11

Ruth kept her eyes on the screen. She knew that translating the message she had been sent by Tariq should be relatively straight forward but nothing she was reading seemed to make any sense. She rubbed her eyes as she opened a copy of the religious text she had been using to help her translate the meaning as well as the words.

"Ruth."

She kept her eyes on the screen as she heard Zoe approach her. "Ruth?"

"Why would anyone send a message like that? If Lucas is dead then there is a fair chance Ros is too. Why not just dump the bodies?" Beth ran her hand through her hair as she sat in Zaf's abandoned chair. Ruth chose to ignore both women. She would not accept the idea that her friends were dead. She knew Harry wouldn't accept it either, not until he saw both bodies for himself. She knew both Ros and Lucas had been through so much, she genuinely believed that they would be back on the Grid before much longer. She had to. Zoe sighed heavily.

"They are not dead." Ruth stated firmly. "I am not going to be sitting my godchildren down and telling them Mum and Dad are never coming home. Unless you have anything constructive to say, let me get on with my work." She glanced at Beth who looked suitably chastised. "Where is Morgan?"

"With Erin and Will." Zoe answered. "Adam and Zaf are going to the last location we have for Ros and Lucas. She said she was meeting her asset."

"Good place to start as any." Beth frowned. Ruth nodded as she returned her focus to the screen. She knew Adam and Zaf would never give up on their friends and neither would she.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Why am I here?" Lydia Morgan looked around what was clearly a neglected safe house. Erin pulled a chair out from the dining room table.

"Hopefully to avoid being murdered." She answered as Will checked the locks on the windows and doors again. Erin knew he was not used to being a bodyguard. The newest member of the team had so much to learn but Erin knew he had the makings of an outstanding field officer. She turned her attention back to the woman they were supposed to be hiding. "Stay away from the windows. Do not answer the door. Do not."

"Is there anything I am allowed to do?" Lydia Morgan's cut glass accent jarred on Erin's nerves. She narrowed her eyes.

"Yes." She smiled slightly. "Keep breathing and do as you are told. Your ex husband was killed. Your stepson and his wife have been taken into protective custody by South Wales Police."

"What?" Lydia was horrified.

Will returned to the table, sitting next to Erin.

"Two of my team have been abducted on their way to secure information that would have put an end to this." Erin continued. "Someone is pulling the strings. Someone is very determined that you are kept silent and I think that someone knows exactly what we are doing."

"What?" Lydia hissed at her. "You really think."

"That we are being played for fools by a politician?" Will shrugged. "Would not be the first time."

"I am innocent here. Yet I am the one being locked up." Lydia hissed.

Erin nodded. "Yes, and my colleagues are missing. My Section Chief and Senior Case Officer. Did you know the officers missing are married? That they have two children? Dogs, friends, a home life? Or did you not even think that because you haven't exactly told us the entire truth it is not just your stepson who will be orphaned today? Think about that while my boss tries to work out how the Hell he tells a nine year old girl and her seven year old brother that Mum and Dad are gone forever."

Lydia paled visibly as Will stepped away from the table. His mobile phone in one hand he answered the call on its second ring. "Alec?" He headed into the kitchen as Erin glared at the woman in their care.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Nothing." Zaf looked around the alleyway. "Not one clue." He shoved his hands in the pockets of his Parka jacket. Adam nodded, his eyes scanning the floor.

"This is Ros we are talking about." He paused as he thought about the blonde woman who had once meant so much to him. He sighed as he looked over to his friend. "So what now?"

"We have CCTV footage of her getting back to the car. Calum is tracing it to where they lose coverage. We might get something from that."

"Hope so." Adam frowned. "Come on, there has to be something we are missing."

"Like you said. Its Ros and Lucas we are looking for."

Adam nodded. "Back to the car. I'll call Calum, see where the CCTV takes us." He headed back to the pool car as Zaf looked around the alleyway one last time.