Return to Sender

Ruth listened intently as the man she now knew abducted her spoke on the phone. She wanted to scream, to beat the moron to an inch of his life - just as he had paid his minions to do to Tariq. Part of her worried where her need for revenge came from; it was a part of her she didn't like. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her ankle she listened as he lied to Harry.

"She cried for you." The man spoke before ending the call. He crossed the room to her as she remained as still as a corpse. "Only a little white lie Lady Pearce. Because you are going to cry for him, for your knight in shining armour." He gently brushed a strand of dark hair away from her face before kissing her forehead. "Not yet. But you will." He picked up the rag he had used to subdue her. "A little too much chloroform this time. Ah well. You'll live. For now." The door slammed as Ruth tried not to wretch. Moments later she realised she was alone.

Xxxxxxxx

"Does this really go back to Iraq? The first time you went there?" Will asked as Harry sat at the head of the table. Ros folded her arms, focusing on the giant computer screen at the end of the room.

"It looks that way." Malcolm frowned as Adam spoke. "Catherine pulled all the information we have on these scumbags. Britain for Britain have been stirring up trouble on the internet."

"As usual." Calum interrupted. "Cmon if it's not them putting some rubbish out it's the President."

"Tariq did block his twitter account." Catherine smiled slightly. Harry raised an issue. "Calum dares him to."

"Children please." Ros pushed herself away from the wall as Beth looked up.

"Ruth didn't enter the school grounds. She was taken from outside the gates. The call to her mobile did originate from the school building. It's why Ruth wouldn't have questioned its validity. The time of day and a trusted number - I'd have believed it."

"He was in the school!" Erin was incredulous as Malcolm shook his head.

"I don't believe so." He answered. "I triangulated the calls that came into Ruth's mobile in the two hour period before she went missing."

"And?" Harry looked at his oldest friend.

"One call came from Nick; asking if it was ok to sleep over at Wes' tonight. That was at 2pm."

"School afternoon break." Adam explained. Harry nodded. "He's fine to stay at ours."

Harry smiled slightly, glad that he didn't have to explain the situation to a teenager as yet. "The second?"

"Was from the school, bit the call didn't ring true. So I traced it back to a point where the school's fibre optics and WiFi were hacked. A patch was put on the cable three minutes before the call and removed two minutes later. It's how they got the use of the number."

"Sneaky." Will narrowed his eyes. He had come to see why Ruth was so important to the team. He had laughed when he heard Calum and Tariq refer to her as "Mama Bear" but now he completely understood why.

"Conniving evil shits is more like it." Beth fumed. "Harry, first Rana gets followed, then Tariq is attacked now Kevin and Ruth. Section D is the link."

"Then explain the Far Right kicking off?" Zoe raised an eyebrow. Beth shrugged.

"To get our attention?" Zaf spoke for the first time since he had sat down. He was worried sick about Ruth, knowing that if the monster they believed had really taken her then there was a good chance she would be sold on. He couldn't bare to think about what his friend could be going through.

Xxxxxxx

Ruth looked around the damp and musty room she was being held in. The smell of damp made her stomach churn. Blinking she got to her feet, yelping slightly as she put weight on her abused ankle. The pain surged through her, making her feel dizzy. She thought of Gracie-Jo, Nick and the other children. She knew Charlie would ask questions Catherine and Harry wouldn't be able to answer.

"Bloody buggery." She whispered as her ankle burned. Dragging her ankle behind her she reached the door. She had known it was locked. That her abductors wouldn't have been so stupid to leave the basement door open. She rested both hands on the wooden surface. The wood dig into her hands as she fought the urge to cry. Her chest began to ache as she took a shuddering breath. Realisation dawned as she slipped her bra off before ripping out the underwire.

"Good enough for Connie." She mumbled as she used the one end of the wire to pick the lock hoping against hope she would be able to remember what Zaf had taught her years earlier.

Xxxxxxxx

"Update from the Masood family!" Alec yelled as he jogged into the Grid. "The Boy Wonder is off life support and breathing on his own."

"Excellent news." Malcolm paused. He looked over to see his friend pacing his office. Harry was clearly distressed as he marched out of the office towards the Pods.

"Harry!" Ros yelled. "Bloody Hell!" She marched up to her boss. It was clear she was determined to stop him.

"I've no time. You are in charge Rosalind." He turned back to her as Ros glared at him.

"No time to talk to Ruth? She's ok Harry."

"What?" He felt his pulse quicken.

"Here." She passed him her mobile phone. He stared at her. "I don't know how, but it's Ruth. Zaf and I are going to pick her up." She looked across to see Zaf heading towards her. "Talk to her."

"Ruth." He spoke into the phone as Zaf and Ros jogged out of the Grid. He closed his eyes as he heard her breathing on the other end of the line. Before he knew what he was saying or doing he was joining Ros and Zaf; chasing them from the Grid.

"Trust us." Ros turned to him. "We'll bring her home."

"Of course. But I'm with you too." He marched towards the car as Ruth whispered his name. "Stay where you are." Harry spoke firmly into the phone praying that he'd be with her soon.

Xxxxxx

Ruth gripped the handset of the phone box still amazed that she had escaped. The phone box had been like an oasis in the desert. For a moment she had a feeling someone was looking out for her. Hearing Harry's voice caused the adrenaline to fade as she found herself leaning heavily on the phone box console.

"Can't. Too exposed." She hung up before Harry could argue. Moments later she dragged herself into the alleyway between two shops. She sat down, desperate to keep the weight off her injured ankle. Head resting on her knees she hoped her friends found her before her enemies did.

Xxxxxxx

A/N not that happy with this chapter. Please review