Extraordinary Rendition Part VIII

[Silktie]

Wednesday 8 June 2011
Just after midnight

Once again he was enveloped in darkness. The hood was back over his head, and Malcolm’s breath was wheezing laboriously into his lungs. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had an asthma attack, but the fear and stress of the last few days was beginning to tell on him. The brief glimpse he’d got of his new captors before they yanked the hood over his head had petrified him. There was undisguised hatred and contempt on the faces of the soldiers, and he knew they were just waiting for him to give them an excuse to use violence. They had none of the almost detached interest the CIA men had shown in him. For these soldiers it was personal, probably because all of them had lost friends in Afghanistan and Iraq. And they would love a chance for retribution.

The van rocked gently from side to side as it travelled through the quiet streets, and Malcolm could hear his breath rasp loudly in his ears. He hadn’t known that the level of fear he was experiencing was possible without resulting in a heart attack. The soldier on his left leaned into him and held his ear closer to the prisoner. Malcolm heard him snicker and tell his buddies, “This one’s about to piss his pants.”
As he gasped desperately for another precious breath, Malcolm prayed. To God, to Harry, to anyone or anything who would listen, to deliver him from this tribulation.

* * *

Harry lost his temper. He raised his voice to Beecher. “You promised me twenty four hours! There are eight of them left.”
“There was nothing I could do. When it comes to the War on Terror you know the CIA has lost credibility. Military Intelligence now has point on these matters. I was ordered to hand him over.”
Harry dropped his hand to his side, trying to think clearly despite his anger. Raising the phone back to his ear, he asked coldly, “Where are they taking him?”
“I can’t tell you that. Why don’t you ask the little bird that whispered in our ear previously.”
With that, the American rang off abruptly.

Harry frowned at Beecher’s strange choice of words. What on earth was he talking about? What little bird? He was about to vent his frustration when his eyes fell on Calum, and everything clicked into place.
Of course.
“How did you communicate with the Americans?” he asked the techie urgently.
Calum regarded his boss fearfully. “I created an Internet chat room and provided them with a code to enter it.”
“Check it now,” Harry ordered, before turning to Ruth. “Tell Erin they’re on.”
She grabbed the nearest phone, and as she was dialling, Harry leaned over Calum’s shoulder whilst he accessed the chat room. There was one new entry, to Calum’s surprise. It was a map of London, with a route clearly marked out, ending at an airfield on the outskirts of the city.
“Yes,” Harry stated with relief, resolving to buy Beecher all the chips with vinegar he could eat.
Next to him Tariq was checking CCTV along the marked route, and soon pinpointed the van.
Ruth spoke urgently to Erin. “The target is on the move.” She provided the current location. “We’re forwarding the route to you. You need to intercept before they reach the airfield.”

Out on the streets, Dimitri threw the silver Audi into a sharp u-turn and sped after the van. He and Erin had been on their way to the US embassy when Ruth’s call came in. Erin looked at the route the van would take, identifying possible intercept points. She glanced at Dimitri worriedly. “CO19 is fifteen minutes away. They won’t get there in time. We can’t take on the US military on our own.”
Without taking his eyes off the road, he clenched his jaw stubbornly. “We owe it to our man to try.”
He said nothing more. They both knew that it was Erin’s call as Section Chief. She was also acutely aware that it was a watershed moment for her; that her decision would win or lose her the respect of her team. And of her boss.

Her thoughts jumped to the possible skirmish that lay ahead, and for the first time since joining Section D she felt the thrill running through her veins at the danger she would soon face. Never had she felt so alive, and looking at Dimitri, she knew he felt it too. In that moment they shared an unshakable bond. It was intoxicating. Without further hesitation she told Ruth, “We’re going in.”
Dimitri grinned at her approvingly. “I have an idea,” he announced.

* * *

Peter Bell sat with his feet propped on the console, munching a packet of crisps. He didn’t mind the night-shift, in fact he quite enjoyed the quiet, dead hours between midnight and four in the morning. It provided a nice change from his noisy apartment block, where the local yobs took delight in drag-racing their bikes up and down the street all night. In contrast, the Emergency Services control room was an oasis of calmness. Hopefully there would be no need for them to go out tonight, and he could enjoy the peace for another few hours. He popped a crisp in his mouth and was savouring the saltiness on his tongue when the phone’s shrill ring nearly made him choke on it. Scrambling upright, he hit the flashing button indicating there was a call on line one.
“Emergency Services. What assistance do you need?”
A frantic female voice filled his ear. “There’s been a terrible accident at the corner of Baker and George Streets! One car is on fire and people are trapped in the other. Please hurry!”
Bell glanced at the huge map against the wall, instantly locating the intersection. It was only two blocks away.
“Help will be there in two minutes, please hold-“
But the line had already gone dead. He had no time to think about that, instead scrambling the fire brigade, police and ambulance services to respond.

Back on the Grid, Ruth put down the phone and looked up to see her colleagues regarding her with amusement and a hint of awe.

* * *

The van turned the corner into Baker Street to find it completely blocked by emergency vehicles, their flashing lights turning the scene into a blue and red kaleidoscope. The driver braked abruptly, but before he could throw the van into reverse, a car roared into the intersection behind him and blocked off his retreat. As he yelled a warning to the men in the back, he saw two people jump from the car, guns at the ready. One of them took a shot at the front tyre, making the driver duck as he scrambled for his own gun. It also served to alert the police at the end of the road that something strange was happening around the van, and they came racing towards the scene with wailing sirens.

Whilst Erin covered the driver, Dimitri ran to the back and yanked open the door, to find three semi automatic weapons pointing at his face. His side-arm seemed rather ineffective against such overwhelming firepower, but he kept aiming it at the soldiers all the same. Three police cars skidded to a halt close by, causing the soldiers to hesitate.
Mustering every ounce of self assurance he possessed, Dimitri addressed them: “You shoot, and there will be an international incident the likes of which you’ve never seen.”
He held up his identification. “MI5. We’d like our man back now, please.”
Two burly policemen arrived at his shoulder, Erin close behind. Slowly the American soldiers lowered their weapons and stood aside. Dimitri clambered in and gently removed the hood from Malcolm’s head.
“Hello, Malcolm,” he said to the bewildered former spook. “Harry sends his regards.”
Malcolm merely stared at him as his mind struggled to catch up with developments. Upon seeing Dimitri’s face - a face that was familiar to him from his short visit to the Grid to warn Harry about Lucas - the realisation that he was safe slowly began to take over from the fear permeating his mind. And for the first time since the soldiers had taken him from the Embassy, he felt able to draw in deep lungfuls of oxygen.

* * *

When the Audi drew up in front of Thames House, Harry and Ruth were waiting on the pavement. Harry stepped forward to open the back door, and Malcolm slowly got out. He appeared dazed, and to Harry’s eye the ordeal seemed to have aged him ten years. He felt a hot spear of anger towards those responsible.
“Malcolm,” he said warmly, extending his hand.
“Harry,” Malcolm responded as a grateful smile spread across his face.
The two friends shook hands, both relieved at having the chance to do so. Ruth stepped forward and reached out to rub Malcolm’s arm.
“It’s good to see you safe,” she said gravely.
“It’s good to be safe,” he replied shakily.
Whilst the two of them talked, Harry turned to Erin and Dimitri. “Really good work,” he stated sincerely. It was rare to hear such warm praise from Harry, and Erin almost had to swallow down a lump in her throat. Perhaps she had a chance at securing her boss’ respect and trust after all, despite the rocky start to their working relationship.

The two field officers departed and Harry reached for his mobile and made a call. He spoke briefly, his eyes on Malcolm and Ruth, before interrupting their conversation.
“Someone wants to talk to you.” He held out the mobile to Malcolm, who took it uncertainly and pressed it to his ear, to find his mother on the line. The sound of her voice brought tears to his eyes, and Ruth and Harry diplomatically moved a few steps away to give him some privacy. Ruth gave Harry a lovely smile and he almost reached out to take her hand, but refrained when he remembered that they were not alone. Ruth noticed the slight movement of his arm, though, and knew what he was thinking when he glanced quickly at Malcolm. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze before turning to Malcolm, who had finished his phone conversation. He looked exhausted as he walked toward them with a heavy tread.
“Let’s get you home, yes?” Harry said quietly as he took the mobile back. “We can talk in the car.”
Malcolm nodded in relief and the three of them got back into the Audi, Malcolm in the back seat.

The streets were mercifully empty and Harry could divide his attention between driving and succinctly updating Malcolm on what had happened. When he reached the end of his report, he hesitated briefly before saying, “I’m sorry it took so long to get you back, Malcolm. I should have realised sooner what it was all about, but I had put that unpleasant conversation between us out of my mind, I’m afraid.”
He could feel Ruth’s eyes on him, and knew that she could see right through him; she realised that he deliberately never thought about it because it painfully reminded him of her leaving.
Malcolm was too tired to pick up on the emotional undercurrent running between his two friends. He shook his head. “It’s no-one’s fault but my own. I should have told you that I’d done it despite your order to drop it. And I am more grateful than I can possibly express that you did get me back.”

As they drew up in front of Malcolm’s house, he leaned forward. “Would it, er, be possible for me to get a look at the information gathered on that server?”
When Harry hesitated, he rushed on. “I know it’s against protocol, but my professional curiosity has been piqued.”
For the first time since his rescue his face was animated, and Harry recognised that the request was an indication that Malcolm had perhaps not been irreparably traumatised by his ordeal. If that had been the case, he would not have wanted anything to do with the information that had landed him in trouble in the first place.
“Why not,” Harry capitulated with some relief. “Come into Thames House in a few days’ time, and I’ll have Calum take you through it.”
The door of the house opened and they could see Malcolm’s mother framed in the light.
“Thanks, Harry. Do you, er, want to come in for a cup of tea?”
Harry turned around to smile at Malcolm. “No thank you. You’re exhausted. Get some rest, and we’ll all go for dinner soon.”
Malcolm nodded his understanding and opened the door, but before he got out, he reached forward and gripped both their shoulders, squeezing hard. “Thank you, Harry. Thank you, Ruth,” he said in a wavering voice before scrambling out quickly and walking up the garden path with long strides.
They watched him until the door closed behind him and they could no longer see him, as if they needed as long as possible to assure themselves that he was really there, and safe at home.

Harry turned to Ruth and noticed that her eyes were unnaturally bright. Tactfully, he said nothing, and gave her some time to gather herself as he busied himself with starting the car. Now that Malcolm was home, his thoughts inevitably turned towards Ruth and that dinner invitation. He got them underway and ventured carefully, “You haven’t changed your mind about having dinner, have you?”
Ruth didn’t miss the vulnerable undertone to his words, and said decisively, “No.”
He took a deep, relieved breath and dared to reach for her hand. She entwined their fingers without hesitation, and they drove in companionable silence for a few minutes.
“How about now?” he suddenly asked, causing Ruth to look at him with confusion.
She glanced at her watch. “At two in the morning? Everything’s closed.”
“I know it’s not exactly The Ivy, but there’s a place that does breakfast 24 hours a day,” he responded, glancing at her. “Are you hungry?”
Ruth considered, and realised that she was ravenous. And that she wanted to spend a little more time with him before going home. She squeezed his hand. “I am.”
They soon found themselves in a small diner, chatting over a full English breakfast whilst the tensions of the last few days slowly seeped away. And while neither dared say it out loud, both secretly counted it as their second official date.

* * *

Two weeks later, late night
Harry’s house

Her skin was soft under his hands, so soft. He was mesmerised by it as he ran his hands up her bare back, before trailing them downwards again. They came to rest on the small of her back as he lifted his head and sought out her mouth with his. After kissing her thoroughly, he rolled her under him and settled over her, falling into her eyes, before burying his hands in her hair and leaning down to kiss her even more ardently. His dream-self had been wrong, he thought distractedly as her hands wandered over his back and her foot rubbed along his calf. This wasn’t heaven.

It was life-affirming, and wondrous, and real.

It was love.

fin


Thanks for reading. As always, I am most grateful for the encouraging feedback.
Special thanks goes to A Cousin for transcribing Malcolm's Personnel Files for me, you're a star!

[Sparky]

A great end to another fantastic story. Glad to see Malcolm didn't suffer to much and Erin and Calum came through in the end. As always, loved the Harry and Ruth component and the last part was a great 'kick-back' to Harry's dream in the first chapter, I'm glad it came true in the end!

[cateau1]

Phworw! (translation: good one Silktie!)

[A Cousin]

As always, Silkite, the pleasure is all mine! You are the star. I am merely a muse.

And as we cut from Harry and Ruth doin' what comes naturally to waves crashing ashore and roaring fires in the hearth, wily old Beecher and I are going to go enjoy a bag of chips together on the Embankment. With vinegar! Who knew?

[pookster]

Amazing story with a wonderful fluffy finish. Glad that the team got Malcolm back and Beecher helped. Just perfection. And I'm really looking forward to your next story.

[Tea Lady]

Lovely to have Malcolm back and Beecher deserves his chips.

Blimey, Ruth is a cheap date. A full English! Hope she asked for extra bacon.

Loved it Silktie.

[Tineke]

Good one again, Silktie
You must have some inside information ;-) to write this: "Dimitri threw the silver Audi into a sharp u-turn and sped after ..."?
I've just seen it in the trailer!
Brilliant.

[DogSoSmall]

Been away for a few days and was very happy to have this to come back to! Another great story and another satisfying ending. Thank you!

[LINDA]

Loved this.Thankyou Silktie.Do you think we could start a petition to bring Maicoim back?