Title: Not Always the Fastest
Fandom: Spooks (MI5)
Rating: G
Length: 456
Summary: Jo Portman suggests an alternative strategy

The team had almost finished discussing the current case with all the frustrations there were in bringing it to a satisfactory conclusion.  This was the third time their attempts to trap the group had failed, when the five men had completely vanished and, despite all the surveillance equipment that had been employed, there was no trace of them.

“They’re playing a game with us,” Harry Pearce almost shouted; his usually calm demeanour slipping briefly.

“Then we shall have to play harder and faster,” Ros Myers replied.

Lucas North noticed Jo Portman looking less enthusiastic at the prospect than her colleagues were.  “Do you want to grab a coffee?” he asked her.

Once they had bought take away coffees they sat on a bench overlooking the Thames and Jo said, “I used to hate Games Night at Brownies when I was little.  No matter how well it began, it was guaranteed that the fastest girls would always win.  And there was no way I could keep up with someone two years older than me.  I doubt you had that problem though.”

Lucas laughed.  “Actually, I know what you mean.  Everyone expected me to be fast, but I was too much of a beanpole.  It wasn’t until I was older that I gained the muscle I needed.”

“That’s how I feel about this case.  We should be able to outrun them, but for whatever reason we can’t.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“There was one game I did enjoy.  It was called Fishes.  It begins in the same way, by running round a circle and back to your space.  But part way round Brown Owl would call ‘Tide’s turning’ and we’d have to turn round and run in the opposite direction.  Which meant that the faster girls who had run further would have to run farther back, so the slower ones had a much better chance.”

“Didn’t they cotton on, and just run slowly to start with?”

“That was the clever thing.  You never knew whether Brown Owl would call ‘Tide’s turning’ and sometimes she’d say it more than once so you could be twisting around to be going in the right direction.  It certainly meant that the slower girls and the smaller ones had an equal chance.”

“So what you’re saying is that we should use the group’s strong points – like your fast running Brownies – against them?”

“Yes.  Looking back on it, I’m sure Brown Owl used to choose her moment carefully.  She would call out just before the fastest made it home, so that instead of diving for their place they had to run back round the whole of the circle.”

“Excellent.  I think it’s time for you to have a go at being Brown Owl.”