8

A building-to-building, floor-to-floor, office-to-office search is also being conducted, each structure secured as they go - the searchers paying special attention to potential blind spots such as closets, dumpsters, manholes, sewers, car trunks, trees and shrubbery.

We focus on one of the waves of searchers. Ianto has linked arms in the middle of a row, his disguise still holding up.

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Saxon glances impatiently at his watch. "We'll never find him like this. What time is it?"

Gwen is anticipating the request "It's too early."

"It doesn't matter. Cue the sun."

The sun instantly rises over Torchwood. Cast and Extras shade their eyes from the sudden glare.

While his colleagues monitor the bank of screens, Saxon has been joined by the two anxious studio executives, Moses and Roman. Moses says to Saxon who is still studying the faces in a row of searchers "Rumours are circulating he's dead. The media is in a feeding frenzy. The phone lines are jammed. Every network has a pirated shot of Andy in the closet."

Roman is pacing nervously "The sponsors are threatening to rip up their contracts."

Static "STAND BY" graphic, now accompanied by soothing classical music "Why? We're getting higher ratings for that graphic than any time in the show's history."

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BAR. NIGHT.

The television above the bar carries the test card. Patrons animatedly discuss Ianto's fate over their drinks. Some place bets with each other on Ianto's fate.

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ELECTRONICS STORE. NIGHT.

A Crown of passersby hover around a display of televisions in the window of an electronics store, awaiting developments.

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The fan of extras reaches the harbour and automatically turns to make another sweep. Referring to the empty streets Gwen asks "When we flush him out how do we explain this?"

Deadpan, saxon answers "We tell him the truth."

Gwen looks askance at Saxon.

Saxon is joking darkly "We're making a movie."

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As Ianto bypasses the entrance to a ticket box, he hasn't bargained on coming face to face with another straggler from the search.

ANDY. Ianto freezes in front of his childhood companion - Andy instantly seeing through Ianto's homeless disguise. Ianto glances nervously in the direction of the searchers. Their backs to the two men, they are beginning their next sweep. One shout from Andy will give Ianto away - he is at Andy's mercy.

Without a word, Andy walks past Ianto and rejoins the search.

Ianto glances back to Andy's retreating figure but Andy never looks back.

Ianto reaches the edge of the dock. He looks out over the bay. There, riding at anchor some two hundred yards out, is a sail boat - the same boat that circled Ifan and Ianto's sail boat many years earlier.

We see a close-up of Ianto's terrified eyes in his blackened face, staring down at the lapping water. He steels himself, shuts out the doubts and dives into the water.

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Gwen is still hopeful "I'm sure we'll get him on this next sweep."

Distracted, Saxon mutters "What have we missed?"

"It's just a matter of time." Gwen assures him with confidence.

Saxon concentrates on a monitor displaying a view of the harbour. He swings to Gwen "We're not watching the sea."

Gwen is confused "Why would we…"

"Sweep the harbour."

His colleagues begin to flick through dozens of waterborne hidden camera shots - in moored craft, lighthouses and buoys - trying to locate Ianto.

Suddenly on one of the monitors there appears a single sail etched against the horizon.

"That's got to be him!" Gwen gasps.

"How can he sail?!" Roman demands "He's in insurance!"

"Resume transmission."

Gwen punches a button and the image of the sail boat is instantly transferred to the large ON-AIR monitor.

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The two old women doze against each other on the sofa in front of the TV.

The classical music on the television is abruptly replaced by the sound of the wind and the sea. One Old Lady blinks her eyes open, her breath taken away by the sight of Ianto at the wheel of the sail boat. She rouses her companion.

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staring intently at the ON-AIR monitor Saxon demands "What do we have on that boat?"

Gwen scans a computer shot list. She types in a code. "A camera from the mast of Ianto's sail boat activates. Ianto, unaware of the camera, is concentrating on his sailing.

Ianto's face - only a residue remains. The rags he wears are soaked. As he steers, he occasionally refers to a "HOW TO SAIL" book from his coat pocket.

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The man in the bath we have seen earlier continues to watch from his tub. He mutters to himself "I knew he wasn't dead."

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Ianto is at the wheel of the sail boat, wind filling her sails. Torchwood left far behind, his is the only craft afloat in the harbour. He sets a course for the open sea as he and his father did long ago.

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Saxon and the other Production Staff watch I Ianto from a buoy's POV as he sails by. "Get another boat."

"The ferry." Gwen points out.

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A Production Assistant runs down the dock towards the Ferry Captain and his Crew. "Get that boat out there!"

The Ferry Captain who also played the bus driver "I don't know how. We were just told to put on these clothes."

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The sea choppier now, rising and falling steeply beneath his boat, Ianto nears a large buoy bobbing clumsily in the strong swell. An official-looking sign on the buoy reads - "DANGEROUS WATERS. DO NOT ENTER." We see an extreme close-up of the nautical signpost where a disguised miniature camera tracks Ianto's progress.

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Roman is anxious "How do we stop him?"

"How else?" glancing to Gwen Saxon nods to controls on the mixing desk marked, "WIND" and "RAIN".

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Storm clouds roll towards Ianto's boat at an alarming speed. He looks back towards the Torchwood skyline, rapidly receding behind him. Doubts invade Ianto's head but he shuts them out and steers into the teeth of the storm - a look of resolve in his eyes we have never witnessed before.

He pulls on Jack's coat for comfort and protection.

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Moses and Roman pace at the back of the control room. Saxon is focused on his monitor. Like Ianto, he steels himself for a fight. "Cue music..."

Gwen is hesitant "What music?"

Irritated Saxon snarls "Storm music...Wagner..."

Watching the monitor Gwen mutters "There's no rescue boat in the area. He won't know what to do."

Moses is trying to appeal to Saxon's sense of reason "For God's sake, Sax. The whole world is watching. We can't let him die in front of a live audience.

"He was born in front of a live audience." Saxon replies never taking his eyes from the screen "Don't worry, he's not willing to risk his life. His doubts will turn him back."

Gwen reluctantly winds the controls for "WAVE", "WIND" and "RAIN" towards their maximum settings.

"Kill the lights."

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Darkness suddenly descends. High winds and horizontal driving rain buffet the boat. Ianto fights the tiller. Hurricane force winds shake the mast and keel, ripping the sails to shreds.

Suddenly, the mast of Ianto's boat is struck by a bolt of lightning - snapping the rigging and knocking Ianto overboard. Flailing in the tempest, Ianto manages to grab hold of a trailing rope from the mast and hand-over-hand drags himself back on board. Ianto takes the rope and lashes himself to the wheel.

Monstrous waves continually submerge the boat. With what little is left of his rigging, Ianto continues to head into the gale.

Ianto is shouting above the storm, screaming up to the sky "Come on, is that the best you can do? You're gonna have to kill me!"

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In contrast to his panic-stricken colleagues, Saxon gives an outward appearance of calm. Only we witness the minute bead of sweat appearing at his temple that betrays him.

Gwen is shocked at the sight of Ianto binding himself to the boat "Is he out of his mind?"

Moses yells across to Saxon "On behalf of the studio, I demand that you cease transmission."

Saxon is defiant, roaring to the Operators "Keep running!"

"That's not for you to say." Moses argues.

"I take full responsibility…"

"I'm telling you for the last time." Moses is so close their faces are almost touching now.

Saxon says to the operator in front of a radar-style-screen "How close is he?"

"Very close."

"Capsize him!" Saxon demands with manic glee "Tip him over!"

"For God's sake, Saxon!" Moses cries out.

Gwen is unable to contain herself any longer, entreating Saxon "You can't! He's tied himself to the boat. He'll drown!"

"He doesn't care." Someone says with horror staring at Ianto on the monitor, becoming affected by his display of courage enraged, to the Operator "Do it!"

All eyes turn in Saxon's direction. None of the Operators are willing to touch the controls.

Saxon reaches to the panel and does it himself, turning the "WAVE" controls to their maximum settings.

A series of giant breakers march in formation across the sea - arising from an unseen source.

The waves break across Ianto's vessel. Ianto appears to be losing his fight against the storm, each successive wave taking its toll on his body, sapping his strength, his slumps, the tiller goes loose in his grasp, rocking out of control. Ianto's will is draining away.

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The control room crew watch the heroic image of Ianto on the ON-AIR monitor, awestruck, as if they too are now spectators watching a movie.

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Jack is crouching somewhere, watching it unfold but at a different angle to everyone else.

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As he is about to be overcome by the next wave, Ianto clamps the wheel with his whole body and braces for one last wave.

They do not see the knife that he is holding, cutting at his ropes.

With that huge wave washing over the boat… Ianto Jones is gone.