Arthur watched as the target came out of the hotel, Helios was still with him. As the car pulled away Arthur started to follow leaving several cars between them in the hopes they wouldn't realise they were being followed. It wasn't long before they pulled up before a modern office block, all glass and steel. The target and Helios got out and went in as the car pulled away. Arthur parked about a hundred metres away and got out the car. Once sure he wouldn't be seen he approached the building and pulling out the card that Gaius gave him he used tit to enter the building. The joy was with it being in two parts if anyone tried it they wouldn't know how he got in. Slipping silently into the building he looked at the lift that was taking someone up into the higher floors. He watched until it stopped on the twentieth floor. Arthur took the other lift to the nineteenth floor then went up to the twentieth.
Carefully walking along the corridor he looked into each of the offices, the walls were half glass so it made his job easier. Then he noticed a few offices ahead the light was on. Carefully entering the office to the right, again using his card and the disc in his collar, he went in keeping himself below the glass panel. Getting his pen out, he set it as close as he could to the glass and listened using his ear piece. Once again the couple were discussing the information that had been in the stolen documents. Either Helios had read then before Arthur had retrieved then or they had a copy, which suggested the encryption had been broken. Something that Arthur had been assured was impossible in the time they had had it before the retrieval. Once the couple had left the building, after exchanging a substantial amount of money, Arthur followed them out then decided to follow the target. After all he had the information now. Arthur figured he needed to try to retrieve that as well.
Getting back to his car he let himself in, as he did so he felt the cold steel of a gun touch the back of his head. "Hand me your gun, very carefully"
Arthur did as he was asked. No point in taking stupid chances. "Just follow the car ahead as you intended to" came a voice he knew was Myror. Arthur had no choice and anyway he figure that at least that way he was going in the right direction. All he needed to do now was work out a way of disarming and overcoming the enforcer behind him.
Arthur drove for several miles before the car turned into an isolated and apparently abandoned warehouse. Arthur wondered why the bad guys couldn't have more originality. Pulling up in the shadows Arthur asked calmly "So what do you want me to do now?"
Myror was silent for a moment then Arthur heard him move. He caught sight of him in the mirror and tried to duck as Myror's gun can down on the back of his head. Arthur was stunned but not knocked out which by rights he should have been. He heard Myror get out of the car. Keeping still in the hope he would have chance for his head to clear a bit Arthur allowed the other man to pull him from the car. As Arthur hit the ground he grabbed the other man's leg and pulled at the same time bringing his own leg up. His foot hit his target and Myror bent double as his genitals were kicked full force. Arthur followed it through and grabbed the gun and taking the chance on it having a silencer shot Myror at close range.
Arthur retrieved his own gun and quickly dragged the body into the shadows before making his way into the building. It was clear that this was some sort of headquarters as he got further into the building, he could see several guards about and they were all armed to the teeth. There also appeared to only be one way in. Arthur looked around to try to find somewhere to climb up higher but there was nothing so he had no choice but to retrace his steps. Getting back to the car, he checked carefully before getting in, he wasn't going to be caught twice. Then he made his way back to the city and called in on his contact and asked for information on the warehouse before going back to his hotel and getting some sleep.
Back at the hospital the next morning the convoy arrived with supplies. So at least now the surgeons could work flat out once more. There had been a heavy bombardment the night before and casualties were pouring in. Most seemed to be civilian, but they asked no questions treating who ever came through the door. They were running out of space there was injured in every corridor and the wards were all over full. They had a large tent up outside which was also getting full. As soon as anyone was well enough to leave the families were removing them, most were trying to leave the city and head to the refugee camp in Turkey. Those with injured needing transport those well enough were walking out. But even so the injured continued to pour in. Merlin was working as much as he could, like the other medical staff, but they needed to rest or they became dangerous. The skill was knowing when to stop. Several of the longer stay staff were on their way home with the empty convoy and more had arrived. The hospital had decided to take over some empty building nearby to use for wards. One of the volunteers was painting a large red cross on the room and walls in the hope that it would not be fired on. Unfortunately the last building they had commandeered in this way had been so it was no guarantee, even though the authorities had been informed and work spread. By treating anyone it often meant that they were left alone by both sides.
The next day Merlin was doing his stint in the arrivals hall, where he assessed the patients for urgency of treatment, and whether they could be dealt with by local anaesthetic or general or whether it was just bandage up. He spoke two Arabic languages and English was spoken by quite a few of the locals so could make himself understood. Some were dead on arrival and were place in the make shift morgue for families to collect. Those not collected by the end of the day were buried in mass graves. In the heat there was no chance of keeping them longer if they wanted to reduce the spread of disease and smell of decomposing bodies. Photos were taken of the dead and posted with details of any identification. Merlin would have much rather been operating but this needed doing and they all took turns. It did give Merlin a break from surgery.
That day a school was hit and most of the children were killed but they still received a rush of victims needing treatment. Merlin found himself back in surgery where his talents and skill as a paediatric surgeon was needed most. He lost two more patients on the table in the next two shifts. One a ten year old girl and the other a six year old boy. The following night, as he had the next day off he joined Gwaine, and had some of the nurse's illegal alcohol before turning in to sleep.
The next morning they joined up with Isolde and Tristan, another surgeon and spent the day playing cards for grains of rice. The winner, Gwaine got treated to a few chocolates the others had saved up. Although they were convinced he had cheated. That evening they swopped stories of home before contacting their loved ones on skype. Merlin spoke to his mother. It was nice to see her and skype allowed that.
Talking to Hunith he found out that she had worked with Bayard on her first trip aboard for the Red Cross "Please tell him I said hello" she told her son "He might not remember me but it was his first trip as well as mine"
"I will mum, but how are you doing?" Merlin always worried about his mother, she chose to life in a rough area where she felt her services were in greater need.
"Son don't worry about me, the lads around here look after me" she told him "I have nothing to worry about. But you take care, it's rough out there I know it is, I'm more than capable of reading behind the lines you know" Hunith was proud of her son, but she had lost her man in the past and didn't want to lose her son as well. Not that she'd stop him it was in his blood on both sides.
Once he'd said good bye he had a quick chat to Gwen and then went to bed, ready for his next day's work. When he arrived at work he dumped into Mr Bayard "Hello Sir, my mother sends her regards, she worked with you in your first placement for the Red Cross. Hunith Emrys"
Bayard looked at Merlin with astonishment "Good grief that's going back some years, you know I didn't connect you. I should have done after all Emrys isn't a common name. What's she doing with herself now?"
"She works in an inner city area of London, she tells me it's the nearest she can get to this work. Mums in a pretty rough area but they love her" Merlin told his senior. "Well best get going surgery's waiting" with that Merlin shot of leaving Bayard in deep thought behind him. The conversation brought back memories of times long since gone and people no longer known to him. He couldn't help but think it was a small world.