Chapter 3
Ianto moved with ease within the confines of the archives gathering his belongings and trying to hide the uneasiness caused by the man leaning against the door frame. He couldn't believe his luck, of all the things he could come up with, being reassigned and having the new found object of his desires as his new boss was definitely not one of them.
"Are you going to say something?" Ianto said
"What do you want me to say?" asked Jack innocently
"Oh, I don't know maybe something about what happened last night" spat Ianto looking at Jack who simply raised an eyebrow "Do you have the hobby of making fun of your employees, sir" added the Welshman with venom
As Jack pushed himself off the door and crossed the short distance between them, Ianto was glad the desk was in the way so he didn't have to face the man closely "Are you going to tell me you didn't like it?" said Jack with a sly smile "Because the wanton cries of ecstasy of last night tell me otherwise"
Ianto felt his face heat and turn at least 4 different shades of red. The Welshman wanted to say a lot of things, most of them included curses but refrained. By the look on his new supervisor's face everything he said would be turned into some sexual joke, so he tried a more businesslike approach.
"I'm done here, sir. So if you will excuse me I need to take care of the things in my apartment" he said throwing the last of his belongings into the box
"I wouldn't worry about it, everything is being taken care of as we speak."
"WHAT?" this time poor Ianto was totally taken aback and beginning to have problems to concealing his anger "What the bloody hell do you mean by that?"
"Testy. Like you heard, all your things are being packed and transported as we speak"
And that was it
"YOU BASTARD" the Welshman yelped, practically jumping over the desk so he could turn the captain into a bloody pulp. Sadly the only thing he could do was land a solid punch to Jack´s jaw. Ianto couldn`t see the American's movements but felt the pain that covered him from shoulder to wrist from the abrupt way his arm was twisted up his back, which made him fall chest down against the desk.
"Let's make one thing clear once and for all, shall we?" Jack´s voice was cold and commanding "You are nothing more than a means to an end so I'll do whatever the fuck I please with you and your pathetic little life, Do I make myself clear? "
Ianto fought the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes as Jack straightened his hold but it was futile.
"Get off me, you animal!" Ianto furiously yelled.
Each word cut the Welshman like 1000 knives; he knew he was nothing more than a puppet at the mercy of whichever puppet master took the strings, but he didn't appreciate the fact that a perfect stranger had reminded him.
When Jack heard the pain in the Welshman's voice, he released him and took a step back. Jack hasn´t intended to be so rough with the young man but he was so accustomed to fighting to protect himself he acted on a reflex.
"Look, we started on the wrong foot..." Jack started.
"No shit" growled Ianto, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. And the fact that his face was stained with tears
"What do you say we just leave this conversation and all the explanations till we get back to Cardiff?"
Ianto nodded, it wasn't as if he had another option.
ooOOoo
A few hours later Ianto sat in the passenger seat of a black SUV heading to his homeland. Weird as it was, the idea of going "home" didn't feel that good. He had left that place as soon as he was of age and never turned back once, not even when his older sister Rhiannon, had his niece and nephew. I wasn't that he didn't love his family, god knew he adore the little brats. Even if his relationship with his sister was weak he still would lay his life down for her. However, Wales had too many unpleasant memories for him to deal with.
And now he was going back.
"What are we going, sir?" the Welshman asked later when they finally were driving down the streets of Cardiff
"To the Hub"
"The hub?"
"Our base of operations" said Jack with a smile "Headquarters sounds so standoffish we simply call the place 'The hub' " was the comment as he parked near the bay area. "Ok, we have to walk the rest of the way."
Ianto simply nodded before getting out the car and followed him. The two of them walked the short distance from the street to a small Tourist office in the bayside. Ianto follow the captain place didn't look that impressive on the outside but inside was another story. Jack gave a brief explanation of the structure as they walked to the levels below ground. Behind the little main area that served as an actual Tourist Office the Torchwood three facilities were impressive. The compound had 4 floors, the main level was the Tourist office with three additional underground levels. The first of the underground levels held a common area, with sofas and tables, a locker-room, a bathroom and a kitchen. The level down was the working area. Top of the line equipment was everywhere. Computers consoles, with some other machines Ianto didn't recognize, a green house and a conference room. And the third and last level down was where the archives and storage room were located. All of them connected by stairs and an elevator.
"So, what do you think?" asked Jack looking at Ianto as the younger man looked around with interest
"I must say I´m impressed" he answered, "but I don't see anyone here" he added noticing that even if the place was huge there was no personnel.
"That's because we don't need it" said a voice behind them. Ianto turned around to face a tall woman, with long, wavy brown hair and matching eyes. "We have few but we are the best of the best"
"Ianto, allow me to introduce you to my right hand and second-in-command: Suzie Costello"
"It's a pleasure to meet you ma´am."
The woman simply raised an eyebrow while studying him intently. "Pleasure" she said with no emotion in her voice before turning her full attention to Jack. "I'm heading out, must run some errands before stores close. The reports of every activity performed while you were away are on your desk, be sure you look at them today"
"Ill do it when I have some time" Jack replied coldly.
"Don't mess with me Harkness, you have enough paperwork undone to last until next Christmas so I suggest you to get it over with!" Suzie said as she stormed through the cog door.
"She is lovely" commented Jack as he draged Ianto to the other side of the floor where a beautiful Japanese woman was immersed in whatever program she was working on "And this is Toshiko Sato, our genius technician. Tosh, this is Ianto Jones." The tiny computer specialist shifted her eyes off the screen and looked at the younger man with a sweet and authentic smile on her lips
"It´s a pleasure" she said
"The same"
Tosh smiled at him again before returning to her job
"Don't mind her, she is a sweetheart, but she tends to get sucked into her work. Tosh, where's Gwen?"
"Last time I saw her, she was in the kitchen" replied Toshiko without taking her eyes off the computer screen.
"Thanks" Jack took Ianto´s hand and led him to the small kitchen area.
Inside was an equally young brunette trying to make an impressive coffee machine work.
"This damn thing doesn't work" she muttered with a Welsh accent that made Ianto smile a little "I will kill Jack for this!"
"Will you?" asked the captain casually making her jump
"God, Jack. Don't do that" she exclaimed before focussing on the other man. Her sweet smile let the gap between her front teeth be seen. "Hello there, you must be Ianto. I´m Gwen Cooper. We've been expecting you"
Ianto smiled. "Nice to meet you Gwen" he replied feeling a little bit nervous about her comment. They've been expecting him. What did she mean by that?
"Oh don't look like that; you'll see this place is not as bad as whatever impression Jack may have given you"
"Hey! I resent that" Jack protested.
"Resent it all you want" Gwen said to him "You were the one who decided to buy this thing without actually taking the time to ask if anyone here knew how to operate it!"
"You all were complaining about how annoying it was to go out to get coffee and now you complain because you can't get any. You are so difficult to please" Jack teased.
"JACK!"
"If may I say something?" Ianto interrupted "I may be able to help you."
Gwen and Jack looked at him with a questioningly. The Welshman just passed the woman and with expert moves started to operate the machine, and in less than 10 minutes, Ianto was able to produce 4 steamy cups of the most delicate coffee the other two had ever tried.
"Oh my goodness, pet" said Gwen "This coffee is heavenly. How did you do that?"
"I worked at a coffee shop to help pay for uni. We had an old version of this machine and well, I kind of enjoy coffee a bit too much"
"Well Jones, Ianto Jones, like Gwen said this is pure glory" commented Jack with a grin
Ianto couldn´t help but blush at the obvious pleasure in those grey-blue eyes. Maybe Gwen was right, maybe this place wasn't as bad as he had thought.
ooOOoo
Outside the Hub, in the warehouse district near the bay, a man was hidden in the shadows. The sound of water and cars on the road nearby were the only sounds heard in the night. Well, those and the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. The man smiled the moment he saw it was the woman he was waiting for.
"So he's already here" he said matter-of-factly
"That's right" the woman replied "The captain is moving faster than we thought"
The man let out a cold, evil smile "Don't worry about it, this will only help us"
"Don't get cocky" the woman admonished "You know better than anyone how dangerous the man can be"
"Precisely because I know him I'm telling you this: I won't lose, not now and definitely not against a parasite like him "
