Disclaimer. Still not mine
Nightingale?
Zaf coughed as the smoke and debris began to settle around him. The explosion had happened on the floor above them in what they believed to be a disused block of flats in Camden. He wiped the dust from his eyes as he looked around for Zoe, she had been just above him on the staircase. The validity of the asset's information now worried him. He pushed himself in to a sitting position as he looked around him. Zoe had been unnaturally quiet since the explosion. It was not like her to be quiet and it immediately set Zaf's nerves on edge.
"Zoe" He half whispered as he saw her body lying awkwardly across the staircase. He was worried there would be another explosion, that they would be trapped in the building. In the distance he could hear the sirens of the fire brigade and ambulance on the way to them. He dragged himself across to her, she was too still to be conscious and that knowledge made him feel sick.
"Zoe" He gently shook her shoulder, careful not to move her too much. "C'mon this was your informant. You can't sleep through this!" He tried not to panic but suddenly realised how Lucas must feel every time Ros went off and did something where she got hurt. He closed his eyes and dared himself to check for a pulse. It was there, slow and steady as he pressed two fingers to her neck. It was then that Zaf allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Her eyes fluttered open as she saw him leaning over her.
"Morning" She mumbled as Zaf shook his head.
"You ok?"
"No, but I'm going to kill Davies when I get my hands on him. Bloody information is useless." She touched the back of her head as she realised she was bleeding. Zaf helped her in to a sitting position. The blood ran down on to her collar as she held a hand to her ribs. Zaf didn't like how her speech sounded slightly slurred.
"We have got to get out of here" Zaf pulled her to her feet, noticing how much she winced as she moved. Zaf wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her against him. She nodded as she fought the urge to collapse against him. Zaf gingerly half carried her, half walked down the remaining steps aware that they had to get out of the building before anything else happened. He didn't like how pale the field officer looked. He didn't like how quiet she was either, or the way the blood seemed to ooze from her scalp. She nodded as he spoke, aware that she had to stay awake when all she really wanted to do was sleep.
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The Grid was a hive of activity when the two women returned . Tariq was going through the information they had got from previous Nightingale attacks while Malcolm searched through the records from the emergency services, trying to work out who and when the ambulance that picked up Zoe had been called. Harry emerged from his office as Ruth reached her desk. He sighed as he saw his wife approach her desk, she seemed to be even more worried than she had been when Harry had seen him earlier in the day. She knew something had happened to Zoe but she didn't know what, as Harry beckoned her over she couldn't help but think that the worst.
"Where were you and Ros?" He stared at her as she briefly looked around the Grid. Lucas seemed to be having a very similar conversation with Ros. Sighing she knew he was waiting for an answer.
"At the cemetery. I didn't really intend on being there for so long, but it's Jo's birthday on Wednesday and then Ros arrived" She shrugged slightly as Harry rested a hand on her forarm "She's still blaming herself. It's still killing her" She could feel Harry's eyes on her as she spoke. Harry nodded, he knew Ros had never really dealt with Jo's death. He didn't think she ever really would. "We got the red flash from Adam. What's happened?" Ruth knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say.
"Zoe is injured. Head wound and a slight concussion. Zaf is with her at the hospital" He couldn't take his eyes off her but knew the rest of the Grid would have something to say if he didn't snap back in to work mode soon. Ruth ran a hand through her hair aware that he was still staring at her. She swallowed hard before returning her gaze to Harry. "And Catherine? I was going to come to the hospital but I'm sorry Harry I got the red flash before I could get there" She suddenly felt incredibly guilty, she knew how much Harry had been worried about his daughter.
"I know. Graham took her home. She's ok, they did a scan. The baby is ok." He smiled slightly, the idea of becoming a grandfather was beginning to grow on him. Ruth smiled slightly as she began to fidget with the edge of her blouse. She knew there was more to be said, but it was the wrong place to continue the conversation.
"Later?" She smiled as he nodded briefly once. It was Tariq bouncing on his heels and yelling for him to go to his computer that startled Harry back in to work mode.
"Yes Tariq? What is it?" The entire section had got used to Tariq getting exited whenever he found anything even vaguely useful.
"er Harry? You want to see this. I mean you really want to see this" He pointed at his computer screen as Harry and Ruth exchanged glances before walking across to the young man's work station.
"Well, enlighten me" He peered over Tariq's shoulder staring at the computer screen.
"See this?" Tariq pointed at the screen. "This isn't the Nightingale we had before. Not only is there no Mace now, no Linnerman but this isn't the MO we were used to. Nightingale do not blow up derelict blocks of flats" Ros joined the trio as Lucas ran a hand through his hair. It was Lucas that broke the tense silence. He was remembering in detail what had happened on the day of the hotel bomb. It seemed a lifetime ago, in reality it was just over a year. So much had changed since that awful day he thought to himself. Ros tapped a few keys on the computer keyboard as Lucas joined them.
"No, Nightingale never really bothered with destroying derelict buildings. It couldn't be them now unless" He let the sentance hang as Ros looked at him.
"Unless it was a trial run for something bigger. C'mon" She turned on her heel and headed for the Pods as Harry called after her and Lucas.
"Where are you going?" Harry had intended on keeping all the officers on the Grid until they had more intelligence. He knew that was going to be difficult as he saw Adam pick up his jacket.
"To find the something bigger" Ros shot over her shoulder without turning back. Her and Lucas were through the Pods as Harry shook his head. He hated to agree with Tariq but so far none of the evidence was pointing to Nightingale. The tip off to say they were back seemed to be a red herring. Harry glared at the computer screen as he thought about what the Home Secretary had said.
"If it isn't Nightingale" Ruth stepped away, ready to return to her own desk. "Then we have no idea who it is"
"I understand the bloody problem Ruth" Harry snapped as Malcolm and Tariq turned abruptly to see him march back to his office while Ruth glowed red. Tariq raised his eyebrows in surprise, he had never heard Harry raise his voice to Ruth. Ruth shot Harry a filthy look before returning to her desk, knowing she had unwittingly given the rest of the Grid something to gossip about.
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Ros walked along Oxford Street amongst the various tourists and shoppers as Lucas fell in to step next to her. He was worried about her disappearance earlier in the day. He glanced at her as they reached the corner of the street. She was completely back in work mode, it was as if their time in Wales had never happened. He couldn't help but think a break abroad would have been a better idea. She had even mentioned escaping to Barbados once though Lucas had thought she was joking at the time. Ros stopped abruptly as Lucas nearly collided with her.
"Why now?" She stared across the road as the cars and buses sped past. Lucas raised an eyebrow
"Why now what?"
"Nighingale disappeared after the Hotel Bombing was dealt with. Richard Dolby died before we got close. It isn't Nightingale Lucas. It isn't" She sounded so determined as Lucas turned to her.
"So we know it isn't Nightingale's MO. We know the men we identified at Basel are all either dead or in prison. What do you think is going on?" Lucas rested his hands on her shoulders as he waited for her to meet his eye.
"It is not Nightingale. If it was Zoe would be dead not in hospital" Lucas nodded, he could see her reasoning.
"So?" He wanted to hear her say what he was afraid of.
"Davidson. He's behind it. I think he is working with my father" She straightened up to her full height as Lucas sighed. He knew she was being paranoid and hated it. Ros narrowed her eyes as he ushered her into the gap between two shops. His arms never left her shoulders. Once she would have found his touch comforting, now it just annoyed her.
"Ros, you can't link everything back to your father. I mean the last time you spoke to him..." He struggled to think as Ros pressed a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him.
"Was today. I went to the prison today. He clearly has links to the outside world, apart from Philip and he has been using them. Nightingale is exactly the type of thing he would be involved in if he was a free man. Killing those officers that put him in prison and blaming it on Nightingale is exactly what he would do" She stepped back but Lucas never removed his hands from her.
"You spoke to your father?" Lucas had a feeling she was no longer being paranoid. He knew Jocelyn Myers still had a hold on all his children. He hated it but didn't see how he could change Ros' perception of her father. He held her gaze as she found an interesting spot on his shirt to stare at.
"If we hadn't just got back from Wales who would have been at the tower block? Not Zaf and Zoe." She narrowed her eyes as she spoke. Lucas fought the urge to pull her in to his arms as the cars continued to speed by. He felt sick at the thought that Ros had been right, Davidson was helping Jocelyn Myers chase down the Section that had put him in prison, including his daughter. Ros stood with her back against the wall.
"And everyone thought I was such a Daddy's girl" She deadpanned as Lucas looked out along Oxford Street.
author's note. More soon xx