Hucking Harkness

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living, dead or undead is... mostly coincidental.

"Are you telling me this racing yard in Swansea is on an alien hotspot?"

Jack gave the order for Gwen to research the place with assistance from Ianto, since they needn't repeat his previous work, Tosh would look into the layout and security and Owen would look at the chemical side, "Meeting in the boardroom, two hours." Jack stated, before withdrawing to his office and his coffee, leaving his team to their work.

-T-

Two hours later the team assembled in the board room, with Jack taking the head of the table as usual. "Okay, so we've got an alien chemical, potentially dangerous and a horse trainer who knows a little too much about us. What else can you tell me?" asked Jack, surveying the team in front of him.

"Owen."

Owen hauled himself almost reluctantly out of his seat, stabbing at the controls for the central screen, "Well I managed to get a chemical profile for this stuff- it's not lethal, as far as I can tell; though some of the elements are not on our database so what effect it will have on the body I really dunno. I can't replicate the substance to test it, so unless we have a sample..." he trailed off with a shrug, looking at Jack. Jack frowned briefly at the screen, where a chemical breakdown of the substance was currently displayed. Something about it looked familiar, but the 'unknown' chemicals in the compound, meant he was struggling to fill in the gaps and establish what that specific mix of chemicals might do. He pushed it to the back of his mind, it would come to him.

"So basically you're saying we need to get in there? Tosh, is that possible? What's the access like?"

Tosh pulled up a 3D schematic of the area, highlighting various sections that were relevant as she addressed the room at large. "This is the location of the farm on the outskirts of the city. Despite the large expanses of private open space surrounding the place, their security is state of the art; they really don't like anyone near the main complex. In theory though, we should be able to get near enough for a sample, since the chemical is in a secluded field."

"Okay and Gwen, Ianto? What have you got?"

Ianto took the floor and clicking an image of the Abergelli Farm website onto the screen, he proceeded to give succinct details on the horses there, the number of grooms and finally, popping a mug-shot onscreen, a low down on the owner and trainer. "Mr B. Llewelyn; race horse owner and trainer for many years. His business was on the rocks and his reputation was mud. Bryce was heading for trouble with the banks- until just a few months ago when suddenly business picked up. He's now one of the most well known trainers in the country for turning out unlikely winners and is paid accordingly."

"So what's brought on the sudden winning streak?" asked Jack, "and does it have anything to do with our alien chemical…" he mused, going back to the chemical which was still somehow familiar. "Owen, can you bring up that graph again? The analysis you made of the compounds." Owen started jabbing buttons on the central console before Tosh reached over to assist and the graph was restored to the screen. "Does it look familiar?" she asked Jack after a pause. The Captain seemed to be looking through the screen rather than at it, his fingers tapping idly as he thought. "Do you recognise what it does, Jack?" asked Gwen.

Suddenly, it clicked and Jack sat up with a start, "Yeah. Yeah I do. It's a stimulant used on some of the Pleasure Planets, think Duracell bunny-" he was gesticulating with his hands, "-only this is like ten times more potent and it has a number of nasty side effects. If it is this stuff, we really need to contain it, before it gets outta hand- it's a highly addictive agent, and unfortunately, under the right conditions, it'll proliferate."

"What are the right conditions? Could it already be expanding?"

"Oh yeah- it just needs a liquid substance to bind with. It was mandatory in the drinks at some of the less reputable clubs, longer you leave your drink, the stronger the agent to liquid ratio became." Jack paused.

"I don't get it- what liquid do you get in a field?" asked Gwen, looking confused. Ianto suppressed an eye-roll, sighing softly instead but Owen, never having much self restraint himself, looked at Gwen scathingly before stating in a highly patronising tone, that they were in Wales, where it did in fact rain; "-it never bloody stops raining! How can you not notice?!" The penny dropped and Gwen's face visibly cleared in understanding, flushing softly in embarrassment before her eyes widened; "You mean..."

Jack ignored the conversation going on around him, instead considering his options before coming to a decision and gaining the attention of the team once more. "Okay, Owen you're with me, we'll see if we can't get a sample or at least a better reading. Tosh- think you could adapt a scanner for long range? We'd best check this chemical's only in the one field and we don't want to raise suspicion just yet by stepping on toes." Tosh nodded and left, already starting her assigned task on her hand held PDA as she walked. "Ianto, Gwen, I need to know more about this guy, Llewelyn, see what you can dig up- include friends and possible ways we could get in covertly if necessary."

"Jack?" Jack met Ianto's reticent gaze, "I have a contact in Cardiff, he runs his own stables and might know something about Llewelyn, at least by reputation. I could ask?"

"Fine, you okay to do that on your own?" At the Welshman's nod, Jack exited the room, meeting Owen who was now waiting impatiently at the cog door, black holdall over one shoulder.

Very soon the team were going their separate ways, Ianto out towards the tourist office, after speaking briefly with Gwen and Tosh, who were settling at their work stations. Ianto pulled his phone out of a pocket as he left them, scrolling through the vast address book, past names of various UNIT officials and members of parliament before reaching the name he wanted.

"Dafydd. It's Ianto Jones, how are you...?"

TBC

Wehey, hope you are still enjoying this, despite the random posting times. Good news is, I now have wireless internet! Woo! lol Next bit up soon!
Carrie; )