"We traced them back to the same sewer system." Jack was saying as the group entered the hub.
"What does that tell us?" Owen asked.
"Nothing." Jack answered. "We're going to have to..." his voice trailed off as Ianto's phone rang. "Not a good time for Faith to be calling." he said.
"It's not her." Ianto said as he looked down at the display. "It's my upstairs neighbor." he explained as he answered.
"I hope she didn't start another fire." Gwen said as they waited for Ianto before going on with their planning.
"Maybe she just threatened to beat the old woman next door again." Jack offered as he impatiently waited for Ianto to come back.
"Have you ever met that woman?" Tosh asked. "I'm surprised nobody's actually done it yet."
"Tosh." Gwen said, surprised by the normally mild mannered woman's comment.
"She sticks her nose into everyone's business, she spies on her neighbors and goes around gossiping." Tosh said.
"Well, what was so important?" Jack asked as Ianto walked back into the room.
"Someone set off the fire alarm at my building." Ianto said. "Faith never came down with them though."
"Maybe she knew it was a false alarm?" Gwen suggested with a shrug.
"No, the alarms have been a bit out of whack lately, she would have gone down, just in case." Ianto answered, worry showing on his face.
"Go ahead, go check it out." Jack sighed. "Probably nothing to worry about, but you'll feel better."
"I won't be long." Ianto said as he turned to leave.
"With the weevils running about, and now the alarm going off in the building where one of us lives, do you think one of us should go with him?" Gwen asked.
"I don't see how they're related." Jack said. "Ianto said the alarms have been screwy for a while now."
"Okay." Gwen said. "If you think it's coincidental."
"Fine, go with him." Jack said after a moment. "Just hurry back. We need to sort out this weevil thing."
"We'll be as quick as possible." Gwen said as she took off to catch up with Ianto.
"Still no answer." Ianto said as he threw his phone down. "She always answers the phone."
"I'm sure it's nothing." Gwen said. "Maybe she's just really busy."
"If you thought it was nothing to worry about, Gwen." Ianto said as he glared at the red light that was holding them up. "You wouldn't be tagging along."
"True." Gwen said nervously. "Trying to think positive."
"I'm not too good at that sometimes." Ianto said as he punched the accelerator, causing Gwen to close her eyes as she gripped the dash in front of her the rest of the way.
"Mr.Jones." a rather frumpy woman in her forties called as Ianto and Gwen entered the bulidng. "I was just up at your flat, the door's wide open."
"Thank you for calling me, Mrs. Solomon." Ianto said as he headed for the elevator.
"Not a problem." she called after him. "Just hope nothings happened to the dear girl."
"Me, too." he said as he stepped in and waited to be taken up to his floor.
The doors opened after what seemed to be an hour and Gwen and Ianto ran down the hall to his flat. The hall was still damp from the sprinklers having gone off, but they saw some people making their way up to do cleaning.
"Faith?" Ianto called as he slowly walked into the flat.
Looking around, he found nothing out of place. Her purse and keys on the table next to the door, her mail on the coffee table, some stuff scattered on the dining table.
"Looks like she started the cleaning." Gwen said as she saw the garbage bag. "Her keys and everything are here, too."
"I know." Ianto said as he went into the bedroom and found the clothes she'd worn to work tossed onto the bed.
"I foudn her phone." Gwen said, walking in. "It was on the floor."
"So she didn't just go somewhere." Ianto said nervously.
"Let's look around and see if we find anything." Gwen said softly.
"Right." he nodded.
They spent the next half hour looking around the flat, in silence, finding nothing at all. When Gwen's phone rang, both of them jumped in fright.
"Good way to give us heart attacks, Jack." Gwen said with a slight laugh when she answered.
"You and Ianto need to get back here, now!" Jack said.
"What's the matt..."Gwen began.
"Now!" he said again before hanging up.
"We've got to get back." she said.
"He's keen to get on those weevils." Ianto said as he looked around the room again, hoping he'd missed something.
"Maybe there's a connection." Gwen said as they headed out of the flat, Ianto locking the door securely behind them. "Sooner we figure it out, the sooner we find Faith."
"We've gotten a message." Jack said as Ianto and Gwen came into the hub.
"From who?" Gwen asked as they followed Jack up the confrence room.
"John Hart." Jack answered, his annoyance clear.
"What does he want?" Ianto asked. "Does he have anything to do with Faith being gone?"
"I don't know what he wants." Jack answered as he stopped and turned around to face them. "I never know." he took a deep breath. "And, yes, he's behind Faith going missing."
"Oh no." Gwen said as Ianto stood silently at beside her.
"Come on." Jack said, turning back around heading into the confrence room where Tosh and Owen were waiting, Tosh pacing around.
"Go ahead and play it." Jack said as they all sat down.
The screen turned a bit snowy before a room appeared. Gray cinderblock walls with nothing on them was all they could see for a moment before John came around the front of the camera and sat down, smiling proudly.
"Hello, Torchwood." he said. "Long time, no see. So, what have you lot been up to since last we met?" he sat back in his chair, putting his hand behind his head. "Me? Not much, since you ask. Been here and there, made a ton of money, lost even more, had a few flings. Ended up married for a brief and scary time." he shuddered. "Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. But I'm getting off topic here. As I'm sure you've noticed, a certain young woman is nowhere to be found. That's because she's with me." he sat up straight in his chair. "I'm a bounty hunter now, you know? And this little lady is going to bring me a great deal of wealth. I know, I know, you're going to get all bent out of shape over this." he sighed. "But really, it's all for the best. Someone who's escaped punishment for so long will finally get their's and I will ride off into the sunset with enough money I will never have to work again." he looked smug as he sat back once again. "But, since Jack and I go way back, I figured I'd give you a chance to reclaim the girl. Remember those containers, Gwen? I want Jack to meet me there, you perform a few simple tasks, and get your mind out of the gutter, Jack, and you may just get her back. Tonight, eleven o'clock. Come alone, Jack. No tricks."
With that, the screen went back to snow and the group stared at it in disbelief.
"He's taking her back to be executed?" Ianto asked.
"That's what he says." Jack said, slowly nodding.
"Are you going tonight?" Gwen asked.
"Yes." Jack said, without hesitation. "And, all of you will stay right here."
"We should come." Gwen argued. "With him, you need all the help you can get."
"Remember the last time we met him?" Owen asked. "Almost turned out really ugly."
"I go alone." Jack said firmly. "No arguing. We'll do as he says, we have a better chance of getting Faith back that way."
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Tosh said, looking rather pale.
"You all will stay here at the hub, you'll wait for word before you do anything." Jack said. "I know him best, and if he wants something from me, then I'll be able to figure out what all he wants and if I should give it to him."
"You wouldn't give into any of his demands, would you?" Gwen asked.
"If it gets Faith back here alive, then yes, he will." Ianto said. "Give him what he wants and send him back through the rift, be done with him."
"It's only eight." Jack said as he tore his gaze away from Ianto. "We should get something to eat, then we can work out a plan for later."
The group reluctantly agreed and set out to try to have dinner, although none of them seemed to have any appetite.