[fic] Go Fish: Sinker
TITLE: Go Fish: Sinker
AUTHOR: fiandyfic
FANDOM: Life on Mars
SUMMARY: Six months later…
RATING: Brown Cortina overall.
WARNINGS: Character death.
WORD COUNT: 880 words
EMAIL: fiandyfic@livejournal.com
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Part 13c - the final part of the Hookerverse. We'd like to thank everyone who's been following this saga which did, after all, start with a 450 word ficlet and turned into a monster. With thanks to hambelandjemima for inspiring the title. We're also taking questions, if there's anything you wanted to ask. So this one is dedicated, with our love and terror, to those brave souls who've been reading all along and actually liked it. And a Happy New Year to you all.
DISCLAIMER: Life on Mars is copyright Kudos and the BBC. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Go Fish Part 1: Hook
Go Fish Part 2: Line
Sinker
Six months later
The Detective Inspector sauntered through the almost empty office. Only a couple of DCs were sitting at their desks, typing up reports. The others were, with no doubt, out solving such crimes as crossed the desks of Manchester's finest. In truth, it had been a quiet six months. Which had been good for the lads. But they were all straining at the bit for some adventure. Something that the DI had had more than enough of recently.
He knocked at the inner sanctum, waiting until a gruff voice answered, and pushed open the door.
DCI Hunt was at his desk, feet up on the table, staring at his noticeboard with a frown.
“Come in, Detective Inspector. All quiet on the Western Front?”
“As much as it ever is. Not even a barney at the Flamingo. The new manager is turning out to be a gem.”
Gene smiled at that. “Yeah, Sukey was always good at that sort of thing. I'm glad to see things are working out for her.”
“To be honest, the lads are getting a bit restless, Guv.”
“Well, it won't last. It's good to make the most of it while you can.” Gene indicated to the noticeboard. “Something's come in that I think you might be interested in.”
The DI walked across the room and unpinned a card, turning it over in his hand. It was a cheap postcard, with a suitably exotic scene on the front. On the back was printed the Guv's name and the Station's address in familiar handwriting. The message was only two words - Far enough?
Six months earlier
Ray could hear raised voices as he entered the warehouse, so he cautiously made his way towards them. He pulled out his gun. The Guv had insisted when he called that he would need one.
As he peered round the door he was met with a tableau. Vic Tyler had Sam trussed up like a Christmas turkey, holding him close with a gun pressed to his head, while the Guv tried to talk reason into him. Things were becoming heated and Ray swore under his breath as the Guv put down his gun at Tyler's insistence.
Sam started protesting at that, but a swift blow to the head silenced him for a time. Now Vic Tyler was almost screaming his accusations and, in a wild move, swung the gun around to the Guv. Ray had to act fast and act soon. Sam was blocking a clean shot, but it was the best chance he had. At the same moment Vic Tyler pulled the trigger, Ray did also and he watched in horror as all three went down.
Still covering Tyler's position, Ray ran over to Gene, who was already trying to sit up. His head was bleeding, but it was obviously only a scratch. Ray whipped out a handkerchief and handed it to Gene to stop the bleeding.
Gene picked himself up. “Bloody lousy shot. Are all Tylers that crap, eh?” He looked over to the motionless pair. “Let's see what a hash of this you've made, eh, Carling?”
They cautiously moved over to the other two men. Sam was covered in blood, but it was only the other man's blood, whose face had been half-blown away by Ray's single shot.
“Not bad, Ray. Not bad at all.”
Sam started to groan. A second blow to the head as he had fallen had knocked him out cold. Gene quickly untied the ropes that bound him, dragging Sam to his feet as he finally focused on the two coppers.
“What now?”
Gene stared at him for a couple of seconds, before reaching into his coat. He took out a large envelope and handed it wordlessly to Sam.
Sam took it cautiously and peered inside. His passport and savings, and more cash besides, were all nestled together. He looked up, bewildered.
“Just… Just get out of my city.” Gene said gruffly. “Get as far as you can away. I never want to see you again. Do you hear me?”
Sam stared back. “I…”
“Don't say anything, just go. Got it?”
Sam nodded and turned, but Ray laid a hand on his arm and finally finding his voice, he spoke.
“Good luck, Tyler.”
Sam moved his lips in a semblance of a smile. “Thanks.” And with that he left.
The two men stood in silence for a few minutes, before Gene sighed. “Well, it looks like we've stumbled in on a bit of a barney here, Ray, me lad. Who'd've thought that two men could kill each other just like that, leaving no witnesses behind, eh?”
Ray shook his head. “Looks like an open and shut case to me, Guv.”
“Good job we got that tip-off. You'd better call in the clean-up crew.”
Ray nodded and left to call for backup.
Present
DI Ray Carling carefully pinned the postcard back on the board and sat in the other chair as Gene pulled out a bottle of whisky and two glasses, adding a generous measure to each before offering Ray one.
Ray took a mouthful of the spirit before speaking. “So, Mexico, eh. Is it far enough?”
Gene looked thoughtful for a minute, before nodding. “You know Ray, I think it might just be.”
fin
AUTHOR: fiandyfic
FANDOM: Life on Mars
SUMMARY: Six months later…
RATING: Brown Cortina overall.
WARNINGS: Character death.
WORD COUNT: 880 words
EMAIL: fiandyfic@livejournal.com
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Part 13c - the final part of the Hookerverse. We'd like to thank everyone who's been following this saga which did, after all, start with a 450 word ficlet and turned into a monster. With thanks to hambelandjemima for inspiring the title. We're also taking questions, if there's anything you wanted to ask. So this one is dedicated, with our love and terror, to those brave souls who've been reading all along and actually liked it. And a Happy New Year to you all.
DISCLAIMER: Life on Mars is copyright Kudos and the BBC. All Rights Reserved. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Go Fish Part 1: Hook
Go Fish Part 2: Line
Sinker
Six months later
The Detective Inspector sauntered through the almost empty office. Only a couple of DCs were sitting at their desks, typing up reports. The others were, with no doubt, out solving such crimes as crossed the desks of Manchester's finest. In truth, it had been a quiet six months. Which had been good for the lads. But they were all straining at the bit for some adventure. Something that the DI had had more than enough of recently.
He knocked at the inner sanctum, waiting until a gruff voice answered, and pushed open the door.
DCI Hunt was at his desk, feet up on the table, staring at his noticeboard with a frown.
“Come in, Detective Inspector. All quiet on the Western Front?”
“As much as it ever is. Not even a barney at the Flamingo. The new manager is turning out to be a gem.”
Gene smiled at that. “Yeah, Sukey was always good at that sort of thing. I'm glad to see things are working out for her.”
“To be honest, the lads are getting a bit restless, Guv.”
“Well, it won't last. It's good to make the most of it while you can.” Gene indicated to the noticeboard. “Something's come in that I think you might be interested in.”
The DI walked across the room and unpinned a card, turning it over in his hand. It was a cheap postcard, with a suitably exotic scene on the front. On the back was printed the Guv's name and the Station's address in familiar handwriting. The message was only two words - Far enough?
Six months earlier
Ray could hear raised voices as he entered the warehouse, so he cautiously made his way towards them. He pulled out his gun. The Guv had insisted when he called that he would need one.
As he peered round the door he was met with a tableau. Vic Tyler had Sam trussed up like a Christmas turkey, holding him close with a gun pressed to his head, while the Guv tried to talk reason into him. Things were becoming heated and Ray swore under his breath as the Guv put down his gun at Tyler's insistence.
Sam started protesting at that, but a swift blow to the head silenced him for a time. Now Vic Tyler was almost screaming his accusations and, in a wild move, swung the gun around to the Guv. Ray had to act fast and act soon. Sam was blocking a clean shot, but it was the best chance he had. At the same moment Vic Tyler pulled the trigger, Ray did also and he watched in horror as all three went down.
Still covering Tyler's position, Ray ran over to Gene, who was already trying to sit up. His head was bleeding, but it was obviously only a scratch. Ray whipped out a handkerchief and handed it to Gene to stop the bleeding.
Gene picked himself up. “Bloody lousy shot. Are all Tylers that crap, eh?” He looked over to the motionless pair. “Let's see what a hash of this you've made, eh, Carling?”
They cautiously moved over to the other two men. Sam was covered in blood, but it was only the other man's blood, whose face had been half-blown away by Ray's single shot.
“Not bad, Ray. Not bad at all.”
Sam started to groan. A second blow to the head as he had fallen had knocked him out cold. Gene quickly untied the ropes that bound him, dragging Sam to his feet as he finally focused on the two coppers.
“What now?”
Gene stared at him for a couple of seconds, before reaching into his coat. He took out a large envelope and handed it wordlessly to Sam.
Sam took it cautiously and peered inside. His passport and savings, and more cash besides, were all nestled together. He looked up, bewildered.
“Just… Just get out of my city.” Gene said gruffly. “Get as far as you can away. I never want to see you again. Do you hear me?”
Sam stared back. “I…”
“Don't say anything, just go. Got it?”
Sam nodded and turned, but Ray laid a hand on his arm and finally finding his voice, he spoke.
“Good luck, Tyler.”
Sam moved his lips in a semblance of a smile. “Thanks.” And with that he left.
The two men stood in silence for a few minutes, before Gene sighed. “Well, it looks like we've stumbled in on a bit of a barney here, Ray, me lad. Who'd've thought that two men could kill each other just like that, leaving no witnesses behind, eh?”
Ray shook his head. “Looks like an open and shut case to me, Guv.”
“Good job we got that tip-off. You'd better call in the clean-up crew.”
Ray nodded and left to call for backup.
Present
DI Ray Carling carefully pinned the postcard back on the board and sat in the other chair as Gene pulled out a bottle of whisky and two glasses, adding a generous measure to each before offering Ray one.
Ray took a mouthful of the spirit before speaking. “So, Mexico, eh. Is it far enough?”
Gene looked thoughtful for a minute, before nodding. “You know Ray, I think it might just be.”
fin