9
Ianto drove to the estates, trying to ignore that pull in the bottom of his gut that always accompanied these visits to his childhood haunt. He stopped near an underpass, getting out of his car and walking confidently towards a group of men huddled around a small bonfire, feeding it what appeared to be bags of something.
"Oi ya fat Heffa" Ianto called out as he came close, the Burberry coat moving around his shanks much as Jack's moved around his ankles.
"Oi Wanka" came a yell of reply.
Instead of seeming upset, Ianto laughed, coming to a stop next to the group "Howsit?"
"Rotten" someone complained "Me sister groused me out to Mama bout the car I pulled the other night. It was mint too. Lovely. She went up the allotment and found it in the shed did a right fucking job on it. I can't even sell it for scrap now."
"Ahhhh feck. She'll do herself a mischief ya know, doing crap like that at her age. Remember the time she got that Bobby's hat and pissed in it?" Ianto laughed and the group all agreed with amusement.
"So. Toto old man. What borings you to the slums in your fancy togs?"
"Ah. Business" Ianto said and the atmosphere changed, men straightening up and more than one reaching for a weapon. Ianto waved his hand "Not that kind ya heathen scum. Nah. Info please. Someone is gathering shit together to make a bomb. I wonder if the ears to the ground hear rumblings, that' all."
"We don't gossip" one said with horror.
"Skidmark. We all call you that because you shit the bed when pissed. Come on. Secrets are never kept around here" Ianto said baldly as the others roared with mirth and Skidmark pulled a face.
"Once. I shit me bed once."
"And my spare one a couple" another man laughed, roaring of laughter now as Skidmark joined in.
"Look … he will be asking for something that is similar ot a toaster but the buttons in on the side not the end … also … no cord. A cordless toaster … I think if memory serves it's a bluish metal. Seen one of those passing hands?"
The men put their heads together and spoke in a strange language as Ianto waited patiently, then he felt the hair on the back of his neck start to curl and he turned to look behind himself, seeing nothing but the shitty, shitty slums. Then he frowned and turned back to the men with a sigh.
"Fucksake" Owen hissed as he yanked Gwen behind the pillar where he was crouched, glancing over as Jack crouched behind another one with equal annoyance "Wanna shout 'yoohoo pet' and wave your arms about too ya silly mare?"
"He didn't see me" she argued, wrenching her arm back "Why the hell are we following him anyway? Any who are those men?"
"Tosh?" Jack said softly, confused by her radio silence and the fact she had seemed unimpressed with his decision to follow Ianto "IDs?"
"Hoodlums." She said bluntly "The fat one … Monty is apparently one of the officers of the local Clan. They call him Animal. The skinny one who looks like a streak of piss is called Skidmark."
"You know all this from just a quick glance?" Jack asked with surprise.
"No. From the files we have here from Swanson that detail the different warring fractions within our borders and the underworld we move around as carefully as possible. The skinny one Ianto is talking to called Skidmark is his cousin." She seemed … angry? Was that anger? From Toshi?
"Ianto came from here?" Gwen asked with shock.
"My mother did. We all come from somewhere Gwen" Ianto's voice was loud in their ears making them all jump with shock, looking to see him striding towards them with a glower that could set fire to a bloody newspaper in someone's hands. "Move before they clock you. For Fucksake!"
"We were not following you" Jack said as Ianto passed by him "We were just on an afternoon stroll while on the clock. Like you!"
"Yes. Of course. You have a cousin you had to meet to discuss the upcoming birthday of your Grandfather. Of course you do" Ianto stopped walking, Jack slamming into him. "We both know you have family here too … only … her birthday is September isn't it?"
Jack again felt the blood draining from his face as Alice was mentioned, her birthday September 10th. What the actual? What was Ianto doing? Why was she doing this? More importantly …how the hell did he now the things he was throwing at Jack like hand grenades, hitting him fair in the balls each time he tried to get closer to him.
Jack reluctantly followed the team back to the SUV that sat parked next to Ianto's.
The man sitting on the hood of it was also not something you would see every day in this area of town. Young, clean cut and immaculate suit that matched Ianto's, the man stood as Ianto came so close to him they almost collided.
"What the fuck Eggsy" Ianto snarled "Not now."
"He's spinning" Eggsy hissed back "Really. Please. You know when he starts doing the one word thing only you can get out of him what it is."
"Brain damage" Ianto said with annoyance "That bullet did more damage than we can ever fix. Sometimes… ah fuck. Later. I will call around later and let him tell me his problem OK? A real agony aunt, I will listen, and then tell him to grow some balls and get on with it. Like he did with me."
"Hello there" Jack smiled as the young man looked at him, looked him up and down then to Jack's shock made a grunting noise before looking back at Ianto with a look that clearly said 'Really? Him?' then the man started to walk away.
"Who was that?" Owen asked.
"Me cousin"
"Got a lot of those" Gwen said as she opened the passenger door and looked back at Ianto "How big is your family?"
"You have no idea" Ianto replied as he walked away from them and hit the button on his keys for the car to unlock "No fucking idea."
No. But Jack was beginning to get an idea alright.
And he didn't like it.
