To get us in the mood for the new series of Suspects, let's write a fic together.
I'll start the first part and then just jump in with what happens next. It probably works better if you leave your paragraph on a cliff hanger. As this is in a public area of the forum, let's keep it reasonably clean !
Jack stared at the computer screen. He tried to block out the noise of the office, he needed to concentrate. This case was proving to be tricky. He twirled his pen through his fingers. Jack looked up when he heard Charlie coming back to her desk. Charlie handed Jack a coffee.
" You look like you could use this, Sarge. Been out at the karaoke all night again ? " said Charlie.
Jack pulled a face at her but he was grateful. The coffee was hot and strong. He took a gulp and felt the kick of the caffeine.
The phone on Jack's desk rang. He picked up the phone and listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line.
"We'll be right there," said Jack as he slammed the phone down. Grabbing the car keys from his desk he jumped up.
"Come on Charlie, let's go ! We need to hurry on this one."
Jack replied "Haven't got time to tell you now, just come with me... NOW"
Charlie noticed a quivver in his voice, which made her worry... "Its got to be personal" she thought....
As she clasped her seatbelt on, she noticed Jacks personal phone start to light up....
Even though Jack started to drive off he answered the phone... "I can't.... I can't..."
Charlie screamed "JACK...."
"You've never mentioned a son before," said Charlie.
"You want to discuss this now," said Jack incredulously. "Sam's in danger!"
"Sam?" asked Charlie.
Jack softened. "Yeah, he's called Sam. He's seven."
Charlie took in this information in silence for a moment. She felt hurt that Jack hadn’t shared this part of his life with her. "All this time we've worked together and you've never mentioned him."
"I didn't even know he existed until a few weeks ago." said Jack.
Charlie's eyes widened in surprise.
"I went out with Sam's mum years ago. We were only together for four or five months and then out of the blue she broke up with me. I never heard from Becky again. Not until a few weeks ago. She wrote to me and told me I had a son and they needed my help”, said Jack.
“She didn’t even tell you she was pregnant?” asked Charlie.
Jack looked at her. “Do you think I would have abandoned them if I had known?”
Charlie shook her head. Jack could be an arrogant, stroppy jerk sometimes but she knew that he would have stepped up if had known about Sam.
“Becky’s ex is a nasty piece of work and he’s crossed the wrong people. They’re using Becky and Sam to get to him,” said Jack.
Charlie was still trying to process why Becky wouldn’t have told Jack she was pregnant and why she had come back into Jack’s life now she needed his help.
“I don’t want to piss you off, Sarge, but how can you be sure he’s yours?” asked Charlie.
Jack jerked his head towards his phone. “My phone. There are photos.”
Charlie picked up the phone and scrolled to Jack’s photos. The first one was of Jack sitting next to a small boy. The resemblance was striking. The boy had a cheeky grin, beaming at being with his dad. His thick, dark hair was an unruly mop and he had large, hazel eyes just like Jack’s. It was like looking at a miniature version of Jack.
“Aw Jack, he’s gorgeous,” said Charlie.
Despite the desperate panic he felt Jack couldn’t help smiling like a proud father. He might have only known Sam for a few weeks but he loved him and would have given his life for him.
“He’s missing, Charlie. Someone’s taken him,” said Jack.
