8.

"This is crazy," Owen said, leaning back in his desk chair. "Those people are seriously messed up." He used his feet to move the chair closer to Tosh's desk. Tosh was in the process of analyzing the video material. With screen shots and facial recognition software, she tried to identify as many cult members as possible. Gwen stood with folded arms behind her and looked over her shoulder. Jack and Ianto were absent ... and silent. Owen had repeatedly tried to reach Jack before Gwen and Tosh had returned, but he'd been unseccussful. Jack either hadn't heard the mobile or decided not to answer ... or he hadn't been able to. Owen tried not to think closer about that possbilitiy and focused instead on Jessica's words about Apollyon taking people to the world beyond death.

Gwen asked, "Why is that so crazy? We know that the other side is empty. Suzie came from there. She told me about it. Jack mentions it sometimes."

"I know. I wasn't talking about that," Owen replied. "I mean the fact that you can't get in and get out. Death is a single ticket."

"Not for Jack."

"Jack isn't normal."

Gwen shrugged and walked to the couch which was pushed up agains the tiled wall behind Tosh's desk. The clacking of her boots echoed in the main Hub. Myfanwy flew a circle around the water tower and then dove into the basin at the sculpture's foot to catch a fish. Her prey evaded her, though, and she sat down on a nearby railing to clean her leather wings, looking for all the world like her pride had taken a kick. Nobody had fed the pterodactyl this evening. In the absence of Ianto, Owen saw this as Jack's job. He wouldn't do it. Myfanwy seemed not very fond of him in general. Gwen threw her a donut and Myfanwy took the gift with gratitude. Gwen leaned back on the couch. "Where exactly did Jack go?"

"I already told you: I don't know. He just up and left." Owen grimaced. "Clearly, Ianto can't handle whatever he's supposed to be doing. Jack should have sent me."

"I hate this secrecy," Gwen said and pulled her mobile out of her pocket. "Will we ever know what he's really doing?"

"Considering that we still have no idea where exactly he comes from and only receive relevant details when we need them to survive, probably not likely," Owen answered.

Gwen gave him a nod of approval and pressed her mobile to her ear.

Cautiously, Tosh said, "He's the boss. He doesn't have to tell us everything."

"Thank you, Ianto," Owen replied mockingly and Tosh turned back to her monitors.

Frustrated, Gwen set down her mobile. "Mailbox – either he didn't hear me or ..." She folded her arms. "... or he rejected my call."

"Great!" Owen said.

"This is irresponsible! If something happens, we have no idea where they are. If they need help ... they ..." She paused. "Something could have happened."

xxx

A cool hand touched his cheek and Ianto turned his head slightly, nuzzling into it. He knew this hand. He knew the smell of old, rain-soaked wool. "Jack."

The hand stroked his forehead and a kiss landed on his hairline. "How long was he unconscious?" Jack asked.

A woman answered, "We called you a few minutes after we found him. We estimate that the attack happened about half an hour earlier."

Ianto carefully opened his eyes. Lights blinded him and he blinked. A pounding headache developed and he swallowed down a wave of nausea. He was cold and he felt shaky as if he hadn't eaten for hours. It took a moment before he got used to the light enough to see properly. Jack sat on the edge of his campbed and looked at him with concern before he turned to Helen. "Give us a few minutes. See if Bleddyn's awake. I want to talk to him."

Helen nodded and left.

Jack turned to Ianto and smiled. "How are you?"

"Headache," Ianto answered. He frowned. "When did you get here?"

"Ten minutes ago maybe. Helen called me and I came here immediately."

Ianto looked at Jack's wet hair and damp coat. "Even though it was raining?"

Jack chuckled. "Ianto Jones ..." He seemed to want to make a joke, but in the end, he didn't. "I was worried." Jack took his hand and squeezed it lightly.

Ianto watched their fingers intertwine and noticed that his hands were trembling. He knew the symptoms and his memories slowly returned: Bleddyn. "Psi shock?"

"Yes."

Ianto closed his eyes. "I hate it when that happens."

"Believe me, I'm not a fan either," Jack replied softly. "Tell me what happened."

Ianto tried to sit up. The room swayed and a wave of nausea hit again, but he overcame it. He knew that if he just ignored them, the symptoms would subside in a few hours. "They shouldn't have called you. I'm fine."

Jack pushed him back onto the thin mattress of the campbed. "No, you had a psi shock. You're not doing anything."

Ianto sat up again. "Let me ..." This time, Jack helped him, even though he rolled his eyes. As Ianto sat beside him on the edge of the bed, Jack put a supportive arm around him while Ianto struggled against the nausea. He became aware that he was in the kitchen of the Flat Holm facility.

"I didn't like this from the start," Jack said. "You should have come home after what happened earlier today."

Ianto looked up at Jack. "I just wanted to help."

"Ianto," Jack said, standing up. He stood for a moment with his back to Ianto and then whirled around to him. "All this would probably have never happened if you hadn't used your empathy," he hissed, as if he didn't want to be overheard. "I can't stop you from doing it, Ianto. Not without hurting you. So please, stop. Because if it's more harmful than useful or you can't control yourself, I'll have to force you."

"Is that possible?" Ianto asked. "To take away mental abilities?"

"You don't want to know that."

"Maybe I do."

"Enough," Jack said loudly. Helen, who had come to the door, stopped, startled. Jack noticed her and paused for a moment, then he said quietly, "Not another word about it."

Ianto stared at Jack, reading the 'Not here' in his eyes. "Okay," he replied softly, deciding to get back to it later. "Sorry."

Helen cleared her throat. "Bleddyn's awake."

Jack stormed past her. Ianto hastily pulled on his shoes and stumbled after him. The nausea subsided when he'd taken a few steps and he ignored the headache until he would be able to do something about it. Closing his coat as shivers racked his body, he continued down the hall toward Jack's retreating figure.

He caught up to Jack when he reached the door to Bleddyn's room. "Okay, let's talk straight," Jack said. He stood with hands on hips in front of Bleddyn, who was sitting on the end of his bed again, staring at the wall. He didn't react to Jack's presence. Jack grabbed his shirt and pushed him against the wall, pinning him against the concrete.

"Jack!" Helen cried, shocked, but Ianto stopped her as she tried to pass by him into the room. Jack's methods were sometimes strange but usually, he achieved results. Bleddyn, though, didn't seem fazed.

"Who are you?" Jack asked. "You have mental abilities, you attack my team ... you almost killed Ianto, so it's over with the niceties. Who the hell are you?"

Ianto heard Helen gasp in surprise when Bleddyn suddenly laughed softly. And then he whispered something that made the look of anger in Jack's eyes disappear and replaced it with fear.

He let go of Bleddyn and stepped back. Ianto was surprised when the fear turned into sheer panic. "Why did you say that?" Jack asked softly.

Bleddyn closed his eyes. "Canu." Ianto stared at him in disbelief. Bleddyn was speaking Welsh. So far, there hadn't been the slightest indication that he was from Wales. Even his Welsh name had been given to him by the staff of the institution Jack had found him in. Bleddyn opened his eyes again. "Y duw unig."

Jack shook his head. He stepped back from Bleddyn. Ianto wondered what caused the reaction. Jack didn't understand Welsh. But something about Bleddyn's words clearly scared him.

Bleddyn smiled. "Le y mae, anfarwol?"

Helen asked, "What's going on?"

Ianto answered, "He's speaking in Welsh."

"What is he saying?"

"He's asking-"

"Ianto," Jack held up a hand and shook his head. "We're leaving." He returned to the door, keeping his eyes on Bleddyn. Bleddyn kept staring at Jack until the door slammed shut. Helen seemed to sense that Jack wouldn't talk to her about what had happened and left.

Ianto, however, wouldn't be satisfied without an answer. Not this time. He stared at Jack questioningly. "What just happened in there?"

Jack was still staring at Bleddyn's door. "You tell me. I don't understand Welsh."

Ianto stepped closer and put a hand on Jack's arm. "You must have understood something, otherwise you wouldn't have reacted that way."

"His first words. I remember the translation," Jack replied.

"I couldn't hear them."

Jack swallowed. The panic returned to his eyes.

"Jack, what did he say?"

Jack blinked and seemed to snap out of painful memories. "Blaidd drwg," he answered. "He called me 'Bad Wolf'."