Hey everyone! Thanks for all the lovely reviews and all the support. Tbh, I'm not too happy with this chapter but let me know what you think! x

The team was in position, ready to strike when the deal was done. Gene would go down in history for putting Stoke behind bars; the whole of the Met had been plagued by Stoke for far too long and Hunt was going to take him down. Adrenaline coursed through his veins along with, although he would never admit it, a rumble of fear.

They had decided to maintain Alex's cover until it was sure that Stoke was caught and was going down for a long time, to make sure she was safe. The plan, apart from this, was rather uncomplicated: the goods changed hands and CID in its entirety storm in and arrest the lot. Alex was to be arrested and taken to the station, in sight of Stoke, and be kept in the cells until it had all blown over. Ray, as another precautionary measure, was kept out of the deal and the arrests, just in case.

Gene watched as the two gangs met and made sure that Alex was always visible to him. He watched as she stepped out of Stoke's car and recoiled as she proceeded to kiss him. She looked calm and comfortable compared to the others present, which Gene feared could be a giveaway and willed her to play her part more convincingly. As if telepathy had been at play, Alex began to fidget like a nervous schoolchild, looking around her with paranoia.

"Stand by," Gene growled into his radio, "and wait for my signal. And, no-one touches Stoke. That bastard's mine." Gene could feel his heartbeat in his ears. This is the excitement he joined the force for: operations like this to keep the streets of his kingdom clean and scum-free.

Within five minutes, two vans arrived: one empty to take the load from the other. Alex had said that the vans were to be used for the drugs and some more laundered money, but the passports would be given directly to Stoke. The vans would leave before Stoke and be stopped by CID approximately halfway through their journey. Stoke would be taken down as soon as he possessed the passports.

Stoke checked the first van and gestured for some of his men to load up the second, while he and the other associates all lit up their cigarettes. All of them apart from Alex, who still seemed to be looking for something.

Once the van was ready, Stoke handed over a briefcase, presumably containing the payment and signalled the drivers to leave.

"The van is leaving the area," Gene said gruffly over the radio, "follow and secure the arrest, Cooper One. The rest of you, get ready."

The events which followed seemed to occur in slow motion to Gene. The bag containing the passports was being handed to Stoke as Alex whispered in his ear. Stoke's eyes widened, but he quickly regained composure. Gene couldn't make out what she had said, but it became clearer as her eyes became focused on where Gene was standing.

The two men doing the deal had frozen, and Alex proceeded to whisper in the other man's ear. The two men looked at each other and gave a curt nod. Stoke snatched the bag and Gene yelled 'GO!' down his radio, and chaos ensued. Those gathered for the deal had scattered before the team had time to react and many had already managed to jump in a vehicle and drive away.

"What the bloody hell just happened, Gov?" Ray yelled as the team gathered, astounded, around him.

"Drake. She told him we were watching. Cooper One," he barked into his radio, "please tell me you got the van."

"This is Cooper One to Hunt. We've lost the van. I repeat, we have lost the van."

****

Alex's heart was racing and Stoke looked as if he was about to vomit. She was pretty sure that they hadn't been followed but asked the driver to take a detour just to make sure.

"How the hell did you know they were there?"

"I caught a glimpse of someone behind the wall of barrels with a radio."

"Thanks, Alex. Without the head-start, I don't think we would have got away..."

"Can I ask you something?" Alastair nodded. "I understand the drugs and the money, but... the passports. Who are they for?"

"I guess you didn't buy that they were for someone else, huh? Well, technically they are... I wasn't going to tell you, but I guess I owe you now. It's for someone I know, a distant relative in fact. He got into some trouble in his own country and came over here as an illegal immigrant. The passports are for him and, eventually, to bring his family over. I wouldn't normally get involved but..."

"When you say trouble...?"

"He got into a lot of debt with a lot of the wrong people."

"Oh, I see..."

"I don't really know how they are going to make it work, but wanted to help so I agreed to pick these up and thought nothing of it. But now... I'm a bit scared to be honest with you Alex."

Alex took his hand and smiled to convey her understanding. She did sympathesise with his predicament, but what he was doing was very illegal, even without the passports. She wished with little hope that his motive for getting involved in illegal immigration would be considered in court. And she knew that none of this would help her justify what she had done to Gene.