Chapter Five

Once more Gwen and Jack set out on the road. Gwen looked at Jack, did he know what had occurred between Ianto and Molly. It had looked; well she couldn't put her finger on it, "So Jack."

"I don't know Gwen."

"Really?"

"Look lets focus on the case. We will sort the rest out later."

"Fine."

"What does the wire say?"

"Nothing, Andy must have called Torchwood on his own."

The two were silent the rest of the way to the station. Jack was having a hard time focusing on work. He didn't like the way he was feeling, the attachment, the possessiveness that he felt about Ianto.

Sighing to himself he pushed the thoughts aside as they pulled up to the station. Gwen led the way to the interview rooms where they found PC Andy waiting for them.

"Took you long enough," commented Andy.

"Right, how long has he been here?" asked Jack.

"Not long. I called right away."

"Has he said anything?"

"Nope, he says he will only talk to Captain Jack Harkness or Torchwood."

"Right then, he'll get both," said Gwen opening the door.

As they walked in leaving Andy outside Dr. Wilson looked up in obvious relief, "Thank God you're here. I told them but I kind of got the feeling that they would rather not deal with you. If it hadn't been for that young man, well I could have been here for days."

"It's defiantly a possibility," responded Jack.

"I am sure some would have called us eventually. They always do," said Gwen looking at Jack as she took a seat, "Now Dr. Wilson why did you come in?"

"I know what it's looking for?"

"What it's looking for?"

"Yes, I say it because I am not sure what it is. I know it's not human."

"How do you know it's not human?" asked Jack.

"Because of what it wants."

"And what does it want?" asked Gwen.

"I don't know what it's called," replied Dr. Wilson.

"Well a lot of good that does us," exasperated Jack.

"I wasn't finished," stated the doctor as he focused all of his attention on Gwen, "30 years ago when I was still young I was on a small dig just outside of Cardiff's city limits. We had been at it for about two weeks not finding anything of particular notice, but that changed on the last night of the dig. I was alone putting away tools and such when I noticed an odd formation in some rock near the dig site. I took some basic tools and made a move and began to dig. Well I found something extraordinary."

"What?" asked Gwen?

"It was like nothing I had never seen before, oblique in shape, shiny silver with a light source inside. I didn't tell anyone about my find. I knew it couldn't be ancient, but I wasn't sure that it was from here. I have from my youth believed that there is something else out there. Anyway I ran all sorts of tests and nothing came up. Thing was immeasurable. I placed in my home in my own private collection, but last year an investor saw it when I was hosting a party and wanted the story. I told him because I needed the backing for the next dig. He put an article in Science Today about the rare find. I am sure that's how it found out about it."

"What was the name of the investor?" asked Gwen.

"I know what you're thinking, but it's not him. When I got home I saw it. It can easily pass for a human but when it touched the oblique it changed for just a brief moment. It was covered in scales, gray and like nothing I have ever seen before and it saw me. That's why I came straight here."

"Okay, so it found what it was looking for," Gwen said to Jack, "Perhaps its killing spree is over."

"Doubtful. Lets take the good doctor here back to the Hub and then we can check out his house."

They pulled Dr. Wilson up on his feet walked him to the door, "Thanks Andy we are going to take custody now," said Gwen as the walked away.

"What? Oui I didn't call you just so you could take him away. Gwen! Gwen! Typical Torchwood you are always walking around like you own everything," called out Andy.

Gwen walked Dr. Wilson into the Hub right into an interview room. Jack had surprised her by suggesting they bring him back, but then Jack was surprising her a lot lately. "Okay Dr. Wilson you just sit here now and I'll be back in a jiffy. Just going to grab a quick cup of tea, would like anything?"

"Please call me Thomas and tea would be lovely."

Gwen locked the door behind her and headed to the main room were Jack and the group were crowed around a monitor arguing.

"I think you need to adjust the focus just a bit," stated Jack.

"Really then you do it, because clearly I am doing absolutely no good here," said a frustrated Ianto.

"That's not what he meant Ianto," said Molly trying to pacify them both.

"You do not speak for me and he knows that!" exclaimed Jack.

"There I adjusted the focus and it is still no better," interrupted Ianto.

"Maybe it does that," said Molly.

"Does what?" asked Jack.

"Maybe it disrupts the frequency so we can't get a clear picture. Maybe that's a defense mechanism," suggested Molly.

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever…" said Jack.

"Jack it's not really if you think about it," interrupts Gwen, "The only reason we will know what it looks like is because Dr. Wilson saw it. We have a description we should go out and look for it."

"I know. You stay here and help Ianto with the video, Molly you and I will go and take a look at the doctor's house and see what we can find."

"Right, maybe I should go with you Jack," suggested Gwen.

"No you have a connection with our guest. You need to stay here. He might be able to see something on the CC TV it couldn't hurt to have him look since no one else can seem to get anything," replied Jack already moving towards the garage, "Molly lets go!"

Molly looked at Gwen and Ianto and rolled her eyes as she went after Jack. Jack was always Jack no matter what was going on always the leader.

"Do you ever feel like you live in the SUV?" asked Molly on the way to the Dr.'s house.

"No."

"I just thought. I mean you have been in it an awful lot today."

"No."

"Is that all you are going to say to me?"

"No."

"Fine," Molly flippantly said turning to look out the window.

"Were you able to get the autopsy done?" asked Jack a few minutes later.

"Yes, same findings as the other two."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Well at least we know that it is the same thing, whatever it is."

"I suppose that's a comfort," replied Molly looking at the home they had pulled up to, "Oh it's beautiful. I had expected something completely different. I had thought that you were the only one who liked to live in the past."

Jack looked at the post world war two bungalow, complete with shutters and a white picket fence. The house seemed more American then Welch. Probably why Molly liked it so much, but she was right Dr. Wilson had kept it in the decade that came from. No modern architecture marred the history. It made sense to Jack; the doctor seemed to live for the past.

Walking into the house the two surveyed the damage. It looked exactly like the office, and the gallery. The house had been destroyed to a point. "Jack the damage ends at the office," said Molly moving aside so Jack could see.

"What?"

"Look, the living room, the kitchen, and the bedrooms even, they are all destroyed. Why not the office that clearly houses his most prized possessions? If there was an article about the artifact don't you think it would have said where he kept it? Like Dr. Wilson keeps it with his most prized possessions at the office in his home."

Jack took a look around. Molly was right it seemed staged. As Gwen had interviewed Dr. Wilson Jack had sensed something was a bit off, but he was distracted. Ianto and Molly had distracted him. Clearly the doctor had lied, but just how much Jack no idea. "Are you sure about the cause of death?" Jack asked walking into the office.

"Absolutely and before you ask yes there was left over rift activity. I would bet my life that these deaths are non human related. Let me ask you a question, did you check out the good doctors alibi?"

"Are you suggesting that he is the alien?"

"No, I did a full body scan when you walked him in. He is as human as anybody I know. There was residual rift activity on him though. A very little amount, but there was some."

"Enough to say he'd handled something from the rift?"

"Yes, I would say something like that, but none of this stuff seems like anything from out of this world," stated Molly as looked around the office at all the artifacts on display.

"No, I would even go so far in saying that some of this it even true artifacts," comment Jack as he picked up a random object.

"Do you think he moved the object?" asked Molly.

"It's a possibility," Jack placed his hand to his ear as Molly went back into the living room, "Ianto make sure we have verified Dr. Wilson's alibi and move him to a holding tank…"

Jack was cut off by a scream from Molly coming from the living room. Pulling his gun out he raced into the living room to where he was greeted by the sight of Molly attached to what looked like electrical cords coming out of a mans fingers. Molly was trying to fight him off, but Jack could see she was losing sweet was pouring from her brow. Jack hesitated a second before he emptied his gun into the man-creature.

The creature recoiled its electrical tentacles and ran out of the house. As it ran out Molly collapsed unconscious. Jack ran to her while hollering out orders to Ianto Gwen, "Get the recovery room ready, see if we can get any security footage. I'm bring her in."

Jack lifted Molly, as he did so it registered that she seemed a little lighter than she should have been. He placed her gingerly into the SUV and speed off towards the Hub.