The Shadow 2/4
Jan. 11th, 2010 08:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tonjavmooreTitle: The Shadow
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tonjavmoore
Prompt: The Shadow (1994)
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys
Rating: PG13 (a lot of innuendo and m/m kissing)
Warnings: Slash, language, angst
Spoilers: Completely AU, so nothing other than character names and personalities for Torchwood and a cameo appearance by the Doctor
Betas: Alexandria Cameron who put up with my whining andmidlist_writer who can spot a POV shift at 100 paces
Word Count: 19686
Disclaimer: Torchwood belongs to the BBC and RTD. Sadly. The Shadow belongs to Street & Smith and the man who made him a pulp hero Walter B. Gibson. This particular movie belongs to Universal.
Summary: Written for reel_torchwood - Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of aliens? The Shadow knows. At least, this version of him does.
Author's Note 1: This is completely AU with the elements of the movie and Torchwood reshaped and mished together. Hopefully, they are still recognizable.
Author’s Note 2: For those of you who are not fanatic Shadow-ologists, you may have heard that the real name of the Shadow was Lamont Cranston. Au contraire, the identity of Lamont Cranston was one of many that aviator Kent Allard assumed when he turned to the challenge of fighting criminals.
It wasn’t hard to set up a meeting with the police commissioner. Jack simply asked him to dinner at Cardiff’s finest restaurant. He’d established a relationship with law enforcement so that he could keep in the loop about a certain class of otherwise unclassifiable objects. After the first few explosions the police had proved willing to let them disappear.
Jack was dressed in his tuxedo and with his white scarf draped around his neck. He was in full Captain Jack Harkness mode, all charm and charisma as he sat with his target, Andrew Davidson. Jack was hoping to wangle an invitation to meet Dr. Sato in a more informal setting. Andy and the president of the university were close friends.
They’d finished their meal and were lingering over coffee when Andy regarded him with that mixture of suspicion and curiosity he usually did. “So, what do you want this time, Jack? What’s turned up that you want to snatch from the custody of the coppers?”
“You wound me, Andy.” Jack grinned. “What if I just want to have dinner with an old friend?”
Andy snorted with disbelief. “Don’t waste your magic on me, Captain. I’m immune. Fine restaurant, the best wine, and you picking up the tab all add up to something you want from me.”
Jack sighed theatrically. “Never could put anything over on you. Yes, I want a favor, but it doesn’t have anything to do with police storerooms. I’d like an introduction to a lovely lady and you’re my ticket in.”
“Oh, dandy.” Andy shook his head. “I’ll have nothing to do with your seduction escapades, Jack. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“I promise it isn’t a seduction, Commissioner. I’d just like to meet her. She’s a lecturer at that university of yours, Dr. Toshiko Sato. Her research has piqued my curiosity.”
Andy stared at him. “You want to meet Toshiko Sato? You need me for that? What happened to just walk up and charm the pants off her?”
“You said it yourself.” Jack smiled his most innocent smile. “This isn’t a seduction. My intentions are pure. I can’t squander the charm on someone I have no intention of sleeping with. Besides, I might scare her away.”
“You are a bit overwhelming at times,” Andy agreed. “Maybe you could do me a favor in return. These rumors of the Shadow are getting more persistent.”
Dangerous territory. Jack didn’t bat an eyelash, but he leaned back a bit so that his energy wouldn’t show. Adding a bit of a nudge to his voice, he whispered, “You can’t investigate a rumor.”
Andy sighed. “We can’t investigate a rumor.”
In the same sibilant undertone Jack continued, “You don’t have enough people to look into actual crimes.”
Andy shook his head and sighed again. “We don’t have enough people to look into real crimes right now.”
“You don’t need to waste your time chasing someone who doesn’t exist.”
Andy brought his fist down on the table. “I’m not wasting time running all over the countryside chasing someone who doesn’t even exist.”
Jack leaned forward into the light and said sympathetically, “You’re right, old friend. I’ll see what I can find out. I’ve heard a couple of these rumors myself.”
“You agreed awfully fast.”
“I want that introduction.”
“Well, you may get your chance sooner than you think. Guess who just walked in?” He nodded toward the door.
Jack turned casually. Shedding coats were the university president and his wife. With them stood Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones.
The picture of Ianto had been nice, but the sight of him in the flesh! He was stunning. Focus, Jack told himself sternly, but as usual he didn’t listen to himself. At that moment, the young man looked up and caught Jack’s eyes. Jack didn’t quite gasp, but he came close. Ianto Jones’ eyes, aside from being a lovely shade of blue, had time energy in them. Even at this distance the tingle of that energy danced over Jack’s skin. He had to practically rip his eyes away.
Jack was glad that Andy covered his momentary lapse of control by saying, “There she is. Want that introduction now?”
“What? Pounce on them before they’ve had a chance to sit down? Too crass.” Jack grinned again. “Let them get their drinks first.”
A few minutes later, Andy led Jack over to the table where the others were sitting. Jack had to concentrate very hard to ignore the energy that thrummed around him like a vibrating blanket. He looked instead at Dr. Sato. Like her picture, she was petite, with large brown eyes that seemed to be too big for her small face.
Vaguely Jack heard Andy introducing him to the president. “Ben, I’d like you to meet Captain Jack Harkness. Jack, Ben Wheelwright.”
Jack offered a polite hand. “Mr. Wheelwright,” he acknowledged politely. Damn that tingle! He was practically shivering from it.
“I’ve heard of you, Captain, but then who in Cardiff hasn’t?” He turned to his wife. “Dorrie, you know Andy and this is the infamous Captain Jack Harkness. That’s Mrs. Wheelwright to you, Captain.”
“A pleasure, ma’am,” Jack said with an appealing smile. “I take exception to that description.” He took her outstretched hand and kissed it. When she giggled, he winked and turned to the other two occupants of the table.
Ben continued, “Dr. Sato, our guest in physics. Quite a celebrity in her own right. Captain Jack Harkness and Andy Davidson. Andy is the local commissioner of police.”
She extended a hand for Jack to shake. He turned it into a kiss on the hand as he had Mrs. Wheelwright. A blush colored her cheeks. If she hadn’t been sitting beside Ianto Jones he would have found her almost irresistible. “I’ve heard of your work, Doctor,” he said. “Perhaps we could discuss it sometime.”
“Come during my office hours,” she replied, responding to his flirting with a bit of her own. “You’ll be doing me a favor by chasing all the students out. But, don’t tell Mr. Wheelwright.”
“I’ll keep it mum.” Dr. Sato was a bit of a surprise. She was no shy flower. Jack continued, “And this is…?” He was proud of himself for keeping his voice light as he looked at Jones.
Again those blue eyes pierced him, sending pleasurable sensations over Jack’s entire body. Had he been able, Jack would have rolled in it. He heard Toshiko say, “This is my brother, Ianto Jones.” Ianto stood and offered his hand.
The moment they touched, Jack wanted to throw Ianto over his shoulder and run. Something flashed in Ianto’s eyes – something Jack would like to think was a response to his own energy. The handshake lasted a fraction longer than necessary, and then Ianto pulled away.
Wheelwright said congenially, “Won’t you join us?”
Andy replied, “We’ve already had dinner,” Andy replied; but Jack shot him a glance full of roguish appeal broadcast far enough to hit the entire table.
“Just for a few minutes?” Jack suggested, deftly pulling a chair from another table and squeezing in between Ianto and Wheelwright. Only then did he realize he was already thinking of the young man possessively. He’d have to watch that. He did risk a glance at Ianto’s side. Yes, the suit was cut to accommodate a shoulder holster. It definitely appeared to be full. Did Ianto go armed everywhere?
With no choice left to him, Andy added another chair between Dr. Sato and Mrs. Wheelwright, surrendering with a good grace. He turned to the doctor. “Jack expressed an interest in your work, Dr. Sato.”
“I’m just fascinated by Time,” Jack said, smiling again. “Do you work with Time, Mr. Jones?”
Ianto appeared unsettled by this question. “I work in a library, Captain Harkness. Toshiko is the brains in this family.”
Jack wondered if he knew about the energy that surrounded him. If he did, did he know what it was? He was keeping his own under tight control, but curiosity got the better of him. He reached out tentatively and brushed against the energy that Ianto radiated. Ianto’s eyes widened, and he flushed and looked away. Whether or not he knows, he’s certainly aware of it, Jack thought. He turned again to Dr. Sato. “I’d like to come to one of your lectures, if I may.”
“Of course, Captain. Though you’ll probably find them a bit dry. All numbers and charts – not very interesting to the average listener, unless you know a lot of physics.”
“This is actually a lucky chance for me,” Ianto said to Andy. “I believe you knew my mother when she lived here, Commissioner?”
“Yes, Mr. Jones, I did. Lovely woman.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much of a presumption, could I have a private word?” When Andy nodded, Ianto turned to the others at the table. “Excuse us for a moment, please.”
The two of them moved away. Jack chatted idly with the women, but he used his enhanced senses to listen to the conversation. Ianto spoke first. “Sir, I’d like to see you privately soon.”
“You could call my office for an appointment, if you’d like.”
“No.” Ianto’s voice was low, but definite. “I’m sorry, but this needs to be away from the official police presence. It’s urgent. You might call it a favor for my mother.”
“All right, son.” There was a pause, but Jack studiously did not look. Andy resumed, “If it’s that important to you, why don’t we meet for lunch tomorrow?”
“Thank you. Meet me at the Little Mermaid at 1:00, if that works for you.”
Because he wasn’t looking Jack didn’t see Andy’s nod of agreement. There must have been one, because the two of them returned to the table. Jack thought that time would work for him as well, but he wouldn’t invite himself in this persona. There were plenty of shadows in the pub.
Ianto entered the pub with the same caution he always had. Commissioner Davidson was sitting near the back in one of the booths. He slid into the booth and apologized for being late. He’d waited for a crowd of people before crossing from the library to the pub. He never walked alone anymore.
While the commissioner was accepting the apology, Ianto was suddenly overwhelmed by that strange feeling he had experienced last night when he had shaken Jack Harkness’ hand. He glanced around, but saw nothing. The booth was far enough back from the windows that shadows surrounded it. Ianto peered into them, but couldn’t see anything out of place. He pushed the odd sensations to the back of his mind and focused on the matter at hand.
“Thank you for seeing me, sir,” he said. “I know this isn’t the way you normally do business.”
“It’s all rather mysterious. There are seldom any spooky-dos here. Even if I can’t help, secret meetings are intriguing.”
Ianto smiled grimly. “I’m about to present you with an actual mystery. One that’s five years old. Tosh and I have tried keeping it to ourselves, but now we’re tired of running from it. Maybe you are the person who can give us the right kind of help. Or at least, direct us to someone who can.”
Davidson leaned forward, resting his arm on the table. “I’m all ears, as they say. Enlighten me.”
The barmaid appeared to take their order. While Davidson gave his, Ianto’s skin prickled. Something like a breeze had moved across the back of his neck, a warm touch almost like a caress. He shifted his coat to cover it. The energy surged around him again and he felt lightheaded. “Just a ham sandwich and a lager,” he said to the waitress. She withdrew.
“It will sound crazy, but, trust me, Tosh and I are quite sane. About five years ago, our father was attacked on his campus by four men in masks. He fought back and shouted. A group of students showed up from around the corner. The attackers fled. No one could find a trace of them.”
Ianto took a deep breath and continued. “I was at Cresswell and neither my parents nor Tosh told me about it. The police investigated but turned up nothing. Then it happened again. This time he was waiting outside a restaurant for my mother. It was broken up by a constable. The men ran and vanished. It kept happening. Always four, always dressed in black. The attacks were sporadic. Sometimes a few months would go by or there might be two within a week. When the family finally told me, I insisted on an armed bodyguard.”
“Good idea.”
Ianto was relieved that the other man still seemed to be listening. He disliked repeating the story. He knew it sounded fantastic and he would have been skeptical about it himself. The barmaid appeared with their food and Ianto waited again. While she was there, Ianto distinctly felt pressure on his shoulder as though a hand had rested there for a moment. Again that wash of energy spilled over him. He turned around and looked into the next booth. It was dark and empty.
He sank back into his seat thinking that perhaps he was finally slipping over the edge into paranoia. There isn’t anyone there, he told himself. It’s your imagination playing tricks. He’d been looking over his shoulder for so long that he had begun to jump at shadows. He sighed and resumed his narrative. “We did hire a guard, then two, but it didn’t stop the attacks.”
He pushed his untouched food away, and took another sip of water. He folded his hands together and looked at them. This was always the most difficult part. “The last attack was in his lab. There wasn’t time for a lot of investigation. It was the same night as that freak storm in Sydney. Do you remember it?”
“I read a lot about it,” Davidson said. “It was all over the news and I followed it pretty closely.”
“Mum and Dad were killed in their house. Also my fiancée. I’d been with her in a club but I’d gone out to Tosh’s car to speak to her about the attack. We survived. They didn’t. Sometime during the storm I was knocked out. It… wasn’t a good time for us…”
“I can only imagine what it must have been like,” Davidson said sympathetically.
“Tosh and I were two of the twenty-seven survivors. None of the people who went missing that night have ever been found. It’s like they were never there.” Ianto shook his head. “Tosh took over Dad’s lab and we were getting back to normal when Tosh was attacked. Same MO. Four men in black again. She got away when campus security showed up. It was too much for us. I’d been having dizzy spells since the coma, and we decided to go away. We’ve moved a lot since then. Everywhere we went, the attacks would come. We’ve been here three months. Last night, Tosh was attacked on campus. She tried going to her car alone.”
“The men disappeared again, did they? Did she report it?”
“She did. We always do. We filed the report the today, but I know what will happen. The police will give it a cursory look and drop it. There’s nothing that they can do – nothing is there. But it will happen again. It will keep happening until they succeed. I don’t want to run again, but I’ll do anything to keep Tosh safe. She’s all I have now.”
“Well, I must say, that’s a hell of a tale.” Ianto watched him; he could almost hear the gears winding in his head as he thought over all he had been told. “I tell you what I can do. It’s not much, but it’s something. Like you said, there’s nothing to get our official teeth into. That man you met last night – Captain Harkness? He’s investigates things out of the ordinary.”
Ianto stared at him. He had gone to the man for help and the best he could come up with was some amateur sleuth? If he were honest with himself, something about the man intrigued him, but that was a long way from trusting him with this. “I’m… not sure he’d be able to…”
“Don’t let him fool you. There’s a shrewd mind behind all that charm. He’s helped us out before.”
Ianto heard the ghost of a laugh. He shot a glance over to the shadows in the corner. Now, he knew it wasn’t his imagination playing tricks. He’d heard that laugh just last night. Ianto took a steadying breath. “Do you really think he’d be able to help?”
“More than I can, I’m afraid. It’s just like you said, Ianto. There isn’t anything to go on. At least nothing concrete. But maybe, just maybe, Harkness might have an idea. No guarantees, mind you.”
Ianto smiled and thanked him. He didn’t have much hope that anything would come of it, but at least he was doing something instead of wringing his hands. He’d done his fair share of that already. “I won’t keep you, sir.” He stood. “Thank you.”
The commissioner stood as well. “I’ll help if I can, son. Be careful. And watch that sister of yours. I’ll call you to set up a meeting.” He glanced at his watch. “Got to go or my secretary will yell at me again.”
Ianto watched him leave, standing for a minute with his hand on the back of the booth to steady himself. It had been difficult but it was done. He wanted to go back to the flat and lose himself in sleep, but it wasn’t possible just now. There was a mountain of work at the library.
Suddenly he felt it again, that incredible surge of something that had his skin tingling with excitement. He felt pressure on his hand and another thing. As the feeling abated, Ianto raised his hand to his cheek. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn he had just been kissed.
Hart glared at the computer screen. No answers came up. Irritating. He’d have to make a report, and his superiors were getting very impatient. He had no illusions. If he didn’t get results soon, they’d replace him. He was the fourth one who’d been chosen. The others had been retrieved and disposed of. The Agency didn’t tolerate failure.
He flipped back through the digital surveillance photos of Sato and Jones. They had to have some weakness. They had to go off alone sometime, or he’d have to think of way to get one of them alone. The Agency had told him not to let himself be seen, but this was ridiculous.
Something caught his eye in one of the pictures and he zeroed in on it. Once the targets had been in the restaurant last night, his man had taken photos of everyone who’d come out. The face of one man looked familiar. Hart enhanced the image as much as he could. The man in the tuxedo and scarf looked familiar somehow. The computer had tagged him as Captain Jack Harkness, but something about him teased at the edge of Hart’s memory.
He’d seen him before in longer shots. The man was a harmless, nosy idiot who lived in a big house and sometimes was seen with the local coppers at the scene of an investigation. This was the first close-up that Hart had seen. He was quite handsome, almost too handsome to be true. However, it still didn’t explain this odd sense that Hart had encountered him before in another place.
He used one of the primitive search engines to get more information. There wasn’t much. The oldest entry was eight years before, a news story about his arrival in Cardiff as the long-lost nephew of someone deemed newsworthy. The rest were mostly from gossip columnists. Hart studied all the images available and found one of the man smiling at the camera.
Hart sat back in his chair, stunned. This man was Kent Allard, the member of the Time Agency High Council who had disappeared some time ago. How had he ended up here of all places? There’d been a big fuss when he vanished, with hints of the Time Lords being responsible. Hart had been a raw recruit at the time, but Kent Allard was well-known, even idolized. Now that would be quite a coup, bringing Allard back into the fold. It was possible that he could avoid the consequences of his failure should he be unable to collect Dr. Sato. He filed that away as a secondary goal.
Back to the lovely Toshiko. That protective brother of hers would be on the alert now, and Hart had learned that he was a force to be reckoned with. He cursed his men’s impulsiveness. Seeing Sato alone on that campus yard had seemed too good an opportunity, but it hadn’t worked. Hart thought about that fantastic tale that had been spun by his men of a ghostly voice and an invisible presence. Hart was sure it was made up, and now they had given away their element of surprise.
It was a time for a change in tactics.
Jack smiled his most charming smile at the head librarian of the Cardiff library. “I really need to borrow a research expert for a few days, ma’am. I’ve heard about Ianto Jones. Please, could you see your way clear to loaning him?”
The woman was clearly responding to his charisma. Jack could see she was considering a token protest, but she finally gave in. “Of course, we’ll be glad to assist, Captain Harkness. You’ve been more than generous with your donations.”
He mentally patted himself on the back as she called Ianto. The simplest approach was nearly always the best. He’d set Gwen and Suzie on tracking down more information on that storm. He and Suzie had flown to Sydney in the aftermath to take readings, but hadn’t spent much time with the survivors, except to confirm that it was a Rift opening and closing. Obviously that had been a mistake.
His skin began to prickle with excitement as he stood and turned to the door. A moment later it opened to admit Ianto. He looked at Jack in surprise and then turned to the woman behind the desk. “You asked to see me, Mrs. Pierce?” he said.
“Yes, Ianto.” She indicated Jack. “Captain Harkness has requested your help in cataloging his collection of rare books. The Captain is an important patron of the library.” The emphasis was on “important” and “patron.” “We wouldn’t want to let him down. He asked for you specifically. Captain Harkness, Ianto Jones.”
“Actually, we met at Estelle’s last night,” Jack said. He didn’t offer his hand again. He was having enough difficulty not tossing Ianto over his shoulder and running away with him.
Jack noted the same poker face he had seen the previous evening, but the eyes were alight with something else. Curiosity? Suspicion? Both? Ianto nodded briefly in his direction, and then turned back to say, “I’ll do my best to see that the Captain isn’t disappointed. When would you like me to start?” He turned back to Jack and smiled just a little.
That smile made the room brighter. Jack dialed his charm back a notch and smiled back at him. “No time like the present. Come with me now and I’ll show you the lay of the land.”
Ianto balked at the idea of getting into Jack’s Porsche. “I’ll follow you in my own car,” he said firmly.
That wouldn’t suit Jack’s plans at all. “I’ll have one of my staff fetch it later.”
Ianto’s hands balled into fists and he said, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Don’t play games.” Ianto’s voice was belligerent now. “You meet us last night, try to hit on my sister, and then show up today in sudden of a librarian and asking for me. What’s going on?”
Jack sighed. He was going to have to stop flirting and start talking. “I heard about your sister’s narrow escape yesterday. And now I’m curious.”
“How did you hear? Did Mr. Davidson talk to you?”
”No.” Jack didn’t want Ianto to think Andy had betrayed a confidence. He was trying to think of something else when without warning, Jack felt Ianto’s Time energy reaching out and his own responding without being told. It was a moment more intimate than a kiss and more powerful than dynamite.
Ianto eyes closed. He took a deep breath. “All right,” he said quietly. “For now I’ll believe you. I don’t know why I should, but I will.” He moved around the car and got into the passenger seat.
Jack felt as though he had passed some sort of test. He was still a bit confused from that moment of connection, but determined to press on. He slid behind the steering wheel and started the car.
At first, he wasn’t sure that Ianto would speak, but he did. “I looked you up last night.”
“Don’t believe everything you read.”
“If I believed half of what I found, I wouldn’t talk to you, much less let you anywhere near Toshiko.”
“I swear she’s safe from me, Ianto. I can call you Ianto, can’t I?”
“Yes.”
It was a victory, however small. “What’s out there is my public life. My exaggerated public life. I don’t even remember the names of all the men and women I’ve been seen with or linked with in the gossip columns. None of that gets past the façade. I’ve discovered that if you are very very public, no one looks behind to the private. Anything that’s private doesn’t make it out.” He looked at Ianto. “You know this is not about my collection, don’t you?”
“I never thought it was.” Ianto seemed to be studying his hands. “Mr. Davidson recommended that I tell you about Tosh and me. What we’ve been up against. That you might be able to help. But, why would you? We’re strangers. You don’t even know us. You don’t know what we’re up against.”
Jack pulled the car into a parking lot and turned the motor off. He turned toward Ianto and their eyes met. “I like you and I want to help,” Jack said, all pretense gone.
Ianto gazed at him and Jack held his breath. He could understand Ianto’s reluctance. If their positions were reversed, he’d be feeling the same. It came down to trust. Jack spoke quietly. “Please, let me help.”
Slowly, Ianto inclined his head. “Yes,” he said simply. “All right.”
Jack put his hand on Ianto’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “This is private. It’ll stay that way.”
Ianto glanced at the shoulder and then raised his eyes back to Jack’s. “I’ll take that chance.”
For the rest of the drive, Ianto related his story. Jack had heard most of it at lunch, but Ianto filled in some more details. They were nearing the estate when Ianto’s phone rang. He put it to his ear. “Hi, Tosh,” he said.
His expression changed to one of fear. Jack stopped the car. “Where are you?” Ianto asked. Jack could just hear a panicked voice on the other end, but couldn’t make out the words. Ianto replied grimly, “Stay there. Hide. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound. I’ll be there soon.” He turned to Jack. “I’ve got to get to Tosh!”
Jack’s Bluetooth chirped and he touched it. “Harkness.”
“Jack, there’s been an explosion on the university campus.”
“On it,” Jack said. “Get on your glad-rags, kids, and meet me there. Duty calls.”
Ianto couldn’t make himself believe it. Not so soon. It couldn’t be a coincidence. And Tosh was there alone.
Jack had driven like a maniac to the campus thus saving precious time. There were police and firemen everywhere, but no one stopping traffic as yet. Jack stopped in the middle of the road and Ianto leapt out as soon as he could get the door open. He had to find Toshiko. They were after her. He thought he could feel her terror.
He pounded up to the lab with his gun drawn. There were no students in the halls. All of the excitement was centered on the explosion site on the other side. He slid in the door and whispered, “Tosh? Are you here?”
“In here,” came an answering whisper. The door to a cabinet next to the window opened slightly and Ianto got inside. Tosh threw her arms around him and he held her until she stopped shuddering. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
The cabinet was dark and close. “Let’s be quiet now. I think help is on the way.” He faced the cabinet door and pointed his gun at it, blocking Tosh from view should any one open it. A moment later he heard the door on the outside open. A voice spoke. It was silky and dangerous – Ianto had never heard it before. “Dr. Sato? Dr. Sato?” It came closer. “I know you’re here somewhere, dear. We’ve checked everywhere else.”
Footsteps told Ianto that the man was prowling around the room. “You can’t get away from us, pretty little Toshiko. Come along quietly now. We have somewhere very exciting to take you. I promise you’ll love it.”
Suddenly there was another voice. It filled the room, eerie and lethal. “I’d advise you to take your thugs and go. Dr. Sato isn’t going anywhere with you.”
Ianto thought it sounded like Jack, only amplified and distorted. He gripped his gun tighter. The first voice didn’t sound so dangerous as it shouted. “What the hell? Who are you?”
The other voice answered, still distorted. “Someone who doesn’t like you. Get out now.” Ianto heard the sound of flesh hitting jaw. “One down and four to go.”
“Shoot! Just shoot around the room! Do it!”
Shots rang out, some of them ricocheting off the cabinet door. It was too flimsy to take a direct hit and Ianto pushed Tosh to the floor. He heard a shout. “Look! His shadow! Shoot!”
“Shit! There’s people coming, boss! They’re in the hall!”
“All right, all right! Next time, doctor,” the silky voice whispered, too close to the cabinet for comfort. “I promise there will be a next time.”
There were no more sounds. Ianto opened the cabinet door carefully. Now he could hear some people running in the corridor. Two women and two men appeared at the door with guns drawn. Ianto raised his own gun. One of the men held up a hand. “We’re here to help. Where’s Jack?”
Ianto didn’t know what to say. Had it been Jack’s voice he had heard? He wasn’t sure. Toshiko came out of the cabinet and put her hand on Ianto’s arm. “It’s all right, Ianto. That’s the man that drove me home after the last attack.”
As they stared at each other, a groan sounded from the far corner of the room. The men and women ran to it. “There’s blood!” one of them shouted. “He’s here!”
Ianto watched as they felt around on the floor. “Got him!” the other woman declared and pulled at something Ianto couldn’t see. Abruptly Jack was lying in front of him on the floor, dressed in a blue coat and white scarf. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in his chest.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” The smaller man dropped to his knees. “That’s arterial blood. Get help.”
The other three ran. The one left yanked off the scarf and crumpled it, pressing it to the wound. “Hang on, boss,” he said. “We’ll get you fixed up.”
Ianto felt himself moving before he realized. “Let me,” he told the man.
“Are you a doctor?”
“Sort of.”
The man moved back to give him some space. Ianto leaned forward until his face was only a hair’s breadth away from Jack’s. He put one hand over the wound and with the other cupped Jack’s cheek. He gathered all of the strange energy that had been with him since the storm and concentrated. “Go back,” he whispered. “Go back.”
It was working! Ianto felt the blood flow stop. “Farther back. Go farther back.” The wound started to close. Ianto felt himself growing weaker, but did not let go. “Back. Go back. Back.” When the wound was gone, Ianto collapsed on Jack, breathing raggedly.
He felt arms embracing him and heard Jack say, “Well, this is a nice surprise. Take your time, Ianto. Now, would somebody kindly tell me what the hell just happened?”
Part 3
Author:
tonjavmoore Prompt: The Shadow (1994)
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys
Rating: PG13 (a lot of innuendo and m/m kissing)
Warnings: Slash, language, angst
Spoilers: Completely AU, so nothing other than character names and personalities for Torchwood and a cameo appearance by the Doctor
Betas: Alexandria Cameron who put up with my whining and
midlist_writer who can spot a POV shift at 100 pacesWord Count: 19686
Disclaimer: Torchwood belongs to the BBC and RTD. Sadly. The Shadow belongs to Street & Smith and the man who made him a pulp hero Walter B. Gibson. This particular movie belongs to Universal.
Summary: Written for reel_torchwood - Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of aliens? The Shadow knows. At least, this version of him does.
Author's Note 1: This is completely AU with the elements of the movie and Torchwood reshaped and mished together. Hopefully, they are still recognizable.
Author’s Note 2: For those of you who are not fanatic Shadow-ologists, you may have heard that the real name of the Shadow was Lamont Cranston. Au contraire, the identity of Lamont Cranston was one of many that aviator Kent Allard assumed when he turned to the challenge of fighting criminals.
It wasn’t hard to set up a meeting with the police commissioner. Jack simply asked him to dinner at Cardiff’s finest restaurant. He’d established a relationship with law enforcement so that he could keep in the loop about a certain class of otherwise unclassifiable objects. After the first few explosions the police had proved willing to let them disappear.
Jack was dressed in his tuxedo and with his white scarf draped around his neck. He was in full Captain Jack Harkness mode, all charm and charisma as he sat with his target, Andrew Davidson. Jack was hoping to wangle an invitation to meet Dr. Sato in a more informal setting. Andy and the president of the university were close friends.
They’d finished their meal and were lingering over coffee when Andy regarded him with that mixture of suspicion and curiosity he usually did. “So, what do you want this time, Jack? What’s turned up that you want to snatch from the custody of the coppers?”
“You wound me, Andy.” Jack grinned. “What if I just want to have dinner with an old friend?”
Andy snorted with disbelief. “Don’t waste your magic on me, Captain. I’m immune. Fine restaurant, the best wine, and you picking up the tab all add up to something you want from me.”
Jack sighed theatrically. “Never could put anything over on you. Yes, I want a favor, but it doesn’t have anything to do with police storerooms. I’d like an introduction to a lovely lady and you’re my ticket in.”
“Oh, dandy.” Andy shook his head. “I’ll have nothing to do with your seduction escapades, Jack. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“I promise it isn’t a seduction, Commissioner. I’d just like to meet her. She’s a lecturer at that university of yours, Dr. Toshiko Sato. Her research has piqued my curiosity.”
Andy stared at him. “You want to meet Toshiko Sato? You need me for that? What happened to just walk up and charm the pants off her?”
“You said it yourself.” Jack smiled his most innocent smile. “This isn’t a seduction. My intentions are pure. I can’t squander the charm on someone I have no intention of sleeping with. Besides, I might scare her away.”
“You are a bit overwhelming at times,” Andy agreed. “Maybe you could do me a favor in return. These rumors of the Shadow are getting more persistent.”
Dangerous territory. Jack didn’t bat an eyelash, but he leaned back a bit so that his energy wouldn’t show. Adding a bit of a nudge to his voice, he whispered, “You can’t investigate a rumor.”
Andy sighed. “We can’t investigate a rumor.”
In the same sibilant undertone Jack continued, “You don’t have enough people to look into actual crimes.”
Andy shook his head and sighed again. “We don’t have enough people to look into real crimes right now.”
“You don’t need to waste your time chasing someone who doesn’t exist.”
Andy brought his fist down on the table. “I’m not wasting time running all over the countryside chasing someone who doesn’t even exist.”
Jack leaned forward into the light and said sympathetically, “You’re right, old friend. I’ll see what I can find out. I’ve heard a couple of these rumors myself.”
“You agreed awfully fast.”
“I want that introduction.”
“Well, you may get your chance sooner than you think. Guess who just walked in?” He nodded toward the door.
Jack turned casually. Shedding coats were the university president and his wife. With them stood Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones.
The picture of Ianto had been nice, but the sight of him in the flesh! He was stunning. Focus, Jack told himself sternly, but as usual he didn’t listen to himself. At that moment, the young man looked up and caught Jack’s eyes. Jack didn’t quite gasp, but he came close. Ianto Jones’ eyes, aside from being a lovely shade of blue, had time energy in them. Even at this distance the tingle of that energy danced over Jack’s skin. He had to practically rip his eyes away.
Jack was glad that Andy covered his momentary lapse of control by saying, “There she is. Want that introduction now?”
“What? Pounce on them before they’ve had a chance to sit down? Too crass.” Jack grinned again. “Let them get their drinks first.”
A few minutes later, Andy led Jack over to the table where the others were sitting. Jack had to concentrate very hard to ignore the energy that thrummed around him like a vibrating blanket. He looked instead at Dr. Sato. Like her picture, she was petite, with large brown eyes that seemed to be too big for her small face.
Vaguely Jack heard Andy introducing him to the president. “Ben, I’d like you to meet Captain Jack Harkness. Jack, Ben Wheelwright.”
Jack offered a polite hand. “Mr. Wheelwright,” he acknowledged politely. Damn that tingle! He was practically shivering from it.
“I’ve heard of you, Captain, but then who in Cardiff hasn’t?” He turned to his wife. “Dorrie, you know Andy and this is the infamous Captain Jack Harkness. That’s Mrs. Wheelwright to you, Captain.”
“A pleasure, ma’am,” Jack said with an appealing smile. “I take exception to that description.” He took her outstretched hand and kissed it. When she giggled, he winked and turned to the other two occupants of the table.
Ben continued, “Dr. Sato, our guest in physics. Quite a celebrity in her own right. Captain Jack Harkness and Andy Davidson. Andy is the local commissioner of police.”
She extended a hand for Jack to shake. He turned it into a kiss on the hand as he had Mrs. Wheelwright. A blush colored her cheeks. If she hadn’t been sitting beside Ianto Jones he would have found her almost irresistible. “I’ve heard of your work, Doctor,” he said. “Perhaps we could discuss it sometime.”
“Come during my office hours,” she replied, responding to his flirting with a bit of her own. “You’ll be doing me a favor by chasing all the students out. But, don’t tell Mr. Wheelwright.”
“I’ll keep it mum.” Dr. Sato was a bit of a surprise. She was no shy flower. Jack continued, “And this is…?” He was proud of himself for keeping his voice light as he looked at Jones.
Again those blue eyes pierced him, sending pleasurable sensations over Jack’s entire body. Had he been able, Jack would have rolled in it. He heard Toshiko say, “This is my brother, Ianto Jones.” Ianto stood and offered his hand.
The moment they touched, Jack wanted to throw Ianto over his shoulder and run. Something flashed in Ianto’s eyes – something Jack would like to think was a response to his own energy. The handshake lasted a fraction longer than necessary, and then Ianto pulled away.
Wheelwright said congenially, “Won’t you join us?”
Andy replied, “We’ve already had dinner,” Andy replied; but Jack shot him a glance full of roguish appeal broadcast far enough to hit the entire table.
“Just for a few minutes?” Jack suggested, deftly pulling a chair from another table and squeezing in between Ianto and Wheelwright. Only then did he realize he was already thinking of the young man possessively. He’d have to watch that. He did risk a glance at Ianto’s side. Yes, the suit was cut to accommodate a shoulder holster. It definitely appeared to be full. Did Ianto go armed everywhere?
With no choice left to him, Andy added another chair between Dr. Sato and Mrs. Wheelwright, surrendering with a good grace. He turned to the doctor. “Jack expressed an interest in your work, Dr. Sato.”
“I’m just fascinated by Time,” Jack said, smiling again. “Do you work with Time, Mr. Jones?”
Ianto appeared unsettled by this question. “I work in a library, Captain Harkness. Toshiko is the brains in this family.”
Jack wondered if he knew about the energy that surrounded him. If he did, did he know what it was? He was keeping his own under tight control, but curiosity got the better of him. He reached out tentatively and brushed against the energy that Ianto radiated. Ianto’s eyes widened, and he flushed and looked away. Whether or not he knows, he’s certainly aware of it, Jack thought. He turned again to Dr. Sato. “I’d like to come to one of your lectures, if I may.”
“Of course, Captain. Though you’ll probably find them a bit dry. All numbers and charts – not very interesting to the average listener, unless you know a lot of physics.”
“This is actually a lucky chance for me,” Ianto said to Andy. “I believe you knew my mother when she lived here, Commissioner?”
“Yes, Mr. Jones, I did. Lovely woman.”
“If it wouldn’t be too much of a presumption, could I have a private word?” When Andy nodded, Ianto turned to the others at the table. “Excuse us for a moment, please.”
The two of them moved away. Jack chatted idly with the women, but he used his enhanced senses to listen to the conversation. Ianto spoke first. “Sir, I’d like to see you privately soon.”
“You could call my office for an appointment, if you’d like.”
“No.” Ianto’s voice was low, but definite. “I’m sorry, but this needs to be away from the official police presence. It’s urgent. You might call it a favor for my mother.”
“All right, son.” There was a pause, but Jack studiously did not look. Andy resumed, “If it’s that important to you, why don’t we meet for lunch tomorrow?”
“Thank you. Meet me at the Little Mermaid at 1:00, if that works for you.”
Because he wasn’t looking Jack didn’t see Andy’s nod of agreement. There must have been one, because the two of them returned to the table. Jack thought that time would work for him as well, but he wouldn’t invite himself in this persona. There were plenty of shadows in the pub.
Ianto entered the pub with the same caution he always had. Commissioner Davidson was sitting near the back in one of the booths. He slid into the booth and apologized for being late. He’d waited for a crowd of people before crossing from the library to the pub. He never walked alone anymore.
While the commissioner was accepting the apology, Ianto was suddenly overwhelmed by that strange feeling he had experienced last night when he had shaken Jack Harkness’ hand. He glanced around, but saw nothing. The booth was far enough back from the windows that shadows surrounded it. Ianto peered into them, but couldn’t see anything out of place. He pushed the odd sensations to the back of his mind and focused on the matter at hand.
“Thank you for seeing me, sir,” he said. “I know this isn’t the way you normally do business.”
“It’s all rather mysterious. There are seldom any spooky-dos here. Even if I can’t help, secret meetings are intriguing.”
Ianto smiled grimly. “I’m about to present you with an actual mystery. One that’s five years old. Tosh and I have tried keeping it to ourselves, but now we’re tired of running from it. Maybe you are the person who can give us the right kind of help. Or at least, direct us to someone who can.”
Davidson leaned forward, resting his arm on the table. “I’m all ears, as they say. Enlighten me.”
The barmaid appeared to take their order. While Davidson gave his, Ianto’s skin prickled. Something like a breeze had moved across the back of his neck, a warm touch almost like a caress. He shifted his coat to cover it. The energy surged around him again and he felt lightheaded. “Just a ham sandwich and a lager,” he said to the waitress. She withdrew.
“It will sound crazy, but, trust me, Tosh and I are quite sane. About five years ago, our father was attacked on his campus by four men in masks. He fought back and shouted. A group of students showed up from around the corner. The attackers fled. No one could find a trace of them.”
Ianto took a deep breath and continued. “I was at Cresswell and neither my parents nor Tosh told me about it. The police investigated but turned up nothing. Then it happened again. This time he was waiting outside a restaurant for my mother. It was broken up by a constable. The men ran and vanished. It kept happening. Always four, always dressed in black. The attacks were sporadic. Sometimes a few months would go by or there might be two within a week. When the family finally told me, I insisted on an armed bodyguard.”
“Good idea.”
Ianto was relieved that the other man still seemed to be listening. He disliked repeating the story. He knew it sounded fantastic and he would have been skeptical about it himself. The barmaid appeared with their food and Ianto waited again. While she was there, Ianto distinctly felt pressure on his shoulder as though a hand had rested there for a moment. Again that wash of energy spilled over him. He turned around and looked into the next booth. It was dark and empty.
He sank back into his seat thinking that perhaps he was finally slipping over the edge into paranoia. There isn’t anyone there, he told himself. It’s your imagination playing tricks. He’d been looking over his shoulder for so long that he had begun to jump at shadows. He sighed and resumed his narrative. “We did hire a guard, then two, but it didn’t stop the attacks.”
He pushed his untouched food away, and took another sip of water. He folded his hands together and looked at them. This was always the most difficult part. “The last attack was in his lab. There wasn’t time for a lot of investigation. It was the same night as that freak storm in Sydney. Do you remember it?”
“I read a lot about it,” Davidson said. “It was all over the news and I followed it pretty closely.”
“Mum and Dad were killed in their house. Also my fiancée. I’d been with her in a club but I’d gone out to Tosh’s car to speak to her about the attack. We survived. They didn’t. Sometime during the storm I was knocked out. It… wasn’t a good time for us…”
“I can only imagine what it must have been like,” Davidson said sympathetically.
“Tosh and I were two of the twenty-seven survivors. None of the people who went missing that night have ever been found. It’s like they were never there.” Ianto shook his head. “Tosh took over Dad’s lab and we were getting back to normal when Tosh was attacked. Same MO. Four men in black again. She got away when campus security showed up. It was too much for us. I’d been having dizzy spells since the coma, and we decided to go away. We’ve moved a lot since then. Everywhere we went, the attacks would come. We’ve been here three months. Last night, Tosh was attacked on campus. She tried going to her car alone.”
“The men disappeared again, did they? Did she report it?”
“She did. We always do. We filed the report the today, but I know what will happen. The police will give it a cursory look and drop it. There’s nothing that they can do – nothing is there. But it will happen again. It will keep happening until they succeed. I don’t want to run again, but I’ll do anything to keep Tosh safe. She’s all I have now.”
“Well, I must say, that’s a hell of a tale.” Ianto watched him; he could almost hear the gears winding in his head as he thought over all he had been told. “I tell you what I can do. It’s not much, but it’s something. Like you said, there’s nothing to get our official teeth into. That man you met last night – Captain Harkness? He’s investigates things out of the ordinary.”
Ianto stared at him. He had gone to the man for help and the best he could come up with was some amateur sleuth? If he were honest with himself, something about the man intrigued him, but that was a long way from trusting him with this. “I’m… not sure he’d be able to…”
“Don’t let him fool you. There’s a shrewd mind behind all that charm. He’s helped us out before.”
Ianto heard the ghost of a laugh. He shot a glance over to the shadows in the corner. Now, he knew it wasn’t his imagination playing tricks. He’d heard that laugh just last night. Ianto took a steadying breath. “Do you really think he’d be able to help?”
“More than I can, I’m afraid. It’s just like you said, Ianto. There isn’t anything to go on. At least nothing concrete. But maybe, just maybe, Harkness might have an idea. No guarantees, mind you.”
Ianto smiled and thanked him. He didn’t have much hope that anything would come of it, but at least he was doing something instead of wringing his hands. He’d done his fair share of that already. “I won’t keep you, sir.” He stood. “Thank you.”
The commissioner stood as well. “I’ll help if I can, son. Be careful. And watch that sister of yours. I’ll call you to set up a meeting.” He glanced at his watch. “Got to go or my secretary will yell at me again.”
Ianto watched him leave, standing for a minute with his hand on the back of the booth to steady himself. It had been difficult but it was done. He wanted to go back to the flat and lose himself in sleep, but it wasn’t possible just now. There was a mountain of work at the library.
Suddenly he felt it again, that incredible surge of something that had his skin tingling with excitement. He felt pressure on his hand and another thing. As the feeling abated, Ianto raised his hand to his cheek. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn he had just been kissed.
Hart glared at the computer screen. No answers came up. Irritating. He’d have to make a report, and his superiors were getting very impatient. He had no illusions. If he didn’t get results soon, they’d replace him. He was the fourth one who’d been chosen. The others had been retrieved and disposed of. The Agency didn’t tolerate failure.
He flipped back through the digital surveillance photos of Sato and Jones. They had to have some weakness. They had to go off alone sometime, or he’d have to think of way to get one of them alone. The Agency had told him not to let himself be seen, but this was ridiculous.
Something caught his eye in one of the pictures and he zeroed in on it. Once the targets had been in the restaurant last night, his man had taken photos of everyone who’d come out. The face of one man looked familiar. Hart enhanced the image as much as he could. The man in the tuxedo and scarf looked familiar somehow. The computer had tagged him as Captain Jack Harkness, but something about him teased at the edge of Hart’s memory.
He’d seen him before in longer shots. The man was a harmless, nosy idiot who lived in a big house and sometimes was seen with the local coppers at the scene of an investigation. This was the first close-up that Hart had seen. He was quite handsome, almost too handsome to be true. However, it still didn’t explain this odd sense that Hart had encountered him before in another place.
He used one of the primitive search engines to get more information. There wasn’t much. The oldest entry was eight years before, a news story about his arrival in Cardiff as the long-lost nephew of someone deemed newsworthy. The rest were mostly from gossip columnists. Hart studied all the images available and found one of the man smiling at the camera.
Hart sat back in his chair, stunned. This man was Kent Allard, the member of the Time Agency High Council who had disappeared some time ago. How had he ended up here of all places? There’d been a big fuss when he vanished, with hints of the Time Lords being responsible. Hart had been a raw recruit at the time, but Kent Allard was well-known, even idolized. Now that would be quite a coup, bringing Allard back into the fold. It was possible that he could avoid the consequences of his failure should he be unable to collect Dr. Sato. He filed that away as a secondary goal.
Back to the lovely Toshiko. That protective brother of hers would be on the alert now, and Hart had learned that he was a force to be reckoned with. He cursed his men’s impulsiveness. Seeing Sato alone on that campus yard had seemed too good an opportunity, but it hadn’t worked. Hart thought about that fantastic tale that had been spun by his men of a ghostly voice and an invisible presence. Hart was sure it was made up, and now they had given away their element of surprise.
It was a time for a change in tactics.
Jack smiled his most charming smile at the head librarian of the Cardiff library. “I really need to borrow a research expert for a few days, ma’am. I’ve heard about Ianto Jones. Please, could you see your way clear to loaning him?”
The woman was clearly responding to his charisma. Jack could see she was considering a token protest, but she finally gave in. “Of course, we’ll be glad to assist, Captain Harkness. You’ve been more than generous with your donations.”
He mentally patted himself on the back as she called Ianto. The simplest approach was nearly always the best. He’d set Gwen and Suzie on tracking down more information on that storm. He and Suzie had flown to Sydney in the aftermath to take readings, but hadn’t spent much time with the survivors, except to confirm that it was a Rift opening and closing. Obviously that had been a mistake.
His skin began to prickle with excitement as he stood and turned to the door. A moment later it opened to admit Ianto. He looked at Jack in surprise and then turned to the woman behind the desk. “You asked to see me, Mrs. Pierce?” he said.
“Yes, Ianto.” She indicated Jack. “Captain Harkness has requested your help in cataloging his collection of rare books. The Captain is an important patron of the library.” The emphasis was on “important” and “patron.” “We wouldn’t want to let him down. He asked for you specifically. Captain Harkness, Ianto Jones.”
“Actually, we met at Estelle’s last night,” Jack said. He didn’t offer his hand again. He was having enough difficulty not tossing Ianto over his shoulder and running away with him.
Jack noted the same poker face he had seen the previous evening, but the eyes were alight with something else. Curiosity? Suspicion? Both? Ianto nodded briefly in his direction, and then turned back to say, “I’ll do my best to see that the Captain isn’t disappointed. When would you like me to start?” He turned back to Jack and smiled just a little.
That smile made the room brighter. Jack dialed his charm back a notch and smiled back at him. “No time like the present. Come with me now and I’ll show you the lay of the land.”
Ianto balked at the idea of getting into Jack’s Porsche. “I’ll follow you in my own car,” he said firmly.
That wouldn’t suit Jack’s plans at all. “I’ll have one of my staff fetch it later.”
Ianto’s hands balled into fists and he said, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Don’t play games.” Ianto’s voice was belligerent now. “You meet us last night, try to hit on my sister, and then show up today in sudden of a librarian and asking for me. What’s going on?”
Jack sighed. He was going to have to stop flirting and start talking. “I heard about your sister’s narrow escape yesterday. And now I’m curious.”
“How did you hear? Did Mr. Davidson talk to you?”
”No.” Jack didn’t want Ianto to think Andy had betrayed a confidence. He was trying to think of something else when without warning, Jack felt Ianto’s Time energy reaching out and his own responding without being told. It was a moment more intimate than a kiss and more powerful than dynamite.
Ianto eyes closed. He took a deep breath. “All right,” he said quietly. “For now I’ll believe you. I don’t know why I should, but I will.” He moved around the car and got into the passenger seat.
Jack felt as though he had passed some sort of test. He was still a bit confused from that moment of connection, but determined to press on. He slid behind the steering wheel and started the car.
At first, he wasn’t sure that Ianto would speak, but he did. “I looked you up last night.”
“Don’t believe everything you read.”
“If I believed half of what I found, I wouldn’t talk to you, much less let you anywhere near Toshiko.”
“I swear she’s safe from me, Ianto. I can call you Ianto, can’t I?”
“Yes.”
It was a victory, however small. “What’s out there is my public life. My exaggerated public life. I don’t even remember the names of all the men and women I’ve been seen with or linked with in the gossip columns. None of that gets past the façade. I’ve discovered that if you are very very public, no one looks behind to the private. Anything that’s private doesn’t make it out.” He looked at Ianto. “You know this is not about my collection, don’t you?”
“I never thought it was.” Ianto seemed to be studying his hands. “Mr. Davidson recommended that I tell you about Tosh and me. What we’ve been up against. That you might be able to help. But, why would you? We’re strangers. You don’t even know us. You don’t know what we’re up against.”
Jack pulled the car into a parking lot and turned the motor off. He turned toward Ianto and their eyes met. “I like you and I want to help,” Jack said, all pretense gone.
Ianto gazed at him and Jack held his breath. He could understand Ianto’s reluctance. If their positions were reversed, he’d be feeling the same. It came down to trust. Jack spoke quietly. “Please, let me help.”
Slowly, Ianto inclined his head. “Yes,” he said simply. “All right.”
Jack put his hand on Ianto’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “This is private. It’ll stay that way.”
Ianto glanced at the shoulder and then raised his eyes back to Jack’s. “I’ll take that chance.”
For the rest of the drive, Ianto related his story. Jack had heard most of it at lunch, but Ianto filled in some more details. They were nearing the estate when Ianto’s phone rang. He put it to his ear. “Hi, Tosh,” he said.
His expression changed to one of fear. Jack stopped the car. “Where are you?” Ianto asked. Jack could just hear a panicked voice on the other end, but couldn’t make out the words. Ianto replied grimly, “Stay there. Hide. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound. I’ll be there soon.” He turned to Jack. “I’ve got to get to Tosh!”
Jack’s Bluetooth chirped and he touched it. “Harkness.”
“Jack, there’s been an explosion on the university campus.”
“On it,” Jack said. “Get on your glad-rags, kids, and meet me there. Duty calls.”
Ianto couldn’t make himself believe it. Not so soon. It couldn’t be a coincidence. And Tosh was there alone.
Jack had driven like a maniac to the campus thus saving precious time. There were police and firemen everywhere, but no one stopping traffic as yet. Jack stopped in the middle of the road and Ianto leapt out as soon as he could get the door open. He had to find Toshiko. They were after her. He thought he could feel her terror.
He pounded up to the lab with his gun drawn. There were no students in the halls. All of the excitement was centered on the explosion site on the other side. He slid in the door and whispered, “Tosh? Are you here?”
“In here,” came an answering whisper. The door to a cabinet next to the window opened slightly and Ianto got inside. Tosh threw her arms around him and he held her until she stopped shuddering. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
The cabinet was dark and close. “Let’s be quiet now. I think help is on the way.” He faced the cabinet door and pointed his gun at it, blocking Tosh from view should any one open it. A moment later he heard the door on the outside open. A voice spoke. It was silky and dangerous – Ianto had never heard it before. “Dr. Sato? Dr. Sato?” It came closer. “I know you’re here somewhere, dear. We’ve checked everywhere else.”
Footsteps told Ianto that the man was prowling around the room. “You can’t get away from us, pretty little Toshiko. Come along quietly now. We have somewhere very exciting to take you. I promise you’ll love it.”
Suddenly there was another voice. It filled the room, eerie and lethal. “I’d advise you to take your thugs and go. Dr. Sato isn’t going anywhere with you.”
Ianto thought it sounded like Jack, only amplified and distorted. He gripped his gun tighter. The first voice didn’t sound so dangerous as it shouted. “What the hell? Who are you?”
The other voice answered, still distorted. “Someone who doesn’t like you. Get out now.” Ianto heard the sound of flesh hitting jaw. “One down and four to go.”
“Shoot! Just shoot around the room! Do it!”
Shots rang out, some of them ricocheting off the cabinet door. It was too flimsy to take a direct hit and Ianto pushed Tosh to the floor. He heard a shout. “Look! His shadow! Shoot!”
“Shit! There’s people coming, boss! They’re in the hall!”
“All right, all right! Next time, doctor,” the silky voice whispered, too close to the cabinet for comfort. “I promise there will be a next time.”
There were no more sounds. Ianto opened the cabinet door carefully. Now he could hear some people running in the corridor. Two women and two men appeared at the door with guns drawn. Ianto raised his own gun. One of the men held up a hand. “We’re here to help. Where’s Jack?”
Ianto didn’t know what to say. Had it been Jack’s voice he had heard? He wasn’t sure. Toshiko came out of the cabinet and put her hand on Ianto’s arm. “It’s all right, Ianto. That’s the man that drove me home after the last attack.”
As they stared at each other, a groan sounded from the far corner of the room. The men and women ran to it. “There’s blood!” one of them shouted. “He’s here!”
Ianto watched as they felt around on the floor. “Got him!” the other woman declared and pulled at something Ianto couldn’t see. Abruptly Jack was lying in front of him on the floor, dressed in a blue coat and white scarf. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in his chest.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” The smaller man dropped to his knees. “That’s arterial blood. Get help.”
The other three ran. The one left yanked off the scarf and crumpled it, pressing it to the wound. “Hang on, boss,” he said. “We’ll get you fixed up.”
Ianto felt himself moving before he realized. “Let me,” he told the man.
“Are you a doctor?”
“Sort of.”
The man moved back to give him some space. Ianto leaned forward until his face was only a hair’s breadth away from Jack’s. He put one hand over the wound and with the other cupped Jack’s cheek. He gathered all of the strange energy that had been with him since the storm and concentrated. “Go back,” he whispered. “Go back.”
It was working! Ianto felt the blood flow stop. “Farther back. Go farther back.” The wound started to close. Ianto felt himself growing weaker, but did not let go. “Back. Go back. Back.” When the wound was gone, Ianto collapsed on Jack, breathing raggedly.
He felt arms embracing him and heard Jack say, “Well, this is a nice surprise. Take your time, Ianto. Now, would somebody kindly tell me what the hell just happened?”
Part 3