Chapter Two: Angel Wasp

"The Angel Wasp! Although a lot like a bee, it's not. It says so in its name. It's described, for humans, as a normal wasp, but larger, with an archaic wing design. There's something rather angelic about it but it's extremely deadly, highly poisonous, and so very alien. A single flutter of its wing can poison the air it wafts, and if that hits you… Well, lets just say you'll be lucky if it only make's you ill! It's going to be most likely that it will choke and kill any one unlucky enough to become its victim.

"They're quite magnificent, but they have the same fatal flaw as most bees do," he bellowed, the casket-esque door rolled to close behind him and his team; Ianto, Gwen, Mickey, and Dr Lawrence followed. "Good driving, by the way Ianto."

"So, one sting and they die?" Mickey asked, although there was a slight hint of it being a rhetorical question.

"The real reason for a bee dying after stinging is not the sting itself but that the stinger gets lodged in the victim. The bee struggles to release itself and in turn the abdomen, or lower part of the insect, is ripped off. The loss of this is what later kills the creature," Dr Lawrence nodded before scoffing, "and they say inverts don't have the same feelings as we do." Mickey raised his eyebrows, he already knew this, but it seemed best (at least in his experience of the last few days) to humour the man and let him think that a computer genius, like himself, was a bit dim in certain areas.

"Well yes," the Captain, also in the same mind as Mickey, ignored most of the words that spewed from the doctor's lips and carried on, "but we mustn't let it sting. That's how it breeds. As somewhere in its evolutionary line it realised that its flaw was a bad thing and instead of changing it, it used it as a way to release more. That's why, Ianto, we must burn the body, but first let Dr Lawrence examine it. Those eggs have an incubation period of at least 24 hours, Dr Lawrence we need to know the time of death pronto!" He seemed tense and exhilarated at the same time. The Captain obviously enjoyed his work but it was obvious he had a lot more information that needed to come out – but not just yet.

"What else do you need Jack?" Gwen asked, rather unoccupied.

"Ianto. A strong coffee for me, whilst Lawrence works, if you please," Jack smiled politely. Ianto nodded and went through the doors above the stairs. He turned to Gwen, giving her a quick smile, "Gwen. I need you to get as many reports from the police of strange bee or wasp behaviour. Any death related to bees and wasps throughout Cardiff over the last six months would also help, and I need you to get them to report anything related to bees and wasps to us when they come in. Even if it's an insanity report, we need it all – it could be linked. Now Mickey!"

Mickey raised his head; on arrival he had walked towards the screen of his computer. He wasn't used to such a big desk and, as he was just temping for the moment, he wasn't going to get settled any time soon. It was an odd thing, though, Torchwood could be fast, and then it could be slow. It could be fun and a laugh before twisting into something very alien and very, very dangerous.

He'd just opened his files on the computer as Jack called his name for orders. His eyes seemed to slightly light up - but only slightly!

"Ah, my eager-eyed computer friend, we need to map out a 50 mile radius of the scene. If there is more out there then there will be a nest. I need you to highlight key areas of anywhere with a dense mass of trees. That's woodlands, forests, parks. Anything tree related. We just have to hope there isn't one and that we won't need this." Mickey nodded, and Jack gave him a quick pat on the back as he turned towards the others.

Gwen had picked up the phone and was dialling a number. Soon she would be able to tell him if there where any recent or old reports of deaths by bee and wasp. "If there are any more – lets hope there isn't more than one nest," he muttered to himself.

Ianto opened the doors and came through.

"Err… Jack?" he seemed worried and yet a little amused.

"Hmmm," Jack turned to him and searched his hands for coffee, "We aren't out of coffee are we?"

"Well, no, but you might want to check the CCTV camera footage," he said, it was a vague way of informing of a problem and Jack seemed to think so too.

"What is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "is it the weevils?"

"No, and I doubt you will believe me if I told you," Ianto replied, "It's best if you look for yourself."

"Mickey can you put them on screen?"

"Way ahead of you Jack," he smirked at his screen and clicked a few buttons. In a matter of seconds he'd done his magic, "it's all set up. When and where, Ianto?"

"Loop Camera's 4, 5 and 7 - from an hour ago," he instructed.

Mickey did just that. He fanned out the three cameras on the screen so each was viewable. Ianto and Jack both rushed over to the screen. Gwen's head turned and her face scrunched (wondering what was going on), but she had to turn away as she was still on the phone.

The footage played.

"Ianto, this is an empty cell? Why are we-" Jack interrupted him.

"Where is she?" Jack blinked and searched the screen. The next camera showed movement and the corridor to the Weevil cages. "What does she think she is doing?! How did she get out?"

"I told you. You wouldn't have believed it if I said it," Ianto stood back but Jack moved in further. Mickey gave him some space, by giving up his seat and looked towards Ianto.

"Who is she?" He asked, curious and unaware.

Jack leaned back on the seat and his face froze in a moment of shock and bewilderment. The weight of possibilities tipped as his posture turned towards annoyance and slight anger. He leaned forward again to replay the footage. As he did so he explained.

"She came in a month or two ago. She's supposed to be with a friend; apparently a quite important friend. But we haven't found that one. Well, not yet," Jack added, his face peered closer to the screen, though they all knew it wouldn't help.

"So she was in the cell?"

"Yep," answered Ianto.

"How did she get out?" he asked.

"Don't know. There's no footage for an hour before that, I think she's tampered with them. Probably doesn't want us to know how she got out. Then she can do it again," he added. He looked down at Jack seemingly waiting for a reaction from him, but there was a long pause.

It was made shorter by Gwen ending her conversation on the phone. She stood up, turned around, and surveyed their faces. She could sense the worry, confusion and the anger arising on Jack's.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "What's the commotion, what's happened?"

"Have you finished on the phone?" asked Jack, his voice was raised and his tone was hostile in annoyance.

"Yes," Gwen answered before adding, "They were actually helpful this time. They're faxing over a report on any related deaths in the area and in the past three months. Apparently it will take a little bit of collation to get the three months before that – we could be waiting until tomorrow morning. But, maybe good news, the woman on the phone knew there were at least two deaths."

"Why have we not been told this before!" an angered Jack slammed his hands down on the computer desk. It made Ianto blink and Gwen was also a little surprised. Mickey raised his eyebrows, as he'd never seen this side of the Captain before, but Dr Lawrence was un-phased by any of this and was conducting tests happily; away from everyone else.

"They weren't suspicious deaths, I asked, it seems the majority of the victims noted had allergies. However, I did find out, this case is the first with a sting. The others had traces of bee or wasp poison in the body," Gwen noted and was happy that Jack seemed pleased, or at least contented, with this information.

"Right, now you've finished that, you can come with me to have words with our little wandering friend!" he said, gritting his teeth ever so slightly.

"Wandering – No, wait, what about the faxes?"

"I'll pick them up for you," Ianto offered, with a smile, "and then I'll get you that coffee, Jack."

"Bring it down to the cells, although she's chatty, I don't think I'll get the answers I want from her quick – so I'm going to be some time," he added walking away towards the door down to the cells, "you coming Gwen?"

Gwen nodded and rushed down to follow. She passed through the doors when Mickey turned to Ianto.

"The girl? Is she alien?"

"Yeah, she has some kind of camouflage- cloaking device. We only allow her to use it because it she replicated it for us," Ianto informed.

"So what kind of alien is she? What does she really look like?" has asked only curiously.

"Some sort of cat. Rather furry, with a tail. That's how we caught her, her device wasn't working properly, and someone walking around with a tail – well that's just plain odd. When we brought her in we helped her fix it."

"She's quite co-operative then," Mickey added.

"Yeah, for a wanted alien she actually is. Maybe that's why Jack doesn't trust her," Ianto commented with a sigh. There was a short pause, "would you like a drink?"