4

Jack was thinking about Lisa too. About many things and strangely the crime scene Ianto had created in his dream was also on Jack's mind.

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The scene of Ianto's decimation now empty and dark. Bodies gone but walls and floor like a Pollack canvas. Jack stands in the centre of the room as Owen and Gwen work around him. No one saying anything for the longest time. Can't see their faces.

But their movements are those of annoyance. Not used to not knowing.

"No forced entry. No defensive wounds. Not one of them got their pieces out." Gwen says as she looks around with a frown "Security cameras in the restaurant worked fine. Till 8:02. Then they mysteriously go down for 8 minutes. 8:10 they're back on and these guys are dead."

All those present are silent. All eyes go to one man in particular. Owen asks "What do you want to do?"

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Jack sighed as he fingered the file again, remembering the splatter and that fucking eyeball in the shot glass, so calmly placed on the counter like it was an overgrown olive in there or something.

That case had haunted them … the vicious beauty of it. He had suspected several people of doing it .. I mean .. no one man was capable of such a thing right? Jack sat back and considered more, Ianto arriving at his back door mere days later with those tight trousers and preppy hair. And nice arse … and amazing mouth… well.

It was only now that Jack was seeing that he had judged with the wrong bran, Little Captain had cheered even as Big Captain should have taken a knee for a second to consider the fact one of T1's best archivists has suddenly requested a transfer here mere days after a massive bloodbath had occurred on this side of the border.

Well … how would you know that right? I mean … it had all the hallmarks of a bloods assassin … or Time Agent. Jack had been unnerved with the viciousness of the actions .. had actually scanned for John Hart most of that evening and following day just to reassure himself it had not been the former lover here to gut people like fish. No. Jack was now forming a new opinion on this open file … one he didn't much like but knew deep down was the only one that made sense.

Fuck.

Talk about being played like a bloody violin.

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Toshiko and Ianto walk the stalls as the Twilight Market starts to get into gear, the piece of tat in her hand a steal at just ten bob. It was a weapon of dangerous proportions and once timed in could take out a city block. Thank the gods they had seen it on the table amongst the glassware and figurines.

This is their third time sweeping this place tonight. Every Saturday night … regular as clockwork at nine they pass the Shooting Booth.

"That father and son are back. Trying again." Toshiko whispers to Ianto "Look. Dedication."

Father handing over his last dollar only to get the same result. Takes his kid's hand and about to slink off when... Ianto barks "Give the man a Sponge Bob toy already."

All three heads turn. Ianto standing there, hands in his pockets.

"Guy's been here every Saturday night for two months. Paid for the sponge ten times over." Ianto explains.

"Who are you? The Carnival police? Hit all six targets win the sponge guy." The vendor points to sign "Or can't you read."

And there's that look again. Ianto steps to the counter and drops a dollar bill into the barker's sweaty palm. Turns to the father. "This one's on me."

Lifts the beat up air rifle... adjusts the aim and... BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! All six targets nailed dead centre in milliseconds. The vendor stands there slack-jawed as Ianto reaches over the stall with those long arms and grabs the LARGEST Sponge Bob then hands it to the Father. Kid's eyes like saucers. Places the rifle back into the Vendor.

"Site's six degrees off to the left. I'd fix that if I were you." As he walks off Ianto calls back "And I'll be back to check."

Toshiko giggles softly as she shakes her head. The child whoops for joy.

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Jack tosses the file back on the desk and opens the drawer beside him in his desk, reaching in to pull out a small box that he slowly rotated in his fingers as he considers things, and then he pops it open. The ring box does not contain a diamond … but a chip.

He stares at this small seemingly insignificant piece of petal for a long time before snapping the lid closed and leaning back in his chair to think some more. Then he replaces the box in the desk, sliding the drawer shut so the piece of … whatever the fuck this is… that he pulled from the dead woman's pulp that was her brain is no longer mocking him in the open.

Ianto had gone over her body … he had watched the footage as Ianto wept and carefully poked around in the skull for something, his shoulders dropping when he realised it was gone.

Jack glances at the drawer once more.

What to do. What to do.

Jack pours another drink.

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Well done those of you who recognised a Denzel Washington movie as the inspiration for that fight scene. I looooove Denzel. Sexy. Dangerous. Funnilly enough I watched the second movie first, then found the first one months later. You never know what I might use for inspiration ... or bastardize for a good cause.