PART TEN

The tent was crowded and Jack looked around at the sea of expectant and nervous faces. Tosh was still at the trestle table going over all the data and Gwen and Owen looked bored. Jack glanced at his watch and Lexburgh clapped his hands to get every one's attention.

"Alright, we're due for another light show in approximately forty five minutes, tell me what we have so far."

A UNIT tech who had been working along side Tosh started up.

"The readings from the Loch are all negative, if there is something in there then our instruments cannot detect it. When the boat went down, there were no energy spikes, no radiation, no anything... we can't even locate the boat. It's as if it got sucked into the void or something. There's still no sign of Mr Jones. Sorry sir, but we've got the best tech here and Torchwoods gear is better than ours and they haven't found anything either. As for the lights, apart from a brief burst of high intensity microwave radiation yesterday night, there's nothing other than what we can see in the visible light spectrum and what the Torchwood guys recorded on their camera and sensors and Miss Sato can take you through that." He stepped back and Tosh smiled at him.

"Unfortunately I can't add much more, it's a case of what you see is what you get, the lights in the sky register as just that, the only thing I can add is that they emit a very low level of heat and I can't be certain that the microwave burst even came from the lights."

"In other words we know stuff all." Owen commented shivering with cold and wishing he'd brought a more sensible coat.

Jack glared at his medic before turning to the UNIT commander.

"What do you think?"

Lexburgh huffed out a sigh. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Jack had to admire his honesty really.

"Look I want to go back onto the loch to try and locate Ianto and the boat. I'll commandeer one of yours and take Ben with me out to where the boat went down. The rest of my team are at your disposal, but let Tosh handle the tech, she's the best here......"

Owen was looking distinctly unimpressed and Tosh tried not to blush with embarrassment.

"Captain may I remind you that Jones has been in the almost freezing water for almost 7 hours, he is highly unlikely to be alive, you'd be more use to us here." Lexburgh tried not to sound as annoyed as he felt.

Jack just grinned at him. "Ianto's tough and I am not about to give up on him just yet. Just give me one boat, we have our own med kit and Ben is a doctor and has loads of naval years under his belt, he is all I need out there."

Gwen watched the proceedings with interest, thinking that Jack was wasting his time, but Lexburgh nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll have command on shore?"

Jack nodded. "All I care about is finding my operative, just keep my people on the shore out of harm's way and you can do what the hell you like so long as you don't start an interplanetary incident."

"Alright, agreed."

"Thank you." Jack turned to Ben who standing behind him. "You ok with that?"

Ben eagerly nodded his agreement.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

From the darkness on the middle of the loch, the sounds of the soldiers were deadened by the thick mist that settled just above the surface of the black water. Ben had turned off the little petrol engine and he and Jack were leaning out of opposite ends of the boat with large flashlights, white beams gliding into the depths of the fog, but not by far. Jack eased them along a little way with the oars his eyes searching the darkness.

Above them five balls of light suddenly appeared. They looked like faint halos through the mist, fizzing about blindly. Ben and Jack gazed upwards for a moment mesmerised by the sight. It took Ben a moment to register that the water was beginning to ripple, rocking the dinghy and he returned his attention to the Loch peering into the gloom. The lights continued to bob and the sounds of shouting could be heard in the distance. The shouts became screams of panic as a deafening boom thundered through the night. Water shot up into the air and cascaded down upon them violently tipping the boat from the side to side. The Loch bubbled and hissed and Jack and Ben waved their flashlights across the undulating surface.

"Jesus what the Fuck is going on?"

The water surged upwards, suddenly luminous beneath them, the boat pitching precariously.

"Oh shit. Something's surfacing!" Ben yelled as he gripped the sides for dear life.

The two men watched fascinated as the water broiled beneath them, glowing so brightly now that the whole Loch was awash with yellow light. Another boom resounded from above and fire exploded across the water. Ben and Jack only just ducked down in time as the flames flashed over them. Jack looked up suddenly drawn to something floating on the water.

"Ianto!"

He grabbed the oars and rowed for all he was worth as the boat was pitched violently and Ben leaned out grabbing the motionless body and dragging it over the side. Jack was there helping him and heaving Ianto on to his back. Ben got straight to work heedless of what was going on around him. Uncaring as the luminous ship broke the surface of the Loch and shot up into the air plunging them back into darkness as the all the lights disappeared into the night as quickly as it had come. The water stilled and Ianto refused to breathe. Ben knew it was useless, but he tried anyway, pumping away at Ianto's chest and breathing into his cold, blue mouth. Jack was kneeling at his side unravelling a silver thermal cover and muttering curses. The boat dipped and bobbed with their movements in the cramped space, Ben kept working determined and finally Jack pushed him back.

"What are you doing?"

Jack looked at him and Ben could see in the faint light the tears on Jack's face. Jack looked down at Ianto's stark white face and shoved his torch into Ben's grasp.

"This might work, I tried it once before and it did."

Ben watched somewhat horrified as Jack kissed the dead man at their knees, a hand splayed across Ianto's unmoving chest. Minutes past and Ben looked up suddenly aware of what looked like fireworks high up in the night sky above them. It was a beautiful sight, brilliant blossoms in the dark of night exploding over their heads. A breath was hauled in, ragged and choking and suddenly Ianto was kicking out and struggling and Ben looked down in shock into startled brilliant blue. Ianto wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the sky.

"Jack, Angel Fish, did it get away?"

Jack too relieved to really take in the question just gaped at him and then he looked up and saw the fire.

"Jack?" Ianto sounded desperate and Jack didn't have an answer for him because he wasn't sure he understood.

"I don't know Ianto. I don't know."

Ianto lay there on his back, his eyes reflecting the battle above them.

AN: I hope this has worked and made sense.... one more chappy to go...maybe two...

GDL's panto is BRILLIANT, go and see it!