14
Ruth pulled her cardigan close to her as she thought about the information she and Tariq had managed to glean from the memory stick Alec's ex fiancé had given them. The idea that Elena and her sister had been behind the averted air disaster made her feel physically sick. She knew Ilya had murdered Elena but he had met his end following a rooftop standoff with Harry years earlier. The Gavrik's had unravelled and turned on each other. Only Sasha remained, in a high security mental health hospital that he was unlikely to be discharged from any time soon. She looked out over the small woodland behind the safehouse as her stomach lurched.
"Harry." She turned, desperately trying to get to her mobile phone before a sharp pain in her head rendered her unconscious. Moments later she was carried from the safehouse unaware of the world around her.
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"Mr Reed!" Farquhar called as he walked across the Grid towards Harry's office. Callum raised an eyebrow as Malcolm shrugged. "My office."
"Never." Malcolm muttered as Calum smirked slightly before following the older man into the room. Dimitri and Will watched him go.
"Why is he calling the one remaining member of the Pearce clan into the office? He's already mostly a desk officer." Dimitri huffed as Will shook his head slightly. He was terrified their new Section Head would find out about his HIV status and have him removed. It seemed the wheels were already in motion to remove Beth and Ros. He also had no doubt the car bomb left for Lucas and Ros was so called friendly fire. He watched as Calum stood in front of Farquhar's desk.
"Dunno mate but it can't be good."
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Harry answered his phone on the first ring. Only Ruth and Ros had the number to his burner phone. Knowing neither would call unless there was an emergency he braced himself.
"Its me. Say nothing."
He frowned as he heard Ros' voice. "I'm at our meeting point. Alone. Harry, they've taken her. Ruth is gone."
Harry felt his blood run cold. He knew Elena had hated Ruth, but then he reasoned she had hated 98% of the human population. Now that Ruth was missing his 'death' seemed even more threatened. Ros looked around the safehouse, staring straight at a bullet hole in the far wall of the kitchen. "This is not good. We pull in Krycheck now and we end this. Harry, I need you back on the Grid. Whatever it is you have planned while you are dark the Section means more. We need Ruth back."
"I know." He hissed. "She's wearing a tracer. Get Tariq on it. I'll meet you at Chelsea Bridge in thirty minutes." He ended the call as he felt his heart constrict. Ruth was gone. She had been taken hostage before, knew how to handle herself but the idea that Krycheck had her made him more frightened than anything that had come before.
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"Funeral." Farquhar stated. "I presume you will be needing time off to attend Harry's farewell."
"Yes Sir." Calum narrowed his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Still doesn't seem real."
"Grief." Farquhar shook his head. "Does strange things to people. How are Catherine and Ruth holding up? Harry had other children? Yes."
"Yes Sir."
"Calum, please."
"Catherine and her siblings are heartbroken. His youngest is still in junior school. Just a baby really and has lost her daddy. How do you think she is doing?" He snapped as his boss raised his eyebrows.
"I'll let that go."
Callum remained silent.
"When is the funeral?"
"No date as yet. Ruth is in no fit state to do anything and Graham and Catherine are arranging things as best they can. If you're wondering when Cath is coming back to work."
"Oh no no, Mrs Reed may take all the time she needs as may Lady Pearce." He smirked. "Keep me informed."
"Sir." Calum narrowed his eyes before turning and marching out of the office, catching Erin's eye as he did so. The brunette nodded slightly once before heading to the Pods knowing he would follow her.
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Harry glared at the water that had apparently taken his life as Ros walked up to him.
"Harry. How's death?"
"Ros."
"We will find her." Ros stated firmly as they looked over the banking below Chelsea Bridge. "This is Ruth. Tariq is working on her tacker. Right now Zaf and Adam are bugging Farquhar's home and car. We already have him entering the Bandstand area of the park this afternoon. Malcolm followed his journey on CCTV." She handed him a photograph taken from the CCTV that afternoon. "This man has tried to turn my children into orphans and taken my friend. He is not going to walk away from this."
Harry remained silent as he looked at the photograph. "I know her."
"I'm guessing that's Krycheck."
"Yes." Harry paused. "Put security on Catherine and the children. Get the location of every safehouse the FSB has cultivated since Elena died. Ruth is in one of them."
"What are you going to do?"
Harry smirked, anger filling his gut.
"I'm going to do some haunting." He turned leaving Ros to watch him walk away. In that moment she didn't know if she felt sorry for the man sitting in Harry's office. He really had just met his nemesis.
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a/n not much more to go. Is anyone reading? Is it worth finishing?