24th September 1991, 3:00 pm

140 Gower Street, London

She knows Coolidge gave her specific orders not to make contact, but riding in the lift with someone you've almost bumped into without saying anything seems rude, especially when you've made eye-contact and have smiled at each other, so she finds herself saying, "Hi. I'm Ruth, by the way."

"Sophie," she replies, returning her smile.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I get so engrossed in reading sometimes that I don't look where I'm going."

Sophie chuckles.

"Not a good habit really, particularly when you're new." She makes a face.

Sophie smiles. "You're the one who saved Harry Pearce, aren't you?"

She blushes and looks down. "Guilty, I'm afraid."

"Were they really about to execute him?"

"Yes." She thinks Sophie looks genuinely concerned about that and rather uncomfortable.

"You must be very brave," she says.

She shakes her head. "Not really. Anyone would have done the same. It's harder than you think to stand by and do nothing when someone's life is in danger."

There's silence for a moment, then Sophie says, "And now you work for the fabulous Counter Terrorism Department."

She thinks she can detect a hint of jealousy in her tone of voice. "I guess they needed an analyst and I'd already passed the vetting. I was going to work for GCHQ."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"I'm glad to be here though. I love it. It feels like I'm really part of the action, you know?"

"I can imagine. I can't say I envy you though – all that pressure and responsibility. Registry is about as close to action as I want to get."

"Yeah. I guess I wouldn't want to be in the field either. I'm just a junior analyst though. Malcolm's the one with all the pressure."

Sophie smiles and nods, and they step out of the lift together.

"I've always wanted to move to London," she confesses. She knows she's taking a risk in continuing their conversation, but she can't seem to help herself. Her heart is pumping heard with excitement at the prospect of ferreting out the crucial bit of information that cracks it all wide open for them.

"Where are you from?"

"Exeter. You?"

Sophie gives her a look.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She drops her gaze and looks away, fearing she's buggered it all up. "It's just..." She hesitates.

"Just what?" Sophie sounds interested.

"Well, I know you're friends with Jenna, so you must know that there seems to be some... misunderstanding about Harry..." She glances at Sophie's face. She seems to be listening avidly. Clearly she loves a bit of gossip.

"Misunderstanding?"

"It's all because I saved his life, you see, but I really have no interest in dating him, but everyone seems to think that I have, or that I'll develop one just because he's said a few kind words to me and has been supportive of my work, but I don't date men like him and I'm not about to start now. No one seems to want to listen to me when I tell them that though and Jenna hates me, and everyone else is on her side, so I've not really had a chance to talk to many people or make many friends, which means the only people I talk to are Malcolm and Harry and Mark and Connie, which only makes people think worse of me, and I just can't win." She sighs and looks at Sophie again. "Sorry," she adds. "I didn't mean to dump all that on you. I just wanted to explain why I may appear to be trying too hard. But I'll shut up now and go off and find those files I came down here for."

"Oh," Sophie says. "Right. I mean, I could help if you like? With the files. To find them."

"Oh! Would you? You lot keep things so organised down here, but I'm still learning the ropes and it's not as easy as I'm sure you find it," she replies and is pleased to see the blush of pleasure on Sophie's cheeks.

"Well. We try." She smiles. "Come on over to my station and let's see what we can find."

Ruth follows her over, nodding at a couple of people she recognises from her previous trips down here with Malcolm. She has a few files in mind that she needs for another operation, but she decides that she daren't try her hand at fishing for information again. She's just going to follow orders and keep an eye on Sophie until back up arrives.

3:30pm

Back up arrives in the form of Mark, who strides confidently over to Sophie's station and smiles at them both, before promptly telling Ruth that Malcolm is looking for her, which she takes as a her cue to leave. She thanks Sophie for her help, gathers up the folders they've found and heads upstairs, leaving Mark perched on the end of Sophie's desk, flirting with her.

It's impressive really how believable it is, and it gives her new insight into the way the field agents use their natural personality to their advantage in such situations – getting information from someone they already know without the benefit of a legend. Mark is a friendly bloke, who's considerate and respectful, observant and he remembers details. Harry is totally different – straightforward, intense, witty, disarming – but they both can use their strengths to seduce, if called for, each in their own unique way, a way that seems natural and genuine. It's totally believable that Mark might have had a secret interest in Sophie all along and is only just acting on it now, just as it would be perfectly believable for Harry to suddenly develop an interest in her and want to take her to bed.

As she rides the lift up, she wonders if she'd be able to do something like that herself, if called for, doubting how believable she'd be when she has trouble enough flirting under the best of circumstances. Perhaps though it would be easier than she thinks. Unless she was trying to seduce someone like Malcolm, there aren't a lot of men she's met who stop to think too much about why a woman might suddenly want them. In her experience, they just count their lucky stars and are all too keen to get laid.

She shakes her head free of these thoughts quickly and steps out of the lift and through the pods, heading for her desk and dumping the heavy files onto its already messy surface.

"Anything?" Harry asks, making her jump.

"Jesus!" Her hand flies to her chest as she whips round to face him.

He chuckles, eyes alight with mischief. "Sorry," he says, not sounding very sorry at all.

The urge to knee him in the nuts is overpowering, as is the urge to kiss him. Never before has she met a man that affects her so much, that fills her with such conflicting emotions. "No," she replies, choosing to just ignore the undercurrent between them.

"Pity." He turns his body away, then stops, pausing before smiling mischievously and leaning towards her as he adds, "Though, I must say, I'm rather looking forward to breaking her."

"Breaking her?" she asks, sounding and feeling alarmed. There's a dangerous edge to Harry that makes her feel a little uneasy on Sophie's behalf. She's convinced Sophie never meant to harm anyone by helping the Bond group. She was just trying to save someone she loves.

"Mark and I are to have the pleasure of interrogating her later."

"How do you mean?"

"Good cop, bad cop routine for starters, then we'll play it by ear," he explains with a smile, then turns and walks away, and it's some moments before she realises she's staring after him and quickly turns back to her desk.

"Malcolm," she mutters to herself, refocusing her attention on her own tasks. She's finding Harry Pearce more and more fascinating by the day and she really needs to put a stop to it. His personality seems to be laced with just the right amount of dedication, passion, unpredictability, and compassion to hold her interest, and she's beginning to worry that, if she's not too careful, her heart will get involved soon and she's convinced that that can't end well for either of them.