Her fear is real and has been since the moment that Mace had walked onto the grid. As is the bitter cold which is invading every inch of her body and preventing her from thinking straight other than how bloody unfair it is, what could have been but now feels as though it was destined to end like this. How her whole life she has dreamed of being independent and now that she is, curled up below deck on a barge with enough money to do whatever she wants, the only thing she wants is to be able to turn the clock back and hear Harry tell her that he loves her.
That she is the subject of their thoughts is evident on the grid and has been since she made her decision. Zaf who had spent those excruciating last hours with her succeeding if only briefly in making her smile by suggesting that he smiles at every pretty girl he passes with his head down. Jo who still feels responsible because she was the one who started the rumour about her and Harry unable to look at Ruth's empty desk and Malcolm who is so angry that if he leaves the comfort of the Technical Suite knows he will tell Ros exactly what he thinks of her.
All of them going through the motions of pretending to work, which would at least taken their minds off what they see as a sacrifice which given more time as a team, they might have been able to prevent. Only to be interrupted when the pods open and Adam ignoring everything and everyone and with an expression to suggest that the hounds from hell are following him weaves his way between the desks shouting 'meeting room now.'
Why? is the question which is on all their lips and still is after what feels like an eternity, until he finally finds his voice at which point the combination of their already fragile moods descends into one of disbelief.
What is clear though is that he has thought it through and formulated a plan, having arrived at Mace's office only to be told that nobody knows or is prepared to own up to knowing where he is. The implication being that he has done a runner rather than face the music, whereas Adam believes that having lost his job he wants to ensure that he meters out what he thought Harry deserved and what better way to do it than to go after Ruth.
Which means that their top priority is to find Harry, who for reasons that they don't need to question has turned his phone off and therefore unlike them won't know that the news channels which would have reported with relish that the chairman of the JIC had resigned under a cloud of accusations against the person act, have been prevented in the so called public-interest by those who think they are above the law from publishing anything to suggest that Oliver Mace is now a wanted man by her Majesty's Security Forces and beyond.
'Harry's not on the embankment or is he at home, so my guess is that he's gone to Ruth house,' says an increasingly desperate Malcolm when Adam asks the question.
'In which case Zaf you go to the locker room and come back with mine and Harry's luggage and then drive me over there. Malcolm you and Jo check and keep checking the airlines and the ports for clues as to where Mace might be, because I am not going to let Ruth become another Fiona.'
'And me?' Asks Ros, but not until the others have filed out of the room.
'You go and see the Home Secretary and explain your part in this and the reason that we as a section are pretending that we are grieving one of our colleagues who is please God is still very much alive. Then come back here and find a way to get our colleagues to trust you Ros, because while Harry and I are away I need you to run this place. Which in the interest of improving your reputation I would suggest includes making the coffee from time to time.'