We're nearly at the end, folks! Just a few more chapters after this one.
Part Fourteen
Gene hadn't wanted the confrontation to take place in his office. He had tried to keep Gore and Babbin outside. Yes, he had let them know that Sam was at the station, trying to poke their buttons just enough to make them uneasy, just enough to upset them. That way, they'd be more likely to slip up and blurt out something useful. Well, they were upset, alright. But now he was the uneasy one.
He quickly put himself between the two possibly crooked cops and his own DI. Sam was in no shape to go in swinging. He was a decent little scrapper, but the Guv didn't want to see him hurt any worse than he already was.
"Stand aside, Hunt," Gore ordered, making a sharp motion in the scant air between them.
Gene lifted his chin. "DI Tyler is innocent."
"That why you've got him cuffed to your file cabinet?" Gore asked, raising an eyebrow. "See, here's what I think." He took a step closer and was now toe-to-toe with Gene. "I think he's a killer, and you know it, and you don't care. 'Cause he's either your favorite or your best buddy or your pretty boy or your illegitimate kid or whatever he is, and you are just looking to pass on the blame, playing favorites."
The other DCI's voice was strangely passionate, and Gene frowned, wondering why this was so personal to Gore. Then he glanced over the average-sized man's shoulder and looked at Babbin, who was watching the confrontation with a dumb smile. Ah. Pot callin' the kettle black.
"Funny you're the one talkin' about favorites," Gene told Gore, going with his instinct. "The way you let Babbin get away with murder is quite criminal."
Gore's face went an interesting shade of pale purple, and he took a step back. "What are you saying, Hunt?" His voice was low and steady, but there was a dangerous tension to it.
The man's reaction was even stronger than Gene had expected, and for a moment, he was unsure of how to react...
… so Sam jumped into the fray. "You heard the Guv," Sam snapped at Gore. "You're projecting your own situation onto us."
Whatever that meant. "Yeah." Gene stood akimbo. "I think you've got some confessing to do, and as I don't see no priests in the room, you'll just have to tell all your sins to me."
Gore's nostrils flared, and behind him, Babbin had lost his smile.
"This is it, Guv," Sam whispered to him excitedly. "You see it, don't you?"
Gene did see it. And he didn't like it. It made him feel almost sick inside to think that other coppers would do what Gore and Babbin had probably done. He glanced over his shoulder and met Sam's eyes with an affirmative nod.
"I'm—I'm going to have to ask you to turn Sam Tyler over to us, to our custody," Gore stammered. "He's a murderer, Hunt."
"No can do, Gore." Gene crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. He was pretty sure now that some very bad aspect of this case could be attributed to these two thugs—be it a murder or covering up evidence pertaining to a murder. Worst case scenario? These two had committed two murders. "He's innocent, and you know it."
"You know it because you were there," Sam added sharply. "And you planted evidence in my apartment while I was sleeping. I saw you following me, in the red checked suit—the suit which you gave to another man to cast the evidence away from you."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Tyler," Gore sneered, but Gene saw the flicker of fear in his eyes.
"I know what he's talking about," Gene stated. "And he's talking the truth. It's time you fess up, Gore. Or will it be you, Babbin? Come on, lads. One of you needs to crack first."
Gore and Babbin were silent for a moment. Gore was gazing at Sam with hatred, while Babbin looked back at Gene with what appeared to be confusion.
Gene was taken by surprise when Gore exploded into action, dodging the Guv and going for Sam, his fists balled up for punching. Gene reacted as quickly as he could, grabbing the back of Gore's coat and swinging the man around. He grabbed hold of Gore's collar and shoved him against the wall. Gore snarled and shoved back, and Gene staggered backward, literally tripping over Sam, who staggered and would have fallen, save for the handcuffs attaching him to the file cabinet.
Before Gore could make another go at Sam, Gene forced himself to his feet and launched himself at Gore, his fist smashing into Gore's jaw. His satisfaction with the perfect blow was short lived, as Gore lashed out in return, smacking the side of his hand hard against Gene's throat. Coughing and swearing at once, Gene swung at Gore again.
The fight was on.
Sam jerked at the handcuffs holding him in place, keeping his eyes on Babbin, who was advancing slowly and menacingly toward him. "Oh, God. Oh, God." Sam swore and tugged harder. He knew he was bruising his wrist, but maybe, just maybe, he could pull himself free.
A slow smile curved Babbin's wide, thin lips as he got closer, stepping over Gene and Gore, who were rolling across the floor trying to strangle each other.
"You're trapped, little man," said Babbin, looming closer.
"Come on. Come on!" Sam jerked his hand again, and the motion jarred his entire body. He muffled a cry of pain as his ribs flared up again. Well they're going to hurt even worse if you let that giant moron get ahold of you again! You might have to dislocate your thumb, Sam. Think you can do that? "No," he shook his head, keeping his eyes on Babbin. "Don't have to do that. Think, Sam. Think!" He glanced around, searching frantically for a way out.
Aha! Quickly, he snatched a paperweight off the top of the file cabinet and chunked it at Babbin. It glanced off the big man's shoulder, and he staggered, but kept coming, the smile replaced by a look of anger.
"Guv!" Sam shouted, pulling frantically on the cuffs. "I need the key!" He looked around for Gene, wincing when he caught sight of him. Gore had Gene's arm behind his back and was bending it in a manner that must be painful.
"Sorry, Sammy!" Gene yelled. "Can't get to you right now!" He turned toward the door, his face reddening with the exertion of fighting Gore. "Ray! DS Carling! Get in here now!" Then he popped his head backward, slamming Gore's nose and sending blood spurting everywhere.
Sam's heartbeat skipped when he realized that he had been distracted by Gene and Gore's brawl. Swiftly, he looked back to Babbin. The big man was standing right over him, his lips curved in an animalistic snarl.
Before Babbin could make another move, Sam kicked out at the larger man's knees, with as much strength as he could muster. His kick was well-aimed, and the big man went down with a grunt.
"Ha!" Sam called above the din of Gene and Gore's battle. "Did ya see that, Guv?"
"Busy, Sam!" Gene hollered back. And he did seem to be quite busy—busy punching Gore in the ribs. "How's that feel, ya piece of crap? D'ya like that? No? Well my DI doesn't like it, either!"
Sam turned his attention back to Babbin, who was lumbering back to his feet. Grinning this time, he kicked the man again, this time landing the toe of his boot solidly on Babbin's chin. The DS fell backward, hitting the ground with a thud.
"Score one, Manchester United, Guv!" Sam informed his DCI smugly.
"Oh, shut up!" Gene called back.
When Ray barreled through the door of the Guv's office, he was met by what seemed to be chaos. The Guv was holding DCI Gore against the wall by his throat and trying to avoid being kicked by the other DCI. At the same time, big DS Babbin was lying on the floor with his arms wrapped around Sam's legs, and Sam was struggling to free his legs, while at the same time pelting Babbin with various objects from Gene's file cabinet.
Ray stopped for a moment and smiled. Sam and Babbin's situation almost looked like an illustration from his granny's Bible that he hadn't seen in years... David and Goliath, was it?
"Ray!" Gene shouted. "Don't just stand there! Give us a hand!"
Ray's smile broadened. "Gladly, Guv!" He started toward the Guv, then thought better of it. Gene would see that as an insult to his manliness. And besides, the Boss was fighting with only one arm, as the other was cuffed to the file cabinet.
"Oi! Get off the Boss!" Ray yelled, kicking Babbin in the side.
Babbin flinched, and Sam managed to free one leg, which he used to help Ray kick the bigger man into submission.
"I give up! I give up!" Babbin cried, crawling backward and trying, unsuccessfully, to squeeze under the Guv's desk. "You win!"
"I like the sound of that," Ray told the other DS. "Now you just sit tight and don't move or I'll kick you again."
"Thanks, Ray," Sam panted, grinning.
Ray glanced quickly at the skinny DI. He looked alarmingly pale, his face shiny with a thin sheen of sweat. But he had held his own in the brawl, even while injured and handcuffed. Before Ray knew it, he was smiling at the Boss. As soon as he caught himself, he cleared his throat and frowned. "Gonna go help the Guv now."
"Good idea," Sam breathed, leaning heavily against the file cabinet.
Ray jogged across the room to where Gene was backhanding a very floppy DCI Gore. He stopped and stood there quietly, realizing that the Guv had this under control.
"You like being smacked in the face like a criminal?" Gene growled, smacking Gore again. "Well you should get used to it, 'cause that's what you are." Finally seeming satisfied, he released Gore, and the other DCI dropped to the ground, covering his bloodied nose with both hands and staring up at Gene with both anger and fear.
Ray cleared his throat.
Gene turned to face him, his face red, his lip split near the corner.
"They confess to somethin'?" Ray asked, curious as to how the brawl got started. He was surprised when Gene and Sam groaned in unison.
Sam swore and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the file cabinet.
Gene swore and kicked Gore.
"What?" Ray frowned, confused.
Gene waved him off and staggered across his messy—and now messier—office to the file cabinet where Sam was cuffed. "You a'right, Tyler?"
"Yeah. I'll make it, Guv," Sam replied with a nod.
Gene reached into his pocket and withdrew a small key, which he used to unlock Sam from the cabinet.
"Oh, thank God!" Sam gasped, taking a step away from the cabinet. He swayed a bit, and Gene reached out and firmly caught him by the shoulder. "Thanks, Guv."
Gene didn't answer with words, just a nod. Then he reached into the file cabinet and withdrew a flask.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Here I thought you were concerned about your DI, and you just wanted a drink."
Gene shot him a glare, but still spoke no words.
Ray crossed his arms and chewed his gum, watching the Guv with interest. Just what was he up to?
Gene stepped over Babbin, who was still crouched on the floor, watching Ray and Sam with fear. Then the Guv grabbed his chair and dragged it back across the floor—and Babbin—and set it in front of Gore. He plopped down in the chair, staring at the other DCI, and took a long gulp of liquor.
Finally, Gene spoke.
"Gore, you bloody bastard, so help me, if you don't talk, we can start the fight all over again. So which is it? You tell me what you know about these murders, or I beat the crap out of you... again."
Silence descended, filling the Guv's office and making it feel stuffy.
Wincing, Sam slid to the floor, leaning against the file cabinet.
"You a'right, Sammy?" Gene called back to him. It was the second time he had asked.
"Yeah. Fine," Sam answered. It was the second time he had lied. He felt sick in a couple of ways. Sick to his stomach from the exertion of fighting while injured, and sick at heart from the fact that their successful little brawl had been premature.
"If he's lying, kick him for me, will you, Carling?"
"Sure thing, Guv." Ray gave Sam a meaningful look.
"I'm fine," Sam assured him. It would have helped if he hadn't winced at that moment.
Ray narrowed his eyes on him.
Sam held up his hands. "I swear to God, Ray, if you kick me-"
"Come on, Gore," Gene's voice echoed through the office, cutting off Sam's threat. "Give it up. We all know you're involved in this whole mess. Just tell us how deeply involved you really are."
Abruptly, Gore laughed, and the sound of it made the hair on Sam's arms stand up. It was downright chilling.
"Oh, Hunt." Gore sighed. "If you only knew how close your little Sammy was to finding out everything..."