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Guest Skykat

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Can you tell I like the prison stuff? Think I watched bad girls too often. :P Point taken bout the grammar, I think I was in a rush to get the chapter out cause it's been so long, obviously everybodys forgotten this. I have got the next chapter wrote, it's with Jess so should post in the next few days. Thanks for your review. :)

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Can you tell I like the prison stuff? Think I watched bad girls too often. :P Point taken bout the grammar, I think I was in a rush to get the chapter out cause it's been so long, obviously everybodys forgotten this. I have got the next chapter wrote, it's with Jess so should post in the next few days. Thanks for your review. :)

No, you haven't. You've got the next chapter written :P (if you use "had" or have" you make it past tense). But never mind the story's brilliant and that's much more important than the correct grammar! :D

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This chapter is for Jess, my awesome proof reader because without her I'd have stopped writing this a long time ago and because I know it contains all the characters she likes reading about.

And yes.. I'm still dragging it out. :P

SEVENTY THREE

“Well?” Cash slipped into the breakfast queue behind Jesse and whispered in an undertone so that they would not be overheard.

“Well what?” Jesse did not look behind him but instead focussed all his attentions on moving through the queue.

“You know what, did you get the package?” Cash’s voice held more than a little urgency in it.

“Yeah, The Governor delivered it,” Jesse replied, causing Cash to omit a shriek. “Will you keep it down?” Jesse hissed, angrily.

“Sorry but how the hell did the Governor get it?” Cash demanded. Jesse shrugged.

“Ask your man. He didn’t suspect anything so relax alright?” Jesse had reached the front of the line and gestured to what he wanted and was surprised when the kitchen hand heaped more than usual on his plate.

“For what you did for those in the bank,” he replied to the unanswered question. Jesse made no response but merely moved further along the line.

“So are we on or not McGregor?” Cash’s tone was insistent, impatient.

“Yeah we’re on. I need you and two others, one of them needs to be a spark but neither should be told much.”

“Not much chance of that when I haven’t got a clue what’s going on.” Cash’s retort was hedged with bitterness.

“You’ll find out in time. I also need scrappers, to start a fight and I need it all in place before exercise. I’ll catch you then and tell you the plan. Nothing can go wrong, there’s more than you know at stake.” Collecting his tray Jesse headed to a table near to the screws office and sat alone. He wasn’t particularly hungry though. Sutty’s phone message had come just after lock up last night, news of the worst kind, that Kane Phillips wasn’t the only fatality. The radio had also named the dead man, the very sound of his name on the announcer’s lips causing Jesse’s stomach to lurch with distaste. Gus Phillips had a hell of a lot to answer for. The bomb site would be reopened by now, the rescuers would have resumed their frantic search at daybreak, there was still the Bank Manager missing and a need to recover Kane’s body. It would be another long hard day under the blazing sun for the rescuers and a black one for the families of those involved.

“So what’s the news Doc? Am I good to go?” It was an exhausted Rachel who was doing the early morning rounds on the Emergency Department. She had gone home last night but it had hardly been worth it for all the sleep she had gotten. Her eyes were sore, red and blotchy from crying, her face still showing the stain of tears. She had tossed and turned all night, her head near to explosion with sadness and exhaustion. Sutty had come to her a few hours after she had confined him to the sofa. Unspeaking she had allowed him to crawl into her bed and hold her close as she sobbed and eventually slept. This morning he had been gone before she had even got up but a note and a few solitary, handpicked flowers had told her he loved her and was heading out early to rejoin the rescue party.

“Rachel?” Angel’s voice bought her back to the present, the expression on her face genuinely sympathetic.

“Sorry I was miles away.”

”It’s okay, I understand.” Angel took her hand, “How is Leah?”

“Not good. Her surgery went well, they managed to stem most of the bleeding but there’s a huge risk of infection in both her legs. She’s not out of the woods yet,” Rachel explained.

“I know there was bad feeling between Leah and I over Pete but I’d never have wished this on her, you know that right?” It was important to Angel that Rachel knew that. She had liked the Doctor from the first time she met her and wanted them to be friends.

"I know, don’t worry,” Rachel assured her.

“So I can go home then?” Angel’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“You’re doing well, I don’t see why not, but you have to start taking it easy,” Rachel scolded in her best ‘firm Doctor’ voice.

“If my baby’s father stays out of burning buildings I promise I won’t get stressed,” Angel joked, tongue in cheek and Rachel smiled.

“I wish I was going home, I’m here most of the day then I get six hours off and I’m back in overnight,” Rachel explained.

“That’s a shift from hell. Look why don’t you go home in your few hours off, get some sleep and then pop to mine on your way back to work and I’ll have a hot meal ready, I’m betting the last thing you feel like is cooking?” Angel offered, worried about the black rings under Rachel’s eyes.

“Oh no I couldn’t, and besides you’re meant to be taking it easy.” Rachel was tempted, the thought of cooking was not appealing and she really didn’t want to rely on Sutty, despite last night, she still wasn’t sure she’d forgiven him.

“Don’t worry honestly, you’ll be saving me from eating alone anyway, Dylan’s staying with Matilda and Shane is at the caravan park with Colleen and if I’m on my own I won’t eat properly, so there’s your incentive to eat with me, to make sure I eat,” Angel teased.

“Well I guess I can’t say no can I?” Rachel replied with a smile. “And Angel, I am grateful, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” Angel returned her smile before climbing out of bed.

“You know you can’t go home until you have your meds don’t you?” Rachel was looking at her questioningly as she pulled on her dressing gown and slippers.

“Sure but I want to hear what Pete’s prognosis is so I thought I’d come with you, he’ll only play it down if I don’t hear the truth first hand and my baby could do without the worry.” Angel grinned and hooked her arm through Rachel’s as they headed to Peter’s room.

Peter looked to be asleep as Rachel pushed open the door but his eyes shot round as they entered.

“Morning,” Angel reached over to kiss him tenderly, “how are you today?”

“Better now you’re here.” Peter took her hand, kissing it gently, “Oh hey Doc, can I go home yet?” he asked, noticing Rachel’s presence.

“You sound exactly like another patient I just examined,” Rachel teased, grinning at Angel who had taken a seat beside Peter’s bed and he looked at her expectantly.

“I can go home.” She supplied.

“Oh that’s fantastic news!” Peter reached over to kiss her again and Rachel felt a tightness in her chest. She felt sorry for Leah but there was really no doubting who Peter loved, his eyes positively beamed as he looked at Angel and it was all he could do to stop himself kissing and touching her. As a Doctor, it did her heart good to see her patients so happy.

“Mother and Baby are doing well and you’re not doing so badly yourself. Your blood pressure has returned to normal and that head injury is healing nicely. There’s no more signs of internal bleeding, seems they did a good job of patching you up. We still want to keep you in for a few days for observation but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make a full recovery.”

“Oh thanks so much Rach!” Angel stood up to hug her before returning to a smiling Peter’s side.

“Yeah thanks Rach, I can’t thank you enough, for everything.”

“You’re both very welcome.” Rachel slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind her and Angel nudged Peter in the sides. Taking the hint he moved over in the bed and Angel climbed in next to him. For a while they lay there, in silence, just clinging to each other in the narrow hospital bed, drawing comfort from each other, neither wanting to let go.

“You could have asked about Leah you know.” Angel suddenly broke the deadlock, “She is your sister-in-law and you were close once, don’t lose her friendship because of me. Whatever has gone on between you and Leah, I’m secure, with us I mean, I’m not going to get upset if you ask how she is,” Angel told him.

“Really? Just after everything that’s happened.. It’s taken so long for you and me to get our acts together, I really can’t lose you again Angel. You, our baby, your kids, our family is all I want.” Peter pulled her closer.

“And you have us, that’s never going to change. I asked Rachel how Leah was doing, apparently her surgery went well but it’s still touch and go. She might lose her legs Pete, when she gets out of this she’s going to need all the friends she can get and if she’ll let us, I’d like to be there for her. She did land in this mess saving your life after all, we owe her.” Angel turned her head slightly so she could see his eyes and after a few seconds his eyes met hers, his hand gently touching her face, as if scared that if he didn’t, she’d disappear.

“You have gorgeous eyes you know, I don’t think I ever really appreciated that before. I mean I always thought you were gorgeous, since I first met you but I don’t think I ever stopped to realise just how perfect all your individual features are.” He kissed her softly on her nose and then her mouth and she shut her eyes, contentment washing over her, his love making her feel warm and alive. “And I know, about Leah. It’s you I love but it doesn’t mean I don’t care about her and she wasn’t solely to blame, you more than anybody knows that. I owe her more than my life, I owe her an apology, I treated her badly. There’s no excuse and I don’t deserve to be this happy.”

“Of course you do and I’m not going anywhere. Our baby’s going to be bought up in love, as part of a family, so no more feeling guilty for being happy yeah? We might have made mistakes but we do deserve this.” She offered her lips up for another kiss, snuggling closer to him and thinking that if she never moved from here, she’d die a happy woman.

“Okay Mitchell’s the spark and Anderson’s the third, I’d trust both with my life so when do we hear this grand plan?” Cash was waiting in Jesse’s cell when he came back from work. Not that building cabinets was particularly taxing work but it was better than the post room where Phillips was working, even if the bastard was on more money for doing it. There was something about manual labour that gave Jesse a buzz, but Phillips was the sort who preferred to do nothing and the post room was the desired work location for the lazy asses who liked to do nothing and still draw decent pay. Jesse shut the door behind him.

“We don’t have long, I have a screw on my tail, said I was popping back for something I forgot,” Jesse explained, pushing the door shut behind him. “What about the fight?” he demanded.

“It’s sorted, the guys who owe me a favour are going to make sure it kicks off big style. So? Have I earned the right to know what’s going on yet?” Cash was growing increasingly frustrated at being kept in the dark. He was the person who usually organised stuff and if he wasn’t planning it he was certainly always in the loop, nobody dared to keep him in the dark. Too many people had had a good kicking for attempting to do that. McGregor though was a loose cannon and Cash needed him more than he needed Cash and that gave him power. Add to that the fact that McGregor wasn’t easily scared and you had somebody, who didn’t work for anybody, somebody impossible to control and it set Cash on edge.

“Alright. We strike at the end of work this afternoon, I know Phillips is back at work because I seem to have a guard on my tail at any time he isn’t stuck behind his door,” Jesse explained.

“I noticed, and Phillips is back at work, I checked, they’re just keeping you two apart.”

”Can’t say I blame them, what with me planning to kill him and him no doubt planning to kill me,” Jesse replied dryly and Cash laughed, nervously.

“We’ll get there first though yeah?”

”I hope so. Mitchell needs to get off work early and get himself in the vicinity of the main power supply at the end of work. He needs to cut power the second the bell goes for leaving work and he needs to cut the back up as well. Can he do it?” Jesse asked, having disclosed the first stage of his plan.

“Yeah that’s a piece of cake for Mitchell, he’s cut power before for me, how long do you need?”

”Long enough for me to get to the post room and then back to the carpentry block so about five minutes should do it. Anderson should act as Mitchell’s look out and between them they need to keep the screws from getting that power supply back on for as long as possible. I’ll leave how up to their creative imaginations.”

”Right got it, I’ll leave Anderson to plan that. When and where does this fight need to go off?” Cash was making mental notes of everything, as aware as Jesse was that nothing could go wrong. If Phillips survived this plan it wouldn’t take long to figure out who had helped McGregor and Cash did not want to be on that target list.

“Carpentry block, the minute the lights are cut. It needs to draw the screws in so that I can get away and it needs to last the duration of lights out and then some, until I’m back on the scene.”

“Right got it, that shouldn’t be a problem, these two owe me one and they hate each other. So where do I fit in?”

“You need to dispatch whoever’s guarding Phillips and you need to keep Phillips alone in the post room. I’ll leave you to figure out how. If he’s locked in there, I need you to make sure I can get access and I need you to have this,” he picked up the plastic bag containing the brick and handed it to Cash, “ready for me at the post room in a place I can get at it easily, even with the lights out.”

”Okay so if I dispatch the guard before lights are out, suggest he locks Phillips in and then I’ll leave a key, I know where I can get one and this,” he held up the plastic bag, “at the left hand corner of the post room door. Do you need me for anything else?”

“No, once that’s done you can leave me to it and get yourself somewhere where you’ll have an alibi. Be seen, or heard in this case, by the screws, somewhere a long way from the post room corridor,” Jesse suggested and Cash breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thanks man,” he breathed.

“Just don’t mess up Cash, if everything goes okay I’ll do what needs doing and head back to the fight, land myself a few bruises and be heavily involved in the fight by the time the lights come back. And nobody can tip Phillips off, Anderson and Mitchell are not to be told why they’re doing this. The only person who knows how and when, aside from me, is you and I’m telling you for nothing Cash, if you let me down on this you’ll have more than me to worry about,” Jesse threatened.

“Look I’m sweet alright, you can trust me,” Cash assured him.

“I better,” Jesse replied, before picking up the piece of wood that had been his excuse to leave work early and leaving Cash in his cell.

How long she had slept, Kirsty had no idea but her neck hurt like crazy and her sleeping position, on the floor, where she had crashed, had not been the most comfortable. She rubbed her neck gingerly and stood up, looking with horror at the mess of the room that she had trashed in her anger, the night before. The doorbell let out an ominous ring and Kirsty realised that that had been what had woken her. Gingerly and aching, she headed to the door, not caring that she must look a fright. She was a widow, how did they expect her to look? She pulled open the door to reveal Irene standing there with Constable McGrath and she felt suddenly as if the bottom had sunk out of her stomach.

“There you are girlie, we’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Irene pulled her into a hug.

“Mrs Phillips, can we come in?” Constable McGrath asked, his voice deep and sombre. Dispassionately she pulled herself free of Irene’s embrace and gestured to the front room.

“Oh Kirst, what happened?” Irene looked around in horror at the mess that was Kirsty’s front room but Kirsty merely shrugged.

“I trashed the place,” she explained coldly. “Have you found Kane?” She turned her attention to a very uncomfortable looking McGrath who seemed to be doing anything but look at her.

“I, we think so yes. We’ve found…somebody at what we think was the root of the bomb, the area where the safety deposit boxes were housed,” McGrath told her.

“Right and you need me to identify him?” Kirsty guessed as Irene came to sit beside her and a freshly made cup of tea was placed in her hands.

“I’m afraid there was substantial damage, I’m sorry Mrs Phillips but the body we found will not be identifiable by normal channels. We will be using dental records, the body is on it’s way to a lab as we speak. I’m so sorry.” He did look sorry, Kirsty thought, and uncomfortable like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Who could blame him though, who wanted to be the person to tell a wife that her husband was in too small pieces to even be identified?

“Can you leave please. And you Irene, thanks for coming but I need to be alone,” Kirsty told them firmly, coldly.

“But Kirst, darl I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Irene protested as McGrath got to his feet.

“Look Irene if you really want to help will you go get Matthew for me? Is he still with Colleen?”

“Yes, though he stayed the night at ours, Selina had him in with her, seeing as they already have a cot in there,” Irene explained.

“Well I want him back so can you go and get him for me? I need my baby,” Kirsty insisted. Irene looked at the young girl who stood in front of her. She’d bet a whole month of Sundays that Kirsty was not coping with this anywhere near as well as she said she was. This emotionally shut off, closed, seemingly together woman was no doubt a mask, behind which there was a little girl who just wanted to sob and trash the house. Irene wanted desperately to stay with her, to hug her tightly and have her cry out all her pain on her shoulder but happen what Kirsty really needed was Matthew. If Irene bought him back maybe she’d have a good excuse to stay because god knew the child was going to need someone with her when they finally confirmed that the body was Kane. With a last glance at Kirsty, sitting on the sofa, gazing into space and not touching her tea, Irene let herself out.

“Angel that was absolutely lovely, thanks so much.” Rachel pushed her empty plate aside and smiled at the woman sitting opposite her who instantly got to her feet to clear the table.

“You’re welcome, it’s nice to have company if I’m honest. This house seems to have been bursting at the seams since we moved in but Shane’s better staying at the Caravan park house for now while I’m in and out of the hospital visiting Peter. And of course I don’t begrudge Dylan being at The Hunter/Holden place all the time. That poor family must be going through hell right now, one son dead, another in hospital…” Angel shuddered, “I couldn’t imagine losing a child.”

“No they’re all a bit of a mess from what I’ve heard, I’m just giving them space really. Let them grieve,” Rachel replied, joining Angel at the sink to dry the dishes that Angel was washing.

“And poor Kirsty, is it true what I heard on the radio that they’ve found the body assumed to be Kane Phillips but will need dental records to identify him?” Angel asked.

“It seems so. I called Irene earlier and she seems to think Kirsty’s in some form of shock, closed off kind of,” Rachel admitted.

“I remember Pippa doing that when Michael died. It was just after I’d lost Shane and I kind of did a similar thing. It’s denial, you pretend it’s not happening, that you’re coping but then one day it just hits you like a hammer blow and you can’t stop crying.

"Kirsty will need someone there then, I was lucky, Shane’s best friend Damien, Irene’s son, he turned up just as it hit me. I’d never have got through without him. Maybe I should go see Kirsty?” Angel mused.

“Maybe, I think for now we’re best probably leaving them to it,” Rachel suggested, clenching her fist tightly into a ball to stop herself from crying at the sadness of it all.

“Can I bum a lift back to the hospital then? It’s near enough visiting time and it feels like a long time since I last saw him,” Angel admitted.

“You were only discharged a few hours ago!” Rachel teased.

“Exactly, too long.” Angel pulled a tongue at Rachel and grinned, looking every inch like a woman, deeply and desperately in love.

“Come on then, lets get going.” Rachel downed her tea towel and collected her bag as Angel quickly slapped on some lipstick and retrieved her own bag.

“How do I look?” she posed in the doorway.

“A million dollars,” Rachel replied honestly, as she opened the car door for her.

“Doctor Armstrong! Angel, perhaps you can talk to sense into him?” Rachel and Angel had only entered the hospital when they heard a commotion outside Peter’s room and had both raced desperately towards it. Nurse Julie stood, hands on hips facing a fully dressed but white faced Peter.

“What exactly is going on? Why are you out of bed?” Rachel demanded.

“He’s discharging himself,” Julie provided.

“He’s doing what?” Angel turned to face Peter, her face a picture of anger and disbelief.

“I’m sorry but something’s come up, I have to go back to work,” Peter insisted.

“Work? Peter you’re still in recovery from a major operation! Your ankle is heavily strapped and that head injury is still a cause for concern, you need to be back in bed!” Rachel, head in full on Doctor mode, was desperate to emphasise the importance of Peter staying in hospital.

“I can have crutchers, I’ll be sitting down anyway with what I’m doing and my heads ok, the first sign of trouble I’ll come back, I promise.” He turned to Rachel, knowing full well that whilst Rachel might disapprove, she couldn’t stop him but Angel was a different kettle of fish altogether.

“What can possibly be more important than you getting better?” She demanded, her expression unreadable. There was hurt, fury, astonishment, disappointment and Peter felt ashamed of himself for making her feel like that.

“I promise you I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t important, please trust me Angel,” Peter took her face in his hands but she pulled away.

“I just got out of hospital today and the worry that the father of my baby might not be around for the birth, was the reason I was in here in the first place. You want to do that to me again, is this really that important?” She was almost begging him.

“I’m sorry,” he kissed her gently, “but this is important. This is about today.” Peter sighed deeply, “Sergeant Bellmore was here, came to see how I was and to give out on me for being so stupid. Then he got a call on the radio, there’s been a murder in the Prison and when I realised who it was, I knew I couldn’t sit here and do nothing, it involves Jesse McGregor and Gus Phillips, you see."

"No actually, I don't see!" Angel faced him stubbornly.

"Look, it’s my fault Jesse McGregor got involved in this in the first place, he’s been my person on the inside, I can't let anyone else deal wwith this. Can you understand that?” he appealed mainly to Angel and was relieved when she nodded slowly.

“You just make sure you don’t end up back in here,” she replied and Rachel and Nurse Julie, realising the battle was lost, moved away to get his discharge papers.

“Sarge what’s the brief?” Peter burst unannounced into Sergeant Bellmore’s office and was treated to a heavy glare as the Sergeant ignored him, continuing instead with his telephone conversation.

“You’ve double checked? You’re absolutely sure?” Peter stood impatiently tapping his foot, listening to the one sided conversation.

“Who the hell can it be then? Okay thanks for letting me know.” He hung up the phone and still ignoring Peter called for constable McGrath and PC Fitzgerald.

“Sir we’ve just had a call on the radio, seems they’ve found the fifth person at the bank, no telling if they’re dead or alive yet though. Do you want me down there?” McGrath asked.

“Not yet, you need to go first to Kirsty Phillips house and I think once she hears what you have to say, she'll be joining you at the bank."

“Sir?” McGrath asked as Peter and Lara also looked at him curiously.

“I just had word from forensics. The body we recovered, we don’t yet have a full DNA match but we do know that it’s definitely not Kane Phillips,” Sergeant Bellmore imparted as Peter, Lara and McGrath all looked at him in disbelief.

“So Kane could still be alive?” Peter asked, hope rising inside him.

“Best not to get anyone’s hopes up but yes that could be the case. Peter, take Lara and get yourself down the prison, I want this murder solved quickly and I’m warning you Peter, I’m taking a chance letting you have this. You better do things by the book,” Sergeant Bellmore warned.

“I will Sir.” Peter’s voice replied automatically but his head told him that whatever had gone on at the prison, he would make damned sure that Gus Phillips, not Jesse McGregor got the blame for it. Even in death, Peter was determined to have justice.

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