Chas was the 'go to' guy for digging the dirt on Parker because although he wasn't a gossip he was well tuned into the Met's dirty laundry. People discussed stuff with Jarvis because they knew he wouldn't repeat what they'd said which was an invaluable quality but on occasion if he thought it necessary he would discretely provide a steer on certain issues.

'Rogering Rory made a move on Makepeace and you know the D.I. normally she'd deal with that stuff herself but it must have been heavier than the normal pass cos she's a past expert at deflecting those; I'm a veteran of a three-year trench warfare so I should know.' Dempsey put the paper down he'd been perusing, 'Harry asked for my help which ain't normal, what do you know or what can you dig up on D.I. Parker, behaviour like that ain't a one off.'

Chas thought about it and nodded. 'I heard he's had a warning for being too pushy with one of the police constable trainees, said it was all a bit of fun and blamed the girl for being a tease, usual stuff. He was married but that fell apart couldn't keep it in his pants allegedly, so he's got a bit of form. Harry's hurt her lip, that down to him?' Jarvis's face darkened as Dempsey nodded.

'Do you want me along,' Chas knew Dempsey would scare the shit out of the guy if his interrogation style was anything to go by.

'I'd appreciate that,' the American answered, 'both of us go it's about protecting a colleague; if I go it'll be assumed I'm defending my turf and D.I. Makepeace would be highly critical of that as she don't like people thinking she's the Yank's moll, if you get my drift.'

'Understood,' Chas grunted. 'Could take Watson along? He's got an A+ in intimidation, Spikings gets nearly as many complaints about him as he does about you.'

'Why not,' Dempsey grinned. 'Scare the shit out of the guy and protect the princess,' he laughed and then shrugged. 'If Bunny hears about it though Mad Gordon will rip us a new one.'

Chas nodded but didn't look particularly put off as they were all used to the Chief Inspector's irascible temper and knew behind all that the guvnor was loyal to his team and he'd take a dim view of anyone hurting Makepeace.

In fact, the Chief Inspector had Harry in his office that morning after he'd seen the injury. 'I wasn't aware you were on any operation where physical damage would occur D.I. Makepeace and I don't think that's a paper cut from hanging over company accounts.'

'No sir, I'm not,' she looked awkward and then decided to come out with it. 'D.I. Parker discovered my address and turned up at my home yesterday evening, in short he wouldn't take no for an answer and I was forced to physically protect myself.'

Spikings eyebrows rose and he glowered fiercely. 'Yes I could see he was being somewhat persistent in his attentions, go and get the injury photographed Harry and I'll deal with it. Someone here must have given him your address it's not common knowledge and that kind of leak is concerning.'

'Very,' Harry agreed feeling uncomfortable disclosing the information to her senior officer and it showed.

'And call off your pet gorilla, we don't need Dempsey beating his chest and making an inter-departmental incident out of this; behaviour like that needs nipping in the bud and it's better to do it in the proper way. And don't worry from what I've heard Parker's already used the usual defence of being led on by the victim, some young copper I understand. You'll need to fill in a few forms and then leave it to me.'

'Thank you sir,' Makepeace walked out of the office feeling very out of sorts and then headed to the canteen to get a coffee.

Hargreaves spied her and came over and gave a moue of sympathy at the injury. 'What happened, I didn't think Dempsey had an overbite,' she quipped her gaze steady on her friends.

'Inspector Parker turned up at my home, I had to knee him where it hurts to depress his amorous intentions. Spikings is going to handle it, I suppose that's the best way but I hate having my name bandied about. It's difficult being a female copper and being a female officer isn't easy either.'

'Hmm… Well, I'm not one to listen to gossip but I think some of the chaps may be going to defend SI10's honour so to speak; you might want to have a word if Spikings is going to formally report the issue.'

Harry nodded and made a mental note to tell James to stand down but then the assault diminished in importance as the Yank started 'world war 3' that day,' Spikings terminology, with a renegade cell of the I.R.A.

-oOo—

'The Home Office are calling the army in,' Spikings ran a hand over the short bristles of his hair. 'Gatwick's been sealed off and Dempsey's been given authority to take out the plane the terrorists' have acquired, should they attempt to take off, with the R.P.G.'s which incidentally are on my budget. I'm going over there now, you're in charge here D.I. Makepeace.'

Harry hoped to heaven that the army would turn up sharpish and that James wouldn't exercise his natural inclinations to deploy the hardware because if he did they'd all be filling out forms if they wanted to use so much as a paper clip.

'D.I. Dempsey let loose with a chopper and two R.P.G.'s,' Watson gave a hearty laugh, 'I'm not even going to open a book on whether he'll deploy.'

'Well if he does then don't bother submitting expenses in this financial year,' Harry gave a grimace of a smile and crossed everything that the opportunity wouldn't arise and that Spikings would get there quickly.

'Pyramid selling scam,' Hargreaves handed over a file, 'religious group we're sending Fry in to join them; I just hope he doesn't get brainwashed whilst undercover.

'He'll be fine,' Makepeace responded on automatic as her mind was focussed on the reports coming in from Gatwick. The terrorists had apparently taken to moving the plane around the airport to cause as much disruption as possible and get the maximum press coverage.

Meanwhile over at the airport Dempsey was debating whether to take out the tyres on the plane so they could lay siege to it as currently they couldn't do that as it was on the move.

'I mean they could stay in there for a week or so, the menu might get a bit boring after a while but they've got enough food for hundred and fifty people. If we take out the wheels they can be isolated to a single location and the rest of the airport could get on with business.

Kilhane thought about it. 'I don't think we could take out the tyres with a handgun or a rifle shot, I mean they must be tougher than car tyres.'

'Yeah, alternatively we could put some of those refuelling vehicles or baggage trucks around them to make them stay put.' Dempsey went to the guy who was their liaison officer at the airport and suggested a 'surround' tactic.

Harry watched the newsfeed as the plane was rapidly encircled by airport vehicles heading towards it at speed. 'That's a relief they can't take off now without hitting something.'

Hargreaves came over and nodded. 'It looks like a siege situation which is the best that could be hoped for; at least they can't take off and Dempsey won't get the opportunity to play with his toys.'

Spikings arrived at the airport and looked at the Yank with some level of approval, 'sensible move D.I. Dempsey you never fail to surprise me. We can leave it to the army if they ever manage to turn up. I'll take over the negotiation in the meantime and you close in on the rest of the cell; Harry will help you with the manpower for the arrests. You need to strike now before they all decide to leg it.'

'Sure boss, what about the hardware do we sign it over to the military? Cos I don't like to leave it in long term parking,' Dempsey lit a cigar and tried to quell a smile.

'No you don't bloody hand it over to them; arrange for it to be taken back to safe storage and get a credit against my budget because if you don't we'll be bringing in the sports section to wipe our arses.'

'Got it covered boss,' Dempsey still hadn't perfected addressing Spikings as sir and it was doubtful at this late date in their relationship he ever would. 'I think this gig'll be in the redtops though so you got that chief.'

'Yes and hundreds of unhappy holidaymakers will probably be vociferous about hanging around in long term parking while it's raining cats and dogs. Fights have broken out as the bus shelters aren't big enough to accommodate them. Several legions of wooden-tops have had to be deployed to maintain the peace.'

'Hey the bad guys started it,' the Yank growled and then his attention was grabbed by the hemmed in plane revving up its engines. 'Crap, they're going for it, are the army guys here boss?'

'No,' Spikings got on the blower and had a rapid conversation. 'I'll give them a warning, if they should ignore the warning get ready to take the plane out. Try and avoid the fuel tanks and the engines, a nice big hole mid-section is what we're going for.'

Dempsey looked at Spikings like he was deranged, 'I'll try my best,' he growled. I mean it wasn't as if he'd had precision, target practice with the R.P.G.s.

Meanwhile, Harry and Joyce were busy deploying teams to make the arrests of the terrorists that weren't on the plane whilst keeping a weather eye on the newsfeed.

A cheer went up from the chaps in the office which made Harry rush back to the screen. 'Oh my God,' she saw the plane was now in two parts and that a number of emergency vehicles were rapidly making their way to the damaged aircraft.

SI10 went in and then the paramedics as they took out the injured and unconscious terrorists and turned all the planes damaged systems off.

'Good shot,' Watson grinned, 'I bet Spikings was bricking it,' he picked up his jacket and got the necessary papers from Makepeace for his part in the arrests. 'You got to give it to Dempsey, he's the man!'

'How do you know it wasn't Kilhane, he was leading on this,' Harry pointed out fairly although she didn't for one-minute think that would be the case.

'No way, Dempsey got to be,' Watson echoed her thoughts. 'See you later when we've got the rest of that garbage banged up.

Spikings was very measured when he was interviewed by the on-site reporters, stating that the Metropolitan Police and his division SI10 would not allow terrorists to thrive in the city or elsewhere and that the damage to the plane was justified as the armed forces were not in place at the time to take the necessary action. He regretted that hundreds of people had been kept waiting in the pouring rain and hoped the rest of their holiday would be passed in a peaceful and pleasant manner.

Dempsey joined Spikings in the airport restaurant and got a beer, 'they've got the engineers in to make sure the plane is safe and then they'll start moving it off. They can salvage the engines and other stuff so it ain't a total loss and I had two RPG's only used one of them, nice, clean shot don't you think.'

'Oh yes, well we'll only have to bring in the sports section every other week. Hopefully I can expense the R.P.G. back to Her Majesty's Armed Forces,' he looked quite smug. 'Home office are pleased and it looks like a couple of the terrorists will be in good enough shape to interrogate. Harry's bringing in the rest, so we'll have our hands full.'

'Looking forward to it,' Dempsey's jaw squared as he thought of the damage that could be done by terrorists with a plane in their hands.

'Good job D.I. Dempsey, feathers in caps all round, I believe the army have arrived let's go and say hello.' Spikings loved getting one over on other parts of Her Majesty's services and certainly didn't like doing the ground work for other divisions glory boys so the fact the army hadn't turned up until the end wasn't exactly bad news in his book.