Thanks once again to everyone who has read and in particular everyone who takes time to review this story.

xxxxx

Malcolm looked up in surprise as Adam flung himself into the chair across from his desk with a heavy sigh. He'd been so caught up in the work he'd been doing on the research for Harry that he hadn't noticed his arrival back on the Grid. "Everything okay? he ventured, Adam didn't look in the mood to be messed with

Adam looked across at him as if weighing up his thoughts. "Malcolm," he started, "do you ever think Harry..."

"Do I ever what think Harry what?" he questioned after Adam failed to finish what he'd started to ask.

Adam shook his head, "nothing," he continued with another deep sigh, "it's just that sometimes he can be such a...a..."

"Maddening, obtuse, frustrating man?" Malcolm offered with a wry smile.

Adam quirked his lips, "I was going to say cold hearted bastard."

"I take it you found him then?"

Adam nodded, "yes, he was up on the roof."

"Ahhh."

"Ahhh what?"

"That's generally where he goes when he needs to clear his mind." Malcolm took a mouthful of his now cold tea and grimaced before setting it down quickly. "He has done for years. Agnes mentioned that he'd been dealt a bit of a bombshell."

"She told you about it?" Adam looked up shocked, so much for it supposedly remaining silent.

Malcolm shook his head. "No, she just said that Dolby had been extra secretive about something recently and she believed it was something that affected Harry. She inferred that she had an inkling what was going on but I think that was to try and milk information from me."

"And did you tell her anything?" Adam questioned quickly.

"No, how could I, I don't know what is going on." Malcolm answered in a slightly haughty tone.

"Ah yes, of course," he puffed his cheeks out before letting go of a deep breath.

Malcolm sat up straight. "What's happening Adam, is there something going on that I should be aware of?"

"I can't say," Adam smiled wryly, "you know how it is."

"Secrets on top of secrets." Malcolm spoke with the demeanour of someone who had been fobbed off many time. "If you told me then you'd have to kill me."

"Something like that."

They both looked up as the pods gave their familiar whooshing sound and Harry stepped on to the Grid with a determined look on his face. He cast his eyes around quickly and stopped when he reached the two of them. "Sorry to interrupt the mothers meeting," he said testily, "Adam, my office now." With that, he headed straight there without another look at either of them.

"Well whatever it is, it looks like you're in the doghouse," Malcolm commented dryly.

"Nah... on this one I think even Harry knows I'm right," said Adam confidently as he got out of his chair. "It just depends on how long it takes him to realise it this time."

Malcolm raised his eyebrows. "Good luck with that," he said solemnly. "Once more unto the breach dear friend, once more."

Adam stopped half way to the office and turned round with a confused look on his face, "sorry?"

"Shakespeare dear boy," Malcolm said mildly, "I was paraphrasing Shakespeare, didn't they teach you anything useful at school?"

Adam grinned widely. "Ahhh," he commented. "Don't worry Malcolm, I'll be back!" The latter part of this he said in a strangled Germanic accent.

It was Malcolm's turn to look puzzled this time... "Kafka?" He hazarded a guess.

"Not even close!" Was Adam's reply as he paused with a hand on the closed door to Harry's office, "it was The Terminator... it always pays for a spy to keep up with general knowledge don't you think Malcolm. He gave one last cheeky wink before he opened the door and headed into Harry's office and the inner sanctum.

"What was all that about?" Connie questioned as she sidled up to Malcolm's desk silently. She'd been off the Grid most of the day and was eager to find out if she'd missed anything.

"Adam being Adam," Malcolm answered quickly. He wasn't sure what was going on between Harry and Adam but his sixth sense, plus the cryptic comments Dolby's PA Agnes had made earlier gave him a feeling of slight unease. "So where've you been all day? I expected you back hours ago."

Connie looked away slightly and Malcolm swore he saw the glimmer of a shadow cross her face before she answered him brightly. "Not that it's any of your beeswax, but I spent the day at the Russian Embassy meeting with a couple of old contacts there."

"Really, I hadn't thought you'd had much to do with the Russians since the end of the Cold War."

"I haven't," Connie answered quickly, "but you know how it is. Chatter on the airwaves, old cold war adversaries and a potential prisoner swap suddenly pops into the conversation."

"Oh?"

"Someone I knew from Prague back in the early eighties is now working in the Russian Embassy, she asked me to quietly put out feelers around a potential prisoner swap, that's why I came back here to see Harry, rather than going straight home."

Malcolm sat up straight. "Really? Who are they talking about?"

"Well from our side there were a couple of names mentioned to me and from theirs..." Connie smiled slightly, "do you remember someone called Lucas North, he was an Agent here with us years ago?"

"Lucas..." Malcolm's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Golly, I haven't heard that name in a long time. Of course I remember him, it must be eight or nine years that he's been over there now."

"Eight I think." Connie answered. "The Russians have decided that they've got everything they possibly can out of him and now want to send him back... and obviously get one of their own back in exchange of course."

Malcolm rubbed his hands over his face. "Goodness, well that's promising news."

"It is." Connie glanced over towards Harry's office where Harry's and Adam's shadows could be seen as though they were having an animated discussion. "So do you think it's worth disturbing them or should I leave it a moment?"

Malcolm looked over. "I'd say give it 5 minutes," he stared momentarily in consternation at yet another cup of tea that had gone cold due to people interrupting him. "I'll go and make us both a brew and we can go from there," he offered with a smile.

"So how would you go about it?" Harry questioned Adam. He was still feeling a little miffed from the way Adam had spoken to him earlier, though he also recognised the uncomfortable feeling that usually came when someone was telling him what he knew to be true, but hadn't yet admitted it to himself.

"How would I go about what?" Adam asked puzzled. When he'd initially been summonsed into Harry's office, he'd expected either a trite apology or a blasting. He'd got neither. Instead they'd spent the last ten minutes discussing the operation in Leeds and whether Ben Kaplan, who had only recently finished his training, was up to questioning another agent who they suspected may have been turned, albeit with another superior officer. With a lack of other alternatives as Jo was still off on sick leave following her horrendous encounter with the Redbacks and a lack of a suitable replacement for Zaf, they had decided to risk sending Ben along, feeling the experience at least would be a useful learning curve if nothing else.

"Finding Ruth." Harry answered softly, before standing and pouring himself a generous measure of single malt. He wiggled the decanter at Adam and he nodded, taking the offer of a drink for the truce that Harry obviously meant it to be.

Adam took the glass from Harry and thought while taking a large sip of the drink. "I don't know," he said honestly after a few seconds pause, "up until very recently it's not something I've ever really thought about."

"Well I have..."

Adam looked up in surprise. "Oh from what you said earlier..." he trailed off.

"You thought I'd never given her a second thought." Harry said sadly, "I'm well aware of my reputation Adam, but I'm not entirely without feelings,"

Adam looked slightly shamefaced thinking of his earlier comment to Malcolm before deciding to move past the slightly awkward topic of Sir Harry Pearce and his feelings. He liked and respected the man a lot... most of the time, but they'd never really gone in for man to man chats. "So you looked for her, or thought about looking for her?" He asked curiously

Harry inclined his head slightly. "About a year ago I did a little digging, mainly to make sure she was okay and safe wherever she was and found nothing."

Adam nodded, "what steps did you take?"

"Checked the travel records of all her known aliases, also the bank details of said aliases to see if there had been any withdrawals."

"That's it?" Adam asked incredulously once Harry had finished, he'd expected a comprehensive list not such a high level search.

"What do you mean that's it." Harry said defensively. "We have no idea what alias she's travelling under, no idea where in the world she actually is and it's not something I could be sharing with any of my overseas counterparts in the hope that they'd be able to share some of their records. In case you've forgotten Adam, she's supposed to be dead."

"Hmmm," Adam rolled the glass round in his hand watching the dark liquid move slowly and partially stick to the glass. "She was supposed to be dead," he said at length, "that's no longer the case."

Harry looked over at Adam. "So?" He questioned softly.

Adam smiled suddenly. "So now we can rattle a few trees, get some of those favours back from our European, Commonwealth and American cousins that I'm sure you're owed."

"It's still like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"True..." Adam tapped his fingers against his bottom lip. "But I'm presuming that last time you did it alone?" He said at length.

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"Well then." Adam swivelled his chair round and looked out through the windows of Harry's office to the Grid beyond. "We're field spooks you and I Harry," he said with a smile before pointing over to where Malcolm and Connie were sat by Malcolm's desk chatting away while drinking tea. "Finding needles in haystacks isn't our area of strength, we just deal with the needles once they've been narrowed down. However those two, are two of the best needle finders in the business and if anyone can do it then it'll be them."

Harry sighed recognising the truth in Adam's words. He'd thought about speaking with Malcolm when he'd previously looked but had decided against it, and even now was having doubts about bringing two more people on-board. "I asked you to keep to yourself what we talked about earlier," he said mildly, "you haven't said anything to Malcolm have you? I noticed you having a quiet chat when I came in earlier."

"Not a word Harry, I promise. But we can't do it alone." Adam urged. "We need their help and it's different this time. Ruth is actually alive now... well she was before, but you know what I mean."

Harry thought about his words briefly before nodding and pursing his lips. "Okay bring them in, the more the merrier at this stage."

Jo glanced at her watch as she ran, 8.06pm she noted. She'd been running for over two hours and she hurt. Her carves were hurting, her thighs were burning, she was sure she had multiple blisters on each foot, her lungs felt like they were on fire and yet she welcomed the pain. In the days since the attack by the Redbacks she'd not been able to stop thinking about it, going over and over it again and again in her head until she'd wanted to claw her brain out to stop herself remembering. She'd been meant to go for counselling but had walked out half way through the session. How on earth was someone else going to understand what she'd been through and help, when she had no idea in her own mind.

She'd quickly discovered that running was her only escape, the only time that the physical pain of pounding down streets and across parks, drowned out the emotional pain and the memories of what she'd been through. She thought momentarily of gong back to her flat, the place she'd shared with Zaf, but that was something else that had now gone and the place hadn't felt like home since he'd been taken. She glanced again at her watch, another hour she thought to herself, another hour of this and then maybe I'll be so tired that I'll actually be able to sleep tonight.

Harry looked over his desk at Malcolm and Connie. Malcolm's mouth was still slightly ajar as he attempted to take it all in. "So," he concluded after having given them both a comprehensive rundown of the situation both with Ruth and Oliver Mace, "do either of you have any questions at this time?"

Malcolm shook his head numbly, he like both Harry and Adam had thought he'd seen the last of Mace, a cruel man whom he had never liked. Not that Oliver Mace would have even known who he was, despite their paths crossing on numerous occasions over the years. People like Malcolm didn't matter to Mace, they weren't powerful enough or rich enough to be of any real influence so therefore didn't matter. "No," he said weakly, before clearing his throat of the frog lying there, "no questions from me at the moment." He added more firmly, his thoughts turning to Ruth, another friend and colleague lost whom he'd never thought he'd see again.

"Well then," Harry started, before Connie butted in.

"I do actually."

"Go on then." Harry waved his hand inviting her to speak.

"Oliver Mace, well I don't have much to say about him, but it amazes me that you're surprised at his return Harry. He always was a snake in the grass, have you forgotten what he did that time in Italy?" As Harry squirmed uncomfortably, she continued "This Ruth..."

"Ruth Evershed." Adam chipped in from Harry's side. He'd been largely quiet while Harry had relayed what he'd learnt earlier to Malcolm and Connie, but despite liking the older lady, he also realised that she had a precision when questioning, that was positively lethal at times it was so sharp and to the point, and he wanted to spare Harry this as much as he could.

"So, who was she." Connie took a sip from the vodka that she'd brought in with her, while all the men had a tumbler of whiskey in front of them.

"She was an Analyst here a couple of years ago." Adam answered. "She did much the same job as you do now."

"Yes, yes." Connie waved her free hand in the air,. "I've seen her name on numerous reports, I know she was an Analyst here. What I mean was, who was she?"

"I don't unders..." Adam started.

"What Connie is trying to say," Harry interrupted dryly, "is why are we going to all this effort to find Ruth when we have no idea where she is. This isn't normal protocol."

"And it's not your usual course of action either." Connie said slyly.

Harry looked directly at her. "I'm sorry, am I missing something here?"

"Lucas North." Connie answered the question with a gleam in her eye. "You've known exactly where he's been for the last eight years and haven't lifted a finger to help him, so why go to all this effort for this Ruth?"

"Who's Lucas North?" Adam asked puzzled.

His question was left unanswered as Harry responded angrily. "Don't attempt to fudge this issue with smoke Connie. I've done everything in my power to help Lucas as well you know!"

"That was below the belt Connie." Malcolm looked over at his colleague, noticing the gleam in her eye. She'd done this to knock Harry off kilter and to hopefully get more information from him than she would normally about Ruth. He made to speak again but Harry held his hand up and waited for the room to fall silent before he spoke.

"I know what you're trying to do Connie and it won't work with me." He arched his eyebrow at her, "I wrote the handbook around that remember."

Connie flushed slightly. "It was worth a try," she ventured.

Harry took another sip of his drink. "Ruth and I," he began slowly, "well we were close. She gave up everything for me, to save me and to save the service, that's why I want to try and find her." He glanced over at Adam quickly. "I owe her that much at least. With Lucas there's nothing in my power at this time that I can do to help but I won't stop trying, but with Ruth there are possibilities. Does that make you understand a little more?"

Connie nodded, knowing she'd get no further information out of Harry that night. She could see it in his eyes that he'd already told her more than he'd wanted to. 'No matter,' she thought to herself, Malcolm would be far more obliging around answering her questions in the morning once he'd got that stunned mullet look off his face. "Yes," she said quietly, answering Harry's question.

"Well then," Harry said looking at the clock on his wall. "I suggest we all get ourselves home and reconvene tomorrow once all this has sunk in and you've had time to digest it." Malcolm and Adam both pushed back their chairs recognising a dismissal when they saw it, but Connie remained seated.

"Just one more thing Harry," she asked.

"Yes?"

"Why did you decide to go and look for her 12 months ago. What happened then to make you do that?"

Adam and Malcolm both stopped from making their way out of Harry's office and turned round to face Harry and Connie who were still seated. "That's a good question." Malcolm said softly.

Harry rubbed his hands over his face before using his right hand to cover his eyes as if he was thinking about something. "Because I heard from her." He said after a few beats.

Connie beamed triumphantly while Adam looked accusingly at his boss. "You said earlier that you hadn't been in touch with her at all since she'd left."

"I haven't," Harry replied mildly, "she got in touch with me."

"That's just semantics," Malcolm butted in, annoyance radiating through his tone.

"So how did she get in touch?" Connie asked carefully.

Harry looked at the three of them, all waiting for his answer. "She sent me a postcard." He said eventually.

"And was there anything on there at all, any clues that could be followed up?" Adam questioned quickly.

Harry shook his head glumly. "Nothing at all I'm afraid. I tested it one night when you'd all left," noticing Malcolm's incredulous look he continued, "I'm not a complete Luddite."

"And where was the postcard sent from?" Malcolm queried.

"I don't know. There was no postmark or franking on the card, it was delivered by hand."

"By hand?" Adam questioned.

Connie quickly answered. "Old spy trick, pass the message on from person to person, each one only knowing the person before and the person after them. It takes a while but it's virtually impossible to trace the trail."

Harry nodded glumly. "It was delivered by my usual postman, I got that far, but he had no clue how it ended up in my bundle of mail. The trail went cold very quickly."

"And the picture on the front, were there any clues there?"

"No," Harry said sadly, "it was a picture of a street café in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I've been in touch with them and there were no drops left for me there."

"So you just checked aliases and bank details huh?" Adam said with raised eyebrows looking pointedly at his boss, suddenly very glad that Connie and Malcolm were also now involved.

"The postcard is a dead end." Harry said quietly. "I saw no reason to mention it."

"What did it say?" Connie asked shrewdly.

"That's rather personal," Harry began, "I'd rather not go into wha..."

"You either want our help or not." Malcolm said suddenly, surprising everyone including himself. "You need to be completely honest with us all, tell us everything. You might have missed something."

"I really don't think that's the case."

"He's right Harry," Adam said gently, "and it's the only clue we have at this time unless you're holding anything else back from us?"

Harry's head slumped into his chest. "No, there's nothing else."

"Well then," Connie chipped in, "do you still have it?"

"Of course I do!" He stood up and made his way to the safe in the corner of his office. while Adam, Connie and Malcolm each glanced quickly at each other before following Harry with their eyes as he opened it up and withdrew a folder.

"Ruth's file," Malcolm questioned as he sat back down, "you keep it in your safe?"

Harry looked uncomfortable for a moment before choosing to ignore the question. He opened the file and withdrew the postcard from the top of the contents in there. He went to pass it to Adam, but before handing it over, he pulled it back. "This goes without saying, but the contents of this postcard never leave this room." He looked at each one of them individually. "Do I have your word on that?"

"Of course!"

"Yes Harry."

"Certainly." Connie leaned over and took it from Harry's outstretched hand. She had a cursory glance at the front before turning it over and quickly scanned Ruth's words. She looked over at Harry and smiled sadly at him before reading the short passage out to Adam and Malcolm. She was quite sure that Harry would know the words off by heart."You did the right thing. We both did the right thing. Salus populi suprema lex. Grand tours are less fun alone. But I am well and safe. Look after yourself. I think of you often. Quos amor versus tenuit tenebit, Stubborn Mule.

Malcolm glanced over at his boss, suddenly recognising just how much it had cost him to hand that postcard to the three of them. He was the most fiercely private person Malcolm had ever met and this was akin to having his soul stretched out in front of them all. "At least she said she was well and safe," he said softly.

Harry nodded, refusing to look any of them in the eye.

"I understood most of it but my Latin's a bit rusty." Adam looked over to Malcolm and Connie for help.

"'Let this good of the people be the supreme law'. Is the first sentence." Connie started, "If my Latin is up to scratch."

"And the second?"

There was a pause in the room as Connie and Malcolm both looked at each other, neither one wanting to translate it in front of Harry.

"The literal translation," Harry began softly, surprising them all, "is 'true love will hold on to those whom it has held." There was silence in the office as Harry finished speaking. "Now you understand why I asked for your complete confidence?" He continued quietly.

Adam was the first to stir himself. "Of course." He looked over at his boss before walking over to him and putting his hand on his shoulder. "We will find her Harry, I promise you. We will track her down somehow."

TBC

The postcard and the information around that, including what is written on the postcard all comes from the Spooks book The Personnel Files.