46

Kev un-straps his Kevlar vest and lets it fall to the ground. His entire body is covered with bite shaped marks. The bruises are already turning an ugly yellow colour. "I feel like lunch."

"How many Zs were there, how many Ratoid?" Abner demands as he checks Kev over, his hands gentle.

"The one woman who turned. No sign of Archie" Jack swallows at the thought of encountering him as a Z and Ianto nods to show he doesn't savour that idea either.

"The Rat things were Z too. So … three of them? One got Kitty, another came from the side and got Kev … then another joined in. I don't know, that's all I saw" Billy says as he watches Liam and Sean check one another.

"I shot about twelve" Jack supplied … he and Ianto wondering how many were in the holding pens to begin with.

"Wait a minute" Ianto muttered as he tried to check the holding numbers "If they are this level … what pushed them up here? They like the basement levels in ships right? To be this high … something down there spooked them."

"Great. The basement." Jack slumped "Now we will find one of Ripley's fucking Xenomorph or something."

Everyone stares at him for a few beats, then he looks up and waves a hand "Kidding. Kidding. Honest. Not real!"

The relief is raw.

"Maybe not the time for jokes" Ianto pats Jack's arm.

"OK, Sit Rep!" Kev barks and one by one they sound off. All accounted for, no bites and all raring to go. Just all safeties are off now.

"I gotta pee" Kitty suddenly says making everyone jump then snort with nervous laughter.

"Down there, as I recall there is a bathroom in there" Ianto points and Jack glances at him again. One she has pushed the doors and gone in Jack turned to Ianto.

"On a schematic of the place?"

"No"

"You've been here?" Jack is surprised. Maybe they should have talked about this, he did not think Ianto had been here but now knows he had. OF course he had. Archie always called him the 'Boy' and he only nicknamed people he likes. "With Yvonne?"

"Yeah. She hated talking to him, he deliberately made his accent more broad so she would get pissed." Ianto nods and Jack finds himself ginning affectionately at the thought.

"Old dog"

.

.

.

.

Two doors, like a submarine an outer and inner. Kitty closes them both.

Kitty is sighing with relief as she clears the room then goes to the nearest stall and sits, relieving her poor bladder.

"Christ" she mutters to herself "At least I didn't shit myself."

Then she hears it. A sharp clicking sound. Nails on a cement floor. In the shadows, a dark shape moving.

A low demonic growl. It's one of Archie's attack dogs from the surface. She had missed it under a sink bench. The Doberman advances into a shaft of light. But this is like no dog we've ever seen before. Its eyes are glazed. Its flesh decaying. Undead doggie. Z-dog? Kitty has a random thought that he sounds like a rap artist.

The Doberman charges and Kitty does the only sensible thing. She runs. The Z-dog leaps at her, all teeth and claws. Kitty dodges and dives into one of the stalls for protection. She slams the stall door in the hellhound's face.

Trapped.

SNAP!

CRASH! The inner door bursts open.

"Frank?"

Frank is busy. A Ratoid heard the commotion and is there, even as the team outside realise there is a problem and Dean yells as they try to open the door to the bathroom.

.

.

..

"IANTO!"

"Sealed. Some sort of locking mechanism" Ianto says with horror "What the fuck!"

.

.

.

The Ratoid lunges for Frank, but he is lightning fast, as though someone else had taken possession of his body. He weaves through his arm, lifts the sidearm from his holster and drills a bullet through his forehead.

Kitty gapes as Frank looks at the gun with interest, then turns and offers it to her.

"Uh … thanks Frankie" she says softly. "You Bad Arse Motherfucker you."

Frank grunts as he tears the door hinges off, Ianto pushing from the outside to open them. Dean grabs for Frank, kissing him and holding him tightly.

Kitty wishes Freddie were here ….ah…not.

"Come on, we have to keep moving" Jack says as he glances into the room and grimaces "Is that … Dobby the Dobberman?"

"Cariad… moving" Ianto reminds him and they all move forward. The team advances through the gloom. Every shadow hides a potential horror. They stop at a four way junction.

"I know I may have said it before but … damn this dude loves Resident Evil" Kev mutters, "This is soooo lifelike. This place is a labyrinth"

"I hope not. Every good labyrinth has a monster at its heart" Randy finally speaks.

"Good one" Mickey snorts "A quote from the goddamn movie. Just what we need."

"Come on people" Jack warns over his shoulder "Keep it frosty!"

"Quiet!" Ianto suddenly halts. Senses something up ahead. "There's something moving behind that door."

Kev and Jack take position beside the door. Ianto gets ready to kick it in.

"On three" he says softly. "One….."

Trigger fingers are itchy "Two….."

THE DOOR BURSTS OPEN! To reveal ... "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It's us."

It's hard to tell who's more shocked. Jack and Ianto, or Archie and the others with him.

Both groups lower their guns.

From behind Archie walks a woman dressed in red. She smiles at Ianto.

"Ianto Jones?" she asks in a soft Irish lit "Is that you?"

Ianto blinks with confusion as the scent wafts off her.

He takes a step back.

This was to be his intended mate?