Five Times Ianto Remembered Being Kidnapped (And One Time He Forgot)

I love the concept of five times collections. This one is a lot longer than most of the others that I've read and each part could probably be expanded into a separate story. But I like the way it turned out.

Ianto drifted in a cold fog. He didn't know where he was or what was happening. His limbs refused to move and he wasn't entirely sure that he was breathing. Was this a dream? Was he unconscious? He would have swallowed with apprehension if he was able before letting the next thought surface. Was he dead? Jack didn't talk about it much but he'd once described death as an empty darkness that was only relieved by the excruciating sensation of being dragged over broken glass. The hollow loneliness in his eyes as he'd spoken had made Ianto's heart break just a little bit.

But this didn't feel like that. Ianto's sense of self was intact and he felt far too aware for this to be the end of his existence. He tried to wake himself up but consciousness seemed to be just beyond his grasp. Ianto wondered idly if he'd been drugged. Or maybe he'd been kidnapped. Again. A brief flutter of irritation skittered over his thoughts. It made him feel incompetent when he was captured, like he couldn't take care of himself. He was useless to the team like this. As the heat of his anger cooled with the ever present chill, his thoughts began to drift again. This wasn't the first time this had happened.

-I-

Ianto thumbed through the files in the drawer and tried very hard not to roll his eyes. The alphabet was really not that difficult but he'd yet to see a single cabinet that didn't have something out of place. For a slick, super secret organization, they were shit for filing. If it wasn't a weapon or some sort of alien technological marvel, nobody seemed to give a damn how it was stored. He'd been working for Torchwood less than two weeks and already his natural sense of order had been seriously compromised. He'd come down here hunting for a specific file, but his fingers itched to restore order to the entire cabinet. But there was a deadline coming up and he really didn't have time. Shuffling a handful of folders, he resigned himself to reorganizing one section at a time when he could make it back down here.

He froze as the alarm claxon sounded and warning lights began to flash. In the distance, he could hear doors slamming and seals engaging before the door leading into the hall slid shut with a hissing click. Lockdown. Something was loose in the tower and they were trying to contain it. Ianto headed to the nearby computer to perform the compulsory check-in with his supervisor. As per protocol, all personnel were to verify their location and status in the case of an emergency. He was greeted by a distracted mid level Research Tech who waved him off and told him to stay put without bothering to explain what was going on. Ianto was left staring at the blank screen with a frown on his face. They didn't seem to be overly concerned with common courtesy here either.

Ianto felt a small jitter of nerves as the initial burst of adrenaline started to fade. He was safe enough here behind locked doors but he knew there were strange things out there. Things that weren't of this earth. He'd never experienced anything first hand before coming to work for Torchwood, but somehow he'd just known with a deep kind of certainty.

Glancing around the room he was currently locked in, he decided not to let the time go to waste. His security clearance wasn't high enough to bypass the lock so he was stuck here until the lockdown ended. Trying not to think of the possibility that he could be locked in all night, he went back to filing, determined to get something done no matter what was going on. He pulled the folder he'd come searching for and set it aside before setting himself the task of undoing years of lackluster filing. Ianto lost himself in the reorganization which set his obsessive side to purring contentedly.

A while later, he was startled by the sound of the door unlocking. The alarm quieted and the warning lights started to dim. A quick check of the computer terminal showed that the screen was completely blank and Ianto frowned down at the darkened display. If the server was down, that would mean that he'd lost all of the work on his computer back at his desk. What had started off as a quick trip to the archives had now turned into a massive inconvenience that would set him back hours. Snapping up the folder he came for, he stalked out of the room.

The halls were almost eerily quiet. Ianto didn't see a single person on his way back his section and he began to second guess his decision to leave the archives when he was told to stay put. The sudden echo of booted feet further down the hallway made him pause. He'd only seen Torchwood's security in action once but that had been enough to make him extremely wary. He'd heard it was often shoot first and examine the remains later without even bothering to ask questions. Taking a hesitant step back, he gauged his chances of making it back to the archives unseen so he could wait out the lockdown that didn't seem to be over quite yet. But it sounded like they were almost on top of him, so he ducked through the nearest door and closed it quickly.

Ianto pressed his ear to the door but found that it was too thick to hear anything from the other side. Stepping back, he took a deep breath and let it out in a shaky sigh as he tried to get his racing heartbeat to slow. A hand clamped tightly over his mouth, making him drop the folder as another sudden surge of adrenaline made him light headed. His muffled cry of surprise faded into a pained groan as his right arm was twisted up behind his back.

"Don't wanna hurt you but I will."

The hissed words made Ianto shiver. He wasn't quite sure if it was a threat or a promise. He tried not to struggle as the grip on his arm tightened and he felt the shoulder joint shift uncomfortably. But before it was dislocated completely, his mouth was released as he was shoved face first into a set of shelves. His attacker grabbed a stray electrical cord from the shelf and quickly tied Ianto's hands behind his back before yanking his jacket down roughly to pin his arms to his sides. Ianto's breath caught in his throat. He'd signed the wavers and he'd been through the basic training required to get this job. But he'd never been this close to anything even remotely dangerous before. Forcing himself to calm, he risked a glance back over his shoulder.

"Gerald?" Ianto asked hesitantly.

He was spun suddenly around and a fist slammed into his jaw, snapping his head to the side and stunning him. He'd caught a glimpse of his attacker and recognized one of the Senior Researchers. Sort of. Gerald was a quiet man who pondered artifacts with intense focus and a reserved curiosity. But right now he appeared crazed and his wide, bloodshot eyes darted around the room as if searching for threats.

"Gerald, are you alright?" Ianto asked him, blinking away the dizziness from being struck.

Gerald's expression hardened as he forcibly took off Ianto's tie nearly choking him in the process. If the collar of his shirt hadn't served as a buffer between the silk and his skin, the friction would have burned him. Gerald wrapped the tie twice around Ianto's mouth, pulling it tightly between his teeth before tying it off.

"This is just a vessel," he spat as he shoved Ianto back into the shelves. "A means to an end." Gerald hissed angrily and pressed in close. Ianto recoiled and leaned back as the other man invaded his personal space. His huff of fear was cut off as fingers closed over his throat, dimpling the tender skin. Gerald held up a small device Ianto had never seen before and pressed a button. He felt a strange prickling sensation wash over him as their surroundings became strangely indistinct. The other man's breath ghosted over his cheek as he whispered. "Make a sound and die right here."

The door beside them opened and a security team filed in, their gazes focused and intense. Ianto trembled under the strain of holding still, certain that the fingers on his throat would close suddenly and choke the life out of him at any moment. His fingers twitched as he fought not to twist his hands in the bindings and drawing attention to himself. But the heavily armed personnel swept the room quickly and efficiently before slipping back out as if the space had been empty and there was nothing to find. Like they hadn't even noticed them standing there. Ianto bit back a disbelieving whimper as the door clicked shut again.

Several moments passed in silence but nothing else happened. Ianto's hopes that's he'd merely be subdued and left behind were dashed as Gerald, or whatever had taken control of his body, gripped his arm and steered him towards the door. If Gerald had intended to kill him, he would have done it already. He had no idea what the other man wanted. The door slid open and Gerald pushed Ianto out in front of him with one hand gripping the back of his neck. It appeared that security had moved on. The halls were deserted and everything was quiet once again.

Amazingly, they made it all the way down to one of the larger storage bays without seeing anyone else. Everyone was remaining behind closed doors and Ianto desperately whished that he'd done the same.

Once inside the cavernous space Gerald paused and heaved a shuddering sigh. "There."

Ianto stared up at the ship that took up most of the floor space. It had been shot down nearly a decade before by Torchwood when it violated Earth's air space. Ianto's heart began to hammer and a prickle of fear skittered up his spine. Was Gerald going to take him with or just kill him right here? He couldn't let him take him anywhere, but the fingers on the back of Ianto's neck tightened with bruising force when he tried to ease away from the other man while he was distracted.

"Stay where you are!"

Gerald suddenly spun around holding Ianto in front of him like a shield. They were surrounded by armed guards and every single one of them had their weapon drawn. Ianto hadn't even heard them come in. Compared to how they'd been tromping around the halls earlier, their silent appearance seemed almost magical. Maybe they'd been lying in wait, knowing this is where they'd be headed. Gerald gripped the back of Ianto's jacket and started pulling him back toward the ship, always keeping him between himself and the weapons aimed in their direction.

The deafening sound of multiple weapons being cocked echoed bay. Ianto swallowed hard around the gag and worried about his position with Torchwood. None of the guards were even looking at him as they kept their attention on his captor. Were they going to try to save him or did they consider him expendable? Were they going to try to save Gerald or was he a lost cause? Ianto felt Gerald shift behind him like he was about to make a run for it, but before he could move, security took aim. Ianto's eyes widened and he couldn't quite bite back the muffled cry of alarm. Or maybe it was denial. He didn't want to die. For the first time in his life, he finally felt like he doing something that mattered.

Then there was a brilliant flare of light and he closed his eyes tightly. As he watched the glow grow brighter behind his closed lids, every sensation seemed to fade away into a numb kind of nothingness starting at his extremities and moving inward toward his torso. Ianto had a split second to feel a moment of irritation that he'd never had a chance to fix their bloody filing before darkness finally descended.

. . . . . . .

Several hours later Ianto found himself in the infirmary with a pounding head and tender jaw. He was questioned by security as he gave a full report of what had happened. Apparently Gerald had been infected by an alien consciousness that was trying to escape. He was recovering under supervision down the hall and seemed no worse for wear after the event. The bored security officer who explained all of this seemed unfazed by what had happed. Just another day at Torchwood.

Ianto had to sign a few extra liability wavers stating that he would not hold Torchwood responsible for any possible side effects that included but were not limited to, migraine headaches, memory loss, and three different types of radiation poisoning. The last made him wonder what they'd shot him with. No one seemed inclined to tell him beyond saying it was above his clearance level.

Overall, it had been a temporarily distressing event that was already starting to fade form his memory. But the hazard pay was a nice bonus and the nurse who had taken his vitals for his final checkup was very cute. She'd smiled at him with a flirtatious glint in her eye even though he must have looked a mess. When she'd handed Ianto a bottle of pills for the headache, she'd also slipped him a piece of paper with her number on it. Ianto smiled back at her and filed away the name Lisa Hallett for when he was back on his feet.