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Breaking Point?

"Briefing Room. NOW!" Harry bellowed as he marched towards the Briefing Room. Tariq and Ruth exchanged glances as Zoe pushed her chair back wards. Malcolm was the only member of the team to approach the Briefing Room without looking too concerned. He was glad to have heard from Ros, even if he didn't like her plan. Harry looked fit to explode. Ruth knew when to leave him to his moods, she hoped that today he could control his temper. Following the team in to the Briefing Room she took her place at the table, merely raising her eyebrows in question.

Harry sat at the head of the table, observing his team. Without Ros and the boys there it seemed a much quieter place. Ruth wondered briefly how Ros was getting on with all the testosterone that she was currently having to deal with. But then Ros could and did take care of herself so Ruth quickly dismissed the thought.

"What have we got?" Harry looked around the team.

"Well" Malcolm looked at his notes "All our officers are currently wearing their trackers. So we at least have their locations" Harry nodded.

"Makes a change." Harry continued to glare at the papers in front of him. Ruth sighed. It was now or never.

"I had an email this morning. When you and Zoe were talking to Hemming" Ruth watched as all eyes fell on her.

"Go on" Harry prompted. His voice lower, calmer than when he had entered the Briefing Room.

"I havent been able to confirm the authenticity of the email yet. But it seems to have been sent by Nicholas Blake. He's warning us that the uranium is ultimately headed for Nightingale. It's going to Ireland to be broken down in to smaller size components and sold on from there. Most of the groups we keep an eye on are somehow being controlled by american and European Nightingale assets. He warned us about the safety of Ros and the others. Says Aleshki knows who they are." Ruth locked eyes with Harry as he briefly closed his eyes. Ruth continued to worry the edge of her note pad.

"Are you sure it came from him Ruth?" Tariq spoke up.

"Yes" Ruth nodded "I think so"

Harry cursed. "Fine. We know that the team have made their way to the Ireland. What else do we know?" Harry looked at each member of the team.

"Ros contacted me approximately thirty minutes ago. She is headed after Delaney. Belfast" Malcolm cleared his throat. He was worried about his friend. "Zafar and Lucas are going to find Adam" Harry nodded once, he didn't like the idea of Ros going off on her own either. He could see her reasoning behind it, but it did seem as if the woman was on self destruct again. It was tempting fate to go after someone like Delaney without back up. If he wasn't the mastermind of the operation, that was one thing but it didn't mean he wasn't as dangerous as the others. Ros knew that. She'd been on the receiving end, yet she had still pulled rank and gone on alone. Harry knew Lucas would be less than happy with the situation.

"Can anyone here tell me something uplifting?" Harry looked at the assembled officers, praying that at least one of them had some good news. No one was forthcoming. He sighed heavily, the case was beginning to get more complicated and bogged down than he had thought possible.

"We know Adam is going to make contact with Aleshki about now. That should lead to some intelligence" Zoe joined the discussion. She was as worried about the team as the others were.

"Hopefully an arrest" Harry leant back in his chair "So, let me get this straight. We have four officers in the field. One now working on her own. The destination of the explosives currently unknown. Four nuclear experts dead and an email from a former Home Secretary to inform us to be careful." He looked around the room.

"Why would Nicholas Blake want to warn us?" Tariq asked.

"That is what I intend to find out. We have precious little intelligence on this. Ros, Zoe and Zaf have all nearly been killed once. I'd like to see what he's warning us off. I'll meet him later today." Harry stood effectively calling the meeting to an end. Ruth remained seated while Zoe and the others left the room. She was continuing to shove pieces of paper in to a file in front of her when Harry sat back down.

"Ruth" he covered her hand with his. Ruth sighed.

"I know you are going to go to see Nicholas Blake. Whatever I say" She pulled her hand from underneath his larger one. Harry waited. It had been a long time since he had seen Ruth this angry.

"We desperately need information Ruth. You know that" He held her gaze as Ruth nodded

"Yes Harry" She stood as Harry made to follow her. "But why is it we always end up following the most dangerous course of action? Ros going off on her own. Adam driving God knows what to God knows where. People have died Harry!" Ruth sounded defeated.

"I know Ruth. That's why I have to see what Nicholas has to say." She knew he would go no matter what she said. Ruth nodded.

"Yes I seem to remember Malcolm telling me that the last time you just had to meet someone you ended up in a body bag in the back of a car" She knew she was being harsh bringing up the events that had brought them back together but she needed Harry to realise that just because Nicholas Blake had helped them out when he was in office, didn't really mean his motivation was to do the same now. Harry paled as she spoke.

"Yes I remember it well" Harry walked to the door as Ruth ran a hand through her hair. She had to make him see.

"Harry!" She turned as his hand grabbed the door handle. Harry paused before turning back to her.

"What Ruth? Don't do my job? I cant sit around while there are members of my team risking their lives. I could never look at Wes or Amy if something happened and I hadn't done everything in my power to prevent it." Ruth nodded as she crossed the room to him.

"I know. I know that Harry." she sighed, resting a hand on his folded arm. "Please be careful. Take Zoe or Tariq with you. Please don't walk in to something with your eyes wide shut." Her voice almost broke as Harry stepped away from the door.

"Nicholas Blake is the only honest politican I have ever known. He was certainly the best Home Secretary we have had while I have worked here. I think we can trust him. But you're right. If he knows about the explosives and he talked about Nightingale then we should be careful" Ruth sighed as he spoke. Anything to do with Nightingale made her nervous. Harry could feel how tense she was as he pulled her in to his arms.

"Just be careful" Ruth almost whispered as he kissed her hair before she hugged him back.

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Ros was almost on the outskirts of Belfast when her mobile phone started ringing. She tapped her earpiece as she continued driving.

"Ros, its me" Lucas could be heard plainly via the hands free.

"Hello Me" Ros continued driving.

"Where are you?" Lucas sounded worried, which was never a good sign. Ros cursed the cyclist in front of her as she overtook him.

"About ten minutes from Belfast. You?" Ros knew the conversation had to be brief but she was worried about the other officers.

"Sat in the car park of the Old Sea Dog. No sign of Adam yet" Lucas was worried that there was something wrong. "Malcolm called. Base are having apoplexy that we have split up" Lucas tried to lighten the mood but could hear the tension in Ros' voice.

"Is that so? I haven't spoken to Harry yet. No Lucas, listen to me. Adam will show. If he doesn't its because he can't. In all the years I've known him he has never missed a meeting like this. Let me do my job. Delaney will be in custody before we talk next." Ros turned in to a main road. The graffiti on the wall as depressing as the graffiti in London. The rain beating down on her car did nothing to appease her mood.

"Right" Lucas spoke. "Ros, look maybe Harry has a point. This pub seems to be the epicentre of a lot of the trouble around here. Perhaps it would be better if we stayed together" He waited for the wrath he knew was coming. He could hear Ros park the car.

"No Lucas. This is what we do. If I wanted a job where things were safe and easy I'd have become a vet. Now let me do my job and you and Zaf get on with yours. I will call you" Ros hung up before Lucas had a chance to reply.

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Adam arrived at the pub a little after Lucas and Zaf. He had no idea they were going to be there until he arrived. He had a bad feeling about meeting the Russian man he believed to be Viktor Aleshki. Half of him wanted to kill the man, the other half wanted to get as far away from him as possible. He knew that Aleshki would have back up, but why he wanted to meet in a place as public as a pub was anyone's guess. He didn't trust the Russian to arrive alone. He couldn't help the feeling that he was likely to turn up mob handed. Glancing around the car park he was relieved to see Lucas and Zaf sat in their car across the car park. He looked around for Ros, slightly worried that he couldn't see her.

Lucas spotted Adam enter the pub. The adrenaline of being on an operation was beginning to wear away as he watched th eblonde spook enter the pub. He knew he was fighting tiredness that was begininngin to overwhelm him along with his worry for Ros. Zaf left the car and began walking towards the pub as Lucas sighed. He couldn't shake the feeling that the three of them were walking in to danger while Ros was deliberately run after it.

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Ros sat in the car opposite the address where Adam was supposed to deliver the explosives. She was watching the warehouse for any signs of Delaney or Clare. The knot in her stomach tightening as she waited. Ros hadn't seen Delaney since the night he had poisoned her. The thought of seeing him again had seemed like a good idea. The element of surprise had been one of the few cards that Section D could wield. Ros sighed, when it came down to it Ros wouldn't admit that the thought of setting eyes on Delaney again made her feel sick. Ros narrowed her eyes as she watched a red ford Ka approach the warehouse. The car radio merely providing background noise. Ros felt her muscles tense as the hourly news began on the radio.

"Police in Northen Ireland are investigating an explosion at a pub. The explosion occured thirty minutes ago. There are said to be unknown fatalities" Ros closed her eyes in shock as the newsreader continued to talk about the latest soldier to die in Afghanistan and the day's sport. Ros could feel herself shake as rage began to take over her body. Although the pub had not been named she knew it was the Old Sea Dog in County Cork. She felt the tears build as she thought of the way Adam and the others had been led there. She could not let herself think of Lucas, the pain would be too much. She had a job to do.

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In London Ruth continued to stare at the computer in Harry's office as BBC news continued to blare out of BBCIplayer. The tears now rolled down her cheeks as she shook trying to control her tears. Harry returned from interviewing Hemming to see her staring at the screen. The Grid was desterted apart from the lonely Intel Analyst. Harry crossed the Grid as Ruth wiped the tears away from her eyes. She was determined Harry wouldnt see her cry.

Harry watched for a moment before approaching her. He had heard the news as he was leaving the Interview Room. At the moment they had no idea that any of his team were involved in the explosion. He held on to the hope that they'd hear from one of the boys shortly and that Ros would not go completely off the rails if she had heard of it. The fact that Ruth was watching the newsreader outline what little the media knew did nothing to make him think Ros would be unaware of what happened. He crossed the room towards her as Ruth finally turned away from the screen.

"There was no warning Harry. No coded message. It wasn't like in the old days. It just went up" The tears were audible in her voice. Harry nodded once before pulling her in to a hug. It was the hotel bomb all over again - only this time more people were involved. Ruth shook as Harry held her, aware that he was fighting a loosing battle where his emotions were concerned.

"We will stop them Ruth. We will. I meet Nicholas Blake this evening and find out how far this goes. Ros and the others will be fine. I know it" Harry kissed her neck as he prayed his voice held more conviction than he felt.

author's note. Sorry for delay in updating. Real life got in the way. Please let me know what you think of this. Ros still has to get Delaney. Adam wil speak to the Russian while Lucas and Zaf have to help. Have they really all died in the bomb? Is Harry right to think Nicholas Blake can help? More soon :D