The team is responding to an alert ...
Who?
Chapter Eight
Gwen left her comms open so Toshiko could hear what was happening. In a huddle of police officers, sheltering behind an ambulance, she recognised the man in charge. "Inspector Brooks. Torchwood." She held up her ID.
The middle-aged man turned and regarded her coolly. "You lot again. Well, this time I'm pleased to see you. You can have this one with pleasure." He looked over at Jack and Ianto then focussed on Gwen. "Just the three of you? You'll need more than that, this thing's big and mean."
"Just as we like them," said Jack, standing with hands in the pockets of the greatcoat that he was wearing to please the other two. He felt a right prat in it.
"We have reinforcements on the way," said Gwen smoothly, wondering if Owen really justified the description. "Where are the trapped people?"
"How do you know … No," he held up a hand, "don't bother. They're here." He pointed to a map on a clipboard. "We know the owner and his son are in there, they both work in the shop, but not sure on the customers." Gwen took the map from him without bothering to ask.
In her ear, Gwen heard Toshiko say, "There are three customers, two older women and a fourteen year old boy. Their names are …"
At that moment, the front window of the shop shattered as a large, free standing display unit was catapulted onto the pavement outside. A roaring followed, a cross between a bull and a lion. Everyone ducked out of the way of the flying glass. Jack eased out from the shelter of the ambulance and crossed to a nearby police car, crouching down behind it. From here he could see into the shop.
"Hello again," said a voice in Jack's ear. "Got your memory back, have you?" Jack recognised the police officer from the morning but couldn't remember his name. "Guess not. Andy Davidson," he supplied.
"Right, Andy. No I haven't, just helping Gwen anyway I can."
"What the fuck are you doing!?" said Gwen, joining them and making them scrunch up to give her some cover. "I told you to do what I said!" She looked past Jack and saw Andy. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Ah, incident. Rampaging beast. People in danger. Who you going call?"
"You're supposed to be off-duty," she hissed.
"Got called in, only live round the corner, remember? Everything's going bonkers in the city what with traffic and looters and they were running out of bodies to deal with this one." He thought grimly of Sam Keltie who had been taken to hospital and hoped he would recover.
"Nice as it is to catch up, don't you think we should do something about that?" Jack gestured towards the shop. The creature had moved into view, raising its arms above its head much like King Kong. That was the only resemblance to a gorilla or any other Earth creature. It was a sickly green, dripping with slime and over two metres high. It didn't really have a head, its eyes and mouth were set at the top of a solid body.
"Bloody hell!" said Andy in awe.
"Any idea what it is, Jack?" asked Gwen, her mouth suddenly dry.
"Nope. You don't know?" He was still staring at the shop even though the creature had retreated inside again.
She shook her head, concentrating on the comms. "Ianto, get the police to clear the street, now! Tosh, I need some help." She struggled to keep calm but the panic was only just below the surface.
Tosh's voice was still calm. She had the knack of becoming cool in a crisis, putting her feelings to one side until she had leisure to deal with them. "I've got some readings but they're not as clear as I'd like. No match to our database yet."
"How do we deal with it? What will stop it?" persisted Gwen. She was pleased to see the police officers moving the other emergency service personnel and gawking neighbours away from the scene; Ianto was behind the ambulance still, keeping a watchful eye on the shop and using his PDA to take whatever scans he could.
"I'm working on it but I need more information. Can you get any closer?"
"I'll try," said Ianto. He left the shelter of the vehicle and sprinted to the row of shops, pressing himself against the front of the one on the end, two down from the newsagents. He worked his PDA, inching sideways. A crash from inside the shop halted him and he crouched down, shielding the PDA with his body.
Behind the police car, Gwen and Jack watched helplessly as their colleague again inched towards the newsagents. "Tosh!?" said Gwen into the comms; a one word plea for information.
"Give me a minute."
"I'm not sure Ianto has a minute!" Gwen suddenly realised that Andy was still with them; he had not retreated with the other officers. "Andy, get the hell out of here!" she yelled at him.
"You might need a hand," was all he said, not looking at her.
"Obstinate bastard." She would enjoying Retconning him when this was over.
Beside her, Jack was watching the action in front of them. Ianto was now in front of the shop next to the newsagents; a chemist. Jack was exhilarated and frightened by what was going on here but his brain was strangely detached, analytical. He was turning over options, scenarios, assessing the best way to overpower the creature and rescue the trapped people. A plan was taking vague shape.
"The creature is composed of a form of plastic, similar to bakelite," came over the comms suddenly, breaking into his thoughts. "If you can get it hot enough, it'll shatter."
"How?"
"Set it on fire," supplied Jack. He was away even as he spoke, running to join Ianto. "In here," he said, ducking into the empty chemist's shop. After a quick glance round, Jack vaulted over the counter and into the partially blocked off pharmacy.
"What are you doing?" asked Ianto. He had stayed in the main body of the shop and was still using his PDA to gather information.
"Making a cocktail. I think I'll call it a Flaming Alien." He grinned his trademark grin as he ran back out to join the younger man. He was carrying two large flagons, one of a clear liquid the other blue.
"Will you never stay put!?" yelled Gwen while still keeping her voice low. She had sprinted across to join them; her face was like thunder. "What have you got there?"
"He's making cocktails," commented Ianto dryly.
"When these two are mixed together they ignite." Jack indicated the flagons in his arms. "That should give off enough heat for the bozo next door to shatter, just like Toshiko said."
"And you know this how?" She stood with hands on hips, blocking him from leaving the shop.
"Basic chemistry. The trick will be getting bozo to stand still while you throw it over him."
"Me!?"
"Yeah. Ianto and I'll distract him, you throw. Sounds like a fair division of labour to me." He glanced at Ianto, eyebrows raised. "She always like this?"
"Pretty much." Ianto was smiling, delighted to see Jack acting so much like his normal self. He may have lost a good part of his memories but his instincts were unchanged. If anyone could devise a scheme – the madder the better – for taking out a threat, it was Jack.
"How are you going to distract it?" She wasn't sure about the madcap scheme but she couldn't come up with anything better.
"Oh, I don't know? Run up and shoot it, maybe?" He was grinning again. "We need to get it out of the shop then you douse it. Andy can get the people out."
"Andy Davidson is not doing anything!"
Jack stopped and looked at her curiously. "You two together? I thought there was a bit of spark between you."
"We are not together," she said between gritted teeth. "I happen to be engaged." She waved the ring in front of his nose.
"If you don't do something soon the creature will reach the trapped people," came over the comms. "And Owen is on foot now, says it'll be quicker. ETA is ten minutes." Toshiko sounded calm but exasperated.
"Congratulations. Take these." Jack hefted one of the flagons to Gwen who nearly buckled from the weight. "Okaaaay, I'll put this one outside, you …"
"Don't be stupid," interrupted Gwen. "I can't hold the thing, how am I going to be able to pour it over bozo? You'll have to do it." She thrust the flagon at him. "Come on, Ianto." She ran out of the shop and Ianto followed, both were clutching their guns.
The creature was banging on the door of the storeroom which, luckily for the people trapped on the other side, was metal; one of the security measures the owner had installed after he'd been robbed three times. Even so, the door was dented and buckling and a few more well aimed hits would force it off its hinges. Gwen ran up and took aim, firing at the top of the creature. The bullet barely attracted the alien's attention. She fired again, as did Ianto standing to one side of her. The combined firepower did the trick and the creature turned, moving towards them.
"Time to retreat, Ianto," she said, walking backwards. "Don't waste bullets, we don't know how many we'll need."
The two kept their eyes and guns trained on the creature, walking slowly back to the front of the shop and out of the shattered window. Both fired off another round each to keep the creature focussed on them. As they stepped further back, Gwen saw Jack stood at the side, the flagon of blue liquid in his hands. The creature hesitated in the shop window but three more well aimed shots brought it out into the open. Ianto noticed that the bullets had little effect on the creature's mobility but small dribbles of dark matter were running from the holes they had made, mixing with the slime.
Jack took his chance and darted in, flinging some of the blue liquid over the creature's back. He ran back when it turned on him and only halted when its attention was once more centred on Gwen and Ianto who were firing in earnest. Jack ran in again and emptied the last of the liquid over the creature's side before again retreating.
Gwen could see the creature was getting angry; it was roaring and moving for her and Ianto. "We can't hold it much longer!" she yelled.
"Going as fast as I can," Jack yelled back, already on his way with the clear liquid.
He sloshed some over the alien and where it met the blue there was a hiss and a fizz and small wisps of smoke. Encouraged, he came in closer and planted himself, taking aim and pouring the liquid where he could see the blue had stuck to the creature's skin. More hissing and fizzing resulted and the smoke became thicker. The skin began to crackle. Maddened by what was happening to it, the alien was twisting and turning, moving round in unsteady circles. Ianto and Gwen fired again, hoping to hit a vital organ or at least hold it in place. Jack suddenly remembered his own gun, pulled it out of the holster and joined in.
Even as its skin crackled and consumed itself, the creature's flailing became more extreme and it staggered around, hitting out at anything within reach. One of its arms caught Ianto and he was sent flying, colliding with Jack. They landed almost under the wheels of a parked fire engine. Gwen was standing alone, firing repeatedly, aware that the creature was toppling towards her but unwilling to move.
Will Gwen be okay? Read the next chapter and find out ..