? You really going to believe him? He's just a Nancy-boy." Ray smiled satisfyingly at his colleague.

Evan swallowed and moved his gun aim to Ray as he stepped slowly towards Chris, who stood nervously, holding out the briefcase.

Alex looked on at the scene in horror. Did Ray and Chris even know what they were doing? And where was the DCI? Their superior officer was somewhere around, surely? But Alex wasn't too sure. There were times when nobody could understand what was going on inside the Guv's head.

When Evan finally reached Chris, Chris slowly opened up the briefcase for him to see. The scene seemed to unfold in slow motion. Evan bent down to look at the interior of the briefcase and as he did this, his aim faltered on Ray. Ray took this opportunity and swiftly ran down the warehouse and into the small room, where Alex was rapidly losing consciousness on the floor. Of course, Evan noticed this immediately and he screamed,

"STOP! Stop where you are, now Carling!"

Ray came to a halt centimetres away from Alex. Evan was no longer blocking Alex and so the police officer lifted up his gun, with the other hand behind his back.

Alex's eyes widened as she saw what Ray was holding out to her. A penknife. She strained her bruised, swollen wrists and managed to grasp the metal object in her bound hands.

Evan was now in a bad position. Two guns were trained on him and he only had one.

"Think your time's up now Mister White!" shouted Ray nastily.

"You wouldn't shoot me." Evan smiled. "Because, I'm not stupid, you see. I can tell that your DCI has given you strict instructions not to kill me, hasn't he?"

Chris spluttered in disbelief and Evan took this split second as an opportunity to punch the gun out of his hand. It clattered noisily to the floor and Ray glared angrily at Chris, who now stood, completely unarmed, and Evan pushed the young police officer in front of him, gun still trained on Ray.

"My point still stands. Evidence?" Evan queried.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure if I were you." Said a voice.

It was gruff and stern, but Alex sighed in relief as the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the large hanger.

Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt's eyes were severe as he stood, tall and proud. The man was certainly larger than life as the morning sunlight fell on him, surrounding him in a golden glow. He brandished his personal gun in one hand and held a trench coat in the other. His eyes flicked towards Alex and back to Evan.

"Mister Hunt…I had a feeling that you might show up." Evan said.

"You don't seem too 'appy 'bout that. Don't you want the company of my very good self?" Gene tried.

Evan glared at the DCI.

"I was at the forensics department this mornin', White, and they had come up with some very odd findings. The investigation showed that the makings of an e device were found inside DI Drake's flat last night."

"What?"

"Yes, you 'eard me right. es. But, the question is this…why would someone plant the es and then leave the flat in a total mess? Well, I used my numerous grey cells to come up with the theory that maybe this person wanted Drake to know that there was someone out there and could be serious about making an attack on her life. Just ruining her flat wouldn't do it, but planting rudding es as well…that would be enough to scare her. What d'you think?"

Evan's eyes twitched uncomfortably. "You have no evidence."

Gene sighed. "You underestimate me. Yes, you are right…there were no finger prints in the flat. But, look what I found in your car!" he exclaimed, and held up the coat. "This is your coat, is it not? Well, I assume it is…seeing as it came from inside your car. And you'll never guess what I found on it…the same dust. It matches perfectly with the dust that the forensics found in Drake's flat. Check mate." Gene finished off confidently.

"You broke into my car?" Evan shouted.

"Is that really the only comeback you've got? I think you're rapidly running out of lifelines here sonny. You took hostage and attempted to take the life of a high ranking police officer! Let's get a little perspective here!"

While Chris, Ray, Gene and Evan had been preoccupied, Alex was struggling with cutting the tightly bound ropes that were tying her wrists together around the piping. She had no energy and everything that she did was a great effort. She found it hard to breath under the gag and there was no one to help her. Evan stood in the middle of the warehouse, holding Chris in front of him like a bodyguard. Gene stood to one side; his gun accurately focussed on Evan, whilst Ray stood the other side, his gun also on Evan. Evan's free hand had a gun trained on Ray. In any other circumstances, Alex would have found this situation rather amusing.

She only had a couple more fibres to cut through. Her hands ached as she bent them round, in order to get a good angle to cut at. Her breath was short and sharp, and she found it hard not to yell out with joy as the rope came untied, releasing her hands. Alex wasted no time in identifying her nearest exit. There was a crumbled wall nearby, but Alex had to run straight past Evan. It was risky, and Alex's legs were weak.

Alex ran, well she hobbled quickly towards the exit. Evan's head whipped round and before anyone could do anything, there was a deafening gunshot, followed by a piercing scream. Three people gasped.