Disclaimer I do not own Spooks All characters from 2.1 onwards are likely to appear. Story follows on fromm A Rainbow's End and is very likely to ramble on for a while.

Grenade.

Chapter 1. Not a Morning Person?

Harry stared at the solid oak table as he waited to start the early morning briefing. He glanced at Ruth as he thought about his phonecall with Towers. He hated the way the call played heavily on his mind as the events of the last few weeks continued to whirl in his thoughts. Part of him knew that his team had done everything they could to find the errant Tessa but another, less reasonable part of him hated the way she had eluded the team. It seemed worse when he knew that he was still being watched by the powers that be. The Inquiry was still a constant threat and despite finding the Section innocent over the whole Albany and Syria fiasco he knew that one wrong move would mean that Section D would be disbanded and he would loose more than simply his knighthood. As it was he had Erin Watts and her little reports back to the DG to contend with. It seemed that one of the conditions the Inquiry panel had enforced included a member of staff they had appointed with the specific aim of reporting back any irregularities to the DG himself. That was another thing he had to contend with. He smirked to himself, knowing that it was a minor miracle that Ros hadn't killed the woman in her first week.

"Harry." Ros leant against the sideboard as Harry jumped from his thoughts. "What did Towers have to say for himself?"

"The usual diatribe." Harry fell silent again as Erin followed Ruth and Zaf into the room. Ros rolled an eyebrow as Erin took a seat next to Tariq. The young techi looked uncomfortable as he covered his notes with one hand. He still wasn't quite sure what he could and couldn't say in front of the new comers. Harry looked around as he realised the entire team were present and waiting for him to start.

"Everyone Erin Watts and Callum Reed will be part of D for the forseeable future." Harry watched as Dimitri and Beth exchanged glances. Lucas seemed to be focused on Ros as Harry spoke. Erin narrowed her eyes as Ros held her gaze. It was clear relations between both women were going to be strained to say the least. Callum, on the other hand looked as though all his Christmases had come at once. Tariq smiled slightly, he knew that both he and Malcolm could do with the help, especially with Malcolm being semi retired.

"Anything else? Only I have some work to do." Ros was desperate to get out of the Briefing Room. It was almost claustrophobic and the heat was beginning to get to her. Glancing around the room she realised sheh was the only one who looked remotely warm. Adam met her eye and raised an eyebrow as she hurridly looked away.

"The Home Secretary has informed me that we will be providing the security detail for the forthcoming Presedential visit, including the Presedential Ball." He watched as the entire team seemed to groan silently. Only a handful of people in the room remembered the last time they had a visit from the Americans.

"When?" Adam asked as the rest of the team remain silent. "I thought 6 would be handling this?"

"No. The DG and the Home Secretary feel it would be more in our remit." Harry sighed.

"They probably think that because of the risk that certain militant groups will be crawling out of the woodwork for the publicity." Erin stated the obvious as Ros resisted the urge to answer her. Harry nodded.

"We have already intercepted several pieces of Intel on threats to the US delegation." Ruth replied. "GCHQ have forwarded me what they picked up overnight. Most of it seems to be low level threats. There is one group that could be a problem." Ruth spoke calmly as Ros smirked. It seemed Erin didn't like any of the women on the team and the fact that Ruth had already recognised and starting analysing the threat just irritated the dark haired woman even more. "I've heard of these people before." Ruth passed a piece of A4 paper to Harry.

"The Confederation?" Zaf looked up from his notes as Ruth nodded. Lucas shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea what they were.

"Initially just a bunch of right wing students, most studied politics and history. A few took what they learnt a little too seriously. Set about what they referred to as correcting the establishment. Basically a bunch of radicals that thought they knew how to impliment the American Constitution better than the US Senate." Ruth explained.

"Why do a bunch of students pose a threat?" Zoe rested a hand on her expanding abdomen as she spoke.

"They aren't students anymore." Ruth sighed. "In the last five years they have been a pain in the American government's behind. Parcel bombs, hacking into the Pentagon. That sort of thing. My contact at GCHQ belives they may be in a position to launch a physical attack on the President on UK soil. She believes it will most likely be at the Royal Ball."

"Your contact?" Erin snapped.

"Yes." Ruth answered politely as Lucas and Adam exchanged glances. Ros narrowed her eyes.

"You heard of them? Contacts? Assets? Part and parcel of what spies do." Ros spoke as if she was explaining a very difficult concept to her nine month old son. She had a feeling little James would have understood her more than the infuriating woman at the opposite end of the table. She watched as Erin turned a shade of scarlet even Harry hadn't been able to achieve in his worst tempers. "To cultivate and collect intelligence which may be of beneift to national security and/or the prevention of a criminal act on UK soil."

"I know the handbook."

"Good. You should know how to implement it then. Or were you planning on just writing your little reports?" Ros watched as Harry took a deep breath. Both women knew the exchange was over.

"Yes, well the Ball is a matter of concern. So those of you who are due to update your fire arms training contact Debra Langham. That includes all Grid based staff. Everyone will be in attendance, including desk officers." He watched as Tariq smiled slightly. Ruth looked horrified.

"Everyone?"

"Yes." Harry's eyes softened slightly.

"I'm an analyst. Wont I be needed here to keep an eye on things this end? I mean.."

"Ruth, everyone is to be there. You included. I know you haven't had any formal fire arms training at all but the DG is insistant." He watched as her eyes clouded over. He knew that she was thinking of the way she had fought with the french assasin, shooting him to save herself and Deary. It had only been a few months ago and still haunted her dreams. Harry watched as Ruth nodded slowly, not trusting herself to say another word.

"Come on Harry." Zaf smiled at the analyst. "Ruth really doesn't need to carry a gun, does she?"

"Nah." Adam smiled slightly as Ruth shot him a look. "But then again, where would she hide a tree branch in an evening dress?"

"Or a lamp?" Malcolm smiled as Ruth pulled a face.

Harry couldn't quite suppress a chuckle as Tariq and Callum exchanged puzzled glances. Neither knew the story of Adam, Ruth, the Racists and the tree branch rescue. He decided that could wait for another day. Ruth smiled and rolled her eyes goodnaturedly as Adam caught her eye. She knew that there was no way she was ever going to be allowed to forget her inate clumsiness. Erin glared as she knew there was no chance that she was ever going to be able to find out what the older members of the team were referring to.

"The Conferderation are led by Ronald Strohm." Ruth tried to get the meeting back on track. "Last seen in California. Currently wanted for murder, conspiracy to murder and internet fraud. He is believed to have been one of the co conspirators in a number of attacks on the US mainland in the last few years. He is also linked to a group we have come across before." Zaf looked up as he realised there was a tremor in her voice.

"Who?" Beth asked.

"I." Ruth studied the desk, unable to meet Zaf's eye as he watched her. Harry took a deep breath. He had wanted to speak to the field officer earlier, before the meeting but Zaf had arrived with seconds to spare.

"Who?" Adam had a sickening feeling he knew why Ruth was reluctant to finish her sentance.

"I know." Zaf's voice took on a dangerous edge that was rarely heard. "It's the Redbacks. This Strohm is linked to them, isn't he?"

"Yes." Harry nodded solemly. "Yes, he is."

"Ok. So what's the plan?" Dimitri spoke for the first time.

"Find him and end this." Adam watched as Zaf stormed out the Briefing Room letting the heavy wooden door slam behind him. The room remained in silence for a moment, everyone momentarily stunned by Zaf's sudden outburst. It was Ros who recovered first.

"You heard him. We find Strohm, we get the Intel on these idiots and we stop them. In short people, we do what we are paid to." Ros watched as the assembled spooks nodded and began discussing what they already knew and what gaps were missing. She could only hope her friend would be ok and that wherever he had stormed off to he hadn't walked right into trouble.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N Is Zaf ok? What will Erin put in her reports? Is it worth going on? Please review.