Hope?

"Can you still get iPhone 3? I've not seen one in years." Chris frowned as he placed the now destroyed handset into the plastic evidence bag. Annie raised an eyebrow.

"Clearly."

"I mean was this brought in here new or was it just hanging around? We know it doesn't belong to Alex." He turned, trying not to imagine how terrified his friend had to be. Shaz glared as she tried to fit the clues together.

"She has to be here." Shaz paced the small room. "Wiv that door closed its airtight. Getting a signal on the phone would have been a nightmare. Never mind trying to breathe and not panic."

Chris nodded. "So, it looks like she was here and we can't be far away from her or the abductor now." He suddenly felt sick. "Shaz, Annie."

"I know." Annie stepped towards the entrance. "We know where she was. Just have to find out where she is."

Xxxxxxxx

Alex was numb. There was nothing she could do to stop the incessant noise and violence of the man who had brought her into the room. She was exhausted , almost wishing that her inevitable death would come. There was no way she was going to tell these men anything. At the end of the day she was a copper. There was no way she could ever betray her friends, Gene. She forced herself to think about the brash, loud man she had fallen in love with. He was everything her ex husband could never be, there was no way she was going to betray his loyalty. She felt her pulse quicken as the man seemed to pause in his onslaught.

"What was that?"

"You're getting paranoid." The wiry man hissed. "No one there."

Alex tried to focus. She hasn't heard anything other than the voices of her captors. Then it was there. Again. Footsteps. Sharp, Staccato beats on the floor. Half of her was afraid to hope, to dare to think help could be on the way. Another part of her wished it wasn't Gene. She wished he was anywhere else, with their babies. With Molly, Ruby and Max. She needed him to be safe. Them to be safe.

"About time someone came to look for you eh? Posh?" Alex remained still , deciding pretending to be unconscious was probably the best thing she could do. Her head connected with the floor as she silently prayed that someone was coming to help her. A sharp thump against the door followed by another.

Xxxxx

"Gene!" Sam yelled as his friend's cowboy boots hit the metal door. The sound seemed to ricochet around the halls. The door shuddered under the weight of Gene's left boot.

"Guv!" Ray shouted. "Chris brought the door knocker wiv im !"

"Right." Gene took the metal contraption from Ray before battering the door. In two knocks the once strong door was on its hinges. Gene barrelled through it, practically knocking the smaller kidnapper aside. Ray caught the younger man, forcibly dragging him out of the room where Shaz and the others were waiting.

"You!" Annie snapped as Ray hauled the man.

"You know im?"

"Aye and do you. Louis Layton. Arthur Layton's younger brother." Annie fought the urge to slap the now laughing man. "You better pray my mate is ok." Her voice dangerously low. Ray didn't recognise the venom in her voice.

"I'll get im outta ere. Backup should be outside." He dragged the younger man away while yelling his rights in his ear. Annie braced herself for what could be behind the door.

"Shaz. Go with Ray."

"Annie."

"Now!" Annie snapped, uncharacteristically taking charge of the situation. Shaz nodded before walking away. Chris silently thanked Annie that Shaz had been sent to safety before following Sam into the room.

"Oh my God." Chris gasped as he saw Sam trying to contain a much larger man. Gene had ignored everyone- punching the larger man aside before heading to where Alex lay. Chris and Annie set about helping Sam arrest the unknown man as Gene knelt next to Alex.

"Bolly? Open your eyes." Gene spoke firmly before reaching out to check for a carotid pulse. Her eyes snapped open as his fingers touched her skin. "Alex." He breathed her name as she smiled slightly.

"Gene." The word was barely a whisper as he scooped her up in his arms. For a moment she thought she was dreaming- Gene rescuing her a figment of her dying mind. It was only when she felt the heat from his body against hers. She felt herself relax as Gene held her. Moments later he carried her out towards the ambulance.

Xxxxx

A/N more soon x