By the time they reached the gate Ianto had locked up the SUV, armed himself with his SIG and was waiting for them.
Jack walked over to an electronic keypad and after studying it for a moment began to work it with his thumbs and the occasion consultation of the wristband on his left arm. It took a few seconds but there was a tell tale, pop as the magnetic field holding the gate shut gave way and it popped open.
Ianto gave it a slight nudge so that it wouldn't fall back into place but waited for Jack to come back and take the lead.
Pushing through the gate, Jack stuck close to the shadows as he began to scan the courtyard he'd just stepped into. As he waited for the other two to join him, he counted off the total buildings and checked his watch, consulting the information Ianto had dumped to the device.
Flicking his fingers, he pulled the other two men in close, speaking in a voice that was soft but meant to carry clearly.
"The humanoids are scattered, one in that set of buildings to our left, two in that main building in front of us. The four unknowns are in the buildings to the right and possibly outside, behind what looked like a shed."
With that, Jack nodded towards the building to the left, indicating they would start there. Reaching into the greatcoat, he withdrew an over sized maglite, which he flipped neatly in his hand before he set off, moving almost silently through the fallen leaves.
As they came up on the building, he paused and motioned for Dean to take one side of the door.
Dean nodded, the rifle strapped over his shoulder for the time being with his colt in hand. He stepped up to the indicated side of the door, gun ready.
Jack and Ianto came in behind Dean, Jack breaking to Dean's left, Ianto taking the right, guns drawn.
After a moment, Jack flipped on the Mag Lite, positioning it smoothly beneath his gun hand so that both light and gun where pointing the same direction, sweeping the area.
It looked like a typical summer camp set up, with twin beds sitting side by side, separated by a small table. Some of the beds were made and neat, obviously unused while others were mused up or hand clothing strewn across them.
Towards the back an doorway lead into what looked like a communal shower/toilet/sink area. When Jack's light flashed past that doorway, it was possible that Dean might have seen a moving shadow.
Jack came around immediately, holding up the light into the doorway.
When Dean's body blocked the light as he stepped forward a primeval shriek echoed through the cabin and a slender shadow launched itself at Dean from the side, attempting to jump on his back.
Jack yelled and Ianto was quick on the figure, grabbing her around the waist and yanking her back.
As emaciated as the woman was it was almost a wonder that the young Welshman didn't break her in two as he lifted her off Dean. Screaming, she thrashed wildly, nearly kicking the light out of Jack's hand as he was closing quickly to check on Dean.
When the beam of light flipped across her face, it was possible for Dean to see smears of red around her mouth, nose and cheeks, much the way a lion's muzzle was stained after it had torn into the carcass of a downed water buffalo.
Screeching she twisted wildly in Ianto's arms, begging.
"I'm hungry, I'm so hungry!!"
Twisting, she attempted to take a full on, unhesitating bite out of Ianto's forearm but he quickly grabbed the back of her hair and yanked her head back. Though the movement was calm, his expression was wide eyed as he stared at Jack over her shoulder.
Kneeling beside Dean down, Jack stared right back for a long moment before he shook his head and looked at Dean.
"Shit." Dean edged over. "She looks like she hasn't eaten in a month." He turned once he was pretty sure Ianto had the situation in hand, scanning the rest of the room. "There were a couple of others on the scanner, right?"
Reaching out, Jack caught the woman's hair and lifted her head, looking at her. She was docile now mostly because she was nearly unconscious with hunger, her eyes unable to focus though she took an almost instinctive snap at Jack's wrist.
"What the hell is going on here," he muttered and then nodded to Ianto.
The young Welshman quickly followed a protocol that obviously stood as SOP in situations like these and he began to put weevil handclamps on the woman before taking her back into the main room and putting her on a bed. Clamps were also put on her ankles and she was hog tied with a zip line.
Meanwhile, Jack finished sweeping the bathroom and came back out through the doorway.
"There's no other entrance, Ianto you stay here with her, don't get yourself eaten please. Dean, come on. I want to find something."
Moving quickly towards the door, Jack scanned the night and then cautiously moved down the steps back into the silent courtyard.
Gun drawn, flashlight in position, Jack made a beeline to the large, communal structure, this time he took point on the door, opening it quietly and slipping on through, leading with flashlight and weapon.
It grated on Jack's nerves to be moving so very slowly and that tension showed in the line of his shoulders and the way he moved but he was cautious and thorough as he started down a long hallway. Checking each door as they came to it, Jack peered into one room and motioned for Dean to follow him.
There wasn't much light but the beam from Jack's flashlight exposed what looked like an office, with desks and filing cabinets. If Dean looked to the side of the wall by the door, he'd see a plaque with the word Registration on it.
"Check that desk," Jack said quietly. "Lets see what's in here."
Dean nodded and moved quickly to the desk, flipping on the light and looking over the computer, the pamphlets, and what looked like a register of recent members.
There came a distracted grunt from Jack and the sound of fluttering paper as he rifled through files.
"Looks like people are coming here on purpose at least, course who would resist the promise of massive weight loss with just two little pills?"
There was some more fluttering and then a hiss and Jack moved quickly over to the desk. Hunkering down on his heels next to Dean, he folded back and file and dropped it onto the desk in front of the younger man.
"Look familiar?"
There was a picture clipped to the file, obviously a 'before' picture but also obviously the woman who had attacked them in the cabin. Shy but trying to smile, she looked to be carrying about 60lbs more than she should for her frame.
Jack walked over to an electronic keypad and after studying it for a moment began to work it with his thumbs and the occasion consultation of the wristband on his left arm. It took a few seconds but there was a tell tale, pop as the magnetic field holding the gate shut gave way and it popped open.
Ianto gave it a slight nudge so that it wouldn't fall back into place but waited for Jack to come back and take the lead.
Pushing through the gate, Jack stuck close to the shadows as he began to scan the courtyard he'd just stepped into. As he waited for the other two to join him, he counted off the total buildings and checked his watch, consulting the information Ianto had dumped to the device.
Flicking his fingers, he pulled the other two men in close, speaking in a voice that was soft but meant to carry clearly.
"The humanoids are scattered, one in that set of buildings to our left, two in that main building in front of us. The four unknowns are in the buildings to the right and possibly outside, behind what looked like a shed."
With that, Jack nodded towards the building to the left, indicating they would start there. Reaching into the greatcoat, he withdrew an over sized maglite, which he flipped neatly in his hand before he set off, moving almost silently through the fallen leaves.
As they came up on the building, he paused and motioned for Dean to take one side of the door.
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Reaching for the knob, Jack tested it and felt it give under his hand. Looking across the way, he nodded his direction to Dean.
He'd push the door, Dean to take point.
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Finding it apparently empty -- of pretty much everything -- he nodded to Jack.
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After a moment, Jack flipped on the Mag Lite, positioning it smoothly beneath his gun hand so that both light and gun where pointing the same direction, sweeping the area.
It looked like a typical summer camp set up, with twin beds sitting side by side, separated by a small table. Some of the beds were made and neat, obviously unused while others were mused up or hand clothing strewn across them.
Towards the back an doorway lead into what looked like a communal shower/toilet/sink area. When Jack's light flashed past that doorway, it was possible that Dean might have seen a moving shadow.
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When Dean's body blocked the light as he stepped forward a primeval shriek echoed through the cabin and a slender shadow launched itself at Dean from the side, attempting to jump on his back.
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He was a little busy trying to keep from getting his face bitten off.
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As emaciated as the woman was it was almost a wonder that the young Welshman didn't break her in two as he lifted her off Dean. Screaming, she thrashed wildly, nearly kicking the light out of Jack's hand as he was closing quickly to check on Dean.
When the beam of light flipped across her face, it was possible for Dean to see smears of red around her mouth, nose and cheeks, much the way a lion's muzzle was stained after it had torn into the carcass of a downed water buffalo.
Screeching she twisted wildly in Ianto's arms, begging.
"I'm hungry, I'm so hungry!!"
Twisting, she attempted to take a full on, unhesitating bite out of Ianto's forearm but he quickly grabbed the back of her hair and yanked her head back. Though the movement was calm, his expression was wide eyed as he stared at Jack over her shoulder.
Kneeling beside Dean down, Jack stared right back for a long moment before he shook his head and looked at Dean.
"You okay?"
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Lifting his left arm, he tapped on the wristband and then frowned at the readings.
"Human," he said with an air of disbelief and he even gave his wrist a slight shake, as if the device might be broken.
A moment later, her struggles ceased, no doubt due to exhaustion and she went limp in Ianto's arms, crying.
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"What the hell is going on here," he muttered and then nodded to Ianto.
The young Welshman quickly followed a protocol that obviously stood as SOP in situations like these and he began to put weevil handclamps on the woman before taking her back into the main room and putting her on a bed. Clamps were also put on her ankles and she was hog tied with a zip line.
Meanwhile, Jack finished sweeping the bathroom and came back out through the doorway.
"There's no other entrance, Ianto you stay here with her, don't get yourself eaten please. Dean, come on. I want to find something."
Moving quickly towards the door, Jack scanned the night and then cautiously moved down the steps back into the silent courtyard.
Gun drawn, flashlight in position, Jack made a beeline to the large, communal structure, this time he took point on the door, opening it quietly and slipping on through, leading with flashlight and weapon.
It grated on Jack's nerves to be moving so very slowly and that tension showed in the line of his shoulders and the way he moved but he was cautious and thorough as he started down a long hallway. Checking each door as they came to it, Jack peered into one room and motioned for Dean to follow him.
There wasn't much light but the beam from Jack's flashlight exposed what looked like an office, with desks and filing cabinets. If Dean looked to the side of the wall by the door, he'd see a plaque with the word Registration on it.
"Check that desk," Jack said quietly. "Lets see what's in here."
As he spoke, he moved towards a filing cabinet.
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"Motherfucker. Someone's doing this on purpose,"
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"Looks like people are coming here on purpose at least, course who would resist the promise of massive weight loss with just two little pills?"
There was some more fluttering and then a hiss and Jack moved quickly over to the desk. Hunkering down on his heels next to Dean, he folded back and file and dropped it onto the desk in front of the younger man.
"Look familiar?"
There was a picture clipped to the file, obviously a 'before' picture but also obviously the woman who had attacked them in the cabin. Shy but trying to smile, she looked to be carrying about 60lbs more than she should for her frame.
"Name's, Betty Karp. She on that list?"
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