(no subject)
Title: The Last Gasp (3/?)
Characters/Pairings: Team. All cannon.
rating: 15/R
Spoilers: Series 1 (TW) Season19/20 (Dr Who).
Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just using them for my own (non profit making) ends.
Summary: With Gwen and Ianto down it's a race against time to find Tosh, but is she in more danger then any of them realise?
Chapter 3: Said the Spider to the Fly
Owen checked the monitors at the side of the bed for what seemed like the hundredth time in a minute. He felt helpless and he hated it, he was a doctor for fucks sake and he had two people in his care he was seemingly unable to help. To top that he had Gwen’s idiotic boyfriend to deal with.
“Can’t you just shut up for ONE minute!” He snapped at a babbling Rhys who was pacing up and down in the doorway talking to himself.
“Look mate” Rhys snapped back “That’s my girlfriend you’ve got there!”
“As if I needed reminding” Owen said under his breath as he glared at the Welshman
“What did you just say!?” Rhys growled
“I don’t care what you think’s going on but it stops now!” Jack had re-appeared in the doorway. His hair neat and fortunately for Owen, he was now wearing a shirt.
Both men went quiet
“I still can’t raise Toshiko” Jack said
Owen closed his eyes
“Please God no” He said
“We need to think worst case scenario here” Jack said “I’m going to take the SUV and go to her house. I need you to be ready to receive us when we get back”
Owen didn’t need telling what ‘receive us’ really meant. He nodded, his eyes still closed
“Jack” he said finally opening them and looking at his Captain “Good luck”
Jack nodded once and left the room.
~#~
He haired along the corridors to the garage where the abandoned SUV was ticking over, the drivers door still open
‘Ianto would kill me if he knew Id left it like that’ Jack thought ruefully as he jumped into the car.
It didn’t take him long to get to Toshiko’s house or to realise that he had a problem. When there had been no answer to his noisy appearance he’d easily broken in and disabled the alarm thanks to a nifty piece of salvage he‘d thought fit to keep on him.
What he hadn’t banked on was finding an empty bed that obviously hadn’t been slept in recently.
‘Not today Tosh. Don’t do this to me!’ he thought as he scanned the room looking for any hint as to where she might be
“Toshiko Sato where are you?” He said to the empty room
He tried to think back to the previous day. Had she said anything about going away? Visiting family maybe?
She’d been in his office before they’d left for the night going through the latest rift measurements but if he was honest his mind were on other things and the readings themselves were unremarkable. Everything had been quiet in recent weeks, too quiet it seemed.
He tapped his earpiece opening a link to the hub
“Owen did Tosh say anything yesterday about going somewhere tonight?”
He scanned the room as he awaited Owens reply.
‘Not to me she didn’t’
“Thanks Owen”
He cursed in frustration, he didn’t need this.
“I’m sorry about this Tosh” He apologised before opening the nearest drawer hoping to find a clue to his scientist’s whereabouts.
He checked drawers, cupboards and boxes looking for clues. Her laptop was predictably missing, presumably right by her side. He reached up to his earpiece to link up to the hub but stopped in his tracks, there was no one to call. Owen was needed in the medical suite and there was no one else. He was on his own, with no leads and no one to help him. He couldn’t do this alone.
He growled in frustration before slumping down onto her bed and was just rifling through a set of papers on her nightstand for the fourth time when someone spoke
“I might have guessed it was you!”
Jack looked up to find PC Andy Davidson standing hands on hips looking down on him like a headmaster would a naughty pupil.
“What do you want?” Jack snapped
“I was called out to a robbery in progress wasn’t I? Neighbours reported a man in a big coat making a racket outside then seeming to break in. You‘re also double parked”
A second officer appeared behind Andy
“Well it’s me and this isn‘t a robbery. You can go now” Jack said getting to his feet squaring up to Andy
“Oh you think so do you?” He said
Jack raised an eyebrow
“Don’t piss about PC Davidson” He warned
“Who is this Joker?” Andy’s partner asked eyeing Jack
“This, Tom, is Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood”
“The Torchwood?” The man said amazed
“There’s another?” Jack asked proudly
Andy turned to his partner
“It’s OK I’ll deal with him. Wait in the car”
“No you wont deal with me.” Jack said “You’re both going to get in your car, call in a false alarm and drive away”
Tom made to leave but Andy stood firm
“Often break into women’s houses and go through their underwear drawers do you?” Andy was looking back to the underwear drawer Jack had tipped out earlier in desperation.
“What do you think” Jack said viciously
“It’s ok Captain Harkness” Andy replied echoing Jacks earlier slight “I know the drill. Top secret, and all that bollocks.”
“Maybe you’re not as dumb as I thought”
“No, see I was sensible enough to stay away from you, unlike Gwen”
The mention of Gwen struck a nerve within Jack. In a way Andy was right, if Gwen had never gotten mixed up with Torchwood she wouldn’t be in the medical suite now, fighting for her life.
The two men glared at each other. There had never been any love lost between Torchwood and the local police and Andy Davidson was no exception.
“Leave Gwen out of this!”
“Why should I? She’s changed since she met you. She used to be nice, carefree, but not now. Now I look into her eyes and I don’t see the happy plod I once new, I see a frightened girl haunted by whatever it is YOU expose her too! I wish I could help her, make her see what it‘s doing to her but she wouldn‘t listen”
The look in Andy’s eyes as he spoke told Jack he’s been waiting a long time for a chance to tell him this.
In some ways Jack admired him, there were few that dared stand up to Jack Harkness and even fewer when he was in this kind of mood.
As he stood there nose to nose with the young PC Jack realised that the help he knew he needed had fallen into his lap. It was obvious that Gwen trusted Andy and if it was good enough for Gwen it was good enough for him.
He turned the tables and flashed Andy a winning smile completely wrong footing the young man.
“OK congratulations you passed the test”
“What?” He said blinking rapidly
“I’ll explain on the way, come on”
Andy just gaped at Jack as he pushed past him and out of the door
“Come on!” Jack called
Jack hopped into the drivers seat and waited impatiently for Andy to catch him up.
“OK, by all means have your fun but what I’m going to tell you is important, peoples lives are at risk.”
Andy just looked out of the windscreen and nodded silently.
“You OK?” Jack asked biting his tongue, he really didn’t have time to deal with a PC in shock.
“I’m just wondering when I’m going to wake up that’s all.”
Jack suppressed a shudder at Andy’s words
“How do you mean?” He asked
“Well if I was awake there is no way this would be happening!”
“This is no dream Andy. Peoples lives are in danger, I’ve got two of my team in the medical suite and one missing and although I hate to admit it, I need help.”
Andy’s head snapped round to look at Jack and his hand went up to his radio.
“Woah! What do you think you’re doing?” Jack said reaching out a hand to stop him
“You’ve got a missing person I’m calling it in”
“No you’re not. We’ve more effective ways”
~#~
Eight Hours Earlier...
Tosh reluctantly shut down her laptop and gathered her papers together. She really could do with another hour on it but jack was insistent. Work stops tonight at five.
She looked across to his office to see him leaning back in his chair talking to someone on the phone. By the expression on his face she speculated that the call may have something to do with them being kicked out of the hub.
“Oh yeah?” She heard him say as she walked over to the office “Who said anything about dessert?”
He laughed somewhat lasciviously and ran his tongue over his teeth.
She coughed gently to let him know she was there. He looked up and gestured for her to sit down.
“OK gotta go…bye”
Tosh sat and opened the folder on her lap
“Restaurants” Jack said after he replaced the receiver “Are overrated. In my opinion nothing beats good old fashioned home cooking!”
“Really? You don’t strike me as the pipe and slippers type”
“Don’t get me wrong I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to cook for people!”
Jack never ceased to amaze her. After all he seemed to live off take away and had been the one to break the microwave trying to bake a potato and now he was telling her how much he like cooking.
“Looks like someone’s in for a treat then”
Jack leant back in his chair grinning
“Oh yeah! But you didn’t come in here for that. Talk rift to me Tosh”
Tosh smiled back. Since his return to them there had been a noticeable change in Jack. He seemed happier, more relaxed and it was beginning to rub off on the rest of them too. That very morning she’d caught Ianto singing to himself whilst doing the security sweep.
She picked up the first of her readings and began explaining them to Jack. During the lull in activity she’d had the chance to run several diagnostics trying to establish a pattern in the peaks of activity with some success.
When she had finished speaking she could see that Jack wasn’t as impressed as she might have thought
“It’s good stuff Tosh but I’m going to need you to focus elsewhere for the time being. I need a report on those Arcanians ASAP if we’re going to stop this becoming a war. I don’t care how small they are I don’t want my office turning into a battleground!”
Tosh sighed
“All this just because Owen sneezed!”
“Yeah I’m sorry about this Tosh. I’d get Owen to sort it himself but I think he’s already exacerbated the situation enough! The hamster cage was the last straw”
“Hamster cage?!” Tosh exclaimed
“Where else do you contain a 2” Army? He said”
Tosh tried not to laugh, the idea of the tiny aliens cooped up in Rotastack was hilarious.
“OK Jack. I’ll try to find somewhere more suitable for them too. Have a good evening”
Jack grinned at her “Oh I will…”
She gathered up her things and left the hub via the tourist office thinking that she might ask Ianto if he fancied a drink. Talking to Jack had left her feeling a tad despondent so a bit of company would do her good.
“No, they’re foul!!!…Oh god please tell me you’ve never done that!”
She entered the room and found that he too was on the phone.
“That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard and considering most of the things you’ve told me that’s saying something!”
He looked up and smiled at her
“Well you can forget it if you think you’re doing that to me!…Look I’ve got to go…OK, I’m looking forward to it…bye”
“I won’t ask” She said chuckling
“Probably for the best. Lets just say I’ll never look at a pineapple ring in the same way ever again!”
Tosh winced
“Well I was going to ask you whether you fancied a drink but you seem to have plans”
“I do as a matter of fact” He said picking up some leaflets that had fallen to the floor
“Well come on, spill”
“Oh Tosh I can’t…” He looked resigned and sat back down in his chair
“It’s Jack isn’t it?” She asked thinking of the half heard conversation earlier
He looked up at her surprised and then nodded sadly
“You think I’m mad don’t you. Especially after what happened”
She crossed the room and put a hand on his shoulder
“Well I can’t say I’m not surprised but if it’s what you want…” She tailed off
“A fresh start Tosh. He gave me one and it’s the least I can do to repay the favour, but that’s all he gets, one chance, then it’s over for good. Whatever it is.”
She pulled him tight against her.
“Don’t you think you should know?”
“Well an arrangement is to clinical and to call it an affair sounds to sordid. It’s not a relationship by any stretch of the imagination and I can’t even bring myself to call us l…” He stopped
Tosh sighed and kissed the side of his head.
“God will you listen to me? I sound like a trashy romance novel” He said looking at her and laughing “The tragic story of the dashing Captain and the Archivist. It‘s bound to be a best seller”
Tosh laughed with him
“with added pineapple rings?”
Ianto balked
“God no! No pineapple rings!”
Tosh gave his shoulders one more squeeze and got up
“I better be going. Goodnight Ianto”
“Oh it will be” He said grinning.
She shut the door behind her and began to walk toward the Plass pulling her coat around her against the chilly January wind. She had to admit she was worried about Ianto, especially given his track record with Jack. The latter’s sudden departure and turbulent return had hit him harder than she knew he would admit. The fist fight with Owen after he had used some particularly distasteful words to describe the pair had proved it. It was times like this Tosh was glad she was single.
She looked at her watch wondering whether to have a drink after all when everything went black.
“Is this her?”
“Oh yes. Unmistakable”
“What about the cargo?”
“I said we‘re not to talk of it. It‘s safe and that is all you need to know”
Tosh hissed in pain as she tried to lift her head. She tried to open her eyes but was only met with darkness.
“Hello?” She called
“Who’s there?”
She tried to move but found herself bound.
The sound of footsteps approaching echoed about her making realise the room she was held in was large and empty. A warehouse perhaps?
“Are you Toshiko Sato?” A male voice asked
“Who wants to know?”
“I’ll take that as a yes. I want to let you know now that you have no chance of escape, try and you will be killed by whatever means I see fit”
The voice was cold and hollow. Tosh could hear a shuffling noise that told her the speaker was not alone. She strained her ears listening for any noise that might give a clue to her surroundings and more importantly, where the exits were.
“My name is Mr Taylor and you shall be my guest until such time as my needs are met”
Tosh shuddered, using the involuntary movement as an opportunity to work at her bonds
“And what are your needs?” She asked as calmly as possible
Mr Taylor laughed
“That, Miss Sato, I shall come to in due time. Shall we become better acquainted first? I think it is only polite”
“That’s a bit hard when you’ve got me blindfolded!”
“Well I could take it off, but then I would have to take out your eyes and neither of us wants that do we?”
Tosh felt like someone had tipped a bucket of ice down her back
“I think I’ll stick with the blindfold thanks”
Taylor laughed
“Very wise my dear!”
“Now I have very little time so I‘m afraid I must dispense with the pleasantries”
She could hear Mr Taylor’s footsteps clicking on the concrete floor as he walked around her.
“Take her!”
The footsteps were joined by two other pairs and Tosh was hauled to her feet and half walked, half dragged across the room and thrown to the floor.
Now, this may be a little unpleasant and for that I apologise. I will ask you not to move for the time being, doing so could be…disagreeable”“
Tosh held her breath doing her best to assess the situation. The place where she had been thrown was different. This surface was softer, smoother and had an odd almost metallic scent to it. There was something else in the air too, but Tosh couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
Moments later she felt as if someone had dropped a bucket of needles onto her whilst simultaneously ripping out her stomach.
There was a clicking noise and once again she heard the voice of Mr Taylor.
“You may remove her blindfold now but keep her bound. The transport will have scrambled any sub-dermal tracking devices or ocular receptors”
Tosh blinked in the bright light as the heavy hood was pulled off her head.
The first thing she saw was the floor. It was the colour of dried blood and had the texture of stone. The next thing she saw was a pair of glossy black hooves.
“Hello my dear and welcome to Inlé”