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Missing

Ros opened her eyes as every cell in her body ached. She had no idea where she was or how she had got there. Lying on the floor of the van she began to shiver as she realised how cold she was. Ros groaned as the vehicle she was in seemed to move. She felt sick as she realised her wrists were tied together. Pulling at them in temper Ros cursed. The pain in both wrists making the nausea worse she laid on the floor of the van fighting against the pain and the panic attack that was beginning to overwhelm her.

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Lucas pulled himself in to a sitting position as Harry and Zaf reached them. He was still breathing hard and knew his arm and neck were going to hurt for the foreseeable future. Andrew Lawrence was next to him also breathing hard and looking very shaken up. He turned slightly as Adam and Zaf approached. The paramedics were parking the ambulance as a fire crew began dealing with the car.

"Harry" Adam approached his boss.

"What happened?" Harry looked at the men sat on the floor. He was immediately aware Ros was missing. Adam shook his head as he leant forward.

"I don't really remember much. We were heading back to Thames House. Ros and Andrew were in the back of the car. We were followed. Whatever I did I couldn't shake them. I think it was a Golf" Adam shrugged as Zaf helped Lucas stand up. "After that not a clue. Next thing I know I'm upside down in that thing" He pointed to the car, still amazed that he had got out of it relatively unscathed.

"Where's Ros?" Zaf watched as Lucas began to turn even paler than usual. He leant heavily against the wall as a paramedic reached Andrew and tried to persuade him to get in to the ambulance. Lucas shook his head as Zaf asked again. He realised his mistake as the nausea washed over him.

"No idea" Adam kept talking "She was sat in the back with Andrew. I know she had a seatbelt on but I can't see how she was thrown from the car and I don't see how she could have been taken."

"You are assuming she left the car of her own accord?" Harry was afraid of the answer. It was Lucas that spoke up.

"Harry. She wouldn't have been able to get out of the car without someone helping her. Adam dragged us out. Look at the car. Only Adam's door was not damaged beyond recognition. Harry nodded. He had a very bad feeling about this. He sighed as Lucas rested his head back on the wall.

"It looks like Ros was right" Lucas sighed as Andrew coughed.

"Yeah" Zaf nodded as he watched Lucas turn a funny shade of grey.

"There is more than one assassin. Frankie cannot be working alone. There definitely is a kill squad out there" Lucas felt faint as he spoke.

Harry called a paramedic over; he didn't like the way Lucas looked, his left arm hanging loosely by his side as a bruise began to form around his temple. "Yeah, and they've got Ros" Lucas closed his eyes as Zaf caught him before he fell.

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Ruth was sat on the Grid going through the vehicle and facial recognition programme on the computer. She was trying to work out who the occupants of the Golf were. It was taking its time. Harry had called once to say Lucas was being taken to hospital but Andrew and Adam were returning to the Grid with him and Zaf. She was angry and scared. Ros had been through enough and Ruth couldn't help but think of how little Amy was going to cope with out her. She prayed the Section Chief would turn up safe and well soon. Startled from her thoughts by the ringing of her phone Ruth snapped.

"Yes?"

"Ah Flower, there's a lady here says you need to see her" Stan ignored Ruth's snappy tone as he smiled at the elegant red head in front of him. Ruth sighed, she had almost forgotten about Sarah.

"Thanks Stan. Um, could you ask her to wait with you? I'll be there as soon as I can" Ruth tapped a few more keys on the computer as Tariq walked over.

"Sure Flower" Stan smiled as he replaced the receiver.

Tariq could see Ruth was beginning to flap. He smiled as he tapped something in to her computer. Ruth went to bat his hand away as he shook his head.

"Ruth, go and talk to this Sarah. If anything comes up here you'll get a text message. Don't leave her with Stan for too long. You know what he's like for the ladies" He smiled as he thought of the friendly Jamaican security guard that they all had a soft spot for. Ruth pushed her chair backwards and checked her mobile phone.

"Tariq?" She looked nervous.

"Go. I'll call you if we hear anything from the others" He watched as she nodded, biting her bottom lip Ruth made her way to the Pods. She really wanted Sarah to agree to see Malcolm but she knew it was happening at the worst possible time for the Grid.

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Sarah stood in reception with Stan. He had already offered her a coffee which she had politely turned down. He was trying to make small talk with her as Ruth appeared from the Pods. Stan knew something was going on, he'd known all the members of Section D long enough to know when one of them was up to something. While he liked Ruth he didn't think she was the type to go off investigating things alone. If Sarah was there on her request it was legit. Ruth approached the pair quickly her heels clicking out her impatience on the tiled floor.

"Ah, here she is now" Stan smiled. He knew both women were nervous. He just didn't know why.

"Hi Sarah. Thanks Stan" Ruth smiled as he beamed at her.

"No problem Flower. It seems to me you two ladies have some urgent business. Now I'm going off on my rounds, I'll be a good ten minutes or so. Use my office. No CCTV in there, you'll have proper privacy. Only place in Thames House that does" He smiled at Ruth as he ushered the two women through to the back room. Ruth blushed furiously at the thought a CCTV camera would have picked up her and Harry kissing in the doorway of his office when they thought no one was watching. She suppressed the urge to ask him as Sarah took a seat.

"Thank you so much for coming" Ruth sat opposite her as the red head began to fuss with the hem of her skirt.

"Ruth, please tell me. How is Malcolm? What happened to him?" Sarah was on the verge of tears. It was ten years since she had set foot in Thames House and six years since she had even spoken to Malcolm.

"He got hurt. He was protecting a friend of ours, another agent. They had to operate but he's going to be fine." She smiled as Sarah began to relax.

"Really?" The soft welsh accent was almost sing song. Ruth could see what Malcolm liked about her.

"Really, they said he needs to stay in for another day or so. There's been no one else. I've known Malcolm since I was 20 years old. It was him that told me about the secondment here. He kept you a secret, he only told me when he knew I was making the same mistake that he did with you" Ruth held her gaze.

"He was ashamed of me"

"No, he was protecting you. Harry told me what happened. Do you still love him Sarah?" Ruth had to know, she couldn't send her to Malcolm only to have her break his heart.

"Yes" Sarah nodded. "Always have" she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as Stan reappeared in the doorway. He quietly watched the two women as Ruth squeezed her hand.

"Sarah love" Stan started. His voice slightly chocked as he spoke "Ruth can't take you to the hospital, we need her here today. I'm off duty in five minutes. Let me tell Lee what he needs to know and I will take you to the hospital" Ruth smiled as Stan began talking to the security guard that was taking over from him. Sarah smiled slightly as Ruth stood up and straightened her skirt.

"Ruth?" Sarah bit her bottom lip slightly. She may have been in her mid forties but right then she looked like an unsure school girl. Ruth turned and smiled.

"Thank you" Ruth nodded and left the room to return to the Grid.

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Ros had passed out somewhere on the journey through central London. It was only when two large hands dragged her by the shoulders that she started to regain some sense of awareness. Deciding it was safer to play dead she allowed the man to pull her in to his arms as he carried her. Ros felt sick she had no idea who had taken her. It seemed likely Frankie would have let her live so long so she knew she had been right about the kill squad.

"Ros Myers" A deep voice could be heard. Hans Linnerman sat on the leather arm chair in the room. The man laid Ros on the floor in front of the arm chair. Hans Linnerman stood up and kicked her sharply in the abdomen. Ros' body jolted under the force. She kept up the pretence she was dead or at best unconscious.

"Ros Myers, friend of the former Home Secretary. Wonder how much Harry Pearce and your friends will want you back. How much your fiancé will pay to see you alive again? We shall see" He bent to her and ran a hand through her blonde hair. Ros could barely contain the nausea as he touched her.

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Zaf was worried. Lucas had been checked over in the A&E department and had discharged himself against medical advice. Andrew was sat at his desk talking to Tariq about the trackers that were on the car. Ros had been wearing hers but they weren't picking up. Tariq was frustrated that he couldn't get a signal however hard he tried. Ruth returned through the Pods to see Zaf walk straight in to Harry's office. She sighed; she knew how close Ros and Zaf had been. They all knew that it was Ros that insisted they continue the search for Zaf when he was missing. She sighed and made her way back to her own station.

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"Harry" Zaf stood in front of his desk as Harry looked up.

"Yes Zafar" Harry had a headache. He was worried about his team and desperately wanted to speak to Ruth. It seemed he was going to be unable to do so.

"There's nothing on the CCTV about Ros. I looked everywhere; Tariq has been through all the CCTV. There is no sign of her" Zaf glared at the desk.

"Keep looking" Harry watched as Zaf nodded.

"Of course, but I need to know something Harry" Zaf watched as Harry glared "We keep looking until we find her. Her and Adam are my closest friends. I don't care what the operational cost is Harry. I'll keep looking. I just wanted you to know that" He stepped backwards as Harry remembered the awful day when he had told Ros to move on, that Zaf was lost forever. He nodded.

"Zafar" Zaf stopped in his tracks. Very few people called him by his full name "We keep looking until we find her. Too many people have died under my watch I wont tolerate it anymore. We find Ros Myers. In the mean time keep an eye on Lucas." Zaf smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yes Harry" He left the room, slightly more determined to find his friend than her was when he walked in.

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Sarah stood at the entrance to Malcolm's room as Stan smiled. He could feel the nerves radiating off her. He rested a hand on her shoulder as he opened the door. He sighed as she made no move to enter the room. He walked in ahead of her.

"Hey Malcolm my friend" He smiled broadly as Malcolm looked up. He was clearly surprised to see the security guard in front of him.

"Hello" He waited as Stan sighed.

"I got a surprise for you" Stan stepped slightly to the left as he ushered Sarah in to the room.

"Oh my word" Malcolm sat in the bed astounded at the sight of the petite red head in front of him. Now he knew what Harry had felt like when Ruth was suddenly dragged back in to their lives.

"Hello Malcolm" Sarah's eyes were watery as she smiled. Stan left them to it as she crossed the room and fell in to Malcolm's arms.

author's note. A little fluffier at times? More soon. What will Hans Linnerman do next? Is Frankie really going to get Andrew? What about Ruth? Please review? More soon x