Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the estate or the fire. Mmmm, fire… yes, just releasing the inner arsonist a little bit…


Chapter Three;
Hayleigh

"Woah, thar she blows." Roger stepped back instinctively as the windows of the flat exploded out from the pressure of the heat inside. The firefighters below ducked and covered their heads as the glass rained down on them in a snowflake-like shower. The mid-June sky glowed a strange orange under the weight of the smoke and the ten o'clock sunshine, but Roger turned his attention away from it as the two cars turned up in front of him, one holding Sgt. Smith and PC Brown, the other holding Max and Hayleigh. Max didn't look happy when Hayleigh emerged from the dark blue CID car holding a can of soft drink. She ignored his cold looks and joined uniform on the kerb.

"How's it going Rodge?" She held the can out to him but he refused it.

"The place just went off like Dante's Peak. On the plus side, now that's passed the Firies can get in there and put it out." Nate said, doing a running commentary on a fact they all knew anyway. They ignored it.

"Started door-knocking yet, see if anyone knows what happened?" Smithy asked, frowning as the fire as it lapped the windowsill, threatening its escape. Being that Brecht's apartment seemed to stand alone from the others, there was little chance of the other homes on the Maycroft being threatened, but they had evacuated the two neighbouring blocks (both large homes called The Esquire and The Barron – far too regal names for an area like the Maycroft) and now about thirty people stood in the square.

Roger motioned to them. "We spoke to a few of the residents. They said they heard something this morning, but knowing the estate it could've been harmless, so they passed it off as another bunch of kids stealing something or a domestic."

"Anyone see anything though?" Roger shook his head. "Okay, it'll be a while before the place is free for us so Roger, Nate, head over to the other side of the estate, near the park, see if anyone saw anybody loitering strangely nearby." They nodded and left, Max going with them muttering something about knowing someone over there. Smithy then turned to the women. "PC Brown, DC Spark, there's two blocks of flats behind these two," he motioned to the empty flats in front of him. "Door-knock back there and see if anyone has a decent view of the Brecht house. I have no doubt this has something to do with Nikolai so see if anyone knows or has heard of him." They nodded and started off as well, DC Spark finishing her drink and chucking it into a bin nearby with a lazy toss. It rolled around the rim before eventually falling in.

"Hey, didn't get to say this morning, nice outfit change." Hayleigh grinned, motioning to the jacket and blouse. "You look very CID-ish."

Millie smiled. "DI Manson told me yesterday that I might be with you lot for a while, especially after the breakthrough with the Bolts, so I better get comfortable. Plus, with summer setting in, any excuse to get out of that uniform is a major bonus."

"Ah yes, I remember the uniform. Itched at the back, too tight at the front, and hot everywhere in between – except in winter of course, then you just damn well freeze to death." She motioned skyward. "Nicer weather here though. This time in Manchester we still wouldn't be seeing any sun yet. It would be cloud, rain, cloud, rain and more rain."

"You've clearly already forgotten the mid-January rain storms. No snow, no sun, just rain, rain and more rain." Millie grinned, copying Hayleigh's last statement purposely.

"Yeah, selective memory and all that." Hayleigh tapped her head. "Helps you forget things like how yo…" She stopped as the air around them suddenly became peppered with gunfire and both dropped to the ground, Millie grabbing her radio and calling for urgent assistance at the back of Lloyd House. As a siren was heard in the distance the firing stopped and Hayleigh looked up slowly. "What the hell?" She glanced down at the pain in her leg to find she'd been hit in the calf. Swearing softly, she grabbed the injury just as the others turned up. Max, Nate and Roger rushed toward them. Roger and Nate helped Hayleigh up as Max went to Millie who was just sitting up slowly and brushing herself off.

"You alright?" He frowned and offered her a hand. She took it and he easily pulled her to her feet. It was then that she noticed Hayleigh. She left Max and went to her, watching Hayleigh assess her own injuries and Nate call an ambulance.

The DC just shrugged off her pain. "Flesh wound, I've seen worse." She gave a grin as Roger shook his head.

Millie looked at him. "Who was that?" She crouched down next to Hayleigh as the DC remained glaring at her leg as if believing she could frighten it into healing itself.

"Probably some of Bolt's cronies," Max responded. "I don't know how they knew we were here, but I wouldn't put anything past Bolt." He crossed his arms and frowned at the blocks, trying to figure out where the firing had come from, but it was silent now and the perpetrators were gone.

Nate returned. "Ambulance will be here in a second."

Hayleigh growled. "I'm fine, I don't need an ambulance. Give us a hand." Roger ignored her hand and she turned to Millie. "C'mon Mills, don't leave me here looking like an idiot."

Millie smiled. "You can stay there until we prove otherwise." She stood up and followed Max back to the car. "If you're right and it is Bolt, how'd he know we were here?"

Max shrugged. "I'm not sure. Whatever the case, this is the third attack on her in as many days." He nodded back at Hayleigh. "He's clearly trying to get to her." Millie frowned as Max looked back at her. "I won't be able to convince her to keep her head down, she's made a point of not listening to me, but maybe you can."

Millie shrugged. "I can try."

"Thank you." With a tap on her arm, Max walked away. Millie glanced back at Hayleigh just as the ambulance turned up. Then, with another glance back at Max, she went to join Hayleigh for her trip to the hospital.