AN – with thanks to kausingkayn and for their reviews.
Warning: Some non-graphic GG smut and it gets a bit nasty towards the end…
Gwen called out a hello as she walked into the Hub. Jack was standing in front of one of the computer stations working through some images on the screen. He waved a vague hand in her direction as he concentrated.
It had been a late one the night before and she was tired. She needed coffee. She was not going to get through this morning without caffeine.
"Where's Ianto?" she asked.
"Went out for supplies first thing. Would have thought he'd be back by now, so shouldn't be long."
Gwen was desperate and decided to go for her last resort; the jar of instant she had hidden in her desk drawer. Casting a glance over her shoulder she saw that Jack was absorbed in the computer screen.
She pulled open the drawer and flicked through the stack of folders that hid her secret stash. Pulling out the jar she was disappointed to find it empty. She didn't remember finishing it. Then she noticed the note attached to it.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find this? I'm disappointed Gwen. Very disappointed."
Gwen swallowed and wandered back over to Jack. This explained why she had only been given rich tea biscuits for the last couple of weeks then.
Jack was still absorbed in the computer screen. It looked like he was watching recorded CCTV footage. Standing behind him Gwen saw the camera pick up two women from behind as they entered an alley next to a night club. The angle of the camera caught the two women from the waist up as the taller woman pulled the other girl into a kiss and pushed her up against the wall. Gwen raised her eyebrows.
They watched, transfixed as the two women kissed, lost in one another as their hands roamed over each other's clothes. They watched as the taller woman lowered one hand and the other girl's body arched against the wall and she threw her head back. Despite having already seen the footage once Jack was no less engrossed as they watched the girl's body rock against the wall as the other woman pushed against her. Within just a few minutes they saw the younger woman start to move in what was unmistakably an orgasm and the taller woman pulled her in for a kiss, keeping their bodies rocking firmly together.
"Phew" said Gwen. "We don't normally get to see the good stuff. But, why are we watching this Jack?"
Jack just nodded towards the screen, indicating that she should keep watching. They watched together as the young woman's body slowly stopped moving and she slumped against the other woman, using her for support. The couple continued to kiss, but slower, with less urgency now.
Jack and Gwen continued to watch in silence as the pair finally pulled away from the wall and with arms wrapped around each other's waists, left the ally in the direction they had come; this time walking towards the camera.
"Oh my God! That's Jay!" exclaimed Gwen.
Jack remained silent and flicked the screen away from the CCTV footage to a police photograph of a girl, eyes fixed open and staring in death. It was the girl from the film with Jay.
"What happened?"
"Sophie Cartwright. Student at the University. Found dead this morning with her throat slit and what appears to be an H carved into the wrist of one arm. Thirty third such death in the last two weeks; men and women, mixed ages, mixed races. The police have been clueless and kept the finer details out of the press. I've been keeping an eye on it out of curiosity, but then this morning I saw this CCTV. I've gone back through the other victims and found footage of Jay leaving bars and clubs with some of the others too."
"You don't think she could have done it do you? The H would fit and she does love her knife. But no, she wouldn't would she?"
"There's one way to find out." Jack tapped his comm. "Jay. Hub, now." He didn't wait for an answer before disconnecting the link again.
Gwen and Jack flicked through the police reports on the murders until they heard Jay's footsteps pounding across the metal grills behind them. Jack switched the screen back to the CCTV footage.
"What's up? What's the rift thrown out for us today?"
"No rift. Just this." Jack indicated towards the screen. A lazy smile spread across Jay's face as she watched the film.
"Getting your rocks off watching others now Jack? Ianto not doing it for you any more?"
Jack didn't say anything, his face fixed as he flicked the screen over to show the dead girl's image. Surprise flickered across Jay's face and she inhaled sharply.
"Sophie. What happened to her?"
"Throat slit. Like thirty two other people in the last fortnight." Jack started to flick through pictures of some of the other victims on the screen; the ones he had seen Jay with.
"I know them. They all died the same way?"
"Yes. Throat slit, and an H carved into their arm."
Jay was very pale, her face for once portraying the horror she felt. Jack turned to her his expression firm and pressed another button which brought the faces of all thirty three victims onto the screen.
"Just tell me. Did you hurt these people?"
"No." Jay didn't flinch at the question. She knew why Jack had asked it and would ask the same of him if the roles had been reversed. At least with her there was no doubting her answer.
"Right. Then we need to figure out what they all have in common and who is killing them."
Jay had been silently continuing to stare at the pictures, concentrating.
"Me. They all have me in common." she said quietly.
"What do you mean?" queried Jack.
"All of them have been my lovers. Whoever has done this is trying to get to me."
"But there are over 30 people here! You've only been able to leave the Hub for a month!" exclaimed Gwen.
"I get bored." said Jay simply. Her face clouded over. "They were all so special, so unique. None of them deserved this."
Gwen snorted. "You can't sleep with that many people in that short a space of time and expect us to believe you cared about them in any way or knew anything about them."
Jay rounded on her, anger in her eyes. She pressed a button bringing up a picture of the most recent victim.
"Sophie Cartwright. 22. Graduate student at the University; physics. Had some very interesting quantum theories. She would have put you people beyond your time."
Jay hit another button on the consol and the face of a man flashed up.
"Mark Watson. 34, recently widowed. Was just looking for some company; a touch, a kind word, someone to hold him for a night that wouldn't leave him feeling guilty afterwards. More sadness in those eyes than I have ever seen before."
She jabbed the button again to reveal another face, not done making her point yet.
"Michael Gibson. 23. Painter and decorator, and extraordinary artist. Every inch of his flat covered with sketches and paintings, but too little confidence to ever try to exhibit."
Knowing that she could do this for every face in the list she hit the button once more. The next picture was of a woman in her eighties.
"Oh, that's just wrong." said Gwen.
Jay turned to her; "Not my first visit to your planet." she said through gritted teeth.
Jay reached out her hand and touched the screen tenderly.
"She was really something special. She was the first woman to study medicine at her university. Went on to become one your leading paediatricians. Saved so many lives, helped so many families. She deserved to live out her life peacefully, not go out like this. We need to find the person who did this Jack. Find him, stop him and hurt him." Her voice dripped with venom.
Jack recognised this tone. It had been aimed at him more than once, and he had seen the damage that she had inflicted after it had been aimed at others.
"Is everyone here?"
Tapping a button to change the screen again, Jay glanced over the full list of pictures again.
"Yeah. Everyone except you and Ianto."
Gwen and Jack looked at each other clearly startled. "Ianto." they said together.
Jay caught the look and the fear edging into their voices.
"Where is he?"
Jack's face was grim. "He went shopping a couple of hours ago and isn't back yet. Gwen; start pulling up CCTV, we need to trace him."
Before anyone could move the screen in front of them crackled and snow briefly replaced the faces on display, before a new face appeared in front of them.
"Finally." said the face "I've been waiting ages for you to work that out."
"Who are you?" demanded Jack of the face on the screen.
"You should know, shouldn't you Jay Hunter?"
Jay looked at the screen with an expression filled with anger, but clearly no recognition.
"Ah. It's true then." said the face. "You have lost your memory. Well let you remind you. My name is Kantos and I am the worst thing that could happen to you, and the man who will kill you. If you have any doubt about that, just think about those injuries you had before that doctor person rescued you. Do you remember them? Remember the pain? Well that was all me. Now I'm back to finish the job."
"Why me? Why do you want me? And why kill all these people to get to me?"
"They were just for fun. To get you to notice me and see what I am capable of. All those delicious people through time marked with your scent. I am a collector. I have collected many things. And I want something you have. And I always get what I want. For example, I have a Vornon eye in place of my own left eye and that's what's letting me talk to you now. Works like a camera, but I control it with my mind. Means I have to use a mirror to talk to you, but that is of small concern."
"What does this have to do with Ianto?" Jack interrupted.
"Ah well, that's another thing that I have." Kantos turned away from the mirror and an image of Ianto slumped on the floor leaning against a wall filled the screen. Gwen gasped and Jack's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists.
"Let him go and you can take me." Jay said in a steady voice.
"Oh, he is just insurance to make sure none of your friends try anything stupid like a rescue. As for getting you, that isn't a problem because I also have this."
Kantos turned back to the mirror and held up his arm displaying Jay's vortex manipulator. Jay's eyes opened wide as he flicked it open and pressed a button. Jack and Gwen watched helplessly as Jay vanished in front of them.
They turned back to the screen to see Jay materialise in the room. Spinning around she searched out Ianto and fell to floor next to him. He looked up at her, only his eyes betraying any fear.
"What have you done to him?" Jay growled.
"He is drugged. He can't use most of his muscles but is entirely aware of what is going on. The drug will wear off giving him full mobility again. that's if he lives that long."
Jay spun back to Kantos pulling out both of her guns and levelling them at him. With the camera in Kantos' head it looked to Gwen and Jack as though Jay was staring straight at them.
"Let him go or I will not hesitate to kill you were you stand. In fact I need a good reason not to do that anyway."
"Ah. That won't happen. Another thing I have is the protection unit from a Santardi which means your weapons are useless against me. But even so, just for everyone's peace of mind hand them over."
Jack and Gwen felt as though Jay's glare was going straight through them as they watched her grind her teeth as she unbuckled her gun holsters and unclipped her dagger and handed them all over.
Behind her they watched Ianto try to pull himself up against the wall, then slump back down again in defeat, his muscles still not able to cooperate with what he was asking them to do.
"Jack, we have to do something." Gwen said.
Jack raised a hand "Wait. She can look after herself." He took a deep breath. "And honestly, there is no-one else I would trust more than her to save Ianto." Jack was all too aware that somehow Kantos was able to see and hear all they were doing and didn't want to risk the lives of either team member yet.
"Ah, that is almost touching." came Kantos' voice into the Hub. "Shame neither of them can hear you. The hack I have into your screen which feeds your images and voices to me goes straight into my neuro receivers. These two can't see or hear anything."
Despite having just one side of the conversation Jay worked out what was being discussed. She decided to bring them back to now.
"What do you want with me?"
"Your Macadian disc. You became famous for being able to hear lies. It's a talent I am keen to get my hands on."
Jay studied the man in front of her. "Can you turn that camera off?"
"Yes. I just need to think it and the link switches off."
"Switch off the link to the Hub and we can talk. We might be able to reach some sort of agreement. Me for Ianto's safe return."
Kantos smiled at her. "Okay, you have a deal."
"No!" screamed Jack and Gwen together. Jack reached out to grab the screen as if he could reach Ianto through it. But the image remained.
"Are we disconnected? They can't see us any more?" Jay asked.
"Nope. It's just us."
Gwen and Jack exchanged a confused glance. They watched as Jay's posture subtly changed.
"In that case, what would you say to some sort of arrangement? A partnership? I could get us into the Hub. It's full of tech and artefacts. You could find much more in that one place than many years of searching the Universe."
"And what about you?"
"Instead of killing me to get the disc you let me live. Think about it. If you have the disc inserted you can never lie. Do you know how hard that is? Any idea? You don't want that. Trust me. But what about if I was with you? You'd have to trust me because I can't lie. But I could still read lies. Don't you think we would make a great team?"
Gwen and Jack stared open mouthed at the twisted smirk on Jay's face as she spoke, anger boiling inside them.
Ianto listened.
Kantos studied the woman in front of him.
"Okay. Prove it. Prove that you would double cross Torchwood and work with me."
"How?"
"Kill the boy."
The smirk remained on Jay's face. She nodded.
Kantos held out one of Jay's guns to her. Jay smiled and shook her head.
"No. Not as much fun killing with a gun. Up close and personal is better. Give me my knife."
Unseen by Gwen and Jack who were watching in horror, unable to move, Kantos smiled suddenly and held out Jay's knife to her.
Jay took the knife and returned the smile, before turning and walking towards Ianto. The camera in Kantos' eye beamed each of her movements back to Gwen and Jack.
They watched in impotent horror and disbelief as Jay knelt down in front of Ianto. He looked up at her and managed to push himself up onto one elbow and feebly put another arm out in front of him in defence.
They saw the fear now clearly etched on the young man's face. Jay's body blocked their view of much of Ianto, but they didn't need to see details as they watched what happened next. Jay moved closer to Ianto's body, easily pushing against the defending arm. She stayed that way for a moment, just kneeling in front of him, looking at him.
Then, dagger clenched in her right hand, she pulled her arm back and thrust it towards Ianto's fragile human body. They watched as his eyes widened in shock, but never left Jay's face. Jay paused with her arm between their bodies for a second, before pulling her arm back with another savage swipe.
Ianto cried out in pain and astonishment. Jay stood up and slowly walked backwards away from Ianto. Jack and Gwen watched in numb disbelief as Ianto pulled a blood soaked hand away from his chest. He stared at it, eyes wide, before clutching it back to his heart. His eyes grew heavy as he fell forwards onto his face and remained still.
Jay turned around, back towards Kantos. She held the bloody knife up to show him, a smile broad on her face.
"It's been a long time since I killed someone up close. Now why don't you get us back to the Hub. See if anyone else is ready to die?"
AN – Please don't lynch me…at least not until you have read the next couple of chapters. And slash will be up soon. My evil muse deamons are just working a little quicker than the slash ones. But I shall kick them into submission.