'What did George say, to make you think I haven't lost Ruth?' Harry asked Ros. In a voice that he hoped, fruitlessly of course, sounded positive. His arrival in the spare bedroom, a tentative one after the previous evening, where despite feeling more tired than he could ever remember, he'd left as soon as they'd seen it and had gone for a long walk. A walk that had done nothing to diminish the loneliness that had engulfed him, knowing that he was physically closer to Ruth than he had been in years, but in terms of actually seeing her, he might as well have been walking on the moon. Things always felt worse at night, he'd told himself as he'd climbed higher, with no idea where he was heading. Exhaustion and the need to sleep, finally claiming him and forcing him to turn back. Whereas now when it was morning and after a shower and a change of clothing, he felt marginally more in control of his emotions. Sufficient to at least hear, if not to enjoy, what he presumed was a reference to Ruth's feelings for him and not because she was missing, or that George was relying on them to find her. A question which he'd avoided asking the previous evening, in case the answer hadn't been what he'd wanted to hear. Whereas now, he'd decided that he had to know and whatever the answer, was planning to handle it in a dignified manner.

Unlike the previous evening and after Ros had accepted for both of them, what had been a kind offer by George of a bed for the night. 'We're grown-ups Harry you haven't got anything I haven't seen before,' she'd held back until their host had gone and after which she'd had a decent night's sleep. Whereas he'd been ready to leave at the first opportunity, to go where? Into Nico's empty bed being the only other option. Next door to where George and Ruth shared a bed, not a chance. It was bad enough that they'd had to be there at all, but George was the one with the local knowledge and as Ros had pointed out, he had to remember that Nico was also missing and that meant that George was a victim as well. A civilian who although he'd hated to admit it, had looked every bit as worried as he was. A thought that had done nothing to improve his opinion of himself, or what Ruth would have said to him, had she known. Hence the long walk. A walk that had achieved nothing, other than it had allowed him some time on his own.

.

That was then and this was now and as sods law always dictated, it wouldn't be long before it all kicked off again. If for no other reason, than patience wasn't an attribute that went hand and hand with his personality and because George, as he was about to find out, wasn't a man to go down without a fight. He was man that wanted answers. Answers that weren't available until someone from the military, one of their assets, or a call from the grid, came in to say that they knew where Ruth was being held.

Apart from the obvious, which was the question that George asked him during breakfast. 'Why have Nico and Ruth been targeted?'

A simple enough question, to which in any other circumstances, Harry would have invented an obscure reply to avoid telling the truth, whereas now, he felt compelled to tell it as it was.

'Ros and I both work for the British Security Services and Ruth used to be my senior analyst,' sounded simplistic even to Harry's ears and in George's case, produced a look to suggest he didn't believe him and why Harry felt he had to continue. 'Just over two years ago and for reasons that I'm not at liberty to explain, other than to say that Ruth was entirely innocent, she was forced to change her identity and make a new life for herself away from Britain. Which is why we suspect that whoever has taken Ruth and Nico, has a connection to that time.' Was of course the truth, minus the heartache, which he realised, all too late, he was failing to hide. Something that George could and probably should have accepted for what it was, rather than rubbing salt into an already open wound.

But George wanted more and Harry was now a target, as he asked him in a voice that suggested that he knew Harry had been prevaricating. 'And what part did you play in all this?' A statement that by the expression on Ros's face, suggested that Harry needed to word his next answer very carefully.

'Ruth and I used to work closely together, which means that she still holds a lot of information that is classified,' was again true, but it wasn't answering the question that was hanging between them and was when the real depth of George's feelings erupted.

'My son has been kidnapped. The woman who has been living under my roof for almost two years and who I asked to marry me less than a month ago, you're telling me was a spy? Why should I believe a single word that you saying?' Forced Ros to step in. If only to stop George raising his voice even further, or to lash out. This so far mild-mannered man who was now on his feet and towering over Harry. Harry who had been struck dumb at the mention of a wedding, not knowing that Ruth had turned George down and George not about to tell him. Ros knowing by the expression on Harry's face, that there was the potential for Harry to square up to him, or worse still, to do something from which there would be no turning back.

'Before you two start tearing bits off each other, I think you need to get back to the reason that we're all sitting here, don't you?' She told them in a voice that didn't broker resistance and forced George to sit back down. 'You called us and asked for our help. Less than six hours later and we were here. Now whatever feelings either of you do or don't have for Ruth, this isn't helping. And don't tell me that you didn't know until now that Ruth doesn't have the same feelings for you as you do for her, was directed at George not Harry. Not only doing its job, by giving Harry the satisfaction of knowing what Ros had meant the previous evening, but knocked the wind out of George's sails at hearing his own confession, repeated back at him word for word. Sufficient that Ros felt that the risk of leaving them on their own had diminished and she could turn her attention to the job in hand. Because not only did she need to call Malcolm and see if they'd heard anything, but she also needed to formulate a plan.

Left alone with Harry and as the atmosphere slowly subsided, along with his temper, George was the first of them to speak.

'I met Ruth at the hospital where I work. We came to an arrangement, for want of a better way to put it. I wasn't coping after my wife died, made worse because my job in the emergency department, dictates that I work long and unpredictable hours and Nico was seeing less and less of me. My sister offered to help, but she has an attachment to Nico that would have only made things worse, whereas Ruth who was an outsider, fitted the bill. For Nico you have to understand, at least that's how it was in the beginning. Even when my relationship with Ruth developed into more, it still felt as though it was harbouring a get out clause. Desperation has driven me to try and give her what she wants, but the harder I try, the more Ruth seems to back off. Now I know why and I'm sorry I've behaved so badly, but unlike you and Ros, I'm totally out of my depth with all of this.'

And you think I'm not? 'Ros is right, we have to work together on this and I'm sorry too.' Harry told him. Trying to sound as though he meant it, when he was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that George had felt confident enough to ask to Ruth to marry him, when all he ever managed, had been to respond when she'd kissed him goodbye. Admittedly a kiss which he'd relived almost every day since, but even so.

His thoughts about rectifying this or any further discussion about Ruth, interrupted by a call from the RAF base. Telling him that they'd managed to track down the CCTV and were sending it through to him. With the same offer of help if he needed it. Coinciding with Ros coming back in. Ros who having spoken to Malcolm, knew what was on it, but not who the person was who was had been forcing Ruth to get into the car. The pictures arriving a few moments later on Harry's phone. Pictures which in his case, he rewound to the moment that Ruth realised Nico was missing. Her face one of concern, but none the less, was still the face that he loved more than any other. Something that made him pause the recording, until Ros prompted him to move on. Which was at the point where Ruth had started running, her hair flying out behind her until she reached the ice cream van where she'd stopped. Weaving her way between children and their parents until she'd headed off again. This time towards the park and when she arrived, was the moment of realisation. Realisation which now applied to Harry and the deep fear that came as a result of seeing Mani and the grip he had on Ruth's arm.

'I don't need to sit down,' he told Ros, but he did it anyway. Before she asked him who it was and was shocked by Harry's answer. Even more so that Harry had taken Ruth to Baghdad with him.

.

It had been a long night and as Ruth had known it would be, a cold one. That Nico was still asleep, was because she'd wrapped the blanket more tightly around him and got out of bed early. Sufficient that she felt confident enough to explore their surroundings in more detail, but all the time listening for the sound of the car returning. The building such as it was, she now knew consisted of the room where Nico was sleeping, a small kitchen with the absolute basics to sustain them and a toilet which was no longer working, but because there was a bucket of water left beside it, gave her some hope of dignity.

The only positive if she ignored the fact that they were locked in and she had no idea where they were, was that it now felt as though this incarceration had been planned to last long term. Which meant that she wasn't going to be tortured anytime soon. Thoughts that brought everything into focus, including the wish that she wasn't someone who could solved puzzles with her eyes shut. Because she now knew that Nico was just an added inconvenience as far as Mani was concerned. That it was her he'd been planning to kidnap and who was the one person who had the knowledge that she had? Who would move heaven and earth to save her? Harry. That Mani knew this and had probably already been in contact with him, or if he hadn't, he'd do it soon. Threatening to kill her if he didn't come to Cyprus. Something that would take time to arrange and even when Harry got here, he'd be ill prepared to deal with whatever Mani had in mind. Bypassing his team and out of his mind with worry. Plotting some sort one man counter attack, that would end up with one or both of them getting killed.

All because Mani had struck out on his own, in search of the uranium. Something that Harry would refuse to admit to knowing where it was. Torn between his desire to save her or the uranium and with no back up whatsoever. How Mani who had seen them together in Baghdad, would taunt Harry by making inappropriate and totally unfounded suggestions, or even worse, would touch her in front of him. Something that was making her skin crawl just thinking about it and knowing how Harry would react. The indignity causing her to wrap her arms tightly around herself.

All supposition of course, as was the other question that she couldn't shake off. Did Harry know that she'd been living with George for almost two years? If he didn't and assuming that they both got out of here alive, that she'd have to tell him. But how would she be able to explain her relationship with George, in a way that would convince Harry that she still loved him? What a mess she'd made of her life and for all of them. That Mani held all the cards and that she stood to lose everything, was the moment that she heard the car returning and when Nico started to cry.