Solutions

Catherine headed through the bust Accident and Emergency department to where her father was waiting for her. Since hearing about the explosion at the prison she had been feeling sick. She knew that she had supported Ruth going undercover but it didn't change the fact her stepmother was not a field officer. She was an analyst, a desk spook. Catherine knew her father would blame himself if anything had happened to her.

"Dad?" She watched as Harry turned to face her.

"Hi," He smiled warmly as she approached him. "She's been taken for an x-ray."

"Oh, oh right." Catherine looked at her shoes, worried sick but feeling like a naughty schoolgirl. "Alec said."

"That she was in a hell of a state? She is. But the x-ray needed is one that has to be done in the actual x-ray department. Apparently portable wont give the best image."

Catherine nodded. She knew it was a good sign that the doctors had thought Ruth stable enough to move.

"Right."

"Ros and Adam are here somewhere." Harry continued. "Perhaps you could take them back to the Grid when they are ready."

"Yes. Yes of course." Catherine bit her lip. "You wanted me here for more than a taxi service for the others." She knew her father was stalling. Part of her wondered if he was in shock, trying to process what was happening around them. She knew he cared for all his team; Ruth especially. "Dad?"

"I want you to get this to Malcolm." He took her hand, curling her fingers around a miniscule microdot. "Ruth got it from the prison. It may help. I believe Ruth thinks it may have some answers to all this on there. Gruber caught her with it but it seems events overtook themselves."

"I'll get it straight back." She watched as the porters pushed Ruth's trolley back from the x-ray room. The woman in the bed looked smaller, more fragile than she had ever remembered her. Nausea overwhelmed her as she began to think of the myriad of injuries Ruth could be suffering. It was already clear the older woman had a broken wrist. She just prayed everything would be as easily fixed.

"Good. Check on Adam and Ros, then get back."

"Yes." Catherine watched as a nurse beckoned him into the Resus Room. "And Dad?"

"Catherine."

"Tell Ruth, we love her. Yeah?"

Harry nodded once, smiling slightly he headed back into the room

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"This is not good." Will huffed as he ran towards a parked car. Beth was still trying to diffuse the bomb, knowing that time was running out. He knew that there was a very good chance that they weren't going to make it. The bomb was going to destroy the contemporary London skyline. He looked around, pleased that Dimitri seemed to be calmer than he was. The former SBS officer had a way of making everyone around him just relax a little more. Erin seemed to have the opposite effect.

"I think." Beth's voice came through the comms clearly. "This."

"What?" Erin snapped.

"If you let me finish." Beth snapped. "This is part of a chain. Somehow when the bomb at the prison went off it started the timer for this one."

"A relay system." Tariq's voice joined in. "Could be. Very sophisticated. I'll have the mobile network for that area knocked out. The Bluetooth will only take a couple of seconds."

"Ok." Beth gently lifted the small plastic lid away from the base, praying that Dimitri and the others were far enough away should the bomb go off. Part of her knew Dimitri wouldn't be far away. He would never leave her. Narrowing her eyes she prised one wire away from the side of the device as the timer sped dangerously up. "TURN THE MOBILE BACK ON! GET THE WIFI BACK!" Beth yelled as Tariq immediately reversed what he had done. Swearing profusely Beth glared at the device. "If it knows the internet is off it triggers something in it to speed up. Clever."

"Very." Dimitri spoke for the first time. "Don't like it when the nutters get clever."

"Its based on UK weapons technology. The British invented it. Now someone leaked it to the terrorists. Commercialism at its best." Malcolm's voice joined them through the airwaves. "I assumed that the leak from the cyber attack had been dealt with last year. Clearly not."

"No." Beth paused. "Right. Here goes." She gently removed the timer as her heart seemed to stop in its tracks. A hushed silence fell over the team until Beth spoke again.

"Its ok. Its ok." She smiled, proud of her handiwork. "It's disarmed."

"Well done." Malcolm sounded equally proud of her. Will just hoped there wasn't another device on the relay. He had a feeling things were not as straightforward as he had hoped they would be.

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"Ros." Lucas touched her hand as she seemed to focus on the polished hospital flooring.

"Any news on Ruth?"

"Broken wrist, punctured lung with a nasty concussion. Could have been worse." Lucas smiled slightly, knowing that when it came to Ruth the entire team were slightly overprotective. Many of the newer members of Section D hadn't known the team without her. The more senior members didn't want to go through it again.

"I thought she was dead." Ros sighed. "That woman has nine lives. I swear."

"Like someone else I know." Lucas brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face. "Ros."

"I am fine."

"And I am Harry Enfield."

Ros raised an eyebrow as Lucas watched her. She knew he was worried. Gruber's sidekick had made sure her ankle was damaged, that ribs and shoulders were going to cause pain for weeks. The explosion hadn't helped. Memories of being stuck in a burning hotel with masonry pinning her to the floor and a critically injured Home Secretary in her arms had flooded her mind. She had supressed them for so long, had thought she had processed them years earlier but they had been bubbling under the surface. She tugged her sleeves to cover the scars on her wrists. Lucas took her hands, bringing her fingers to his lips. He kissed them gently.

"It's ok."

"I know. I am fine." She tried to tug her hands away as Lucas loosened his grip.

"Its ok not to be. You know that. No pretence with me." He watched as her eyes filled with tears. "Ros." He pulled her into his arms, kissing her hair gently as he realised how close they had come to losing each other forever.

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