Getting Even
Chapter Ten
Finding the information Gwen wanted took just a few minutes. Ianto kept both screens open on the relevant records and opened the comms. "Gwen, I have that information."
"Go ahead."
"Press reports are wrong about the original incident. The policeman is okay, it was a civilian who was killed. Mike Hughes."
"So I see. And Wallswell?"
Ianto frowned. What did Gwen mean? Shaking his head, he went to the other screen. "In 1982 he was a sniper. After landing in Cathays, the Horde was channelled into High Street and Westgate Street where the main Torchwood force was waiting for them. Wallswell was up on a roof."
"Anything about precisely where?"
"No, sorry. Only that he enjoyed the killing too much. That was why Karen Wriggler finally got rid of him."
"Okay, thanks. How's Jack?"
"The same."
There was silence before Gwen said, "Have to go."
"She's concerned for you, sir," said Ianto. He wiped Jack's chin again. "Got a real soft spot for you, she has. In love with you, I reckon. Surprised you never did anything about it. Not like you to hold back."
Ianto knew all about Jack's casual sexual encounters. There had been many in the past but none since his return. Now Jack looked and commented but didn't touch. Or he had got better at hiding, conceded Ianto. Somehow it wouldn't have mattered even if he had been obvious about it. Ianto was only concerned about relationships that had a deeper meaning, like with The Doctor or Gwen.
"I'm glad you didn't though, sir. That would have been a bit too close to home." Watching Jack he realised their gazes were locked again, and stayed that way for a minute or two before Jack's head twitched and his gaze moved on. "Are you trying to communicate, Jack? Are you coming out of this?" he asked urgently. Holding Jack's head still, Ianto tried to make eye contact again.
-ooOoo-
"Come on then, how'd it happen?" asked Gwen.
"It was Hughes. He pushed me down and got hit instead. I just got this." An unusually sombre Andy Davidson held up a splinted wrist. "Broke it when I went down."
"Always said you were a lucky sod." She reached out and hugged him fiercely. "I thought you were dead. That's what they're saying on the radio."
He held her for as long as he dared. "They're putting out a correction."
Standing back, she said, "You ought to go home. Get some rest." As well as the injured wrist, Andy's face and hands were bruised and scraped where they had made contact with the pavement.
"A good man died saving my life. I'm not going home," he said bluntly.
"No, I suppose you're not. Just stay out of the way, you've given me enough grief already today."
"Why, Gwen? Why is he shooting people? You must know something or you wouldn't be here." He followed her as she headed back to the SUV.
"I'm here because he's got hold of advanced weapons."
"How? He's a lorry driver for Christ's sake!"
Gwen turned to face him. "He's ex-Army and –"
"That was donkey's years ago. Why now? And why start shooting people? It doesn't make sense, Gwen. Unless it's some of your spooky-dos. Is that it?" He could tell from her expression that he was close to the truth. "It is."
"Go home, Andy." She strode off to the SUV where Toshiko was waving at her.
"I'm getting something from the helicopter images," she said, ignoring Gwen's scowl. "There's a –"
She broke off as loud automatic machine gun fire clattered from overhead. Both women ducked and Andy, who had followed Gwen, threw himself behind the bulk of the vehicle beside her. Two loud explosions and they pressed further into the vehicle; Wallswell was using grenades now. More firing for what seemed like a long time but was actually only a minute and a half. Gwen eased past Andy to the front wing and peered up, Glock in hand. A shot from here would probably not reach the roofs but there was a chance. The sun was in her eyes and she squinted against the glare. Damn. Why couldn't it be wet and cold like a normal spring? A dark object arced down and landed near the police van exploding on landing. The nearest police officer flew backwards and lay still. Andy tried to push past but she held him back. No one would survive out there until the firing stopped. Once assured Andy was staying put, she looked up once again. She still couldn't make out anything until a human outline appeared for a fraction of a second. She fired twice, the sound of her shots drowned by automatic fire from five metres away. Roberts had seen the same outline.
All gunfire ceased. The figure teetered on the edge and then slowly toppled forward and fell twenty metres to the ground. Everything was still for a long minute, only the sound of the helicopter's rotors high above filling the silence. Then Roberts started walking carefully forward, gun trained on the body. Two of his men flanked him, weapons trained on the roofs. After a moment, Gwen rose and followed them, aware of Andy on her heels. Nearing the body, she faltered. It wasn't big enough to be Wallswell; this man was slimmer and younger. The clothes and the hair were familiar …
"That's not him," said Andy. "It's not Wallswell but … I've seen him before. He was at –" He stared at Gwen as he remembered a wet night and a murdered man.
"It's Owen." She sank to her knees beside the body.
-ooOoo-
Making coffee absorbed all Ianto's attention. He went through the familiar routine but it was as if it was the first time had had ever done it. His hands moved automatically and he watched, amazed they knew what to do. When the stream of liquid had filled the mug, he took it and put it to his lips. It was hot, too hot, but he sipped anyway, the slight pain a welcome distraction from the bigger one.
Owen was dead.
Ianto's knees gave way and he sank into a chair. He had never been close to Owen, put off by his sarky tongue and prickly exterior, until one night when Jack had been away a month or so. They had been in the Hub, just the two of them, and Owen started talking to himself, or so Ianto had thought. Owen had spoken of Katie Russell, his fiancée who had been killed by an alien brain parasite, and their love, their plans for the future and how he had felt when that had all been destroyed. The monologue had gone on for a while and Ianto had been unable to stop listening or to move away. It explained so much about Owen. He felt about Katie as Ianto felt about Lisa Hallett and, at that time, Jack. Ianto would always remember how Owen had ended, words spoken just before he left for the night.
"I'm through with what might have been. From now on I'm grabbing life and hanging on because it's going to be a hell of ride."
The two men had never spoken about that night and Ianto couldn't be sure if Owen had spoken aloud to encourage him to forget and to move forward. Perhaps. Or perhaps he had forgotten Ianto was even in the Hub, it was quite possible. One night he locked everything down and Ianto had been stuck in the archives until Toshiko arrived the next day. But that could have been deliberate, Owen liked … had liked practical jokes. Whatever Owen had intended, his words had helped Ianto survive Jack's absence and not be a pushover when he returned. Remembering his coffee, Ianto took a sip. Whatever Owen had intended, Ianto decided he was going to follow Owen's example. Life was to be lived however long, or short, it turned out to be.
-ooOoo-
The images and scans from the helicopter were assisting Toshiko locate John Wallswell. They were in a different format to her own but the difficulties thrown up kept her busy and were an excuse not to look out of the vehicle. She didn't need and certainly didn't want to be involved in moving the body. Let Gwen argue about that. With an irritated swipe of her hand, Toshiko wiped her eyes. Tears wouldn't bring Owen back but she couldn't stop crying just the same.
Leaving the scan to run, she turned to other matters. First the police reports. The woman constable Gwen had helped rescue had died on her way to hospital making the number of dead five – so far. Six if she included Owen. She thumped the keyboard and the whole housing juddered and creaked. What had he been doing on the roof? Why hadn't he kept back from the edge? Why, why, why? She found tissues and wiped her eyes and nose. It wasn't fair! Just when he had begun to drop his prickly outer shell and reveal the man beneath, he had been cut down. With a shake of the head, she resolutely damped down her grief. There was work to be done.
-ooOoo-
They had dragged Owen to shelter. The paramedic went through the motions of checking his vitals but all those watching knew it was unnecessary, especially Gwen. His chest and abdomen were riddled with bullets and his eyes were open and staring at the sky. Many emotions were churning within Gwen but primarily guilt that one of her bullets might have caused his death.
"He's dead," confirmed the paramedic. He gestured for his partner and together they transferred Owen to a stretcher. "Do you have an ID?"
"Owen Harper." Gwen's voice was flat but full of supressed tears.
"Okay. We'll take him now."
This penetrated Gwen's fog and her head snapped up. "What? No, you're not taking him. We'll deal with it."
"Gwen, don't be daft," said Andy. "He's got to go to –"
"I said no! Bring him over by here." She stomped to the SUV and opened the boot. It was full of equipment and, as always, a few body bags were folded neatly by the Weevil spray. She flung one at the paramedics. "Put him in this."
"This is highly irregular," one of them complained. He looked around for someone to override the hysterical woman and was relieved to see DCI Hewitt approaching.
"What's going on here? Get this man to the ambulance," he ordered.
"NO!" Gwen shouted loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. "He stays with us."
Toshiko slipped out of the vehicle and came round to stand by Gwen. "That's right. You have no authority over us." Privately, she hated the idea of taking Owen back to the Hub but he deserved their best care even in death.
Hewitt had more important matters on his mind. The operation was turning into a shambles, he had a number of dead officers and the gunman was still on the loose. If these mad women wanted the body he couldn't be bothered to argue. They were Torchwood after all. "Take it then."
"Get your people out of here," said Gwen. She should have taken over before, she realised. Jack would have. He'd have cleared the police out and dealt with Wallswell alone and there would have been none of this bloodshed. Even after a year or more, she still hadn't abandoned her police training and people had died as a result. No more. "Set up a perimeter two streets away on all sides and don't let anyone in. We'll deal with this."
Hewitt stared at her. "Just the two of you?" he scoffed.
"Yes, the two of us. Now, get moving. You have one minute. And lose the helicopter." The images from above had not helped so far and she didn't want anyone watching what they were doing.
She turned her back on Hewitt and watched as Owen was manhandled into the body bag. She was touched to see Andy helping despite his bad wrist and had to swallow back tears as Toshiko gently held Owen's head. They had all lost a friend today but now was not the time to mourn. It was time to end this.
"Ianto, still there?"
"Yes."
"I've sent the police packing. They're getting in the way. Tosh and I are taking over, like we should have done at the start. I'll need you to pick up the scans and talk us in. Can you do that?"
"Yes. You be careful."
"Always. We'll be bringing Owen back with us, he'll need …"
"I'll get everything ready."
"Thanks." She closed the comms feeling stronger. At moments like these, Ianto's calm professionalism was what she needed to see her through.
The body bag had been placed on the backseat of the SUV in as seemly a way as possible. Toshiko was at the boot getting out the large weapons when Gwen joined her. They did not speak. Both knew what to do and were prepared.
All around them police officers were pulling back. DCI Hewitt had considered his options and decided this was the one most likely to save his career. If the operation became Torchwood's responsibility, they could take the blame for the losses so far and whatever else might occur. Roberts had protested and been overruled. He and Hewitt, still arguing, were walking to the new command post when there was an almighty blast from the parallel High Street. Hewitt rapped out immediate orders for his people not to respond. It appeared he had handed over responsibility at exactly the right time.
"Energy weapon discharged a hundred metres to your north-east," came over the comms.
"We heard it." Gwen slung the shoulder strap over her back. "On our way."
Phew, Andy's okay. But Owen's dead instead! Will Gwen and Tosh be able to take down Wallswell on their own? More coming very soon ...