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The phone call was brief but to the point, his breath short and his tone … scared. In the time she had come to know this man who had picked her up at the bar and rekindled heir childhood romance she had never seen him alarmed. Not even that night someone tried to mug them and he had deftly turned rabid, almost killing the man before clicking back to apologise for the blood on her shoes.
No, this was something else.
Allison drove like a thing possessed, the van large and bulky but what he had asked for and she hoped her boss was too preoccupied with the world events to notice that she had pinched one without signing it out through the proper channels. God, she didn't even have her log book with her. She came to the place he had asked her to and found hell waiting.
Ianto Jones, the one they called Toto was leaning against a building, looking like death warmed up. His jacket was gone his waistcoat flapping open and she wondered what was all over him then saw it was blood. His cuffs were stained red, almost black up to his elbows as he stood with his arms loosely swinging. Then Kris was there at her window "Sweets. Thank Christ. Back up to the truck love."
She expertly manoeuvred her van to the truck that was clearly a T1 delivery truck. It also looked like death warmed up too with entire chunks gone from the sides of it and as she got out of the van and walked around she could see that the front was stoved in "Shit. What did you do? Drive through a brick wall?"
"Only way out" Ianto said in a low tone, straightening up to move to help things. They moved a large table on the trolley, covered with sheets and Ianto's jacket.
"Is that a body?"
"That's Lisa" Ianto sighed "Please Alli. Please."
"Shit" she moved to help with the other pieces of equipment and the two men had a quiet conversation then Ianto nodded and got in the back, Kris closing the doors on him. Kris then got a small bundle from the floor in the front passenger foot well of the truck, carrying it to the van and his gentle handling had her wondering what he had.
They got in and she drove, glancing over at Kris who was tucking her jacket from the back around the bundle "what's happening?"
"Hell. Hell came calling and we barely got out" Kris swallowed, then looked around the van "Did you sign this out?"
"No, I fucking stole it and I need to get it back before they notice it gone."
"Did anyone see you take it?"
She frowned at him "No. I used the side entrance, no cameras. What are you asking that for?"
"Toto needs to keep it. Sorry love, please?" Kris said softly.
"Kristofer, what the hell?"
"Baby, I promise I will never ask anything like this of you again. "
"You had better not" she snarled "Next time it had better be the end of the fucking world or something."
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"Hey babe"
"Kris? Baby, do you know what time it is? I have the long haul job at midnight" Allison yawned as she reached for her watch that had been next to the phone.
"Alli, remember how you said it has to be the end of the world before I ask anything of you again?" he asked "Look out the window and then go to the lock box under the floorboards for the gun."
She rose and looked out.
Hell was back.
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"I had the long haul truck parked outside the house, luckily a fenced yard so when it all went to shit I had time to focus. It was on dusk, the night a bad time to move about as we now know especially in the beginning when they were all fresh. We gathered people as we went, lost people … you know how it goes" Allison said, then accepted a top-up "I started to worry that we were just putting off the inevitable. The entire world should just be set on fire."
"And now?" a little one asked that startled her.
"Now I see that you have to walk through flames to find the Promised Land" she smiled as she lifted the little boy into her lap. "And why are you here Mister Pippity Pop? You snuck past us!"
Pip lit up as she said the magic name and laughed, clapping his hands.
"That's his name. Pippity Pop. Cos he used to be Poppy" a little girl explained happily "His real name is Afon. But he's really a pip."
"Is that right" Allison laughed "You know … you are a good pip! I see that. Now … what is that you are cuddling?"
"A pup."
"Oh?" she smiled then watched the little boy move his arms to reveal the predi-pup, her breath catching as she stared at the strange creature. "What the hell is that?"
"A Predator's pet. They are a hybrid creation with doggie in them" The little girl by her chair explained "I'm Rosie. I'm Daddy's little pearl."
"Oh how sweet, your Daddy calls you that?" she crooned "And who is your Daddy?"
"Jack" Martha snorted "This is the one he had."
"He had?"
More laughter started as they explained to her that the rabbit hole she was still sliding down was large enough for a wolf.
Even Oz was not this good.