Royal assent?
Ros glared at the Prince as he open and closed his mouth, reminding her of the goldfish her sister had when they were children. She raised an eyebrow, almost amused that the man was used to sycophants rather than anyone who would ever dare tell him when he was behaving like a douchebag as Will would call it. She waited a moment.
"Jason, you've been asigned to him?"
"Ma'am." Jason nodded as Adam smirked. He knew the Section Chief did not appreciate being called Ma'am or having her rank referred to unless it was relevent. Zoe turned away, trying desperately to get some sort of signal from Malcolm as to what was happening. She tapped her earpiece as Zaf tapped her shoulder. Adam nodded.
"Zoe, you and Jason get the Prince to Thames House. I don't care how but that is the only place we know is safe."
"But I'm here to."
"I think we can reasonably assume Climate Change isn't the top of anyone's agenda right now. Your Highness?" Zoe nodded to Jason who checked his gun. Zaf smiled slightly, wondering if the Prince had any idea who he was dealing with - as a minor Royal he rarely if ever encountered MI 5, unlike his great aunt who knew more about the Service than any monarch knew in the developed world knew about their Secret Services. Zoe glanced at Zaf and Adam before ushering the middle aged royal out of the kitchen with Jason. Ros turned back to Adam and Zaf.
"Ros." Zaf frowned.
"I ordered Catherine and Tariq back to the Grid." She sighed. "Harry was right not to want us all here. Its easier if everything is going to plan but."
"You know Prince Arsehole was coming." Zaf smirked. Ros rolled her eyes.
"Prince Bertram? Yes, we got the heads up about an hour before we got here. Bloody Royal Protection Squad thought they could handle it without letting us know. Thought Harry was going to have an aneurism." She watched the door, aware that there could be more gunmen than they had previously identified. She didn't trust the Prince one bit but knew his bodyguard would have at least tried to count how many terrorists were in the ballroom. She slipped towards the door as Adam checked his gun.
"We know Beth is alive in there but he have no idea if anyone else is. She's the only one to make contact so far." Ros stated, her voice even despite knowing her husband was in the room where the attack had taken place. She knew thinking of him was only going to drive her insane. To help him and the rest of the team she had to keep calm.
"We need to get in there." Adam frowned.
"Zaf, get to Malcolm. Catherine and Tariq should be halfway to the Grid by now. He's going to need help." Ros frowned. "I need eyes in there, I need to see who is where."
"Ros."
"Sorry? Are you waiting for Lockdown to end?"
Zaf rolled his eyes before slipping out of the kitchen as Adam and Ros waited a moment before heading out of the kitchen.
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Will felt sick, he had been in hospital for longer than he had thought reasonable but knew he still had to persuade the doctors he wasn't about to keel over. He sighed, an MI-5 junior Case Officer wasn't supposed to be laid up in a hospital bed. He had no idea who he had developed Sepsis Pneumonia but he knew he was lucky to have made it to the hospital despite his insistance that he didn't really need to be there.
"Will."
"Catherine?" He blinked as the young analyst slipped into the hospital room. "You ok?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"I feel like shit, to be honest." Will sat a little straighter in the bed. Catherine rolled her eyes.
"You look it. Look, I need a hand. Everyone is at the conference and surprise, surprise its all gone tits up."
"Don't tell me, your stepmother is in the field?"
"Ruth, yep." Catherine rolled her eyes again. "Leaving just Tariq and me on the Grid. I took him there the minute I left but I was wondering."
"I have no idea if they are ever going to let me out of here." He gasped, feeling breathless.
"You are NOT to self discharge. Auntie Sarah would kill me, and as for Malcolm." He smiled slightly, suddenly remembering they shared a godfather.
"Malcolm in trouble?"
"Ros ordered him to leave too." She looked at the floor for a moment. "He refused."
"Sounds like him."
"I wanted to check you are on the mend. And to ask."
"For what?"
Catherine sighed heavily. "Your ex? In the RPS? Do you still have contact?" She bit her lip. Will shook his head, he knew Catherine was one of the few people he hadn't had to 'come out' to. She, like the rest of his work family didn't care whether he was gay or straight or anything else. As long as he was ok then they left him be. Didn't stop the teasing about his similarities to a certain Game of Thrones character though.
"No."
"Just a thought. Seems a prince was there."
"Bloody Hell. No, sorry. Not spoken to him since I started at 5." He coughed as Catherine grabbed a glass of water from the side table for him.
"Will?" She watched as he waved her hand away. In that moment she was more fearful for her friend than anyone back at Havensworth. "Will?" He closed his eyes. "You've some blood." She tapped her own lip. He sighed, grabbing a tissue to wipe it away.
"Thanks."
"There is more to this than you are saying. Isn't there?"
"Sepsis and pneumonia not enough?"
"Will."
"Docs are running some tests. Just to see why my immune system is going to pot. Got me on antibiotics, painkilers and nebulisers. I trust them. Don't worry, just get back to the Grid." He smiled as she squeezed his hand. He let his eyes fall closed. A moment later she was gone.
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Ruth counted four sets of black Doctor Marten style boots as the man she had mentally named Balaclava man walked around the ballroom. All looked exactly the same. She glanced over to see Erin crouched next to the German delegate. She sighed slightly, realising the single mother on the team was apparently unhurt. She could see the brunette was trying to assess the situation as much as she was. She blinked as she realised a pair of boots was next to her head. She could feel the tension radiating from Harry as she listened to the man above her talking, a moment later a boot connected with her stomach. Harry was about to tackle the man as a single gunshot ran out. Ruth held his gaze, silently willing him to stay immobile. Until that moment the gunman seemed to believe Harry was at the very least unconscious, if not dead. Ruth knew him kicking her was to test that theory. She knew Harry would kill the man with his bare hands if he could but that was not going to help them.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN." Balaclava man started again. "ONCE AGAIN I MUST BE APOLOGETIC AT THE INCONVENIENCE TODAY. I KNOW YOU WERE NOT EXPECTING THIS." He nodded to one of his lackeys who pulled the curtains to the outside world. Darkness fell over the room as the heavy fabric blocked out the light. "WE CAME FOR A SPECIFIC REASON. TO TALK TO THE PRINCE, WHO APPARENTLY HAS DECIDED NOT TO JOIN US. NO MATTER!"
Dimitri winced as he saw the boot connect with his friend's abdomen, immediately worried that Harry had apparently not responded. He knew the Section Head had taken a hard fall when the optics behind the bar had exploded. He also knew his boss was a brilliant actor but seeing someone hurt Ruth was enough to make him blow any pretense at being out of it. He cursed the man under his breath as he heard a single shot ring out.
"LET US GO." A middle aged woman with a Dutch accent spoke up. "You said you wanted the Prince, well he's not here, so what can we do?" She was on her feet as the thick set gunman approached her. Balaclava man raised his hand.
"NO, SHE IS QUITE CORRECT TO ASK." He waved his colleague away from them. Lucas was a few inches away from her. He was able to move slightly, knowing that the Dutch politician was risking her life to give him a chance to get to the wall. All eyes were on her as Lucas thanked God he was taller than he looked, he carefully and quietly got to his feet, punching the small 'break glass' cover of the fire alarm on the far wall. Sirens and sprinkers erupted simutaneoulsy soaking and confusing everyone in the room. A second ang third gunshot ran out as a woman screamed.
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a/n anyone reading?