Pieces

Ruth stared at the cctv footage Malcolm and Tariq had commandeered. It looked like any other ordinary day in the centre of London but she knew it wasn't. If Lucas' injuries had been a warning she needed to know who was responsible and how it linked to the clones that seemed to be plaguing them.

"Tea." Catherine put the mug in front of her stepmother. "Stop blaming yourself."

"I've missed something." Ruth didn't take her eyes off the screen. "Catherine, someone wanted me to believe Harry was dead. Wanted Alec to think Juliet had killed herself, wanted Lucas to think Darshan is back from the dead. It's personal. Someone knows about the Section and the relationships we have. In the meantime Lucas is in hospital and two bodies are at the mortuary."

"Anything picked up on camera?"

"No." Ruth let the frustration show in her voice. "The west entrance camera cuts out for 33.5 seconds. Then we see Lucas slumped over on the pavement."

"I'm trying to find out how and why the cameras stopped. Someone must have been sending some sort of signal to block the signal from the camera." Tariq ran a hand through his hair. "One second the pavement is empty. Then Lucas is there. It's not even a decent edit." He chewed on a pen top as he spoke. Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, So could the signal to knock off the camera have come from somewhere in Thames House?" Catherine watched as Tariq and Ruth exchanged glances.

"That'd mean a traitor." Will joined the conversation as naive as ever. Ruth frowned.

"Yes, yes it would. It is possible and it has happened before."

"I'll do a retrograde signal server search; focusing on piggyback signals and possible IP address hacks or shadowing." Malcom stated firmly. Will pulled a face. Catherine and Ruth smiled.

"In non geek speak he's going to try to look back and see where the hack came from then follow it to source." Catherine explained. Will nodded.

"Sic"

"No, not unwell just damned annoyed." Malcolm spoke as Catherine and Will smiled. Ruth got to her feet; heading towards Alec who was sat at the far end of the Grid.

"No." Alec paused. "Whatever it is no."

"You don't know what I'm going to ask." Ruth tilted her head to one side appraising the former IA man. Alec took a deep breath.

"Pearce. You are going to ask me to either help you do something which; if it went tits up Harry would have my guts for garters, something about Juliet or ."

"I want you to come with me to talk to Darshan. Well the clone." Ruth interjected. "How could that possibly get you in Harry's bad books?"

Alec sighed. "Ask Adam, Zaf or Zoe."

"I'm asking you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm too close to Zaf and Adam if things go wrong. Zoe , well, she doesn't have the physical presence you have." Ruth shrugged "and I can't ask Ros."

"You want me there as the hired thug?"

"Not thug exactly."

"Ok Ok." Alec held his hands up in defeat. "Lead the way Lady Pearce." Ruth smiled as he got to his feet and followed her out of the Grid.

Xxxxx

"Drink this." Harry handed Ros a plastic cup full of hot brown liquid. She wrinkled her nose.

"What is it?"

"Sweet tea. For shock. Extra sugar. You need the energy. I spoke to Carrie. The children are with her tonight and she sends her love." Harry sipped his own drink. Ros glared at hers as if it contained cyanide rather than tea.

"Ok."

"Boss, Harry." Both looked up to see Calum watching them.

"This had better be good." Harry ground the words out. Calum shrugged.

"Ruth and Adam ordered extra security for Lucas while he's here. Well, I'm it."

"Oh for Gods sake." Ros mumbled. Calum looked at the floor, not sure what to say or do. Harry nodded once as the door to the family room opened.

"Hi, I'm Dr Singh. I was with Lucas when he came in." She sat opposite Ros. The doctor seemed impossibly young but Ros bit back her retort; knowing the other woman was trying to help. "As you know Lucas has some pretty bad wounds. We've given him some analgesia, antibiotics and a blood transfusion."

"He's going to be ok?" Calum asked as Ros glared at her hands. The doctor frowned.

"He's badly wounded. He's going to theatre to have the wounds deep cleaned and closed. The bone - the tibial plateau on his left leg is fractured so we've set that in a cast. His left ankle has also been broken. There are a lot of unrelated scars and old injuries among his tattoos."

Ros raised her eyes to the young doctor.

"Lucas is ex military. He was taken hostage years ago. The marks and scars are the result of that time." Harry interjected. "Is He Ok?"

"He will be." Dr Singh stated firmly. "His legs are badly injured but he should be ok."

"I want to see him." Ros stated. The doctor nodded before ushering Ros out of the room.

Xxxxxx

"Oh! Oh my word." Catherine was suddenly mindful of the company she was in and stopped the string of expletives she had thought. "Uncle Malcolm! Ruth!"

"Ruth is with Alec." Malcolm sighed.

"Oh." Catherine ran her fingers through her hair. "I think I've done it. I think I've found the link. And the traitor."

Xxxxx