11

Ruth blinked as the hotel's sprinkler system soaked everyone in the room. She had no idea who had set it off but was aware of the Dutch woman she recognised as the Environmental Minister for Holland facing off one of the gunman. She had to admire Hanna Johansson for her bravery. She had known the woman was an ex-special forces officer but had no idea she was willing to face down the terrorist the way she was almost thirty years after leaving the Dutch equivalent of the SAS.

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Ros ran along the soaked tiled floor just ahead of Adam as they heard the third gunshot. She had no idea what was going on in the room at the end of the corridor, only that Malcolm had managed to mobilise CO19 to help. As the third shot ran through the air and the fire alarm screeched she knew there was no way she was waiting for the armed police to arrive. It seemed to be down to her, Adam and Zaf to go in. She nodded to Adam who looked through the small glass panel before holding up four fingers. Ros nodded, knowing that he had seen all four of the gunmen through the window. His eyes narrowed as he realised one of them had a human shield in front of him. Ros winced as Malcolm's voice came through the comms.

"CO19 will be with us in under three minutes."

"Not enough time." Zaf answered from his vantage point at the top of the stairs. "Ros."

She glared into the middle distance, steadying her nerves. Her team were relying on her to make the decision. Did she wait? Potentially risking the lives of everyone in the room, including her husband or did she go in there, potentially causing loss of life? One glance at Adam she knew exactly what she had to do. Before he could respond her gun was out in front of her as she kicked the door open.

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"Sarah." Will looked up as the middle aged red haired woman he had always thought of as an aunt walked into the room. She smiled slightly as she sat in the chair next to his bed.

"Catherine called. Said you could do with some company."

"She worries too much."

Sarah tilted her head. "What is it? Will?" She bit her lip before moving to the bed to take his hand. The young man in front of her had always been so calm, happy in his work and sensible. She had no idea why or how he had become so frail, almost childlike as he looked at their hands.

"Sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Sarah watched him intently. He sighed.

"What did Cath say?"

"That you were still having tests. That she had never been more worried about you and that you were being stubborn. Looking at you I think her assessment is sound. Talk to me."

"Sarah. I."

"I was wrongly imprisoned for over a decade, saw my own brother try to kill my fiancé, saw more in the prison system than you can imagine. Nothing you can do or say is going to shock me. I promise."

"Mum and Dad would be so ashamed of me."

"William." Sarah frowned. "I very much doubt that. Your mum was my best friend. I know how much she loved you. How proud Jan was of you. And as for Bill. He adored his boy." She squeezed his hand. "What on Earth is it?"

"The doctors did some tests."

"And?"

"The reason the infection took such a hold. The reason I've had one bug after another." His voice was so quiet she could barely hear him. "Is that I am HIV positive." He sighed. "I have HIV." Sarah took a deep breath before pulling him into her arms and hugging him tightly.

"And what has that got to do with how anyone feels about you?" She kissed his temple. "Silly, silly boy. Its not like it was in the 80s. There's medicines these days. Good ones. Amazing ones that make the virus almost undetectable, that keep you well." She hugged him tightly. "Oh my boy, you'll be fine. You'll be more than fine. Its a chronic illness these days."

"Its not asthma or diabetes." He sighed. "Its."

"Manageable. That's what it is. Manageable." She pulled back looking him in the eye. "Now, you listen to me William."

He sniffed as he looked her in the eye. "You will not let this beat you. You are going to get over this pneumonia. You are going to take any credible advice, whatever the medics say and you are going to live a long and happy life. I want you back at your desk, annoying Catherine and teasing Calum as soon as possible. Do you hear me?"

He nodded before hugging her again. Suddenly things didn't seem so bleak. "You're not alone, my boy. You are not alone." She closed her eyes, hoping that he hadn't worked out she was trying not to cry.

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Ros held the gun in front of her as her and Adam marched through the glass doors of the ballroom. Ros could feel herself shaking with anger as she realised there the thickest set gunman had Ruth in a death grip. Harry was on his feet, his gun pointed directly at the pair. Despite the noise it seemed that time had stood still. In her mind it was Jo all over again. She took the shot, she would risk killing Ruth. If Harry took the shot there was no way he could avoid killing his wife. She kept her eyes on Ruth as she heard footsteps on the roof signalling the arrival of CO19.

"Ruth, you ok?"

Ruth raised an eyebrow as Ros spoke to her. She smirked slightly, knowing the woman she now considered a close friend had come along way from the woman who had been frightened of everything and anything a few years earlier. Lucas pushed his black hair out of his eyes as he began to signal to Erin and Dimitri to stand by. The body of a third gunman lay at Beth's feet as she checked the pulse, shaking her head before quietly moving the Deputy Prime Minister out of the destroyed glass doors.

"Ruth." Ros kept her voice calm. "We're going home, ok." She looked over to see Harry turn his gun on another balaclava wearing man who didn't really seem to know what to do. In that moment Harry realised the man holding Ruth by the neck was the only one who had any idea what they were going to do.

"I THINK I CALL THE SHOTS." The man holding a gun to Ruth's head yelled. The Eastern block accent grated on Ros' nerves. She ignored him.

"Ruth, on three."

Ruth nodded once, understanding. Adam sent up a silent prayer that the guardian angels of spooks would be looking out for them. He put himself between the gunman and the Dutch politician as he watched his friend. Ruth was the strongest woman he had ever met, but he had no idea what was going on between her and Ros.

"One."

Ruth took a deep breath.

"Two."

He saw Ruth curl her hand into a fist.

"Three."

The heel of Ruth's shoe connected with the gunman's calf as she threw herself forwards, out of the way of the bullet that hit the gunman in the shoulder, propelling him back. He dropped the gun which was kicked out of the way as CO19 flooded the room. Ros walked over the man she had just shot, pulling his balaclava from him.

"Yannis." She shook her head. "Didn't your friend tell you? I never make the same mistake twice." She looked over to the senior CO19 officer. "Get that out of my sight." She tucked her gun into her jeans as the police officers dragged away the three surviving terrorists and helping the hostages out of the room. Ruth ran a hand over her neck as she shook her head.

"Yannis Kaplinski." She sighed. "I knew I recognised the voice."

"Ruth." Harry approached her as she looked up. "I."

"Can we go back to Thames House now?" She sighed as he pulled her into his arms.

"Good idea." He whispered into her ear knowing that despite the siege being over there was no way they had closed the case. He just didn't know how much more was to come or what a minor Royal and an illegal arms deal had to do with the terrorists but he knew they had to find out.

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