A/N For the purposes of this story the Home Secretary is the one who when Juliet tried to blackmail Harry, told him that despite being a lying and devious politician he would back him.

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'Whose sitting in the hot while we're away?' Harry eventually manages to ask Adam but not until Zaf has left taking Ruth cats with the promise that he and Jo will take care of them. A large glass of water in his hand having being reacquainted with the contents of his stomach when Adam had told him that Mace had done a runner and given his track record of torture, had seen him racing for the bathroom.

'Ros, but Malcolm's the one who'll keep us updated and gave me this to give to you,' Adam tells him, handing Harry a new phone with which to communicate. 'He also asked me to give you this list of Ruth's aliases and some things from her desk which he thought you'd want to keep, but most importantly we need to get going.'

The answer as to where as a starting point other than Adam is pretty sure that Ruth will be somewhere in Europe he is banking on a desperate and non-responsive Harry answering the question, 'you'll have to help me here by telling me anything that you and Ruth might have talked about which will help us to find her.'

Another gulp of water having tucked the small package containing Ruth things into his bag, 'Paris' is barely audible but enough to suggest that at some time in the past he and Ruth have imagined a future together. One without the endless number of obstacles, which prevents anyone who works for the Security Services from having what approximates a normal life. Meals eaten at a table together, a warm bed in which to sleep and time, the most precious of commodities that has been denied the long list of those whose names are on the glass wall. Well not in this case Adam tells himself and not only because he can picture Harry and Ruth walking hand in hand alongside the Seine on their way to dinner but hiding behind both his and Ruth's expressions in the last few days has been their unmistakable love for one another.

By the time that they are in the queue for the Channel Tunnel which had it not been for Malcolm suggesting that Harry would be at Ruth's would have seen them searching for heaven knows how long, Adam as well as persuading Harry that he should drive, has managed to get him to eat something he had bought in the café and to drink a cup of coffee both of which he has kept down. More than that though, he has been able to convince him that Ruth who is not known for making hasty decisions, other than perhaps this one he had conceded when Harry had given him a look, will search for a bolt hole rather than head straight for a heavily populated area where there will be surveillance cameras on every corner. Somewhere that she can sleep, having been awake throughout the previous night as has Harry who by now is too tired to argue when Adam says that as soon as they arrive in Calais that they also need to find somewhere that until they hear from Malcolm they can rest up.

A decision which sees them turning right to follow the French coastline in the direction of Boulogne rather than left which would have eventually taken them across the border into Belgium. Because why would Ruth choose to go to Belgium, is a joint decision which for a second makes Harry come alive. Enough that he calls Malcolm as soon as he closes the door to his room in what is a small and nondescript hotel on the outskirts of a village.

Only for Malcolm to say, 'no news yet but I promise you we will find her Harry,' but before he can respond, 'I have to go I'll call you back.'

Time during which Harry imagines all manner of reasons why Malcolm has put the phone down each one more dreadful than the last. Only for Malcolm to put him out of his misery when he rings back saying, 'sorry about that but one of those idiots from HR walked in wanting to empty Ruth's desk and questioned where everyone was. Ros got rid of them by saying dreadful tummy bug and made a damn good job of suggesting it was contagious. And like her or not Harry with you and Adam gone she is the only who can keep the wolves at bay. Now I really do need to get on but ring me later if you want to - well you know to chat or something.'

Comforted by hearing Malcolm's voice, might not be the right word but with the knowledge that everyone is throwing themselves behind finding Ruth and Harry lies on the bed fully clothed and within moments is asleep.

Adam on the other hand has decided that he needs to clear his head and the best way to do this is to go for a walk into the centre village and try to put himself in Ruth's position.

Missing Harry absolutely if Harry's behaviour is anything to go by, but with the ability to speak French fluently, her dark hair and small stature, he thinks it unlikely that anyone will give her a second glance. Not unless Harry happens to be one of the on-lookers, he adds in the hope of divine intervention because in all honesty Ruth has become the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Neither of them knowing that Ruth whose journey has taken a great deal longer than the thirty five minutes that they had spent on the train plus of course the drive from London, with no means of transport other than to have taken a train or a bus once she had stepped onto French soil, has decided to spend the next few days trying to acclimatize mentally, before making the decision as to where to go next which in the interim rules out staying in hotels where her fragile state will provoke questions. The idea of the clifftops where on a fine day she would be able to see the coastline of what had once been home and had it been summer, would have caused her to think about buying a tent and a pair of binoculars in the hope that she might see Harry driving off a ferry in search of her, is not only stupid but today has brought the tears which have been threatening since she had kissed him goodbye.

Stop thinking about Harry, she tells herself, impossible though this is, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder and crossing the road to a café where as well as getting something to eat and drink she wants to buy a local paper to see what if anything at this time of year she can rent.

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Having despatched the insensitive creep from HR, made coffee twice and done the sandwich run, Ros's next mission is to visit the Home Office as Adam had instructed. But putting her own spin on the why's and wherefores which have led to Ruth being exiled and in such a way that the new Home Secretary's eyes will stay in their sockets when she explains Adam's and more importantly Harry's reason to have gone walkabout in search of someone who is supposedly dead.

Only to be surprised having been granted an audience and offered a cup of coffee when he says, 'I had heard rumours but then who hasn't been talked about in their lives, but other than to say that I hope you find Ruth I don't see what I can do?' Which suggests to Ros that not only has he seen through what they'd thought would put an end to speculation, but wants to help if he can.

'Finding Ruth is something that we on the grid have been working on since the news broke, but what we can't do because we simply don't know where to start is to stop Mace from getting away with what he's done or worse still getting to Ruth before Harry and Adam do.'

'Try Robert Adams.'

'Not a name I recognise Home Secretary.'

'A member of the JIC until seven years ago when his wife died in suspicious circumstances. Robert was convinced that Mace was involved but as they always do the members closed ranks so it was never followed up. Robert retired to a small village in Devon if I remember rightly so it might be worth looking him up.'

'Thank you that's very helpful,' says Ros, getting up to leave.

Only for the Home Secretary to surprise her again by adding, 'Harry is a good man Ros and I know what it feels like to lose someone you care about. So, when you do find Ruth and she and Harry are reunited, tell Harry from me that chaining himself to his desk is all very commendable but a short break with my blessing might be a better option in this case.'