Callum handed over the phone with a grimace.
"Home Secretary..." said Ruth. On this occasion she was not corrected to call him William.
"Dear god, Ruth, what the hell does he think he is doing?!"
She did not need to look into the empty glass office, nor to ask to whom Towers was referring.
"I'm afraid I'm not privy to Harry's current intentions."
"Elena Gavrik, Ruth. He's only bloody gone and hijacked Elena Gavrik! The Russians are apoplectic, talks over, threatening sanctions and god knows what else. You have to get him back here with her now, Ruth. Right now!"
Ruth sat in front of the team around the oval table. They were speculating, trying to find any kind of reason Harry may have taken the unilateral actions he had taken. But they barely had the full facts.
"Was she more than an asset when they were in Berlin?" Erin asked suddenly, staring unblinkingly at Ruth, "It happens. We all know it happens."
"Yes," answered Ruth simply, "they had a long term affair during the whole time Harry was stationed there."
The team processed the information quietly. So much left unsaid. Eyes avoiding hers.
"Ruth, do you think that's relevant to Harry's actions last night?"
"It's hard to imagine how it doesn't all connect."
"Okay," declared Erin, "Then let's find out everything we can about Elena Gavrik, Callum you and -"
"I've already done it," interrupted Ruth, "I can't find a thing on her. Nothing. No suspicious ties, no links, nothing."
She looked up them all and they knew if she couldn't find anything then what hope did they have.
"But there's something," she added, "something ... not right."
"Do you know where they may have gone?" Asked Callum.
"No," Ruth shook her head, "But Malcolm might."
