Fight
Ruth shivered slightly as she realised she was alone for the time being. She knew someone had to have been watching her, part of her wanted to scream at her own lack of awareness. She had been so caught up in anger over Ros' abduction and attack as well as her asset's murder that she had been careless. She frowned, her mind working overtime. She could only assume the man that had abducted her had been the same man that had taken Ros. That thought made her even angrier. Her friend was a mother, a wife as well as a brilliant spy. Now she was on a life-support machine. It made her sick. She tugged on her wrists, feeling the cable tie bite into her skin.
"This is not happening." She mumbled, praying that someone was looking after Harry. The last thing she needed was to have him fall apart.
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"Three dead assets." Alec stated as the remaining members of the team gathered around the aging oak table in the Briefing Room. Beth bit back a sarcastic comment just as Zaf walked in.
"Any change?" Will asked, genuinely worried. It seemed without the two main matriarchs of the team the men were in danger of falling apart. Zaf shrugged his shoulders.
"Doctors said her blood tests are better. That she is still critical but at least the blood transfusion she had earlier today has helped."
"Good." Erin nodded. "Something has actually gone well today."
Harry remained silent. He sat in his customary place at the head of the table. Elbows rested on the wood with his palms together as if in silent prayer. He knew Ruth was more than capable of taking care of herself but the images that were running through his mind made him feel sick. He had seen much in his time as a spy that he knew women were more vulnerable that men when in a hostage situation. He couldn't get the memory of Ruth screaming in the background out of his mind. He prayed to a God he had long given up on that she was still alive and would be back with him and the children. He promised everything and anything to make it happen.
"Fire officers say it was arson." Adam began. "I asked Calum to go through CCTV. At the time the sprinkler system was activated it was only the Grid with no camera cover."
"Good." Alec spoke. "It might at least give us something. Harry, what did he say when he called?"
Harry glared at the wall opposite the end of the table. Malcolm spoke calmly.
"Harry."
He sprung back to life at the sound of his old friend's voice. He was also acutely aware that Catherine was in the room. Sighing he knew they needed her analytical skills but he also knew his daughter loved Ruth.
"Not a great deal." He paused. "He said he will ring in 24 hours. Tariq I want that call traced. He also asked for the file."
"The one that was nicked? That Khrushchev is supposed to have hidden somewhere?" Catherine seemed to be in full work mode. Her professionalism and coldness shocked Harry for a moment before he realised she had adopted the same way of coping as Ros and Ruth had.
"I believe so."
"So, whoever abducted Ros and now Ruth can be assumed to be a different person or group to the people that were responsible for killing off the assets." Dimitri joined the conversation. Harry nodded. Beth frowned.
"That bloody file!"
"My feelings exactly Miss Bailey." Harry answered. "Adam remains the Acting Section Chief until Ros is well enough to resume her role. Catherine. I would like you to act up into Ruth's post until her return."
Catherine nodded, pleased that he had such faith in her but acutely aware of the elephant in the room. Ruth and Ros may never return to us. She thought but knew she couldn't voice it. Her father's grip on sanity was always tenuous where those he cared about were concerned, especially Ruth. Adam took over, explaining what they had been told by the fire officer and what information they had already gained about the file everyone seemed to want. Will tapped his biro against the desk.
"Do you want to say something? Will?" Malcolm interrupted as the pen tapping began to irritate him.
"Ros Myers, Ruth Pearce, Nikhil, Mae Ling, Claudia and the other asset. Only one was a bloke, yeah? Someone is directly targeting women officers and their assets." He looked around the room. Catherine swore under her breath as Erin visibly tensed. Her friend was dead. Claudia had been an excellent asset and she had genuinely liked her. To think officers were being attacked because of their gender galled her.
"Then not only is he a psychopathic idiot, he's a sexist one." Beth interjected. Harry smirked. He liked the newer members of the team. Beth had a way with words as well as a tendency to say what they were all thinking. "Who were Khrushchev's original handlers?"
"Myself." Harry paused. "And Juliet Shaw. Does that blasted woman have to be involved in everything?"
"Alec, take Will and bring her in." Adam stated as Alec got to his feet. "We may as well put her back on the payroll."
"Over my dead body." Harry mumbled. "Find the file people. Malcolm, get us back on line. I don't care if we are not clear yet. Let's see if we can draw them in." Malcolm nodded, getting back to the main Grid. Harry looked up. "Adam. A word." He spoke calmly as he could. Adam nodded, staying behind when the rest of the team left.
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Ruth listened, aware that she seemed to be locked in a small cupboard of some sort. She could barely make out the words of the voices outside. She could tell they were male and possibly Russian but everything else was indistinguishable. She closed her eyes, shivering in the cold. Her thoughts turned to Nick and Gracie Jo, to Charlie and Lily then to Harry. She had to force her thoughts away from them, knowing madness lay that way. She rested her head on her knees, trying to recall every detail of her journey from the Records Room to her current location.
"Oh, my word." She whispered as she thought about the previous few days. A determination built in her gut. This time she knew Harry, Lucas and Ros weren't going to save her. She knew Mani was dead – this was different but she also knew there was no way she was going to die. Ruth was going home.
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Alec pushed his foot to the accelerator as he sped through the North London streets. He knew Juliet had been formidable in her time in the Service but that had been almost ten years earlier. Now she walked with a cane, had practically no short-term memory and brain damage. He ignored the new boy in the seat next to him.
"Alec, Juliet can handle herself."
"Yeah, but so could Ros and Ruth." He swerved, almost knocking a cyclist off her bike. He swore as another road user berated him. He didn't care. Will sensibly decide to stay quiet. Alec White was a force to be reckoned with when he was angry. He hoped Juliet was at the flat, knowing that Alec would be even more unpredictable if she wasn't.
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Adam watched as Harry seemed to collect himself. It was clear he was terrified and angry. Ruth was the love of his life, the thought of her being somewhere hurt and he couldn't find her killed him. Adam waited, knowing he would be the same if Carrie were in danger. He had been just as dangerously unnerved when Fiona had been in danger from her ex-husband. He pushed the thought away, knowing dwelling on Fiona's death would do no-one any good.
"Harry?"
"When we get the call, I am going to tell him I have the file. That I am going to do exactly as he says."
"Harry."
"Whether we have the file or not. We have to lure him out. It's our only hope."
.
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