12
Ruth looked out over the grounds of the hotel as the sun began to set behind the trees. She had to admit that it looked beautiful. The chaos of CO19 and the police removing the three surviving terrorists and the body of the fourth along with the hostages all being taken away to recover was literally behind her as she tried to focus her attention on what had happened.
"Ruth?"
"Hi." She turned to see Lucas watching her. "Harry and Ruth are dealing with the police."
"Sorry about the sprinklers." He shoved his hands in his pockets as she smiled. "Thought the fire alarm would distract them. Didn't realise the sprinklers would go on too." Ruth smiled at him as he looked at her guiltily. In that moment he looked like little James when he had done something naughty. She told him how much he reminded her of her godson. Lucas shrugged.
"Ros says that."
"Apple didn't fall far from the tree."
"Ruth, is Harry ok?" Lucas stood next to her as she looked out over the trees. She sighed.
"I think so." She sneezed.
"Oh bloody Hell. You get pneumonia and he really will kill me for that stunt." Ruth laughed. "Its not over, is it? This case. I can't help but think there's something going on that we aren't getting."
"I agree." Ruth sighed. "This place." She looked back to the hotel. "Why weren't we told the Prince was going to be here until the last minute? Surely the UK Intelligence Service, the one organisation that is intended to assess and remove threats to security should have all the information needed to do that."
Lucas watched her for a moment. "You think we were deliberately kept in the dark for a reason?"
"Someone is lying to us." Ruth paused. "I know I shouldn't be surprised but I can't shake the feeling its not something we missed. Its something we were deliberately steered away from." She shivered slightly as the summer air turned cool. "I need to get back to Thames House. I need to find out what it is." She headed towards the car as Lucas looked over to where Ros and Harry were deep in thought. He knew Ruth was right. In that moment he just wanted to go home.
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"Can you believe that?" Catherine nodded at the television in the corner of the Grid. BBC news was covering the sudden and unexpected end to the Climate Change conference. "Its true, what they don't know, they make up."
Tariq shrugged his shoulder. "Just spoke to Zaf. They are on the way back in. Should be here before long."
Catherine nodded as she picked up her mobile phone from the desk. "Why would Cal ask me to get him some dry clothes?" She looked over to Tariq who smirked, knowing what had happened. "What's he got involved in this time?"
"Your husband. Your problem." Tariq held up his hands as Catherine rolled her eyes.
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Harry took his sodden suit jacket off as he walked alongside Ros who was just as drenched as he was. "You knew Yannis?"
"In Russia." Ros sighed. "A lifetime ago. He was hired to make sure I couldn't come in from the cold. Lets just say, we had a confrontation."
Harry smirked. "I can imagine."
"I was younger. Angrier then." She sighed as she looked to where Ruth and Lucas were stood. She had fought with Yannis during her exile after her 'death' at the hands of Yalta years earlier. Seeing him again had brought up memories she would rather forget. Harry nodded, remembering the day she had returned to the team - the day Lucas had been released. He smiled slightly, wondering if that was fate. "They knew we were going to be here. They knew the Prince was due to be there but until an hour before we got there we didn't know. How did that happen? Who thought we didn't need to know?"
"More questions than answers." Harry shrugged. "Not something I like."
"Me neither." Ros narrowed her eyes turning to see Beth, Dimitri and Calum chatting quietly. Beth looked exhausted as Malcolm walked towards them. "I don't like this, Harry. I don't like this at all."
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Catherine walked through the Grid, glad that the rest of her team were on the way back from Havensworth. Knowing Zoe and the Prince were sat in the Briefing Room with the Royal Protection Officer she now knew was called Jason was a little disconcerting. She had never really been a royalist and having Prince Bertram in the building was just more of a distraction and security risk than they needed.
"Catherine." Zoe got up from her seat as Catherine walked in the room. "Any news?"
"Not exactly." Catherine answered as she ushered her towards the door. She glanced towards the two men sat at the large oak table. "The Conference has ended." She hoped Zoe understood what she was referring to. "I spoke to Ruth, apparently we need to regroup. Why am I tempted to lock that idiot in the cells? Has he given us anything?"
"Nothing much." Zoe sighed. "I don't think he has any clue what is going on in the real world." She folded her arms.
"And I thought you liked the Royals?"
"The Queen. Yeah." Zoe sighed. "This idiot."
"Goes to show, whoever you are, you can't pick your family." Catherine paused.
"He will only answer questions from a senior officer."
Catherine smirked. "Has he met Ros? He might change his mind once he does. She is not a happy woman."
"But everyone is ok? We don't have anyone else on the way to A&E?"
"No." Catherine paused. "We don't. One dead terrorist, one injured Deputy PM but he is alive. Largely thanks to Beth and her teenage rugby playing days."
"She didn't tackle the Deputy PM?"
"She did." Catherine smirked slightly. She turned her attention back to the aloof Royal currently ignoring the rest of the people in the room. "He knows something. Something that almost got half the Section killed. I think the least we can do is let Adam and Ros talk to him."
"Rather them than me." Zoe paused, looking back at the two men. "Adam and Ros are welcome to him."
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