Chapter 9: Home Truths

As expected, when Harry finds out that the team, his MI5 officers have directly disobeyed orders from him, he is furious. When the team return to The Grid, Harry calls their operation a failure even though it has been a success. Even though they have managed to bring Erin and Dimitri back safely, all Harry can say is that the operation was a failure and could have risked the country. He tells them that many more innocent lives could have been put at stake.

While the rest of team head home for the night, Erin, Dimitri, Lucas and Adam stay behind. Harry attempts to leave as well but Adam blocks his way out of the building and tells him they need to have a talk. Although Harry protests about how he is being treated by his subordinates, the other four don't care. They know that if they are going to find out the truth about what Kachimov had told them about their parents, Harry would know. The five of them are in Harry's office waiting for him to speak. Finally, Harry asks them, "Why am I being held like a captive in my own office?"

"We want you to tell us what you know about our parents?" Adam explains.

"What about your parents?

"Is Dimitri our half brother?" Adam asks pointing at himself, Erin and Lucas.

Harry sighs. He has known for a long time that this revelation would emerge. That's why when Kachimov had made the arrangement he hadn't wanted Lucas to go in. Harry knows that Kachimov was only waiting for the right time to use this piece of information as an advantage to the Russians. Realizing it is time to tell his four officers the truth, Harry gets up, walks over to the office windows and begins to speak.

"Yes, Dimitri is your half brother."

"And what? You didn't think to tell us?" Lucas asks, anger clearly in his tone.

"I didn't think it would concern the four of you with this operation. "

"Throughout this operation I have watched my sister being held hostage twice, killed almost once and we find out Dimitri is our half brother and you didn't think that this piece of information would concern us." Lucas says slowly.

"I didn't know he was going to use it against us."

"But didn't you think it was a bit odd when we rescued Lucas, the FSB agents held Erin hostage?" Adam asks.

"Look, it never crossed my mind that the reason why Kachimov was targeting MI5 was because of you four. And before you say anything else, I had my reasons for not telling you the truth."

"The truth! What truth? "Adam replies.

"The truth about your parents." Harry responds.

"What about our parents?" Erin inquires.

"About 20 years ago, your parents worked for MI5. They had be ordered to go undercover for an operation called L.I.O.N.H.E.A.R.T. We had received information that a group of hired, trained killers from the FSB had been tasked to assassinate Her Majesty, the Queen," The four of them listen intently to what Harry is telling them. Harry then continues, "Your parents were ordered to bring Her Majesty to a safe house. Along with back up, they managed to bring Her Majesty to their destination or so they thought. When they arrived several smoke bombs exploded and the surroundings were filled with smoke. The smoke was thick that neither the MI5 officers or your parents could see anything. By the time the smoke screen cleared it was too late. Her Majesty had been kidnapped. In the end, we did manage to rescue Her Majesty but we realized that we must have had a mole. We did not know who the mole was until it was discovered through a series of interviews and searches, that the mole was Lucas and Erin's father, Roger North."

Lucas and Erin look at Harry in disbelief. "That's a lie. Our father would never betray his country." Lucas says.

"We didn't think it was him that betrayed us but the evidence gathered pointed to him and as a result your father got decommissioned. After that, he disappeared. Neither MI5 nor your mother, Ghislaine knew what happened to him. Years went by and believing your father would never be found, your mother began a relationship with Adam's father, Malcolm Carter."

"Our mother would never cheat on our father. They were still married." Erin states.

"Not any more. Believing your father to be dead, by law your mother was a widow and therefore free to start a relationship with someone else. Because your father was a traitor to his country, all his assets, money, status, accounts were frozen. Your mother had no means of providing for her growing family. So when Malcolm came into her life and ultimately yours, she could provide for you." Harry explains. He carries on.

"3 months after your mother found out that she was pregnant. 9 months after that she gave birth to Dimitri. It was then that she and Malcolm got the surprise. Having returned from hospital your mother and Malcolm began discussing to get married but then your father suddenly turned up out of the blue. Apparently he had been living in Spain and had returned to England when he heard that all his assets had been frozen. He knew he still had his family to provide for but what he didn't expect when he returned was to see that his wife in a relationship with his closet friend. Least of all expect them to have had a child together."

The room is silent, though only for a few moments when Adam asks, "Then what happened?"

"There was an argument. The raised voices caused Lucas and Erin to come out of their room. When they saw what was going on between their parents and your father, Lucas ran down to intervene. But, when he got down to stop your father from hitting his father, Malcolm slapped him instead and he fell, blood dripping from his nose. Roger was mad and told Malcolm that no one would lay a finger on his son so he charged at Malcolm. Sadly, Ghislaine tried to break up the argument but without realizing Malcolm knocked her out of the way. She fell backwards and fell on top of the glass coffee table where she struck her head. She died instantly. Appalled at what he had done Malcolm cradled her body in his lap. Roger had seen what had happened and so he charged at him with a poker. Malcolm saw Roger coming towards him and before he knew what he was doing, in self defense Malcolm picked up a shard of broken glass and plunged it into Roger's stomach. Roger collapsed to the floor, dead."

"What happened to me and Erin afterwards?" Lucas wants to know.

"You two were sent away to some distant relatives while Dimitri was put up for adoption. Adam's father was taken into police custody and sentenced for 12 months."

"What happened to my father?" Adam asks. Harry looks at him. He doesn't want to tell him that it was his father who had been the mole. Not Roger. But he has promised to tell them everything.

"Four weeks into his serving sentence your father died. At first the coroner riled it out as an accident, but then further toxicology reports revealed your father had a chemical in his system. Your father had been poisoned."

"Why?"

Harry waits a few seconds before replying. "Because Adam, your father was the mole in MI5. He was the one who told the FSB about operation H.O.L.Y.L.A.N.D."