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Talk

Ros smiled as she walked along the corridor. Lucas had left Jane in the cell a few seconds after she had walked away and was now walking alongside her. The brief walk to the lifts was spent in silence. Ros couldn't help but wonder why Jane had insisted she wouldn't talk to them. There hadn't been the usual arguments that she would not talk to anyone, just that she would not talk to Ros and Lucas. She shook her head slightly as she realised who might be able to get information out of Jane.

"Ok, what are you smiling at?" Lucas asked as he punched the lift call button. Ros smirked; she was still amazed that Lucas knew her so well. No one had ever just 'got her' before.

"Just wondering what on earth Harry ever saw in her" the lift opened as they reached the fifth floor. Lucas knew he wouldn't get any more out of Ros until she was ready. There was a plan brewing he knew it.

Xxxxxxx

Ruth remained at her desk; the camomile tea Malcolm had made her was cold and long forgotten at her side. The information Adam had sent was holding her attention. The name Claire Fitzpatrick had been mentioned early in the investigation as the possible buyer for the weaponry and had resurfaced again. It had seemed implausible at the time, but thanks to Adam being able to chat up a girl in a pub. She rolled her eyes at how difficult he must have found that she was now able to establish that the girl did have the financial means to purchase the uranium. The only questions now were why did she want it and where was it really headed? Ruth continued tapping away at the computer as Lucas and Ros entered the Grid.

"Hi Malcolm" Lucas approached Malcolm's desk as he nodded. "Jane is in the cells. You've known both Harry and Jane for years, any idea how we can approach the interview?" Lucas sat on the edge of Malcolm's desk. It was clear Ruth had heard him as she physically stiffened in her seat. He could feel the stress pouring off his friend.

"I have not spoken to Jane for a long time" Malcolm watched Ruth out of the corner of his eye as he spoke. "I always found her to be rather, well rather cold actually. She clearly had a low opinion of what her husband did for a living. She wasn't the most pleasant woman I have ever met" he held Lucas' gaze as he raised his eyebrows. Ros was leaning over Tariq's desk watching the video feed Adam had sent a few minutes before form the lorry yard he had got a job in. Ruth was doing her best to ignore them. Tariq glanced towards her as Ros raised her eyebrows. Something was definitely bothering the Intel Analyst and Ros didn't think it had anything to do with the case. The sooner Jane Hemming was dealt with and the case closed the better. Ros couldn't help but wonder if Jane wanted to talk to Ruth again. She knew there was no way Harry would be happy with that.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Adam couldn't wait to get back to London. Newcastle was a lovely place, but London was home. He was also keen not to miss Wes' first rugby game in year 8. The poor boy had gone on about how desperate he was to be picked for the under 15 team for weeks. Now that he had finally been picked Adam was determined not to miss his son's first game. Shoving his hands in to his pockets he walked along the cold streets as he approached O' Dowd's lorry yard. While he had been alone in the pub the night before the girl he had been chatting up had given him a card with Claire Fitzpatrick's telephone number on. It appeared she had taken over her step father's haulage business when the old man had died three years earlier. He smiled at how easy it had been to persuade the young woman in the club that he was in desperate need of some driving work, preferably cash in hand as he was in the middle of a divorce. She had taken pity on him almost immediately. It had been almost too easy to get a job. It seemed Claire Fitzpatrick had no problems with taking on drivers no questions asked.

He strolled up to the iron gates of the lorry yard. The cold Tuesday morning air chilled his bones, but the adrenaline of being back undercover was starting to build. It was now that he would finally be able to get in to the role of unemployed lorry driver and get information that could close the case. Smiling as the woman he presumed to be Claire Fitzpatrick and a younger stockier blonde man walked towards them.

"You Ian?" The younger man called out. Adam nodded. They had decided to stick to the legends that Tariq had given them.

"Yeah, that's right. You Claire?" he extended his hand as Claire smiled.

"That's right. This is my kid brother Steven. You got the necessary paperwork, licences and stuff? No one driving any of my trucks without the right HGV licence" she stared at Adam expectantly as he nodded, producing the paperwork from his jacket.

"Here you go" his best charm smile was in place. Claire was a beautiful woman but there was a hardness to her, in another life she'd have made a good agent Adam mused. She had the ability to put strangers at their ease. But he knew that this woman could not be trusted, he waited as she took the paperwork from him. He knew that Tariq's fakes were good. She smiled as she examined the paperwork.

"Ok then Ian. Looks like this is all in order. Steven will show you the ropes." she tapped her brother on the shoulder as she walked away.

Xxxxxxxxx

Zoe sat in the car a few streets away from the lorry yard. Adam had gone in there wearing a wire, the intention that Zoe and Zaf would be able to follow him. She knew this was the easy part, basically watching and getting Adam out of there if needed. As far as Claire and Steven were concerned she was Kate, Ian's younger sister.

"Good reception on these bugs Tariq came up with" Zaf tapped his ear; he was able to hear every word of the conversation between Adam and Claire as clearly as if he had been in the yard with them. Zoe nodded. She was suddenly slightly nervous around Zaf. The kiss in the pub car park had been amazing, but now she didn't really know where she stood. It was killing her to think that maybe Zaf saw her as just another girl that he could charm when she knew her feelings for him went beyond friendship. He hadn't even mentioned the kiss since Adam had approached them forcing them to spring apart. Zoe sighed as Zaf looked at her, he looked genuinely worried.

"You ok Zo?" he smiled slightly as Zoe focused on the view in front of the car.

"Yes" she didn't even look at him. Zaf nodded once, he noted the sharp tone of voice and just hoped he hadn't ruined everything with one kiss. He knew there was no way Zoe could feel the same way as he did. Deciding just to focus on the job in hand and get back to London he adjusted the setting on the wire Adam wore to make sure they were still in range.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Harry walked back on the Grid, glad to finally be away from Whitehall. He was proud of himself for not punching Andrew Lawrence as much as he had wanted to but knew they were no where near as close to the uranium as they needed to be. The Pods whooshed open to reveal an almost empty Grid. Harry sighed as he approached his office. Malcolm was sat at his desk with Tariq working on some new gadget or other. Harry never really liked to ask what they were working on, it seemed wrong to show his ignorance in front of junior colleagues. Half the time he didn't understand what Tariq was talking about. He had no desire to look like a dinosaur in front of the boy. He did notice Lucas and neither woman on the team were present on the Grid. Malcolm noticed him looking around the Grid.

"Lucas and Ros are in the interview room talking to Jane" Malcolm stated as Harry groaned. He knew Jane was going to be difficult. He didn't ask were Ruth was.

"She's in your office" Tariq picked up on the unasked question as he continued to push little bits of wire in to a matchbox sized device. Harry nodded as he walked across to his office. Opening the door he heard Ruth swear as a pile of files fell from her arms. She was on her knees in seconds trying to pick up pieces of paper that had gone flying across the office floor.

"Hey it's ok" Harry was behind her beginning to pick up the papers as she shook her head.

"No Harry. It is not ok. Bloody hell" she picked up another file as he took what she was holding out of her hands. She looked on the verge of tears as Harry steered her towards the sofa.

"Ruth, what is going on?" he waited as Ruth sighed. She didn't really know what was wrong, but ever since Jane had been thrown back in to their lives Ruth had been on edge. She stared at her hands in her lap as she avoided Harry's gaze. She knew if she looked him in the eyes she'd dissolve in to tears and Harry had enough to worry about without her adding to it.

"Nothing." she lied as Harry raised an eyebrow "Just me being clumsy. I spent ages sorting that lot out and now look. I drop the whole lot on the floor" she knew it was a feeble excuse for her behaviour but hoped Harry would buy it. He didn't.

"Ruth please. You don't tell me anything these days" he continued to stare at her as she sighed. Her eyes remained fixed to an indeterminate spot on the carpet.

"I never knew you were in pain, you never talk about what happened with Caulfield. Ros has told me nothing of what was said in the hospital before Lucas and I got there and arrested her. You didn't tell me the scar still hurts. You pull away from me all the time. It's worse now that Jane is here but I can only guess at what is going on unless you tell me" Ruth closed her eyes. She knew he was right, she had pulled away and had lied when he asked her if she was ok. She knew he knew.

"Ros and Lucas brought Jane in earlier" she braved a glance at him as she spoke. Harry nodded.

"They are trying to interview her now. I don't think they will get very far, she wont talk to them Harry. She said as much when they brought her in." Harry waited, he hated that Ruth sounded so insecure.

"She said she'd only talk to you" Ruth looked genuinely worried as Harry took her hand in his. He sighed; she'd been worried about that? There was no way that he'd go easy on Jane, not after the way she had behaved. He linked his fingers with Ruth's.

"If I interview her, I won't do it on my own. I'm not stupid enough for that. I'll take Ros with me" Ruth raised her eyebrows. "The woman is poison Ruth. If that's why you have been upset then you have nothing to worry about" He smiled as Ruth met his eyes.

"I'm just being stupid" she looked down. "My scar still hurts occasionally. It'll heal. It just takes time." Harry felt the familiar feel of worry build.

"Harry. Don't" she brushed her fingers across his "I've survived worse than this. No I don't need to see a doctor before you ask" Harry smiled. She knew him too well. Ruth stood and began organising the files she had dropped.

"Do I need to read all of those? Thought we'd gone paperless, what with the DG trying to save the world from global warming" Ruth smiled

"Only where I've marked, you need to sign most of them." Smiling slightly she turned and left the office. Harry shook his head. He still wasn't sure exactly what was going on with his wife and was even less sure of what his ex wife was involved with. He knew he did not like whatever was going on. He just hoped Adam and the others returned from Newcastle with enough evidence to stop Delaney and the others before it was too late.

author's note: Just a filler chapter, Let me know what you think! Thanks for all the reviews. More soon.