I saw a shimmering light- part eight
Title: I saw a shimmering light (Part 8 of ? )
Rating: PG-13 Gen fic
Fandom/Characters: Torchwood/ Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper
Outline: The Hotel suddenly starts to show signs of being eager for them to leave.
Notes: Inspired by the Hotel California rpg plentyofroom (it triggered the plot bunnies off and this is the result, so it's all their fault).
Set during series 2 but before Reset.
In the Hotel California rpg room 105 belongs to Jack Harkness.
Thanks to capj_harkness for background information.
Disclaimer: I have no ownership of these or any other characters connected with Torchwood or any other copyrighted work mentioned or alluded to.
Jack opened the door, ready to shoot, then stared in amazement. His reaction made Owen lean out and look.
"What the hell!"
"What is it?" Toshiko demanded, standing up and walking towards them.
Ianto laughed. "Believe it or not," he said grinning and pulling a trolley into the room. "We appear to have room service."
"Looks like someone else is quite keen on us leaving soon too," Jack added, pulling four plastic packages from the lower shelf. "Water carriers."
A loud beeping noise suddenly came from the direction of the desk, Toshiko turned back, puzzled by the sound. "It shouldn't be doing that!"
"Something wrong with it?" Owen asked, moving closer, the beeping changed to a high-pitched scream.
They all covered their ears as the scream got louder until it was almost unbearable.
"What the hell is that?" Jack demanded, trying to make himself heard.
"I don't know, something must have triggered it," she replied, trying to stop it.
Unable to stand it for a second longer, Owen headed for the doorway, as soon as he did the noise stopped. "Thank gawd for that!" turning back he took a few steps and it started up all over again.
Toshiko turned quickly around. "Owen go to the door."
"Why?" he demanded, clearly puzzled.
"Just do it," she replied, "Now."
As soon as Owen moved towards the door the room fell silent. Jack stared at Toshiko, trying to work out what tricks were being played on them now!
"Okay, Tosh, what the hell happened then?"
Toshiko didn't reply immediately, she was too busy checking connections, finally satisfied that it hadn't been caused by a loose wire, she nodded to herself then turned towards Jack.
"It's picking something up from Owen. You aren't carrying some kind of tracking device are you?" Raising her eyebrows she looked enquiringly at him.
"What. Why the bloody-hell would I want to bug myself?" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he remembered that that was exactly what he had done before he had left the Hub. "Erm, actually Tosh, come to think of it," he mumbled. looking sheepishly at her.
Ianto turned away, trying to hide the smirk on his face. "Makes a change," he murmured, his lips twitching as he attempted to return to his usual neutral expression.
Owen heard his comment and glared briefly at him before turning away and glancing towards Toshiko. "I'll ditch the damned thing. Only brought it with everyone doing a bunk."
Looking quickly towards Jack, she shook her head. "No, don't do that. It might come in handy," she said, dipping her head and mumbling the last few words.
Suspiciously eyeing Toshiko and Jack, Owen finally lost patience with them. "Alright, what the bloody-hell is it that you two know that I damned-well don't?"
"Nothing." Toshiko murmured, head bowed, she turned back to the desk.
"Like she says... nothing," Jack repeated, grinned, then glanced towards Ianto, attempting to make eye contact.
Eyes narrowed, Owen glared at Ianto. "Oh right, so he's in on this too, is he? No bloody surprise there then!"
Jack closed his eyes and sighed, good as Owen was at his job, there were times.... "Owen," he said, his voice clear and concise.
"That's my name, don't wear it out." Owen pressed his lips together and looked impatiently back at Jack.
Giving Owen a warning look that said shut it Owen, I'm the boss, he replied with, "At the moment it's on a need to know bases and...."
"Yeah, I know, I don't need to know. Well it better hadn't be the same as what happened last time I didn't need to know, 'cos we all know how that turned out, don't we Jack?" Owen folded his arms tightly across his chest and fixed Jack with a cold stare.
"It isn't," Jack replied bluntly.
Owen's expression clearly said, yeah right, I believe you, millions wouldn't, but he said nothing, just looked down at the floor.
Relieved that Owen seemed to have dropped the subject, Jack turned his attention back to the trolley. "Okay, looks like there's a good supply of food here, just need the water containers filling up and we can get moving," he glanced across at Toshiko. "As long as you're all set to go?"
Toshiko nodded then smiled. "Yep, all working- well more or less, as long as they don't decide to start blocking it again."
"Somehow I don't think that's going to happen, they seem to want us gone for some reason." Jack handed two of the containers to Ianto, kept hold of the remaining two and headed for the bathroom.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" A familiar voice suddenly burst into life.
The all turned, staring at the desk.
"Gwen?" Toshiko reached for the piece of tech she had built, then realised that the voice wasn't coming from that, but from the mobile phone that she had cannibalised for parts. Picking it up, she then held it closer to her ear, there was no way that it could be working! "Erm, Hello," she said, not really believing that she was attempting to use the phone in the state it was in.
"Oh, thank god! I've been trying to reach you for the last three days." The relief in Gwen's voice very evident.
Jack took the phone from Toshiko, then paused for a moment before he raised it towards his ear. "Gwen!" His voice sounded pleasantly surprised, almost as if she was the one who had been missing. "How's things at the Hub?"
"Fine," Gwen's voice suddenly sounded wary. "Where are you exactly?" She enquired, leaning against the back of Owen's car.
"Right this minute? We're in a luxury hotel just off the dual carriageway."
Gwen was suddenly standing upright, staring around her. "What, near to where Owen's car is?" she asked, then started to walk towards the front of his car.
"Yep," he replied. "Complete with enigmatic exterior and desert as far as the eye can see."
Shaking her head nervously, she looked back towards her own car. "Nothing like that here, Jack. Just grass."
Suddenly realising the danger she was in, Owen moved from his position by the door. "Gwen. Don't move...." He never finished his warning- his alarm went off yet again.
Everyone clutched at their ears, and Gwen dropped her phone in shock. Ianto manhandled Owen back towards the doorway, as soon as he was back out of range it stopped and they all relaxed and heaved a sigh of relief.
"What the bloody hell was that?" She demanded, wincing.
"That would be Owen," Jack replied, his ears still ringing.
Gwen snorted, resisting the temptation to say, well it would be wouldn't it?
"I think what he was about to say," Jack smirked towards him,"before he was so rudely interrupted, was that it's probably better if you don't go any further down that track than Owen's car."
"Okay," she drawled back, then stopped. She had just reached the point where she was level with the front of the car.
Glancing at the ground, she could see what looked like tracks made by the SUV just in front, Ianto's car, then the road (if you could call it that) went on, branching off across a field.
"There's a forcefield, we're on the other side of it and once you cross it- you can't get back." He paused for a second. "At least we couldn't, but I think maybe someone suddenly wants us gone."
"Do you know if it moves, this barrier?" She asked, warily.
"Yes, yes it does," Jack said urgently, "Whatever you do, make sure you can see Owen's car at all times. It moved towards Ianto's, that's how it got Owen."
"Can you see the front of my car?" Ianto asked, suddenly wondering which side of the barrier his car was now on.
"Um. Hang on a minute, I'll have a look." Walking out into the field until she had gone far enough to see all of his car, she stopped, looked perfectly fine as far as she could see. "Well, I can see all of it, if that's any use."
"Yeah, that's fine, thanks Gwen. it must have move back again by the sound of things. If it had stayed where it was the last time we were up there, you probably wouldn't be able to see part of it."
"Maybe the barrier has gone?" Owen suggested, "If that's what was blocking the signal."
"It's possible," Toshiko nodded, still trying to work out how the phone could possible be working without its battery never mind everything else she had stripped out of it.
"Okay Gwen, back up as far as you can. If there's any sign of either of those cars starting to vanish, get the hell out of there, you hear me?" Jack turned to the others. "Time we made a move."
Ianto waved one of the water carriers. "what about filling these?" he asked, clearly reluctant go without them.
"Take them as they are, something tells me if they want us to have water, we'll get it. Owen, go into the bathroom until we've gone out into the corridor. Tosh, you ready?"
"Gwen, if you see us coming, don't come towards us whatever you do, let us come to you, okay?"
"Will do." She replied, then moved back to her own car and waited.
* * *
Owen stood impatiently waiting in the bathroom as the others packed up and headed out of the door. Jack paused by the doorway.
"Okay, Owen we're done here, get your stuff and follow us," he paused, then added, "And keep in sight of at least one of us, they may try to split us up."
"Yeah, alright," Owen's voice echoed around the bathroom.
Jack went out into the hallway, stopping beside Toshiko. "Have you managed to work out how far away from him you have to be before we all get deafened?"
Toshiko nodded. "It's okay, I've tweaked it a bit, it will still trigger but not as loud... I hope!"
Meanwhile still inside the room, Owen picked up his bag, then glanced around, checking they hadn't left anything that might be needed. Surprised, he noticed that Jack had left his mobile phone on the windowsill. Grabbing it, he dropped it into the front compartment of his rucksack and zipped it up.
Closing the door, he speeded up to catch up with Jack, who was just about to turn the corner and go down the stairs.
Back inside the room, a faint breeze flipped at the curtains, then the phone that Owen had just put into his bag reappeared back where he had taken it from.
Continued here