65
Jack was annoying Connor as only Jack can. The fire engine had been backed out to wash and polish, the second one still in the firehouse and Jack wanted to back it out next to the other one despite Connor repeatedly telling him that one was still being refitted after an exercise the day before.
Finally Jack accepted that it was like that and wandered over to watch the brass polish in the sunlight "Con? Do you think we need to get more equipment? I can't help but think we are woefully inadequate there. Where's Carl?"
Connor straightened up and looked at Jack with surprise "Jack… Ianto got us more a couple of months back."
"What?"
"Yeah, when he started the madness with our lockdown… we had stuff arriving for the station too, I didn't think to say anything because I thought you knew. I helped Carl inventory it all in. Besides, you've just used some on the exercise" Connor laughed, Jack swinging to stare back at the stuff neatly lined up on the floor at the back of the engine room for cleaning and replacing.
"I thought those air tanks were shiny" Jack said, then laughed "That is SO Ianto. Buys A Grade equipment to help keep us safe while we protect the village from a goddamned napalm drop or something and does not think to tell us?"
"Well, some of it's top of the line. Must have impacted your pocket, Jarred said it didn't come from the town budget. First thing Carl did was call him over. See these? These are better fire shelters than we had, these ones here pop up as you shake them out so you can roll in them in a more fluid movement, they will not just cover you but you can form an airtight seal so if a fire flashes over and you get trapped you have a better chance of survival rolled in one of these in a ditch, let the fire run over you. You will cook a bit but I had read the stats… some have survived with these. If the bitch runs fast… you have a chance."
"Ianto reads all the stats… on everything. Like a fucking sponge for stats. Huh. We practiced with these yet?" Jack picked one up and examined it, "seems heavier than the other ones we had."
"Yeah… these ones have more to them. You're right… maybe I will do an afternoon where we test some of the new stuff, Ianto got enough for us to survive a bloody nuclear blast" Carl laughed as he walked over to join them "you know… for a little volunteer fire service, we have some bloody fancy shit. I know some other places are a little jelly when they come for a nose and see the tech too."
"That's Ianto. Just wants us all safe to smother his own damned self. When Ton wanted to join so he could fight alongside me I knew Ianto was dying inside a little at the thought of both of us out there" Jack smiled softly as he and his friends read some of the pamphlets that came with all the gear in the boxes still stacked up.
Jack did wonder though… how much did all this cost?