"Guv – you'll bloody kill us!"
The Quattro squealed to a halt seconds before it would have plunged into the river and Gene looked at them all.
"'Right. Where the bloody 'ell are we going? You sure she went left, Chris?"
Chris bit his lip and looked at Gene. "Well Guv… it could've been right… I was just-"
Gene glared at him angrily, resisting the urge of whacking him around the head, his fists clench irately, then turned back to look out the front window. It was impossible to find her, London was huge and they were looking for a small insignificant car. He clutched the wheel and sighed, not sure what to do now. Shaz watched him and bent forward.
"Guv… we will find her, you know she wouldn't let herself die like that." She comforted, trying to be a bit more positive. She was determined to keep everyone with a high spirit but the three men were far from happy.
"You saw 'er lifeless an' pale." He muttered quietly.
"That didn't mean anything, Guv you have to keep strong for the team. We will find her. We could always ask Caroline Price, she knows Evan quite well."
Gene grunted and turned the car around, going back on the road. He cursed himself for not going up to Alex's flat to invite her down for a drink. She was up there with him, and he thought she was fine. How could he have been so stupid?
Gene parked outside Caroline's house and got out the car, thundering up the steps and ringing the doorbell consistently. There were footsteps from the stairs and he looked around, watching as Chris, Ray and Shaz followed him to the doorstep. The door creaked open to show Caroline in her night clothes.
"My daughter is asleep upstairs! Did you want to wake her?!" She scolded.
"This is more serious than waking a sleeping child." Gene replied angrily, stepping inside her house, followed by the other three.
"Why, what has happened?" Caroline asked, folding her arms.
"DI Alex Drake has gone missing." Ray answers.
"Missing… in what way?"
"Well my colleagues 'ere saw that Evan put an unconscious or dead Alex in the boot of 'er car and drove off." Gene replied crisply.
"Evan? Surely you're mistaken? He wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Well obviously he would! Where were you an hour or two ago?" Gene asks, clenching his fists and jaw tightening.
"Here with Alex." She watched the expressions and she shook her head. "No, my daughter Alex."
Gene grunted and scratched his head, trying to think where Evan would take her. He could easily be out of London by now and in the middle of the countryside and no one would know. He looked back at the team and they all looked confused, tired and maybe a little drunk.
"You need a rest DCI Hunt." Caroline soothed. "I suggest you look for her in the morning when you feel better. Blundering about in the middle of the night won't help anyone and there is little chance you could find her right now. If Evan comes round or rings I will let you know."
Shaz smiled and nodded, seeing that the men weren't up to thanking Caroline for her help. "You're right, come on, guys."
One by one they turned to leave, Gene hovering at the door, hoping that Caroline might possess more news, but she just gave a half hearted smile. "Alex is a strong woman, Hunt, she wouldn't give up fighting."
Gene's eyes stayed staring down at the floor while he walked out and headed back to the Quattro. Everyone else blearily sat in their seats while Gene started up the car, dropping them off outside their homes. Gene had dropped Chris and Shaz off so Ray and Gene were the only ones left in the car. Ray chewed his lip, not sure whether to say anything and risk getting shouted at. Gene was clearly unstable right now and needed comforting.
"I know you don't want to admit it Guv…"
Gene's head snapped around, staring at Ray. "What?" He asked gruffly.
"You and Drake." Ray answered bluntly.
"What about us?"
"The way you look at her."
"What goes on in my head and what I think stays in my head. It is none of your bloody business!" Gene stopped the car outside Ray's flat and looked at him.
"We'll find her." Ray whispered and opened the door, heading towards his home.
Gene waited for him to close the door before muttered under his breath. "Dead or alive…"
He wouldn't be able to sleep and Gene knew it. Get some clues… I gotta find 'er. He thought to himself. He couldn't bear to think about Alex right then. Gene pulled away from Ray's flat and drove down the street, right back to Alex's road.
The lights had gone off and Luigi's had closed for the night. The only sound was of some drunken kids yelling through the ghost street. He got out the car, ignoring the slurry shouts and went round to the back door which Evan had used. It was so dark he couldn't see anything so quietly he made his way to the door and opened it. Gene started to climb the stairs, determined to find evidence. Anything which would help him find his Bolly.
Gene stopped outside Alex's flat and closed his eyes, half expecting to hear some sort of movement or life inside there. He wasn't sure what to do because he didn't have a key and knew he shouldn't kick the door down. Gene put his hands in his pockets and looked around, hoping to see a spare set of keys anywhere but he found nothing.
He couldn't bear to stand outside her flat any long so as quietly as possible he took a run up at the door and let it swing on its hinges. Gene smiled at how swiftly he did it and stepped into her flat.
Gene stared at what he discovered and looked around at the cold, empty flat. Gene flicked the light switch on and a dim light above came on. He wasn't sure what to make of the mess. Everything in some sort of way was ruined, as if a bomb had hit it.
The sofa was wrecked, the table legs were broken, the TV was smashed, the walls were scribbled over, and the carpet was pulled up. That was only the living room! Gene went into the bathroom, inspecting the damage. Her shower curtain had been ripped down, the mirror on the wall smashed, the toilet lid broken, and worst of all the bath had been filled right to the top and had overflowed all over the floor. Gene closed his eyes and couldn't bear to think what he expected to see in the bedroom.
Reluctantly he exited the bathroom and went into the bedroom and was surprised to see it had hardly been touched. The bed had spots of blood on the sheets and a few things were on the floor which was a sign of struggle but apart from that it was exactly how Alex had left it.
Gene bent down on his knees and looked closer at the blood, which was still fresh. Gingerly he went out and touched it, just to make sure it was actually real. He pulled back his hand and shook his head.
"What happened here, Alex?" He whispered before rising to his feet and walking out the bedroom to the destroyed living room.
Questions were pounding in his head.
Why would Evan do this? Didn't he like Alex? What was the purpose in it all? Where the hell was Alex now?
"Whether I have to cross the world, Alex, I will bloody find you and lock up the bastard that took you. No one deserves to be treated like this… especially you…"
(Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, I was very busy. Please review – I really appreciate the ones I have gotten so far. Thanks!)