Disclaimer Hu$tle does not belong to me. I just wish it did!
Reunited?
Emma closed her eyes as she realised she had been left alone in the room. The relief that Dean and Rachel had disappeared was short lived. She had no idea what had happened to Carole or whether the others knew where she was. Opening her eyes she blinked as she tried to work out how she was going to get back to Stacie, Carole and the boys.
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"I don't believe this." Carole looked around the nightclub as the music began to give her a headache. The mobile in her hand began vibrating as Sean jogged through the crowds towards her.
"Sean."
"Hiya," He rested his hands on her shoulders. "You ok? Eddie is worried sick."
"Is he? Bless him." Carole smiled as Sean ushered her across to the tables on the edge of the dancefloor.
"What happened to my sister?"
"Christ knows because I'm damn certain I don't." Carole huffed as Sean glared at her. "One minute she was off to talk to the mark and the next gone. I was watching her the whole time. I swear." Carole shook her head as she realised she was on the verge of tears. "Have you spoken to Mickey?"
"No." Sean almost spat the word.
"Ok." Carole raised her hands in surrender. "I get you are worried but give your sister some credit. She'd first class at what she does. So don't you go throwing your weight around like you are the only one who cares about her. She's my mate."
"She's my sister."
"Poor cow." Carole huffed as Sean glared at her.
"Getting on well I see." Danny beamed as he rested both hands on Sean's shoulders in the same way Sean had done to Carole minutes earlier.
"You shouldn't be in here." Sean turned to the older man as Carole raised an eyebrow.
"No mate, that is where you are wrong." Danny smirked. "Dean left about five minutes ago."
"Alone?" Carole rested a hand on her chest as Danny nodded.
"Nah with that Rachel bird Ash was married to. No sign of our Emma though, so I reckon she is still in here."
"Well, there is one way to find out." Carole smirked as both men looked at her. She nodded towards the little red box on the wall. "Oh for God's sake." She shook her head as she wandered over to the wall and discreetly pulled the fire alarm. The deafening ring of the fire alarm caused almost everyone in the building to run for the exits as the bouncers tried and failed to control them.
"May just put a call into the Health and Safety exec after this." Danny smirked as he jogged towards the exit hoping that Emma was somewhere in the throng.
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"MICKEY!" Ash jogged after his friend as Mickey had no intention of slowing down to wait for him. "Bleedin' nora!"
"Ash, the con went wrong. Again. And Emma is in trouble. Again."
"You don't know that." Ash fell into step beside him. "You have to trust your crew. You know that."
"Yeah? And what if this has Emma running away from us for good?"
"What if you've lost 'er. That's what you mean." Ash watched as Mickey narrowed his eyes. "Oh come on, none of us are stupid. Well, Eddie and Sean can be a bit slow on the uptake granted. But we know you are in love with the girl."
"You know the golden rule of grifters."
"No, Mick." Ash stared at him. "That's your rule. It never did me much harm."
"Rachel?"
"A mistake. One I'm still paying for. June was not a mistake." Ash straightened up to his full height as he watched Mickey nod. He had loved June too in his own way. Both men knew there would never be a grifter quite like Ash's second wife. Even Albert had stated she was too good for him.
"So?"
"We go to the nightclub. We find Deano and we sort this. Once and for all. He knows we are on a job an' he's the mark. Rachel will have told him that. You want me to talk to 'er, so I will. Not for you. For Emma."
"Thanks Ash." Mickey smiled his first genuine smile of the night.
"Don't bloody thank me. Emma is a good girl." He stormed off towards the taxi rank at the end of the street as Mickey took a deep breath and followed him.
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The sound of the fire alarm scared Emma half to death. She was in a locked room in a nightclub, apparently alone in a building that was now on fire. Closing her eyes she tried to force her heartbeat back into a normal rhythm as she rested her head on the locked door. Frowning she realised there was no smoke or smell of smoke. Her head spun with a combination of being in almost pitch darkness and fear. She shook the doorhandle again as the screech of the fire alarm began to die away. The door wouldn't move.
"Oh this is just great!" She hissed under her breath as she slapped her hands against the door.
"HELP!" She carried on hitting and kicking the door in the hope someone other than Dean or Rachel would let her out.
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"You better have a good reason for loitering in a public place." Ash smiled as Stacie wound her car window down.
"Ash."
"Stacie, Eddie." He nodded to the hapless bar owner.
"Alright Ash?" Eddie smiled slightly, clearly agitated.
"Have been better." He nodded towards Mickey who was now deep in converation with Albert on his mobile phone. Ash couldn't help but feel grateful that the veteran grifter had stayed at home.
"Emma?"
"No clue. Not yet. Stacie, get Eddie back to the apartment and look after Albert." Ash glanced across at Mickey knowing that for once he was going to have to take charge. They fell silent as the sounds of a fire alarm pierced the air.
"What the?" Stacie turned to watch the teenagers and other partygoers run from the club.
"My Carole." Eddie smiled. "That'll be my Carole that will. With the alarm."
"RIght then. I dunno about you but I am gonna find me ex wife and ask 'er what the bleedin' ell she is playing at. Fancy joining me?"
"I thought?"
"Change of plan Stace." Ash sighed as he met her eyes. She nodded while Eddie got out of the car.
"What about Mick?"
"Eddie, I'll look after him. Carole is in the nightclub with Sean and Danny yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I'll send Mickey in there. Let's 'ope our girl is still in there somewhere." He jogged over to his friend as Mickey ended the call.
"She's in the club." Mickey stated with a certainty he hadn't felt since he had got Danny and Stacie back on the crew. He still couldn't bring himself to fully trust his former friend. The floater could be a liability at the best of times. Now was not the best of times.
"Yeah, looks like. I think I know where Rachel is. I'm taking Stacie with me. You get in there and find Emma. Before the fire brigade turn up and we end up answering some very awkward questions."
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"Did you hear that?" Carole pushed past Danny and almost ran against the throng of people trying to escape as Danny and Sean glanced at each other before pushing their way through the crowd in the direction Carole had vanished into.
"Yeah." Danny frowned as he saw Mickey arrive. "Blimey, here comes the cavalry."
"Shut up Danny." Sean hissed as Mickey reached them. Carole shouted through the door as she tried the handle. Shaking it furiously she realised the others had joined her.
"EMMA! It's locked luv."
"Car? Carole?"
"Yes luvvy, but it's locked."
"STAND BACK!" Mickey yelled as Emma did as she was told.
"You aren't gonna?" Danny smirked. Sean shook his head while Carole stepped back and tugged on Danny's shirt for him to get out of the way.
"STAND BACK.!" Sean repeated Mickey's instruction before nodding at Mickey. Both men kicked the door once. Nothing happened. Glaring at the door they tried again satisfied when the splinters shattered under their force. Emma ran a hand through her hair knowing Mickey was going to blame her for the con going wrong. He smiled slightly as she held his gaze.
"You ok?" Sean asked. Emma nodded. In seconds Mickey crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms.
"Told you." Carole held out her hand for Danny to hand her the £5 she had won. Neither Emma or Mickey were aware of them as Sean ushered them all out of the room.
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Ash stared up at the tower block he knew Rachel now lived in. Dean had the penthouse suite and he knew Rachel well enough to know she would have moved in too.
"Ash." Stacie rested her hand on his knee as she spoke.
"I'm ok."
"Are you?" She bit her lip. Ash nodded while Stacie followed his gaze to the impossibly tall building.
"Be careful." She moved her hand. He smiled slightly, getting out the car he crossed to her side.
"Yeah, I will. Put the car out of sight. Stace, luv anyone would think you cared." She shook her head slightly watching him jog towards the entrance to the building. Sighing she knew he had no idea just how much she did care.
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A/N Not happy with this but it leads nicely into the next chapter.