Thanks once again to everyone who read the last chapter and particularly those who took time out to review. It's much appreciated. Now on we go with the story...

xxx

Adam stuck his head into the forgery suite to see Malcolm hard at work trawling through reams of data on his computer. "Anything?" he asked, more in hope than expectation. It had been 10 days since Harry had told them about Ruth and passed the postcard over to them and so far they'd drawn an almighty blank. Their last chance was the test Malcolm was currently running, but Adam's faint hopes were dashed as Malcolm looked up and shook his head.

"Nothing at all I'm afraid." He stood up stretching his arms and legs having been cooped up at his desk for the last few hours. "Unfortunately it seems Harry was right when he said he'd done all the tests and checking, however basic they were. This is just a bog standard postcard, no clues or hidden messages at all."

"Bugger," Adam grimaced, "anything from Connie?" The Analyst had been tasked with following up on all of Ruth's known aliases and she'd had the advantage over Harry, in that between her and Malcolm, they had backdoors into a rather large number of countries immigration databases and she had also been able to utilise a number of contacts around the world, now that the level of secrecy around Ruth's death, or lack of, had dissipated.

"Not that I've heard." Malcolm sighed heavily. "She had a promising lead on Tuesday I think it was. A woman under the name of Sarah Turnball went through Canadian immigration as she was leaving Ottawa on a flight to New York and was flagged as there was no record of her actually entering the country and she was on an Australian passport."

"Sarah Turnball?"

"An alias," Malcolm replied while making a couple of changes to the parameters of the search he was currently running. "It was one Colin set up for her shortly after she joined Five."

"How many did she have?" Adam asked curiously, he'd left the detail to Malcolm and Connie while he'd focused on the big picture.

"Ruth, only three or four." Malcolm smiled in a melancholy manner. "Desk spooks only tend to have limited ones, and even then, they're only usually used for meeting assets, so there's not much back story goes into them."

Adam rubbed at the stubble on his jaw as if it aided his thinking. "So what happened to the lead?"

"Same name, same date of birth and from the footage we could bring up from their security cameras, she had a certain likeness to Ruth," Malcolm paused while tapping at a couple of keys before turning his attention back to Adam, "but when Connie dug a little deeper it turned out that Sarah Turnball was who she said she was. She just has duel nationality so had entered the country on her Canadian passport and left on her Australian one. The similarity to Ruth was purely that, a similarity. Just a very unfortunate coincidence for us."

"So what now?"

Malcolm shrugged his shoulders sadly. "Unfortunately there's not a lot else we can do, we'll keep running the checks, but in reality, the postcard was our best hope as it was always likely that Ruth would have taken a new identity as soon as she arrived in France and met with Zaf's contact, and the card has led to nothing."

Adam wandered over to the desk and picked the postcard up from where Malcolm had left it, "I guess it really was just a case of Ruth saying a final goodbye to Harry then. Just as he said it was."

Malcolm nodded, "it certainly seems that way."

Adam back leaned against the door frame heavily, turning the postcard over and over in his hands as if by doing so a hidden clue would suddenly spring out, out of nowhere leading to Ruth's whereabouts. "Well I suppose I better get this back to it's rightful owner," he said, partly to himself and partly to Malcolm.

Malcolm had already sat back down at his desk and had brought up another search on a second screen, "well there's nothing more I can do at this stage."

"I know, thanks for all your help."

Malcolm looked back up briefly. "She was my friend too Adam..."

"I know..." He shrugged lightly. "I really just thought we'd find her. A couple of days of looking and something would crop up."

"She's good... very good." Malcolm said, affection coming through in his voice. "A lesser spy would have probably left clues but..." he trailed off sadly.

Adam was about to leave the room but he turned back as something struck him. "Do you think that this was why Harry was so reluctant to search for her initially?" he asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

Adam spread his hands helplessly. "The hope. Or rather losing all sense of hope. When there's nothing that can be done you don't really think about it, you just hope that something might change one day and you can cling onto that. But if you do something, and by doing that exhaust all hope, then the disappointment and pain is far more crushing."

"At least we tried," Malcolm breathed in deeply before continuing slowly, "we did everything we could."

"But..."

"But nothing." Malcolm countered gently, "If nothing else, at least we don't have to contend with all the 'what if's' if we'd failed to nothing.

Adam nodded "I suppose so," he said at length. "Not that that is going to be much comfort to Harry though."

Ruth stretched her neck from side to side as she finished entering the last entries from the patient notes onto the database. She'd arrived in Cyprus three months earlier in search of sun, having spent the earlier part of the year in the Northern climes of Europe and wanting warmer weather as the days shortened and the continent moved towards winter. After spending a couple of months exploring the Island, she had found a temporary job doing clerical work at the district hospital in Polis. It was nothing taxing but suited her for the moment, giving her chance to think and try oi work out what her next steps would be. She was sick of being constantly on the move and the fear of being recognised had started to rescind gradually after 18 months of anonymity. Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle cough as one of the Doctors entered the room.

"You've finished for the day?" he asked in English with a gentle smile.

She swallowed, "sorry Doctor, do you need the computer?"

He shook his head with another smile. "No, I have a computer in my own office I can use and please, I have told you a number of times. Call me George, we don't stand on formality here, we're not like you British."

Ruth nodded apologetically. "Sorry Doc... I mean George." She liked the tall dark haired man. He had been friendly and welcoming to her since she'd joined the small team a couple of weeks ago.

"You didn't answer my question," he continued in a friendly tone, "have you finished for the day?"

Ruth looked around the office quickly. "Yes, I was just about to head off... unless there's something else you need me to do?"

"Well then, if you're finished for the day, would you like to come with me to the beach?" he asked quickly, catching Ruth completely by surprise.

"I errr, I don't..." she stuttered, trying to get her words into order.

"It's just a trip to the beach Ruth," he grinned suddenly at her. "I've promised to take my son Nico down there after school with a couple of his friends and it would be nice to have another adult to talk to, that's all."

Ruth looked up at him trying to decide what her answer would be. Tt would be nice to speak to someone else, she reasoned, particularly someone she could speak to in English which she'd sorely missed; and she had promised herself since leaving London that she would start being braver. "Isn't your wife going with you?" She asked, playing for time.

"I'm a widower," he looked directly at her, making eye contact, "she died three years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ruth said softly, slightly unnerved by the directness of his gaze.

"You have lost someone too I think?" He asked gently "I see it in your eyes at times, the way a shadow will sometimes cross your face."

Ruth nodded as tears suddenly sprang to her eyes. She hadn't cried for 6 months now and suddenly one kind word and the tap had been switched back on.

"I'm sorry," he moved to grab tissues from the box on her desk, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't. It just catches me unawares sometimes, that's all." Ruth said wiping her eyes and making a quick decision, "I'd love to go to the beach with you and your son if the offer's still there?"

George smiled broadly. "Of course, the car is just outside." He turned to the door. "Give me a moment to lock my office door and then we shall go."

He disappeared from sight and she could hear his footsteps moving at pace up the corridor. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to get her emotions back under control and once again attempted to block out thoughts of London and her previous life... and Harry, before she made her way to join George at his car.

Jo pounded down the street, headphones glued in her ears, indistinguishable music rushing through her head trying to drown everything else out. She was on the final straight after an exhausting three hour run and for once was welcoming the idea of her flat and a hot bath before trying to get some sleep, albeit aided by the sleeping pills she had finally succumbed to taking. She kept her eyes on her feet as she turned into her gate and slowed down to a walk before she looked up and saw the man sat on her doorstep waiting patiently for her.

"Hello Jo."

"Adam." She ripped the earphones out and was assaulted by the quiet, "what are you doing here?"

Adam stood up to greet her. "Can't I just pop by and see how you're doing?" he asked with a lopsided smile.

Jo brushed past him, opening the door with her key and made her way into her flat, not checking to see if he was following her. "I'm not coming back to work if that's what you're here for." She challenged as she entered the kitchen and greedily filled and drank a pint of water.

Adam followed her through, she'd lost weight he thought to himself, it had been a couple of weeks since he'd last seen her. He'd tried calling a couple of times and had popped round to her flat but there had never been any response. "That's not why I'm here."

Jo eyed him suspiciously as she lowered her glass. "Then why are you?"

He hesitated before answering, not knowing quite what to say. Jo had been signed off sick since the horrific events with the Redbacks and despite him also being there and imprisoned with her, she had shut everyone and anyone out, refusing to talk about it and refusing any help the service could offer. He reasoned to himself that any focus on her would have him being shown out of her flat quick smart, so moved quickly to the other purpose he'd come for. "I'm after your help."

"I've just told you, I'm not coming back." She turned her back on him and started drinking again.

"And I'm not asking you to." He answered gently. He moved to stand next to her, noticing with sadness how she flinched when he gently lay his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"So what do you want?"

"Sit down." he asked her quietly, "I'll get you some more water and then I'll explain."

She nodded, moving to the table and sinking wearily into one of the chairs while Adam refilled her glass and placed it in front of her. "Thanks," she said softly.

He took the seat opposite her and began speaking, quickly explaining the situation with Ruth and how their searches thus far had come to nothing. "We need your help." He implored at the end with a wry smile.

Jo looked at him bewildered. "And how am I supposed to help if you, Malcolm, Harry and Connie can't come up with anything between you all?"

"Zaf never said anything to you? Never told you anything about Ruth that he shouldn't have done?"

Jo shook her head numbly. "No... well he told me that she wasn't actually dead, that her death had been faked, but I'd already guessed that. He didn't give me any details at all."

Adam sighed, his one last hope had been that Zaf had decided to confide in Jo, maybe even have given her the name of his contact over there. "Bugger," he said quietly to himself. "And there was nothing left in his room?"

"No, he never brought work home with him ever." Jo looked at Adam and smiled softly, remembering her old flatmate. "You know Zaf, he was the only one of us who could walk out of Thames House and shake off the shadow of MI5, he hardly ever spoke about anything to do with work at home unless I brought it up first."

"And you've been through all his stuff?"

"Yes, there was nothing there. Just clothes, books, cd's. The usual stuff, nothing connected to either Ruth or work."

Adam leaned his head back, before drawing his hands over his face in an expression of despair. "Ahhh well, it was worth a try." he said sadly. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help." Jo said standing and taking her glass over to the sink. "Poor Ruth, somewhere, who knows where and no one can find her. I just hope she's happy wherever she is." She added wistfully.

"So do I." Adam stood as well. "And how are you Jo?" He ventured slowly.

"Fine." Was the quick answer, shot back in a way that didn't invite any further questions.

Adam looked over at her sadly, she had been through so much and she was still so young. "I'll call you soon," he promised her, "let you know how we're getting on... if we're getting on."

Jo nodded shortly and Adam turned to leave before stopping at the sound of her voice. "Were they...?" the question tailed off.

"Were they what?" He asked, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Harry and Ruth, were they seeing each other before she left?"

Adam shrugged, "I don't know. They're both very private people. What I do know, is that I've never seen Harry react like that before. Whatever it was they were to each other, I think they cared for each other deeply."

Jo nodded putting her arms around herself as if trying to stay warm. "I felt so guilty," she offered, "putting that tracker in Ruth's coat. If I hadn't have done that then..."

"Hey, no ifs or buts." Adam said with a smile. "Mace was gunning for Harry, if it hadn't have been this it would have been another way."

Jo smiled wanly. "It doesn't stop me feeling guilty though."

"Well you shouldn't." Adam walked over to her placing both of his hands on her shoulders gently. "I mean it Jo, you've got nothing to feel guilty about, either with this or with anything else..."

"I know." She stepped away from him causing his hands to fall to his side. "Can I see the postcard?" she asked suddenly.

Adam looked at her in surprise. She'd made no real effort to ask questions when he'd told her the story and had seemingly replied on autopilot to most things while he'd been at her flat. He thought briefly of his promise to Harry to keep all this secret, before pulling the card out of his pocket. He'd already made the decision that if Jo asked, then he'd show it to her, which was why it was in his possession rather than back with Harry as he'd intimated to Malcolm he was going to do. "Here you are," he said, passing it over. "Harry doesn't know I'm showing you this and he wouldn't be very happy if he found out, so..."

"My lips are sealed." Jo said with a smile, turning the card over in her hand. She wasn't focused on the words as Adam expected, but rather the picture on the front. "It's a lovely photo," she said at length, "I take it you've checked with the café in the scene that nothing was left there?"

He sighed heavily. "Harry did when he first received it and then Connie had a contact of hers in Paris go in a few days ago. Nothing at all I'm afraid."

Jo nodded, "and I take it you've also checked with the company that made this, that they didn't have any details on file?"

Adam's head jerked slightly as he looked at her directly. "What do you mean check with the company that made this? It's a postcard."

"It's a photo made into a postcard." Jo explained quickly, a feeling of lightness stealing through her as she realised that maybe, just maybe she had a piece of the puzzle that everyone else had missed. "See the name here, Evolve on the bottom left hand side. They put your photo's into or onto lots of things. Calendars, mouse mats, mugs... postcards."

"Are you sure?" Adam grinned excitedly.

"Yes, my sister used them last year to make Christmas presents; hang on a second." She disappeared out of the kitchen, only to return a few moments later with a calendar featuring numerous smiling faces of the Portman family. "She made them for my grandparents," Jo said in a semi apologetic manner as she handed it to him, "but we all ended up with one." Adam turned it over in his hands and Jo pointed to the bottom left hand corner. See, Evolve, it's the same company."

"Jo you're a genius!" Adam exclaimed, taking hold of her face in his hands and kissing her forehead in joy. "We've all been so caught up in the words and whether Ruth had hidden anything somehow in the card, we overlooked the thing that was staring at us in plain sight! With a bit of luck Malcolm and Connie will be able to hack into their database which shouldn't be too difficult and we'll have a name and possibly even credit card or bank details."

Jo beamed, it wasn't often... in fact never, that she managed to get one over some of the best and most experienced spies in the Service and the feeling was a slight reminder of how much she'd used to love her job. The satisfaction and adrenaline of putting things together, making a difference and helping people, even if they weren't aware of it.

TBC