12

Adam drove towards Thames House slightly angry that he hadn't been able to find anything that would help them discover what had happened to Lucas and Ros. He knew both were consummate spooks but he also knew what being married to another officer was like, especially when you knew your spouse was in danger. He just hoped that wherever they were Lucas was able to keep it together, he knew Ros would go into full Ice Queen mode. After seeing what he had when he and Zaf had found the corpse of John Morgan he hoped it was enough to save her.

"You ok?"

"Always." Adam frowned slightly as Zaf shook his head. He knew Adam was putting himself in Lucas and Ros' position. He hoped inspiration would strike before it was too late.

"Zaf?" His attention was immediately back on the matter in hand as he heard Ruth's voice through the comms. "Anything?"

"No." He sighed. "Calum got anything for us on CCTV?"

"Not really." Callum's voice cut over Ruth's. "It looks like the street where the car was found is one of the few that doesn't have any CCTV linked to the Met or the Transport for London system. There is a shop on the corner with what looks like a security camera on the front. With any luck that has picked something up. Dimitri and Beth are on the way there now. See if the shop owner has any DVDs of the footage Tariq is currently attempting to hack it but its an old fashioned analogue thing."

"Let us know if they get lucky." Adam answered, knowing while Ros was not on the scene he was expected, officially or otherwise to step up to the role of Section Chief. Adam glanced at his friend before pushing his foot to the accelerator.

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Lucas opened his eyes, still not entirely certain where he was. The room was dimly lit, with a partially boarded up window in the wall to his left. He kept as still as he could, his eyes searching the surroundings the dim light gave him vision of. He guessed he was alone, meaning in that moment he was safe to try to move from his place on the floor. Getting himself carefully into a sitting position he fought the wave of nausea that overcame him. His head ached, making him aware of the wound to his forehead. He sighed slightly, forcing himself to focus, to make his eyes fix on the window. He inwardly groaned, realising that it was no bigger than a piece of A4 paper. There was no way his 6ft 4 frame would get through it. He knew there had to be a way to get out of the room. There had to be a way to get out. He had to find Ros.

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Ros was furious. Every cell in her body radiated anger. She knew there was little she could have done to stop the abduction but she knew she would be haunted by images of Lucas' head hitting the tarmac with a sickening thud for the rest of her life. The man who had taunted her earlier was still on her mind. He had apparently disappeared, leaving her handcuffed to a radiator. She seethed internally. This was not how things were going to end for her. She was Rosalind Sarah Myers, Amy and James' mum, Lucas' wife and second in command of the British counter domestic terrorism unit in MI-5. She had survived more than most people could image - still carried the scars from a hotel bombing that should have killed her. She was not going to die in a stinking and cold cellar shackled to a radiator with no one knowing where she was. She tugged on the cuffs in temper, rattling the radiator. She it made a hollow metal noise but did not give. She seethed quietly as she glared at the radiator determined to make it back to her family and Thames House.

"Ros." She mumbled under her breath. "This is not happening." She twisted her wrists, trying to free her wrists. She winced as the cuffs cut into her wrists seemingly taunting her efforts to free herself. Relaxing against the metal frame she tried to clear her mind. She didn't need memories of being stuck in the basement with the Bendorff Group and Jo's death hitting her. She knew thinking about the past would do no good. The only focus had to be on getting herself out of the room and finding her husband.

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"Erin just rang." Catherine stated as Harry approached her desk. "Seems her and Will have settled in the safehouse with Morgan."

He nodded once, glancing at Ruth who was still lost in her translation and analysis. He recognised the signs, she had found something. He knew she had.

"Tell her that Zoe and Alec will be there to relieve them later tonight."

"Harry." Alec shrugged his jacket on. "Haven't I suffered enough?"

"Do you want your front door on expenses on nor not?"

"Fine." He shrugged as he picked up his car keys. "Zoe, you get the pizza." He headed towards the Pods as Ruth swore.

"I get it. Its an old, very old dialect. Not used in common parlance in decades." She bit her lip frowning. "The head of the snake will bite the tale. What you think is loyal is the traitor, be careful who you protect. The innocent will rise, the heavens will destroy the wrongdoers, and Satan will reclaim his army."

"Oh great." Callum huffed. "A religious zealot with a thing for riddles."

Ruth smiled slightly. "Old Farsi but with the wrong punctuation. Wrong emphasis on the words. Whoever sent this basically copied the words from google translate or something like that. No wonder it took me a while." She sighed. "I was trying to translate nonsense."

"What are they trying to tell us?" Catherine looked away from her own computer.

"Maybe that whatever Lydia Morgan has been dragged into she isn't the most innocent victim here." She frowned slightly. Harry could almost hear her brain working. "What is loyal is the traitor." She tapped a few keys on her computer. "I'm running it through the pattern recognition software. I know I have heard that phrase before. I know it but I don't know where."

"Let me know as soon as you do." Harry spoke softly as Ruth smiled slightly. Her attention focused back on the work at hand. She prayed the CCTV footage Beth and Dimitri had gone to secure would help. Every time she thought of Lydia Morgan her gut seemed to be uneasy. She had initially thought it jealousy and insecurity as Harry had known the woman before they had met - she feared another Elena Gavrik situation but now, now she had no idea why she distrusted the woman who had once run the country. Something, she didn't know what but something was not right about the entire situation. She had a feeling finding Ros and Lucas was only part of the problem.

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Beth leant on the counter of the small corner shop as she waited for the elderly Indian man to come back to the counter. He had been keen to help from the moment Beth had explained she was investigating the 'car accident' near his shop. Dimitri looked around the shop, wondering if the camera really was going to be able to pick up the images they needed. The elderly man returned.

"Miss."

"Yes." Beth smiled her best charmed smile.

"I have three disks from that night. I don't know if they are any good but I was in my flat upstairs."

"Mr Singh." Dimitri spoke calmly. "If there is anything that you can tell us,"

"I heard car breaks screech. I thought it was boy racers, you know? They are always here. Up and down like they are driving at Silverstone. I tell them this is not the Grand Prix, you know! Ridiculous." He paused. "I looked out. Saw a fight. I called my wife, Shyma. I tell her. Stay inside but call police. You know, it seemed that I was watching something from a film. I wish I had my daughter's phone but she was out at the time. If I had it then I would have taken a video. I hope you find these useful. I hope you find your friends."

"So do I." Beth smiled. "Thank you." She took the discs, leading Dimitri out of the shop she paused just outside the shop doorway. "He mentioned the police. His wife calling them."

"Yeah." Dimitri glared. "Only there is no record of any call to the police. Not the time Ros and Lucas went missing. You get the feeling someone isn't telling us the whole story?"

"Yeah, and I don't like it." She climbed into the driver's side of the 4x4. "We need to get these back to Malcolm and Ruth. Maybe they can get some answers."

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