Blood For Blood Part II

[Silktie]

Edited to correct alignment issues.

PART II

17 November 2010
The Grid, Meeting room, London

“We have a problem.”
Those are the last words Harry wants to hear out of Ruth’s mouth. He knows there is truth in Ruth’s concerns about him going to Belfast, and he wants this operation to be over as soon and as smoothly as possible. That way there will be less chance of him running into anyone connected with Bill’s murder. Harry has always been honest with himself, and he knows that if that happens, he won’t be able to walk away. He tries to hide his unease behind his usual caustic manner, and purses his lips.
“Of course,” he remarks sardonically. Ruth shoots him a little look, then continues.
“About a month ago, a secret meeting took place between the leaders of Republican Sinn Fein, the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA. We have no idea what was discussed at the meeting. Now, these groups have never before shown any inclination of working together, so why now?”
She pauses, picks up a piece of paper. “I also, erm, happened upon this.” She waves the sheet of paper in the air.
“It’s a letter from Sinn Fein to the Home Secretary.” She risks a glance in Harry’s direction and sees him close his eyes, and knows that he is contemplating what possibly illegal measures she used to get it.
“In it they suggest that it would a good idea to hold the next round of talks in Belfast… It’s dated three weeks ago.”

As they absorb that bombshell, Ruth continues: “There’s more.” She nods at Beth, who takes up the briefing.
“G2 has been monitoring a number of people from those splinter groups. About three weeks ago, they lost track of these three men.” She points the remote at the screen and the first face appears.
“Patrick O’Leary. He’s known as the logistics man of Republican Sinn Fein. They suspect he’s the one who sources their arms and explosives.” She clicks and the next image appears.
“Johnny O’Connell from Continuity IRA. Apparently he’s a bit of an IT whiz, who uses his hacking skills to mess with security systems and allow them access to premises where they can steal stuff they need for their home-made bombs, or to steal delivery vans etc.” Another click, and the last image appears.
“Peter Miller.” She pauses. “He is Real IRA’s best bomb-maker. G2 credits him with building the bomb that destroyed the bridge in South Armagh in July.”

Harry rubs a hand over his face as the implications sink in.
“So, we have an unprecedented meeting between three of the most militant Republican splinter groups, and just after that Sinn Fein suggests to the Home Secretary that the next round of talks be held in Belfast. Then, G2 lose track of three very dangerous men belonging to these splinter groups, and to top it all off, the Home Secretary takes the bait.” He stares at the image of Miller grimly, almost angrily.
“I fear evil deeds are afoot. And we are standing squarely in the path of it.”
“Uh, there’s something else,” Ruth ventures carefully. Harry’s eyes swivel to her, an exasperated look on his face. He loves her dearly, but sometimes she drives him up the wall with her ability to obtain and deliver more bad news. In fact, he’d once yelled at her that ‘something else’ should be her middle name, and he’s tempted to repeat that now, but refrains with a long-suffering air.
“By all means, let’s have it, then.”
“O’Leary was spotted in Turkey two weeks ago, talking to a known arms dealer that also supplies Al Qaeda with explosives. We lost track of him again after that.”
Dimitri takes up the narrative. “My Customs & Excise sources have heard rumours that a large shipment of weapons is headed for Northern Ireland this week, but they have no details of when or where. They’ve stepped up patrols, but their success rate in Northern Ireland waters is notoriously low.”

Lucas frowns at Harry, who is staring at his hands on the table a little disconsolately. “That’s just too many coincidences. They’re definitely planning something for this conference.”
Harry rouses himself. “Yes. But what, how, and when? We are woefully short on details.” He sounds weary, and there is something in his demeanour that unsettles Ruth, who is watching him closely.
“Hang on,” Lucas continues as something suddenly occurs to him, “since Sinn Fein suggested holding the talks in Belfast, are we saying that they are no longer committed to negotiations, and that they are using the splinter groups to do their dirty work?”
Ruth shakes her head. “Not necessarily. It’s possible that that’s the case, but it’s also possible that the splinter groups manipulated Sinn Fein to their own ends. Sinn Fein is in a very difficult position at the moment – they want to represent the interests of all Republicans at the talks, but it’s increasingly evident that many of the younger leaders are no longer convinced that Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein are doing a good job of representing them. It’s possible that Sinn Fein has no idea that an attack is being planned, and that they are being played into thinking the splinter groups will go along with the talks if it is held in Belfast.”
Harry nods grimly. “Hmm. As much as I like to believe the worst of those IRA bastards, let’s not jump to conclusions. We need more information.” He looks around the table. “So get me some. In the meantime, I’ll go and talk to the Home Secretary again, try to make him see sense.”
He gets up. “Lucas, a word in my office, if you would.”

* * *

“Close the door.”
Lucas does so, and takes a seat across from Harry. He senses a tension bubbling underneath the surface from the man behind the desk, even though none of it is showing in his face.
Harry looks at him. “When we get to Belfast, I need you to do something.” He pushes an old file across the desk, and Lucas glances at the name stencilled on the cover.
“’Steak Knife?’” He looks at Harry quizzically.
“It’s the codename of a very high profile agent I recruited in the PIRA Nutting Squad back in ’78. I think he may be of some use to us on this operation.”
“I take it you don’t think the Home Secretary will change his mind?”
Harry scoffs. “Short of me delivering a blueprint of the conference centre with a big red arrow that states ‘IRA bomb goes here’, and signed by every member of Sinn Fein, I’m not optimistic that he’ll see reason, no.”

Lucas picks up the file and flicks it open at the last entry. “It says here he was decommissioned in 1998.”
“Yes. Once Sinn Fein agreed to talks, most of our assets were decommissioned, which I think was a mistake. There’s no record of what Steak Knife did after his decommissioning, but he’s still alive – I’ve checked – and I think he may have some connection with one or more of the Republican splinter groups. Or if he doesn’t, he should at least be able to point us towards someone who does have access.”
“So you want me to find him?”
Harry’s eyes move to a spot over Lucas’ shoulder, where he can see Ruth typing away at her station.
“That won’t be necessary.”
Lucas raises an eyebrow. “You know where he is?”
“No, but before I left Belfast, I put in place some emergency contact protocols with Steak Knife. I told him that even if he were no longer working for me specifically, it would be a good idea for me to be able to contact him, should the need arise.” He says nothing about the fact that he made these arrangements with a heart filled with hatred, in the hope that he could exact revenge for his friend’s death at a future date. “I’ll use that to make contact with him, and go along for the first meeting. After that, you’ll have to handle him. I don’t think it’s wise for me to be seen with anyone connected with the Republicans, in light of my history with Northern Ireland.”


Lucas watches Harry carefully. It is blatantly obvious to him that he is not being told the full story. Still, he knows that’s the senior man’s prerogative, so he focuses on the needs of the operation. “You being at that first meeting is a huge risk. Maybe I should…”
“No.”
“Look, Harry, this guy was an agent for years, he knows how these things work. I don’t think it’ll be a problem if I meet him alone.”
Harry’s eyes flicker over Lucas’ shoulder again for a brief moment, before they return to Lucas’ face.
“Steak Knife and I have unfinished business to discuss.”
Lucas frowns. “If you and this agent have some beef with each other, I think I should know.”
Harry shakes his head. “It’s nothing that concerns you, and it has nothing to do with our current operation. I’d like you to keep this between us, thank you Lucas.” It’s a dismissal.

It is clear from Lucas’ expression that he doesn’t like the situation, but he nods, and gets up to leave when he remembers something.
“Oh, I’m worried about the hacker the Republicans have at their disposal. I’ve gone over the PSNI’s security measures, and I’m not sure they have the expertise to counter attempts to corrupt their security cameras and other digital equipment.”
Harry nods. “I was thinking the same thing. Leave it with me.”

* * *

A few minutes later, Harry strides from his office. As he passes Ruth’s desk, their gazes lock briefly, and a mere flick of his eyes communicates to her what he wants. She gives him ten minutes before she follows him to the roof. He is leaning against the parapet, staring across London towards the river, lost in thought.
“Hi.”
He turns towards her and smiles; that soft, gentle smile he seems to reserve only for her. She smiles back at him.
“Did you want something, or did you just miss me?”
Harry laughs softly. “I always miss you, Ruth.” As if to prove the point, he leans over and caresses her lips with his. He pulls away before things escalate and he forgets where they are.
“But I also wanted to tell you I won’t make it over tonight. I’m off to see the Home Secretary, and after that I have another matter to attend to. I’ll probably finish very late, so…”
“Okay.” Ruth reaches up and wipes her lip gloss from his mouth with her thumb. She knows better than to ask for details. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Neither of them move, though, and they stand there, lost in each other’s eyes for a few moments. Finally, Ruth shakes herself slightly and turns to go. Harry watches her walk away, and when she has almost reached the door, he calls after her.
“Ruth?”
She turns towards him, and suddenly he doesn’t know how to say what he wants to say.
“…Nothing.”
She studies him, reading the emotions on his face, then says gently: “I’ll miss you tonight, too, Harry.”
She tries not to think about the shadows she can see behind his eyes, and is gone before he can respond.

* * *

Lucas waits until Harry has left to see the Home Secretary before he sidles over to Ruth’s station, and perches himself on her desk.
“Anything new?” Ruth starts at the sound of his voice, so lost in concentration on her screen that she didn’t hear his approach.
“Bugger, Lucas! Don’t sneak up on people like that!”
He grins rather unrepentantly until Ruth shakes her head at him.
“Nope, nothing new since Harry asked about five minutes ago.”
Nodding, he looks around before asking as casually as he can manage: “Harry has an interesting history with Northern Ireland, doesn’t he?” Immediately he can sense her tensing slightly.
“What do you mean?” Her tone is just as casual as his was, and he sighs in defeat, knowing that she will not tell him anything.

Ever since she has come back, he has watched the bond between her and Harry grow. He knows from some of the things that Ros said, that there had been a very close relationship between them before Ruth was forced to leave. There is a lot of speculation in the halls of Thames House about the nature of that relationship, back then and now that she’s back, but Lucas has deduced from the diverse stories he’s heard that no-one knows for sure. The only thing that is certain, is that Ruth is fiercely loyal to Harry, and that Harry, in turn, trusts Ruth above all others. There are times when Lucas is deeply envious of that, as he feels that he is still working at gaining Harry’s full trust. He hopes she doesn’t tell Harry about his attempt to milk her for information, as that will probably not help his quest to gain the older man’s full confidence. But he is concerned enough about the situation to risk it. Besides, he has sensed that she is also worried about Harry going to Belfast, so he decides to be honest.
“I think Harry has a personal agenda that he plans to pursue in Belfast, and I’m worried that it will interfere with the operation. You’ve known Harry the longest. I’m not asking you to betray his confidence, but if you see or hear anything that I should know about, will you tell me?” He looks at her earnestly.

Ruth does her best not to show it, but the fact that Lucas is concerned as well unsettles her. It means that whatever Harry had discussed with Lucas earlier, caused him to surmise that Harry has a personal stake in going to Belfast. She trusts Lucas, and she may need an ally before this operation is over, so she finds herself nodding in agreement.

* * *

As soon as Ruth can get away, she goes down to Registry, and requisitions all the files about Harry’s former agent network in Belfast. The woman behind the counter lifts an eyebrow.
“My, those files are popular today.”
While she goes off to collect them, Ruth turns the registry book around and scans the entries. She spots Harry’s requisition number about halfway down the page, and the file he checked out: 1978/019/611794/STEAK KNIFE.
It causes a cold feeling of dread to settle low in her stomach.

* * *

Same day, Late Afternoon
Home Secretary’s Office

When Harry walks into the Home Secretary’s office, Richard Dolby is already there. Harry requested that the JIC Chairman attend in the hope that Dolby will back his attempt to have the conference moved. Whatever their personal differences, surely common sense must prevail in the face of the overwhelming indications that the Republican splinter groups are planning something. However, as he walks towards them, he notices the two men exchange a quick conspiratorial glance, and he knows that his hope is futile. A flash of hot anger surges through him, and he has to grit his teeth not to show his disgust right off the bat. Instead he greets them civilly, before getting straight to the heart of the matter.
“We believe the Republican splinter groups are planning to launch some sort of attack on the Belfast conference.”
The Home Secretary lifts an eyebrow. “You believe? Sir Harry…”
Harry interrupts. “At least hear me out before you dismiss me.” He holds the Home Secretary’s stare until the politician looks away, and nods at him to continue.

Harry lays out the information, only keeping back their knowledge of the letter Sinn Fein sent to the Home Secretary. He has no idea how Ruth managed to get her hands on that letter, and has decided it’s better not to ask. Even without that piece of information, the case for moving the conference is pretty strong, but he can see from the way that Dolby refuses to meet his eye that the Chairman will not go against the Home Secretary, no matter how strong the evidence that Harry is presenting.

When he finishes, the Home Secretary looks at Dolby, before turning back to Harry.
“As far as I can see, you have nothing concrete. You’re making an assumption that all these circumstantial…”
“With respect, Home Secretary. Intelligence is seldom about concrete evidence. The people planning these things don’t always conveniently leave behind their plans in a drawer for us to find. If you’ve done this job for as long as I have, you learn the hard way that there is no such thing as this many coincidences. I am asking you to trust my instinct on this one.” Harry looks at Dolby for support. Dolby clears his throat, and glances at the Home Secretary before he responds.
“Harry, I’m afraid I have to support the Home Secretary on this one – you have nothing concrete. I think, perhaps, you are letting your history with the IRA cloud your judgement on this one…” He trails off, unnerved by the furious expression on Harry’s face. The Home Secretary quickly intervenes.
“So, the talks will stay in Belfast until such time as you bring me incontrovertible proof that an attack is being planned. Thank you, Sir Harry.”
Harry gets up, breathing hard. “This is folly. You are gambling with the lives of everyone attending that conference. I want my opposition to your decision on the record.” He glares at the Home Secretary until the man nods at him.
“Fine. Your displeasure is duly noted. But know this. If I have the slightest reason to believe that you are not giving the protection of this conference your fullest commitment, and something happens as a result, I’ll have your job.”

* * *

As the car winds through the streets of night-time London, Harry rests his head wearily against the headrest. His anger has subsided, and in its place a tremendous unease is growing. He feels as though he is caught in a web, and no matter how he twists and turns, he only manages to get himself more entangled. His jumbled thoughts flit between Bill’s death, Ruth’s concern, the Home Secretary’s obvious dislike of him, the probable Republican attack on the conference, Steak Knife, and his own growing desire for vengeance.
“Sir?” His security officer’s voice breaks through his contemplation, and Harry realises the car has stopped.
“We’re here.”

Harry looks out the window at the house in front of him, and wonders what right he has to be here, to ask this of someone who has already given so much. But as always, he pushes his personal feelings aside, and does what he believes is necessary for the success of the operation. He gets out, and rings the doorbell. After about half a minute, the door opens, and Harry looks into the astonished face of his old friend.
“Hello, Malcolm.”

TBC

[lwhite53]

Extremely well written chapter -- H's foreboding is so palpable it comes off the page in waves. I love H in his introspective mode at the end. And . . . Malcolm! Nice touch.

[JHyde]

Yeah! Malcolm's back, ooooh and Steak Knife! Also liking the Ruth/Lucas connection, you know how much I like that dynamic and want it explored.

I'm enjoying that this is really an extension of Harry walking off the job to go looking for Bill after he was kidnapped. More than 30 years later, Harry is hunting again.

[Lukyan Lyubof]

Great chapter, loved the exploration into the relationships between the different characters!

[Tea Lady]

What on earth is wrong with the HS? Does he not know by now that Harry Pearce is always right. Well writen again Silktie. I am really getting into this.

[A Cousin]

Harry has a "beef" with Steak Knife. That's funny...!

But seriously, great premise and the dialogue of Harry and Ruth in particular is (are?) spot on character.

And Malcolm - always happy to see an appearance from Malcolm.