disclaimer - not mine

The American

Lucas glared at the blonde woman in front of him as Alec swore. The cantankerous secretary in the outer office fell silent as Christine tilted her head to one side.

"What is it ? Honey, you look like you just saw a ghost."

"Where are they?" Alec countered.

"Harry Pearce and the Ice Queen?" She smirked as Lucas glared at her.

"No. Ant and Dec" Alec snapped.

"Funny." She picked up her mobile, pressed a number and waited for someone to answer. "Hi." She kept her eyes on Lucas as he stepped towards her. "The merchandise is safe?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes. Alec silently wished Tariq was there to hack the call. Christine's eyes flickered away as she listened to the caller.

"Well." She paused. "If you can't deliver William, honey you shouldn't make promises."

Alec shook his head. He knew the petite blonde was the woman they had led to Tom Quinn leaving the service and Andrew Lawrence turning traitor. She was poison, what he imagined Ruth or Ros could be if they changed sides.

"I'll ask you again."

"I don't know. The trade didn't happen. Seems you can buy muscle but it doesn't always do what you expect it to."

"Christine Dale." Alec stated. "I am detaining you under the 2010 Anti-terror Act, in accordance with UK law. You have the right to remain silent."

"Oh Alec, you single yet? You're hot when you're angry." Alec rolled his eyes.

"Move." Lucas snapped as he and Alec lead her from the room.

Xxxxxxx

"Ruth. Calm down." Dimitri stared as he watched his friend pace the room.

"If Beth was missing."

"This isn't Beth. This is Harry and Ros. Harry was doing this before Tariq was born."

"I am here, you know?" Tariq kept his eyes in the screen.

"Aw bless." Calum ruffled the young man 'a hair. Tariq didn't flinch.

"Zoe has activated her tracker."

"And?"

"And they've arrested Lee and Brewer. They're on the way in." Tariq frowned. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

"None of this was supposed to happen. The police will want those two when we're finished. Harry needs to be here. Adam is going to have to deal with the Justice Secretary if we are going to get first go at interviewing them."

"Finders keepers." Dimitri stated as Beth swallowed hard. A phone rang in the back ground, Beth grabbed it before anyone else would.

"Alec." Beth stared at Ruth as she spoke. "I'm putting you on speaker phone." She pressed a button as the assembled spooks made their way to Adam's desk.

"Christine Dale." Ruth shook her head. "Poisonous witch." She mumbled as Zaf walked back onto the grid.

"Yeah. I want to be the one to interview her." Zaf stated. "I can handle her. I'll take Erin or Beth."

"I'll do it." Beth spoke calmly, knowing Lucas and Alec would be too close.

Xxxxxx

Footsteps echoed along the tile floor while Harry and Ros ducked into an alcove, hopefully out of sight.

"Ros?"

"What?" Harry looked at his friend, clearly in pain. Ros narrowed her eyes.

"Towers was going to sell us. He thought my demise would mean that there was very little that could be done to stop Nightingale." Ros leant heavily on the white wall, not caring if her blood soaked shirt left a mark.

"Shock and awe. Kill you, possibly Adam and Zaf too. Move in while we're all grieving and destroy the one thing that stood in his way."

"Section D." She nodded. "I'm almost offended I wasn't in the top three on his hit list."

"You and Ruth never would be."

"He fancies Ruth." Ros smirked at the horror in Harry's eyes.

"Maybe. But he knows if either Ruth or you were the target there is nothing Lucas, Adam myself and the rest of Section D wouldn't do to avenge that. Even Tessa knows there are some things off limits." Ros nodded before gingerly looking around the corner.

"Harry , move." Ros slipped around the corner hoping Towers and his friends had gone. "It won't be long until they work out it's not us in that cell."

Xxxxxxx

"The American?" Malcolm asked. Ruth nodded as he walked across the Grid.

"Yes, her." Ruth sighed. "I'm going to look around the databases in Grovsner House. She's ex CIA, there may be a contact back there. It's a long shot." Ruth shrugged.

"Long shots often worked." The Pod doors whooshed open as all eyes snapped to the woman in the Pods.

"Ruth." Catherine waddled down the steps. "Where's Dad?"

"Catherine." Calum walked towards his fiancé.

"Towers is dirty, this goes higher than any of us thought ." Ruth nodded, hoping the phone ringing in the background was bringing good news.