(To my readers - I am so sorry this fic has been delayed for such a long time! I lost the writing bug some time ago and have only recently fallen back into my fic writing.
Right, so here we go...Lets see if we can sort this mess out and get Alex out of jail....or will we?????)
Evidence 15 - The Bargaining Chip
The warrant card was an instrument which never failed. Just one flash of it would always encourage people to step aside without question and let him pass. Today was no different.
As he walked down steps and through corridors every challenge was met with a simple flash of the warrant card.
And now he reached his intended destination at the end of a long corridor.
Gene waited for a moment at the heavy iron door before entering the block that housed the courts cells.
He knew that, officially, he shouldn't be down here but the recent turn of events had given him a new determination in what had appeared to be a lost cause.
Gene took his hip flask from inside his overcoat, unscrewed the top, and swigged back a large hit of his whiskey before proceeding in.
With a deep breath, Gene pushed open the door to the cell block with determination in his stride.
The guard, a young man in his early twenties, looked up from his desk where he was sat doing some paperwork.
Rising to his feet, he took in the sight of the imposing DCI before him.
Once again, out came the warrant card.
"Gene Hunt, Metropolitan Police", Gene barked with authority as he held the card out for the guard to see.
"Can I help you sir?", the guard asked, looking up.
"Alex Drake", Gene began forcefully as he looked at the row of heavy cell doors, "Which one's she in?".
The guard looked taken aback for a moment.
"I err, I don't think I can allow visitors", the guard shook his head, "I'm sorry sir, it's just the way it is".
Gene's anger rose. He wasn't coming this far to be turned away from seeing Alex, not now so close to the verdict.
He looked at the guard for a moment, his desk very neat with paperwork, pens and an ash tray.
"You smoke?", Gene asked?
"Err, yes sir", the guard replied nervously, surprised at the sudden change of subject.
Gene reached into his pocket and produced a crisp ten pound note, "good!".
He handed the note in the direction of the guard, holding it just under the young mans nose.
"Pop to the shop and go buy yourself as many fags as you can with this", Gene instructed.
"Sir", the guard shook his head again with nerves, "I can't do that, that's bribery".
Gene gave the naive young guard a smile of amusement.
"Lotta corruption in the force these days you know sonny Jim!", Gene began, "and that's why you're gonna take this tenner and go get some fags".
"But sir, it's against the rules", the guard continued to protest.
"No", Gene disagreed, "it's for your own good".
"How exactly?", the guard shrugged.
"Because otherwise I say I came down here after hearin' a commotion and saw you assaulting one of these prisoners!", Gene explained in a flat tone of voice which was deadly serious.
"But I haven't!", the guard looked shocked.
"Better get down that shop then hadn't you pal?", Gene asked, "cos if you're not 'ere then you can't be assaulting anyone can you?".
The guard held Gene's gaze for several seconds, weighing up the options and trying to decide if the DCI would make good on his threat.
The guard sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"Alright!", he snatched the tenner from Gene's hand, "She's in four and you've got ten minutes, but I'm not leaving the keys".
"Good choice my boy!", Gene commended the young guard and gave him an appreciative slap on the back as he left his desk and made for the door, "and you can get me Mars bar too while you're there!".
The guard shut the heavy cell block door behind him as he left, leaving Gene alone with the row of cells.
The block wasn't pleasant. The floors were concrete, the walls a dank grey.
The iron cell doors were very old, like the rest of the building, and their paint was scratched and battered.
Gene looked as he made his way down the row of locked cell doors until he finally found the cell marked "4".
The small black chalk board next to the door clearly displayed the name "Drake" in a guards scrawled writing.
He could do with another drink but his time was running out and he had to make the most of it.
Carefully, Gene pulled back the shutter of the small square peep hole on the cell door. It was just several inches square, just enough to look through and show the occupant half a face.
Gene looked through.
His heart sank with pity as he looked into the grubby cell with it's stone cold walls and sense of damp obvious within the brickwork.
The cell was half in darkness, the lighting clearly not working properly.
Gene's eyes were drawn to the sad sight of the figure sat on the bench which ran across the very back of the cell.
Alex sat huddled in the corner with her white jacket draped around her shoulders, her arms wrapped around her knees for warmth and her head drooped downwards in despair.
Gene felt a tremendous pang of guilt as he watched her. The thought that this had all come about because of something he had done had gnawed away at him endlessly since the late night encounter with the Spook.
"Hey", he called and gave a gentle tap on the metal of the cell door. It echoed slightly through the confined space of the cell.
He watched as Alex slowly looked up, clearly trying to make out the eyes that looked at her through the small square hole.
"Bols...", Gene continued, "It's me, I haven't got long".
With clear surprise Alex pulled her jacket on, doing it up for much sought after warmth, got to her feet and moved quietly to the cell door.
"Gene?", she asked, "What are you doing here!? You shouldn't even be down here".
"I know Bols, I know...", Gene agreed in a quiet tone and trying to keep his voice low, "Look, there's something you need to know...".
"And you too...", Alex cut him off before he could continue, "This is important. Just, let me speak first?".
Gene was silent, he had to accept her request and allow her to say whatever it was she clearly needed to say.
Slowly, like a caged animal, Alex placed her hand on the bottom of the square peep hole - resting her fingers on it's edge, almost close enough to touch Gene's face.
"Gene...", she began, casting a look downwards momentarily.
"Go on...", he urged.
"Gene, I...I don't think this is going to go well. The prosecutions case is too good".
Gene watched as his D.I's fears began to vividly surface and her eyes moistened with fresh tears of sorrow and worry.
Instinctively, Gene placed his hand comfortingly over Alex's in the small metal gap and gently stroked the back of her hand soothingly with his thumb in an attempt to calm her.
"Gene, I mean it", Alex wiped her clearly tear filled eyes with her other hand, "I think I'm going to prison for a long time. A very long time Gene, and there's nothing I can do about it".
Gene let out a sigh. He wanted to tell her, but at the same time he didn't want to, he really didn't. Just the thought that he might raise her hopes and then possibly be double-crossed by the Spook made him feel sick to his gut.
But the more he looked at her in this fragile state, the more he realised just how much damage was being done to Alex by being imprisoned for a crime he knew she was innocent of.
"God...", Gene bit his lip...he didn't want to tell her...he really didn't..."How long's it been Bolls? Since they...".
"Locked me up?", she finished his sentence for him.
"Yeah", Gene nodded, his sadness obvious.
"Fenchurch West arrested me in November last year, it's April 82 now", Alex sighed, "That's six months Gene".
"Christ...", the DCI cursed, his frustration growing and tearing at him.
"And I can't see it changing any time soon", Alex shook her head tearfully.
"You don't know that Alex", Gene said with slightly more force than he meant and dropped her nickname.
"But if it goes against me Gene, if they send me down for life...Please, please Gene just move on - All of you", Alex begged, "I don't want visitors, really... Seeing you all, knowing you're all out there, I think it would just kill me a little more each day".
Alex closed her eyes for several moments, not wishing to see Gene's look of hurt and rejection.
Gene took more of a grip on Alex's hand in the viewing gap, squeezing her hand for reassurance and watching as she opened her eyes to look at him once again.
"Come 'ere", Gene motioned with a movement of his head for Alex to come nearer the gap.
Alex obeyed, taking one more step nearer to the cell door which kept her imprisoned.
"That's better", Gene said soothingly as Alex stood right up against the cold metal of the door, her face right up to the gap.
The DCI let go of his DI's hand and reached forward to Alex's face in the square viewing hole.
With a gentle touch, he smoothed his thumb down Alex's cheek, catching and wiping away the tear that was slowly making it's way down her skin.
"I mean it Gene...", Alex sobbed as Gene once again took hold of her fingers on the metal of the door, "I'm not sure I can do this".
Gene pulled back from her hand and suddenly and hit the door hard with his palm causing Alex to jump in surprise.
"Good God Bolls!", Gene exclaimed at volume, "You're forcing me to tell you, aren't you?".
Alex tried to peer further through the gap, trying to understand why Gene was suddenly so angry.
"I'm sorry", she quietly apologised, "I didn't set out to upset you...".
Gene turned back to Alex, his heart begging him to tell her but his fears of betrayal warning him off.
Reluctantly Gene looked down to the concrete floor and sighed as if defeated.
There was a long silence as Gene looked down, unable to face Alex with the truth for several moments.
"Gene? Guv?", Alex begged from her cell, "Something's wrong. I can tell...You know I can always tell Gene".
"Bols...", Gene looked up with remorse...
"Tell me", she urged.
"I can't", he shook his head, "I shouldn't...It's dangerous, it's not signed and sealed yet, it could still go wrong".
"Please...", Alex again begged.
"No", the DCI defiantly responded, his look steely.
Alex suddenly made a sharp intake of breath as she analysed Gene.
"Do you know something?", she asked through the gap, "Gene! Do you know something that can help me!".
"Look it's not sorted yet!", Gene countered, wishing she would just get off the subject, "I didn't want to get your hopes up!".
"Gene you have to tell me! Please!", Alex pleaded, "It doesn't matter what it is, anything! Gene if you know something that can stop me going to prison you have to tell me, please!".
"It's not that bloody simple Drake!", Gene shouted back at her though the gap with a force of anger that took even himself by surprise.
There was a tremendous bang on the inside of the cell door that startled Gene.
"Simple! Do you think this is simple Gene!?", Alex yelled back with a fire Gene had not seen since before she had been arrested and taken from his world.
"Hey! Hey!", Gene urged as a wave of concern grew within him at Alex's reaction, "Look just calm down Drake!".
Again Alex hit the door in frustration, grazing the knuckles on her right hand.
"I'm sorry if it's not simple Gene!", the desperate Detective Inspector cried, "Do you think I find being locked up almost 24 hours a day to be simple?! Do you think I find being in prison simple?! Do you think being dragged here in handcuffs everyday is simple!? Do you Gene!?".
"Alex!!!", Gene shouted with an air of urgency that stopped her in her tracks, "Stop this!".
There was a moment of silence as Gene saw Alex step back and her eyes widen in realisation at what Gene was about to announce. He could see she had finally worked it out. There was no point hiding it now.
"I know who framed you Bols...", Gene lowered his head in shame.
"You....know?", Alex could scarcely believe the words she heard Gene speak.
"Yes", Gene nodded, "I do. They've offered you a way out, but only if I cut a deal with them".
"What kind of a deal?", Alex questioned as she once again neared the gap so they could talk quietly, "And who are 'they'?".
"Bols, cast your mind back", Gene began remorsefully, "RWF, Artemis, the Edgehampton weapons research facility, the vault...".
"What about it?", Alex hadn't yet made the connection.
"Luigis...", Gene continued, "...that Spook who came and sat with us, do you remember his veiled threat?".
"That something was missing from the vault and", Alex recalled and then it hit her, "...Oh my god".
Gene nodded as he saw her make the inevitable connection.
"I'm so sorry Alex", Gene apologised with his voice trembling with sorrow, "if I'd known this was what they were gonna do...".
"MI5?", Alex asked, her eyes pleading through the gap for confirmation.
Again Gene nodded.
"They're behind this whole charade, have been all along", Gene explained, "They sent a covert search team into your flat to look for the Artemis file, but they never found it".
"...Because you had it all along?", Alex guessed, her voice no more than a sad whisper.
The two police officers both looked down. The entire meeting had been emotionally draining for both of them.
Eventually Gene looked up and spoke.
"I saw that Spook last night. He came to me", Gene explained looking at the emotionally exhausted Alex before him, "If I return the damn file they'll lean on the jury and get a not guilty verdict. If I don't....".
"I go down for life", Alex finished, "with parole boards mysteriously overlooking me year after year. A pawn in their game...A bargaining chip".
"Bols, if I'd known...", Gene began.
"It's not your fault", Alex shook her head, "Really Gene... I was just as much a part of events that day as you were. Really, it's not down to you".
"But it was me who nicked the file Bols", self blaming clear in the DCI's voice.
There was a clang as a door further down the outside corridor opened and shut again.
"Shit!", Gene cursed, "Bols, I gotta go. I don't want to but my time's nearly up...the guard kindly, shall we say, went on an errand for a few minutes".
Alex nodded in sad understanding, not wanting Gene to leave.
"Now you Bolly Kecks...", Gene tried to sound encouraging, "You stay out of trouble, well, any more trouble, and I'll do my damnedest to put things right for you. I promise".
"Gene...", Alex called as Gene began to move away.
Gene turned back to see Alex offering her hand through the small gap.
He placed his own palm against hers, threading his fingers through hers and squeezing her hand gently in reassurance.
He saw her smile slightly in response. The first smile he had seen from her in a long time.
"...Thank you for being honest with me".
Gene sighed, "Thank you for not 'ating me".
"I could never hate you Gene", Alex dismissed the thought, "Now go, before you get into trouble too".
Gene nodded slowly, giving a sly wink as he shut the viewing hole leaving Alex once again shut up in the windowless cell.
"I don't know", the Indian man who led the jury pondered as he sat at the table in the deliberation room the jury were using, "I do not like her. This woman is hiding something".
The room was large, with a dark rectangular table in the centre that appeared very old.
The jury were seated around the table with several of them taking notes as they deliberated.
"Yeah but she doesn't seem like a psycho to me", a young man in his early twenties butted in.
"And how do they seem?", the Indian man enquired.
"I dunno", the man shrugged, "she just seems kinda...normal".
"That's what people say about most murderers - that they seemed normal, that they seemed like anyone else", the Indian man continued, "That Drake woman is not telling us the whole truth, I can feel it".
The young man simply shrugged.
"Well I too feel that there is something not right with this woman", an older lady in a cardigan said, "that calendar she had on her wall, all those news clippings, I ask you is that normal?".
There was a murmur of agreement as the jurors all shook their heads.
"And if there is something wrong, if she is disturbed", the woman continued, "then maybe prison is the best place for her?".
"It'd be one more nutter off the streets I say", a stocky man in his fifties agreed, "lock her up, throw away the key".
"That's not quite how I meant it", the cardigan lady continued, "I mean they could send her to one of those special prisons, you know where they send the mentally ill ones, maybe she could get help there?".
Before anyone could add anything further, the door to the jury room opened with no knocking in advance and a figure silently walked in, turning only to look at the occupants of the room.
"I thought we were not supposed to be interrupted!", the Indian juror protested.
The man walked further into the room after shutting the doors slowly behind him. He was tall, wearing a suit and a black overcoat. His hair was combed neatly and he had a moustache.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, good day to you...", the man began, "This interruption has not occurred, I am not here, and this conversation is not taking place".
"What are you talking about!?", the Indian man demanded, "this is completely against the rules! Who are you?".
"Allow me to introduce myself", the man said in his well spoken voice, "I work for her Majesties secret service, you know us as MI5...."
To be continued....
End chapter 15.
Many thanks to Rolephant from Luigis for beta-ing.
Many thanks to rantandrumour from Luigis for challening me to do this by the end of this week. We're nearly there!