36

Ianto could hear Jack coming, the thumping of those boots comforting as Jack entered the crime scene and headed for him. More than one tried to stop him and Ianto watched with a detached interest as each officer was thrown off like a flea.

"Christ on a stick" Jack pulled Ianto to him, his fear painful to see in his face as his hands searched Ianto for injury.

"I'm 'K Cariad. I'm fine" Ianto muttered into his chest.

Jack stepped back and rubbed at his face, then went into professional mode, swinging to dress the team working "What have we got?"

Ianto then saw Hart. He was sliding around the wall like a fucking Jackal stalking a dying animal as he watched the man on the floor start to groan and move feebly. Ianto almost wished he had killed him too but they needed answers to this. Hopefully the people Jack had once worked for felt enough loyalty to throw some weight at this now.

John came to stand in front of Ianto, his eyes roaming as Ianto tried to tell himself he was searching for injury, not being a letch as Ianto sat in just the thin t-shirt he covered his torso with, the other clothing peeled away as his ribs got gently examined.

"So" John said calmly "Looks like a bit of a workout here."

"Well, I do like to break a sweat" Ianto snarked, annoyed with the man's face.

John regarded him and Ianto revisited the urge to headbut him, just the way he was sucking his cheeks in like he didn't know everyone in the room would think he was a handsome devil for it made Ianto want to raise his chin and do some Zoolander style walk-off challenge. He felt absurd.

John glanced around again then asked something Ianto did not expect "So … where's your team?"

Ianto blinked slowly. "Team?"

"The Security detail assigned to you. You know … the ones who shadow you at all time with those lovely guns?" John said slowly with sarcastic slowness "Where are the team?"

Ianto didn't answer as it was clear they were reading two different scripts here. Team my arse. Ianto sighed and looked away as John stood. Then John turned on his heel and seemed to let it go, Ianto letting Jack take over the scene as he checked his heart rate and did some more breathing exercises to slow his excited heart.

John's voce rose as he argues and Ianto could now make out words.

"What do you mean, were not assigned. What the fuck!" John roared and Jack looked up from the man he was trying to interrogate to watch with confusion. John then screamed with rage "What was the point of all this if you never assigned the fucking team! Look at this. Still think it's an overreaction? Christ on a Harley, he could have died!"

Jack rose "Wait. There was no one with him? Ianto did all this on his own?"

"HE is capable of violence" Ianto said with annoyance, talking about him like he wasn't even in the fucking room. "I am fully trained in close combat. Clearly something they didn't know."

"No" John agreed "Which showed this is not us. The file on you is impressive Agent Jones. Whoever this is, they have no idea that you are ex green-beret."

Jack looked at Ianto "what?"

"You've seen my file" Ianto frowned "I told you I used to work …"

"Christ, I thought you made coffee, shuffled files and shit …. You were a fully operational operative for T1?" Jack now had the entire room on alert, all watching as Ianto struggled with his temper.

"Yes Jack. Yes, let's tell the entire world that I am an ex-member of Her Majesty's Service. A Green-Beret, her elite squad. Yes. Let's all talk about that secret little society that hides under the tower of London and protects the crown. Yes."

Jack had the grace to look stupid. Ianto had said he worked for a shadow group like him.

"Shit. So … I was right. I thought it was a typo. Red beret maybe but a green? Only a few get picked for that, maybe one a year if that?" John enthused.

"Usually only when there is a sudden vacancy" Ianto deadpanned and John leaned back to study the man.

"You know … you are one cool cat."

"Yes. A Tiger"

Jack came back to life, swinging to his CO, "Well? Still think this is just overreacting now?"

"No, no. I do not know why the team were not assigned, I did authorise it" the man replied with a frown, looking down. "Someone overrode me?"

"That one trying to crawl away, has a tattoo behind his ear, I need to check this wall art here too" Ianto stepped closer to the corpse, ignoring the coroner who squeaked and gave him some respectful room. "Yep. One here too."

Jack and John craned to see "What's that? Hieroglyphs?"

"That is the mark of T1. This was a kill team from the lead house. T1. Where I worked once I was benched from active duty with my knee. Huh. These are my people. I have one of these too."

"He does" Jack nodded "I've seen it in the shower. This is a brand?"

"Yeah. This was not about the cruise at all. This was never about that. Whoever this is, maybe it goes back further than that. I now wonder if the cruise was all it was reported to be. I never thought to check some of those who had better training than the others. Were they plants? Using the hijacking as cover? Lucia not the only one being puppeted here? The offer of the cruise came from the company in my retirement package" Ianto sighed as he turned to Jack and looked him in the eye "I am being Red Filed?"

"Yeah. This was a Kill Team. You are being targeted for a Red File Closure" Jack agreed, the term used for when an ex-operative is no longer useful as a sleeper agent or training instructor and is … well … service terminated.

"OK. That's it. We are out of here" John looked startled by the conversation and swung to leave, scattering those around them.

"And don't bother with that security detail" Ianto said as he calmly walked out with Jack, turning to face the CO "clearly … your people can't handle this."

"Low blow" Jack hissed as the elevator doors closed and Ianto hummed agreement.

Not that it was not true though.

If he was being hunted by his own, only he could possibly know what the hell was a possible attack.

John said nothing as he watched Jack's hands slide around Ianto's waist to cling to him.

Damn.

Invested.