The next twelve hour were like one long nightmare for Jack. He wanted to go after White Coat and get the Doctor back.
But Gwen was in agony, the antidote was as painful, if not worse than the toxin. Martha was still out of it and he had to tend to Ianto.
"How the hell did he get past the security?" he spoke out loud as he dressed Ianto's nose.
"He's a smart man, it was only a matter of time before someone who was smart enough would figure it out," Ianto said and winced when Jack applied pressure to his broken nose.
Jack smoothed the last piece of tape and sat back, all the energy suddenly draining from him.
"What do I do Yan? You should have heard the Doctor. He was begging me, begging me Yan. Begging me to stop that bastard taking him, and I couldn't. Now he's god knows where, having good knows what done to him."
Ianto put a hand on Jack's face. "There was nothing you could do. All we can do is pick up the pieces and wait for White Coat to make his next move. We have to focus on here and now, there's Gwen and Martha to think about."
Jack sighed. "Yeah, but the waiting is going to kill me."
He looked in the mirror at his reflection, taking in the fine features and dark eyes that now shone with something not good.
He straightened his tie glad that they'd managed to find the suit he wanted and wandered out of the bathroom and out into the rooms that were now his.
There was something missing, what was it? Ah yes, that was it, one Ianto Jones. That was something he would have to talk about with his new boss. He needed a plaything for the nights ahead.
He walked out of the living area and straight into a corridor with plain white walls and a door at each end.
He hurried along it, anxious not to be late; well not for his first day's work anyway.
The door banged against the wall as he pushed through it, but no-one paid attention to him. They knew better than to make eye contact with the boss's enforcer: not if you wanted to breathe.
He passed the workers, who he knew were deliberately not looking at him. He took a vague interest in what they were doing. It was simple stuff compared to what he could, given free rein.
He sighed and waited patiently for the lift to arrive.
White Coat looked round from his work as the door opened. He relaxed when he saw it was his property.
He took nothing for granted however and had kept a tight leash on his volatile and unpredictable possession; but he would have to let him out to play eventually.
"So boss, what's occurring?"
White Coat sighed, he hadn't managed to teach his property manners the first time or the second, and he very much doubted he would ever.
"Don't you ever knock?"
"Nah, lose the element of surprise," he sniffed and hoisted himself onto a spare workbench. "So, what's on?"
White Coat left his work and walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled out a single file.
"I want you to steal this," he said and handed his property the file. "Get off the work surface."
His property rolled his eyes and jumped off the bench and looked at the file. "It's just a rifle. I can make you a better one than that?"
"Look closer."
His property looked again and his eyes widened. "That looks like... it's a pulse rifle! A little crude, but it's a pulse rifle. What are humans doing with a pulse rifle?"
"I think you'll find that after the fall of Torchwood One, there are a lot of things humans shouldn't have. I digress however. I want you to steal it because I have a buyer who will pay handsomely for it."
His property looked again at the file. "I take you want me to use my little toy. That should be fun. I do like to see boffins run."
"Quite," White Coat said. "Now listen, I don't want you to show off. Just steal the rifle and come back. Do that and you can have a couple of hours to yourself."
His property smiled and White Coat really didn't want to know what he was thinking.
Jack and Ianto took turns in looking after Gwen and Martha and monitoring all the news and security channels.
Jack was sure that both the Doctor or White Coat would resurface, and he was right.
He was checking Gwen's vital when Ianto called out.
He ran up the stairs
"Jack, Global Tech in Switzerland is being raided, it's still in progress."
Jack ran to the storage area and was back in seconds with the rift manipulator that Tosh had built to track the Doctor.
"Co-ordinates!" he barked at Ianto, who reeled them off at speed.
Jack shouldered an assault rifle and a syringe full of Serum Five.
"Be careful Jack," Ianto said and turned back to the screen when Jack disappeared.
Everywhere it was chaos, smoke and heat adding to the mix. He'd tried to be subtle, he really had, but he just couldn't.
At least the pulse rifle worked he thought as he loosed another volley above the fleeing scientists. He really was amazed at how fast they could run.
He laughed when a chunk of plaster just missed a scientist. He was about to fire off another volley when he felt it.
How could that be...someone beside himself had a rift manipulator...who?
Then it came to him, only one person could have it...Harkness!
With a snarl, he forgot about his orders from White Coat. There was only one thing on his mind; finishing something started a long time ago.
He moved in the opposite direction to the fleeing scientists, discarding the pulse rifle for now.
He was going to kill Harkness with his bare hands.
Jack still couldn't get used to being spat out by what was essentially a rift and he landed awkwardly.
Smoke and heat assailed him as he righted himself and the shouts of panic filled his ears...this was bad and could only mean one thing.
The one thing Jack really didn't want. He shook himself mentally; what had to be done had to be done.
He shifted the rifle and felt for the syringe in his pocket and moved off and into chaos.
The smoke was thicker in this corridor and not so easy to see through as Jack made his way slowly forward.
Every sense was high alert...he was here, somewhere, he could even be watching him. He filtered out the shouts of the staff as they tried to escape.
He stopped when he thought he heard...no, it couldn't be; that sounded like a pulse rifle.
Then he heard a laugh that was chillingly familiar.
He froze when the pulse rifle fell silent and somehow he knew why.
The Doctor stopped and sniffed the air. He drew in the smell of the smoke and the stink of fear coming of the fleeing people and one particular scent.
A feral snarl escaped his lips...time to go hunting.
He disappeared into the thickening smoke, murder on his mind.
He'd only gone a few feet when he sensed him. He wanted to charge at him, but he held himself and began stalking him like a lion would its prey.
Jack made his way slowly up the corridor. It was getting hard to see and breathe in the smoke; he had to find the Doctor soon.
He peered into the thickening smoke, hoping to see a shape, but there was only the swirling smoke.
He moved forward and his hackles rose...he wasn't alone. He knew what he was about to do probably wouldn't work, but he had to try.
"I know you're out there, so why don't you show yourself!" he called.
He really wasn't expecting an answer and certainly not one so close.
"Now that would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?"
"I'm not really one for surprises," Jack replied.
"That's a shame," the reply came, it was much closer now.
Jack tensed, he could sense the attack was coming and when it did it was violent.
He managed to roll with the force of the Doctor sudden attack, knowing he was no match for the Time Lord's superior strength.
He used the momentum to get on top of the Doctor and tried to hold him down with one hand whilst grabbing the syringe.
The Doctor must have seen it, even in the smoke and with a snarl wrenched it from Jack's hand and it skittered away into the smoke.
Jack grabbed the Doctor's arm, twisted it and pushed down until his own arm was pressing against the Doctor's throat.
"Stop this Doctor!" he grunted and put more pressure on his arm.
The Doctor grunted in pain and tried to twist away and growled in frustration when he found he couldn't. He now regretted waiting and not using a blitz attack.
He'd made the mistake of underestimating Jack Harkness and in his arrogance was now in serious danger of being outwitted.
Time to stop playing and finish this.
With a snarl he sank his teeth into Harkness' arm, tasting blood as he bit down with every intention of ripping flesh. Harkness wanted a fight then he would get it.
He got the expected results as Harkness hissed in pain and the pressure from his throat was gone.
With a surge of adrenalin fuelled rage he heaved Harkness away and went on the attack.
Jack let out hiss of pain when the Doctor bit into his arm and his concentration wavered and he lost his hold on the Doctor's arm.
He bit back a yell of pain when he was slammed into the wall and tensed, ready for a full on attack.
But it didn't come, the Doctor was hesitating and then Jack heard why...the police.
The Doctor glared at Jack, eyes glittering with a very clear message...later Harkness.
He disappeared into the smoke, alarms and sirens filling his place.
Jack exhaled a frustrated breath...so close but it had turned into a disaster. When he'd seen the madness in the Doctor's eyes he knew his Doctor was gone.
White Coat looked up at the sound of rift closing; his property was back. He was annoyed because his orders had been ignored.
He was ready with rebuke on his lips when his property nearly took the hinges of the door as he entered and slammed the pulse rifle on a work surface.
"What did I say before...?" White Coat trailed off as he took notice of the look on his property's face and the blood around his mouth...something had clearly happened.
"Harkness happened," his property snarled.
White Coat knew he had to calm his property. "Calm yourself, we shall deal with Captain Harkness in due course. Perhaps you should find something or someone to take your mind of it."
"Oh I intend to," his property growled.
Ianto hurried across the supermarket car park, trying to keep a low profile. He'd contacted UNIT and explained the situation, but it would take a while for it to filter down to the rank and file.
He'd parked the SUV in the furthest corner and was now hurrying back with supplies. He dumped the bags in the boot and was about to get in the car, when his world turned to sparks.
Dazed by what must have been a blow to the head he tried to fend off his assailant, but they were too strong.
He found himself spun round and facing of all people, the Doctor.
But it didn't fill him with joy; the look in those eyes bode nothing but pain.
"Hello pretty boy, did you miss me?"
