12

The alarms sounded early in the morning, shaking everyone out of bed… well those not already on duty or the Devil Himself who seemed to be always suited and booted for action. Ianto ran for the Command Center and found Toshiko there along with Stu and Ferocity, one of the younger recruits that had enough Silurian in them to be a little… scary to the newcomer.

"I don't understand it" Toshiko said as she turned to address her boss "It's giving off readings in the Sink Sector, it's random signs of something. I don't know. Did a herd of Goffilos run into Sink Pit after something, were chased? The sensors always glitch out over there, it's so bloody wild."

Ianto was watching the screen as the satellite swung over, zooming in and then he cursed softly.

It was a vessel.

Fucktards in a small puddle jumper had tried to land and chosen perhaps the worst place to put anything of weight. In the Sink Holes. Ianto cursed again as Justice entered, saw the image and swung on her heel so smartly that John slammed into her and they both toppled and staggered then righted themselves as she gave him the glare of death.

"Sound the general alarms" Ianto said like he had not just seen that moment of stupid. It was John Hart after all "We have infiltrators in trouble."

"Why not just leave them? They will never get to alive, in three to four hours it will be all over John said once he was sure his pride was still hanging on by a thread.

"What would it say about us to let them die so slowly, horribly… when we can save at last some of them?" Jack argued as he stood butting up his tunic while letting his eyes run over the images popping up "Fuck a sherlim, they are going down fast. Those already jumping in might be forfeit already."

Ianto agreed, turning to smile "At least you are not benched anymore Cariad. Justice?"

She gave him a murderous look as her bottom lip started to move out into a pout that had John doing a double take "What? Jussy? What does he mean?"

"I do believe I just benched her" Ianto said jauntily as he started to move towards the weapons laid along the sides of the walls at waist height. I know, oh my god the kids could reach them… of course they can. They can use them too. Don't forget to whom you gasp.

John blinked, then let out a whoop as he lifted her into the air and she squawked, then slapped the heels of her hands to his ears making him scream and drop to his knees, releasing her to land on her feet like a cat.

"Do not fucking do that again!" she roared.

Jack looked over and blinked, turning to Ianto "She is a lot of woman, that one."

"Tell John, he still has a lot to learn" Ianto replied sagely, snapping a clip in before holstering the chosen weapon in his hand.

Soon they were powering along at top speed, intent on finding their prey… ah… rescue site. Sorry, getting excited. Like the idiot hanging off the side of the Hover screaming with glee as her Taddy went at top speed for a change, his foot to the metal. Amilie loves speed.

They arrived to find the ship still sinking but those onboard had learnt from their shipmate's mistakes and not jumped in. Signs of struggle suggests a few were already gone to the depths to suffocate done there, horrible way to die.

Jack was off Hover and running, Amilie keeping pace as they skidded to the edge to peer down at the sand that seemed to convulse, almost breath as it undiluted before settling at land level once more.

"Fuck" Rhys said as he came to stop next to him.

"It's trying to swallow them whole?" Amilie asked with wonder.

"Looks that way. Fucking worms" Jack replied, turning to watch Ianto calmly walk the printer of the hole with several others, dropping coloured pieces of glass around the edge to show where the edges of the monster's mouth was. They don't like glass. Will not eat it or move beyond the circle being created.

This was also their focal point for the rescue. Anyone as the glass circle will live. Anyone not landing outside of it… gone to the Sinker.

Not many know of these large worms, larger than a vessel and capable of swallowing someone like a tic-tac. They are never seen fully, as much as John has begged to hunt one, pull it topside and examine it… Owen concurred and argued alongside him for that… all they know is that they move fast, find a target in the sand and eat the fucker.

"Tiger… is that a large enough perimeter?"

"The ship is too large for it to shake, it will not move now it's seated in position to swallow" Ianto called over the vast area of movement "All we can do is hope it does not loose patience and spit it out all together. Goddess alone knows where it will land and how much hull damage that will create, as inside will become little bullets inside it."

"Shake and bake" Amilie muttered as she crouched by the glass and picked up a stone, flicking it four meters in. they watched the feelers snatch it, dragging it don as one of the worms' hundreds of tongues felt the vibration in the sand.

"Long" she finally side "This one must be huge. Old and wary. It will know us."

"Huckleberry" John said with sudden affection "Awww… Huckleberry, is that you old man? Did you ever spit out my Hover?"

"Let's focus here, we have a rescue mission to complete, grabarsing later" Ianto roared as he saw someone trying to motion them from the cockpit of the small vessel.

Let's save that one. He looks to be the one in change" Jack said with an uppity voice "Then we can strip him masked and feed him to Huckleberry like a fucking morsel."

Everyone laughed nervously as they prepared to do something that they knew none of them really wanted to.

They prepared to piss off Huckleberry Worm.