Jack walked carefully over the debris of the now destroyed conference room. The bomb was either very large or small and very powerful. There was a crater in the centre of the room that was at least ten feet deep.

He couldn't see why the Prime Minister had sent him to investigate this bombing; there were more import think like finding two crazed Time Lords with God Complexes.

He turned when he heard the crunch of feet behind him. It was Ianto and he was holding a portable mini-DVD player.

"I think you should see this," he said and pressed play.

Jack watched as one of the delegates stood up and opened his jacket. "Suicide bomb, not unusual to try and blow up a peace conference."

"No sir, look," Ianto said and the picture zoomed in on the right hand of the delegate. There on one finger was a distinct piece of jewellery...a ring with a jade middle and as the camera zoomed in closer Jack could see the swirls and symbols of what were a very unique language.

Jack looked at Ianto. "What the hell!"

"It seems the Master has turned his hand to terrorism sir," Ianto said and closed the player.

Jack shook his head. "No, that's too simple for him. He'd be shouting it from the rafters, there's something else going on."

They both looked up when a UNIT soldier ran in. "Captain Harkness, there's been another explosion."

"Where?" Jack asked.

"A petro-chemical plant in Russia sir, but this time they caught the bomber, and sir, he had a package for you."


Jack and the others sat in the Hub meeting room and Jack pressed play on the DVD player.

They all took a deep breath when the Master appeared on the screen, but seemed to be distracted by something in front of him.

"No, don't touch the focus. I don't want to be all fuzzy when I speak. Leave it!"

The Master locked at the camera then. "Hi Jack, I bet you weren't expecting to see me dangling from that helicopter. Well, it's always nice to keep you on your toes. Anyway, did you get my little wake-up calls, weren't they spectacular. Actually I can only take credit for the first one..."

The Master was distracted again by whoever was behind the camera. "In a minute! As I was saying, they were just wake-up calls. The party has just begun...okay, okay, but be quick."

Jack's heart skipped a beat when a familiar face took the Master's place.

The Doctor was smiling that thousand watt smile, but his eyes had the look of insanity.

"Jackety-Jack-Jack, have you missed me! Don't worry I'm sure we'll see each other soon. Oh and tell that delightful pretty boy that he's lost his chance, I'm spoken for."

The Doctor raised his arm and there was the glint of platinum and diamond. "You're all invited to the wedding!"

A hand appeared and pulled the Doctor out of view and the Master re-appeared. "As I said Jack, the party has just begun and there's going to be games. The first game is, which one of your team am I going to kill first? Bye."

The Master smiled that manic smile that struck ice into Jack's heart and the screen went black.


Gwen was the first to speak. "He must have Martha."

Jack shook his head. "No, he would have told us, just so we could squirm. He's not going to kill us, well not yet anyway. Like I said, there's more to it than that, he's playing with us. They're up to something."

"You said they're, you think the Doctor's in on it as well?" Gwen said.

There was a snort from Ianto's direction. "Of course he is, he's a crazy as the Master, and no I won't take that back Jack. I'll say it, even if you don't want to hear it, he's not your Doctor. He's not anyone anymore. He's just another alien wanting to kick the earth's ass. Why do you think I called the MOD, he needed to be put away and never see the outside world again!"

Ianto was standing by now and breathing heavily and looking directly at Jack, who sat silently and said nothing.

After Ianto had finished he stood up. "You done," he said quietly.

Ianto nodded and Jack turned to Gwen. "That looked like a hospital room they were in. The Master was probably using the name Saxon and that's probably a private hospital he's funded in some way. The Doctor still looks beat up, they could still be there."

Gwen nodded and threw Ianto a look before leaving.

Jack then turned to Ianto. "I'll tell you this only once Ianto, you can say what you like to me in private. But you keep your views to yourself whilst working on this, is that understood."

The menace in Jacks' voice was enough to make Ianto nod his agreement.

"Good, now go help Gwen find that hospital."


Jack let out his tension in a huge breath. He really didn't know that Ianto hated the Doctor that much. That was something he would have to discuss another time.

He passed Ianto and Gwen who were busy following his orders. He went down the steps until he reached the storage area.

In the largest room sat the TARDIS and if it was possible it looked miserable.

Jack walked up to the blue wooden box and opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was in semi-darkness but seemed to brighten when Jack stepped in.

"Hello sweetheart," Jack said and ran a hand over one of the coral struts.

The TARDIS groaned and her lights flickered and a wave of sadness washed through Jack.

"I know and I'm sorry. But I will get him back and I will make him better and with your help I hope."

He felt a nudge inside his mind that he hoped was a yes and then an image of the Master as a wave of anger filled him.

"I'll get him too, don't you worry and he'll pay."

The TARDIS groaned again and the sound of something metallic dropping to the floor caught Jack's attention.

He looked down and on the floor was what looked like a sonic screwdriver. He picked it up and almost dropped it when with a 'shunk' two metal prongs shot out of the top and the image of the two prongs being forced into the back of someone's neck was forced into his mind.

Jack frowned and then realised with horror what it was for. "I can't, this will kill him won't it?"

He received the most emphatic 'no' and the word 'heal' was burnt into his mind.

Jack looked at the object. "This will heal him?"

The words 'no' and 'help' came back in answer to his question.

"It'll help, but I have to get real close to him don't I?"

A sad 'yes' came back along with what felt like sadness.

Jack once again ran a hand down one of the struts. "If I can, I will," he said. "Thank you."


"I have to go now Si'arila," the Master said.

The Doctor's face dropped. "Why?"

"Someone has to organise these humans. You can't just give an order and expect them to follow them to the letter. I'll be back in a couple of hours. You need to rest and you have the TV and your phone."

The Doctor gave the Master a smile that almost made him stay, but he didn't and he left the room and walked down the corridor.

He paid no attention to the two male nurses that were walking towards him, but he would soon wish he had.


Jack was sitting watching the others as they slowly stripped away the mass of false fronts and firewalls that surrounded The Saxon Corporation.

He jumped when his phone rang. "Harkness."

"So formal Jack," the Doctor's voice replied and Jack sat bolt upright and snapped his fingers at Ianto who knew what he had to do and began trying to trace the call.

"Been a while since we talked hasn't it Jack," the Doctor continued.

"I guess, but it's kinda hard when you and your boyfriend are blowing up things."

The Doctor laughed; it was not a pleasant laugh. "Oh they're his toys, I'm into other things...more painful things."

Jack heard what sounded like a door opening and the Doctor say. "That wasn't a couple..." and then the sound of the phone clattering to the floor and then all Jack could hear was the sound of a struggle and then the phone went dead.

Jack looked over at Ianto who shook his head.

"Dammit!" Jack swore and threw the phone.

No-one took any notice of the two nurses as they wheeled the gurney with a patient on it out to a waiting private ambulance.

They put the patient in the back and climbed inside. One of the nurses took out a phone and dialled.

"Yes sir, he was there. No sir, he was leaving as we came in. Yes sir, we have him."