Knife Edge

4.51 P.M.

They all heard the sirens.

The strident wail seemed to converge from all directions, shattering the solitude of the cemetery.

Julie Neville looked helplessly at Baxter, her eyes wide, almost imploring.

Baxter himself had already turned and was heading towards the main entrance of the graveyard.

Lisa grabbed her mother's hand, wondering what the noise signified.

'What the hell's going on?' Wells hissed into the two-way, glancing at Baxter, then Julie and the child.

'Arrest them, Rob, now,' Hagan told him. 'That's direct from the guv'nor. Take them.'

Wells swallowed hard and advanced towards the trio who were moving rapidly along one of the Tarmac paths.

'Stop,' Wells shouted, fumbling in his pocket for his ID. 'Police.'

He brandished the wallet above his head and took a step towards the trio before him.

Lisa moved closer to her mother.

Baxter merely slowed his pace and looked at the young man in the jeans and T-shirt.

Julie pulled her daughter tightly to her, a protective arm around her shoulder.

'Just stay where you are,' Wells called, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. 'We just need to talk to you, Mrs Neville. You and your daughter.'

'You keep away from my daughter,' Julie hissed at him.

Baxter stepped up to join her.

The sound of sirens was almost deafening now. They could all hear car doors being slammed and the thudding of many feet moving across the road outside the cemetery. There were shouts.

Wells was still advancing, still waving his ID.

'Nobody's going to hurt either of you,' he said, trying to inject as much reassurance as possible into his tone.

Baxter looked towards the cemetery gates and saw uniformed policemen outside.

'We need your daughter,' Wells said.

'You're not giving her to him,' Julie said defiantly.

Wells looked puzzled.

'My husband wants her,' Julie continued. 'He's not going to get her and you're not going to help him.'

The two-way in Wells' back pocket crackled urgently.

'We haven't done anything wrong,' Julie told him.

'We're not the criminals.'

'I know that,' Wells told her.

'What about them?' Baxter said, indicating the uniformed men now moving towards the cemetery gates. 'Do they know?'

The radio crackled again.

Wells swallowed hard.

What now? Grab the kid?

He licked his lips nervously.

'We don't want to hurt you or your daughter,' he said. 'But we need your help. It's very important.'

Lisa was holding tightly to Julie's leg, her eyes fixed on the young man moving steadily towards them.

'Mum,' she said softly.

'We need your help, that's all,' Wells repeated.

'And if I refuse?'

'There's nowhere for you to run now, Mrs Neville.' Wells held her gaze.

Julie looked at him then down at her daughter. 'No one's going to hurt you,' Wells repeated. 'I promise you.'

The radio hissed like an angry snake.

'Please,' the policeman pleaded.

Julie nodded.

Thank Christ, Wells thought.

'We've got to hurry,' he said anxiously.