Ancient history
Catherine stared at the computer screen, trying to make sense of the information she was staring at. It seemed that wherever she looked the lines of enquiry all led back to Thames House. She bit her lip, looking over to where Ruth and Harry were talking quietly. She couldn't help but smile slightly, knowing Ruth had changed her father for the better. She got to her feet as the phone on Malcolm's desk sprang to life.
"Will, please try to stay calm. I assure you Elizabeth knows what she is doing." Malcolm spoke calmly. "Help is on the way."
"What is it?" Harry asked as he approached the technical officers desk. The Geek Squad as the rest of the team had begun to nickname them had commandeered the middle of the Grid. Ruth knew this was really because Malcolm felt better able to keep an eye on his protégés. Malcolm glared at the screen as the image changed to show the photograph Beth had sent to them.
"I believe." Malcolm frowned. "No, I must be mistaken."
"What?" Ruth stood alongside him, looking at the screen. "Is that what I think it is?"
"I believe so." Malcolm frowned. "Its an IED based on those used by the French Resistance in the Second World War."
"Bloody Hell." Catherine snapped as she walked over to her own work station. "There was something like this when I was at Six. Old and I mean really old technology. Stuff from the 1990s."
"Not that old then." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well in tech speak the 1990s are a different century." She continued. "Literally and figuratively."
"Go on." Ruth frowned.
"We never really got to the bottom of it before I was transferred here. I could make some calls?"
"No." Ruth shook her head as she sat at her desk. "I'll be faster."
"You are going to hack Six?"
"Hack is such a negative word, don't you think?" Ruth smiled as Catherine looked aghast.
"First Facebook and now this." Catherine was scandalised at the thought. "Is nothing safe from you?"
"On line? No. I like to think not." Ruth smiled. "How far away are they from back-up?"
"Five minutes. Alec should be with Beth and Will in under five minutes." Malcolm checked the CCTV, following the pool car as Alec disregarded the speed limit.
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"Doesn't this bloody thing go any faster?" Dimitri asked as Alec concentrated on the road. Cars bared their horns as Dimitri began to doubt how wise it was to allow his friend to drive. The rain battering the car made the driving conditions all the more dangerous.
"And now the Clowns are on us." Alec looked through the back screen as he realised two very fast and very noisy police cars were on their tale. "Who sent them?"
"Ruth?" Dimitri tapped his ear piece. "Can you get the Clowns to back off?"
"You are currently going at 210mph in a 40mph zone. That attracts attention." Malcolm answered before Ruth could. She smirked, imagining the look on Alec's face as Malcolm chastised him.
"We are working here!" Alec snapped. "We don't need the extra stress of those idiots."
"Professionals in law enforcements." Malcolm corrected. Harry sighed before leaning over to address the comms.
"I'll sort it out with the Chief Constable. Just get to Beth and Will. This bomb is like nothing we have dealt with. Be prepared to evacuate and wait for the BDU."
"Bomb disposal? Beth is there isn't she?"
"Just get there White." Harry snapped before he began talking into his mobile phone. Within minutes the tail Dimitri and Alec had acquired had been told to stand down. He just hoped they could tamper with the speed cameras before they were processed.
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"This is not good." Beth crouched in front of the small device. It was small, rectangular and clearly homemade. "No obvious timer. No obvious ignition source." She frowned. "Will, I do not like this." The dark haired spook brushed his unruly curls away from his face.
"Its going to be ok though. You can diffuse it?" Will watched as she tilted her head.
"I'm no expert. That's what we have Malcolm for. Just don't be complacent because we can't see a timer doesn't mean there isn't one. This is ancient."
Will looked over his shoulder. The adrenaline surging through him beginning to ebb away to leave a pit of fear in his gut. He barely registered the sounds of screeching breaks as Alec pulled up behind them. Beth swore, getting to her feet.
"What?"
Beth looked at the device, no bigger than a margarine tub as she realised what had happened. The wind caught her hair as she looked to where her boyfriend and the former IA man stood.
"Go." She yelled at the other officers. "That bloody car has triggered something. Now go! You too Will."
"I am not leaving you with a bomb!" Dimitri snapped. Beth glared at him.
"I am not arguing. I don't have time. Evacuate the area." She knelt back down trying to work out how and where she was going to cut the wires. Alec nodded, before running into the small office at the side of the car park they found themselves in. Within seconds he had set off the fire alarm and sprinkler systems engulfed the building. Dimitri and Will began running through the building, checking that no civilians were left inside as Beth worked. "Malcolm? Malcolm I don't think I can do this."
"Yes you can." His voice was tense as it came through the comms system. "You can do this easily."
"Its on a timer but I cant see how much time I have. There's pressure point that has been activated but we don't know if that is for this device or if there are others on a relay chain through the building. I am currently stuck in the basement car park of a very expensive hotel about to be blown to smithereens."
"Been there done that." Ros' voice came clearly through the comms. "Hotel is evacuated and Beth, you are the only one left in the building. Leave it and get out. BDU are on the way. Leave it for them."
"No time." Beth looked around the damp basement. "There is no time."
"I am issuing you a direct order Bailey. Get your arse out of there. NOW!" Ros yelled as the building began rumbling. Dimitri made to run back into the car park with Alec as Lucas physically stopped them. The ground shook as Ros fell to the floor. Lucas could be heard yelling for her as the building behind them exploded sending debris into the air as the comms died.
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A/N is Tariq really ok? Has Beth survived the bomb? Please review - not many chapters left