A/N I'm aware that some of this may not meet with everyone's approval, but I thought I'd go for a different take on a certain relationship ...

& also, a plea - I'm sure there must be some latent Mallie writers out there with ideas waiting to burst forth - do it!

-ooOoo-

"Jesus!" Tommy exclaimed in frustration, banging a fist against the wall outside the intensive care unit. The battered figure of a man, covered in what appeared to be a tangle of wires and tubes with only a white sheet to protect his modesty lay in the room behind them, sedated and therefore unable to answer any questions. "We're so close, I can feel it. What do you think? Hang on here for a bit longer?" He glanced back through the window in the door as if by magic the man might have come to in the past few seconds since a nurse had not so politely told him to get out. For once his charm had failed.

Had Suzie been less preoccupied she might have goaded him about that, but she barely noticed. Her thoughts were consumed by the uncovered link to Charlie Hammond and how she was going to find a way to report back to Manson before Max did.

"Suzie? Are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" she looked up in bewilderment. "Sorry, what?"

"Doesn't matter," he sighed morosely. "This guy isn't going anywhere anytime soon, let's get back to the nick."

"Oh, er ... yeah. Um, I need to go to the loo. Won't be a moment," and she scurried off through a nearby door, knowing that it was the only place where he probably wouldn't follow her.

Safely ensconced in the tiny cubicle she quickly hit the last number dialled on her phone and groaned audibly as it went straight to voicemail. She disconnected, waited a few seconds and tried again but luck eluded her and with time ticking by she had little choice but to leave a message. "Guv! It's me," she whispered hoarsely before realising that she didn't need to. "I don't know if you've heard but the van that was used to transport Carly Fleischmann belongs to Charlie Hammond. Tommy has already told Max and he is bringing Hammond in. Got to go, I'll find you as soon as I get back to Sun Hill. Don't call me and stay out of Max's way until I get there."

Tommy was lounging against the wall to the side of the door when she emerged into the corridor. "Feeling any better?"

"What?" Suzie snapped back.

"You're looking a bit green."

"I'm fine, just don't much like hospitals," she muttered with a degree of honesty. She didn't like hospitals, always felt like she'd be lucky not to pick up something nasty by simply walking the same floor as the patients, and some of the staff for that matter. On top of that, the alcohol gel played havoc with the skin on her hands, although not using it wasn't an option. This was where front line policing definitely lost its appeal and left her yearning for all those office based video-conferences.

Tommy narrowed his eyes in her direction. "You've been quiet since before we got her. Why?"

"Shouldn't we be going?" she retorted, deliberately avoiding giving him an answer. "You said yourself there's no point hanging around."

"Oh, so you were listening to me. Just ignoring me, eh?"

"If only I could," she bit back shrewishly, annoyed that she couldn't bring herself to relax around him. Torn between wanting to confide in Tommy that she and Manson knew more about Charlie Hammond than either would like to reveal and knowing that telling him would be an act of betrayal to her erstwhile mentor.

"What's got into you? Something you want to tell me?" he stared at her with those vibrantly blue eyes that seemed to knock straight through any defence that she could erect between them. Tommy cocked his head to one side and closed the gap between them, triggering the memory of her body against his the night before. Her breath hitched at his closeness, at the intensity that thrilled through her, at the sudden desire to recklessly throw old allegiances out of the window in favour of something new, something exciting. Without knowing what she would say she opened her mouth to speak, but it wasn't her voice that she heard.

"Are you still here?" barked the African, possibly Nigerian, accented nurse severely. "Didn't I tell you, Sergeant Leighton, that I will call if there is any change in his condition!"

And the moment passed. Leaving Tommy to appease the nurse, wordlessly, Suzie spun round and began to stalk away from the intensive care unit and out into the maze of hospital corridors, hoping that he wouldn't catch up with her until she had regained her composure. All she needed to do now was get to Neil before Max got to him.

-oo-

Millie followed Max up the ramp and into the station. Charlie Hammond and Ben Gayle were several minutes ahead of them, getting to know each other a little better no doubt in an interview room. She bowed her head and hid behind her hair, avoiding the sympathetic and curious glances of former colleagues and others she didn't recognise, concentrating on not getting her hopes up.

Back at Georgie's house, Max had explained in whispered tones that Hammond was connected to the abductions, that he owned the van. She had felt her heart stop for a moment as the significance of this development sunk in. Another step closer, or perhaps another dead end. What if he refused to talk, or what he said gave them nothing more than Austin already had? She knew that if this was the work of the near mythical Nikolai Antonov then they needed whoever could deliver him. So far the only one who fitted that bill was Kiril Barsukov, and currently they had nothing with which to touch him. Hammond, it seemed, had been dropped into their clutches out of the blue, surely this had to be for a reason, surely- she stopped herself, it might be nothing more than a diversion. On the drive back to Sun Hill, Millie remembered how Hammond had looked at her, how his gaze had made her skin crawl. It was as if he knew her, as if he wanted something from her. Oddly, it didn't feel sexual or predatory but all the same, she didn't like it and she didn't like him. It also sickened her that this man knew her mother, was perhaps even an old friend of her father, yet he was still able to be involved in the abductions. She couldn't comprehend how anyone who knew her mother could do that.

Suddenly Max stopped in front of her and consumed by her thoughts, coupled with not looking where she was going, she bumped into him, instantly finding some unexpected solace in the warmth and scent of his body as he turned. Instead of stepping back as she knew she should in the surroundings of the station, she leaned in a little closer, letting his hand find hers, feeling his breath against her skin.

"Why don't you grab some coffee while I make a start with Hammond?" he murmured into her ear. Millie pulled back sharply, frowning. Was he trying to push her aside yet again, keeping her out of the loop for fear that her emotions would get in the way. She opened her mouth to voice her complaint but he beat her to it. "Please," he pleaded earnestly, drawing her close again, "I don't think I can concentrate knowing you are watching and I need to get this right, it might be our only-" he finished suddenly as if only just realising that was indeed a possibility. "I don't want to screw this up, Millie. I promise ... I promise I'll come and find you the moment we're finished." Millie looked deep into his eyes, searching for truth in his words. She didn't have to search for long, it being one of those rare occasions where he allowed the barrier of self-assurance to fall away and let her see his weakness, weakness as he saw it.

Just at that moment, Ben's head popped out of a door just behind them. "Um, Guv? Oh! Sorry, to um, interrupt"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Mr Hammond's asked for a cuppa, shall I er ..." he jerked his head in the vague direction of the coffee machine.

"Wait there, will you Ben. Charlie can wait a minute longer," Max ordered tersely, prompting Ben to retreat into the relatively calm haven of the interview room. With the interruption dealt with, Max turned his attention back to Millie, waiting anxiously for her response, heartened when her expression lost some of its scepticism and she nodded. He took a deep breath, as much in preparation for what might come as in relief for her acquiescence. Gently, and without thought to might be watching, he lifted a hand to her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. For a few moments, the low hum of the station, sounds of the lighting and apparently now repaired air-conditioning mingling with distant and hushed voices, ceased to exist as Max and Millie continued in their fragile rapprochement. But the sharp clicking of heels quickly heading their way on the hard floor pierced their intimacy, with Millie the first to pull regretfully out of the embrace. Shoes like that could belong to only one person and she was unlikely to be alone.

Max watched as Millie's eyes narrowed in the direction of the sound of approaching feet. "What is it?" he murmured, but there was no need of an answer as he took in the varied expressions on the faces of the trio heading their way. Manson was as coolly bland as ever but Suzie appeared unusually flustered, appearing to be unsure whether to look at her boss, the man behind or straight ahead. The countenance of the man behind, Tommy, was the most unexpected. His gaze appeared to be boring a hole into the back of Suzie's head, his lips tightly pursed. It could be no wonder if she felt uncomfortable. Another time, Max might have joked with his friend of sorts about what must have gone on between them. In these circumstances, however, concern outweighed amusement. As they walked past the open door, Manson stopped and peered in silently for a few seconds, his face in profile giving nothing away. While Tommy also came to a halt, taking his customary role as proxy eyes for Max, Suzie was left ignorant for a moment or two and nearly twisted an ankle on her high heels as she spun round, suddenly aware that she was no longer part of the gang. Awkwardly, solitary, she waited while Manson took his time and Tommy ignored her in favour of her boss.

Hammond sat listlessly, staring at his hands, shoulders slumped. There was barely a hint of the mercurial spirit that he employed when at his most entertaining, no laughter played on his lips, no joke made to deflect an awkward situation. Manson studied him, making his plan. They had too much history for anyone else to get their hands on Hammond and he still had too much to offer. Hammond's fingers were in many pies, this was only one and as it was turning out, maybe not the one Manson was really after. Taking him off the payroll for supplying transportation for a couple of abductions might deserve a rap across the knuckles, a fright perhaps, it might even secure the casino boss's place firmly in Manson's pocket for future use at lower cost, but as tragic as Carly Fleischmann's death might be, it was purely incidental. As if aware of being watched, the older man suddenly looked up and to his right, but he said nothing and in that moment of silent exchange, Manson knew they had an understanding of how this was going to go. Manson lifted his chin, his course of action determined and swung back round to his waiting audience.

"What's up?" asked Max, shifting his gaze from Suzie to Tommy and finally coming to rest on Neil.

Manson took a few steps away from the door and past Suzie. After leaning in to pull the door closed, Tommy followed in his wake, sending a sideways glance at Suzie that made her shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"What has he said so far?" Neil asked by way of reply, causing Millie to frown with suspicion at his deliberate avoidance of answering Max's question.

"Not much, he said the van must have been stolen, but he knows we're not buying that. It won't take long for him to crack." Max's voice exuded confidence, a confidence that hadn't been there a minute or two before and which Millie knew was for the benefit of their colleagues. Max waited for Neil's response, inwardly unnerved by his suddenly altered demeanour. Somehow he seemed colder, more detached than he had been since returning to Sun Hill a few days before.

Neil kept his silence for a few seconds, his hands shoved firmly in his pockets, pondering how best to make his announcement without inviting debate. He wasn't interested in justifying his methods with Max. All he needed from him was to keep Millie quiet and out of the way. "I-" he stopped briefly, as Grace rounded the corner into the corridor towards the gathering. For a moment the sight of her distracted him but aware of four pairs of eyes all on him, expectantly waiting, he continued swiftly as she reached the group and took up position slightly behind Max. "Hammond has been an informant for me for years. Low key for most of the time, but since Suzie and I joined SOCA, he's become increasingly useful. He's provided us with information that has been crucial in securing several big convictions and while I understand that he is now implicated in this case, I've got a bigger picture to consider."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Millie in horror. "That the lives of two women, innocent women, are expendable?"

"No, that's not what I mean. But if Hammond's part in it is small, then I have to weigh that up against what is in the public interest."

"You have to decide?" Millie's eyes flashed angrily, not caring about the difference in their rank and the respect that was expected. "Who the hell do you think you are? Who are you to judge-"

"Millie!" interrupted Max in a low voice, coming to his senses after a few moments of fully digesting what Neil was saying. He hated it, it made him feel sick to even consider, but he knew there was no alternative. This was all about politics and targets. Neil would call the shots and Hammond, once he had coughed, if he coughed, would walk away untainted. He tried to pull Millie closer but she easily shook herself free of his half-hearted attempt. "Millie, listen to me, the-"

"No! I won't listen!" she bit out through clenched teeth, finding that her anger from the previous night hadn't entirely dissipated and instead had become reinvigorated.

"Millie, we don't know for sure that he isn't telling the truth, that he had no idea-" began Suzie, trying hard for her usual disdain of such emotional reactions but the disappointment emanating from the man net to her sapped her resolve and she had no will to continue when Millie turned on her.

"Oh come on!" Millie scoffed derisively. "You only have to look at the man to know he's lying through his back teeth. And you," she stabbed a finger at Neil, "you knew about him but you didn't know who he was involved with? Or did you?" she paused, her eyes widening as her tumbled thoughts neared a frightening clarity. "Because if you did, that makes you responsible."

"Millie, that's enough, this isn't going to help," murmured Max, unable to bring himself to forcibly quieten her. Depending on the extent of Neil's relationship with Hammond, there was a chance she might not be so very far from the truth. He clenched his fists at the prospect.

"You could have stopped this from happening, couldn't you? Couldn't you?" she demanded.

Neil stared at Millie, momentarily surprised by her vehemence and the lustre that her heightened state brought to her face. He remembered her as being so quiet, so unassuming, compliant. But her outburst triggered a distant memory of her arguing with Max, years ago it had been. She had held her own then, and she was doing the same now. He briefly looked across at Grace, gaining some sustenance from her visible concern at Millie's apparently irrational behaviour.

"No," he started quietly, forcing everyone to strain to hear him, "I couldn't have prevented your mother's abduction. It's easy to make assumptions with hindsight-"

"Hindsight?" exclaimed Millie, colour flooding her cheeks. "From what you have said, Hammond has been in your pocket for years. You must have known who he was involved with, what he was doing, unless of course he's been playing you for fools!"

That was the breaking point. Up until now, Neil had been determined to stay detached above the melodrama and despite these circumstances, he wasn't prepared to be labelled as a fool, even if her heated words had rather resoundingly hit their target. He stiffened and set his jaw, refusing to back down in the face of Millie's overwhelming contempt and the quiet nagging of self doubt that seemed to be plaguing him.

"I'll take the interview," he announced, firmly indicating to Max that he was pulling rank and at least gaining some satisfaction from Max's impotent annoyance at the move. It emboldened him to go a step further. "Suzie, when you're ready-"

"Oh no," Max broke in. He couldn't stop Manson from taking the lead, he probably couldn't even insist the he join the interview himself, but he was entirely justified in having a member of his team by Manson's side. Just in case. Just to remind Manson what was really at stake. Max shot a glance at Tommy, who gave the merest nod in return, acknowledging the instruction. "I want one of the Sun Hill investigating team in there with you."

The silent communication between the two men however didn't go unnoticed as either of them might have hoped. "Fine," agreed Neil a little too easily, looking first at Tommy to one side and then back to Grace. Grace. Tommy was firmly his boss's man, that much was sure, but Grace? Well, her feelings about Max were clear, Neil mused. She'd follow his lead, she'd trust his line of questioning and leave well enough alone. All Manson needed from Hammond was information about the whereabouts of Sondra Brown and anything about Antonov that might lead to his location. What he didn't want was for Hammond to let slip on any of their other collaborations. "Okay then, Grace? Suzie, let her have the file. Let's get on with it."