5

Ruth headed straight towards her computer as Harry followed. He knew her mind worked slightly differently to anyone else he knew but that was the beauty of having her as an analyst - Ruth saw the links they didn't.

"Where is it?" She mumbled as she clicked on the screen. "Harry, look at this." She sat down so he could read over her shoulder.

"Ruth." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "That man." He felt his guts twist in anger. He could see what Ruth was getting at. Tariq and Rana had been target practice. It was irrelevant that they had been frightened. That Tariq was still in a coma.

"Should he dead." Ruth stated firmly. "We thought he had died in Baghdad years ago. He should have died then. Instead he's been busy, recruiting and nurturing those racist thugs." Ruth pointed at the form of Parkinson's on screen. Harry felt the anger knot his stomach. The man had thrown Ruth from a car as if she was litter and left her for dead. He closed his eyes, forcing him to focus on the present.

"Ruth." Harry watched as she turned to him. "This can't be linked back to them? It was over ten years ago. Angela Wells had just put Adam in hospital."

"I remember." Ruth shuddered. "I remember seeing you both on the floor outside. I thought you were both dead." He squeezed her shoulder. "I thought she had shot you too." He kissed her hair.

"I did too." He whispered. "He can't be here for revenge? Mani I should have expected but him? I wouldn't have credited him with the intelligence."

"Don't underestimate him." Ruth tapped a few keys. "David Cook was working with Mani in Iraq. He was in the UK when I came home. He would have been aware of what Mani was planning."

"You think he was complicit in George's murder?"

"Probably. I don't know. What I do know is he entered the UK a week before Britain for Britain began to play up again. I think he knows Tariq is a spook. That he had Zaf and Will followed to show us he could. I know Zoe is terrified something will happen to him." She felt rather than saw him move to the seat abandoned by Zaf earlier in the day.

"We can have extra security put on the Masoods and we can up the personal security of everyone in the Section but the priority has to be finding this man." Harry ran a hand over his face. He was heartbroken that Tariq had been attacked just because Cook had deemed him an easy target. Ruth nodded; feeling as wretched as her husband.

Xxxxxxxx

"Thanks for this." Beth placed her canvas rucksack on the kitchen table. Dimitri shook Kevin's hand. The six foot ex-SBS man shrugged.

"Not a problem. Mi casa es su casa. Or whatever." He smiled. "I've a gig at the Monsoon Bar in a couple of hours so you've the first night to yourself." He leant against the table as Dimitri raised an eyebrow.

"The Monsoon? Really?"

"Look Sailor Boy. Not all of us lead the exiting and downright crazy life you pair do. Some of us have to sparkle!" He waved his hands in the air theatrically as Beth rolled her eyes. "Seriously it pays the rent so it'll do. Anyway I'm sorry to hear about the boy. Nice kid from what I saw of him."

"He is." Beth closed her eyes remembering the battered body of her friend as he had landed on the road outside her apartment building. Dimitri nodded before thanking Kevin again. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Xxxxxx

"So." Lucas sat on the sofa as Ros rested her head against his knee. "Amy, James and the dogs are sleeping." He ran his fingers through her blonde hair as he felt her relax next to him. It was late and he didn't see what else they could do until morning. The morning meeting would update them all and with any luck bring good news on Adam and Tariq. Now he just wanted to appreciate the fact that his wife and family were safe. Ros sighed heavily as the television news she had been watching changed to the weather forecast.

"Ros?"

"Mmn?" Her eyes fell closed as she visibly relaxed at his touch. He knew the rest of the world would never see her like this. She would always be in boss spook mode as Tariq called it when the rest of the world could see her. He smiled slightly as he realised things were beginning to settle down again after the attack. It had been almost two years ago but only recently she had stopped flinching when she was touched or step away from him. His eyes filled with tears at the thought of what Harrington had done to his wife but he knew the anger was pointless. The man was dead and it didn't help Ros.

"Ok?" Ros asked - her voice heavy with sleep. He nodded.

"Me? Always."

"That's my line." She smiled as she turned to face him before standing up. He looked up at her as she frowned slightly.

"Just thinking." He took her hand as she raised an eyebrow. He tugged gently on her hand before pulling her into his lap.

"Well don't." She whispered as her hands found his dark hair. "Thinking is what we pay Ruth for." He smiled slightly as he closed the gap between them, kissing her gently at first before allowing her to deepen the kiss. His hands snakes under her white t shirt as she pulled back.

"I." He paused as she looked him in the eye.

"Bed now." She got to her feet, holding her hand out to him. Lucas smiled slightly; knowing that in that moment nothing could touch them. He kissed her lightly on her lips before letting her lead him to their bedroom.

Xxxxxx

"Zaf mate." Adam sat on the edge of the hospital bed as he listened to his best friend on the other end of the line. "I don't like this. Rana isn't an idiot. If she says she was followed then she was. Now Tariq is in ICU and Ishmael is dead? He was a good asset."

"Yeah." Zaf sighed. "He was. His boy is in the year above Emma at school." He couldn't help the anger that courses through him. "It's been worse over the last few months. Since."

"The attacks in London and Manchester?" Adam knew his friend had been subjected to racism before - that he had got in more than one fight as a teenager defending his sisters. He knew it would have been easy to radicalise a younger Zaf, that morons who attacked Muslims like Zaf just made it easier for extremists to radicalise youngsters.

"Yeah. Even Emma had a comment at school. Because her and Zoe are white while me and Danny are mixed race. She's eleven and she understands they're idiots." He paused. "Anyway, Ruth thinks we were singled out. Whoever did this to Tariq knew who he is."

"Apart from those morons." Adam paused. "Why? Why go after Tariq? He's junior. What's the significance of dumping him outside Beth's flat?"

"Dunno." Zaf paused. "Her and Dimitri are in a safe house. I think she's more shaken up than she wants us to think."

Adam sighed heavily. His chest burned with every breath. "I think Ruth is right."

"She usually is." Zaf laughed.

"True. Look mate. I'm not sure there is a race issue behind this. It's too obvious. Even for brain donors like Parkinson and his mates." Adam stood, tugging at the hospital gown until it was free. He held in a gasp as he picked up his blue tshirt. "Three people attacked. One dead, one on life support and one terrified. Only two links are their faith and their employment."

"You think the killers knew Ismael was an asset?"

"Bloody coincidence if they didn't." Adam sat back on the bed, gathering his thoughts and strength. Zaf swore. Adam could hear Zoe in the background clearly angry. "What is it?"

"BBC news are reporting on a petrol bomb on the Mosque near Westminster." Zaf's voice remained even. Adam could hear Zoe answering a RedFlash. "According to them the Inam is dead and three others are badly hurt. Harry's just activated the RedFlash system. I gotta go."

Adam ended the call, knowing his family and friends would be furious at what he was about to do. He had no idea what other options he had. His Section were being targeted and his friend was on a life support machine. His mother's words came back to him but he knew he couldn't remain in the hospital- he was needed and there was no way he was going to be a sitting duck any longer.

Xxxxxxxxx

A/N please review. Is Adam ok? Is Ruth really right? Are Beth & Tariq safe with Kevin? More Harry/Ruth next time.