13

Dimitri jogged through the Pods towards where Malcolm and Ruth were staring at a computer screen. Ruth's looked more serious than he had ever remembered seeing her.

"The discs." He placed them on the desk next to her computer. Malcolm smiled slightly before taking them back to his own workstation.

"I'll go through these first, make sure there's no malware on them. The last thing we need is a computer outage now." He left Dimitri looking over Ruth's shoulder.

"Ruth?"

"I've been running your friend's image through the databases."

"He is no friend of mine." Dimitri's voice hardened. "If he is involved in the attack on Alec and Erin."

"He was probably following orders. It looks like a Hit Squad. Two attacks at the same time. Military precision." She frowned. "Honestly? I'm more interested in the Puppet Master rather than the puppets."

Dimitri nodded, squeezed her shoulder before heading to his own desk. He needed to find out what Nate was up to. He knew it wasn't like him to be a mercenary. Closing his eyes he sighed. It wasn't like his friend to fake his own death and suddenly turn up years later trying to kill the former Prime Minister. He booted up the computer in front of him, waiting for the screensaver to change from the MI-5 logo to the screen he could work from. He glanced up as Beth placed a mug of coffee on the desk next to him.

"Not your fault."

"What?"

"Nate being a psychopath. Not your fault." She headed back to her own desk, knowing he would be beating himself up for not knowing his former friend was still alive. She had a funny feeling she was going to have to keep an eye on her boyfriend. She picked up her phone as she watched him, knowing that they had to find Lucas and Ros but suspected time was running out.

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Ros closed her eyes, resting her forehead on the cold metal of the radiator. She had cut both wrists trying to escape but had barely made a dent. She was determined to get out of what she surmised was a basement or cellar of some sort. Pity its not a wine cellar. I could drink to forget all this. She smirked slightly as the door opposite her opened.

"Awake then."

"So it seems." She glared as the man crouched to her. He seemed younger, thicker set than the man who had taunted her earlier. He wore a similar balaclava but his eyes looked young, he seemed almost as scared of her as he wanted her to be of him. She frowned as he pulled a flask from the bag he was carrying.

"I am not a monster. Honestly I'm not."

"I can see that." Ros mellowed her tone deliberately.

"You've been here hours. Even the Geneva Convention says prisoners of war should be treated humanely. I brought you coffee. Do you drink it?"

"My blood type is Nescafe." Ros smiled slightly. She knew if she could get the man to see she was human, a person there was a chance she could get him onside. He poured her a small cup of coffee.

"Mine too. Can't beat it." He reached for her wrists, grabbing the area she had cut. "Bloody Hell, you know. You shouldn't tug on these. They get tighter."

"I had noticed." Ros paused as he released one hand. He didn't see the punch to the side of the head that knocked him across the room. He was out cold as she reached and retrieved the key. Freeing her other hand she stood, annoyed that the muscles in her legs protested at the sudden movement. The 'Coffee Boy' lay still on the floor, clearly awake as she slipped the cuffs on his own wrists before walking out of the room. She gently closed the door behind her, knowing that escaping had been almost too easy. She knew there would be time later to reflect on it but now she had to find Lucas. He had to be near her but she had no way of knowing for certain.

xxxxxxx

"She's in there." Will nodded to the living room as Alec and Zoe entered the Safe House flat. Alec gave him a wry smile, he hated the role of body guard as much as the younger man did. He also knew Erin was a ballbreaker, and at best could be frightening when she wanted to be.

"Ok?"

"Bored. Any news of the Boss?"

"Not yet." Alec sighed as Zoe stepped past them to talk to Erin. The new boy looked exhausted but Alec knew there was a long way to go before any of them could get any rest.

"Do you think?"

"Its Ros Myers and Lucas North." Alec shrugged as he kept his voice neutral. "You know how tough they both are."

"Yeah, legends in the Service but."

"But what?"

"They are human too."

"Yeah." Alec sighed. "Allegedly."

Moments later Erin and Will were heading out of the flat, ready to go back to the Grid. The rain bounced off the pavements as Erin dug in her pockets for the car keys.

"You don't trust her." Will stated rather than asked.

"No." Erin paused. "I've done this job for a long time." She sighed. "Not as long as Harry and Ruth but longer than some. In all that time I have rarely trusted a politician. I am not going to start now."

"Why?" Will unlocked the car door, getting into the driver's side as Erin slid into the passenger seat.

"She is used to putting on a front. Yes, I believe she is in danger. I believe the murder of her ex husband is linked to the attack at Alec's flat." She glared out of the window. "But she hasn't shed a tear since finding out about his death. She didn't ask how, or what the police have said. She makes me look warm and sentimental."

"She could be in shock?"

"No." Erin looked at the London streets as Will headed back to Thames House. "No, I've seen people in shock. I've lost a partner. There's in shock and there's almost knowing what happened before you were told."

Will fell silent. He knew he still had a lot to learn, to prove he wasn't just in the Service because who his father had been. He drove through the traffic thinking on her words. It was going to be a long night.

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"CCTV shows the car stopping abruptly." Ruth was watching the footage from one of the discs for what felt like the millionth time. "See?" She pointed to the corner of the screen. "That car shot in front of them. Harry." She turned to see her husband watching the screen. She knew he was as worried as she was. Ros and Lucas had already been through so much.

"Do we have the number plate?"

"Tariq is running it through the DVLA database but I have a feeling it is unregistered."

"False plates." Tariq announced as he approached her desk. "I ran it through the Swansea database, the international ones and the 'off limits' ones."

"The CIA plates?"

"Nope." Tariq sat in Zaf's abandoned chair. "Not on any known databases. Someone mocked up those plates. In fairness, they are very believable."

"I don't care how believable they are. Find who did it." Harry walked away as Tariq paused.

"Yes, Harry." He paused as Ruth bit her lip. She could see the case and the missing officers was taking a toll on her husband. She began to wonder how much one man could take. She was startled as her phone sprung to life. Answering it she couldn't help the smile on her face.

"Ros?"

"So, how do I get a lift back? Any chance of a Spooks Cab?" Ros' voice was deadpan as she looked at her husband who leant heavily on the bench next to the phone box. She knew escaping her captors had been too easy, finding Lucas had been a fluke. Now she had to get back to Thames House. Whatever Lydia Morgan had dragged them into had become personal.

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A/N is anyone reading this? Hoping to get another chapter up before Christmas.