History

Harry looked at the older man, knowing that Henry Parks knew more about the espionage game than he had ever learned. He knew the old man had absconded from his nursing home. He briefly wondered how he had managed to evade the nursing staff with the cumbersome mobility scooter that had almost broken the Pods and Stan's will to live. The octagenarian was nothing if not resourceful.

"Go on." Harry paused as the older man took his hat off and placed it on the edge of Harry's desk.

"You know what Vladimir and his friends are capable of." He glared at Harry. "Don't give me that look. I know both you and Juliet didn't complete the paperwork from that operation truthfully." He held up his hand. "I know, I should have pulled you both up on it at the time."

"We both told you what happened."

"To a certain extent." Harry tilted his head, silently agreeing. "Even then you protected her. As much as you could anyway."

"Henry."

"I know those days are long gone. I've seen you look at Ruth." Henry smiled as Harry remained deadpan. "Never saw you look at anyone that way. Not even Jane."

"Can we stay on topic?" He waved so that Ros could see he was calling her into the office. The Section Chief opened the door quietly before assuming her position against the wall.

"Rosalind! You look as radiant as ever."

"Why are you here?" Ros frowned. "We haven't exactly got the time for a social call."

"And I, my dear am too old to be making them at this time in the morning." He shook his head. "I can see you have got yourselves a situation on your hands."

"So?" Ros folded her arms, ignoring the wince from Henry when he saw the old burns and scars on her arms. She had never got used to them, knowing that no one else seemed to notice made them easier to deal with. Now she knew either the rest of the team were so used to them they didn't notice them, that Lucas genuinely didn't consider them but she did and now she knew others who weren't going to consider her feelings did.

"So" Harry paused. "Henry here thinks he can help up with the situation we are dealing with now."

"Really?"

"I think I have some information that might help you. That is, if this old boy here doesn't mind dragging up the past."

"Is it relevant?" Harry paused. He already knew the answer.

"Harry, that is for you to decide."

"Ros, send the junior officers home for the night. I feel they are going to be needed in the morning."

Ros narrowed her eyes, knowing how unusual it was to just keep the core team on the Grid. "You think they will actually leave? You do know who are in Section D?" She smirked. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Obeying orders isn't their strong point?" Henry laughed. "Some things never change."

Harry shot his old friend a withering look. He had begun to accept he was reaching the end of his time in the Service, he wondered if Henry ever realised he had.

"Then ask Ruth, Malcolm, Erin, Adam, Alec, Zafar, Zoe and Lucas to get in here." He frowned. "And close the blinds."

Ros narrowed her eyes, before doing as she asked. She had a feeling that there was more to Henry's sudden appearance than met the eye.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"This was a Redflash." Calum stared at the computer screen. "But half of us are not in on the facts."

"Shut up." Tariq frowned. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"Eh? What." Calum pushed his wheelie chair over to where Tariq was sat. "What are you looking at?"

"Catherine found this."

"What is this?" Calum was instantly proud of his wife. She had a knack of getting to the root of a story. Her past as a documentary maker in some of the World's worst Hell holes had given her a talent for finding things out. It was a skill that Ruth had helped her hone of the previous year. He could see that if Tariq thought she was on to something then there was a very good chance she was right.

"That man there." Catherine joined them, pointing to the screen. "I know him from somewhere."

"How?" Calum frowned.

"I dunno. I'm putting him through the FRS now."

"If he's been on our radar before then he'll be in there." Beth joined them. "Wish I knew what was going on in there." She nodded to the office.

"No doubt we are going to find out soon enough" Will yawned.

"Yeah." Dimitri agreed.

"Bloody Hell."

"Will?" Catherine turned to see the baby of the team. "What is it?"

"That man. There."

"The one I'm putting through the system. You know him?"

"Not personally." Will glared. "I did a case study on him in basic training. He is supposed to be dead. This footage is new? Yeah?"

"Yes." Tariq paused.

"Then that man is Darshan. He should be dead."

"He's right." Catherine returned to the group from her computer. "It is him."

"Unless?" Dimitri shrugged.

"Unless its his clone."

"Could be." Tariq paused. "Thing is, who is going to tell Lucas?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucas yawned as he took a seat opposite Harry and next to Ruth. Ros remained in her customary place. Adam, Zoe and the others sat around the office wondering why they had been singled out. It was rare that they were segregated.

"What's going on?" Ruth asked, immediately worried.

Harry met her gaze, hoping that she wasn't going to worry too much. He knew it was like asking for a miracle. He knew she would be analysing any and every possible scenario. He knew each possibility would be worse than the last in her minds eye.

"I think I'm going to let Henry explain." Harry paused as the old man shook his head.

"Never took you for a coward, Harry."

"He's not." Ruth stated firmly. Harry remained motionless but she saw the expression in his eyes change. Adam frowned, waiting for an explanation.

"Go on then."

"Well, I had a visitor." Henry paused. "One I didn't think I'd ever see again. Actually, one I thought I would never have the misfortune to."

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A.N please review - back to the action next time.