Final Chapter

Alex drove her motorbike towards the prison. She knew Ros and Beth had been right to be concerned about the robbery at the weapon developers. Chemical weapons were the worst type of weapon in her opinion. Part of her job had been to ensure the companies who produced them behaved in as ethical way as possible, given the industry they were in. Then she had fallen in with Ros and the boys and all that had more or less stopped. Now she was just relieved she still had contacts in the business. She parked the bike outside of the prison grounds before pulling her mobile phone out of her jacket pocket.

"Hi." She answered as Beth spoke. Listening intently she knew there was a very good chance that her friends were dead. That the monster she had come to know as Jean Daniel was responsible for the theft of the chemicals in some way and that he would have no qualms about using them. Murder wasn't something he had a conscious regarding. "Beth." Alex paused as her friend went on. "I'm there now. I will let you know if I need back up. Don't worry about that." She hears Beth swear in welsh, something that is oddly reassuring to the curly haired blonde. She stashed her phone in her pocket before swinging her leg off the bike and heading into the prison.

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"Ed?" Jan coughs as the name leaves her lips, the blonde Australian is barely able to open his eyes, having taken more than one lungful of the acrid air. "Cmon boy." She snapped, back in boss mode. Beckett can't help but smile as he tried to drag his friend towards the exit. The level of visibility and the thick toxins in the air make moving around the room more and more difficult. Ed groans as Beckett struggled to move him.

"Gerof"

"Well, move then. You big lump." Beckett stated as Jan rolled her eyes. Both men were in their early forties, both acted like teenagers. At times she despaired of their bickering but they really did remind her of brothers.

"Where's he gone?" Ed gasped. Beckett shrugged, not really caring as he finally managed to get both his friends towards the exit.

"He'll turn up. Scum always rises to the surface. Sooner or later." Jan coughed, glad they were heading towards clearer air. Sirens filled the air, making talking difficult. There was no way they could be heard over the cacophony of noise that hit them once they were free from the confines of the room where Jan had been found. "Smoke alarm. The prison service upgraded them all last summer."

"Eh?" Ed yelled, his eyes and throat burned. Beckett gripped the floor as fire service officers approached them. Jan closed her eyes in relief. She didn't care where Jean Daniel had escaped to, she just cared about making sure her officers were safe. Beckett smiled slightly as the fire officers escorted them outside into the fresh air. Even the rain couldn't dampen his spirits.

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"Ros?" Alex walked towards the large fire engine at the edge of the prison gates. "You were right, those chemicals were used. The fire service have contained it but we need to find out how and when exactly it was taken." She listened as her friend spoke. "Honestly, they are fine. Paramedics want Ed to go to hospital, but that's mainly because of his asthma Jan and Nick are fine."

"Who are you talking to?" Beckett asked as Alex approached them. She raised an eyebrow as he took the oxygen mask the paramedic had given him away from his mouth and nose.

"Ros."

"My Ros?"

"Yeah." Alex smiled. "How many Ros Henderson's do you know?"

"Give me the phone." He held his hand out to her. "Please Alex."

She rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed when in reality she was delighted her friends were alive and would live to tell the tale of another encounter with Jean Daniel. She handed him the phone as he seemed to sigh in relief.

"Ros?" He closed his eyes, listening to her. "I'm fine." He smiled. Alex folded her arms, deciding to give them some much needed privacy. She turned to see Jan walking towards her.

"I called, Nikki. She's going to meet Ed at the hospital."

"Shouldn't you get checked out too?" Jan shrugged at Alex's concern. "You'd insist if it were one of us."

"Alex, do you really think I have never been in a hostage situation before? I'm just a few years from retirement. I know when and if I need to see a doctor and contrary to popular belief I have not lost my marbles nor to I have a death wish." Jan squeezed the younger woman's arm. "I am fine. I promise you."

"Ok, ok." Alex smiled. "I believe you." Jan looked towards where Beckett sat chatting to his partner while Ed looked forlorn in the back of the ambulance with a nebuliser mask over his face. "He's still out there, you know? Somewhere." Alex looked at her boss. "Jean Daniel. Ros and Bethan have put his description out to all services and points of entry and egress into the UK. But."

Jan nodded. "Don't worry too much about him." Jan stated firmly. "He'll be back and when he is, we are going to be ready."

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