23
They moved in the shelter of the roadside ditches and drainage systems, heading across fields and then as they were crossing a road Ianto stopped, swinging to stare with shock at what he saw.
People.
They were moving along the edge of the road, in the ditch so they were not easily visible but his advanced eyesight saw them as if it was day. As did Jack.
They were covered in ash, broken and almost ready to drop where they stumbled, one finally looking up at the two men who stood in the moonlight regarding them silently. She gasped "Oh my god."
"Hi" Jack asked as he moved towards them "Come on, you looking for the village?"
"Who are you?" another demanded.
"We are form the village" Jack replied.
"So are we and we sure as hell don't know you!" the man spat as he came up out of the ditch to confront them "How the hell did you find it?"
"Hey... we are not the enemy here, we are from the village. We arrived there a few days ago, running from the Grey Men, just like you!" Jack was more forceful now as he looked over the people, watching Ianto stalk slowly along the ditch counting them. "You can go on if ya like and we will let you be but you need to cross over because the village is that way… things look different in the dark, landmarks disappear."
"Jack, there are kids here. Can we do this back at the village?" Ianto finally asked gently and his welsh tones seemed to relax them more, encouraging them out of the ditch as he added "we really are from the village. Ralf will vouch for us."
"We were at the stock sales, things went to shit and a group of us ran." The angry man said, deflating a little "I am Thane. We tried to get as many of us as we could find but it was a big area and we were all scattered about. I don't know how many… we think about thirty or so we didn't' manage to scoop up."
"Mathew came back the night before it all happened, no others until you I am afraid" Ianto informed them and some made soft noises of sorrow.
They stated to walk towards their home and Ianto reached out to relieve a woman of the small child she was struggling to carry, easily placing the child on his hip as they walked along together. She asked "Where did you run from?"
"London" he replied "Well… half way between London and Cardiff. I was staying at a motel on the highway so… I was lucky. Luckier than Londoners."
"So it is true" she said, turning to one behind her "It did go up."
"What did you mean? Grey Men?" someone called out, moving to get closer to Ianto and Jack "These ships, the explosions, did we nuke them or something?"
What?" Jack asked with confusion.
"The ash… did we nuke the bastards?"
"No. They are creating the ash" Ianto said as he got their question "They are snatching up humans... incinerating them and dumping the ash from their bodies like huge crematoriums in the sky."
Several people near him stopped walking to stare at him then one said in a small voice "we have human remains on us!"
"I am sorry… we are not sure of much except that they clearly want all the humans they can find." Ianto said as they started to walk again and it was another half hour before the village came into view.
Thane stopped leading and turned to look back at the two men "What the hell is that all over the fence?"
"Sandbags, to make it harder for them. They can't climb" Jack answered calmly "best not get any closer until we call to as there are also armed guards patrolling to protect the village within."
Jack whistled softly, three times and someone stood up, the rifle now held up in the air instead of at them. "Who is it?"
"Jack, we have people with us" Jack called back.
"friendlies?"
"Not a Grey piece of skin in sight" Jack replied and a light came on to reveal a villager who peered out, turning the torch on them "Holy fuck. Thane? Thank god!"
.
.
"I might never get over the smell of that" a woman said freshly showered and sitting with a towel still around her head "Oh god, the ash…"
"What were you doing out there?" Thane asked.
"Heading for the village over that way… wanting to check if there were any survivors there" Ianto replied.
"That is at least half the night away… they are a reclusive bunch in there… anyway and then what?" Thane demanded rising from his chair "We have enough supplies for is, enough room for us… we don't need others coming and taking our spots, our food."
"Hang on a minute!" Rhys bellowed with anger "We are here to help, we have worked our arses off to make this place safe and secure, we do our fair share of the fucking work and…."
"Easy Rhys" Jack patted Rhys on the chest "It's OK. Everyone is tired and frazzled. Tomorrow it will all seem clearer."
People started to move as Thane stood still eyeballing Ianto, as if Jack had not spoken and Ianto knew this one would be a problem. Sooner or later they would come to blows... and Thane would learn the hard way that not every man can take a knee.
Not all are just men.