Torchwood Goes Forth
Chapter Thirty One
On the Ark Royal
The alarm was abruptly shut off after ringing out for ten minutes. Executive Officer Thomas walked swiftly from deck to deck, reporting back to the captain on the dead and injured he found on his way. Ordering security to take them all to the sick bay and keep a guard over the injured, he kept moving until he reached the flight deck. Technicians were working on opening the door, the mechanism fused from the other side. Thomas questioned the crewmen standing around and then stepped away for some privacy as he made a further report to the captain.
"Sir, Mr Frame and Agent Johnson made it onto the flight deck. Access is blocked at present but we're working on it. Shots were heard from inside. It's clear that the extra detachment of soldiers was brought on board with the intent of waylaying them for some purpose not shared with us."
"Understood. Mr Seifert denies all knowledge and I'm inclined to believe him. Redouble your efforts to get through that door I'll –"
His voice was drowned by the roar of engines from the flight deck. Thomas clapped his hands over his ears and instinctively ducked, a habit he had not lost after four years of service. The roar intensified then diminished.
"Unauthorised shuttle launch, sir," reported one of the crew.
Thomas joined her at the window, seeing the craft descend towards Earth rotating below. "I wonder who's on board," he murmured.
"Sorry, sir, didn't catch that."
"Nothing, crewman. You men, get that door open!"
-ooOoo-
Cardiff
It was almost time to depart. Gwen came out of the first aid room where she had changed from the smart trouser suit into jeans, leather jacket and boots. Her hair was tied back and she was ready for business. Almost. Opening the secure room, she found her old Glock. Loaded, she secured it in a waist holster and adjusted it until comfortable. Spare magazines went into her pockets. The big guns had already been removed by Jack.
"You're ready then." Rhys was standing in the centre of the workshop. How many times had he seen her armed and ready for action? Too many. "You be careful. 'Cos if anything happens to you I'll kill you."
She smiled. With the secure room locked once more, she walked into his open arms and hugged him tight. "I love you, Rhys Williams. More than you can ever know."
"Then come back to me." His voice broke. "I need you. Danny needs you."
"And I need you both." She pulled back slightly so she could look into his eyes. "I'll be back, safe and sound, you'll see." Her direct gaze dared him to think or say otherwise although both knew the odds were stacked against her promise coming true.
He said nothing. Instead he kissed her fiercely then hugged her once more, aware of the tears in his eyes. "Go on then, better not keep Jack waiting."
"Yeah. See you soon." She left his arms and walked out of the room, shoulders back and head held high not daring to look back. Her nonchalant attitude hid the internal churning of fear, adrenalin-induced excitement and concern for her family.
Everything was as ready as it could be. The van was loaded with oddments of equipment and weapons, seemingly inadequate to counter the threat they were about to face but it was all they had. The Brigadier had already departed, Andy Davidson riding with him, to take up position ready to enter the stadium once it had been cleared. Lois was set up in the boardroom. She had a live video link to the stadium open on the plasma screen and various laptops and other monitors on the table all for different purposes. Piles of papers and CDs stood by in case of need.
Jack left Ilie Roman handcuffed to the van and met Gwen in Reception. "You've kept your figure." His eyes passed admiringly up and down her body encased in the close-fitting jeans and jacket.
"Had to work bloody hard to get this back." She slapped her flat stomach. "We ready?"
"Yep. Rhys not going to say goodbye?"
"We've already done that." Her husband had stayed in the workshop. "Let's go. Lois, good luck." She smiled at the young woman on whom she had come to rely.
"You too. Both of you."
"Remember, Lois, call at precisely 1.30," reminded Jack.
"I will."
Lois watched them stride to the van. Jack released Ilie before thrusting him into the cab between himself and Gwen. And then, with a toot on the horn, they were gone out of the ruined gates. Lois stayed in Reception until the van disappeared from sight wondering if she would see either of them again. Suddenly the reality of working for Torchwood hit her and she slumped against the desk. This was not the same as being dragged into the encounter with the 456. Now she knew all the people involved in trying to stop Semiramis. Real people with real lives and no special powers or secret weapons. They were willing to face extraordinary danger with just their wits and experience to protect and guide them. To risk everything to protect humanity.
The phone rang and she reached back to answer it. "Lois Habiba."
"Hi, Lois. It's Kwame. The hospital's released us and the Archbishops want to get back to London. Are their cars in any state for the trip?"
She had to think hard to recall the morning's events. Rhys had been looking after the vehicles and he had said something about them. What was it? Oh yes. "Two are, the other's badly shot up."
"That's good enough. Any chance of them being brought here?"
Lois laughed. The city was about to receive an alien goddess who intended to enslave the world and Kwame expected Torchwood to offer a car service. "No. If you want them, you'll have to come and get them."
There was a moment's pause; Kwame wasn't used to being refused. "All right. We'll get a couple of cabs and pick them up."
"Fine." Lois put the phone down, sick of the conversation. She stood and went back into the building proper. It was 1.15 and she had an important call to make in just fifteen minutes. After that she intended to call Selwyn and Kevin, and possibly Hiram in America, to check what was happening with them. If she kept busy, she might be able to ignore her own worries for Alonso who had still not made contact. She was lost in these thoughts when Rhys loomed before her. "Oh!"
"Sorry. They gone?"
"Umm." Rhys looked ten years older. "I'm sure Gwen'll be okay."
"'Cos she will," he barked. "Bloke's coming to fix the gate, I'd better be out there to meet him."
"The archbishops are on their way too. To pick up the two cars that are working. Then they'll be going back to London."
"Why doesn't that surprise me! No one's got the guts to stand up to these aliens except Gwen and Jack." He stomped off through Reception and into the forecourt, an unhappy man.
Lois sighed. Rhys was suffering. Perhaps it would have been kinder if he'd been allowed to go with Gwen, at least then he wouldn't have been left to imagine what was happening. She went into the boardroom. If she was quick, there was time to call her mum and tell her that she loved her.
-ooOoo-
Somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean
The shuttle was a UNIT workhorse, one of a fleet used to ferry troops on short hops to hotspots around the world, either from larger personnel carriers or from the Ark Royal. In consequence, it was bulky with a tiny flight deck for'ard and two large cabins aft that could accommodate up to thirty soldiers and their gear. The craft flew well when fully loaded but every pilot complained of the appalling handling when not. The pilot of this shuttle, which contained only two people, was no exception and curses filled the flight deck.
"You're repeating yourself. Either find some new swear words or shut up."
"You should try it. It's impossible to fly this thing!"
"You've done all right so far. Have you found the autopilot yet? I need to dress that wound again."
"It can wait."
"Okay. No skin of my nose if you lose the leg." Agent Johnson sat back in the seat and stared out at the blue skies all around her. She would have enjoyed the flight if it hadn't been for Alonso's constant cursing.
"Always fancied a prosthetic." He wrestled with the controls, thumped the panel and cursed some more.
"Not the ones available here."
He groaned. "I forgot. You people are so backward." He finally gave in and activated the autopilot. "Go on then, do your worst."
Johnson swivelled her seat round and got Alonso to do the same. The bullet had entered his left thigh but missed the major arteries. It was still serious enough to require medical attention but until they got back to Earth she was restricted to the contents of the on-board med kit. She removed the soiled bandage and replaced it with a new one, checking the tourniquet at the same time. Another painkiller might calm him down too.
Alonso watched her, his mind going back over their last few minutes on the Ark Royal. He had been unconscious for less than five minutes and had come round in response to Johnson slapping his face – hard. She had carried him onto the shuttle and through the pain from his leg and the lingering effects of being half-choked by the UNIT sergeant he had managed to launch the shuttle, taking it far out over the northern Atlantic Ocean. No one had come after them and no shots had been fired but they had maintained radio silence anyway. After treatment and a much-needed painkiller, he had begun his tussle with the controls, losing height and trying to get on course for Cardiff.
"How does that feel?" Johnson asked.
"Better, thanks. We should make contact with Jack, he'll be worried." Alonso turned his chair until he was facing forward once more, favouring his left leg.
"I don't think that's a good idea. We don't want to give away our position unnecessarily." She glanced at him. "Where are we anyway?"
"East of Iceland heading south. We're too high to see land, but we'll be over place called Scotland soon." Alonso's grasp of Earth geography was still poor but improving rapidly.
"Cardiff's not far then. Let's wait to make contact." She hoped coaxing would work better than orders or rational argument; he could be very stubborn. "We'll need to find a landing place."
"I've got the perfect spot." He smiled mischievously.
-ooOoo-
Cardiff
The unmarked white transit van was parked illegally in narrow Wood Street, half-on and half-off the pavement, just around the corner from the Millennium Stadium. It was 1.40 and police cars were everywhere, all come in response to Lois's telephoned bomb warning. Some had screeched to a stop near the van but Gwen had pointed to the large red sticker on the windscreen and they had moved on. Perhaps, she thought idly, the old SUV with its flashing lights and yellow Torchwood logo had not been such a ridiculous choice after all.
"That's him seen to," said Jack. He settled behind the steering wheel in a flurry of greatcoat and slammed the door shut. Ilie Roman had been given into the custody of a UNIT lieutenant leaving the Torchwood pair alone for the moment. "Plenty of coppers about."
"Yeah." Another police car approached at speed but saw the sticker and accelerated away. "They're taking it seriously."
"Umm." Jack checked his mobile.
"Anything?" She knew he was worried about Alonso.
"No." He put the mobile away and began drumming his fingers. It had been an hour and half since they had heard from him, more than sufficient time for him to have returned to Cardiff. Jack had held off calling Alonso, the Ark Royal or UNIT HQ in case it mucked up whatever Alonso was doing but the wait was starting to get to him.
She reached out and gently stopped his fingers. "He'll be okay. You said so yourself." His hand was surprisingly soft under hers and her heart flipped for a moment; there was no denying she was still attracted to him. She removed her hand.
Jack twisted round to face her. "Gwen, maybe you should sit this one out. You've got a family and –"
"No way, Harkness. This is my show. But thanks all the same."
"Okay."
He held her gaze for several moments and saw she was resolved to carry on. He wasn't sure why he had made the offer except that he did not want her to go the way all the others had gone. All his friends and colleagues, dead before their time. Death would claim her eventually but he wanted her to enjoy a long life first. For her part, Gwen was moved by the offer. Jack had changed far more than she had realised since the loss of Toshiko, Owen, Ianto and Steven. And Alice, she added. His daughter was not dead but it was unlikely they would ever meet again. He was more human, more vulnerable now and she had to swallow down the lump in her throat.
Jack was the first to look away. He turned up the radio, tuned into the police channels, and concentrated on the messages. "Can you make sense of these?"
"They've cleared the offices and are checking the stands. Soon be time for us to take over."
"You sure? Sounds like gobbledegook to me. Or Welsh," he added with a smile.
"It's perfectly clear if you concentrate. I'll give it another few minutes, don't want them thinking we were waiting for it."
Jack nodded and reached for the flyer on the dashboard. Lois had supplied the brochure about the Millennium Stadium which contained a seating plan. Jack studied it closely.
Gwen watched in growing amusement. "You've really never been in there, have you?"
"Nope."
"You helped design it but never went inside? You are unbelievable, Jack."
He shrugged. "They built it the right size, realigned it north/south and put in the roof. I can see all that from the outside."
Her laughter filled the cab.
-ooOoo-
Across the city, Rhys was trying not to worry about Gwen and failing. The security contractors had arrived and he spent more time than needed supervising them as they began to install the new gates. His hovering presence had become so oppressive the foreman requested coffee just to get rid of him. Leaving the kitchen, Rhys carried the tray carefully, stopping in the boardroom to give a mug to Lois.
"Here you are, love. Sorry I was bit short earlier." He placed the mug within reach on the cluttered table.
"Thanks. There's no need to apologise, we're all under pressure."
He noticed the plasma screen. "They're in then." The images were taken from the Stadium's own CCTV and scrolled from one to the next automatically unless overridden manually. An exterior shot showed UNIT personnel carriers and soldiers, an interior view caught the back of Jack and Gwen as they strode through the tunnels to the field. Both had large guns across their bodies and Jack was towing a trolley with equipment on it. Rhys sighed with frustration. "I'll take these to the blokes outside."
"Okay."
No sooner had he left the room than he was back, still holding the tray. "Couple of taxis just arrived. You want to see these archbishops?"
"Suppose I'd better." She didn't have anything else to do at that moment and, like Rhys, was finding the waiting irksome.
They both went out of the building. Rhys went straight to the contractors while Lois strolled over to meet the newcomers who were exiting the taxis. The sound of an aircraft, noticeable once she was outside, grew louder and she looked up. Cardiff Airport was more than ten miles away and aircraft rarely flew over the city and certainly not low enough to be heard. She was therefore surprised to see a flying object – it did not resemble any aeroplane she had ever seen – seemingly coming straight for her. She froze, many thoughts flashing through her mind. Had the portal opened early? Had Jack got the coordinates wrong and sent it here? Suddenly she was grabbed round the waist and propelled backwards towards the building.
A number of things happened at once. The flying object sent out various jets from the thrusters and continued to descend. It was obviously intending to land. The archbishops with their drivers and aides scrambled into the two working vehicles and sped out of the compound closely followed by the taxis. Rhys and the contractors crouched behind the work van. Lois and Kwame Olongo reached the shelter of the doorway. All was noise and confusion as the object landed in a sea of fumes and gases, its nose less than half a metre from the front of the building and with only slightly more clearance at the sides and rear. No one moved. As the air began to clear, a door in the side of the vehicle opened.
Rhys looked up fearfully, wishing he had not watched all those bad 1950s sci-fi movies. What was going to come out? Something with two heads? A heavily armed warrior? A robot? It really could be anything. When the black-clad figure of Agent Johnson appeared he started to laugh.
Lois, huddled in the doorway looked up the vertical front of the black vehicle that blotted out everything else. Movement at a window a couple of metres above caught her attention. A hand was waving and next to it was the grinning face of Alonso Frame. All the tension left her body. She fell back against Kwame and burst out laughing.