Disclaimer not mine
Threats and Promises
Terri hurried up the front steps to Harry and Ruth's house. She knew she was running late after promising Ruth she would look after Charlie, Nick and Gracie Jo for the day. Glancing around she couldn't shake the feeling she had been followed but had no idea why.
"Hiya." Nick yelled as Ruth opened the door. "I'm fourteen and I don't need a babysitter." He glanced at Ruth as Terri walked in.
"Way to make a girl feel wanted." Terri smiled as she picked up Gracie who wriggled in her arms.
"Nick." Ruth stared at him. "You do. I am not leaving you in charge with the children here. I trust Terri. Anyway, Wes has gone to see Adam's mum and Molly is away on her netball tour so where else would you be?"
"And I've got a new DVD in my bag." Terri smiled. "And I am not that bad am I?"
"No, course you're not. Harry told me to look after the little ones that's all. While he was away." Ruth and Terri glanced at each other.
"Ok." Terri nodded. "And you are. You are helping me look after them. Now come on." She ushered the teenager through to the living room. "Ruth, stop worrying. We will be fine." She watched as Ruth picked up an incredibly oversized bag before kissing Gracie and rushing out the house. "What are we going to do with your Mum?" Terri asked the eighteen month old little girl who just shook her head in response.
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"Natasha has agreed to help." Malcolm walked towards Ros as he spoke. "She stayed with Sarah and I last night."
"You have got to stop taking in waifs and strays." Calum smirked. Ros glared at him.
"Good." Ros nodded. "She can visit her brother again. See what she can find out about Brewer and his little scheme."
"She's not going to be able to drop in." Calum frowned. "You know that. They only get two visiting orders a month. She's had one and his girlfriend has had the other one."
"Girlfriend?" Beth looked up. "You mean Tracey Brewer?"
"Yeah." Calum nodded. "She's got the other order."
"Well, we stop her getting to the prison. Get Natasha into the prison." Ros looked at Tariq and Calum. Tariq smiled before flexing his fingers and turning to his computer. Ros rolled her eyes, determined that she didn't want to know how Tariq was going to get the visiting order changed but she knew he's manage to somehow.
"What time is it?" Lucas glanced at his watch. "Where's Ruth?"
"Oh great." Ros sighed. "Has anyone heard from her?"
"Last time she was late for work she was abducted." Malcolm frowned. "That nasty business with Andrew Forstrell." Tariq raised an eyebrow. "Before your time."
"This is all we need." Ros snapped. "Beth, try her mobile. Dimitri, try her house phone. Ruth is never late. Ever. She might be the second one to arrive when Harry is here but she is never this late."
"For a spook her routines are completely predictable." Alec frowned. "This is not good."
"It's routines that give structure. Create a civilised world." Ros frowned. "Find Ruth."
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Ruth walked along the pavement, aware that she was being followed. It was the first time she had taken public transport since she had moved in with Harry. She had thought leaving the car for Terri to use was the right decision. Now she was not so sure.
"Excuse me." A gruff voice spoke as a figure bumped into her.
"Ok." Ruth tensed but relaxed once she realised it was a group of school boys from the local high school in a rush to arrive before the bell went. She forced herself to relax as she reached the bus stop. Seconds later she felt her heart race to dangerous levels before her ears started ringing. She had a sharp pain in her right arm. She shook her head and stepped back as strong hands grabbed her before bundling her into the boot of a green car.
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"She didn't get on the bus this morning." Calum yelled as Ros walked back in through the Pods.
"If this was anyone else, I wouldn't bat an eyelid." Ros frowned.
"But this is Ruth." Zoe stated. "Trouble finds her."
"That is true." Malcolm frowned as he thought of his friend. "I just checked on Natasha. She's managed to convince the prison to allow her to visit on compassionate grounds. As part of her mother's funeral arrangements." Ros smirked, slightly impressed at the young woman who ran a coffee shop.
"Good." Ros folded her arms. "I knew Adam must have seen something in her when Shining Dawn were annoying everyone. Any news on Tessa and Jools?"
"Hopefully they've crawled back under whatever stone they crawled out of." Malcolm snapped. Ros raised her eyebrows, unused to her friend's attitude. Mild mannered and generally calm Malcolm did not snap. Ever.
"Boss!" Dimitri yelled as he stared at the CCTV monitor Erin had hijacked. "Ruth's been abducted."
"Shit." Ros snapped, knowing that the analyst had been an easy target for Harry's enemies with him not around.
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Harry walked along the gangway above the prison's communal area and glared. He couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. He was certain he had done nothing to give his cover away. Neither had Adam and Zaf. Both had managed to communicate with him, knowing he would be the one to talk to the 'psychiatrist' next. It definitely wasn't an Islāmic group planning the attack. It seemed that Brewer's friends had just wanted to create even more Islamaphobia to push their racist views on the rest of the population. He shook his head as he watched Brewer and the man he now knew was his son in law walk towards them.
"Morning, Jimmy." Brewer smiled. Harry nodded in greeting. "See lad, I told you. Our Jimmy here is the strong silent type."
"I don't see the point in talking when I have nothing to say." Harry glared, aware that two more inmates had appeared behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know they were more of Brewer's vile little gang.
"Ah fair enough." Brewer nodded. "As they say talk comes cheep."
Harry curled one lip into a snarl. He knew what was coming. He had refused to abide by Brewer's rules. He refused to allow himself to be blackmailed and had stayed in the character Malcolm had created in the legend. "They do." Harry glared.
"Thing is." Brewer smirked. "I know why you don't like to talk. Might let something slip."
"Slip?"
"Yeah, about your beautiful wife, baby daughter and step son. Nick's doing well at school I hear." Harry felt his blood run cold. "Younger wife too. That did surprise me. But then anyone your age would be past it where having kids are concerned."
"I'm sorry but I haven't got a clue what you are talking about." He clenched his fists as Brewer stepped nearer.
"Oh I think you do." Brewer smirked. "I think you know exactly what I am talking about." The air in the room changed. Harry knew his suspicions over the last couple of days had been right. His cover was blown and Ruth was in trouble. Locked away in the prison there was nothing he could do to help her.
"It's been a long night." Harry stated. "And I've not slept. Care to enlighten me?"
"Harry Pearce. Henry James Pearce. Ex wife of Jane Townsend. Father to Graham, Catherine, Nick and Grace. Grandpa and cricket enthusiast. Oh, what else was there?" Harry wanted to scream. He knew he was dead. If he didn't get these men away from him he would be murdered where he stood.
"Not a clue. My girl is Cath but that's the only thing you're right about." Harry stated firmly. He knew the younger man was aware he had an adult daughter. There was no point in lying about it. "I've not got time to listen to this shit." He pushed passed Brewer and the boy at his side. Suddenly two arms grabbed him from behind as a punch landed firmly in his guts. Harry doubled over in pain just as guards yelled and ran towards them with sirens ringing through the walls.
"Harry Pearce. Head of Counter Terrorism." Brewer hissed. "See? I have friends in very low places that hate you as much as I do."
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"How did we not know this?" Ros tucked her gun in the back of her jeans as Lucas grabbed his jacket.
"Because this is the sort of link only Ruth would find." Beth snapped. Ros glared at her, knowing the younger blonde was right.
"Brewer's daughter is the link. Tracey." Calum stated. "We have to get word to Adam and the others."
"I'll make a surprise visit to the prison. "Zoe offered. "Say I'm there to make up time for leaving early the other day. That I don't want to fall behind in my assessments. That way I'll get to talk to Harry."
"Or maybe not." Calum turned the monitor of his computer so they could all see. The footage from BBC News showed fire erupting from the cell windows as men scaled the roof of the prison. Police helicopters could be heard as the reporter talked.
"Is that Harry?" Erin pointed at the figure of a middle aged man with a badly bruised face on the edge of the roof. "Oh my God."
"They're going to kill him." Lucas blinked. "He's going to be pushed off the roof." Ros froze, unsure what to do. Harry had been a constant in her life since she had joined Section D. Even though she had resented him at the time he had become a close friend as well as boss over the last few years.
"Find Ruth." Ros spoke calmly. "Lucas, you and Alec concentrate on getting to the prison. We have to get our men out of there. Even if Harry." She paused. "Even if. Adam and Zaf are still in there. Zoe stay here, go through any intel Ruth may have been working on."
"Ok." Zoe took her jacket off.
"Erin, Beth, Dimitri concentrate on finding Ruth." Ros stated. "Malcolm, keep in touch with Natasha. We may still need her. Tariq?"
"Follow the money." He nodded. "I did. This is what I found."
"What." She stated, rather than asked.
"The money is being paid directly into Tracey Brewer's account." He paused. "From an offshore account in the name of Julian Silvitir."
"Right." Ros paused. "He warned us he would be back. He pays money Nightingale is giving him. So he and Tessa can hand the dirty work to someone else."
She zipped up her jacket and stormed towards the Pods, knowing if they weren't fast enough the extremists would win and Section D would be damaged beyond repair.
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A/N More soon. Please review.