Chapter 10

Gwen was pacing anxiously up and down the hallway in the Newmans' flat. Tessa was in her bedroom, sobbing hysterically into her pillow, whilst Eve was screaming. Gwen was beginning to get a headache, but she knew she couldn't give up on her neighbour now.

Corinne emerged from the kitchen with two mugs of steaming tea in her hand, and gave one to Gwen.

"Thanks," she smiled as she sipped it. She had no idea what to say; how do you talk to a teenager whose mother might die because of an alien phenomenon sweeping Cardiff? Then a thought crossed her mind. "Can I use your computer?"

"What for?" Corinne asked, nervously.

"I want to check something up," Gwen reassured her. "I think it might be able to help your mum."

Corinne nodded. "I'll go load it up. If it'll help her, I'll do anything." She hurried off, and Gwen followed. She'd had an idea, but she wasn't sure if it would work. She took out her mobile, and called Dante.

"What's up, Gwen?" the young man asked, seemingly annoyed.

"Can you email me all the data on the people who were affected?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm stuck away from the Hub and I feel bloody useless at the moment, while the rest of you are there actually doing stuff to help." Gwen realised she probably sounded too angry, and softened her tone. "Please?"

"Alright," Dante sighed. "Give me a couple of minutes."

Gwen grinned as she ended the call.

"I've loaded up the computer," Corinne called.

"Great," Gwen said as she walked into the room. "Thanks a lot, Corinne. I appreciate this."

Corinne nodded, and pulled out the black desk chair obligingly. "What is it you want to do?"

Gwen frowned. "I can't exactly say. Official Secrets Act and all that." Then, after sitting down and accessing her email, she brought up a spreadsheet file. Most of Torchwood's documents were accessible from the most basic of home computers; a detail Gwen had never quite understood but now thankful for.

The data Dante had sent her contained the details of all the people charted to be affected by the unknown illness. A quick count told her that twenty five people, not including Eve or those at the Hub, could potentially die from whatever it was. And Gwen wasn't about to let that happen.

The link was obvious, now that she had all the data in front of her. It didn't take many internet searches to confirm her suspicions; that Saint Owen's Church was the connection. And Ianto had gone over there earlier, which was why-

Standing up, she sent the chair wheeling back across the room. "I'm going out," she declared loudly.

"You can't go!" Tessa insisted, running towards her. "You've got to help my mum!"

"I think I know where she caught it from," Gwen explained. "Has she been to Saint Owen's Church recently?"

Corinne nodded. "She goes there quite a bit since we've moved in. The vicar, Sam Hopper, he does this counselling thing for her. She's been really upset since Dad-"

Tessa interrupted her. "Do you think that's what caused it? The church, I mean?"

"I don't know," Gwen admitted, "but I think so. I'm going to go down there and check it out. I'll be back to check on your mum later."

Logging out of the computer, Gwen hurried back to her flat. She fumbled her key in the lock, and headed over to the kitchen area where her handbag had been dumped on the side.

"Hey, love," Rhys smiled, calling out from the sofa. He'd put his shirt back on and was lounging about, watching an old comedy show that both he and Gwen liked. "What are you looking for?"

"Car keys," Gwen announced. "I need to get across town. Work business."

Rhys stood up and pulled on his tattered trainers. "Hold on, I'm coming with you."

Xxx

Dante, Caitlyn and Tunde stood around the medical area, while Jack paced up and down, noticeably agitated.

"So what's the plan, Harkness?" Tunde felt obliged to ask.

"Caitlyn, get blood samples and analyse them for anomalies. Dante, I want you to check hospital records for any similar symptoms, and what they're treating patients with. Tunde, just make yourself useful."

"And what are you going to do?"

"What I always do," Jack told the police officer with a laugh. "Stand here and look sexy."

"Maybe I could get onto my contacts at the police station and see if there's been any reports," Tunde suggested hopefully. The American was still, in his opinion, as annoying as the previous time they'd met; an unfortunate incident which involved Jack tipping water over Tunde's head. He relished the chance to get even at the Torchwood boss, but while his wife and daughter were in danger, revenge wasn't the most important thing on his mind. He would get back at Harkness when Rosa and Daisha were safe.

Hurrying off to their respective work areas, the two new Torchwood employees left Jack and Tunde alone. There was an awkward silence between the two men, until Jack broke it.

"We've got a common goal right now, so no trying to get revenge on me until after we've saved everyone. There's two kids doing their best to save Cardiff, and we need to make it as easy on them as possible."

Tunde nodded, not sure what to say. "I just hope they can do it," he said eventually.

Jack nodded. "Believe me, so do I."