just wanted to say I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! there has been a lot of problems with my internet at the moment and i've finally managed to get onto a computer with working connection to post this! i really hope you enjoy it and although i will try and get the last few chapters posted asap i can't promise that the next with arrive soon. hope your still reading, reviews will make me a lot happier about this situation :)
The Quattro sped through the mainly deserted streets of London, the pair inside searching, scanning, looking for any sign of Jim Keats. After twenty minutes of non-stop looking Gene pulled the car to a halt in an empty alleyway. They stepped out, Gene immediately lighting a cigarette, Alex wandering off a little. After a couple of minutes of silence he heard the unmistakeable sound of a woman sobbing. He turned to see Alex leaning against the wall close by, her face turned away and her shoulders shaking slightly.
"Bolly." his voice was gentle, a tone he rarely used. She didn't respond.
"Come 'ere Alex." He reached his arm out as she stepped over, leaning into his warm embrace her shoulders shaking violently now as she cried against his coat. He held her in silence as she sobbed, until eventually she calmed herself and leaned back, looking into his eyes as she made to wipe her own. Before she reached up his thumb caught her tears, wiping them away smoothly, still no speech.
"She can't be here Gene." Alex whispered, her voice still caught from crying.
"I know. But she is Alex. And we 'ave to get 'er away from Jim." He told her, his hand remaining against her cheek as she leaned into it.
"What if he's lying?""He hasn't bin' so far."
"Hmm." Was her only response, as her gaze transferred from his and to the street around, begging to catch sight of Jim, or something to help her.
It was a lot darker now, the streets only highlighted by the orange glow of streetlights and the occasional bright yellow from cars heading home. The wind had picked up, spreading a cold chill between the officers as they quickly headed back into the Quattro, Alex wrapped in Gene's coat, her white leather jacket not keeping the cold out.
Not moving they sat in silence, Gene smoking silently, casting his gaze to Alex every so often, watching as she leaned against the window staring out in a quiet begging for something to happen. For once he really didn't know what to do and it ran through him like fire to see his Bolly in distress.
"His Bolly? Since when did he refer to her as HIS Bolly? She was his D.I yes, his pain in the bloody arse, his annoying yet amazing D.I. And why did it hurt so much to see her upset. Like he shared her pain." Gene thought to himself, the arguing voice coming back to haunt him. All he wanted to do was make her happy again, and the next thing he saw would do just that.
Alex struggled to keep herself upright when, without warning the Guv sped off out onto the road and down the street, not stopping to allow her to sit comfortably. She couldn't see what he must have spotted so instead turned to face him.
"What the bloody hell Gene?" She asked, raising her voice to be heard over the squeal of tyres.
"Jim bloody Keats that's what Bolly. Now shut up and let me concentrate." He replied gruffly, speeding round a corner.
Sure enough Alex had realised they were following a car who seemed desperate to get out of the way. A quick flash of head turning and it was unmistakeable, even from this distance. The thick rimmed glasses, the jet black hair-cut. Jim Keats was in sight.
Barely able to stop the car before Alex was out, grabbing the gun from her pocket and running after the fake D.C.I, Gene jumped out of the drivers door, powering after her, gun in hand. The building he had disappeared into seemed to be an abandoned house, resembling a haunted house in appearance. Windows were either broken or boarded up and the garden, or jungle, was overgrown and messy.
The main entrance hallway was just as bad. Carpet was overturned on the floor, curling up at the edges. Wallpaper was peeling off the wall and cobwebs filled the corners. The bulbs had all but gone, casting a dim, creepy glow throughout. Alex was ready to go charging in and breaking open every door in order to kill the man who supposedly had her daughter. Just before she did, Gene's hand clasped around her upper right arm, stopping her.
"Patience Bolly. Jim Keats is an insane bastard, angering him who knows wha' he's gonna do." Gene whispered behind her.
"I just wanna find him and kill him." She whispered back angrily. He understood completely.
"You crash in there he migh' kill 'er 'fore you even get ta see 'er."
The house was deadly quiet and neither of the detectives liked it. Walking close together and slowly they arrived at the first door, somewhat nervously. Alex couldn't hold it in anymore. Without even checking behind the first door she turned away.
"Molly!" She yelled as loud as she could begging for even a shuffle in response. "Molly!" She cried out again in desperation.
A couple of minutes of silence followed before a stifled cry from upstairs. Before Gene could even register, the mothering instinct pulled in Alex and she was halfway up the stairs before he started following. The door burst open violently and Alex almost collapsed in tears at the sight of her baby huddled in the corner of the room.
"Molly." She whispered heading over, crouching down and hugging her little girl tightly, rocking her gently.
"Alex." Jim's voice seemed to echo in the room. She turned to face him, surprising herself in her confidence and glaring him in the eye.
"Jimbo." Gene stood in the doorway, looking taller than ever, scarier than normal and his silver gun pointing directly at Jim's head. He clicked it without comment.
"Gene don't." Alex stopped him, feeling a scared Molly huddle closer. He matched her pleading gaze.
"Feeling sorry for me Alex?" Jim asked, a sardonic smile on his face.
"I could never feel sorry for you, you psychotic, sick bastard." Alex spat, instinctively covering her daughters ears.
"Language, not in front of little Molly." He patronised, looking at the blonde mess of hair, all he could see of Molly's head.
"Don't ever mention my daughter. Ever. What the hell do you want with me and her? You nearly bloody killed me? And how the hell did you get her here? And why?" Alex mentally ticked off the questions, glaring at him, anger shining in her eyes.
"One at a time Alex. Right, well first question's first; why did I try and kill you? You chose incorrectly Alex. You can't honestly have believed you can get on with your life and act normally without expecting revenge? Second; Molly getting here was nothing to do with me I can assure you. I was just fortunate enough to be the first to come across her. Third; I knew that by getting your daughter here and contacting you I'd be able to bring you here and sort this out once and for all." He explained.
"You never answered the important question…what the hell do you want with me and my daughter?"
"Revenge Bolly." He emphasised the use of her nickname, causing her to glare furiously and Gene to step forward, fist raised, bringing it down to punch him hard. One step ahead, Jim swiftly turned, ramming his fist as hard as possible into Gene's stomach, causing him to double up in pain and Alex to gasp in shock. Jim kicked him roughly, the once tough D.C.I collapsing beside Alex and Molly in pain.
The three officers stood in silence staring at the note. Shaz's bottom lip had dropped slightly, in shock and sympathy for her friend and Ma'am.
"I didn't even know she had a daugh'er." Ray muttered, not wanting to break the silence but needing some help from his colleagues.
"I remember her mentioning one once. Ages ago. Never heard about her again." Shaz thought back to the many conversations she'd had with Alex throughout her time in CID.
"Bloody bastard that Jim Keats though. What sort of sick twat goes for a lil' girl?" Ray questioned. Chris stood in silence, his hand shaking as he re-read the note for the twentieth time.
"W-What do we do? Do we stay here?" He eventually spoke, looking to his friends for opinions.
"I don't know…" Shaz whispered leaving the tense atmosphere to drift back over.
"Look. In normal circumstances the Guv and Ma'am have ALWAYS been there to help us and others no matter what. I mean, she may be a nightmare and seems to constantly have something to say but she's full of support and ready to jump to any challenge. Therefore I think we should help out too. Our repayment, to say thank you. I mean Jim is smart, really smart! If he's got the Ma'am's daughter he obviously is expecting them to come and save her. So we should rightly go after them. In any case, backup is always required. This time, we're backup." Shaz exclaimed seriously after about five minutes of thinking. Immediately, sharing a look with Ray and Chris she understood they agreed and all turned in unison, heading to their desks and taking their coats, before leading out in a wordless motion.
Without signing a car out, minds focussed on one goal the three of them climbed into one of the station cars; Ray in the drivers seat, Chris in passenger and Shaz in the back. However this is when they stopped."Where will they be?" Ray asked aloud, the same as Shaz and Chris were thinking.
"They didn't take a radio. How are we gonna find them?" Chris then questioned.
"Drive. We drive. Think like the Guv. He doesn't care whether there is a destination or not, as long as we have a name and the belief, we'll find him." Shaz advised and Ray nodded, sticking the key in ignition and took off, with a speed to make D.C.I Hunt proud.
Not with a destination in mind the three of them sped round the streets looking everywhere possible in the hope of finding something that might help.
"Where can they be?" Ray thought aloud, turning the wheel and heading down a new route. The thin road had cars parked either side.
"It's like the impossible journey…" Chris commented, unhelpfully.
Shaz didn't speak, her eyes glued to the outside looking for something, anything that might help.
Half an hour later they had ended up escaping a labyrinth of streets and were now in an neglected estate. It looked full of rundown buildings and kids sitting on the street corners. A gang of mainly boys were walking together, a couple with beer bottles in their hands, the others with cigarettes. They watched as the car drove past before continuing with their conversation.
"There!" Chris pointed in front where, even in the growing dimness of light the gleaming, scarlet Quattro stood out, abandoned at the side of the road. Parking haphazardly the three officers cautiously walked towards the Quattro, Ray trying the passenger door.
"Locked. So they weren't forced out…" Ray pointed out, his policing skills coming in handy.
"But which way did they go?" Shaz asked looking around."Possibly in there..?" Chris asked, his finger pointing to an abandoned house, the door partly ajar. Signalling to the others to keep quiet Ray led the way, gun held aloft, into the corridor.
It was dusty and dark, with a single light bulb left working, glowing aimlessly in the middle of the ceiling. The doors in the passage were closed, all locked or pulled to. They paused, huddled together in the middle under the light, begging quietly for a small sound to help them. Or a loud sound. At that point a loud thump echoed on the ceiling above them, causing the light bulb to flail around helplessly, swinging dangerously close to Ray's head. It had helped though.
Creeping up the stairs they could immediately see just the one door open, and a shadow of a figure stood in the light.