This will probably go up to an M rating later. Set series 7.
Harry awoke to a headache and his phone ringing. He groaned as his fingers searched for the phone on his bedside table. "What?!"
"Harry, sorry to disturb so early, but we've got a group of terrorist kidnappers in Turkey. They've taken a British citizen hostage." The voice belonged to Malcolm, so he held in his anger about being disturbed.
"Why are you calling me as opposed to MI6?"
"We're liaising with them, or we will be when they get out of bed. But their case load is very heavy at the moment and they've asked for our help. As the terrorists have been surprisingly quiet recently."
"I know, I've enjoyed the extra time in bed."
"I'm sending a driver around to yours," Malcolm said. "They aren't giving me all the information because I don't have necessary clearance." Malcolm was insulted, Harry could tell. "I'm siphoning it off of their systems, but it takes time."
"I'll be there as soon as I'm dressed and the cars here."
"Thanks Harry." He put the phone down and Harry sighed, his head in his hands. Not the morning to have a hangover. Last night he'd went to a bar because he didn't have any whisky in the house, and in his maudlin mood he'd started thinking about Ruth. She'd been in exile for two years now and he still missed her terribly. It was getting worse rather than better. And he'd needed a drink while he drowned in memories of her. He didn't know where she was or how she was doing. If he was being brutally honest, he didn't even know if she was alive. Whenever he thought of that he felt like jumping off a cliff, before he remembered that that wasn't practical in the middle of central London.
There had been several attractive women whom he'd noticed last night, but more in an absent minded way. He wasn't tempted to do anything about it. In fact he hadn't been tempted by anyone but Ruth for more than five years now. He didn't want anyone but her. He missed her intelligence, her understated beauty and the way her eyes sparkled only at him. Harry shook his head and quickly dressed. Knowing Malcolm's efficiency, it wouldn't take long for his car to get here.
Harry walked through the pods and saw Malcolm at his desk as other bleary eyed people came into work. "So what've we got so far?"
"I'll meet you in your office in a minute. Just getting the information together." Harry nodded and walked through, needing a bit of peace. The breath before the storm. Even in the midst of a crisis, half of his mind was still on Ruth.
"Harry, I'm sorry about this," Malcolm said as he burst into his office with his laptop. "I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important."
"You said a Turkish terror group?" Harry asked as Malcolm sat down.
"Yes."
"What do they want?"
"I don't know, their demands haven't been released yet. They're expected within the hour."
"And they've only taken one British citizen?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry Malcolm, but I fail to see why this was so important to drag myself out of bed at six in the morning."
"She's rather important," Malcolm said. "When I realised who it was I took precedence, hacked into your username and had all the information given to us. Its grounds for dismissal so you can fire me if you like."
"I think I'll let that one slide," Harry said amused. "She?"
"Yes, we know who has been taken," he said, typing on his computer to try and bring up an image. "She's in her late thirties and uses the name Rosa Edwards. This is the last CCTV image we have of her in Istanbul. I've enhanced it so its clear for you to see." Malcolm turned the screen and Harry felt his heart stop. Suddenly it all made sense. It was Ruth.
Just a small bit to start. Please leave a review if you want to see more :-)