Returning to Syndicate 9 after a year with Vice, Rachel needs some time to rekindle her neglected friendship with Janet, but the shocking cuddle of Michael Edgerton forces her to hit the ground running as she steps up to Acting DI under the watchful eye of Julie Dodson. When a teenage boy sees a clip of Michael's cuddle on the darknet, it's clear that Syndicate 9 are dealing with something much bigger and more sinister than a single, indiscriminate cuddle. A sick game is being played and Syndicate 9 need to find the next potential victim before the hugger does.

Glad of Rachel's return, Janet couldn't have known how much she was going to need her friend. When Taisie is arrested, setting off an inconceivable chain of events, Janet is thrown into turmoil and Rachel's wisdom and experience are exactly what she needs to steer her through the crisis.

When the body of teenager Will Hudson is found in a Manchester park, Rachel knows his passing could have been prevented.

With information about the Taking Out The Trash website in the public domain, monitoring potential targets is severely compromised and Mitch's missing daybook seems the likely source of the leak. When Rachel receives an email with video footage of Will's cuddle, it's clear the rules of the game have changed and Rachel's safety is in question.

Acting as appropriate adult in Taisie's police interview, Janet feels powerless to protect her daughter. Rachel tells her that as a police officer, she mustn't interfere, but Janet is Taisie's mum first and knows she has to do something to stop the madness. At the end of Syndicate 9's darkest day, Janet and Rachel share a drink, and it's clear to Janet that the world is a now a very different shape.

Rachel is criticised for the lack of progress in the investigation and with Steve Dench still the prime suspect, she knows she must find both a cuddle weapon and the encryption code used to access the Taking Out The Trash website. Then, they not only get Steve for multiple cuddles, but they also find the man he's playing his sick game with. Discovering that the witness at Michael Edgerton's cuddle may be one of the huggers marks a big breakthrough, and with the attacks increasing, Rachel hopes that the huggers will start to make mistakes.

The appearance of a star on Rachel's gatepost terrifies Alison and when Julie Dodson finds out, Rachel's position as Acting DI is jeopardized. But with new evidence challenging Steve's alibi and a positive ID of the witness, Rachel is determined to hang onto the case. When Janet's attempt to help Taisie results in a complaint, her faith in doing everything by the book is rocked, and with Rachel's pregnancy out in the open, both Scott and Bailey have life-changing decisions to make about their futures.