"Harry, I'm alive, go away," Ruth murmured into the phone, feeling sleep loosen it's grip on her."

"Okay," he said quietly. "Sorry to disturb you."

"I don't mean to be sharp," she said, awareness coming back to her. "I just woke up."

"I know," he said, a smile in his voice. "I can tell."

"Has the partnership been signed?"

"Happening as we speak," Harry said. "Which is why I called."

"Yeah," she said, pulling the duvet back over herself. The air was cold. "I'm going to have a shower, so don't panic if I don't answer the phone in the next half an hour."

"Are you purposefully leaving me with an exciting image to dwell on?" Harry asked lightly. "You in the shower?"

"Mm," she said, amused. "Something for you to think of."

"I will," he promised. "I'll leave you to it."

"Bye."

Over the next hour or so, she had a shower and dressed, feeling very lazy and a little nervous about what was going to happen. It had gotten to eleven in the morning and she had nothing to do but worry.

Then the doorbell rang. She froze, a jolt of fear and adrenaline going through her. It took a moment before she moved, but when she did she grabbed the gun from the kitchen drawer. She'd already checked it was loaded earlier in the morning. Ruth walked towards the door, and looked to see who it was and felt her heart stop for a moment. Elena Gavrik. Bloody hell. The doorbell rang again and Ruth knew that ignoring it wouldn't help. This woman wasn't going anywhere. Ruth wore jeans and an oversized jumper, and she tucked the gun in the waistband of her jeans before covering it with her jumper and opening the door.

"What do you want?" she asked emotionlessly.

"I want to talk," she said, that Russian accent making Ruth's skin prickle with dislike.

"About what?"

"Is Harry here?"

"No, he's in Thames House," she said. "Working."

"I need to speak with both of you," she said, eyes glowing. "Away from London and prying ears. I want privacy."

"Why do I even have to listen to anything you say?"

"A plane hijack is planned for this afternoon. I need to talk to Harry. And I won't do it when I'm being bugged and recorded. I want privacy."

"I'll call him," Ruth said shortly, but I'm not leaving London."

"I need you there."

"Why?"

"To be sure that Harry won't kill me," Elena said.

"He wouldn't," Ruth said, but her voice betrayed her doubt. Under normal circumstances, she was sure that Harry wouldn't harm Elena. But with his knowledge of what was about to happen, and the dread, fear and pressure he was currently under... Well, Ruth wasn't entirely sure that Harry wouldn't decide that Elena was more trouble than she was worth. And the moments hesitation had shown in her voice.

"Where's Sasha?" Ruth asked, the first thing she felt safe in saying.

"Waiting in the car down the street," Elena said. "He followed me here."

"Perfect," Ruth said with clear sarcasm. "I'm going to call Harry." Before she could stop it, Elena was in her hallway, looking around. Ruth dialled Harry's number and quickly explained.

"Don't leave the house, I'll be there as soon as possible," he warned, his voice urgent.

In fact, he turned up so quickly that Ruth was convinced he'd broken every speed limit in London. He looked at her face and felt something inside him relax. She looked anxious and worried, but no more than she should be in the current circumstances. And not injured either, which was a relief.

"Are you alright?" she nodded and then Harry allowed his glance to go past her, to Elena in his hallway.

"I think I'd like you to leave my house." Harry spoke very calmly, but his eyes were blazing at her.

"I have information about a hijack," she said. "And I want to speak to you somewhere private."

"Not here," Harry said firmly. Whatever happened or didn't happen, he was not going to have this conversation or these events in his house.

"I want somewhere private. Where I can speak to you freely, with no worry that the FSB or Russia will get hold of the transcripts."

"I have just the place." Harry did. Knowing what he did, he'd reserved the top two floors of the X building in southern London. A deniable building that both five and six used to interrogate suspects and witnesses, to debrief assets and for other unpublicised activities. Harry had thought it would be perfect, especially as he'd wanted a change of location from last time. And it was close to emergency services, if it came to it. "By the way, your son's outside. I'm sure he'll follow us."

"I'm not telling Sasha what to do. Shall we go?" Harry inclined his head to the door and Ruth moved to follow Elena.

"You're staying here," Harry said firmly.

"No. I'm not," she replied, with a softer but no less adamant tone than his.

"Yes you are. I can't have you there."

"I'm not staying here alone to wonder," she said. Elena was listening, but he knew what she hadn't said. To wonder whether you're alive or dead.

"Let me… deal with this."

"No," she said. "I'm going to be fine. And we're wasting time arguing this. So lets go."

Unable to speak freely with Elena listening he couldn't think of a cohesive argument to make that wouldn't make him sound insane to Elena. And Ruth was right, it was a waste of time. "Fine," he said. He moved as if to kiss her, but whispered in her ear, "When we get there, you are going straight in a taxi back home." She smiled charmingly at him which under the circumstances wasn't at all reassuring.

Thank you for reading and especially reviewing. More soon.