"What's taking Harkness so long?" Daniels said, pacing while trying to light a cigarette, nerves getting the better of him.
Henderson shrugged, shifting the jewel encrusted jar in his hands absently, "The sky did turn black, and people are bound to be spooked. Streets might be a bit clogged."
Daniels stopped his pacing, "The hell with this. I'm going downstairs to get me a drink. You want something?
Henderson gave a small smile, "Bourbon, just bring me a damn bottle of it."
"Better make that two," Owen said.
Daniels nodded and headed out.
Henderson lit his own cigarette, and then offered one to Owen. The other man reached his hand out at the offered item, but something made him stop. A breeze, a whisper, there was something in the wind, coming from outside the shut window. "Did you hear that?"
Henderson listened, and then shook his head.
Then a breeze, coming seemingly from out of nowhere, slammed the shutter open. Owen shot up and even as he tried to shut it again, a tidal wave of sand blasted through the window, knocking him on his ass.
"The hell?" Henderson jumped up from his chair, just as the shifting sand morphed into a more human form-even more human like than the last time he'd seen the walking corpse.
"Bloody hell," Owen gasped, reaching for his gun.
Imhotep was upon him before he could reach the revolver and with one swift blow, Owen slumped over, down for the count.
Henderson gulped and tried fleeing for the door, but the mummy was on him within seconds-a swirling storm of sand once again, sucking like a vacuum at the American until he was bone dry, another husk of shell.
Taking human shape for a second time, Imhotep, now even more human, with only bits of flesh removed but nowhere near as skeletal, reached down to retrieve the jar Henderson had been holding. Sensing someone else, the one he'd longed to see again, Imhotep looked toward the closed bedroom door.
Inside, Ianto was browsing rather angrily through one of the many books he'd managed to find in the library that he thought might share some knowledge on how to help them stop the mummy. Unfortunately, he was coming up empty. Upset at Jack, but mostly at himself for causing this whole mess, he didn't notice that behind him, a trickle of sand had begun streaming through the keyhole.
He didn't feel the other man's presence until he was upon him, until hands that were way more fleshed out than before touched him from behind, swinging Ianto around to face him.
Dropping the book and letting out a startled yelp, Ianto didn't have much time to realize what was happening, until the monster had thrown him on his back, putting his mouth against his.
The door burst open in an explosion of splintering wood, Jack Harkness shouldering through and stopping short at the sight, "Mind if I cut in?"
Jack's voice brought Imhotep's face away from Ianto's and the other man was able to shove the putrid mummy away from him in disgust. A look of sadness filled Imhotep's face, then flared to anger as he looked at Jack, though his lips seemed to have-melted a bit.
"Next time you're looking for a kiss, you might want to bring some lips pal." Not that Jack was against no lips per se, though he was feeling a bit anti mummy at the moment.
The mummy raised his arms in attack, lurching forward, just as Jack called, "Tosh-now!"
Tosh appeared in the doorway, arms filled with a familiar white cat. A cat Imhotep took one look at and screeched. The cat hissed and screeched right back and both creatures seemed to be equally frightened and upset by one another. Clearly weakened, the mummy became another gust of sand and whirled out the window.
Ianto wiped the slime off his mouth, just as Jack came rushing to him. "You okay?"
Ianto smiled blandly, "Just got kissed by a dead guy, I suppose I can scratch that off the list of things I never want to do again."
"I wouldn't be doing that just yet-"
Ianto gave him an odd look, "That thing just kissed me, Jack-"
"You're right, never mind. What matters is that you're okay."
"Aside from my pride, I'm fine." Ianto said. "Though while he was kissing me I did manage to come up with an idea."
Jack raised a brow, then shrugged, "I suppose I've done some of my best thinking while kissing."
"I think I know how we can stop him-"
Daniels came in just then, dropping his bottle of bourbon the moment he saw Henderson, "Sweet Jesus, I'm next," he whispered.
"Not if we can get to the museum first," Ianto said. "I think we can only battle this antiquity with another antiquity.
Owen sighed, "I'll go get the car."
The Duesenberg convertible, had Jack again marveling (not for the first time) at how cars just weren't built like they used to be. Much as he loved the Torchwood SUV, nothing beat riding in a classic. As much as Owen liked to complain about Jack's driving, the shorter man was anything but patient in his swerving to and fro, though that could be due more to the streets being a bit full with people.
"Must you drive like a maniac?" Ianto asked from the back seat.
"If you'd like to try it, be my guest," Owen waved an arm at the crowded street, nearly hitting a man in the process. "It's a bit crowded out here if you haven't noticed."
Jack looked back at Ianto, trying to break the obviously tense mood, "So who's a better kisser, me or old zombie lips?"
"Why?" Ianto's lip flipped causally upward. "You jealous?"
Daniels leaned forward from the back seat beside Tosh-who sat in the middle, "Shut up all of you, this isn't a damn joke! We're all going to die if we don't stop that thing. We have to do something."
Ianto looked at him, eyes kind, "We are doing something. We're going to stop this, I promise."
The curator was waiting for them and Ianto immediately took the lead the moment he stepped foot in the museum. All four men and Tosh followed him as he strode through the museum. "Last month I came across an inscription that mentioned The Book of the Dead," he was saying.
"That book we found at Hamanaptra?" Daniels asked.
Ianto nodded, "Yes. I dismissed it, because it talked about bringing people back from the dead. Something I didn't believe in."
"I'm guessing you believe it now?" Dr. Bey said a bit irritably.
"Ask him how a three thousand old mummy tastes," Jack said, brows wagging.
Ianto gave him a cross look, "Anyway, I'm guessing if the Book of the Dead can raise him, perhaps the Book of Amun-Ra would be able to send him back."
Tosh nodded, "That does stand to reason, it might be able to undo the damage and send him back to his grave."
"Yes, yes, that most certainly sounds plausible Mr. Jones, however as you are aware, the Book of Amun-Ra has escaped the grasp of treasure hunters for centuries, how do you intend to acquire an item no man has ever found?" Dr. Bey asked.
Ianto shrugged, "Maybe they just didn't know where to look, or they were looking in the wrong place altogether."
"And I suppose you know where to look, Mr. Jones?" Dr. Bey all but snapped.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
They moved onto the balcony to the glass display case of fragmented stone tablets bearing ancient texts and hieroglyphics. The curator opened the case so Ianto could view them better. Doing so seemed to unleash an eerie chanting, coming from outside.
"The bloody hell is that?" Owen asked.
The chanting was growing, one word kept being repeated over and over, getting louder and louder. "Imhotep. Imhotep. Imhotep."
The group gathered at the window to look down at the growing crowd, swarming like insects at the doors.
"Jesus," Daniels said. "What's wrong with them?"
"It's a bit like-"
"Zombies?" Jack finished for Owen.
"Not what I was going to say-what's a zombie then?"
Jack shook his head, "American term, doesn't matter, it's not good either way."
"Look at their flesh," Tosh pointed out.
Sores and boils, their skin was covered in them, disgusting lesions, oozing hideously in the torchlight.
"It's another plague," Owen said. "Boils and sores."
"And judging by their faces, they don't look too happy about it," Jack said.
"It has begun," Tosh said lowering her head. "The end begins."
"Not quite yet it hasn't," Ianto said, turning back to the display with the slabs, "I'm going to stop this." His focus turned completely to translating the text in front of him as he spoke to himself, ignoring the crowd's cries still lingering from outside, "The two books must have been confused, switched, so if the black book was inside Anubis, then the gold book should be-"
The chant outside continued, even louder than before.
"You want to speed it up a bit, Jones?" Owen called to him. He turned to Jack, "Why don't I go get the car, save us some time while Dr. Jones fannies about?"
Jack pointed out to Owen, "You know there's a horde out there right?"
Owen patted him on the shoulder, even as the horde started throwing themselves against the door, trying to break it open. "No other choice, mate. See you in a jiffy."
"I'll go with him," Tosh offered, which made Jack feel a bit better and Owen certainly didn't object to the beautiful woman's company.
"Let's be off then, good luck gents."
And the two scurried off.
"Here it is!" Ianto suddenly shouted, "The golden book of Amun-Ra is in the statue of Horus."
"Horus," Jack pondered, "which is next to-"
"The statue of Anubis," Dr. Bey answered.
"Hold on, are we talking about the statue of Anubis back in Hamanaptra?" Jack moaned, "You don't mean-"
Ianto gave him a smile, but it was slightly stiff, "We have to go back, we have to go back to Hamanaptra."
With that, the door suddenly burst open as the swarm of infected people plowed through, trampling over each other in their haste to enter.
"I take it back. Anywhere but here sounds swell right about now." Jack said. "Let's motor."
That said, they took off in the direction Owen and Tosh had gone, the cries of the poor plague ridden people following after them.
Owen Harper never fancied himself a coward, but neither would he call himself brave. He prided himself on one thing and one thing only, his resourcefulness. A certain quick-thinking adaptability, no matter how dire the situation.
But as he exited the museum into the parking lot, he found himself facing a situation so dire it challenged even his deep reserve of quick-thinking sufficiency. A group of crazed, drooling people, arms outstretched and skin glistening with boils. They came at him, chanting the same word-that blasted name Imhotep, over and over again.
Seeing Tosh behind him, Owen knew he had to think fast-for both their sakes. He turned halfway to Tosh and murmured, "Follow my lead, yeah?"
Tosh raised a brow as Owen, skidding right to a stop in front of her, thrust his arms out and joined in the chanting.
"Imhotep- Imhotep- Imhotep."
"What on earth are you-?"
"Trust me-" he hissed back. "Best join in too."
Tosh gave him a pointed look, but there was a small amount of amusement he hadn't seen on her usually stoic face as she joined in as well, both pretending to be part of the crowd, repeating the name Imhotep in time with the others. They pretend to be marching forward with the rest, but in fact stayed in place, waiting for the mass to move on without them.
Giddy at his own improvisation, Owen turned and grinned at Tosh who raised a brow but smiled back-and they both took off in the direction of the garage. The Duesenberg was thankfully still sitting there and as Own fired up the engine, Tosh sliding up next to him, he u-turned the convertible and drew up alongside the side door of the museum.
Seconds slid by-which turned to minutes and Owen was getting nervous. Tosh placed a comforting hand on his arm, clenched tight on the wheel. "They'll show, your leader is one resilient man and he seems to care very much for your Mr. Jones. They'll make it."
Just as he saw items begin to fall from the windows above, ancient relics being hurled by the diseased crowd which had finally infiltrated the museum, the door burst open and Jack Harkness, Ianto in tow with the curator and Daniels taking up the rear, all came running at them.
The four men piled in, Ianto, Daniels and Dr. Bey in the back, while Jack hopped in next to Tosh. Owen hit the gas and floored it. Before they could make it very far, Jack noticed a shape in the mirror beside him. It was a man in a red coat-pointing at them, alerting someone of their presence.
Jack turned and looked sharply back, but John was already gone.
The car peeled out and its passengers, primarily Daniels and Ianto, could both feels eyes on them. They turned and saw a dark shadow of a tall, imposing figure appear in one of the shattered second story windows. He reached out as somehow trying to grab them.
A screech, so loud it shook the earth below them, sounded. It was a primordial, horrific yell that seemed to stop every diseased follower for several very long seconds.
"What the hell is he-" Daniels was cut off as, without warning, the crowd grew and swarmed and started racing after them.
"I think he's giving new orders," Ianto said.
The plague had infected the city. Everywhere they turned more followers seemed to be swarming around them. Boils and sores and eyes a blank milky white, they weren't just following. They were ahead, behind, and on all sides of them. The diseased were everywhere.
Owen had long since lost any kind of direction and it was, with a mounting group in front of him, that the car became stuck. With the growing mass in front and behind him, there was nowhere else to go.
"What are you doing?" Jack demanded.
"I-" Owen white gripped the wheel.
"Dammit, plow through 'em!"
Owen hesitated and Jack reached his foot over and punched the pedal. The car leapt forward, ramming into the herd and tossing them aside like bowling pins. The mass of deranged disciples didn't slow one bit and Jack continued to plow through the bodies, using his Webley on anyone who tried to claw their way in. They were greatly outnumbered-the entirety of a city against six people-and they were slowed from the extra weight of the attempted stowaways and somehow in the madness of grabbing hands and the swerving vehicle, Daniels was pulled out of the car.
Ianto was halfway out the car reaching for him, but it was too late. "Jack! They've got him," he shouted. "They've got Daniels!"
Daniels meanwhile, tumbled across the pavement where he landed with a thud. He looked up both frightened and alarmed to see a nearly fully formed face, handsome and regal, regarding him. Imhotep was upon him. Daniels offered the man his jar, hoping maybe a show of good will would save his life. He received a smile, but not the mercy he had so hoped for. Imhotep took the last jar and the rest of Daniels and was whole again.
The vehicle and the group that had just become five, was still trying to plow through the mindless sea of zombies when a blood curdling, hair raising scream interrupted the mindless chanting of the boil-blistered army attacking them. The pause gave Owen the encouragement to hit the gas and he charged through the distracted minions, steering around the corner, in what he hoped would be their freedom. Instead, the vehicle lost traction and headed straight into a stone water fountain, completely immobilizing the convertible.
Yep, Owen could definitely never complain about Jack's driving ever again.
"C'mon! C'mon! Let's go! Let's go!" Jack said and the five of them jumped from the car.
But there was nowhere to go.
They were encircled by the blank eyed, slack jawed faces of Imhotep's followers. They didn't attack the group, but lay ready for the command, torches and weapons just waiting to pounce.
The mob parted as the pounding of two boots walked casually through them. John Hart smirking like a cat that'd just eaten a rather deliciously fat bird. "Well that was a fun little chase, wasn't it? Worthy of any decent Hollywood picture, don't you think?"
"Of all the stupid, idiotic and half-assed things you've ever done-"
"Trust me Jack, this doesn't even come close. You know that," John swept a hand. "This is child's play."
"Jack, what is he-" Ianto asked.
"Don't listen to him, he's insane."
"Only in a good way, I assure you," John winked at Ianto.
Then from behind John came the mummy-turned man, the downright exquisite, perfectly tanned and toned body of Imhotep, the ex-high priest of Egypt.
The man was a sight to behold.
"He's fully regenerated," Dr. Bey said miserably. "He cannot be stopped. We've failed."
"You're a cup half empty sort of chap, aren't you?" Owen commented.
Imhotep was tall and regal as he strode forward, outstretching his hand as he spoke to Ianto in a language Jack couldn't understand.
"He wants you to come with him," John translated.
Imhotep took another step closer, but this time Ianto moved closer to Jack, who quickly pushed the other man behind him.
"Listen pal, I'm all for the whole sexy six pack and open robe thing you've got going on, but this one-he's off limits. Go find yourself another guyto paw at, this one's taken."
The mummy ignored Jack, still reaching for Ianto behind him.
"Koontash dai na."
"Take his hand and he will spare the others," John said. He put a finger to his lip, smirking right at Jack, "Now this is predicament, isn't it? How does that saying go again? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one-something like that."
Ianto gulped, "Any bright ideas?" he asked Jack.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking."
Imhotep stood smugly, arms crossed and proud, looking nothing short of a god.
"Jack-" Ianto's voice took a familiar tone Jack really didn't want to hear right now. "Jack, I think-"
"No," Jack almost shouted back, latching further onto Ianto's sleeve, "We'll think of something."
"Jack," Ianto lightly touched his arm, "Jack, let me go with him. You know where I'll be, you can-"
"Are you bloody mad?" Owen said. "That thing wasn't even human a day ago. He's a bloody reanimated corpse."
"I'm aware Owen, but John's right. I can't let any more innocent people get hurt because of me."
"So is that a yes, eye candy?"
Ianto glared at John, "Yes."
Ianto's blue eyes glistened in the torchlight and he turned back to Jack, till their lips almost touched, as he murmured, "Come find me, Captain Jack Harkness. Because I swear if you let that thing turn me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after." Then he moved the extra inch forward and kissed Jack fully.
The kiss was like the spark to a wildfire.
Now it was Ianto's turn to feel the rush, the strike of lightning hitting him, a jolt up his spine as his eyes snapped open, regarding Jack with the most confused of expressions, "Jack!?"
Jack could have wept for joy; finally there was the recognition in those baby blues he'd needed since this whole thing had started. Unfortunately, Ianto's memory couldn't have returned at a worse moment. There was familiarity in that gaze, but there was also fear as Ianto was pulled by a rather angry looking Imhotep, right out of Jack's grasp. The two immediately disappeared back in the crowd.
Jack lunged forward screaming the younger man's name, but the crowd was too thick and too deep and he couldn't see past them. Ianto and his captor-they were gone.
"I'll take your lovely little trinket now," John reached a hand out to Owen, a revolver in the other, "The box if you will."
Owen glowered, but handed over the golden box.
"You planned this, didn't you?" Jack reared forward grabbing at John, "Didn't you?"
John merely rolled his eyes.
"I'll kill you," Jack spat, "I'll-"
"I don't think so," John placed the gun right at Jack's temple, "I know it won't kill you-not permanently anyway, but it'll slow you down a bit. Your team won't be so lucky, but they're not really my concern, now are they? I tried to help and all you've done is push me away. Now they're going to die because of you-" John pulled the trigger.
He didn't finish his shot as Tosh came at him, throwing John's aim. Jack took the opportunity to disarm John, pointing the gun back at the shorter man. "You were saying?"
"Goddammit," John growled. He threw his hands to the crowd, which had been silent and unmoving till now, "Don't just stand there. Kill them!" He glanced back at Jack with a small smile, "Sorry, boss's orders."
"Bloody monster was lying the whole time. He was going to kill us regardless," Owen snapped.
"That surprises you?" Tosh asked.
Then the horde was upon them.
Tosh spotted the manhole beneath them, "Jack," she motioned to the cover. "Down here."
Jack removed the cover, motioning the small group to jump inside.
"What about Ianto?" Owen asked.
"We'll save him," Jack said. "Now get the hell down there."
Owen went down first. Tosh watched the curator who had brandished his sword to fight the incoming crowd and said. "I should-"
"Get down in the hole, I agree," Jack shoved her down behind Owen. "Come on pops, you're up next."
"Go on!" Dr. Bey yelled at him. "Go save Ianto. Go save us all."
"Doctor, don't play the martyr. Get in the-"
"Go goddammit! Go!" And with that, the man disappeared into the crowd. Jack called his name, but the man didn't respond and the army of followers was too thick to see through. "Dammit." Not wanting the man's sacrifice to be in in vain, Jack jumped down the hole last, giving a silent thanks to the man's bravery.
Now, Jack thought as his feet fell into the sewer sludge below, they needed to fix this mess.
"We have to get him back," Jack said. No if ands or buts, they had to get Ianto back.
"He will take him back to Hamanaptra to perform the ritual," Tosh said.
Owen paused in his wiping sludge from his jacket, "What's that-did you say ritual?"
Jack swallowed, "What kind of ritual are we talking about?"
"The ritual to bring the body of his dead lover back to life."
Owen swallowed, "And how does one do that exactly?"
"By reading the Book of the Dead."
Owen nodded, "Naturally-"
"And then killing your friend."
"Killing-yes right-" Owen's mouth dropped. "Killing!?"
Tosh continued to Jack, "Imhotep is now able to cross the desert with great haste. If we are to save your friend in time we must move, and fast."
Jack nodded, heart racing as he thought of that sick creep touching even one hair on the young Welshman's head. Speed, they needed speed on their side if they were going to stop this monster in time. And what was the fastest way to travel in 1925?
"I know where we have to go. Come on."