It was only an hour later and the team was once again gathered in the conference room.
"So Jack what you are saying is they had some sort of force-shield around them, deflected the bullets?"
"Well what does it look like to you Owen" Jack said sarcastically.
It was the fourth time Owen had asked him that question since they had gathered and he was really starting to grate at Jack's already frayed nerves.
Turning his attention to Tosh he asked…
"So Tosh, what did they get?"
"Well Ianto's initial assessment was correct, they seemed to have downloaded the entire archive collection that we have on computer file and they also now have a copy of Ianto's personnel file among some schematics of the Hub and everything we had on Torchwood one."
"So I think it is very safe to assume that David Thomas is very much behind this."
"Seems that way."
Gwen what have you got on CCTV?"
"I'm still going over the data Jack but it looks like they entered through the through the Tourist entrance."
Jack and Ianto looked guiltily at each other, a flush of red creeping up the face of the young man.
Regardless of whether they had locked the office or not, the fact remained they knew exactly how to get into the Hub, that suggested inside knowledge.
He rift alarm sounded at that moment making them all jump, the last few days was setting them all on edge.
Instantly they spilled from the conference room as Toshiko set to work on her PC.
"It's the rift predictor Jack, Weevils, and there is a heap of them downtown, am sending the co-ordinates to your wrist strap."
"Ok, you three with me, Tosh you stay here, be our eyes and ears if need be, in the meantime, I want a sweep of those bugs we found last night, when we get back we'll all get into the CCTV footage from last night."
********************
The SUV packed and ready to go they rode in relative silence to the co-ordinates Tosh had sent through. It was to an old abandoned warehouse in an industrial part of town.
"Jack?"
The com crackled.
"What we looking at here Tosh?"
"Looks like a nest Jack, I'm getting at least 15 if not more all grouped in the warehouse itself."
"Thanks Tosh."
They neared the location and jumped out of the SUV. Ianto moved to the back and opened the back handing out weevil spray and stun guns.
"Ok, Ianto you're with me, we go around the back and you two take the front. Once inside we engage. We're going to try and keep as much of an element of surprise as possible ok?"
The others nodded.
"Let's do it and stick together, if they scatter it will make it much harder to keep control."
Ianto handed him the modified flame thrower, they hadn't trialed it before and it had enough weevil spray to knock out large groups at a time, looks like it would be trialed tonight
Running off with Ianto in tow they quickly made their way to the back entrance. Pausing briefly Jack tapped his com.
"Ok we are in position, on my mark we all go in, silently. One, Two Three..."
Jack slowly turned the handle as Ianto took point and cleared the immediate entrance.
Moving silently inside Ianto held his gun just slightly over his torch, taking in the empty space.
The small rivers of light from the collective torches illuminated the dingy warehouse mixed with the streams of sunlight filtering in from the holes that had been punched through the iron walls and roof.
He felt a tap on his shoulder as Jack directed him to go left as he went right.
Moving around as silently as he could, he could now make out the rising mass of weevils in the middle of the warehouse.
Something about this was off.
Maybe it was a result of his frayed nerves over the last 2 days but he doubted it. He had learned to trust his instincts and this was just too convenient. A group of weevils all in this warehouse sleeping, not bothering anyone so where had the alert come from; if the rift had washed them up normally they would be aggressive, not sleeping as they appeared to be now.
********************
Jack could make out the forms of Gwen and Owen as they approached from the other side. Something about this didn't sit right. He had no time to think on that now as they all got into place. Time to give the order.
"Ok, everyone ready….on three. One, Two Three."
Jack fired the flamethrower as it issued out the sleeping gas to subdue the heap.
The noise alone was enough to waken the mob and they were now most definitely not happy to be woken. There was a roar as Gwen, Owen and Ianto braced themselves as the weevils started to move towards them.
The majority of them where slowed by the gas Jack was still unleashing on them.
Gwen took off for two that were headed in her direction as Owen braced himself and started firing.
Ianto tracked 2 also moving towards him and took care of the first one as it approached, knocking it out with a dose of weevil spray.
Sidestepping the fallen weevil he turned to late to find the second almost on top of him as it took a swipe at him. He canted backwards as he felt the claws graze his skin, gasping at the stinging sensation. He recovered in just enough time to deliver a healthy dose of spray right in the weevils face. Scrambling to his feet he touched his chest and his hand came back bloody, he knew that it was no worse than a graze and there was no time beyond that to explore the extent of the injury as the third weevil descended.
Out of the corner of his eye he felt more than saw Jack fighting off a mob of his own weevils. He ran backwards and pulled a canister of spray, setting it off before throwing it like a grenade in Jack's direction. It had the desired effect and dispersed the mob surrounding him. Jack grinned at him gratefully though the smile did not last long.
"Ianto, LOOK OUT!"
Ianto turned in time to see the weevil descend on him. Instinct took over as he ran from the offending claw further back into the shadows of the warehouse in order to give himself time to pull out the stun gun. He hit the weevil with it, activating the trigger. The beast gave a few shuddering jolts and slumped to the ground. Ianto turned, breathing heavy as he walked back to the others.
The last thing he remembered from that day was answering Jack's voice over the coms to confirm he was ok, that and a grinning man as a white light exploded in his head and everything went black.
tbc