Everybody hurts
The Grid fell silent as the realisation the bomb had detonated sank in. Ruth covered her mouth with one hand; certain she had just heard her friends die. Uncharacteristically Malcolm swore, causing Catherine to visibly flinch. It was Ros who recovered first.
"Status Report." She snapped. There was silence as she remembered Lucas had also been heading towards the hotel. She prayed he wasn't there. "Status report. Not a request."
"It blew up." Alec coughed. "The whole fucking thing blew like a firework."
"Personnel?"
"Will is down, think Dimitri and Lucas are ok. No sign of Beth." Alec answered. "She refused to leave the bomb. Looks like she has done a Connie on us."
"I'm on my way." Harry stated firmly, knowing there was a very real likelihood one of his officers were dead. Killed the same way Connie James had been. Only this time the girl hadn't betrayed them. He glanced at Ruth as tears filled her eyes. Ros grabbed her leather jacket, following Harry.
"Call everyone who isn't at the hotel back. Why am I getting the feeling that history is repeating itself? "
"Because they know us. There's a leak, there has to be. Either we've been compromised or someone is in on it." Catherine paused.
"One of D? One of us?" Malcolm frowned, remembering the debacle with Connie and Juliet.
"Or someone who knows us well enough to be able to do it." Ruth interjected. Harry kissed her cheek before disappearing with Ros. She prayed it wasn't happening again.
Xxxxxx
Will coughed as the acrid smoke hit him. He gripped his side knowing that at least two ribs had been broken. It didn't seem to matter as he looked across to see Dimitri staring at the bombed out building. The older man looked shellshocked.
"Dim?" Will called out as the former SBS man stared at the destroyed building.
"Beth is in there." Dimitri almost whispered. "She. It's."
The comms crackled to life as Beth's voice could be heard through the comms.
"I know where I am!"
"Beth?" Alec tapped his ear.
"Bomb went off then." She coughed, sounding genuinely annoyed . Dimitri laughed as the Bomb Disposal Unit arrived. Harry's 4x4 pulled up alongside. "I'm stuck." Beth continued.
"Don't move." Alex instructed as he jogged towards Harry's Car.
"Oh why didn't I think of that?" Beth retorted as Dimitri closed his eyes. He knew Beth had a way of finding danger but also a way of getting herself out of it. "My ankle is stuck."
"We're coming to get you." Dimitri watched as Harry and Alec headed towards him.
"Good. I was kinda hoping that was the plan." Beth touched her head. In complete darkness she knew she had sustained another head injury . "Talk to Rana. The girl from records. She's the key to all this . I know she is."
Xxxxxxxxx
Ruth paced the Grid, trying to make sense of all the information she had. They knew the attacks on Tariq, Ishmael and herself had been partly out of revenge and to distract them. She looked over to where Erin was sitting talking to Calum.
"I think we should talk to Rana Patel."
"The girl from records?" Calum looked up. Ruth nodded.
"I did a background check on everyone who has been attacked. Bit more in-depth than Human Resourses. And before you asked I know she was followed over the park but I also found out her former boyfriend was kicked out of 6 last year. He went undercover on an op and was turned. There was a deal done so he didn't go to prison. Seems he ended up becoming great friends with Cook and Parkinson." Ruth pulled her navy cardigan closer to her, worrying one of the buttons as she spoke. "I might be wrong but perhaps she could lead us to whoever is really orchestrating all this."
Erin nodded. "Perhaps. It's worth looking at her again. Calum? You up for this? Ruth listen in, yeah?"
Calum got to his feet as Ruth headed towards her desk to get the necessary equipment. She prayed she was right. The sooner the three men on the run and Cook were out of the picture the better.
A/N not too impressed with this chapter personally but have rewritten it. Please let me know what you think