Death is the Beginning - Chapter Five
Ianto smiled at John and gestured for the man to join him on the bench. He had come outside to sit in the Plass, it was a pleasant change of scenery from the dripping of the tower and the hollow sound of the Hub, and it was a beautiful day.
He was taking call number 20 for the day in response to the online ad Tosh had placed yesterday.
“Ok, so if you know the guy you can describe the ring to me?....that so......hmmm skull and crossbones huh? Yeah, no he had no leather cuffs with him strangely enough........”
John quirked his eyebrow at Ianto, wondering what sort of caller he had on the other end.
“Yeah I don’t think so....nice try, Sir.” Ianto snapped his phone shut, grinning at John.
“Wow, you are a popular man, that’s the latest in a long list of calls I’ve had so far today and by far the tamest.”
John nodded with a strange smile and watched Ianto fidget under his gaze before the Welshman couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, can I get you an ice-cream?” John nodded enthusiastic as he widened his grin. “Great, just wait here.”
John watched as Ianto walked across the Plass enjoying the view of the Welshman as he walked away.
As unsure and confused as he was out here in public and around others, this man seemed to put him at ease.
“Hello there.”
Jumping, John twisted around to be met by a short silver/gray haired man.
“Oh I am sorry I startled you, that was not my intention. Please, I mean no harm and I actually think I might be able to help you.”
The man sat down beside John and handed him a piece of paper. It was a print out from a missing persons website, the one with John’s photo.
“Hey, who the hell are you?”
Ianto juggled the two ice creams so he had one hand free to his weapon if need be.
“I’m here to help.” The man’s eyes never left John’s, who seemed to be transfixed by the man’s very presence.
The man was lightly stroking John’s hand as he started talking in low hushed tones.
“Close your eyes and feel the weight of your hand lift as if it is light as air, if I let it go it would simply float up as if invisible strings carried it away.”
“Come on you crank, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Shhh!” the man bit back, irritated at the intrusion before turning back to John, whose eyes were closed.
“Feel it just float away.”
Ianto watched as the man let go of John’s hand. Immediately it floated as if with a mind of its own high above John’s head.
The man whispered to Ianto as John seemed to be lost in a trance.
“I work with trauma victims helping them to sort through the experience. I saw your posting and thought I could help.”
“You’re a shrink?”
“Not exactly, I’m a hypnotist.”
“Look we are not interested so just beat it.” Ianto’s protective instinct was in overdrive.
“I won’t hurt him, I promise. What I can do is regress him back to a happy period in his life, I’ve had success in treating memory loss this way, Mr Jones. I assure you he is perfectly safe”
Ianto was sceptical but decided to relent. However, his free hand was still able to access his stun gun if required.
“Continue to relax, feel yourself going deeper and deeper into a state of hypnosis. John’s face fell slack in complete relaxation.......That’s good.......now take us back, back into your past.”
Suddenly John’s eyes flew open and he yelled.
“No! Roman! Margaret! Don’t hurt me!”
“Is he ok?” Ianto asked worriedly. “Is he still under?”
“No, that was a very powerful reaction. Are you ok?”
John looked at him and nodded, looking up at Ianto with a half smile.
“Mr Jones that was a very strong reaction, I really feel there is something here I can work with.”
John looked Ianto in the eye nodding his head.
“Ok...can’t hurt can it?” He smiled at John before turning back to the man but stepping away, sensing that he needed a moment to gather himself.
“You have an office?”
“A shop actually, I deal in antiques. Grayson Masters”
He handed Ianto his card.
“Well could we come by, maybe this afternoon?”
“Sure, say around four?”
“I.....Ianto?”
Both men span around to the voice, eyes falling on John.
“C....Can I have my ice cream now?”
Ianto’s jaw fell open as Grayson Masters chuckled.
“See you at four.” He walked off with a wave as Ianto recovered, suddenly excited.
He thrust the melting mocha flavoured ice cream at him before sitting down beside him, a flurry of questions escaping from his lips.
“You....you can talk. You feeling ok? C...Can you remember your name?” John shook his head.
“Well I guess this is progress, Jack.”
“Wait, what did you call me?”
“Ermmm... Jack. I’m sorry, but John just didn’t sit right somehow, Jack just seems to suit you.”
Ianto shrugged his shoulders and looked away in embarrassment.
“Hmmm... Jack. Say it again,” he asked pleadingly.
“What? Jack?”
He smiled back at him making Ianto’s insides squirm.
“I like that, it seems....familiar somehow.”
Ianto smiled at him.
“Jack it is then. Come on, let’s see what Tosh can dig up on Mr Grayson Masters before we have to meet him again.”
Ianto grabbed Jack by the hand and pulled him up, letting go quickly as they got too close to one another, and covering his embarrassment by striding off to the waiting Hub.
Chapter Six
He was taking call number 20 for the day in response to the online ad Tosh had placed yesterday.
“Ok, so if you know the guy you can describe the ring to me?....that so......hmmm skull and crossbones huh? Yeah, no he had no leather cuffs with him strangely enough........”
John quirked his eyebrow at Ianto, wondering what sort of caller he had on the other end.
“Yeah I don’t think so....nice try, Sir.” Ianto snapped his phone shut, grinning at John.
“Wow, you are a popular man, that’s the latest in a long list of calls I’ve had so far today and by far the tamest.”
John nodded with a strange smile and watched Ianto fidget under his gaze before the Welshman couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, can I get you an ice-cream?” John nodded enthusiastic as he widened his grin. “Great, just wait here.”
John watched as Ianto walked across the Plass enjoying the view of the Welshman as he walked away.
As unsure and confused as he was out here in public and around others, this man seemed to put him at ease.
“Hello there.”
Jumping, John twisted around to be met by a short silver/gray haired man.
“Oh I am sorry I startled you, that was not my intention. Please, I mean no harm and I actually think I might be able to help you.”
The man sat down beside John and handed him a piece of paper. It was a print out from a missing persons website, the one with John’s photo.
“Hey, who the hell are you?”
Ianto juggled the two ice creams so he had one hand free to his weapon if need be.
“I’m here to help.” The man’s eyes never left John’s, who seemed to be transfixed by the man’s very presence.
The man was lightly stroking John’s hand as he started talking in low hushed tones.
“Close your eyes and feel the weight of your hand lift as if it is light as air, if I let it go it would simply float up as if invisible strings carried it away.”
“Come on you crank, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Shhh!” the man bit back, irritated at the intrusion before turning back to John, whose eyes were closed.
“Feel it just float away.”
Ianto watched as the man let go of John’s hand. Immediately it floated as if with a mind of its own high above John’s head.
The man whispered to Ianto as John seemed to be lost in a trance.
“I work with trauma victims helping them to sort through the experience. I saw your posting and thought I could help.”
“You’re a shrink?”
“Not exactly, I’m a hypnotist.”
“Look we are not interested so just beat it.” Ianto’s protective instinct was in overdrive.
“I won’t hurt him, I promise. What I can do is regress him back to a happy period in his life, I’ve had success in treating memory loss this way, Mr Jones. I assure you he is perfectly safe”
Ianto was sceptical but decided to relent. However, his free hand was still able to access his stun gun if required.
“Continue to relax, feel yourself going deeper and deeper into a state of hypnosis. John’s face fell slack in complete relaxation.......That’s good.......now take us back, back into your past.”
Suddenly John’s eyes flew open and he yelled.
“No! Roman! Margaret! Don’t hurt me!”
“Is he ok?” Ianto asked worriedly. “Is he still under?”
“No, that was a very powerful reaction. Are you ok?”
John looked at him and nodded, looking up at Ianto with a half smile.
“Mr Jones that was a very strong reaction, I really feel there is something here I can work with.”
John looked Ianto in the eye nodding his head.
“Ok...can’t hurt can it?” He smiled at John before turning back to the man but stepping away, sensing that he needed a moment to gather himself.
“You have an office?”
“A shop actually, I deal in antiques. Grayson Masters”
He handed Ianto his card.
“Well could we come by, maybe this afternoon?”
“Sure, say around four?”
“I.....Ianto?”
Both men span around to the voice, eyes falling on John.
“C....Can I have my ice cream now?”
Ianto’s jaw fell open as Grayson Masters chuckled.
“See you at four.” He walked off with a wave as Ianto recovered, suddenly excited.
He thrust the melting mocha flavoured ice cream at him before sitting down beside him, a flurry of questions escaping from his lips.
“You....you can talk. You feeling ok? C...Can you remember your name?” John shook his head.
“Well I guess this is progress, Jack.”
“Wait, what did you call me?”
“Ermmm... Jack. I’m sorry, but John just didn’t sit right somehow, Jack just seems to suit you.”
Ianto shrugged his shoulders and looked away in embarrassment.
“Hmmm... Jack. Say it again,” he asked pleadingly.
“What? Jack?”
He smiled back at him making Ianto’s insides squirm.
“I like that, it seems....familiar somehow.”
Ianto smiled at him.
“Jack it is then. Come on, let’s see what Tosh can dig up on Mr Grayson Masters before we have to meet him again.”
Ianto grabbed Jack by the hand and pulled him up, letting go quickly as they got too close to one another, and covering his embarrassment by striding off to the waiting Hub.
Chapter Six