A/N Thanks for reviewing. Here's the next chapter. Lots of chat but hopefully it will set up the action! Hang on to your hats - Becker's officially dead at the end of this chapter :-(

Becker jolted in his seat. "What?" he gaped.

"We're going to blow you up, make it look like someone from Kabir's terrorist cell jumped the gun in the hope that it may lead Kabir to make a mistake," Rider told him.

Becker shook his head. "That man doesn't make mistakes," he muttered.

"He does, you caught him before," said Rider.

"And Shamsi paid for it," Becker reminded the older man, darkly.

The Commander continued as if he hadn't heard Becker's comment.

"Being dead releases you from your other responsibilities, Becker, allowing you to do that which is necessary to track down Kabir."

"And my team? My mother?" asked Becker quietly.

"They must believe you really are dead, otherwise the ruse won't work. That's partly why we're going to blow you up - they won't be able to identify the body, they'll not be enough left. You'll be identified by DNA - and we can switch you for any old body parts we can find." Rider's off-hand manner riled Becker.

"You know my mother only just lost my father last year, right?" he asked softly but menacingly.

Rider made an attempt to placate him.

"We have a special plan for her, Becker," he said reassuringly. "She'll have to believe and grieve like everyone else but we won't keep her suffering for too long. After a week, the intention is to make it appear she has taken a holiday to get over everything - that's when we'll bring her in to an MI6 safe house and tell her everything."

Becker stared hard at him and snarled through gritted teeth. "You expect me to trust the safety of my friends, of my mother, to MI6 - the same people who struggle to get correct intel and who can't even keep highly classified documentation safe?"

"Becker," said Rider, gently. "You have no choice." Then, seeing the resignation in Becker's face, he tried to reassure him again. "I will oversee the whole operation personally. There are only two people in the world who know the full plan - myself and my PA, Penny, back at MI6."

Becker's eyebrows raised again.

"Does she know what she's letting herself in for?" he queried.

"She's ex-military - she knows the risks," confirmed Rider.

Becker sighed and slumped in his seat.

"One last thing, Captain, and I'm afraid I have to ask."

"Ask what?" muttered Becker, trying to digest the enormity of the task Rider had set him.

"Is there anyone at the ARC who may be at particular risk?"

Becker jolted upright again, shocked. "What do you know about the ARC?" he demanded.

The older man smirked. "Becker, I'm MI6. My clearance is higher than yours." He paused, then pressed his question further. "So?"

Becker glared at him. "So - what?"

"Is there anyone at the ARC who may be at greater risk?"

Becker shook his head. "I don't -"

Rider sighed heavily. "Is there anyone there with whom you have a personal relationship?"

Becker looked guilty just for a second before the mask enveloped his face again. Jess, Jess, Jess.

"No," he said blandly. "There's no-one."

"Really?" Rider was surprised.

Becker stared at him with blank eyes. "I don't do personal relationships. After Shamsi, I made it a rule that I would never put anyone at risk again."

Rider nodded, understanding. "What about friends? You must have friends."

Becker snorted. "I'm told I'm unapproachable and aloof. I don't do friends either. Close acquaintances is the best I can do I'm afraid. Just make sure you keep an eye on Lester, Anderson, Temple, Maitland, Merchant and Parker. And maybe Lt. Carter - he's my 2IC and a good man."

Rider nodded and made a note of all the names.

"Who will be my replacement?" asked Becker suddenly.

"Captain John Hutchens - I believe you know him?"

Becker nodded slowly. "Yes, I know Hutch. He was with me in Iraq. He'll do a good job. Tell him -" he paused and sucked in a deep breath. "Tell him to go easy on them. They won't necessarily be upset by my death but they won't like him nonetheless."

"What makes you say they won't be upset by your death?" asked Rider curiously, frowning.

Becker ground his teeth. "Like I said, I don't do friendships. I'm a soldier - soldiers die."

"Very well," sighed Rider. "I'll add that to my briefing."

"So, when do we go?" asked Becker sharply.

"Now, actually," Rider told him, almost apologetically.

"What?" Becker almost choked.

"The reason you're parked here is that the car is over a manhole cover. Yesterday, two of my operatives broke into the ARC car park and engineered a false floor into your car where it was parked." He paused and winked at Becker. "You've got some security issues there, mate!" he smirked.

"Not funny!" growled Becker.

"Ok. In a minute you're going to lean over your seat and disappear down through the manhole, I'll follow and then we will detonate your car, allowing you to go deep undercover and me to begin to spin the web to trap Kabir."

"And what happens when I find him?" asked Becker. When, not if.

"You neutralise him," confirmed Rider. "This is not a search and rescue mission."

"More a search and destroy, right?" asked Becker with satisfaction.

Rider nodded whilst Becker narrowed his eyes.

"Is this sanctioned?" he queried suspiciously.

Rider smiled. "Yes, we have the authority to use lethal force."

Jess, Jess, Jess. Becker's eyes clouded and his thoughts drifted for a moment as her face blazed across his brain. Her hair, her clothes, her shoes, her smile, her eyes…

"Captain Becker!" exclaimed Rider, then louder as Becker did not respond.

As Becker snapped to attention, his daydream vanished instantly.

"Yes sir!" he responded automatically, in full military mode.

"Are you sure there is nothing you need to tell me?" Rider asked, more gently.

"Absolutely sure. There's nothing." Becker's voice was flat.

His eyes became steel as he squared his jaw and leant over the seat.

"Let's get on with this, shall we?"

Rider pulled up the false floor of the pickup truck and lifted the manhole cover. Becker squeezed through with some effort and Rider followed moments later. Replacing the manhole cover, Rider pushed Becker further along the sewer tunnel, as Becker pulled a face and wrinkled his nose. Then Rider pressed a button on a small hand held remote and a huge explosion ripped the pickup truck apart above their heads.

The walls of the sewer shook and dislodged loose bricks into the water at their feet. Becker could hear the tangled metal of his once perfectly serviceable truck hitting the tarmac above in several large clangs. Becker stared at Commander Rider.

The older man grinned. "So, Captain Becker, how does it feel to be dead?"

So what do you think? And how will the ARC take the news? Eeeek!

Oh, and a special mention for anyone who can identify the line originally spoken by Christine Johnson in Series 3 Ep 9!

Reviews please! :-)