So this was it. Oliver Mace's promised revenge had arrived in the form of a JIC investigation, sanctioned by Downing Street, into the Section's complicity in Tom Quinn's betrayal.
Ruth had truly believed Harry's gambit would work. The tape, that was- they were blackmailing Mace, really, by threatening to reveal to Mace's wife surveillance of his assault. But, apparently that threat only worked when Harry was there to back it up. And he was currently convalescing in hospital, following a shot to the shoulder.
She had done her best to get message to Harry. Told the nurse they were lovers. What was frightening was how easy she found the lie. As much as she tried to tell herself it was because she was a good spook, she knew there was a much more alarming idea that was beginning to take hold of her. When does a crush turn into love?
Can it even be called love, if it can never, ever be reciprocated?
In the meeting room, Mace interrogated Zoe on some trumped up evidence – apparently she had helped Tom obtain the weapon he had used in the assassination. Ruth watched with the rest of the Section.
"Did you know about this?" Sam murmured, arms folded across her chest, as she leaned accusingly towards Ruth.
"What?" said Ruth quietly, hoping against hope that Sam didn't mean what she thought she meant.
Sam scowled.
"Look, we know. We all saw you," she said, nodding to Malcolm, Colin and Danny, who had heard her remark. "So there's no point in denying you're sleeping with him."
"I am not," Ruth replied coldly.
"We're all going to lose our jobs over this!" Colin joined in.
"Colin," Malcolm reprimanded.
"No, he's right! If she knew-" said Sam, flushing pink.
"You can't expect us to believe he didn't let something slip during pillow talk," said Colin.
"Hey, that's enough, mate," Danny jumped in to Ruth's defence.
"I made a mistake," Ruth said, setting her shoulders back, "I met a man at a party. I thought he was all right, but I soon realised I was wrong. End of story. I knew nothing about this."
Sam scoffed. Colin was silent. Malcolm met Ruth's eyes and gave her a supportive half-smile.
"I've had it," Danny said, losing his temper, "I'm going to see what this is all about."
Ruth watched Danny storm into the meeting room.
Behind her, the pod-doors sounded. It was Harry.
All eyes turned towards him.
"Thank the lord," sighed Malcolm.
His arm was damaged; slung up, but this weakness concealed as much as possible by his jacket. Ruth watched him stride across the room. He was probably in quite a deal of agony; that soon after a life threatening operation, but it was clear to Ruth he was going to pains to hide it. Harry was hobbling, but not as much as one would expect. His face was pasty and white, but he would not let the discomfort show in his expression, which was rigidly set to a firm, powerful glower. He was still dressed in his usual impeccable Saville Row suit and crisp white shirt combination, the only sign that he had lost the use of his right arm was his absence of tie, instead leaving his collar open. She respected his strength in this immensely.
Ruth longed to say something, do something. To hold him, and tell him she was glad he was safe. To let him know he didn't have to be strong in front of her.
But she never, ever could, she told herself.
Harry let his eyes flick quickly over Ruth. She looked shaken. He shuddered to think why. When he received her Morse Code message in his hospital bed, he had been concerned by Mace's plans for the department, yes. But there was a separate dread for Ruth, too. Harry didn't want her to be left alone with Mace again.
No, he would not leave her, and his team, to Oliver Mace's mercy, bullet-wound be damned.
Harry stormed in and took control of the situation. He ordered Mace into his office and interrogated him over his plans. Mace claimed to be acting against corruption in the department, but Harry seriously doubted that was Mace's game.
When Mace left, Harry nearly collapsed in his chair. He breathed heavily, his lungs labouring under the stress of holding himself upright. Of appearing strong in front of Mace. Now he would only allow himself a quick break before he would have to go back out there, pretend to be strong again, and rally the troops.
"Harry," cried Ruth urgently, shooting him a meaningful look.
"Yes, Ruth," Harry answered in annoyance.
They would have to talk about what happened in that alleyway. But not now, where everyone could hear.
They worked long into the night. Harry made the most if it, aware that time was ticking down on their slim window of opportunity to save the department. His contact had explained that the goal of this investigation was to find an excuse to amalgamate the whole of the security service into one state controlled operation. So it was the whole service he was meant to save, then. And then Tom Quinn had turned up alive, claiming he had been set up. And then he had delivered Herman Joyce's body straight to Thames House.
Around midnight, Harry found himself struggling to remain awake through a meeting with Danny, Zoe and Adam. His arm ached terribly, but he could not let his officers see that.
Ruth interrupted them announcing Oliver Mace was on his way up again, before scurrying up. Harry sighed, agonized at having to put on a tough face in front of Mace again when he could barley stand.
"And that's another thing," said Zoe, when Ruth was out of earshot, "I hate to say it, but how do we know we can trust Ruth at the moment? Given her… connections to Oliver Mace."
"We can trust Ruth," said Harry.
"What connections?" asked Adam.
"They were all over each other at last years Christmas Party. Ask anyone. For all we know, she could be seeing him still," said Zoe.
"Ruth is not a mole," said Danny.
"Well, I'm sure she isn't, but perhaps it would be better to be cautious in such a delicate situation," Adam replied diplomatically.
"Enough!" Harry boomed, slamming his good fist down on the table.
Three shocked faces turned to look at him.
"Now, let me say this unequivocally. We can trust Ruth, end of story," said Harry.
"But how do you know that?" Zoe argued.
Harry clenched his teeth.
"I am well aware of the allegations certain members of staff have been making about Ms. Evershed over the last two months, and let me assure you, I have personally investigated these allegations and found Ruth to be perfectly innocent. Understood?"
They nodded. Zoe averted her gaze, but Adam's eyes glinted with curiosity. Harry felt himself being appraised.
"There will be no more gossip about the incident around this office. If you'll excuse me," Harry said evenly, mustering up as much strength as he could manage to rise out of his seat and meet Oliver Mace.
After their argument, in which the whole office gathered to watch, Harry instructed his staff to go home and get some sleep. He watched them leave from his office.
When he noticed Ruth had instead sat down at her desk and was typing busily into her computer, he rose up again and hobbled over to her.
"Ruth," he said, raising his eyebrows pointedly, "I thought I told you to go home?"
"I can't just go home knowing Tom's still out there alone. I have to do… something," Ruth replied frustratingly.
"I need you at your best tomorrow. This goes further than Tom, and you know it."
"Yes, I do know that. And I also know I need to talk to you about that, and you keep brushing me off-"
"Ruth. Not now," he said, willing her to understand that Mace probably had the place bugged. It wasn't a safe place to talk.
Ruth sighed crossly, but moved to stand. She shut down her computer and grabbed her handbag, making to leave, but not before sending Harry a furious glare.
Harry limped back to his office. He hoped she understood that he didn't mean to cut her out, they just couldn't talk here. But they would. He waited a safe thirty minutes, then moved to follow her to her home.
Thank you very much for all the reviews. I have loved reading them and they have helped me to stay enthusiastic about this project.