4

"This first boat load seems OK, having already been on the water when the wave hit, their worst injuries were from falling to the deck when the overwhelming emotions had incapacitated them. No broken bones but definite bruising" Owen said as he saw to one man sitting while Owen stitched his eyebrow, watching Ianto in the background waiting to talk to him.

"We barely had time to work out what the light was" he finally said as Owen moved away to get the gauze to cover the wound "We had a collective session and agreed to come for here even though we knew we had all agreed to stay on the mainland to see out the entire thing. Something felt … off. We were almost in a panic and just felt the push to move. Gods, I am so glad we did. That we listened to the inner voice."

"Eighteen all together, five are kids" Owen confirmed without looking away from his task, "Low to no radiation levels … nothing that will linger. You are fucking lucky, all I can say. By this time tomorrow anyone over there will …. Shit. Sorry Ianto. Shit. You have a team over there still, right?"

"Orinoco" Ianto said softly and the man pulled back from Owen as if scalded. He stared at Ianto.

"Orin?"

"Yes, he was with the last outpost. Half a day from the water. My partner and I are leaving now, just waiting for the boats to be moved and shuffled frpm the docks then we will go get him Them." Ianto said firmly "Jack is already fuelling her up as I speak with you. Did you leave vehicles or were you on horses?"

The man looked slightly shamefaced "Vehicles. I know… I know we were supposed to shun them but…"

"Good" Ianto nodded absently "Good. Saves us loading the SUVs. Keys?"

"In them. Big. A flat deck truck and some vans."

"Good. Let's hope the tyres don't melt, we will move like fucking maniacs. If we take a large vehicle each we may fit them all …good" Ianto went to leave and the man stood.

"Icarus? My Lord? May I…"

"No. You got these ones home. You did your job. Rest. And do not … NOT… call me that. I am Ianto now. I chose. I wanted to be his, to be … real. I am Ianto." Ianto said firmly and Owen turned to look at him with confusion, then shrugged and went back to fussing.

Ianto walked from the building to find Jack waiting on the dock.

"Hey" he called as he saw Ianto approaching, looking so handsome on the strange light "Ready to load the vehicles?"

"They have left vehicles on the other side, keys in the ignitions" Ianto replied as he reached out to take Jack's hand "We have to boogie Cariad. Daylight is a'wasting"

"Agreed, we go now. Before the others realise and try to come" Jack nodded. "Like Owen did, didn't he."

"Yes, Toshiko is already watching as well, I know she will behave though. Gwen is busy with Rhys, hasn't noticed so we need to move fast. She is about to notice. We can not have her at these docks" Ianto warned and they clambered onto the boat, pushing off and heading for the deep water as Ianto looked back at his village, his people with a feeling of strangeness.

Jack looked ahead.

Of course.

.

.

..

.

They reached the distant shore faster than Jack would have thought and he felt that somehow the lake had assisted them .. well … Ianto. Silence. It was eerie.

The vehicles were there and they went over all of them, discussing speed and capacity. They tried not to think of the ash wafting around their feet as they walked though it, life. Death. They knew it was going to get worse, the further out they had to travel.

They agreed capacity was more important, leave none walking. Ianto led the way, crunching over the ground and he tried not to look at the creatures dead or dying on the side of the road that had run through flames.

The smell was terrible.

He kept checking his mirrors for Jack, knowing Jack was watching him intently. Nothing was familiar, the landscape foreign like another planet and for some reason it seemed easier, disconnecting with the world he had known. Lost.

He hoped it was not too widespread, hopefully nasty, quick and localised to the area.

He also scanned for any technology, something in the dirt or ash that might be metallic and knew Jack was also thinking the same thing. Bots. Were there any around? How close did they get before they accidentally wiped themselves out?

Wad it an accident at all?

Or as he thought, a deliberate attempt to cleanse the area of any resistance still to there.

Orinoco had been trained well, knew to stay down, then move within the small window before the rains came to spread the radiation. If he didn't see the group walking towards them within the next hour … he would know they were still in the bunker, either cooked alive or … trapped for some reason.

Either way, they would have to turn back and leave them.

They would be forfeit.

Christ …. He didn't want to give up on the boy.

He could only hope.