Lockdown

Dimitri stared at the floor. He knew that the longer Beth was away having tests the longer he would be worried to death. He looked up as his father nudged him.

"Dad?"

"My boy, look." Carlos nodded as the nurses wheeled Beth back into the ICU. The nurse smiled at the pair before telling them that the doctor was on her way. Dimitri nodded, barely listening as the nurse walked away.

Xxxxxx

"So." Catherine walked over to where Calum and Ruth were working. "We are stuck."

"So it would seem." Ruth glanced up from her note pad, having given up on the computer working again. "The pulse bomb has blown the circuit in the Pods and we are stuck. Zoe managed to text Zaf so they know not to come here. This case gets more ridiculous as time goes on."

Catherine smiled slightly. "True. But nothing is straight forward with us. Ruth nodded but knew that unless they had a significant break in the case soon there was little chance that they would ever get the culprits to justice.

Xxxxx

"Here we are." Zaf parked the car alongside a dilapidated block of flats. Adam opened the car door, ushering Nicola inside. He knew it was a risk - Lee has been able to evade them for far too long. Bringing his sister to the safe house had been a last resort. He knew the place was due for demolition but it was less risky than other options.

"This place is falling apart." Nicola glared at the flat as Adam nodded.

"Very likely."

"Why am I here?"

"To keep you alive." Adam nodded. "Don't look like that. Lee won't hurt you. I know that. But he's making enemies. Powerful ones." Nicola raised an eyebrow before sitting down on the old battered sofa. Zaf sat next to her.

"Lee is in well over his head." Zaf explained gently. "I don't doubt he's been a good brother to you, that you and he had a good childhood but something somewhere along the line has happened to radicalise him. Someone has got inside his head."

She nodded. "Yeah, you heard what he said."

"I think being sacked is the least of his worries." Adam snapped. The younger woman nodded before bursting into tears.

Xxxxx

"Harry." Ruth slipped into his office as he looked up. His eyes were becoming more used to the dark but he knew Ruth was probably on the verge of a migraine.

"Anything?"

"No. I can't get an answer from Zaf or Adam." Ruth twisted the rings around her wedding finger. The gold bands taking the brunt of her frustration. Harry nodded once, knowing neither officer would be able to contact them. "Ros and Lucas are headed towards them. As far as we know. No one can get out and no one can contact us. This is worse than EERIE." Harry stepped towards her.

"Ruth."

"Funnily enough both times I thought you were dead. Both times I've been made to think I've lost you." She blinked back tears as Harry rested a hand on her shoulder.

"We weren't together back then." He spoke quietly. Ruth sighed as his hand slipped to cup her face. Her eyes fell closed.

"Didn't mean I didn't love you. That I wasn't scared I'd lost you." She whispered as he kissed her forehead. "Harry."

"You will lose me one day. I'm older, more decrepit."

"No." Her hand covered his. "I."

"And you will be fine. You and the kids." His voice remained low as a tear fell from her eyes. He kissed her gently as she pulled him to her; glad that the door and blinds were closed.

"Don't talk like that. I could leave here and be hit by a bus. Again."

"Ruth. Don't joke."

"I'm not. Harry, this all started because someone wanted me to believe you had been murdered. That's where this all started. Somehow Lee has got involved, Lucas and Beth have been hurt and around half a dozen people are dead."

"Yes."

"We've. I've been focusing on the How for too long. The why is the answer".

Her eyes lit up as she warmed to her theme. He raised an eyebrow, knowing better than to try to stop her mid flow. Ruth Pearce gave a whole new meaning to the term brainstorming. He sometimes wondered if the links she made weren't some sort of witchcraft.

"We have to get into the old files."

"Ruth? Aren't you forgetting something?" He swore as the sprinklers erupted above their heads. Ruth smiled as Calum opened the office door.

"Alec had an idea."

"I bet he bloody well did." Harry snapped as Ruth pushed her soaking wet hair out of her eyes.

"Of course." She smiled, knowing what Alec had done. Moments later they, along with the rest of Section D were heading out of the fire escape.

Xxxxx

A/N nearly finished