Seven Days and Counting
Disclaimer:- Don't own them just borrowing!
Episode:- Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers
Pairing:- Sandra / Gerry
Rating:- M
Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/
Summary:- Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.
Author's Note:- Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol
Day 1
"Do you really think this is all linked to the last couple of weeks?" Brian asked sitting on the edge of his desk and staring at Jack as he chewed on the end of his glasses.
"Of course it is she's been telling us something's not right and we ignored her, laughed at her even."
"Told her she was being paranoid;" Gerry added as all three of them stared at the floor unable to look at each other each lost in their own recollection of the previous weeks.
***Two weeks earlier
"Right Strickland has pushed this case up the pile. 27 year old woman, made reports repeatedly about being harassed by her EX then ended up dead; the EX had a water tight alibi and the original team back in 91' couldn't find any other leads. " Sandra said loudly wandering into the office and setting copies of the file in her hand on each of the three men's desks as they grinned at her unnervingly. "You want to share the joke?"
"No joke;" Jack smiled nodding toward her office as she walked toward the door opening it and stopping in her tracks as she saw the enormous bouquet of white roses and lilies sitting in the centre of her desk.
"So who is he?" Gerry asked as she looked from the flowers to them and back again,
"Someone who's not short of a bob or two;" Brian added "they'll have set him back a hundred quid at least."
"Well are you going to tell us?" Jack continued as she lifted the card from the centre of the flowers opening it and trying to quash the uneasiness in her chest.
"I honestly have no idea who sent them and this isn't much help." She replied quietly handing the card to Jack as he read the short message.
"Beauty should be surrounded by beauty….well someone who's clearly very…smitten you can't think of anyone?"
"No I mean there isn't…." Sandra sighed sinking in to the chair behind her desk "Well there isn't anyone at the minute that'd be sending me flowers not for….well not for a while."
"So you've got a secret admirer then Guv;" Gerry smiled as she tried to return his grin as her mind ran over the possibilities. She knew they were right it was probably someone she'd come in contact with and hadn't noticed but they'd noticed her and the flowers would be followed by a phone call asking her out. She knew that was what she should be assuming but she couldn't shake off the gut feeling that something wasn't right.
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"Still no word from your international man of mystery then?" Jack asked three days later as Sandra dropped the last of the flowers into the bin.
"No. How are you getting on with forensics have they been able to match the blood on the girl's blouse to her step brother?"
"Yeah that's what I was coming to tell you. Between that and the traced calls and skin under her fingernails we've got enough to bring him in. Brian and Gerry are ready you want to come?"
"Yes. Let's go." Sandra smiled lifting her handbag and mobile as they headed out of the office reaching her car as she stopped dead looking across the road at the shiny new model black mini she was sure she'd seen that morning as well.
"Sandra what's wrong?" Gerry asked stopping by his own car and following her gaze.
"That car I'm sure I saw it outside my place this morning" she replied quietly as her phone began to ring. "Pullman?" she said loudly into the receiver sighing heavily and throwing it into her bag as she was greeted with the same silence from the other end.
"Let's go bring this guy in." Brian said looking sceptically from Jack to Gerry "I think this case is starting to get to you governor the sooner we sign it off the better."
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One week earlier
"That's the fourth time in 2 days my phone has rung and then I've answered it there's no one at the other end." Sandra sighed setting her mobile down on the pub table as the boys all looked at her.
"It's probably flower guy." Gerry laughed "He's too scared to ask you out, you can be pretty intimidating you know."
"Yeah you sure as hell scare the crap out of me most of the time." Brian agreed laughing as Jack nodded enthusiastically.
"I got another identical bouquet of flowers this morning at home," Sandra added "Same note with no signature I wish whoever the hell he is he'd make a move so I can tell him to bugger off and put an end to this."
"Stop letting it get to you." Jack sighed; setting fresh drinks on the table. "Just enjoy the attention he'll tell you who he is soon enough he won't keep slashing the cash without letting you know who he is."
"Damn right." Gerry agreed "If you're gonna spend that sort of dosh on a woman you want to know if there's any chance you'll be getting something at the end of it if you know what I mean."
"You're a real romantic Gerry." Sandra laughed at the screen of her mobile as it lit up again with "unknown number" and she was greeted with the same silence at the end.
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The previous night
"Look I know you all think I'm over reacting but it's been two weeks now. Two expensive bouquets of flowers, one hamper of bite sized chocolate muffins, and a dozen hang up phone calls. Not only that but I'm sure I've seen that black mini at least half a dozen times in the last few days. Sandra sighed staring into her wine glass as Gerry, Jack and Brian exchanged tolerant glances.
"Look Sandra." Jack began, "We've just finished working this stalking case. Catching the guy then getting ready for court it's natural that you're going to be more sensitive about things but do you really think you have anything to worry about?"
"Yeah jack's right." Brian agreed "I mean there's hasn't been anything threatening just some gifts from someone too shy to approach you yet."
"And as for the black mini;" Gerry added "there must be hundreds of them driving around London. You're being paranoid because we've been so wrapped up in this case. Trust me give it another day or two and you'll be laughing about it when you find out that your "stalker" is some wet behind the ears desk sergeant with a crush on you."
"Ok, ok I know you're probably right." Sandra finally agreed joining in their amused laughter as she waved to the barman telling him to refill their drinks as they slipped into a conversation about how if it was the 70's they'd track down the sender of the flowers and show them he needed to man up or back off. "And on that note I'll get you three a round in then I'm going home I have a date with a good book and a hot bath." ***
"We've got to find her." Brian said quietly shaking the other's from their contemplations "If anything happens to her I'll never…"
"None of us will." Gerry interrupted not allowing him to finish the statement, not wanting to contemplate the thought that they might let her down. "Jack let's get that coat to forensics I'm going to check her office and see if she kept the card from the florists maybe they can give us a clue about who sent them then I think we should go to her place and see if she made it back there at all last night."
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My eyes are sore trying to adjust to the darkness in the room desperate to find something, anything that might give me a clue as to where I am and who brought me here. I can hear his footsteps outside the door and suddenly I'm blinded again by the light from the hall.
"Sandra you really should have eaten something." His voice is frustrated with an edge of anger that makes me wonder if it was wise to disobey his instructions. "There isn't going to be any point in your band of boys finding you if you're going to starve yourself to death while we're waiting."
"What do you mean? Why have you done this?" I try to sound braver than I'm feeling as he laughs staying in the shadows so I can't see his face.
"You honestly don't know? I think you do but if you want to play hard to get that's fine with me. I've sent some things to your office and given your dinosaurs seven days to find you. When they fail you're all mine. I can hardly wait."
He's gone again before I have a chance to reply or ask any more questions and for the first time I am truly terrified as I curl up under the cold cotton sheet my wrist still firmly attached to the bed frame aching. Seven days? What has he sent to the office? What exactly has he planned if they can't find me? Most importantly who the hell is he?
"Come on boys." I whisper feeling a single tear run down my cheek "I know you can do this. Just find me before its too late. Please!"