Agents Universe

This story takes place during the attack on MI6 Offices in London LONDON IN THE SHADE - PROJECT ZEUS PART 6

10:46 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I zip my uniform jacket up and pulled on my tactical vest and made sure the couple of bits of dust on my highly shined boots were removed, as this was my first day in his a great new assignment to CO19, the firearms squad as it was commonly called.

I had tried to push it back a week as Jason was on leave and he'd come over to London but I couldn't do, my Sergeant had just glared, so I wasn't going to push it, so Jason was spending the days around London, and would be spending the evenings together, and we had Thursday and Friday together as the days when I'm off shift so it wasn't too bad.

Being a cop himself he understood how these things worked, and he was happy for my promotion... well it wasn't a rank promotion, but it was certainly a better job than just wandering the streets dealing with drunken tourists.

This squad was the elite and that's what I was happy about. My new partner was a 28 year old called Wayne Lewis. He'd been in the police since he was 18, and had been in the firearms squad for the last 5 years - it did help significantly that he was easy on the eye.

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We'd met for a pint in the pub last week, he'd wanted to size me up I think, and we'd gotten on fine, he seemed like a good guy, I think he was less impressed with me, he'd mentioned multiple times that he didn't want any big headed ex-army guy thinking he was better just because they were ex-army.

But... over the next few hours we'd worked it out. And we were on the same page and thankfully when he got a call from his boyfriend in the pub I accidentally overheard he was gay, which he had been both embarrassed about and threatened to punch my lights out if I ever mentioned it to anyone as we'd headed out, and he'd pushed me against the wall of the pub.

I pointed out that the next time he tried to do something like this, I'd flatten him and wouldn't give him any fucking warning. I then had grabbed his North Face jacket and turn and slammed him into the other alleyway wall, my arm across his throat and I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture of me and Jason at the statue of liberty, and then on the Staten Island Ferry, and getting a beer at a rooftop garden gay bar with both our tops off.

He'd apologised after that, and we'd agreed we wouldn't bring it up at work. But he did say that if I ever wanted to join him and his boyfriend he wouldn't argue, which we laughed at and decided to go back to the pub and our relationship got way better after that. I didn't go back to his and his boyfriend's... I wouldn't do that to Jason... well not unless he was there as well.

I finish tidying my boots and head out of the locker room for my daily briefing, and then off into the car with Wayne, I'd arranged with Wayne we'd go to lunch with Jason, at least I could take him with me rather than trying to find an excuse to get away from my partner at lunchtime to meet Jason in the cafe.

14:01 OfficerJasonFrank: I was enjoying my time in London a helluva lot more than I was expecting. I mean, honestly, how can any city compare to New York? But.. I had to admit, London came pretty close.

Of course, a large part of that was all to do with who lived in London, namely one PC Aaron Mitchell, former Para, and just recently promoted to CO19, the firearms squad. I was fucking happy for him. I could tell that this new position suited him to a T. What made my boyfriend happy, made me happy.

Of course the idea that a squad allowed to wield firearms was elite was just fucking bonkers. The idea that most cops over here didn't even have a firearm was, well, pretty strange. I'd feel naked if I was on duty without my Glock.

But well, we have to make allowances for strange foreign ways. What mattered was that Aaron was happy. It was a bit unfortunate that he hadn't been able to delay the start of his new position another week, but I totally understood how that went. Didn't bother me too much. We'd still have Thursday and Friday together, and the evenings.

And in the meantime, I could play dumb American tourist. All I had to do was open my mouth, and I'd get all these looks from jaded Londoners. My New York accent was a bit thick, but well, the stuck up Limeys could go fuck themselves if they didn't like it. Aaron excepted, of course.

But today, I was going to meet Aaron for lunch, him and his partner, Wayne Lewis. Aaron had told me about the little getting to know each other drink the two had shared in the pub. It was fucking hilarious. Especially the bit about him asking Aaron back with him and his boyfriend.

I'm not the jealous type, fuck, I never even thought I'd be the type to have a boyfriend, until Aaron and I met. But I was kinda touched by his loyalty to me. We were still working out what this trans-atlantic relationship meant. We'd have to talk it out eventually, we were both new to this.

I show up at the small cafe, choosing a seat near the window, with a television stuck to the opposite wall blaring out the woeful tidings that are the news in a constant stream that I ignored. They were due to show up soon.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I looked over at Aaron, the morning had been pretty quiet. Most of the force was involved in that huge drug bust that would be going down later today. The details about a shipment worth several million pounds of cocaine had been uncovered by our hard working detectives, and most of CO19 was gathering to intercept them mob-handed, but somehow, we missed out on that one.

I felt disappointed, but well, you can't win them all. Things with Aaron had been a lot better once I realized he wasn't going to be stuck up about his Para background. It had nearly come to blows though, when he had overheard my boyfriend calling me. Fuck. I never, NEVER mixed my personal life with work. That was a big red button to me. But this time, it had worked out all right in the end. And led to an astonishing revelation... Aaron Mitchell had a taste for men as well.

Fuck, he was one hell of a good looking man. Hard, ginger, professional, well-trained. What's not to like? He turned down my invitation for a threesome with my boyfriend. I was half-joking when I issued it, I mean, I'd had a few pints and was still feeling a bit high on the relief of learning that my partner was gay, but anyways, we got on much better after that.

So I took the unusual step of agreeing to meet his boyfriend, that New York cop, for lunch. Not sure how he plans to manage an overseas relationship like that, it's probably doomed to failure, but hell, that's not my problem, and not for me to point out to him. At any rate, I was looking forward to meeting him. If he was even half as good looking and hard as Aaron, we might have to talk about a four way. I grinned as I pulled our squad car up a block away from the cafe. "Ready Aaron? Let's go meet your man."

14:17 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I look at Wayne as I get out of the car, locking the assault rifles in the case in the centre of the squad car and I smile at him. "At least I could bring you to the restaurant rather than on my first day on the job having to find an excuse to dump my partner so I can have lunch with my boyfriend."

"He doesn't mind, he's a cop as well, and he knows how it is, I'm just lucky to have an understanding partner. Lets hope you just don't die hideously in a fire like the last one."

And on that note I smile at him and get out of the car and head to the cafe. Sometimes you have to make jokes about the things most painful, that I'd learnt in the army.

I turn and walk the block down, I'm still in uniform so I walk with that air of command, Wayne by my side towards the cafe. The black uniform of CO19 was destined to not be the type of person random people walked up to asking the time of day and I cultivated a look of 'doing fucking try it' which I'd perfected back in my army days - quite different from what I used to be when I was a regular response cop.

I walk into the cafe and see Jason and head over and kiss him before introducing Wayne. "This is Wayne Lewis, my partner and probation training officer. Wayne, this is NYPD Police Officer Jason Frank."

14:46 OfficerJasonFrank: I caught sight of Aaron as soon as he walked in the door. I have to admit, the black uniform looked a lot more bad-ass to me than the green high-visibility top that he used to wear.

Myself, I was wearing black boots, blue jeans, and a tight shirt tucked in with a black leather belt. The shirt was navy blue, and had "New York" emblazoned across it. It showed off my hard muscled body much better than my uniform did, but really, I was missing my uniform. I felt kinda naked without it.

I kissed Aaron with a grin, and checked out Wayne. Well fuck me. I gave him a hard, long stare. He was one exceptionally handsome man. Dark eyes, clean shaven, not as big as me or Aaron, but clearly fit as fuck. He carried himself with a hard-edged don't-fuck-with-me confidence that I instantly approved of, much like Aaron did.

I reach out my hand and shake Wayne's. "Pleasure to meet you Wayne." I grin, "Probation training officer huh? That mean you got to make sure Aaron doesn't accidentally shoot himself in the foot?"

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I nod approvingly as Aaron locks up the assault rifles per procedure before getting out. He knows the role, and knows it well.

I chuckle as Aaron mentions how my last partner dies. But inside, I feel that twisting knot of loss and hurt. I'd been partnered with Jim for about 3 years before he died in that fire, trying to save a trapped family from a gas explosion caused by a gunman we had cornered. That still hurt. He'd been my friend. But I'd learned not to shy away from it. Jokes made it easier to bear.

We walk to the cafe, people making a pathway for us. I was used to it. People were in a kind of terrified awe of CO19. It made walking down a crowded street a lot easier. We entered the cafe, and I got my first look at Jason Frank. Well. He was easy on the eyes. And damn, was he muscled. He must have about 20, 30 pounds on me. And all of it was muscle. Did the gorilla live in the gym or what? You hear stories about these muscled American cops... but fuck, meeting one in the flesh was a bit different.

I shook his hand firmly, tipping my cap to him. I grinned, appreciating his sense of humour. "He hasn't managed to shoot his foot off ... yet." I wink over at Aaron. I liked Jason, he was easy to like. I could see what Aaron saw in him. Plus, he exuded this aura of hard dominance, a man who was used to being in control. What's not to like?

14:59 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I sit down next to Aaron allowing Wayne to sit opposite me as I shake my head. "I would say I have more real firearms experience than the two of you put together, but ... then I remembered one of you two was American, and I didn't start using guns when I was like 3 ... so no way that was going to be true."

He looked at Wayne. "Just be careful, he's very sensitive, he doesn't like donuts..." I put my hand on his lap as we're talking.

"He's over this week, so I'm going to spend my rest days with him. I was thinking of going to some of the sites, show him culture..." I look at my boyfriend with a face that really just says I wanted him in bed for those two days.

"Wayne's doing a great job actually. In the army, you have rules around where you put your weapons, and stuff... but most of the time the main rule is 'don't lose it' and 'never let go of it'. Here you have to lock them away, you need authorisation to take them out of the car. it's not easy when actually all you want to do is put it on your lap."

"I got so confused on the first day of training when I had to hand my rifle BACK at the end of each day... I'm like... hold on... can't we keep them! But no... apparently there are rules."

I can see Wayne looking at Jason, I know the look it happened to me the first time I met him as well but it's his hand in mine right now that's all that matters.

"Jace, I was saying to Wayne, at least I didn't have to find an excuse to dump him for an hour to get lunch with you." To be fair Aaron wouldn't have done that, he was too much of a rules person. But he called the waitress over and ordered a salad and a coke, being back in London had too many donut and pizza temptations, and CO19 had far higher standards of fitness than regular police... not army levels.. they weren't that strict, but it was high.

He turned back to Wayne. "So... when do I get to meet your boyfriend?" I knew nothing about him, except for he existed, I hadn't wanted to press the issue the other night.

15:54 OfficerJasonFrank: I scoot over, making room for Aaron to sit next to me, instantly feeling that warm glow of love as he sits, his big ginger frame pushing up against me, his hand straying over to rest against my thigh. Fuck.

I give him a bit of a dig in the ribs and a dirty look at his donuts comment, but then wince slightly, shaking out my elbow. It's not a good idea to dig your elbow into heavy body armor.

My hand unconsciously strays over to hold Aaron's as it rests on my thigh, my fingers twining around his. I catch the look he sends my way, and as he goes on about taking me to see culture, I snort, thinking of how we are going to fuck each other rotten over those two days.

I chuckle over at Aaron, "I keep my Glock under my pillow. Couldn't fucking imagine having to turn it in at the end of the day and needing special permission to take it out of my squad car. Fuck me, what you Limeys put up with." I don't mean any harm by it, but it does strike me as odd, coming from New York and America.

The waitress comes over, and I order some roast chicken. I figure I'm gonna need some good reserves of protein to get me through the fuckfest we have coming up.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I sit back listening to the two lovebirds. On one occasion, I stick my finger down my throat and mock as though I were gagging, but really, I find it kinda sweet. These two hard ass bastards really have it for each other.

I'm glad that for once I broke my rule about mixing my personal life with my work. I turn to look at Jason as he asks me about my boyfriend. I hesitate for just a moment. I still feel a bit uncomfortable about this. My boyfriend likes to keep things quiet about his personal life, especially considering his career. But as I look back and forth between Jason and Aaron, I make a snap decision. I can trust them.

"I tell you what Aaron, I'll feel him out about it. I somehow think he would really enjoy meeting you and Jace. He's a bit careful about who he lets in on his personal life, considering his career. See, Tye is an MMA fighter. He's got about five professional fights under his belt, and he wants to make it into the big leagues. He's ultra careful about keeping his personal life with me private." I hesitate, but then, I decide to show them a picture of Tye.

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16:01 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: "I think we can all understand here, I'm not in the closet at work, but I don't really talk about it much. It's different in America, they're a bit more backward than we are over here... but... I understand why you don't want people knowing."

"In the army it was similar, so I can appreciate it."

I look at the picture showing it to Jason. "Wow he's fit," he looked at Wayne. "Does he have a really bad personality or something .. I mean he can do so much better than you!" I smile at my partner, that's to get him back for the shooting my foot comment... which I know originated from Jason, but I'm hardly going to wind him up.

"I hope he does make it... if he's got five professional fights, he probably doesn't eat donuts either. Fuck your house must have like all the chicken and steak in the known world."

The waitress comes over with the food and I smile "But Jason is the fittest guy I know, so I promise not to look at him if I come over for dinner."

16:20 OfficerJasonFrank: I give Aaron a dirty look as he makes a comment about America being backward. It's true that I'm not out back on the force in NY, but I do have some colleagues who are. It's just ... My own business is my own.

I look at the picture of Tye. I let out a low whistle. "Yeah, he looks like an MMA fighter all right. " I grin at Aaron as he ribs his partner. They make a good team, I know from experience how important it is to build up a good rapport with your partner. "Your man is packing some serious Grade-A beef. And he looks like a mean fucker. I wouldn't mind going a round or two with him in the cage." I wink over at Aaron, winding him up just a bit with that comment. Aaron knows what a nut I am for my BJJ and boxing training.

I roll my eyes at Aaron as he comments about me, just as the waitress puts the food down in front of the table. I start tearing into my chicken. Suddenly though, I see the expression on Wayne's face turn from light-hearted to deadly serious. I feel alarmed. What?

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I give Aaron a dirty look as he makes the comment about having a bad personality. "Hey Aaron, watch it now... Tye's been coaching me. I might not be as big as you, but I can have your ass laid out in no time flat." I grin at him.

The waitress comes to lay down the food, as I'm showing off Tye. My man is fit as fuck, and in bed ... well, let's just say he's got plenty of testosterone to spare. I start to pick up my sandwich, "Yeah, Jason might just give Tye a run for his money at ...."

Suddenly, I drop my sandwich. My jaw drops and I feel sick. The TV behind Jace and Aaron is suddenly broadcasting images of a street in the City, a street filled with the unmoving bodies of members of CO19. The force that had been gathered to intercept the drug convoy. The camera pans up. I catch sight of three white vans in the middle of the street, surrounded by downed bodies. Some kind of chemical weapon? A gas? And to my further horror, I see, in real time, a window about four floors up suddenly explode showering the street below with glass as smoke billows out of it.

"Fuck.. Aaron... fuck... turn around. Isn't that the MI6 offices in the City? And look on the ground surrounding those three vans... those are all CO19. Look.. that man there... that's Charlie... and there... that's Walter. Those vans... the drug convoy? What the fuck is going on?"

16:53 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: "Seriously, he would... Jason's a brilliant fighter, I've seen him first hand, he'd give your boyfriend a run for his money... maybe good training for him. You and I can eat donuts while the two fighters get it on in the ring."

"And you want my ass, you have to ask the big guy's permission," I joke, putting my hand on Jace's leg, but Wayne's face changes and I turn and see the guys on the street. "You have got to be shitting me," I say looking in horror.

I go to my radio. "2412 Mitchell and 1871 Lewis, we're back on duty if you need us, dispatch. Off Code 4," he said, which was the police code for meal break. "

I grab a fork and quickly eat a bit of the salad and then kiss Jason as I stand up. "Sorry love, I've got to go, I'll see you tonight okay. You know how it is."

He looked at Wayne. "We're ten minutes on blues-and-twos away from Thames House, lets get in the car and drive, someone will fucking tell us on the way." He's in army mode now. "We don't know whether that is gas, or something else... honestly there's not enough blood for it to be much else on the TV. How the fuck do you fucking knock out ..." but questions isn't the right time... it's time for driving."

I look at my partner to see if he's ready and I turn and look at Jason, where did I want him to be in a terrorist attack on my home city. "Go back to mine and don't leave, okay..." I hand my keys over. "I'll be home tonight, I promise."

09:32 OfficerJasonFrank: I turn and look alongside Aaron to see the news. It's showing an image of uniformed officers, dressed like Aaron and Wayne, CO19 then, laid out in the street, not moving. Dead? Knocked out? Then, I see the office building behind it with smoke coming out the just shattered window. My guts clench. The caption at the bottom says London. It's a terrorist attack of some kind, in the middle of London.

Instantly I travel back in time to New York on September 11th... that fateful day. My guts clench. Aaron springs into action instantly, not wasting a moment. Even so he has time to give me a kiss. I nod. Aaron has his duty. I just wish for a moment that I was right there with him, to watch his back. I didn't fucking want to go back to his flat. I wanted to be at his side. But what the fuck could I do? This wasn't my city. I wasn't even allowed to carry a gun here.

I shouted out at them, "Stay safe Aaron, Wayne." Then, with a sigh, I paid the bill. The waitress barely noticed me as she, and everyone else was watching the drama unfold in real time as more explosions rocked the office tower. Quietly, I turned away. I'd seen enough. This was going to be hard. Hard for Aaron. Hard for the city. I made my way back to Aaron's flat, clutching his keys in my hand, feeling sick with worry and concern and love for him. Wishing over and over that I was there at his side.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I spring up. We were needed, any second dispatch would put out the call. I left my sandwich where it was, as Aaron called in.

I nodded, "C'mon Aaron, let's go. We'll get a briefing from dispatch on the way." I was suddenly full of a deep burning need to be on the scene, now. Those were my friends, my comrades. They needed me there, not here.

I couldn't get the sight of all those officers laid out on the street from my mind. Collapsed to the street where they had been standing. I prayed that they weren't dead. Needed them not to be dead. Answers would have to wait. Right now, we needed action.

We sprinted back to our patrol car, and I slid into the driver's seat, activated the siren, and pulled out, weaving through traffic as fast as I dared push it.

I called in, back to dispatch, "1871 Lewis, 2412 Mitchell. We are enroute to Thames House, instructions."

After a delay, dispatch finally responded, and I've never in my life heard the dispatcher sound this shaken. "That's a negative. We have just received confirmation that a chemical agent was used on the officers. You are not, I repeat, not to approach the scene any closer than 100 meters without explicit instruction. Most of our available officers were involved in the incident, we do not have backup available for at least 20 minutes. Begin evacuating the civilian population from the perimeter in the meantime."

I look over at Aaron with an expression of frustration and fear. I slam the steering wheel to vent some of it as I expertly continue to navigate traffic, our siren wailing as we approach Thames House.

THAMES HOUSE

Read LONDON IN THE SHADE - PROJECT ZEUS PART 6 and AGAINST THE ODDS - PROJECT ZEUS PART 7 for details of the attack on MI6.

12:11 Ben_Travers: So that’s one group of these fucking bastards done for. I hear more gunshots outside, and figure my other two lads are savaging a few more bastards. I pull out my final grenade, getting ready to pull the pin, planning to toss it towards the other group of defenders as they fire their weapons, smashing into the buffet I’m hiding behind. But suddenly there is another explosion, about 15 feet away, near my other two lads who had taken cover behind the till and the drinks machine. The fucking roar is deafening, and as the sound fades, my ears ringing, I turn to look at my two men sprawled out, no longer in the land of the living. The floor is buckled and twisted, partially collapsing down onto the third level, and the drinks machine is spraying soda water from the mangled remains of its side. FUCK. This is no longer a tenable location. No time to grieve for my dead mates. Time to make an escape plan. No time to think, just act. I ran forward, keeping my head low, pulling out my grappling hook. I felt gunfire from the final group of defenders slamming around me, and a bullet smashes into my back, a solid hit, stopped only by my flak vest. It throws me forward as though I’d been kicked by a mule. But, I keep my balance, and leap out the window, hooking my grapple on the shattered, twisted window sill lowering myself down at breakneck speeds. It was nearly time for us to be headed out anyways. I dropped at the end of my line, and ran back towards the van. The cops would be recovering soon from our little treat. FUCK… but the loss of my men hurt. Hurt bad. I give these bastards their dues. They were good. I hope the others I’d split off from made it.

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Suddenly, I heard a siren in the distance. I grunted. How the hell did they get backup so fast? I looked over, and saw some of the officers twitching on the ground. That cannister of knockout gas I had unloaded on these bastards a few minutes ago was starting to wear off. The rest of my squad was dead, and I had no idea where Ivan or Shade were. I didn't fancy my chances all by myself in one of those vans. FUCK FUCK FUCK.

The siren was getting closer. I made a snap decision. If you can't outrun them... join them. I sprinted towards the twitching cops, ripping off my gas mask as I ran. The chemical agent we had used was well dispersed by now. I squatted next to one of the twitching black-clad CO19 officers, and fished around for his keys. I snatched them off his belt, and for a good measure, took his assault rifle as well. Mine was running low, and I only had a few grenades left. I glanced up one more time, HOLY FUCK, that other squad car wasn't slowing, and I could clearly see two grim faced CO19 officers behind the windshield.

I leaped into the squad car, and started it up, I gunned the engine, and shot forward, feeling the jolts as I ran over the twitching forms of several officers in a bid to make my escape.

09:59 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: Aaron sat in the passenger seat feeling like an accessory during the drive, there was very little he could due right now.

"We stop 100 metres away, you take the east," I start to say as I see someone moving, "Is that one of ours?" as he removes his gas mask, I don't think so, none of them would sport a beard like that, heck even I had to shave ... mostly...

"No, that is not one of ours." I enter the code into the center of the car and pull out my assault rifle. "I am regretting signing up to the rules of no firing weapons from a moving vehicle."

Admittedly he had no choice in that matter, that was most definitely not CO19 procedure or even vaguely allowed. He seems to be taking something off one of the guys... then he gets in one of the cars and starts to drive away, driving over two of our lads in the process. "Fucking Hell."

He went to his radio. "2412 Mitchell. Gas seems to be dispersing, but we need an ambulance, we have two officers," I didn't add in 'at least' "with blunt force trauma from being run over by a car, urgent medical attention required. Need permission for pursuit of suspect who is currently driving Sierra Echo 18 from CO19."

I look at Wayne, we shouldn't follow them without permission for a high speed chase, this is where the army and the police differ, the rules and regulations, and we have our instructions on helping the citizens.

"Wait for instruction," says dispatch and I grit my teeth.

"Wait for instruction, fucking hell, who are they waiting for permission from... God?"

"2412 Mitchell," I say with a lot of frustration in my voice. "I repeat request permission for chase of suspect, fleeing scene of terrorist attack at Thames House in Sierra Echo 18. I don't need fucking backup, I need someone to say Go."

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: Grimly, I controlled my frustration as we began to approach Thames House, seeing the squad cars in the distance, and the bodies of the CO19 officers laid out like corpses.

Now, more than ever was a time to be focused, hard, cold as ice. I try to judge 100 meters, then catch sight of a figure dressed in full battle gear wielding an assault rifle as Aaron points him out. "No, that's not ours. But look... he's removed his gas mask, that must mean that it's safe to get closer."

I glanced over briefly as Aaron unlocked the weapons locker and pulled out his assault rifle. He knew as well as I that we weren't some kind of fucking Chicago gangsters firing our rifles out the window as we race along.

I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white as that bearded bastard runs over two of our men, I don't trust myself to speak. Aaron calls dispatch again to update them, requesting medical aid and permission to pursue the car. I slow down, fighting my instincts, wanting to speed up instead, but I know the rules. I'm raging inside, but the regulations are there for a reason. I don't however stop. Even as he starts to pull away.

I get a good view of the MI6 offices. Half the windows have been shattered, and fires are visible inside, with smoke billowing out of the windows. Holy shit. Who the fuck was behind this?

Suddenly, as dispatch continues to respond with silence, I turn sharply, accelerating, down a small alley. I know this part of London like the back of my hand. This alley continues forward, then turns left to intersect Horseferry Road. If he wants to escape, that will be the route he'll take.

Finally, as I navigate the small alley at entirely unsafe speeds, dispatch replies. "Ambulances are on standby, but we can't send them into a war zone. It will be at least 10 minutes before we have enough force to regain control of the situation."

The dispatcher pauses, considering their next response. Then, finally, they reply with one word. "Go."

Grimly, I gun the accelerator and the squad car jolts forward as though it were stung by a bee. It's a straight shot now out to the main thoroughfare. The squad car bolts out of the alley ... and I see the danger all too well.

Squad Car SE18 is coming up the road fast. I fight the steering wheel to turn sharp, but I can't quite manage it. The other car clips the front of our car on the driver's side, sending us careening out of control. I carefully pump the breaks, all my driving training coming to the fore, resisting the urge to slam the breaks. But I can see how this ends. We are headed straight for a lamp post. I grunt, "Brace yourself Aaron!" and there is a sickening crunch, a rending of metal, and the sense of having a horse kick me from behind as we grind to a stop, the lamp post knocked askew, half buried in the radiator. I feel dazed, fighting through my disorientation and the sense of unreality that always hits you after a crash. "Aaron.... you okay?"

12:11 Ben_Travers: Grimly I pull ahead, the squad car behind me slowing down for some reason. Suits me fine. I begin to think about how I'm going to rejoin Ivan and Shade. How the fuck did that squad car show up so fast?

We'd been so sure that they would put all their resources into our fake drug convoy hit. Well, doesn't matter now. Before I left South Africa, before everything went to shit and I became so disillusioned that the only course left was to leave, before I joined the Brotherhood of Steel, I'd been SASF, South Africa Special Forces, or as we call them, the Recces.

The most valuable lesson I learned from them, besides the obvious of marksmanship, survival training, hand to hand combat, and explosives, was adaptability. Adapt to your situation from moment to moment. Plans change at a moments notice, change is the only constant in a battle. That's what I was doing now. I turned left sharp, following the curving thoroughfare, and there was no longer any sign of that squad car.

I was just beginning to think that I was home free ... when suddenly that squad car darted out of an alley off to my left like a shot!! FUCK!!!! We were on a collision course. Grimly, my mind analyzed the situation, and I overrode my instinct which was to swerve. I kept straight on, and clipped the fuckers in the front of their car, on the driver's side. There was a savage crunch of rending metal.

My passenger side tire blew out with a massive shock, and the squad car careened out of control, entering a sharp spin. I let up off the accelerator and brake and let it come to a stop, smashing into a row of parked cars, setting off tons of car alarms. I shake my head out, and pop open the driver's side door, grabbing my purloined assault rifle. I crept around behind the cars, and spied the other squad car, partially embedded in a lamp post across the street, steam raising from the shattered radiator.

I have one frag grenade and one flashbang grenade left. I don't want to use them until I absolutely have to. Getting out of London alive was not going to be easy, and I planned on making it out alive. I raise my assault rifle, and let loose a savage burst of assault rifle fire to rake the side of the squad car, windows exploding. If I'm lucky, I'll kill those fuckers quick and make my way out on foot. Already, I'm beginning to think ahead ... how to make my escape... the sewers.... change into civilian clothes and blend in might be safest.

11:56 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I hold on to the dashboard as he heads down the alleyway at speed. I trust Wayne's knowledge of London's backstreets, I'd never been a response driver in London, only foot patrol, but I trusted his knowledge, it's never time to doubt your partner.

As the go was issued and Wayne started the car, I slid my hands down the buttons turning the lights and siren back on.

"2412 to dispatch, gas clearing and officers injured, they can't fucking wait 10 minutes." My language gets significantly worse under pressure. "They're outside the building, get a fucking foot patrol to drag them out because you do not want to be fucking responsible for 3 officers deaths, dispatch."

Then very quickly there is a lamp post coming up and I slam my knees up as we connect, but this is not exactly something I'm not used to. "Hey... you gave me warning, IED's in Helmand never did." I release my seat belt and shake Wayne. "Hey... you're the senior officer here, permission to remove weapons from the car."

Rules need to be followed, if this had been the para's we'd already be out there.

"2412 and 1871 commencing foot pursuit west on Horseferry Road." I say into my radio grabbing my rifle and looking at my partner, but then very quickly a burst of assault rifle fire slams into my side of the car, glass exploding into the car, cutting through the side of my face and neck, not seriously, but enough to draw blood, luckily the bullets went into the car body mostly and the seats.

I lean over Wayne and open his side of the door and push both of us out to give us additional protection on the other side.

Now with the car between us and the shooter I go to my radio, which had been drilled into me. Communication, Communication, Communication.

"2412, we are taking automatic weapons fire from what sounds like a M16 rifle. Due to imminent threat to life, we need permission for kill authority on a terrorist suspect."

As another round of bullets slammed into the car I put my head down. "Fucking Quickly will be Fucking Appreciated."

I look at Wayne. "THIS IS MY FIRST FUCKING DAY!" It's not anger, it's exasperation.

12:27 OfficerJasonFrank: 15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: Suddenly, just as I turn to check on Aaron, he's checking on me. I nod at him, "Permission granted." Next, we need permission to actually fire them. I listen as Aaron communicates our situation back to dispatch, busy grabbing my own assault rifle, allowing him to handle communications. Suddenly, the car shakes as bullets rake the side, glass flying inwards. None of it hits me, but I spot the blood on the side of Aaron's face as he turns towards me.

I unbuckle my safety belt as he pops my door open, and together we tumble out taking cover behind the car. Following procedure, he asks for permission to kill the suspect, an entirely reasonable request I thought, given the circumstances. I rapidly ensure my weapon is fully loaded and ready, thumbing the safety off as another round smashes into the car. I sniff suddenly. That was petrol.

Won't be safe to stay here for long. When Aaron turns to me in exasperation, for a moment, just a moment I grin. "More exciting than army life, no doubt."

Then, the radio comes to life, "Situation understood. Permission to kill terrorist suspect granted."

I nod at Aaron. Anticipating a positive response, I have my assault rifle out and ready as I crouch, pushing to the front of the car to peek around the side.

There is no sign of the suspect... Then, suddenly, there is a scream from a News shop across the street, behind the other wrecked car. Holy shit. I catch a glimpse of his bearded face as strides through the small corner shop, waving his assault rifle around. There seem to be three people in the shop, all of them cowering in fear from the bearded terrorist as they lay on the floor, following his instructions. What I wouldn't give for a fucking sniper rifle right now.

I growl at Aaron, "The murdering nutjob knows we aren't going to fire into an occupied shop." Then, I stop and think. There is an alley behind the shop. I speak quickly. "Aaron, I'll bet you your next month's wages AND a chance for me and Tye to fuck Jace from both ends at the same time that the bastard is going to try and escape through the storeroom at the back. There is an alley behind that shop. I know it. If you run to the end of the street and turn left, you'll see it. Let me try to negotiate with him, stall him, while you cover that rear exit."

12:11 Ben_Travers: I fire a second burst as the two coppers wisely take cover behind their squad car. That will keep them out of my hair for a moment. I turn to survey my situation. Instantly, I spy the small news agents right behind me. News agents will likely have a rear exit through a storeroom or some such, and even better, the civilians will be insurance for me.

I don't kill civilians, it's not my style, but they don't know that. I stand up and charge into the small shop, the three occupants already terrified. I wave my rifle at them, shouting, "Get down on the floor, NOW, put your hands behind your head, and I swear, no one will harm you."

Then, I ask, "Is there another way out of this shop?" The shop keeper jibbers at me, pissing himself with fear. The rank scent of ammonia wafts up, and I wrinkle my nose at it. But he tells me what I need to know. Suddenly, as I turn to run to the rear, a loud voice bellows out, amplified by a loud speaker, "WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED. STAY WHERE YOU ARE, DROP YOUR WEAPON AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN PLAIN SIGHT."

I quickly analyzed his request. What are the odds that they might have this building surrounded? Low. He was bluffing. Bluffing for time. Where was his partner? I smelled a big fat fish.

12:43 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I laugh for a second at the commentary about army life. "When you've been in a truck," I say, checking that the assault rifle hadn't jammed due to the rough treatment while waiting for dispatch to come back to us. "That is ten metres up in the air due to the pressure on an exploding IED and you hear the sounds of AK47 coming at you from the sand dunes, trust me the city streets of London are like a walk in the fucking park."

I hear dispatch come through and I bring my rifle up aiming it at the other car. "Fucker.. where the fuck did he go."

Then the scream comes and I look over and see the newsagents. Admittedly I had considered firing into the shop, I believed myself to be a good enough shot, although it wasn't a sniper rifle AND had been through a lot in the last minute.

I nod to Wayne. "I can't promise for Jace, but I can promise a fucking good night for you and Tye if you're wrong," I pull up the assault rifle and work my way around the front of the car away from the sight of the newsagents, putting on my police baseball cap and shooing away the people on the road to get them further away as I head to the alleyway.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I grin briefly at Aaron. "Deal. I'll hold you to it Aaron. I'm gonna enjoy watching Tye ruin you and Jace. Now move!"

I wait until Aaron has darted around the corner, then I reach into the cab and grab my loudspeaker. I bellow out, "WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED. STAY WHERE YOU ARE, DROP YOUR WEAPON AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN PLAIN SIGHT."

12:11 Ben_Travers: They are up to something. I know it. This is a stalling tactic. I grunt, reaching down and grabbing the shopkeeper by his collar, snarling, "Get the fuck up." I haul his blubbering, piss soaked ass up to his feet, and stick the barrel of my AK47 against his temple. I bellow out in reply as I back up towards the storeroom, "GO FUCK YOURSELF. YOU COME NEAR ME, AND I BLOW THIS MAN'S BRAINS OUT."

I wondered how Ivan and Shade were getting on.... and speaking of the devil, two vans rocket past, heading to the pre-arranged rendezvous point. There goes my ride. Now, I'm truly stranded.

I pull my hostage with me, dragging him back through the rear door, navigating my way past boxes and pallets of crappy goods. I kick open the rear door with a bang, hauling the blubbering shopkeeper with me, using him as a meat shield in case there is a nasty surprise waiting for me.

13:40 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I cross over the road and silently walk into the alleyway, holding my gun up in front of me checking the area out.

I hear the door opening and I lift my weapon, expecting to be able to shoot the guy, but instead I see the shopkeeper coming out and then the glint of an assault rifle as the terrorist comes out as well. I kept my gun up and pointed at him.

"Sir, drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head."

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I watch with a bitter taste in my mouth as the suspect grabs a man from the floor and points his gun to the hostage's head. This is a fucking nightmare. As he backs off through the door I move forward at a sprint, radioing in, "1871 to dispatch. Suspect has taken a hostage, attempting negotiation." Then, without waiting for a reply, my boots pounding on the pavement, I spring into the store, and gesture at the other two citizens, "Get out, get to safety now!" I cover the door to the storeroom, and radio Aaron, "Status?"

12:11 Ben_Travers: As I keep real close to my hostage, I hear a voice calling out with that typical ice cold law enforcement sharp edge.

"I have a better idea, " I snarl back, "Why don't you fucking drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head before I blow this poor idiot's brains out?"

I keep the shopkeeper between me and him, and the barrel of my AK47 right up against the blubbering shopkeeper's head. He's pissed himself again. Fuck, I hate this part of my job. I'm paid to fight soldiers, not slaughter civilians. But I also don't want to be dead. I want to get back to the Brotherhood in the worst possible fucking way.

14:11 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I look at the guy and the shopkeeper, if this was Iraq or Afghanistan, then there would be no arguments, I'd shoot, but I wasn't a soldier any more, that's not what I'm here to do now - previously in the para's, it would be killing this guy, and... if there was collateral damage... then that's in the line of work.

But now I'm sworn to protect people, not the other way around. "Okay..." I say leaning down slowly and putting the assault rifle onto the fire escape. I very slowly and deliberately go into the pouch on my vest and pull out my backup weapon and slowly put it onto the fire escape as well and then open my vest slightly and go inside, and seem to be going for a third weapon, but actually I'm pressing redial on my phone, which should hopefully phone Jason. I don't have time to work on anything more detailed like typing in the number for dispatch.. just redial.

Then I pull my hand out, bringing with it a pocket knife, which wouldn't have hurt a fly really, but I needed to show something as I put it down. "Now let the gentleman go," I say, putting my hands behind my head as instructed. I look at the shopkeeper. "It'll be alright, sir, he's going to let you go now, and you can go back into the shop and your family."

I looked at the terrorist. "That's right, isn't it."

14:29 OfficerJasonFrank: I sit there, on the sofa in Aaron's flat, staring at the wall. Just breathing in and out as the man I love is out risking his life to keep his city safe. Without me. That's the hardest part of this. That's what's tearing me to pieces.

Not that he's risking his life. That's his job. That's my job. But that he's doing without me. It's driving me crazy.

Then, my phone rings suddenly. I answer it. It's Aaron's number. It's his phone. Fuck. I feel relief wash through me. I speak into my phone, "Aaron? You okay? Where are you?" But there is no response. Suddenly, I hear voices speaking. Aaron's voice, and someone else, a hard, deep voice, in a South African accent, muffled, coming from a ways away, but I can make out the words if I focus. And another voice, a blubbering voice, someone incoherent with fear.

Then, suddenly, I focused on Aaron's voice. My hand is trembling as I listen to my brave overly-heroic boyfriend offer himself in the place of a hostage. My guts freeze up solid and tight. Think Jason... think.. what to do.

I'm just a tourist here, I don't have a weapon, but not for one moment did I think that was going to stop me from taking action. This was Aaron. This was a man that I would give my life for in a moment. I was not sitting around. I looked up how to get to Thames House and started off, heading for the bus stop, grabbing a knife from the kitchen, and sticking it unobtrusively inside the waistband of my jeans. I kept the call open the entire time. Listening.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: There was no answer. FUCK. There were no sounds of gunshots though, so that was good. But why won't he answer? I dare not charge in through the door. It could be a trap, or I might spook the terrorist into killing his hostage. I feel like my hands are tied. My partner for fuck's sake is on the the other side of the building, in the alley, but he might as well be a million miles away. I think furiously trying to consider my options.

12:11 Ben_Travers: I listen as the copper slowly puts his weapons down, one at a time. My finger is on the trigger. Then, he makes me an offer that suits me down to a T. I'd much rather have a Cop as a hostage than a civilian.

The Cop I could kill without any regret, unlike this blubbering piss soaked civilian. "That sounds like a fair exchange to me, Officer. On one condition. Grab your cuffs, and cuff your hands held out in front of you for me. Then, I'll let him go and take you instead."

14:39 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I take out my cuffs from my pocket as I hear Wayne's voice on the radio. I look at the terrorist and nod. "I'm going to let him know I'm okay and that the shopkeeper will be coming in."

"Then I'll remove my radio and place it down," I go slowly to my radio and turn it on. "Wayne, it's okay... the shopkeeper is going to be coming in now. I'm exchanging myself for him. Tell my girlfriend I'll probably not be home for dinner at this rate."

I turn the radio off and show myself putting it down and then I attach my cuffs to my hands in front of me and lock them into place.

"Now... let him go, sir." I look up at the newsagents and then down to the shopkeeper and smile as if I'm trying to calm him down. "It's okay I remember coming down to Horseferry Road when I was a kid, my dad always let me buy sweets here before we went to the River." I look at the Terrorist again. "He's scared sir. Let him go inside the shop where my partner is."

I'm talking to both Wayne and Jason right now in various ways.

15:12 OfficerJasonFrank: I get on the bus, asking the driver how long it will take to get to Thames House. He grunts, telling me that all buses are being diverted. But he tells me that closest he can get will take about 20 minutes. Then, I catch Aaron’s conversation… he mentions Horseferry Road. Fuck, he’s good. He’s perfect.

Fuck that. I hop off the bus, and hail a cab instead. I jump in and give him the address of the street Aaron mentioned. Horseferry road. I grunt in the cabbie's ear, "There's a 20 pound note in here with your name on it if you get me there in ten minutes." He grins, and pours on the speed.

My guts are churning, I'm sick with worry and fear for Aaron. But this isn't the time to be distracted by emotion. This is a time for action. I may not be on duty, but I take a deep breath, and feel myself slip into that zone, drawing that sense of professional detachment that I use when I'm in a crisis back in New York, wearing my uniform, backed by my badge. I open my eyes, feeling that steel-hard resolve settle down over me. I'm not a tourist anymore. I'm a Cop. So what if I'm not in New York. Doesn't change a fucking thing.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: Finally, there is a reply. I listen to Aaron's reply. I feel a sense of awe and respect, as well as anger. Exchanging himself for the hostage? My respect for him went up several notches. He was a brave man. A stupid idiot, but a brave man none the less. Exchanging himself for the hostage? I shook my head. I called dispatch again, "1871 to dispatch. Update on hostage situation. 2412 Mitchell has exchanged himself for the civilian hostage."

Dispatch replied a few moments later, "Understood. Fall back, and report to Thames House. Officers are moving in to secure the area and assist with the wounded. We don't have the resources to spare on 2412's situation at this time. We will assemble a team to address this situation within the hour. I'm sorry. The number of casualties at Thames house are high. Very high."

My guts twist and churn as dispatch signs off. This is my partner. I lost my last partner in a fire. I'm not losing Aaron. But I've just been given a direct order. I try to call Aaron's landline, but it rings and rings. Jason isn't there, and I don't have his cell number.

Then, suddenly, blubbering and shaking incoherently, the shopkeeper stumbled through the door from the storehouse. Well, that confirms it. Aaron is now a hostage.

I stand there frozen with indecision. I step outside, standing in the street, furiously thinking about what the fuck i'm going to do. Then, suddenly, I hear a voice shouting at me, I turn suddenly to see Jace hopping out of a cab and sprinting towards me at a dead run. Fuck, is he fast. I feel a sense of relief.

12:11 Ben_Travers: I watch carefully as the cop radios his partner. He's moving slowly, carefully, he's taking me seriously. That's good. I'd hate to have to kill him for getting too clever.

Finally, he cuffs himself. I nod at him, and shove the shopkeeper towards the back door of the newsagents. Then, I gesture with my assault rifle, keeping it pointed at the officer's head. "Stay in front of me, now march down this alley, away from the main street." I think furiously over my options as I watch the officer march in front of me, my finger on the trigger of the assault rifle, the barrel pointed at the back of his head unwavering.

"One wrong move and I'll blow your head off." If I can find someplace to hole up and get a call out to my contacts, I can arrange a pick up. First, I need to get the heat off me.

15:29 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I move down the street, I'd given Jason the address where I was and at least he can listen in which gave me at least a chance to give intelligence on my location. Hopefully Wayne would know to try and contact Jace since I'd said girlfriend and not boyfriend.

I walk down the alleyway. "It's okay, I want us to both get out of this situation alive," I say calmly, not indicating that I actually wanted only one of us alive out of this situation.

"I'm trained to ensure that the hostages are safe and to try and ensure that you get out of this situation alive and well, sir."

Which was actually true, in THIS specific situation, until of course there were no hostages, meaning me, and then someone could shoot him and they didn't care.

But then I get to the end of the alleyway and slowly bring myself to a stop. "Where now, sir." I slowly bring my handcuffed hands up and rub the side of my face where there was bits of blood from the exploding car then I wipe the blood away from my mouth, running my hand over it slowly as not to cause him to see me moving quickly allowing him to see everything I was doing.

15:59 OfficerJasonFrank: I leap out of the cab, at the address that Aaron slipped to me. He knows, he must know I'm listening. I catch sight of Wayne, and sprint for all I'm worth to catch him, stopping when I get to him, and whipping out my phone, showing him the open call I have going with Aaron. I muted the call some time back so as not to alert the fucker who has him hostage.

I catch my breath. "Aaron is one helluva smart fucker. He told me discreetly where he was, managing to call me. I came as soon as I could. How are we going to save him? Are the police mounting a rescue?"

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: I look at Jace as he scrambles to a stop. I listen in awe as he explains how Aaron led him right here. Then, my face goes grim as he asks about a rescue.

I take a deep breath, "Jace... they said they will assemble a team within the hour to deal with Aaron's situation. But in the meantime, I'm under orders to return to Thames House and help with the wounded. " I reach out and grab Jace's arm as his face goes hard. "Listen. Jace. I don't want to do this. But an order is an order."

I don't know Jace very well. But I know a determined man when I see one. I swallow hard. Oh fuck. He's going to try something. Then, I take a deep breath. I put myself in his shoes. If that were Tye.... I'd move heaven and earth to save him. But he's unarmed going against a fucker with an assault rifle. I hesitate for only a moment, then throw him the keys to the squad car.

"I dropped those on the street. You picked them up. You will return them to me later. You might be interested to know that in the trunk of our squad car we have a spare tactical vest." Then, I say a silent prayer, hoping to god I've not sent Jace to his death. But he was going to go after Aaron no matter what I did to stop him. At least, this way, he might have a chance. Fuck, I was even tempted to give him my assault rifle, but that was going to far.

I hated this. Hated this whole fucking situation. The rage and frustration were boiling in me so powerfully I could barely focus as I turned and started sprinting towards Thames House. I could hear sirens in the distance, ambulances swarming the smoking battle-damaged building like flies.

12:11 Ben_Travers: As we reached the end of the alley, the cop blathered on, in a calm voice designed no doubt to put me at ease. I wasn't really in the mood to be put at ease, so I pretty much ignored him.

We reached the end of the alley, and I looked around. I snarled once, as I noticed his hands moving up to scratch his face, "Keep your hands down and out in front of you." There was a door that looked like it lead into a warehouse off to the side of the dead end of the alley. I grunt at the cop, "Put your face up against the wall and keep your hands over your head, right there, beside that door." I approach the locked door, and with one hand I keep my assault rifle pointed at the cop. He's a smooth talker, and I don't trust him one bit.

With my other I deftly pull out a small lockpicking kit from my tactical belt, manipulating with one hand. It's clear that I'm trained, well trained in this kind of work. I select a slim pick, and insert it into the lock. I jiggle it around expertly, rewarded by a click. I open the door, and gesture for the cop to go in first. "Move. Now."

Now, what I wanted was a quiet hidey hole where I could make a call and wait for rescue. Then, I could either kill this cop, or take him prisoner. We always had a need for tough prisoners. Derek used them to train up his new recruits in torture techniques at his Finland training camp.

16:19 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I slowly put my hands on the wall, and then my head. "They're going to find you, you know you could give yourself up rather than holing up in a deserted warehouse." I sigh. "Yes sir," as he motions me into the building.

I go ahead, but I'm looking at him still, my mind thinking of ways around the situation. "You attacked Thames House, I imagine that it's not the police looking for you, it's the security services as well."

"I left my weapons in the alleyway, you have me handcuffed. I don't think your friends will be able to get through the cordon to here, half the police force will be at Thames House by now."

I look at him. "You're a dangerous guy, you're in control here, I just want us to both get out of this situation alive."

16:51 OfficerJasonFrank: I stare at Wayne as he gives me his keys. My face is cold and hard as ice. I was so angry, so enraged at the idea of Aaron being abandoned like that. Rationally, I understood. They had a lot going on, they had to make priority decisions. But emotionally, it was like swallowing acid.

I'd have to do this myself. And I would. I called out after Wayne, "Thanks!" He had done me a good turn. I darted across to the wrecked squad car he had pointed out, and popped open the trunk. I took out the tactical vest, and dropped it over my New York T-Shirt. The weight felt good. Familiar. Made me feel like I was properly on duty.

I darted back through the newsagents, to the rear door and out into the alley. I examined the scene, searching for any sign of Aaron. I quickly found his weapons and his radio. I thought hard. There was no way the terrorist would have taken Aaron out to the main road. That meant they must have gone deeper up the alley. I travel up the alley at a fast, but careful pace. The alley was coated in grime, almost mud, and footprints showed up well.

It was easy to find the combat boots which must be the terrorist and then the heavy duty tactical boots that I know for a fact were Aaron's. I followed them to the end of the alley, where they ended at a doorway into a warehouse.

I listened carefully to the phone, and heard some voices coming over the still open connection. I listened very carefully. What I heard did not make me happy. Not at all.

12:11 Ben_Travers: I smiled as I listened to the cop's smooth talk as we walked deeper into the deserted warehouse. I kept him marching in front of me until I got to the front. I stepped out briefly, motioning for the cop to stay put. It was a side street, and it was quiet. I looked up at the front of the warehouse, noting the address.

I stepped back in, and grinned at the cop, "Security services gonna come after us? No doubt they will. But tell me Mr. Copper... how the fuck do you think we managed to pull this off to begin with? Think we could have managed this without inside help?" We did have inside help, but none of it was very highly placed, and our "help" would be hard pressed to get me out of this situation. It was up to me to get far from here. But he didn't need to know the details. Let him squirm.

"I'm glad you want us both to get out of here alive. So do I. So shut up and follow my instructions." I take out my phone and call a taxi for this address.

There is one that responds almost right away, just about a minute from this address. Now, this was going to be tough. I didn't want to do this, but I really had no choice. I'd have to kill the taxi driver, and quickly. There was no other way. I already had one hostage, and taking two was one too many. No way would the cabbie ignore a man in full battle gear with an assault rifle lugging a cop as a hostage.

I turn to the Cop. "Lay down on the floor right now, with your hands held out over your head."

17:19 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I look at the terrorist. "I don't think calling a taxi is a good idea you know, you were on the news, you know the BBC they got pictures as soon as it happened."

"You may have someone on the inside, but you were separated from your colleagues, let's see how much honour there is amongst thieves.."

I sat down slowly onto the floor. "You're getting a taxi, Taxi's have radio transmitters that tell the base where they are, they're going to chase you through London, and you don't look like a man who will go quietly, with your AK47, and grenades. Also at the moment traffic in the centre of London is basically gridlocked... because someone bombed it. You'd be lucky to get 200 yards. The taxi is probably outside stuck in a queue."

More information for Jason to tell Wayne... I didn't know Wayne was not going to be coming.

He had been willing to swap a civilian for me, south African, probably south African army, maybe some vague code of honour there. "The Cabbie is also .. what.. just a guy trying to make a living."

"You'd be killing a guy to be stuck in London traffic."

I look at him. "Turn yourself in, it's the only way you're going to get out of this situation without a shoot out."

09:34 OfficerJasonFrank: Aaron was not just a good cop, he was one of the fucking best cop's I'd ever met. He was giving me a fucking torrent of information. The taxi. I had to get the license plates for that taxi. Priority number one.

No, priority number one was getting Aaron out of the hands of that terrorist, but I can't go charging in with nothing but a kitchen knife, even though I'm wearing a flak vest. No matter how much I want to. No matter how sick with fear I was for Aaron. I draw that ice-cold professionalism around me like a cloak, and focus on the job at hand.

I thought fiercely. I couldn't go through the warehouse. If I took the time to run back to the end of the alley, and up to the main street for the warehouse, I could miss it. But... I could go up and OVER the warehouse, on the roof, and observe.

There was a drain pipe running up to the roof, and the brick work of the old warehouse was riddled with cracks and uneven broken bits. I could do it.

I leapt up, and started climbing, my boots finding toe holds as my hands used the drain pipe to steady myself. It was not easy work, but the training and dedication I'd put into my fitness was coming through for me now, as my hard muscled body responded, up to the task. I reached the roof, and rolled onto it, over the parapet, dripping with sweat. That was not easy. If I had lost my grip, or slipped... a thirty foot drop would do me no favors in saving Aaron.

I took a deep breath and darted across the roof, keeping my footsteps feather light so as not to alert the terrorist and endanger Aaron. I reach the far parapet, and settle in, peeking over. And just in time as a black cab pulled up outside the front. I focused, and memorized the plates.

12:11 Ben_Travers: "You talk too much. I'm tempted just to blow your head off just for some peace and quiet."

I growl, keeping an eye out the window for the cab. "Honor among thieves? Copper, you got a fucking lot to learn. And you know as well as I do that no one is gonna be tracking this taxi cause they don't know I'm in it. Your pals are all too busy dealing with the "bombing" to worry about me right now."

He did have a point though... I really wasn't keen on killing a Cabbie. Maybe I didn't have to. Then, he speaks up again, I'm getting really annoyed with his constant chatter, "You want a shoot out, copper? How about one .." I shove the barrel in under his chin, ".. right now. Now shut the fuck up!"

Then, I heard the taxi pull up outside. I call out the door, "I have a couple pieces of luggage here, come give me a hand mate, there's a 20 pound note in it for you."

The cabbie gets out, leaving his motor running and walks up, grinning at the idea of a 20 pound tip. He opens the door, and I very carefully and precisely bash my cereamic-gloved fist into his temple, pole axing him. I hit him rather hard, he’ll be out for hours. I heave him off to the side, relieving him of his keys, then snarl at the cop, "Get up now, get out the door."

I pop open the trunk. The street is still deserted, I look up and down to be sure. Then, I turn to the cop, "Get in the trunk, now."

09:58 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: Aaron looked at him. "You won't... because you're not stupid, not unless I do something stupid, because you know full well that a policeman is one of the best hostages you can get because CO19 aren't going to shoot one of their own. Right."

I walk outside, looking at the number plate and the cab ID and glance around, no Wayne, maybe Jason hadn't been able to get my messages to him yet.

I climb into the boot and look at the terrorist and wait till the boot is closed and I can hear his footsteps go around to the drivers side and the door closed.

"Okay Jason, I'm in a Taxi, license plate Delta Echo 6 5 Hotel Indigo November, the taxi driver is in the warehouse I was in just around from Horseferry Road. Get Wayne to make sure he's okay, I think he is. The Taxi is going to be heading West from this location down the street to the intersection as I do not in any way think he wants to go East back towards Thames House."

It's very cramped in here, can't do much, but a few years ago I did a training course in Colchester where one of the Royal Military Police guys showed me the difference between handcuffing someone with zip ties and handcuffs.. zip ties are way more difficult to get off. Every pair of handcuffs has a simple keyway and they all open with the same key. My key is normally on the top of my vest for easy access in emergencies, and I slowly move my arms to be able to get to it, as it’s attached to the vest with a loop from a keying but I don't have the dexterity in here to pull the chain off so I put my finger through the loop and yank it breaking off the molle link on the vest but getting the key in my hand, it's not easy to maneuver it in fixed handcuffs but a minute later i have the key in and one turn and click... the handcuffs were off.

I flex my wrist and put the key and handcuffs back in the belt and lie there, don't have enough room to maneuver to get inside my jacket where my phone was though.

"Jace, I'm out of the handcuffs but still in a boot, I don't think these things can even be opened from the inside. Lets also think about the fact that whether I'm in New York, or your here, there is trouble!"

10:43 OfficerJasonFrank: I got my first good look at the terrorist. He was loaded for bear, and wearing full combat gear. I watched everything, and listened. The cabbie never came out of the warehouse, but I also never heard a shot.

As I saw Aaron walk out, with an AK47 to his head forced to get into the trunk, I saw red. For a moment, I nearly went berserk, feeling the sudden overriding need to scramble down and kill that fucker with my bare hands and my kitchen knife.

But I held on to my calm, if only by a finger's breadth. I thought fiercely, then suddenly, as the trunk was slammed shot on Aaron and the bearded terrorist walked around to the driver's side door, I heard Aaron's voice call out again. He repeats the license plate, which agrees with what I memorized, then goes on to give me his best guess as to where that taxi is headed.

It all makes sense. I wait until the taxi heads down the street to join the log jam of traffic making it's way west, then I shimmy back down to the street level, and start sprinting towards the main road.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I hear that Aaron is at least free of the cuffs, and I even have time for a chuckle at his final comment. We do seem to attract trouble.

I turn off the mute, figuring it's safe to talk now that he's in the trunk. I keep my voice low, but fierce. "I'm with you Aaron. Hang in there. Help is on the way. Aaron ... I love you. Now, I'm going to put you on hold while I pass everything on to Wayne."

I put my call with Aaron on hold, switch over and dial Wayne's number. He picks up right away, "Wayne, Aaron is in the trunk of a black cab, license plate Delta Echo 6 5 Hotel Indigo November. There is a taxi driver in the warehouse just around from Horseferry road, he might need help. I'm going to follow Aaron's cab. It's stuck in the gridlock right now. If you can get a team on it now, that would ... a very FUCKING good idea."

By this time, I've made it to the main road, running pell mell. I can see Aaron's cab up ahead, about six cars up. I'm so fucking close. The traffic is gridlocked, but I can see it starting to break up in the distance. "FUCK." I look around. And there, just one car back is a black cab. It's empty. I slide into the cab, and grunt out, "See that taxi six cars up ahead? My friend is in that taxi, I want you to follow it. Just don't ask questions, and I'll give you a 40 pound tip at the end."

Then, Wayne gets back to me. I don't like what he has to say, not one fucking bit.

15:13 PC_Wayne_Lewis: It's grim, it's fucking grim here. So many dead bodies, so many injured. I mean, for fuck's sake.... the director of MI6, Ronald Craig is a casualty. A very brutal casualty. The bodies are piling up outside and I want to be sick at times. Grenades are a brutal way to kill a man. And on top of it all, I'm sick with fear over Aaron.

I wonder if I should have disobeyed orders. If Aaron or Jace get killed, I'll never forgive myself. I feel sick. Then, suddenly, my phone rings. I'm taking a brief five minute breather when it does, so I answer rapidly. I get the data dump from Jace, at least Aaron is still alive. I put him on hold, and call dispatch, “1871 to dispatch. Update on hostage situation. 2412 Mitchell is currently heading west on Horseferry Road in a cab, license Delta Echo 6 5 Hotel Indigo November, stuck in traffic. The driver of the cab is in an unknown state, having been left behind at a warehouse nearby. If you have that team ready, this is a perfect chance to rescue PC Aaron."

Dispatch replied a few moments later, "Understood. The rescue team is enroute, but they are still 20 minutes away."

I want to throw the radio against the wall, the frustration and stress is burning holes in my head. I swallow, and close down the link, then switch back to Jace and tell him the bad news.

12:11 Ben_Travers: I get behind the driver's seat and pull it out into traffic. I feel much calmer now that the chatty copper is in the trunk. And ... he was right, the fucking road is gridlocked. I don't exactly look like a cabbie, but I'm trusting to the natural blase attitude of Londoners to mind their own business.

As the gridlock continues I feel my frustration growing. But now that I have some transportation, I can put some distance between me and the scene of the crime as it were. I make a call to some of my contacts while I'm waiting, and they give me an address for a pickup to occur in about an hour. One more hour of hell, then I'm safe.

I think for a moment about my team... they aren't safe. They never will be again. They knew what they were signing up for. You don't exactly launch an attack on a place like the MI6 Offices without expecting some casualties. I sighed. The grief and loss of those men was starting to twist in my guts, but I pushed it down. I didn't have time for that now. I needed to get to safety. Survival first.

What was I going to do with the cop though? I had no qualms about killing him,unlike a civilian, but I wanted to keep him alive until the last moment, as insurance.

Then, ahead, the traffic began to break up. I felt a surge of relief, then finally, I was on my way. After about 10 more minutes of driving, I reached a decidedly seedy neighborhood, tucked away off the main streets, everything covered in graffiti and looking run down.

I parked the cab in an alley. It was about a five minute walk from here to the safehouse. I could leave the cop in the trunk... but.... I decided not to. I liked having an insurance policy. I stepped out of the driver's seat, and walked around behind the car, popping the trunk open.

11:01 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I waited in the car listening for the car moving, and trying to memorise the directions, luckily most of the traffic was slow moving. "We turned off the main road, heading West, I think we're in the docklands somewhere.."

"Hey, I can't hear you if you try to talk to me, so you're going to have to listen to me and not reply... sorry about that, it's inside my vest and I can't undo it to get to the phone."

"I think we need to talk about our relationship, we're lucky that we've been able to go to New York and you to London, but it's not sustainable on cop salaries is it? And I can't see either one of us moving to the other one's country. I've just got a promotion and you basically bleed red, white and blue."

"But I love you very much, you know that. I don't want to split up with you. But I don't know how we can make it work. I want it to.. but I don't know how... Between my visit to NY and your visit here... I had several weeks of no sex, I think that's the longest I've gone in my life! You think the fact that I jumped on you the moment you arrived was a fluke, fuck I needed your body."

I'm just talking now, it helps to get my worries out. "I love you so much though. Heck you even like me now I have to shave for work on CO19. Oh hold on... taxi slowing down, probably docklands from the state of the road, it's off road, not a main road or side road, this is very rocky."

I grab a crowbar in my hands from the tools in the boot, it was the easiest thing to hold, if they guy decided to open the boot, he'd be backlit, my eyes wouldn't need to adjust to the light, I'd just need to strike out straight in front of me, he's holding his gun like a soldier, straight in front of him across his chest, he was right handed, the barrel of the gun was the weakest point for stress any knock or dent in it would cause a misfire.

"Right, I'm going after this guy. Tell Wayne to fucking get here. Love you Jace."

As the trunk was opened I immediately slammed the crowbar out to the guys left aiming straight for the barrel of the AK47 to take that out of play and then rolling out of the trunk, it was the only way out, and I know that put me on the ground, but I'm hoping that I can get up quickly enough to not be at TOO much of a disadvantage.

12:18 OfficerJasonFrank: I listen to Aaron as my Cab strains to follow the other Cab. I wish he could hear me, but at least I can hear him.

My jaw drops open as he brings up a topic that has been bothering me lately, apparently it's been bothering him too. Our relationship. It's a painful topic. I love Aaron more than any other man I've ever met, but there are huge barriers to us being together, I realize that. He mentions splitting up... and I know, objectively, that he is right. But that hurts. Hurts so fucking much.

But then, I refocus on the situation at hand. The Cab we've been following has just turned off into a side street, but at the worst possible time, we are caught behind a traffic light. I want to scream with frustration. I listen hard to Aaron as he describes the bumpy rocky road he's heading down.

Then, he describes his plan. I feel my guts clench, turning to ice. He's facing off with a terrorist holding an AK47 with nothing but a crowbar. Finally, the light changes and the Cab darts forward, I scream at the Cabbie, "STOP AT THE CORNER!" I have no choice but to hoof it the rest of the way, and hope like hell I can find him in time.

I strain my ears for sounds of a fight, but I don't hear anything right off, not over the sounds of traffic from the main road, I start pelting, running full speed ahead. I can see the Thames off in the distance, briefly glimpsed through breaks in the dirty buildings. Aaron knows his town all right, this must be the Docklands. But not the nice flashy bit they show to tourists.

12:11 Ben_Travers: Suddenly, as I open the trunk, a fucking crowbar hurtles at me, I start to react, but the Copper is fast, and was waiting for me. I hear a metallic crunch as the crowbar smashes into my AK47's barrel. I left the other assault rifle, the one I stole from the cop back at Thames House, in the cab. FUCK

The blow staggers me backwards, nearly knocking me down on my ass. I know there is no way in hell that my assault rifle is going to fire after taking a blow like that, the barrel is now malformed, so now it is good only as a club. My eyes narrow. The clever copper managed to get his cuffs off him, did he? I should have knocked him out after putting him in the trunk.

Grunting, my combat boots shuffling to regain my balance, I swing the AK47 in a wide clubbing blow, looking to take the copper's fucking head off.

12:47 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I roll over on the floor away from what I assume was going to be his boots but in the end was his rifle, that was no fucking way to treat a rifle, my old sergeant major would have literally killed me for it.

I roll over again into a combat roll up to my feet and I look at the guy swinging my crowbar in my hand. "Oh look fucking big man without his fucking assault rifle." I stomp my foot forward to him. "Run over three of my fucking mates will you."

I brandish the crowbar at him. "Get down on your fucking knees and put your hands behind your fucking head."

12:11 Ben_Travers: He rolls smoothly, avoiding my swing, and springs back up to his feet. Oh he's good. Clearly he has had more training than your average copper. Even for CO19. My eyes narrow. I consider my options. I have a Glock on my tactical belt and my grenades. But if I take the time to draw my Glock he'll bash my skull in.

I decided to keep this hand to hand for a while longer. I hold my ruined AK47 out in front of me, expertly, treating it not as an assault rifle any longer, but as a club. I wave it in small circles, and then I start to grin.

I loved a good fight. Especially when the stakes were high. "They were in my way, asshole, and believe me.." I grin wider, "I'd much rather take your fucking ass this way than with my rifle."

Then, he says something so monumentally stupid that I stare at him. "Are you fucking kidding me? Get down on my knees and put my hands behind my head? You are joking, right?"

I move forward with a surge of practiced strength, switching my grip on my damaged AK47 to hold it by either end, like a staff almost, ramming it forward to get tangled up with the business end of the copper's crowbar as I kick my boot out in a brutal strike, aimed at his forward planted knee.

13:04 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: He thought I was joking, and yet it prompted him to make a move, put him on the front foot and more off balance than I was.

I block the rifle with the crowbar as he'd intended, and I roughly twist both yanking both weapons out of both our hands, but I didn't see the boot coming as I'd be focussed on the weapon, and I grunt in pain as the leg buckles under me and I drop down to my knee, but I use my lower centre of gravity now to roll with the momentum of falling onto my knee to thrown my weight into his legs to try and take him down, trying desperately to ignore the throbbing pain in my leg.

13:13 Ben_Travers: He's good, very good. I can tell instantly as he twists, and both my rifle and his crowbar go flying off to the side. He drops down though, not quite catching my boot in time, and I move forward, preparing to knock his head off with my knee when he drives into me, smoothly shooting forward on one knee to slam his weight onto my legs. He's a big fucker, a bit bigger than me, fast and fit.

I feel myself tottering fighting to keep my balance, but it's a lost cause. I fall backwards, smashing into the dirty, mucky pavement. I grunt, but my heavy body armor keeps me from anything worse that a bit of the wind knocked out of me, along with my instinctive knowledge of how to fall. But I don't want this fucker on top of me.

I reach up with one hand, to make a barrier so he can't easily throw himself on top of me, while with my other, I crunch up from my abs, cock my fist, and aim my ceramic gloved fist right for his jaw as he scrambles on top of me.

13:22 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: He slams his fist into me and it's like a fucking hammer hitting me in the jaw, knocking me back into a puddle on the ground, water splashing around as my body armour protects me from hitting the ground, but police in the UK unless they are riot police don't wear helmets unless they're on public order duty.

The punch is fucking hard and my jaw feels like an iron bar has slammed into me. I roll over to one side next to the wall, using it to try and get to my feet.

13:34 Ben_Travers: I love these gloves, almost as good as brass knucks. I grin as my fist drives the big copper off me into a puddle of water next to the wall.

I roll over to my hands and knees, and scramble back up to my feet. The cop is struggling back up to his feet, using the wall to help him. I launch myself at the cop, looking to spear my knee deep into the small of his back to pin him up against the wall, as I reach out for the back of his head, seeking to bash his face into the brickwork. "Looks like you bit off more than you can chew, Copper."

13:37 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: The knee slams into my back and I get slammed against the wall, he's taunting me but I just grunt. "You're not big enough to have that much for me to chew on."

As he grabs my head I quickly slide my arm around so instead of the wall, it hits my arm instead and I kick my leg back and up between his legs to his balls before turning and slamming an, admittedly, far weaker punch into his face.

12:11 Ben_Travers: I grunt, as the copper pulls off another quick thinking move. I've trained hard over the years, enough to gauge the skills of the men I square off against. And this is no ordinary copper.

His boot slams back in a donkey kick, nailing my crotch. I've got my built-in cup, and it absorbs a fair amount, but no cup can totally protect you, and I grunt in pain as I stagger back, just in time to eat his fist cracking into my face. It was a solid punch, and it staggers me, but my reaction is instinctive.

My hand darts out to grab his collar, yanking him forward to throw him off balance as my brain sorts out the pain signals from his low blow and his punch. My boot lashes out behind his, as I twist from the hips, now pushing against his collar in an attempt to trip him up and throw the big copper down hard on his back. Grudgingly, with some respect in my voice, I grunt out as I fight him, "No way you are just an ordinary copper. You are special forces. Which regiment?"

13:58 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: He grabs my collar and pulls me towards him, so I adjust my footing only for him to then suddenly change direction and I feel his boots behind me as he pushes me backwards slamming me to the floor again.

My instinctive reaction as I hit the ground is to pull back both my size 10 boots and slam them as hard as I can into his shins to get him both away from me so he can't mount me and to give him some pain to think about as my back cried in agony from being slammed to the ground again, despite the body armour.

"Staff Sergeant, Parachute Regiment.... Former."

12:11 Ben_Travers: I grunt as his boots blast into my shins with another skilled counter from the former Para. Pain knifes through my shins as I fall to my knees, my legs knocked out from under me, preventing me from mounting him like I had hoped, my hands falling down to break my fall, with a dirty splash.

I grunt, sheeting my hand across the puddle of grimy water, sending a spray of grungy liquid towards the cop's face, hoping to distract him. I lunge forward, looking to grab his boots while he's distracted to control his legs, driving forward, trying to drop my weight on top of his legs to clear a path to get on top of him.

My shins are fucking aching, sending pain signals knifing into my head as I dig my boots in pushing forward. Pain is my friend. Pain is how we know you are alive. Soon.... this tough as nails former Para would not have to worry about feeling pain. "A shame, I'm gonna regret killing a fellow special forces man."

14:23 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: My head reacts unconsciously moving away from the water as he splashes it at me, so I don't notice man jumping over my legs, he's a heavy fucker with all that armour, and he may have stopped me from moving but he's concentrating on my legs which he sees as the most dangerous part of my body and I leant down to my belt while struggling with my legs to keep him trying to control them and concentrate on them, nearly getting one out which would have allowed a kick to his head, so he's concentrating on that I put the handcuff on my wrist in one fluid motion, then my legs stop squirming so he thinks he's got them under control ... which ... to be fair.. he actually has and my left hand pulls back to slam into his face, again, not as strongly as he can with his gloves, but enough to just for a second distract him as I slam the other hand cuff onto his left hand.

I now can't get away from him, and he can't get away from me. "Fucker.. you want to kill me, you'll have to fucking carry a dead body around until you get to a fucking mechanic."

I slam my left fist into his face, my right hand cuffed to his left hand and snarl. "You gave up the right to be special forces when you took jobs for fucking money, prick."

12:11 Ben_Travers: I'm focused on controlling his legs, trusting in my distraction, once I get properly on top of him, I'll kill him. He's fighting hard, his legs are thrashing like a maniac. But I'm nearly there now, and then suddenly, just as I'm about to pounce on top of him, his fucking fist lashes out tagging my face again as he sits up. I growl, shaking my head out, that won't keep me down for long.

I'm in the zone now, and I eat pain for breakfast when I'm in the zone. But suddenly, a fucking cuff slaps around my left hand. The sheer ballsyness of the move stuns me for a brief second, More grudging respect boils up inside me. as his left fist smashes into my face again, knocking me back, sending a trickle of blood leaking out of my mouth, and knocking me off to his right side to land heavily on my back. FUCK..

But even as he snarls at me, I'm once again reacting. My right hand reaches down to my tactical belt, and grabs my Glock. The angle is fucking awkward, since I've got to reach my arm up and over my body to aim at him, but I'm done fucking around, and I unload two rounds in his direction.

"You talk a lot of fucking shit."

14:44 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: Both bullets slam into me, one kicks me in the chest into the body armour designed to deal with small rounds, the other grazes the top of my shoulder shooting a massive spurt of blood over my face.

The pain in my chest was replaced with a warm burning pain from my neck as the blood leaked out. I'm not as fast as I was when I was in the military but I know a deadly situation when I see one and I pull the handcuffed arm inwards, trying to put off his aim.

12:11 Ben_Travers: One bullet slams into his armor, but the other catches his shoulder and I'm rewarded with a spray of blood. I fire again, the Glock on a level now with his head, but the fucking thing jams. The water did it no favors. I toss it aside, as the Cop yanks on me with his cuffs. I grunt, rolling over on top of him.

My knee drops down, pinning his free arm to the dirty pavement, as I lift my gloved fist and send a savage series of blows into his face, targeting his jaw and his nose. My eyes are hard, and cold. Sure, I regretted having to kill him, but he wasn't a civilian, so in my book, he lived by the sword and died by the sword. He was fair game.

15:04 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: There's not much I can do now against a geared up special forces soldier, having been shot and pinned down on the ground, I can feel each punch as it hits me, it probably wouldn't be long before I blacked out, but thankfully I'd black out before I felt anything worse.

My last hope is Wayne is here and I didn't want this to be the last thing Jason heard. I spit out some blood and say quietly... "Siri... play Wolfhunter" as a fist slammed into me again.

Inside my vest the phone call to Jason cut off and Forensic's Wolfhunter started to play at the phone's maximum volume ... hey it was a good song for two cops to have sex to last night.

I will defend my brothers
I will defend the weak
I will pursue and fight evil so others may sleep
I am the sheepdog protecting the night
Wolfhunter's unite (bring it on!)
It's time to fight

15:26 OfficerJasonFrank: Where the fuck are they? I try to judge how far the Cab could have traveled once it turned the corner. FUCK. I strain my ears, but I don't hear anything.

There is a stitch starting to form in my side, I've been sprinting all out for a while trying to find Aaron. Then, suddenly, I hear two gunshots. To my right. Grimly, I turn to the right. I've been following the fight over the phone call, but suddenly the call cuts off. I feel sick. And then I run harder.

I'm getting closer, I have to be... but where... then, I hear it. Wolfhunter. Guiding me to Aaron. I hate rap. I fucking hate it. But the first time Aaron played this song for me, the first time I really listened to the lyrics, it felt right. Like this song was what rap was meant to be. And now the same song we fucked to last night was guiding me to Aaron.

My side was about to explode as my boots pelted around the corner. I reached down into my waistband, and drew the kitchen knife. I caught sight of him there, laid out on the ground, with that bearded bastard mounting him, his fist smashing down into Aaron's face over and over, accompanied by little sprays of blood. He was literally doing his best to beat Aaron to a pulp.

I saw red then, literal red. I poured on a burst of speed, and that bearded fucker never heard me coming over the blaring sound of Wolfhunter echoing off the narrow alley walls. I took my knife out as I ran, and I didn't think about the legality of what I was about to do. I was only thinking of one thing.

The burning need to defend the man I loved.

I ran up, and thrust that blade at a full run into the side of the bearded man's neck. It went in one side and out the other, impaling him. His eyes... had a look of utter astonishment and total surprise as he toppled off Aaron's side. I dropped to my knees, my chest heaving, breathless. "Aaron... Sorry ... I ... wasn't .... faster..." The sight of him laying there bleeding hurt, hurt like a mother fucker.

I wished it was me instead of him. Oh fuck how I wished it was me instead of him laying there. I threw off my tactical vest, and ripped the sleeve off my shirt, my hand shaking as I started to staunch the blood coming from his shoulder.

15:36 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: I had very nearly blacked out, he'd broken my nose, and I was bleeding from the lips and nose.

But then it stopped.

I was confused for a second, the whole thing was confusing, why was I not dead yet. I see he seems to have my good steak carving knife out of the side of his neck, the one with the white ceramic handle. I liked that knife, it cost me £190.

Then he fell off me, that was very confusing, I was sure I hadn't stabbed him.

Then Jason is there and it's a bit clearer. Unfortunately there is a tonne to unpick here and I'm not in the best state. I lean down and unzip my jacket, releasing the pressure from my chest. "You look like shit, have you been doing cardio..." I say as I just lean into him for a minute.

I blinked at the floor. "How did you get a CO19 tactical vest, or do we now deputise Americans." I'm still a bit out of it but I'm coming around and I realise Wayne's not here it's just Jason.

I see the guy on the floor. "You need to go," I say. "You need to take this knife and the body armour and the t-shirt you're saving my life with, and you need to go back to my apartment, RIGHT NOW."

"You've just committed murder, you can't be here... I can cover for you... I think... but you need to go, I can't have you in jail." I look at him and put a bloody hand on his face. "Fuck you're so fucking handsome." I wince at the bullet wound in my shoulder. "This is payback for that tosser in New York isn't it... I didn't kill him... I never told you... I phoned the SAS.. they got him.. I just wanted you safe."

I smile at him. "Thank you, so very much. Where's Wayne? You can't be here when he arrives. He'd have to arrest you."

16:17 OfficerJasonFrank: And I start laughing so hard, I want to cry. The first words out of this bastard's mouth...

"The vest is on loan from Wayne. He couldn't come because he was under orders to help out at Thames House, but I'll be fucked if I was going to sit around twiddling my thumbs while you were a hostage."

Then, I stare at Aaron. He's right. I did commit murder. Then my face goes hard. "What matters Aaron, is that you are alive. If that means I have to go to jail, so the fuck what. It will have been worth it."

Then, my face softens again, as the emotion starts to build. I rip off another strip of cloth, and wipe the blood off Aaron's face. "You know, I think we can cancel that plastic surgery... you won't need it after all. You are the most handsome man I've ever met on either side of the pond." Then, with tears leaking out of the corner of my eye, I bend down and kiss his forehead.

"So like I said, Wayne isn't here. He was under orders. He said they will be sending a team to rescue you, and I passed on the number of the cab. So that team should be arriving here any minute, I would fucking hope. I can't leave you here to bleed out, Aaron. What the fuck do you expect me to do? And why the fuck are you cuffed to that dead bastard?"

16:28 PC_Aaron_Mitchell: "I cuffed him to myself..." I said. "I didn't see he had a gun on him, I didn't want him to get any room to go and find something to hit me with."

I sit up painfully and take hold of the t-shirt on my neck . "At least you answered your phone... that would have been terrible if you were someone who always has their phone on silent."

His head was slow but he looked around.

"Jason, if you are here when the team arrives, you'll be arrested for manslaughter. There is no statute for lethal force by an individual even in defense of another."

I lean over and painfully go into the man's vest and pull out his knife, taking my steak knife out of his neck and handing it to Jason. I then stuck the knife in the man's neck and wiggled it around in the same hole to obscure the trace of having two knives in there.

I look at my boyfriend. "I have the authority to kill him. If I kill him in the line of duty, I have permission to do that. You don't, and tonight when I get back from the hospital, I am going to fuck you until the fucking sun comes up... but I can't do that if you're in custody."

"We fought, I got his knife and I stabbed him." I lean down and pull my t-shirt off. "Take yours off, give it to me, I'll say it was wearing it under my uniform. That explains why the fibers are in my wound and it's cut up.. I used it as a bandage."

"Take my £190 steak knife and get rid of it, wipe it fucking clean and throw it in the river and get back here. You arrived here after the fight was over... right... He was dead when you arrived. Do you hear me Jace?"

16:54 OfficerJasonFrank: I sit back and listen. I didn't know that the UK was so backward as to make it illegal for a man to defend his family. But it didn't matter. Even had I known beforehand, I still would have done it.

I watch as Aaron pulls out the knife and replaces it with the terrorist's own combat knife. I could see where this was going. I didn't really want to go to jail. I had a totally clean conscience, and I was onboard with where Aaron was headed.

"I think you are right, it might be difficult to arrange for conjugal visits with you being a cop and all."

I nodded, and took off the tattered remnants of my t-shirt, and put Aaron's on in it's place. I took the steak knife from Aaron.

"All right, we will do this your way, Aaron. I arrived after the fight, and he was already dead when I got here." I take the knife and trot off towards the river, calling over my shoulder, "I'll be right back. And ... I guess I owe you 190£. Oh... and... I love you."

I head off at a run, not knowing how long the rescue team was going to be, and also not really wanting to leave Aaron alone for long. I remember seeing the bit of the Thames back through one of those streets. I head down the river, wipe the blade clean using a paper bag from a rubbish bin. Then, I toss it into the river, and sprint back. The stitch comes back, but I ignore it.

I found Aaron right where I left him, but it's not like he was going to go anywhere, still I worried. As I approached him, I heard a siren in the distance . I hoped like fuck that was finally the rescue team. I blurted out something then, as I squatted down on my boots next to Aaron. "We have to talk about what you said ... our relationship. Maybe now isn't the best time. But we don't want to put it off either."

Published: 2021-08-10, viewed 50 times.