Fight

Zoe pushed her foot to the accelerator knowing that the central London area would soon be in the grip of the dreaded rush hour. Zaf sat in silence as the car worked its way through the streets towards the hospital.

Xxxx

Ruth frowned slightly as the tube in her chest rubbed against her skin. Her mind whirred with various possibilities as each scenario worse than the last. Part of her was relieved Zaf was on his way but another part worried that he would be in danger by just getting to the hospital. She had to be wrong, her theory was just too awful. An attack on Westminster was one thing, an attempt to destroy the way the UK worked was another. Sighing she reminded herself they had faced worse in the past. Only then, they had Harry with them. The thought of him alone at the hands of Blake and Teflon Tessa made her skin crawl. Ruth breathed deeply as she heard the door to her hospital room inch open.

"Zaf?"

Xxxxxx

Tessa sat opposite Harry as he glared at her in silence. She smiled slightly as she waited for him to speak.

"Harry. How the mighty fall."

Harry glared at her. He had never raised his hand to a woman in his life but staring at Tessa he was more than tempted. His promise to Nick came back to him as he glared at the hateful woman.

"Tessa."

"Come on, Harry. We're old friends. Talk to me. Nightingale."

"Henry James Pearce. Section Head. Number 657088." Harry stated.

"Name, rank and number? How quaint."

"It's all you're getting. Henry James Pearce ." The slap sent him back into darkness.

Xxxxxxx

Alec walked out of the small off-licence just off Dury Road with a plastic carrier bag in one hand. Sober for nearly two years he was tempted to demolish the contents in seconds. Nodding towards a young police officer walking towards him he crossed the road, eager to get to his destination. He just hoped the alcohol was sufficient enough to loosen the tongue of the woman he was about to meet.

Xxxxxx

"He's alive." Erin looked up from her desk as three phones started ringing at once. Adam swore as Dimitri answered one.

"Go on." Catherine sounded hopeful for the first time. Calum just prayed his friend was right. "Erin?"

"I've followed the footage from the ambulance ambush through the city on cctv." Calum smiled as Tariq picked up the story.

"And?" Adam was already shrugging his jacket off.

"They took him to Canary Wharf."

"Not where Ruth was taken." Erin checked her gun. "And he's still alive?"

"I hope so." Catherine blinked back a tear before marching towards the small kitchenette. Calum closed his eyes for a moment before following his wife.

"He's her dad." Tariq shrugged. Adam nodded, knowing the rest of the team felt the same.

Xxxxxx

Ruth turned sharply, pulling the chest drain tight as she realised it wasn't Zaf that had arrived.

"Get out." Ruth felt her throat constrict as the older, larger woman walked towards her.

"I just want you to know." The older woman smirked. "This is not personal."

"No? Running errands for your husband?" Ruth glared at her. "Hard not to feel it's personal when you turn up here to kill me."

"You just know too much." The older woman advanced on her. Ruth stood her ground, the knife in the older woman's hand enough to put her on alert. Memories of the French assassin from years earlier came to mind as her stomach constricted in fear. Moments later Ruth grabbed for the knife, both women tumbling onto the hospital bed as they did. Ruth gripped the hand with the carving knife and squeezed as hard as she could, determined to make the older woman drop it.

"Let it go!" Ruth gasped as a ripping sensation ran through her chest. The chest drain spat blood and pleural fluid over the wall as it flung itself free of Ruth's torn chest. Ruth swore as the woman was dragged off her and thrown into the wall.

"Zaf! Get a doctor!" Zoe yelled as her fiancé grabbed Ruth as she covered the hole left by the chest drain. Ruth smiled weakly.

"Good timing." Ruth gasped. A doctor and nurse rushed in as Zoe held the older woman in a death grip. "Meet Daphne Blake." Ruth swallowed as Zoe nodded before dragging her out of the room.

Xxxxxxx

"Ruth did what?!" Ros snapped as Malcolm spoke calmly down the phone. "She's alive?"

"Yes." Malcolm stared ahead. "Zaf tells me the doctors are happy with her considering she just had to fight off deranged woman. She's having a chest X-ray now. A clean up team is on route to bring Zoe and the MerryWidow here."

"Good. Tell Zaf to stay with Ruth. Get Calum and Dimitri to bring the Witch in. I want Alec, Adam, Beth and Erin to meet me and Lucas at the address Tariq found. I'm sick of playing games." She glanced at Lucas as he drove. "Harry is coming home. Blake's little game is over."

"What about Tessa?" Catherine asked. Ros narrowed her eyes.

"Teflon Tess is about to come unstuck. Leave her to me."

Xxxxxx

A/N had to get a 3000 word essay done for uni. Sorry for delay. Next time it's Ros v Tess and what is Alec up to? Please review.