Mae'r Chwaer Hyll; Cardiff, Wales
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Unsure of how else to make contact, Jack Harkness made arrangements through Anwen. John reluctantly agreed and named a time and place. He sounded different. Time had passed since his last visit to Cardiff and something changed him. That could be good or bad, depending on how it happened.
The pub was busy on a Saturday afternoon. Pool balls clashed on one side of the room. Televisions murmured in one corner and over the bar. Jack walked around tables full of happy, noisy people. John sat as expected in the back. His clothes were similar to what showed in the building's CCTV footage. He was eating dinner and drinking water. He looked up from his tablet a moment before switching it off.
"Which speech am I getting first?" John sounded amused. "Breaking into your house? Talking to your niece? Or violating territory?" John sipped his water.
"Moss-Probert." Jack sat across from him.
"Down to business. MP is a corporation involved in genetic engineering. Torchwood policy changed at some point from arresting the scientists to executing them. Countries quietly hunted them for knowledge and experience in combining contemporary and alien technology for military purposes."
"And you just know that?"
"One of the varied duties Torchwood assigned involved soldiers. Having been one yourself, you sympathized with the conscripted. I hunted them." John shrugged. "There was nothing anyone could do except put them down."
Jack suspected there was a lot more to it. "What did Torchwood offer?"
"Varaxi crystals. Boxes came through the Rift. The boss paid me two an assignment. Except MP soldiers." John smiled. "I expected hazard pay."
Jack laced his fingers together. "Two crystals an assignment?"
John's smiled broadened. "She offered two originally and lied about how much she thought they were worth. To make me think I was conning her."
It sounded plausible. "Why are you here?"
John's humor faded. "Earth was at war with itself and aliens. Torchwood believed they came through the Rift originally from another time line or universe, and determined when they started affecting Earth. It was necessary to combat the influence. Which is why they needed me."
Jack knew he was missing something. "How were you recruited?"
"The boss used recovered alien technology and scans of your vortex manipulator to abduct me. She then offered the crystals in exchange for an assignment."
"She's someone I know."
John nodded.
"How is Anwen involved in this?"
"She's the boss. The head of Torchwood in 2049." John hesitated. "This isn't a conversation we should be having."
"Anwen sent back a malfunctioning wrist-strap and you to protect her?"
John shook his head. "Except it isn't malfunctioning. Anwen knew how her ability would manifest. After her younger self knew how it worked, she'd make a bad target."
Jack knew John wasn't telling him everything. The pronounced change was a lot more than being bribed with a king's random. "What happened to you?"
"I almost died. A Torchwood woman cleaned me up and dried me out. Cliche romance."
"Where is she now?"
John looked at the table, the pain written across his face. "She's gone."
Shit, Jack thought. No matter how Anwen did it, they had a serious problem. John tied his recovery and his "second chance" on a woman that died. Even if she hadn't manipulated him, the affect would fade. He'd be there ally while the guilt and the pain lasted. Or rather he'd follow Torchwood 2049 orders while it lasted.
Steven Carter sat nearby nursing a drink and keeping an eye on scan results. While he didn't know the details, he knew his grandfather didn't trust John. It was entirely possible that Jack arranged the meeting to capture his old friend. But there was no indication of a trap.
The waitress brought his supper order. "Thanks." Under other circumstances, Steven would have flirted.
Instead he felt like an idiot holding onto the memory of a woman that rejected him years ago. Watching Anwen fall in love with a man that had once been his grandfather's lover felt like something out of a tabloid or a talk show she joked about when they were younger.
Steven heard the familiar sound of Jack's boots and looked up. It was hard to fake not knowing some one. Lying to Jack was damn near impossible. "You look like Captain Harkness." Stupid might work.
"Have we met?"
"No."
Jack looked skeptical. "You look familiar." Steven couldn't remember if his grandfather met his father. That made more sense than Jack recognizing him.
"Cool."
Steven knew he'd failed as Jack walked away. When the door closed behind him, Steven gave it a few minutes before carrying his dinner over to John. It didn't matter if they were seen together. If Jack didn't scan the area immediately, he would the next time they crossed paths. The wrist-strap illusion wouldn't prevent Jack from finding and recognizing it.
"You should have flirted with him." John chuckled.
"Right." Steven downed the rest of his drink.
John reached across the table and touched Steven's hands. "It's never to late to change your mind about men."
"I will shoot you." Steven couldn't help but smiled at the absurdity of the situation. Flirting was the best idea. Except he had no idea how to flirt with men, and didn't want to learn.
Moss-Probert Office; Moscow, Russia
Percy Heitt reviewed reports at his desk in the new office. The building and neighborhood left much to be desired. The noisy downstairs neighbor was a wannabee record producer with an odd assortment of clients. Directly across from the wannabee was a modeling agency that either promoted porn or was a low rent escort agency. Whichever the case, the situation was mortifying.
The botched abduction attempt was a bigger headache. Caudell had a five man team including three biomechs. Captain Harkness and his paramour were across town. An unknown person or persons took out Caudell and the creature that should have destroyed the building. The police report claimed Rhys Williams and an unspecified guest of Harkness defended against the home invasion. Which wasn't possible. Scan readings of the building indicate the creature was transported into the Rift. Harkness was reportedly afraid of opening the Rift which meant someone else was involved.
Heitt could only conclude his information was flawed, including one or more unknown Torchwood agents in Cardiff. He reached for the phone. There was a London party planner who was very good at coordinating fundraisers. A wine tasting or an art gallery showing would work as a cover. Both for those in favor of the company's various projects and those who traded in information. It would be worth the expense.
