Ianto looked around the hub he could see Tosh and Owen working at their stations – well Tosh was working Owen was playing soliter – but there was no sign of Jack or Gwen. Where were they?
"Owens where's Jack and Gwen I didn't hear the rift alert go off."
"Call from the police, someone suspicious hanging round an alley where people have been going missing."
Ianto's ears pricked up and he took a couple of steps towards Owen "Missing how?"
Owen huffed unhappy at being disturbed from his game "I don't know teaboy, why are you so interested anyway?"
"I'm not it's just unusual that the police called us in."
"The police reports here if you want to read it Ianto."
"Thanks Tosh."
Ianto skimmed over the text and suddenly ran out of the hub.
Jack and Gwen got out of the SUV and walked down a dark alley, torches and weapons at the ready. It was just the sort of place to find a murdered body, Gwen thought.
They walked deeper; the high brick walls blocking out the light, Gwen shivered and pulled her coat tighter around her to try and protect herself from the sudden chill. Something moved to her left and she swung around, her torch lighting up the area to show her… nothing. Great now she was jumping at shadows.
They turned another corner and went down a side alley which led to a small concrete space surrounded by high walls; there was at least some moon light that filtered through cracks and holes in the wall giving the place an eerie glow. There in the middle, sprawled on the floor was the body of a young man.
Jack walked over and tapped his comms. "Owen we've found it, you and Tosh better get down here… ok see you in a bit." He holstered his gun and bent down to get a proper look at the body.
Gwen flashed her torch around the concreted area and checked the dark corners for any clues. For one moment she fancied she saw a figure but when she blinked it had gone so she dismissed it.
Jack looked up at her and Gwen saw his face was a little pale. "What is it?"
He beckoned her over and she put away her own weapon so she had the use of both her hands and crouched down by the man's head. Jack turned it to the side and she saw two puncture marks on the jugular.
She shook her head "I don't get it."
"Think about it Gwen, what creature makes a bite mark on its victim's neck?"
"No it… it can't be. But they don't exist!"
"Well we'll see what Owen says when he gets here. Just be careful in case it's still here, they have a nasty reputation as mindless killers." She stood up and took a couple of steps back while Jack started looking for some ID on the victim.
Suddenly she felt an arm round her waist, pinning her arms to her side and another hand grabbed her hair. She couldn't move.
Jack hadn't noticed.
"Jack." She managed to squeak, fear quickly consuming her.
Jack whipped around alarmed and in an instant he had his gun pointed at the figure holding Gwen but they were stood in the shadows so he couldn't see them properly.
"Why don't you come out of the shadows so I can see you."
The figure moved forward and Jacks eyes widened in surprise when a young girl dressed in Victorian clothes emerged from the shadows but the hat she wore still concealed part of her face.
"Is this your work?" he asked indicating the body behind him.
The girl smirked "Yes and he was delicious." She purred into Gwen's ear. Gwen shivered and the girl smirked again. Pulling Gwen's hair back further to expose her neck then she licked a line from Gwen's shoulder to just below her ear and seemed to consider then she made a face.
"Mmmmm a bit sweet of me but the other will come."
"What other?" Jack asked worried about more of these things coming when he didn't know what to do with one .
She laughed. "The one whose fault it is that I'm still here, see I was cleaning up when you came and he won't be happy about that.
"Who is he?" Gwen asked her voice shaking uncontrollably.
"Your worst nightmare." She replied nuzzling the shell of the frightened woman's ear before laughing again opening her mouth wide, showing her long white canines.
Jack tightened the grip on his webley. "Get away from her!" he demanded through gritted teeth.
"Fine." She said pulling Gwen's gun from the back of her jeans and pushing Gwen away from her so she stumbled into Jack before raising the gun, baring her fangs and moving forward but Jack recovered quickly and shot the girl three times in the stomach.
The girl clutched her wounds and staggered backwards against the wall. The gun clattered from her hand just before she collapsed on the floor.
Jack turned away from her and put his hands on Gwen's shoulders and gave her a quick look over. "You ok?"
"Yeah" she said but her voice was still a little shaky "Just a bit of a shock, that's all."
Jack looked back at the girl's body and knelt down beside her to see if she had a pulse or anything to indicate life.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you sir." Came an unmistakable Welsh voice from behind him. He turned to find Ianto pointing a gun at Gwen's head. Jack frowned.
"Why?"
"Just get away from her!" he stood up and moved slightly to the side. Ianto didn't take his eyes of Jack as he moved towards the girl and spoke "Get up Serena."
Gwen was about to protest when the girls head moved and she slowly got up still holding her stomach but very much alive.
"That's not possible." She said.
They just laughed, "Haven't you worked it out yet?" Ianto asked in a patronising voice.
"What?" She asked.
"Their vampires."
"Well done Jack." Serena said as she picked up the discarded gun and tried to walk forward, she stumbled and nearly fell, but Ianto caught her and slipped an arm round her waist, keeping her close.
"Are you alright?" He asked lovingly putting a hand on her check, she leaned into the touch and nodded, she placed a hand on Ianto's arm to stop him turning round. "Others are coming." She said to his confused face, he nodded and smiled.
"Then I will wait." Now it was her turn to look confused. "You are going back to the house."
"But…"
"This isn't up for discussion. Don't worry I'll deal with them as I see fit."
"Well don't have all the fun." She said a little annoyed.
"I promise, now get out of here." Ianto replied looking back at Gwen.
"Fine." She huffed placing a hand on his check and kissing the other before leaving.
"Serena." Ianto stopped her at the entrance to the walled area.
"Yes?" she turned round holding one hand behind her back in a futile attempt at hiding something.
"You have something that belongs to Gwen." The girls shoulders sagged in defeat as she reluctantly handed Gwen her gun. Then she really did leave.
Ianto didn't move for a couple of seconds, he looked like he was listening to something.
Finally Ianto turned his full attention back to them and holstered his weapon.
"So are you the other she was talking about then?" jack asked.
"Yes I suppose I am. There aren't many other Vampires in Cardiff." Ianto stepped over to the body and rolled him over onto his front with his foot and pulling a well-worn wallet out of his back pocket. "Let's see who we have here… James Critchly, 28 years of age." He picked up the man's left hand, "Unmarried, no one of real significance." He threw the wallet on top of the body.
"Ianto how can you say that, he was a person he had a life, a family." Unfortunately for her Gwen bleeding heart routine didn't work with Ianto.
He smirked at her "Very easily after all he is just blood. But if he had all the things you say then maybe he shouldn't have walked down a dark alley after a woman he doesn't know."
Gwen stared at him in shook and Jack just looked disgusted. "How can you of all people say talk like that I mean after what happened in the Bracken Beacons with the cannibals? How can you degrade people like that?" Ianto was getting frustrated with Gwen thinking she knew everything and patronising him. So when he replied, he was almost shouting at her.
"Because no matter how old I get and how long I live on this Earth you humans never surprise me with your new ways to torture and kill your own kind."
They were quiet for a while as he let them process what he had said and he tried to get his temper under control.
"You not including yourself in that?" Jack finally asked.
"No, I'm over 600 years old so I believe any human part of me is long dead."
"Yet you tried to save Tosh." Jack shot back.
Ianto shrugged "They couldn't hurt me, not really." He stopped and turned his head slightly to the side, distracted, seeming to forget about Jack and Gwen. "Owen, Tosh in here!"
Not long after they appeared, taking in the scene around them: the body, Jack and Gwen looking stiff and alert, Gwen still getting over her shock of being threatened twice in one night and Ianto looking cool as a cucumber hands in his pockets watching them.
"What's going on?" Owen demanded.
Ianto shrugged. "Not much… actually we are just going on a bit of a field trip."
"What about the body?"
"Don't worry about it I'll deal with it later. Jack and Gwen will fill you in on what you've missed as we walk." With that he left the walled area.
The others followed him with Gwen explaining what had happened as they went, interjected by cries of 'I've never heard anything so stupid' and 'I'll believe it when I see it.' Jack didn't say anything he just watched Ianto.
Finally Owen got fed up. "Oi teaboy." Ianto stopped. "Why should we believe what you say?" I mean vampires are myths there not real."
"Myths, legends they all have their sources all created because of what someone sees or tales told around a fire. I would have thought that as a member of Torchwood you would have a more liberal attitude." With that he started walking again. The team waited for Jack to start walking again before following.
It didn't take them long to reach what inevitably Ianto's house. It was an old three-story house; a stone above the door read '1408' and was made of dark stone with a large oak door and big bay windows, the one on the right had a light showed a lit room. It looked quite small from the outside.
Ianto opened the door straight into a large hall well lit by wall lights, to the left was a coat hanger which held two cloaks, one dark red velvet while the other was brown muslin there also a long black coat. Behind the stand was a large ornate staircase leading to the other rooms.
Ianto walked in and allowed them to do the same. The door banged behind them, Jack looked around feeling a little trapped.
"Father!" A young girl wearing a black and red Victorian style dress came running forward and embraced him.
"Father?" came four surprised voices. The girl looked up at them then stepped back in horror.
"What are they doing here?" she asked pointing her finger accusingly at Jack and Gwen.
"We discussed this remember they deserve the truth."
"Yeah we do."
"Shut it weasel face!"
"Right now you're just being childish."
"Well compared to you sir I am a child!" she shouted.
"Fine act like a child get treated like a child, go to your room."
"What you know what they did and I'm the one getting punished?"
"You're getting punished for insubordination and just plain rudeness." They stared at each other for a few seconds before Serena bard her fangs and hissed at him.
Ianto grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall, his face was millimeters from hers, he opened his mouth wide revealing his long canines and snarled at her. Serena shrunk back, pressing herself further against the wall and away from him as Ianto seemed to tower above her.
Then it stopped Ianto let go and the girl sagged slightly, Ianto took a small step away his eyes never leaving her frightened face.
"GO. TO. YOUR. ROOM!" he yelled she closed her eyes and turned her face away before nodding and making a brake for the stairs, she stumbled she was trying to get away so quickly.
The Torchwood team could see the anger on Ianto's face and watched as he pulled his off his coat and flung it over the banister, then stalking off into one of the rooms on the right.
They all felt quite awkward, standing there in the middle of the hall after watching something like that. This was a completely different Ianto to the one they were used to and they didn't really feel comfortable staying there. Jack turned to look at them silently asking whether they wanted to stay, when he turned back round he found another young women dressed in a floor-length dark brown dress with a white apron and cap in front of him pulling Ianto's coat from the banister and hanging it up next to the long one on the stand. When it was straight she moved to stand in front of Jack.
"I'd go in if I were you sir."
"I don't think that's a good idea… um we can come back."
"And I think you should just do as your told sir." With that she moved to the door Ianto had gone through knocked a couple of times then opened it, indicating for them to go through, which they did after one last look at Jack as he walked wearily through the door.
The room the entered was so different to the hall, it was still large and had a grand atmosphere but the cream walls and light wooden floor made the room brighter and surprisingly more modern. To the right was the large bay window with blue drapes. In front of this was a collection of elegantly designed chairs and sofas finished with dark wood and blue tapestry next to them on the wall was a grand fireplace decorated with china ornaments. To the left of the room was a mahogany grand piano with the lid up and music on the stand like someone had finished playing in the middle of a piece. Further back in the far corner were some wooden cabinets – like the sort you'd find in a kitchen – above them were more cabinets but these had frosted glass as the door and probably contained glasses or something, Jack thought.
The most surprising thing in the room was Ianto, standing a little further down from the door one hand supporting his weight on the wall; the back of the other covered his mouth. He knew they were there because he pointed to the chairs but did not look at them.
He must be suffering thought Gwen thought, after shouting at Serena like that and although the girl had threatened to kill her and had a bad attitude she still felt sorry for her. "Ianto" she said stepping cautiously towards him but he held up his hand to stop her and again pointed to the chairs, still he didn't look up or even say anything. She decided to try taking another step.
Jack wasn't sure how much of a good idea this was, Ianto didn't look right and when Gwen moved forward again Ianto pushed himself away from the wall putting more distance between him and the team. Jack put a warning hand on her arm to stop her but she shook him off, took a deep breath and walked forward with purpose.
"Ianto we can help you." Her voice was soft, designed to sooth Ianto. But it didn't.
He looked at her with a strange expression and lowered his hand; Gwen nodded her head encouragingly and held out her hand. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her with curiosity. Then he closed his eyes.
Jack could feel the dread building in his stomach; he heard a rustling behind him and knew that Tosh and Owen had got their guns out. Horrible images of the body in the alley passed through his mind.
When Ianto's eyes opened again they were black he opened his mouth slightly, just enough to reveal his canines.
Gwen's resolve faltered and she took a step back. Ianto took one forward.
Then he stopped
Then he stopped, closed his eyes tight and swallowed hard. When he opened his eyes again they were normal but he looked disorientated, they were talking to him but Jack doubted Ianto was hearing them.
Ianto squeezed his eyes shut again.
He could hear them all, oh GOD they were so loud, so close especially that one and he could smell the fear. If he just reached out he could. "NO!" he cried pointing at the offending noise "no." he only whispered it but the sound seemed to echo around the room. He tried to block out the noise god so much noise but he couldn't. He needed to get away.
Suddenly Ianto ran from the room, through another door they hadn't seen, one hand again over his mouth, as though he was afraid to let go.
The agents looked at each other. Of course Owen gave his opinion first.
"Well this is bloody mad, we're all gonna get killed by the fucking teaboy."
"Shut up Owen."
"Come on let's just sit down." Tosh said sitting in one of the arm chairs Gwen and Jack followed her example and finally, reluctantly, so did Owen.
It was about 15 minutes when Ianto joined them again looking much more like his usual self, more at ease; he'd taken off his suit jacket and tie leaving him in just his shirt. He sat on one of the sofas opposite them leaning forwards resting his arms on his knees.
"My apologies for that." He opened his mouth to say more but the door opened and the young maid walked in carrying two glasses. One – a wine glass – was filled with a dark red liquid that looked like red wine she handed to Ianto; the other handed to Gwen looked like whiskey.
"I heard what happened with Miss Serena, it's for the shock." She said pointing to the glass.
"Thank you."
The woman smiled and headed back to the door but Ianto caught her hand.
"Dearest Millie what would we do without you?" he asked looking her in the eye and kissing the back of her hand
"Crash and burn sir." She smiled affectionately at him.
"You know I do believe you're right. We are having a question and answer session so finish up then come and join us, you might need to stop me spilling all the dark family secrets, we'll wait for Ethan to do that for us."
She chuckled and nodded "yes sir" then she left the room
Ianto threw back his head and downed his drink in one then put the glass on the table. There was a slight residue in the glass that was not red wine.
"Right you have questions."