Hucking Harkness
Chapter 5
9.30 am The Hub
"Right." Jack started, "To round things up: Owen's chemical gas could be what's making these ponies run faster, so we really should get in there and destroy this stuff; Tosh hasn't found a simple, yet discreet way in, but on the other hand Ianto has a pretty good work up on this Llwelyn fella. Gwen how you doing? You feeling better?" Gwen nodded gently, giving him a soft smile. It was the following morning and having read everyone's reports the night before, Jack had pooled all their latest findings together. "Okay team, ideas? We need to get to this stuff before it gets really out of hand."
"We could sabotage the security systems so he needs to call people in to fix it?" Gwen suggested. She was always first to offer something in the way of an idea, and though it wasn't always the best one, it seemed to spur the others into making their own suggestions, (or provoke a scathing dismissal from Owen). However he was slumped in his chair, silent this morning.
"Coming from an ex-cop, Gwen Cooper I'm surprised at you!" But Jack was grinning, "Anything else? Anyone?" raising an eyebrow, his eyes fell expectantly on Ianto, who shrugged. "Stables are always recruiting warm-up jockeys and grooms, especially now that the school holidays are over." He met Jack's gaze, "One of us could get in that way-"
"Thought you might say that! Well done for volunteering!" Jack beamed.
"W-What?!" Ianto stuttered, seeming to sit up straighter in his chair, if that was possible.
"I saw you yesterday, you've done this before."
-T-
Ianto slipped into the tourist information centre, reaching lithely across the edge of the desk for the innocuous button he knew lay beneath it. The knitted burgundy jumper he wore, rode up as he stretched, barely hiding the tone beneath. Upon entering the lift down, Ianto swallowed nervously, fisting his fingers at his sides and tugging the waist of the jumper down. He felt untidy. He'd never entered the hub in such a dressed down state. Unless you counted when he was naked, he supposed. Before he was lost in those memories however, the heavy metal door opened, bringing him promptly back to the present as the alarms sounded his entrance.
No chance of being shy or subtle in Torchwood. But with Jack as his boss that was surely a given anyway, he thought wryly. "Morning Ianto!" The man boomed, his voice carrying down from the gantry above, where he was making his way to his office, a file open in his hands. If he's been in my archives...
All eyes were drawn to Ianto as he stood there and he glanced down at the sports watch that was currently on his slim wrist, as a distraction. Later than his usual time, but before Owen had arrived. Good, at least maybe he'd have the chance to slip away before the medic arrived. The last thing he needed was the doctor commenting on his weight- he'd taken his role undercover very seriously and was in the process of training with Dafydd to get himself properly fit. Being a warm up jockey, although not as strenuous as a race jockey, still required him to be several stone lighter than average and Owen was bound to be a pain about it.
He made his way over to the coffee machine, making one for each member of the team present, before taking his own and Jack's to the older man's office for some privacy. "You've lost weight," Jack said, without looking up as Ianto placed the familiar blue and white striped mug on his desk.
"All part of the job description, sir. Was there anything else you wanted this morning, only I have a gym appointment before luncheon."
"Soon as Owen gets in, we'll have our final brief-"
Just then, Owen walked into the Hub, setting off the usual door alarm. Ianto looked up, catching Owen scowling back at the alarm, hands covering his ears and hurried to get the medic a coffee and aspirin. Owen had clearly enjoyed himself last night, Ianto just hoped he wouldn't give the rest of the team a hard time, just because he had a hang-over from hell.
Jack stood at the head of the table and clapped his hands for the attention of his team, causing Owen to wince and Gwen to snap her mouth shut, mid sentence and swivel in her seat to look expectantly up at him. She made a comical sight with the remains of butterfly stitches across her chin. Tosh had only half been paying attention to Gwen's story and had already noticed their boss strolling into the room, keen to start. "I've called a final meeting to go through everybody's roles on this assignment, before Ianto goes undercover this afternoon..." Jack proceeded to give them all the usual 'do's and don't's' before turning to the team's youngest member.
"Ianto- as of tomorrow you are-?"
"At Abergelli Farm, Swansea. Running close range scans and analysis, general surveillance and feedback from the inside, whilst playing warm-up jockey for Llewelyn." Jack nodded.
"Gwen, have you finished your report from yesterday yet? You'll need to keep on top of things while we're one man down; as will the rest of you. Owen, that means pulling your weight: reports completed, rubbish in the bin and empty coffee mugs at least in the sink. Clear?" Jack held a stern gaze, ensuring each received the message, before dismissing them all, "Right that's it kids."
Later that afternoon Ianto disembarked from a taxi at the imposing looking gates of Abergelli Farm. Announcing himself through a state-of-the-art inter-com system, he was met at the gate by the head groom. "Jones, you're early. Get settled quickly and you can start the night feed." Cledwin led him towards the stable complex, "The boss doesn't accept slacking, so I hope you're prepared to work for your duration here." At Ianto's 'yes, sir' the older man gave him an odd look before ordering one of the grooms, Billy, who was sweeping the yard to show him his room.
"Dinner's at seven thirty, breakfast, six. Lunch is sandwiches and the time depends which shift you're on. We start evening feed in twenty minutes." Billy rattled off. Ianto nodded, making a mental note before hefting his bag onto the narrow single bed and beginning to unpack. He found a suitable nook for his hand-held computer last, before collapsing back on the bed, eyes closed. He didn't rest long. Instead making it down to the stables with five minutes to spare, meeting the grooms and their mounts as they brought various horses in from the fields.
TBC
Thank you everyone for all your reviews; especially cjh4ever, who is forever an encouragement and a distraction (your stories are good!), Wishingwell44 (your review for ch4 had me giggling for ages) & most recently Jessie Blackwood, whose opinion was useful & whose stories are also very good at distracting me lol; if you hadn't have reviewed I may never have found them!
Thanks guys
; ) Carrie