18

Beth glared up at the security camera covering the door Farquhar had slipped through. Her hood had been pulled up, hiding her blonde hair as she spoke to Tariq.

"Security camera. Shoreditch: my location." She hissed as Dimitri joined her.

"Got it." Tariq's voice filled their ears.

"Can you turn it off?"

"Can I?" Tariq huffed. "Er, no."

"What?" Beth sounded more surprised than annoyed.

"It's fake." Tariq explained. "There's no actual camera there."

Dimitri smirked as he indicated to what looked like an abandoned cellar door. Beth shot him a look before stepping into the building.

Xxxxxxxx

Ruth knew her right eye was swollen closed. The headache was worse than any migraine she ever had but something Jo had said stuck with her. "Don't give up." She thought of Zaf and Lucas. Of what they had been through at the hands of the Redbacks and the Russians. It had changed them but they survived. So would she. Holding her breath for a second she fought the urge to scream as she was dragged into a chair.

"Hush, hush." The female voice she recognised as Krycheck hushed her. "There has been a change to my plans for you."

Ruth remained motionless as the older woman spoke.

"You'll be pleased to know I am not going to kill you." She gently brushed Ruth's hair back from her face. "No, I have a new contact. Tells me you are worth much. So I sell you to them. Dieter tells me that he wants you alive."

Ruth tensed as she heard the door open. A click of a safety catch being pulled back caught both women by surprise.

"Step away." Dimitri's voice was so clear Ruth wondered if she had imagined him.

"You heard him." Beth levelled her gun at Krycheck. The woman screamed in frustration as she threw herself towards Beth. The shot dropped her where she was, without giving it a second thought Beth was at Ruth's side as Dimitri called for paramedics. Ruth shook her head.

"Harry?"

"Is ok." Beth smiled as Ruth visibly sagged. "He's on his way."

Ruth smiled slightly. "Farquhar was here. He was."

"We know. Adam and Zaf are dealing with that. Ros has everything under control." Ruth let Dimitri lift her.

"Cmon Pearce." He whispered as she lost consciousness in his arms.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry pushed his foot to the accelerator as he listened to Catherine explain where she and Will were.

"Head to the hospital Dad. Meet them there. Krycheck is dead. She's gone."

"Ruth."

"Alive. That's all I know. Get there Dad. Graham has the kids. Go." She ended the call, spinning her chair around as Calum called her name. Zoe waved her over as the cctv alert on Malcolm's screen buzzed into life.

"Farquhar." Catherine narrowed her eyes as she watched the man Beth had been following head towards the City Centre.

"Rangefinder." Malcolm picked up his mobile.

"What?"

Ros marched through the corridor leading to the Home Secretary's office knowing that somehow Crowther's replacement knew exactly what Farquhar had been up to. Blaming Harry for the explosions and getting Farquhar to shake up domestic anti terrorism had been done with her knowledge. What Ros wanted to know was why.

Xxxxx

Harry was a dead man. And as Zaf had pointed out the dead don't get speeding tickets - meaning he was at Accident and emergency in record time. He practically ran to the entrance just to be stopped by Beth who was almost rugby tackled to the ground by him.

"Harry."

"I. Oh I'm sorry." He held her by her shoulders. "I."

"She's in Trauma Bay."

"Alive?"

"Yes, she's alive."

Harry visibly sagged in front of her. Dimitri approached knowing exactly how his boss felt. He seemed to have aged ten years in the ten days he had been in hiding.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Krycheck is dead."

"Oh dear, what a shame. Never mind." Harry ran a hand over his eyes as Dimitri smirked.

"Ros had taken a team to deal with Farquhar. Police are aware and on standby."

Harry sat in the plastic chair in the waiting room nodding as Dimitri spoke.

"All I care about."

"Is Ruth." Dimitri smiled. "We know." Beth squeezed his arm as they waited to be called.