A/N: sorry for such a long delay in updating... it's just this story kind caught up to where I had stopped writing it and finals are coming up on me so I've been extremely busy and the fact that. so sorry again... and this chapter is a little shorter then the last. oops!

Carlton had a small huddle of officers around him, at eight in the morning. He cleared his throat, and signaled everyone to move in closer. It was these people Carlton needed to trust, not to screw up and get Delilah killed. Honestly, he did not trust any of them to be this smooth. Still, they were the only people he had.

"All right, so this is how we're going to run this," Carlton stated. "The corner of Seashell Boulevard and Degradi Lane has about three different restaurants on it, and four different cafes. We're thinking that the confrontation is going to be in one of those. So, we're going to have two cops in each, and four outside incase he brings us to a different location. The cops inside the restaurants will be sitting together, and this most important, they have to look like a couple. If he does lead us into a restaurant, I want the rest of you to come in, in groups of twos, threes and fours, at time intervals of three or seven minutes. Got it?"

Most of the officers nodded and were ready to scramble, there was something about Carlton's tone that made them all feel on edge. However, Buzz needed to ask his question. "Isn't it protocol, when undercover to be separated and at opposite ends so you can get a better range of view?"

Most of the cops there had been thinking it, but they had been smart enough to keep their mouth shuts. As soon as Buzz asked it, they all held back a groan.

"McNab, you would be right if this was a normal kidnapping. Does this look like a normal kidnapping?" Carlton spat.

Buzz shook his head. Carlton seemed to accept this answer. "Then we're doing it my way. Now get going."

As the officers scattered, Carlton sat down, rubbing his forehead. This was going to be a long day.

Karen observed Carlton very carefully as they waited for the phone call. His exterior was very calm and collected, but she knew there was something disturbing him. His give away was he constantly checked the time on his clock.

"Looking at the clock won't make the time go by faster," she told him.

He snapped the phone shut guiltily, and mumbled, "I know."

"Nervous?" she questioned.

He shrugged, and stated nonchalant, "It's just another negotiation."

"For the woman who cost you your career," she reminded him. "I don't know if I should be worried you won't do enough to get her back or you'll do too much."

"I can assure you Chief, I will be strictly professional," he promised.

She rolled her eyes, but the phone rang. Carlton picked it up before the second ring. "We're here, now what?"

"Whoa, calm down Detective," Lloyd taunted. "Did someone have a little too much coffee? Why don't you sit down and relax for a little bit?"

"Where do you recommend sitting down?" Carlton asked, grimacing at having to play his little game.

"Oh see that little restaurant, Luna Shell, go in and grab a nice burger," he told him and then hung up.

Carlton shook his head and turned to Karen. "Luna Shell."

"Gypsy, that couple over there, you think they're gay?" Lloyd asked, pointing to a couple of men sitting a few table away from them. He was feeling at ease with the situation and was finding pleasure in his personal game "outing the gays".

"What does it matter?" she asked, sighing. She found it very exhausting having to sit perfectly straight in her sear after a night of beatings, the last thing she wanted to do was play a game about other people's sexual preferences. "They're gay, they're not gay, as long as they aren't sucking face in public, why should it bother you?"

"It's just getting harder to tell who's gay and who's not," he explained, his face scrunching in thought.

Delilah glanced at the couple. She stopped breathing for a second. She recognized one of the men from the station. He was taller then his lunch date, with black hair and a goofy expression on his face. She looked at Lloyd and nodded. "Yeah, they're definitely gay."

Lloyd grinned in satisfaction when he thought his suspicions were confirmed, but it grew wider when he saw who just walked in. "That's the cop, isn't it? Remember, hands on the table," he told her, nudging her in her bruised side rather hard with a gun.

Carlton spotted them immediately, Delilah staring off to space with her hands placed firmly on the table and the man he knew was Lloyd. He was big, much bigger then Carlton expected. Yet, Carlton still did not hesitate in his stride to the table.

"Detective," Lloyd greeted with a nasty grin.

"Lloyd," Carlton replied, glaring at him.

"And you must be his boss," Lloyd observed, looking over Karen.

"Chief Vick," she informed coldly.

"Chief Vick then, please sit down," he told her kindly.

"Nice shiner you got going, Gypsy," Karen stated, as she sat.

Delilah rolled her eyes. "Nice of you to come Vick. I thought for sure you would leave me for the big bad wolf."

"So what's the point of this little sit down?" Carlton asked. "What do you want?"

"I don't want to go back to jail," Lloyd answered.

"We can't just let you walk out of here, we have to arrest you," Karen told him.

"Who says I even planned on walking out of here?" he asked, grinning evilly at them.

Karen and Carlton shared a nervous look. Delilah, huffed, feeling very irritated at having a gun pointed at her and being trapped in this psycho's game. Shaking her head she said, "He's not going to kill himself, he doesn't have the balls. He expects you to do the dirty work for him. Take for example those two undercovers that just walked in."

Everyone looked over to the door and sure enough, there were two cops that just entered. Karen groaned and brought her hand up to her eyes. Carlton hit the table and snapped, "Damn it, do you want us to help you or not?"

Delilah held her tongue and glanced away from his angry glare. Lloyd stared straight at him, and commanded, "Get rid of them Detective. And make sure they don't come back."

Grumbling to himself, Carlton got up and walked over to his cops. Karen shook her head and scolded, "Great job, Gypsy, why don't you just draw a target on your head so he has something to aim for when he kills you?"

"I would if I think it would make him do it sooner," Delilah retorted. "What you don't seem to understand is he is going to kill me no matter what. This is just to mess with me. You shouldn't even bothered coming."

Karen did not react right away. Her mind was trying to comprehend the situation. Delilah was given a glimmer of hope and escape, only to be killed. It was as if he was just parading his prize kill. Karen glanced at him, and could tell it was all true. Lloyd just grinned nastily and stroked Delilah's face. "Don't be giving away my twist ending, now. Let's not spoil it for Detective Lassiter."

Karen felt her stomach twist in a knot. If her suspicions about Carlton and Delilah were right, this would end very badly and might push Carlton too far.

"They're gone," Carlton stated sitting back down.

"For good?"

"Yes."

"Good then we can chat," Lloyd replied.

"Chat about what?" Karen asked.

"About this and that." He turned to Carlton, with a nasty grin. "Let's get to know each other. Detective Lassiter, you first."

"Why don't you just tell us what you want to know?" Carlton snapped, glaring at him.

"Fine, are you married Lassiter? Divorced, separated, permanent bachelor?" Lloyd questioned, grinning evilly.

"Married," Carlton answered. He was staring straight at Lloyd, missing Delilah's glare.

"Where's the ring?" Lloyd shot at him. Carlton unconsciously covered his left hand with his right. Lloyd grinned and inquired, "How long have you and the Misses been separated?"

"A little over two years," Carlton replied through gritted teeth.

"Hmm… isn't that when Gypsy started working for you? Did you find something better then your wife?"

Their eyes flew to each other, panic filling them. They both suddenly knew what this chat was going to be about.

Carlton shook his head and quickly stated, "No. My wife and I had been fighting for years before that, it was just coincidental about the time period."

"So you've never had a relationship with Gypsy?" Lloyd inquired, staring Carlton down. Carlton shook his definitely. "Really? Chief Vick, would you say Head Detective Lassiter is a good cop?"

Karen, stunned by such a simple question, took a moment to answer. "Yes, very good."

"What makes him so good?"

"He has one of the highest close rates in the department, is very good at his job, and I can trust him," Karen responded, glancing over at the man. He shifted in his seat.

"Then why isn't he chief?"

Karen blinked, dumbfounded. "Because I-"

"Is it because Detective Lassiter is such a bad cop he gets kidnapped by his suspects?"

"Lloyd, don't," Delilah pleaded.

"Everyone thought you had such balls to kidnap a cop, but I know you, you're too weak," Lloyd hissed in her ear. "How'd you manage not to get arrested? Detective Lassiter care to fill us in on the answer?"

Carlton stared at him for a little bit and then replied, "She got the upper hand and knocked me unconscious."

"How?"

"I flashed him," Delilah answered for him quickly.

"Shut up," Lloyd snapped, his temper showing up to the lunch.

"But that would have been pretty distracting though, letting me easily get the upper hand," she continued, ignoring Lloyd's angry glare.

"Keep your mouth shut, or you'll regret it," he ordered.

"But you want to know, and I'm such a good story teller," she retorted.

He grabbed the steak knife on the table and brought it up to her throat. Delilah became silent in just one gasp.

"Delilah!" Carlton cried, forgetting his senses. For a moment no one moved.