Disclaimer: I own… your soul! But not The Bill. I wonder if ITV wants to swap?

A/N: For those of you holding out hope Oscar will be returned soon… ha ha… nope!

Dedicated to feebee for her faith... and how it's about to be led awry.

Chapter Twenty-Six;
On The Edge

Smithy hammered on the front door of Stamos' small inner-city home. Behind him two police cars blocked the road and three officers stood around each one. Another car was at the back of the flat with four police, including Roger Valentine, blocking the back door. Smithy knocked again then stepped back so PC Hartford with the battering tool could step forward. The door burst open on the third hit and smacked into the wall behind it with a thud. Smithy, asp flicked out, rushed into the flat.

"Stamos?" The house was quiet. "Elliot Stamos, it's the police."

But the place was empty.

Smithy paused in the main hallway as the others spread out around him. Roger passed through from the back of the house and paused at the bottom of the stairs as Smithy was called into the living room. Roger followed to find PC Hartford holding up a folder. Smithy took it off Hartford and opened it, finding a pile of photos inside, the people within them very familiar.

Smithy picked the top one off and read it aloud. "Millie and Oscar, August 4th, Mrs. Brown's house." The photo showed Millie, a young Oscar wiggling in her arms, walking into her mother's place. There were others – Oscar on play equipment, Max coming home from work, Millie hanging out the washing, Max and Millie talking in the front yard. The dates ranged from September two years earlier until as recent as three weeks ago. "Two years of photos." He handed them to Roger. "There's at least a hundred or so."

"But why?"

Smithy shrugged. "I don't know."

…

When Millie awoke to the sound of voices, Max's deep angry growl familiar, she knew something was wrong. Opening her eyes she saw the man standing across from Max watching her, a lurid look in his eye, and she looked away from him quickly. The story about Sarah Hatton would have normally left her feeling sad, depressed that Max had taken another life, but right now her worry was with Oscar and him only. Sarah was gone, it was a cold thought yes but the truth, but Oscar could be saved if they could just get away from this man and go find Jankowski. Millie sniffed back a tear at the thought of her son. He could be anywhere and the man before her had proven so far that he'd try anything. If he had Oscar then what did he want for him? What would he ask of Millie to get it?

When the two large men entered the room Millie realised the answer was her husband's blood.

"Do..." a hand clapped over Millie's mouth before she could finish the sentence and she cast her eyes up at the large man standing over her, the one they didn't know the name of. He grinned back coldly and just held her arm tightly. She could almost feel the circulation being cut off.

"Jankowski overestimated you Max, taking Oscar and only leaving you small clues, none of which you noticed. Me? I like mind games and big guys with gruff European accents. And in the game of 'who kills Carter first'? I like to win." The man standing across from Max (the frustration of being unable to remember his name was getting to Millie) shot Millie another cold smile, then he beckoned the man known as Reouth forward. Max didn't even resist and she knew why as soon as she caught Max's eye. He was protecting her. He was doing his usual, ridiculous one-man self-sacrifice routine for her sake.

He underestimated these men – Millie knew that instantly. If he really thought giving himself up this easily would just end it all...

The man spoke again, the lurid look returning, a glint of evil in his eye. "Sit tight sweetheart, I'll be back soon." He pulled the door shut behind him as he left, a resounding slam echoing around the room, and Millie's breath caught in her throat. Her son was kidnapped, this man was about to kill Max, and when he returned he was probably going to use Millie for his own sexual plaything.

This couldn't get worse.

Tears started to slide down Millie's cheeks though she didn't register them and the man pulled his hand away instinctively. Millie responded by yelling, calling Max to fight, and the large man returned his hand, pulling her roughly to her feet. "I suggest you shut up girlie or this is only going to g..."

He was cut off as there came a bang from outside, a yell, and Millie heard Max's voice telling someone to unlock a door. She grinned, willing her husband success, knowing he'd heard her yell but, as soon as the fight started to swing Max's way she heard another voice...

"Don't make me use it Carter." It was Reouth, his accent thick, gruff. "Give it up."

Millie slumped. It was over. The moment of hope had faded fast and now she fell silent. Hoping listening.

A struggle started. She heard voices yelling, three of them, and things being knocked over. Even the man holding Millie was listening, she could see him straining, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the sounds outside. Millie struggled against his hold for a moment but as the sounds from outside continued she gave up fighting the hold on her and just listened, praying. The man holding her tugged at her again, almost asking for her to fight, but she let him. Like he knew she was no longer a threat, he removed his hand from her mouth and used it to tighten his hold on her upper arms. But she ignored him, her ears straining for sounds from the next room, her eyes brimming with tears and her lips forming silent prayers. He had to be alright. He had to be.

The next second… a bang. A gun went off.

The man holding Millie gasped, dropping her, and she fell to the ground with a scream.

"MAX!"

A/N 2: Cliffhanger hiatus Kate? Why yes, I'd love to. Noble Fight will be back in three weeks after I return from my holiday to America! Until then, enjoy the start of Going Under…