Chapter Eleven
The team convened around the large glass table in the Conference Room. A large plasma screen played out a vivid screen saver on the wall. Jack looked tired, all things considered, it had been one hell of a day.
"Owen, what the hell's going on?" he asked
"Estelle's suffering from erratic and unpredictable emotional episodes"
Jack did not look pleased at his reply "Oh you think?"
Toshiko glanced nervously between Owen and Jack "Owen and I ran the readings from inside the cell through the Molecular Bioscanner and what we found was … well … interesting" She stood up and activated the remote control. The images from her computer burst into life onto the large screen. The team watched in silence for a few minutes.
"Whoa, what the hell is that?" exclaimed Gwen
"It looks like two, possibly three separate energy patterns running through Estelle's head … all at the same time." Toshiko explained
"But now watch –" Owen interjected " … there – see?" He pointed at the screen as Toshiko paused the film. "They completely disappear – leaving just hers –" Owen turned to Jack " precisely at the point she recognises you"
"Meaning?" enquired Jack
"Well, either she's suddenly developed a multiple personality disorder or she's being temporarily taken over by 'entity-stroke-entities unknown'"
"She's being possessed?" asked Ianto as he sat down at the table
"She's being possessed" Owen confirmed, leaning back in his chair.
"Oh happy days!" The room fell silent for a moment. Ianto turned to Jack "So ... that wasn't her ... down there in the vaults ... just now .. .?" he asked him quietly
Jack smiled a little and shook his head "No, sorry Ianto!"
"That explains a lot ... " He sighed disappointedly
"Well, technically it is still her" interrupted Owen, having overheard them "– it's her voice; her memories; her mind - but it's as though there's other people's minds in there as well"
"Great ... because that makes me feel so much better" sighed Ianto to himself
Jack sat bolt upright with a sudden look of horror and realisation.
"Maybe there are … "
"Eh?" asked Owen, sincerely hoping that everyone else was as confused by that comment as he was.
"We've been looking at this all wrong!
"What?" Gwen asked, clearly as confused as Owen, which made him feel slightly better.
"They're Telepaths – like her!" Jack explained "And they've already got what they came for …" The room remained silent, waiting for Jack to elaborate on his recent epiphany. "Her!" He exclaimed!
At that point, all the pieces of the jigsaw fell into place in Ianto's mind too "That's why they drugged her – so she wouldn't see them!"
Gwen followed suit "That's why she said she couldn't read them!"
"She would've known!" Toshiko proclaimed " – she would've felt them!"
"Exactly!" Jack confirmed "They hid themselves from her. Where better to hide from someone than in their own psyche. When they drugged her they must have implanted a trigger in her mind - any mention of anything they're remotely interested in and - BANG! Her mind opens to theirs - they filter in and take over! Then when they've got what they want, they leave, and she knows nothing about it."
"That would certainly account for the recurrent transic episodes" remarked Owen.
Jack nodded "Her minds' trying to be in two places at once. They're controlling her; trying to provoke us into giving her information; using our emotions to get close to us."
Owen shook his head "Oh, that's just sneaky!"
"But what do we do about it?" asked Gwen
Jack just looked at her, deep in thought for a moment,
"I don't know"
"Ok, that's scary!" she replied nervously
"My guess is they're after information regarding us and the Rift." Jack continued "OK look, we'll play this by ear, see what they want. But – she can't know. It would alert them. It would put her – and us – in danger."
Ianto frowned and turned to Jack "You mean we use her as bait?"
"Jack you can't!" Gwen protested and turned to the others for support
"She can handle it." Jack reassured her "She'll be fine."
Toshiko sided with Gwen "But she's not fine Jack ... You've just seen the footage!"
"I'm sorry, but if she knows - they know that we know" Jack indicated to the Team that his decision was final. Estelle was his responsibility, and he had to get her out of this one piece. One by one the team got up to leave
"Oh, and be careful!" Jack warned "She can be..." he looked sideways at Ianto witha sly smile "quite persuasive!"
As the team vacated the Conference Room, Ianto and Jack descended the stairs alone. Unable to withstand his conscience any longer, Ianto stopped and stood awkwardly for a moment, trying desperately to find the right words to say to Jack that wouldn't be the cause of him getting his face pummelled to a pulp.
"Sir, I just wanted to say … I'm sorry ... I don't know what came over me. Nothing happened I swear to you!"
"It's OK Ianto" He laid his hand on Ianto's shoulder "She can have that effect on people, and she's not exactly herself right now."
Suddenly a loud scream emanated around The Hub. Before they had time to react, Gwen's voice came screaming across the Comms
"Jack! Owen! It's Estelle – she's been shot!"
Gwen's voice continued, this time resounding over the Hub's tannoy system
"This is a code four incursion – HUB LOCK DOWN!"
- T – T – T -
It was at times like this that Owen wished he had spent more time in the gym. Now, of course it was too late. Now that he was technically dead. He was still facing up to the realisation that he would never be any fitter, any stronger, any older, than he was now. The 'not getting older' part of this deal was alright, he could handle that, but the other elements of it were taking a little time to get used to .
"What the hell's going on?" He panted, trying to catch his breath as Jack fumbled hurriedly in his pockets for the cell keys whilst trying to run at the same time.
"I have no idea, but we're in lockdown, whoever did this can't escape"
As Jack and Ianto approached the cell, they were confronted by Estelle curled up in to a ball, on the floor, screaming and writhing in agony. Ianto placed his arm protectively in front of Jack as he opened the door,
"Careful sir" he warned "it could be another trick!"
"I can't take that chance Ianto" He opened the door and he and Owen stepped cautiously inside, whilst Ianto remained in the doorway blocking her escape, just in case.
"What happened?" Jack asked Estelle, bending down to help Owen examine her
"He shot me!" She screamed
"What? Who did... ?"
Owen pulled frantically at Estelle's clothing trying to find an entry wound, or an exit wound, or indeed, anything. Estelle fought him out of sheer panic.
"I can't see anything! "Owen shouted out of utter frustration "Where does it hurt Estelle .. WHERE?"
"He was wearing a suit" She anxiously continued searching her own body for evidence of what had just happened, but found nothing. In the absence of any injury, of any blood and any hint of pain, she reasoned that she could not have shot at all. But how? But she was so certain of it. She had seen it.
"There's nothing here. No wound, nothing. What the hell's going on Jack?" Gasped Owen exasperated. Estelle looked desperately between them.
"There was somebody here –"
Owen sat back on his heels and looked up at Jack as he activated his Comms device.
"Toshiko – scan The Hub for intruders, just in case"
"There was a man. In a suit. I swear! He was speaking to me, he wanted ... he said ... I can't remem ...
"Who was it Estelle?" Jack asked her softly "Did you recognise him?" He looked sideways at Owen "Was it the man from the photos?"
"I ... I don't know ... it's gone. I can't remember ... What's happening to me Jack?"
"Estelle, I want you to wait in here. We're going to see if we can find this man. We'll be back in a minute" Jack got up from the floor of the cell and headed towards the door.
- T – T – T –
Owen, Ianto and Jack searched the immediate vicinity of the The Hub, but found nothing. As Jack made his way back to the main work area, he found Gwen. He called out to her,
"Did you see anyone? What happened Gwen?"
"I don't know. I didn't see it ... exactly" She said quietly.
"Then how did you know?" It was only as he got closer to her that he noticed that she was trembling slightly and that she had been crying. Jack became concerned instantly "Gwen, what's wrong?"
She continued to stare blankly at the CCTV monitor in front of her. "I felt it. She was in my head, and I saw into hers." She blinked as the tears rolled down her pale cheeks, she looked Jack dead in the eye "You've got to help her Jack! She's so lost! So confused ... she's desperate ...in fact ... she's ..." Gwen took a sudden sharp intake of breath and grabbed hold of Jack "Oh my God! Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?"
Jack turned to Toshiko, who seeing the state of Gwen, instantly checked Estelle's whereabouts on The Hub's internal tracking system. "It looks like she's down in the tunnels underneath the East Entrance."
"Find her Jack! NOW!" Gwen cried.
- T – T – T -