Lost and Found

by Selective scifi junkie

At the British Eurotunnel Terminal on the first day of half term, a car is found to be a drugged, bound, bloodied man. Section D are called in, but time is not on their side. Might they have seen this man before? Set early in series 6, so team consists of Adam, Ros, Jo, Connie and Malcolm. The T is for strong violence, more is discussed and implied than seen. Details inside.

28. The Grid 4:10 PM

29/10/07
4:10 PM
The Grid

Adam circled the prisoner slowly. He was close. He could feel it. The man was kneeling on the ground, he hadn't been able to stand any more. His whole body was rigid. He was holding himself in with all his might, but Adam could already see the cracks. He was breathing too fast, and not quite steadily, as though he was trying not to cry. If Adam's next move was right, it was all over. They might still catch the bastards. It hadn't been 72 hours yet.

Connie was standing in the corner, watching him, arms folded, lips pursed.

"Where were you holding him?" Adam asked softly, stopping directly behind the man. There was no reply, but the man tensed visibly, bracing himself. Carefully now.

Adam pounced on the man, grimacing and hissing in pain, suddenly throwing the man forwards on to his stomach. The man screamed. Pain or shock, Adam didn't care.

"Street End Lane!"

Adam took his weight off the man, forbidding himself to so much as grunt at the pain in his side. He left one hand at the back of the man's neck, not that it would do much to keep him down, it just felt scary.

"Keep talking." Adam almost whispered.

"It's off Street End Lane." He took a couple of wheezing gasps of breath. "Off the A265 by Heathfield." He took another shuddering breath. "East Sussex."

"Where on the road?" Adam asked.

"Two clicks north of it. I swear that's the truth."

Adam nodded and took his hand off the man's neck. "Elsie, will you bring him fifty mils of water, and ask Giles to check that it sounds feasible." Connie walked out. "You see, now I say you can drink. This will just be water, you have my word."

Connie came back in with a plastic cup. Adam had though fifty mils was a bit more than that. Oh well. She handed the cup to him. He set it down in front of the prisoner, with his left hand so he didn't have to lift his right arm. The prisoner pushed himself up on his elbows and looked at the cup. Adam said nothing. He'd take it. The man was desperately thirsty.

Once he had drained it, Adam spoke again.

"You see? No salt, no peroxide. It's really very simple. That much water won't get you very far. Next it's names: the others in the cell and the person who paid you."