14

"There were four of them… three you got and the one Suzie found. We have swept the remaining vents and there is no sign of any others, we also counted the weapons and the survival gear they had… we are confident there were only four that made it on board" Toshiko reported as she watched Owen tend to John's thigh. "Owen?"

"John has a flesh wound and Ianto has a hard fucking head" Owen muttered as he worked "Oh yeah… and Suzie broke a nail."

"It was a good nail… almost the longest ever" she sighed holding out her hand.

"What was going on this time!" Gwen demanded as she stormed into the room "We are sick of being told to.. oh my god. Who shot him!"

She swung to stare at Ianto who was still unloading a gun. She took a deep breath and went to scream at him but Ianto to beat her to it "I suggest you belay that next comment or I will shoot you next. I am rather annoyed today."

Silence.

Then Owen started to giggle softly as he lowered his head to rest against John, the wounded man laughing openly as he pointed at Ianto "that sounded so… mad."

"Maybe I am mad…quite insane… I am ex-militarial and I am the one with the gun" Ianto said, then he glared at Gwen "So… fuck off now pet."

Gwen's mouth opened then closed and Daisy who had settled in the corner of the sofa with the baby Geril and the Kat started to smother her laughter in into the Kat's fur. Gwen turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Go after her" Ianto said as he closed the weapon and armed it "She is about to tell them goddess knows what shit."

"Fuck" Suzie rose and walked out with a gun against her thigh as she called back over her shoulder, "He's right. I might have to shoot her."

"No fair" Ianto sighed "Why do girls have all the fun?"

By the time Suzie had returned John was on his feet and eating messily at the table that still his boot prints on it. Ianto was on the sofa with the kat cuddling him as the Geril slept in Daisy's arms, her face full of love for the little monster.

"I don't know about anyone else but I am done" Jack finally said as he sat back in his chair, looking up at John who was absently licking his fingers "I am ready for bed. I was wondering, should we have a night watch? Just in case some other madness develops somewhere?"

"Can't hurt" John agreed "I will sort some sort of roster to swap out every few hours, make sure they all get sleep then and stay frosty"

"I like that idea too" Ianto yawned as he motioned the little ones "Maybe you two need to have the smaller pod, the kicking claws are not great for me."

"Well… my pod is large enough for two and I sleep like the dead" Jack said then he blinked as he seemed surprised at himself. "I won't wriggle too much."

"You sleep naked."

"So?"

Ianto smiled softly as he shook his head then whispered "such a horn dog."

"Woof" Jack panted and everyone laughed.

"Not until we are in a space port and safe, everyone seen to and a lock on the door. Then… maybe then… I will fuck you into the mattress and leave you for dead… until then… undies at least!" Ianto said as he waltzed form the room leaving Jack's mouth gaping open with shock.

"I really like him" John said to no one on particular, "got spunk."

"A keeper" Owen agreed "have I not been saying so?"

.

.

Ianto was investigating the body of one of the stowaways, checking pockets as Jack slid along the wall to watch, interested in the manner of Ianto's thought processes. This man moved like a military man, talked like a civvy but there was something else… something in the way his mind worked that was so dammed intriguing.

"I grew up on Old Earth" Ianto said as he rose, "In the gutter with the other little Hoodlums. Militarial services were a case of do this or go to prison for a few years… same difference but I would rather die killing something that sitting in a little cell so… that is how I got my stripes."

"Stripes" Jack said then realized Ianto knew he was chewing on him. He was explaining to help Jack move on from the indecision. Trusting him.

"Yeah… I was a lieutenant" Ianto turned to face Jack, the two of them finally alone on this vessel. "I know how to fly these things… not well and not gracefully but I did my fair share of tank warfare to know which way to ram something. I was part of the Wolverines."

"Ahhhhh…." It all made sense now as Jack's face lit up, his grin enormous as he heard the name for the elite mercenaries sent in for extractions and kill missions. He knew it well… had been part of a brother group called the Jackals. Where he first met John.

"Anything else you feel you should tell me?"

"Yes" Ianto turned to look down at the bodies "These men are from our side of the paddock. One has the Agency tattoo on his arm to mark him as infantry. Let's check the others. These are not pirates. This was an extraction gone wrong."

"Bullshit" Jack said as he knelt to check and saw that Ianto was right, the large A in a circle like an anarchy sign was pure Agency. He should know, one sat on his own forearm as a form of ownership, like a fucking brand given to elite teams. "Fuck."

"Yeah… the real question now is… who were they after?"

"No… the secondary team sent in if the first one fails.. the sweepers sent to blow the fucking thing to smithereens if there is a failure to extract" Jack said with growing horror "That is our real problem."

Ianto rose then tapped his leg "Fives. They move in fives. My team was always five… yours?"

Both men now knowing the real threat was that they could only account for four.

Somewhere on board… somewhere there was still a mercenary loose hunting someone. Mission still active.

But who?