"Captain Jack Harkness, now what would you be doing in a place like this?"
Jack had spun around to come face to face with the woman who was training her gun steadily right between his eyes.
"Ah you know, the scenery, good company, gives a man a place to think"
Jack was eyeing her warily knowing he had one chance to convince this woman to help him.
"Really Captain, I thought you were more of a rooftop kinda guy."
So she had been watching for longer than Ianto or he realized….
"If you know so much about me you know why I am here."
Jack still kept eye contact on her as she moved the aim of her gun squarely over his heart. From reading her file he knew she was deadly accurate and he did not need another setback right now.
"Sorry Captain. You have me at a disadvantage here, Now my finger is getting a little impatient and you need to answer my question. What are you doing here?"
"I need your help?"
Her eyes narrowed considering Jack for a moment.
"Something's happened hasn't it? Where's Ianto?"
Jack detected a slight panic in her voice. Good he thought, I can use that.
As he spoke the words caught in his throat.
"He's missing, I think Thomas has him."
The gun faltered as she took in the news but she regained her composure as she spoke,
"What exactly do you think I can do about that?"
"I think you can do plenty, I think you can help me find him."
"Listen, I did my bit Captain. I gave you the warning if you were to stubborn and arrogant not to pay heed to it and get him the hell out of Cardiff then that is not my problem."
She turned to walk off, holstering the gun under her jacket as she went. Jack rushed after her and held her by the arms as she struggled to get away,Jack held her tighter against him.
"Let go of me"
Jack held her tighter still and turned her to face him. Desperately he whispered.
"Please, I have to find him and you're the only one I know who might be able to help."
Jack felt hope as he saw tears forming in her eyes to match his own.
He decided to press his luck just a little further.
"You where close once, you used to call him 'little brother' now I know you still care for him or you wouldn't have left the warning."
Jack let one hand go, relieved when she stayed put as he reached up and turned the locket she wore around her neck over and recited the inscription.
"To my big sister, Happy 30th, may you have all you deserve and more. Love your little Brother Yan xox"
He let go of the locket and her as she took a step back, placing her own hand over the locket she held it tightly, closing her eyes as tears threatened to fall.
"Dammit, how could you let him get caught?"
"It was a trap"
She opened her eyes and was surprised to find moisture behind Jack's stormy blue.
"I should have seen it coming, I should have protected him, I failed him and now I have to put it right."
There was desperation in his eyes and in his voice that was hard to ignore, she knew that look, she had worn that same look once upon a time.
There was no question, she knew that and she would help him, maybe it was the firepower against Thomas that she was looking for.
"I can find him Jack, but I need something from you too…..you have to make me a promise."
"Anything." Jack answered, a little too quickly, desperate for any leverage he could get to bring his lover back.
"I get Thomas."
Jack hesitated, staring back at her, he didn't answer as he contemplated her request.
Sensing his trepidation at her request she walked him to the edge of the arbor pointing out across the plots to where Jack knew her own lover lay.
"That is all I have left Captain, and the reason he is lying there has Ianto and I guarantee you it is for no goodly reason. That is my terms, take it or leave it. I get to kill David Thomas and you get Ianto back. Do we have a deal?"
Searching the woman's eyes he found them as closed as Ianto's. An icy cold stare shone out of her eyes, determination reflected in the green.
Jack understood a little about payback and retribution and at this point he didn't care if he killed Thomas or she did as long as he had Ianto back.
Nodding he replied,
"Deal"
He held out his hand and she shook it, sealing the deal.
Jack made to leave the arbor to make his way back to the car. He stopped as he realized she wasn't following. Turning around he saw her walking towards the shrine of her partner.
He watched as she stopped at the foot of the grave, her head bowed he saw her lips move uttering a prayer he could scarcely hear then she made her way back to the arbor where Jack was waiting.
"I'm sorry"
She looked at Jack, eyeing him critically until she sighed.
"We go by my place first; there is something I need to show you, something I need to get. Thomas has insisted on dragging you into this, you may as well know what it is all about."
Jack nodded as he lead her out of the cemetery and back to the car he had left in the car park and for the first time in 24 hours he felt things were going his way.
tbc