2 Day five 11.50am

Ianto slammed the bat down again and again until it splintered, a piece flying up for Jack to catch with a deft flick of his wrist before it hit Toshiko who was still cowering on the floor of the room. Ianto panted as he dropped the broken handle of the bat, then he knelt and pulled Toshiko into his arms as he whispered apologises for his anger.

"Did it get out?" Jack asked, anger in his tone "Did you connect to anyone? Anything?"

"There was a moment … we thought we had a signal but it slipped away" Kerri said with open fear, still plastered to the wall as she looked at the two angry men "We almost had it. Faint voices, like ghosts."

"The ghost in the machine" Jack replied, "Fucking idiots! Fucking, stupid…. Jesus Christ. Do you think it was strong enough for a ping?"

Ianto looked up from Toshiko with a silent shrug.

"Tiger? Do you think …"

"I do not know…. Perhaps. But all they would know is that someone was still here … not our location. The signal would have had to be strong and maintained for several minutes for them to trace it back to here" Ianto rose, leaving Toshiko on the floor as he rubbed his hands on his sides, slowing his upset at his loss of control "We might have raised a flag though."

'Damn it Tosh! I was worried about Gwen doing something stupid. You here you are … trying to alert the enemy to our continued existence!" Jack spluttered.

"I didn't… I mean … we were being careful" Toshiko got shakily to her feet still watching Ianto's hands moving along his clothing "The voices sounded real."

"I don't' know about you but Frannie always sounded real to me too. She was still a fucking A.I.!" Ianto huffed, then grimaced and apologised "Sorry. I didn't mean to … sorry Toshi. You just scared the bloody bones of me!"

"I never thought … I mean radio waves. How would they trace it in the cosmos, when it's not constant … I mean …"

"If you stare into the Abyss for long enough, eventually the Abyss stares back at you!" Ianto said forcefully, "Each time you seek, they might find. Always remember that Tosh. You throw a stone out there … they will eventually hear where it falls. Ripples reach a shore. Always. That was stupid! I had more faith in you!"

"I …. I didn't' think … there is no way they could triangulate…. Oh. Shit. I didn't think about the drones, they are…" her voice faded as a scratching sound started, this time somewhere else in the room and Ianto paled.

"The Drones. Toshiko. The Drone parts. Tell me you didn't fix that too!"

"I am not THAT stupid" she bristled now as she folded her arms "I only placed some bits in their right order to find the progression of the wiring for the little black box. I didn't actually connect it all together!"

"You placed a sentient A.I. thing in its alignment and didn't think it might be able to click back together like magnets?" Ianto repeated.

"Sentient …. What?" her face changed as she spun and started to pull things from a cupboard, the drone coming out to land on the floor with a dull thud. Ianto was looking for another weapon as the bat was clearly toast when the drone started to slowly move in a circle.

Seeking.

Jack pulled his Webley and fired at it, making it jump and Ianto saw the red dot that told him it was active and he bellowed as he reached out and caught it, his anger so raw that he didn't think twice as he slammed it down on the windowsill, breaking the window, the sill, the wall … right to the floor as he then lifted it again, now the bottom half of the drone was squashed in and Ianto turned, seizing the poker from the fireplace and proceeded to pound the drone with roars of anger.

Pieces of drone flew. Wood from the bare floorboards flew. Sweat flew. Swearing flew too.

Jack pulled Toshiko behind him and stood watching the meltdown, Ianto's rage and anger directed at the drone that was now toast had nothing more to do with the drone itself as he vented, sobbing as he not only grieved for those he could not save but for the work he had to now put in to protect what he has here.

Toshiko started to weep softly as she saw his pain, wanting to comfort but knowing Jack was right.

Ianto needed space for this.

The room felt like it might fly apart with his rage.

She had fucked up.