Peace

The early summer sunshine did nothing to improve the mood Lucas was in as he drove towards the conference centre. The only saving grace of the day appeared to be the fact Catherine Pearce would survive to spook another day. Although he had to admit to being relieved the younger woman's trips out into the field had been put a stop to the most important issue to him was a father kept his daughter and two innocent children kept their mum. He pushed the more maudling thoughts away as he pulled the black fiat into the carpark of the conference hall.

Xxxxxx

"Michael? Rosa? Lou?" Beth yelled as she ran into the synagogue. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought of her old school friend and his family. Michael Abrahams had been a pain in the rear as a school boy bit she had loved him like a brother. They had been destined for a life in MI5 but her friend had found the Temple and that was that.

"Beth!" A teenager called her name. "Calm down!"

"Lou." She hugged the thirteen year old. "I was so worried. Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Dad took mum to the hospital. She's ok, got hit by some flying glass. It's just to be sure, you know that she doesn't need stitches or anything." The teenager pulled back.

"Your dad left you here? Alone. Now?" Dimitri asked as he joined her. He couldn't quite believe it. The teenager nodded.

"I'm thirteen. Not a child. I've had my Bar Mitzvah and my idiot cousin, Leon is out the back." Louise folded her arms.

"Ok." Dimitri held up his hands in mock defeat. "But you're ok?"

"Why do this?" Louise knelt, picking up a shard of glass. "Why now? Why is this happening here? Dad always made this a happy place." She sat heavily on a small chair. Beth sat next to her.

"Some people are just horrible."

"But, my mum."

"I know Lou. I know." Beth hugged her as Dimitri spotted the young man in the doorway.

"Uncle Mike said you'd turn up. I've pulled some CCTV. Police haven't turned up yet. You want to watch it?"

"Definitely." Dimitri stepped away, following the younger man through to the back room.

Xxxxx

Ros paced Harry's office with the phone to one ear as she listened intently to the man who was clearly delusional regarding the capabilities of Section D. She intensely disliked the caller - making no attempt to conceal her hatred. Ending the call she looked up to see a rather amused looking Harry watching her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Not dead, not retired. Daughter off the danger list and we are short staffed." Harry watched as she raised an eyebrow.

"Harry."

"Work to do? Yes?"

"As always." Ros watched as he took his customary seat behind his desk. She glared at the unopened decanter of alcohol on the shelf behind him. Not for the first time she realised he barely drank since Gracie had been born. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Ros." He paused. "This is your op now. I won't be in charge here forever and I know you could do my job standing on your head. Don't doubt yourself. There are plenty of people who can do that. When you run a section you can't be one of those. I've missed too much of this op to swan back in and take over."

"Harry."

"You ran this four years ago amid the Sugarhorse fiasco. When Connie's actions came to light. I trusted you then and I trust you now." His voice calmed her slightly. She nodded.

"Beth and Dimitri are at the Synagogue. Erin is at the embassy accosting some cousins and Lucas is at the conference. The catholic delegation has arrived among the chaos.""

Xxxxxxx

The Conference centre was noisy, the atmosphere oppressive as Lucas ducked into the building. He ignored protestors and journalists as he slipped through the crowded reception before walking into a man dressed as a Druid.

"John Shakespeare." Lucas frowned. The rotund Welshman raised an eyebrow.

"Any Fryer Tuck jokes and I'm sending your balls home to Ros gift wrapped."

"Nice to see you too."

"It's all gone to shit." John shook his head. Lucas' asset was clearly upset. Religion didn't sit well with the Druid priest, it had been the same when Lucas had briefly shared a cell with him in Russia. It seemed the infighting of organised churches upset him deeply.

"I see."

"Look, police and your lot are all over the shop. It's shitty what happened at the mosque and synagogue but it wasn't us that started it." John frowned. "Druids, pagans, wiccans are peaceful. I hate this. I really do."

"I know." Lucas sympathised. "Where were you running?"

"The phone. Lucas, I. Oh bloody Hell."

"John?"

"The place is rigged. It's an inside job. It's why all the nutters and loons are kicking off."

Lucas pulled his mobile phone from his jacket.

"Back up & bomb disposal." He stated as Tariq answered the call. "Evacuation order needed. Now."

"In progress." Tariq tapped a few keys as the sirens screeched jeopardy through the building. The peace had been shattered but the man that caught Lucas' eyes looked too calm.

"John, get out of here. Ok? Go."

The former SAS man raised an eyebrow. "Now!"

John nodded, wishing him luck as the evacuation began. Lucas couldn't help but remember the hotel bomb of years earlier, Sarah Caulfield's murder and the way Ros had almost died. He felt sick as he headed towards the calm man. A sudden flash blinded him, the pain and heat hitting him before the world around him turned black.

Xxxxx