False Omen Ch. 7

[JHyde]

The penultimate chapter! Please make sure you've read chapters 1-6 before proceeding.

Thanks so much for the phenomenal feedback guys. I appreciate it so much.

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Ruth wasn't sure how long she had sat there sobbing over Bushra's body. At least this time she could weep over a body and mourn like any normal person. It was something she had never been able to do for George, which only compounded her misery over that whole catastrophic affair.

After a time her crying slowed, but she found herself gripped in panic, scarcely able to breathe. She lay down and closed her eyes, conjugating French verbs in her head, chanting softly under her breath. She could have been a teenager again, in her room, trying to drown out the noise of her mother and stepfather arguing over everything and nothing. Trying to forget Peter and all the problems he had brought into her life, the stripping of her innocence he had so callously revelled in. The rhythmic lilt of the language slowed her heart rate and eventually she was able to sit up and assess what she had left to bargain, to fight with. Aching, bleeding, but alive. She set her jaw - and then cried out in pain. Her face was hardly up to aggressive demonstrations of self motivation right now. She would make do with what she always returned to, her one asset that had always protected her. Her mind. If she could postpone the inevitable, she might last long enough for her colleagues to find her. Even if she was expendable, Talat was not. They would want Talat with bloodlust. She resisted the urge to nod to herself. They would come, they MUST come.

"Oh Harry....." she whispered. She indulged in the fantasy she had resisted for so long, and allowed herself to think about what it might feel like to have Harry hold her. On a couch, in front of a television, after enjoying dinner, preferably one they had cooked together. It might be the last daydream she would ever have, she might as well make it the best.

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Ros slipped into Harry's office around six in the morning. He had clearly not left his office in hours, and he was dozing lightly but jerked awake, sensing her presence. She sat opposite him and smiled gently, not bothering to express concern at his appearance. The last thing Harry needed was mothering.

"I briefed the Home Secretary some hours ago. He wasn't happy about being woken in the night, but he forgave me, I think."

Harry grimaced but resisted the urge to tell the crass joke his weariness prompted in him. "I'm sure he wasn't happy about the threat level being raised."

"No," admitted Ros, "but he knows that it's right and that we'd be flying in the face of reason not to tell the truth about this one, especially if it doesn't end well."

"He's a politician Ros, I'm not sure reason or truth have much to do with it. Or with him, for that matter. I'd hardly say they were on nodding terms."

Ros waited, ignoring his bluster that was delivered with more bitterness than usual. The man was clearly in pain.

Harry sighed. "I'm concerned about what happens if Talat has a remote trigger for these bombs. He'll have a contingency for if they don't follow through. We need Talat by 8am every bit as badly as those wretched bombers."

"I know." Ros took a deep breath. "We also need Essam picked up at the same time. Tariq is very pleased with what he's got off that memory stick. It hasn't directly named any other cells, but they almost certainly exist, and there's enough data in that report to keep Ruth happy for....". She broke off. "We'll be having briefings for some time and we will find existing cells in the UK thanks to what's on there."

"What troubles me now," Harry began, raising his voice slightly, but was cut off before going any further. Lucas popped his head in the open door.

"You'll both want to see this."

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Talat marched into the room, Ruth's mobile in his left hand, his right holding the gun high, pointed at her. Ruth faced him impassively, determined not to show her pain.

"Stand." He imperiously gestured with the gun. "On your feet."

Ruth struggled, but took her time. She could see the mobile had been switched on, and she prayed that whoever had found the empty safe house had also realised that her mobile was not there, that it had been taken with her. Even if they believed it destroyed, she held firm to the faith that Tariq would have a tap on its signal. As she shakily faced him after hobbling to a standing position, it was fully switched on. It was only time now, surely.

"Your phone. I need you to find your boss' number in this phone. I will then call him, say your phone was lost, and get your details so I can return it to you." He smiled, his thin lips curving, but his eyes remaining cold and cruel. "I will, of course, apologize for such an early call."

Ruth waited, playing out every second for what it was worth. She pretended to stumble and Talat slapped her broadly across the left side of her face with the handgun. "No games," he said quietly.

_____________

Tariq looked around in triumph at Ros and Harry. "The tap on Ruth's phone paid off, her phone's been switched on. And whatever else is going on, there's no scrambling device in the area, no jamming.....we're getting a location. C'mon!" Tariq bounced in his seat. His excitement was infectious, and Ros reached for the phone, planning to send Special Forces in at once. "Here it comes....she's at ________, it's a side street and......" Tariq realized Harry was no longer behind him. Their leader was already at the pods.

"Lucas, get me a car out the front right away. Then you're to follow me there."

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The two men were barely in the car before Harry's phone rang. Harry looked at the screen, not registering the number but went to answer it when Lucas cried "No! Harry, wait!"

Harry realized what might be happening. Not many people would answer their phone so promptly just past 6am, and this was not a number given to just anyone. "Talat!" he breathed. He let it ring a moment longer and then hit the green key. He put on his best sleepy voice. "'Lo?" he slurred. "Who is this?"

__________

Having played for time, Ruth had tremblingly pressed the keys to Harry's private number. She could not have even said why she chose Harry over Lucas or Ros, she merely did it without thinking. She had handed over the phone before blinking, and was terrified as she realised that, once again, her life was in Harry Pearce's hands.

"I am so sorry to wake you," Talat was purring, "but last night I found this phone in a bar and I so wanted to return it to its owner. This was the first number in the directory under "Boss". Do you know who this phone might belong to, sir?"

For one awful second, Harry wondered whether they were about to send Special Forces into the residence of some kindly punter. Then his tired brain recognized Talat's voice - it was undoubtedly him. How foolish!

"Erm, that's good of you......". Harry rolled his eyes at Lucas. "Just let me look at the number again with the lamp on, uh......." (he inserted various noises that he thought might be appropriate for an old man roused from sleep) "this belongs to an employee of mine. Perhaps," Harry tried to sound more awake, "I could arrange to pick it up from you, and return it to her."

Lucas checked the morning traffic anxiously. They were still a few miles away with several major intersections between Ruth and their present location.

"Perhaps. Which employee, may I ask? I recall it being a young woman at the bar stool in question."

Harry paused only briefly before rolling the dice. He gambled on the knowledge that Ruth had not changed her first name when she had left England for Cyprus, and that under duress she would be likely to use her first name to avoid confusion. He trusted in his instinct, and he trusted in Ruth as a creature of habit he loved.

"Her name is Ruth and I know she will be so grateful to have it back. I'm sure she wouldn't want you to go to any trouble, perhaps you could tell me where you work and I will send her to you. That way you won't be inconvenienced."

The phone went dead. Harry's eyes met those of his younger colleague. "Was it enough?" He dared not contemplate what happened next, as it was Ruth might have only a minute. Lucas checked his watch.

"Special Forces should be there in under two minutes, Harry."

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Talat hung up. He turned suddenly, and hurled the phone at the wall, where it smashed into pieces. Ruth met his returning gaze fully. She had done what she could; if procedure had been followed then help was not too far away. She exhaled. Talat pushed her to the floor roughly.

"You think this saves you, woman? Now I know you are only a private detective, there is no harm in killing you." He raised his gun again, as Ruth scrambled backwards toward the wall. So much for Dylan Thomas. Her fight was over and this was how it would all end.

Talat's phone rang and he dropped the hand holding the gun briefly. He answered, and it was only when he raised the firearm again that Ruth realised she had missed her one chance for freedom. Why did she not try to disarm him?

Because she was not Ros or Jo or Lucas or any of the other fine officers she had worked with. She was not the operative in the field this situation had called for. She had once again failed herself, failed to see a way out before being blocked in. Talat hung up and smiled again.

The door burst open, an officer opening fire as Talat turned. He had not the time to get off his first bullet before he was cut down and Ruth cowered as the sound of gunfire filled her ears. Too often these last months she had heard that noise and she continued to crouch and shake long after the echoes of gunfire had faded. She was hardly aware of the officer gripping her shoulders, telling her she was safe. All she felt was Bushra's hold as Talat had pulled the gun on them only hours ago......

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The car had barely stopped before Harry had flung himself from the car. Lucas followed, watching as Harry flashed his ID and leaving him to have the report from the ranking officer on site. The older man hit the footpath running, and hurried inside, his head swivelling from left to right, passing empty rooms until he encountered the huddle of activity in the small second bedroom. Empty except for a lamp glowing brightly in the now strong morning light, a huge bulk of an officer, and the woman he loved cowering behind him. The officer stepped aside, and went outside the door seeing the look on Harry's unguarded face as he approached. He knelt to her level and whispered her name softly. "Ruth."

She tried to breathe, the cliche rang absolutely true. She was frightened it was an illusion, that he wasn't really there. Harry tried again. "Ruth, I'm here."

She slowly raised her head, and he tried hard not to show her how shocked he was. Her face was covered in bruises, the skin rubbed raw in several places. Her wrists covered in rope burns. But her eyes were those he remembered as well as his own reflection, and he smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again as the paramedics entered, the clatter of the gurney putting an end to any conversation they might have had. Her tears brimmed over and Harry found himself wishing he might have had a moment longer.

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She sat on the edge of the hospital bed, her legs dangling over like a child's. Her dressings had been changed, and she had been told she had a visitor. There could be no doubt as to who it might be.

Harry slipped inside, his eyes bright with anticipation, but trying not to appear overly eager to see her hurt and vulnerable. Strangely, he was without his customary tie and jacket - just his shirtsleeves, a few top buttons undone. Almost as though he had been sleeping in those hard, plastic seats in the emergency waiting room, or an empty patient's room. As though reading her thoughts, he smiled again. The warm smile he saved just for her, that reached his eyes and crinkled them in their corners.

"I'm sorry I'm half undressed, I'm afraid the lodgings weren't exactly conducive to restful slumber."

She managed a weak smile in turn. "You've had a ridiculously long day Harry, the last place you need to be is here."

Harry leaned against the one door wardrobe, as nondescript as everything else in this colourless room. "Not at all. I'm exactly where I need to be tonight."

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Come back for a final chapter. Silktie, I might just have a special surprise for you. Tea Lady, I managed to get him a little undressed.

[Silktie]

Phew! Ruth is saved at last. Another great chapter. I'm with Harry in wishing he had a few extra minutes with Ruth before the paramedics arrived. Also liked Harry thinking on his feet with that phone call. I hope it's a good surprise you have for me, looking forward to it with slight trepidation.

[JHyde]

You will like the set-up very much, I promise. I am so excited about writing it, I think that was why I raced through writing the rest of it, just to get to the best bit!

[Silktie]

(06-01-2010 07:49 AM)JHyde Wrote:  You will like the set-up very much, I promise. I am so excited about writing it, I think that was why I raced through writing the rest of it, just to get to the best bit!

Hopefully it'll include some .

[Fidget]

(06-01-2010 08:08 AM)Silktie Wrote:  

(06-01-2010 07:49 AM)JHyde Wrote:  You will like the set-up very much, I promise. I am so excited about writing it, I think that was why I raced through writing the rest of it, just to get to the best bit!

Hopefully it'll include some .

At the very least I hope

[kirmostar]

Harry with a few top buttons undone - Woot Woot!

[almh]

:shakes head:

Amazing story as always JHyde

[YourFutureMuse]

Another amazing chapter I am sad that it has to end lol I have really enjoyed reading it But then again i am very much looking forward to seeing how it ends

[JHyde]

I think I will be sad too. I'm glad you liked it.

[Tea Lady]

(06-01-2010 07:26 AM)JHyde Wrote:  Harry slipped inside, his eyes bright with anticipation, but trying not to appear overly eager to see her hurt and vulnerable. Strangely, he was without his customary tie and jacket - just his shirtsleeves, a few top buttons undone.

I was eating my breakfast when I got to this part and almost choked on my weetabix! How am I supposed to concentrate on insurance now? Looking forward to the last part. I am hoping there isnt a twist and it's all cuddly.