11
Ianto stood at the blast doors knowing his team were staring at him. The haircut had been brisk and savage, a short back and sides with a tailored top. The tail was gone, might as well let that go now as he stood without a hat, his head high beside his men.
"We all know our parts to play today… let's get this done" Ianto said softly, into the coms, every person there heard it as he placed his hand on the door "For the glory of the fucking Agency… hoorah!"
They surged out into the heat, running across the dirt surface for the planet skimmers that would ferry them as far as they could towards their fate.
Ianto was ready.
.
.
Jack was still in shock, walking around his apartment numbly, staring at walls as he went over and over those words. He had read the other papers in the file. The ones that spoke of the numbers of the dead, the invaluable lessons learned with the hull integrity and the interesting way the men had died. The Snake had taken responsibility for it, some sort of protest about something that made no sense. They had killed those people for…what… gods. Attention? Then retracted it and condemned the act as Agency lunacy.
He read of Ianto's court marshal for refusing an order, for attacking guards, for threatening treasonous admissions. He had been punished severely with readjustment labour and placement on the Red World. The official papers were pissed. The one single piece of paper where Ianto is listed in amongst an elite team of Ghosts here on this plane to hunt The Snake and infiltrate the underworld in order to do so made the official story make sense now. Ianto had to be seen as a bad man, a vicious and uncontrollable man to be noticed by The Snake… interest him… invite him in. Ianto had to get his men into the pit of a viper if he is to kill it.
That's why he was here, a lowly Captain… his rank reduced and forced to live in a world of fire when everyone knows Meatsticks are born of water. Hell. It is living hell for them here.
Now Jack knew.
Ianto did not kill his brother, he tried to save him.
A ding had Jack walking to the door, opening it with raw hope that was dashed as he found John standing there, not the only person he really needed to talk to right now and he huffed turning away as John's smile slid.
"That's not very nice… a lot of people are happy to see me you know" John said as he entered the apartment and let his eyes roam around "Hell… this is small."
"All they had" Jack sat and opened the file to the folded cornered page "Hey, read this."
John settled and accepted the file, then slapped something into Jack's hand before settling back with a look of glee to read whatever shit this was, leaving Jack to stare with confusion at the gift he had been given.
It was… what… a leather pouch?
Jack turned it around in his hand and the open end …. Bristles? No. Hair?
"Oh shit" John said softly as he got to the interesting part then he looked up with horror as Jack ran his finger over the hair, then sniffed it….. then looked at John as reality set in.
"Johnty? Did you… is this a tail?"
"Oh shit" John repeated as he realised his mistake a little too late, Jacks' face changing from confusion to horror.
Ianto's tail fell from his hand to bounce on the table with a dull thuck.
.
.
Ianto was holding the strap in the ceiling to steady himself as he stood on the side of the skimmer, not wanting to sit as his ribs complained. No. He was ready to go, ready to do this and he knew if he sat he might wince getting up, show weakness.
"Ahead!" someone shouted and in the distance a facility started to become visible in the red dust of the wind swirls.
"Come on people, let's get frosty" Ianto called back and men started to raise their weapons and slap at one another to build the anticipation.
"Sir? Your weapon?"
Ianto turned to find a solder handing him a gun, her face full of concern as she stared up at him. He knew her well, she had stormed with him on many occasions, was a good soldier, a lethal one and he smiled softly he accepted the weapon he would likely never use.
"Thank you … ready?"
"Sir! Yes Sir! Let's light it up!"
Good man" he said to her, fighting to show calm as he looked away.
They were all probably going to die here.
For the Agency's pleasure.
His only comfort is that finally he would be retired from service, finally he had run his course. Here…today… he might die too.
Seemed like a good day for that.
.
.
Owen jumped in his seat as the door slammed open. No mean feat with the hydraulics and he rose with his mouth open to stare as Jack who had stormed in, the look on his face almost….
"Are you hurt?" there was blood on him… Owen saw blood "Jack? Are you hurt?"
"No my blood" Jack replied "I need to speak to Ianto."
"No, you can't … he's already gone to war" Owen shook his head.
"He doesn't have his tail. He… a warrior without his tail is… wait… I have to tell him…"
"He knows that. Whoever attacked him probably did him a favour as now he can die knowing he gave everything he had, everything he was for the fucking Agency." Owen sat back down, lifting the file he had dropped with shock at the sudden entry "You are too late. Tell his body bag tonight."
Jack turned and ran from the room, the door left open as the hydraulics were clearly buggered now.
Owen threw the file on the desk and swore softly, then leaned forward to place his head in his arms.
He was already mourning.
