Ruth's body was cool to the touch, and it had taken every ounce of courage for Bill, the security guard, to reach out to the unconscious woman. Shallow breathing meant she was alive, but for how long, Bill didn't know.

A network of wires obscured most of her body, and a little red flashing light suggested that this was now an armed bomb.

Bill's training had been worth the money. He looked around for evidence, clues, and hiding people. He missed seeing Leader, but he honestly wasn't expecting to find anyone else. Still, something or someone must have triggered the light to flash when he went near…

He bent down once more, looking over his shoulder and all around him before he did so. Bill picked up a brown envelope and felt it. It was reasonably heavy, but it was a fifty-fifty chance of whether it would be safe or not. He held it up to the light in hands that were not shaking. Well, not shaking very much anyway.

There was writing on the envelope, typed it would appear:

"To save this woman's life and prevent the bomb exploding, CALL HARRY PEARCE."

Bill didn't know who Harry Pearce was. Could he be an official there at the Stadium? Was he someone in Parliament? Or was he just somebody connected to this unnamed woman?

Maybe there was a mobile phone in the envelope with his number in the address book? His curiosity got the better of him, and after doing a few checks on the envelope… he opened it.

Nothing happened. After a while, nothing continued to happen. Reassured, Bill tipped out the contents of the envelope into his hand. It was a handheld Dictaphone, like students use or maybe reporters. In fact, it could be used by anybody. It could belong to anybody.

With one finger that now seemed to have the shakes, Bill pressed the play button.

"This message is for Harry Pearce of MI5. If you are not him, I suggest you contact him immediately. Use your initiative. No uniform police. (3 seconds silence) Harry! How good of you to join the party…"

The voice was not a human voice, but rather a computer altered voice, so that certain words jarred against others or bled into them, but even though it was slightly unclear, the message was crystal and continued to echo around the empty Stadium for seemingly hours after it had been stopped.

No police, thought Bill. No, that's not what it had said was it? It said 'no uniform police'. Bill used his initiative as instructed and went to his mobile phone to call one of his connections on the police force. After that, he risked taking the woman's pulse, and then sat down, quite a distance away from the whole scene and waited.

… … … … … … … … … … .. .. … … … … … … … .. … …. … … ….

High above, in the darkest shadows, Leader got up and silently started to head for his desired place, the better to wait for Harry.

… … … … .. . … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

It was cold, it was dark and it was past midnight. But Zaf didn't take much notice of that. He was looking at every bit of debris along the stone corridors for any hint of Ruth. He soon spotted a light, distant but distinct from the darkness. He changed his course and slipped into the shadows for cover. It was probably just a security guard, but thoughts like that could very well be his last.

As he approached the scene, he had to stop himself from rushing towards Ruth, who was looking very pale now. Zaf scanned the area in a millisecond. There was a figure half hiding near the plastic seats. Zaf paused and then spoke in a soothing and non-confrontational tone:

"My name is John, and I'm an MI5 agent. Please take a step into the light and tell me your name." Said Zaf and wondered if he'd live to regret the order.

Bill took a step into the spot light that was illuminating the space between rows of seats.

'I'm Bill. I'm a security guard. Did Ian send you? Damn he's fast. She's alive but she's not going to survive out here much longer. There's a cassette. In a recorder. It's for Harry Pearce though. Can you get Harry Pearce?' Bill rambled.

He was no longer in the position of highest authority and he was starting to react to the situation, something which Zaf did not have the luxury of doing.

Zaf waited patiently whilst Bill told him everything, including the earlier beat and how he had come to find Ruth at approximately midnight. How he had checked she was alive despite the wires, and how the red light had started to flash. When he got to the part about the recording, he suddenly stopped.

'Look, I'm not sure this is meant for my ears, but you work for Harry Pearce you say? Maybe you should take a listen…'

Zaf took the recording and pressed play. After a few minutes the tape clicked to a stop. Zaf immediately got out his phone.

"Harry. It's John. I've found Ruth. She's alive, but barely. The Olympic Stadium. A security guard named Bill will join you at the South entrance. Something about this doesn't feel right. It's too easy… Yes Harry. I will do."

Zaf looked at Ruth and then at Bill.

'You're to go to the South entrance and wait for Harry. He'll know what to do. In the meantime I'm going to send all of your colleagues home, and I suggest you go home and try to forget what you have seen. We'll no doubt be in touch to get you to sign the secrecy act. Now, go. Wait twenty minutes, if he doesn't show up, get yourself out. Have you got another radio? Good, we'll stay in touch on these but don't use it unless you need to.'

Bill ran to the South entrance, and stood in a shadow waiting for this mysterious Harry Pearce. He kept his mind occupied by thinking up a story he would tell to his son the next day if he survived all of this…

Zaf made sure he was alone, and then bent down near Ruth, being careful not to touch anything. 'Ruth, it's Zaf, you're going to be ok, we're here now. Harry's on his way.'

Ruth didn't respond. Her unconscious state was total.

Zaf got out his phone again and called the Grid.

"Sam, get Adam, tell him to come to the Olympic Stadium South Entrance ASAP. Harry's on his way but I think this could be a trap. Ruth is here. Yes, she's fine, but unconscious and hooked up to a bomb. Have we learnt anything else about The True Athletes? What? Nothing? OK keep at it, call one of us the moment you find anything out."

And with that, Zaf went to rescue the guards who did not even know they could be in danger.