Chapter Seven

Jack looked at Dr. Wilson through the glass. The doctor looked confused and scared. Jack was glad.

"So let's see, you have lied about where you found this oblique, you lied about the article, so I am going to assume you lied about the alien," Jack said to the doctor through the glass.

"No, no I didn't," replied Dr. Wilson.

Opening the door Jack stepped into cell, "You really shouldn't lie to me. We have been checking. There's a new medium out there called the internet. Everyone's whole life lay out before anyone. There's no article and according to our research you were Egypt 30 years ago. So would you like to try again?"

Dr. Wilson looked at the captain and Miss Cooper. He smiled at her but she did not smile back. There was no sympathy in her face this time. Something had clearly happened and now he had to face the distant captain.

"I'm waiting!" snapped Jack. He was mad. The doctor was looking to Gwen for something, well he wouldn't find it. Molly was a part of the team and because his of lies she almost died. He wouldn't find help from anyone.

"Okay you're right I lied but I had too."

"Why?"

"I found it, the oblique two years ago lying in the middle of the road. I knew it was something like I said. Quiet a find, but I had no idea where it had come from. After spending 30 years sifting through Welch rubble I knew it wasn't from Wales. In fact I thought it probably wasn't even from this planet. Of course these thoughts are all mental, but then two weeks ago I met a man at a bar. He made me feel completely at ease with out saying as much as a single word. Well I am afraid I told him about oblique. I hadn't told anyone ever, for fear, well I don't quiet know," the doctor starred off into space not finishing.

"Continue," urged Jack.

"Right, sorry. Well I had sinking suspicion that I had drank to much and told this bloke who never spoke a word, all about the find and then all of this happened. You know the deaths, the break-ins. So I went home so afraid. I trashed the house and went straight to the station."

"Could you remember this bloke if you had to?" asked Gwen speaking for the first time.

"Yeah I suppose. About the captain's height and build, blonde thought. Nice enough to look at if you were into that," answered Dr. Wilson.

"What about the oblique? Where is it?" asked Jack.

"Still in my home, in the safe behind the picture in my office. I though that was the safest place."

Jack looked at Gwen and then excited the cell. "That man he described is the man that attacked Molly. He was at his house. We need to get there now."

Jack and Gwen rushed into the main part of the warehouse. The doctor just watched them. He understood now someone they knew had been attacked. It explained it. He would be upset too.

Ianto and Molly looked up as Jack Gwen came through the door.

"Did he tell you everything?" asked Ianto.

"Yes. Gwen and I are heading back to the house. The oblique is there," replied Jack.

Ianto tossed him his coat, "Do you think it will still be there?"

"We can only hope. Keep looking on the monitors. Focus on the area surrounding the house. Perhaps we will get a break."

Jack rushed to the garage with Gwen hot on his heels, "How does it destroy Cardiff Jack? I mean we know nothing about it."

"Molly said it told her telepathically what it was doing here as it killed her. She said that it would destroy Cardiff. I believe her and quiet frankly isn't that usually the way things. The aliens coming and the threat of our very existence being wiped out."

"Yes that is generally the way of things. Aliens trying to wipe out our very existence, bloody annoying."

Jack drove like a mad man to the doctor's house. He didn't expect for the oblique to be there but he had to look. Is it could wipe out Cardiff; well they had to stop it. Jack knew Gwen was skeptical but something about the way Molly broke it down for him had him believing her. Perhaps it was the way Ianto so readily believed her or the tone of her voice which carried so much authority unlike it usually did. Either way he believed that no good could come from Marchek getting its way.

"Jack?" spoke Ianto through Jack's ear piece.

"Ianto."

"We are seeing static in the area of the house moving away from it."

"Which way?"

"You and Gwen should come upon it. It's heading your way."

Jack and Gwen looked around and quickly spotted him. Jack spoke to Ianto, "He's on foot we are going to leave the SUV and catch him."

Jack spun the SUV around and he Gwen began a foot chase. Marchek was fast and running after him was difficult.

"Jack we are never going to catch up to him," yelled Gwen.

"Ianto what's up ahead? Is there anyway to predict where he's going?" asked Jack.

"There is only a run down warehouse about 3 kilometers ahead of you. It looks like there has been recent activity there," said Molly.

"Gwen turn left, we won't beat him but if that's where he is headed we will get there about the same time."

Ianto and Molly tracked Marchek's moves from the Hub as Gwen and Jack took a short cut through high grassy fields. When they got to the warehouse Jack and Gwen split up and went around.

"Jack can you see in? Does he have the artifact?" asked Gwen, "I can't see anything around on this side."

"I can see it and it does have the oblique. It looks like it is building something with it," replied Jack.

"Let's go in while it's distracted," said Gwen

"On the count of three," said Jack.

Jack and Gwen counted to three in their respected heads and then went in quietly. Or so they thought.

Jack took a position behind Marchek and cocked his gun. The minute he took aim he was sent flying across the warehouse. Gwen rushed Marchek and she too was thrown across the room.

Getting up Jack took on the stance of annoying arrogance, "That was incredibly annoying. Don't you think that you could maybe turn around and speak to me? Perhaps we could come to some sort of arrangement. I mean I am pretty sure…"

Before Jack could finish or get to close Marchek threw him across the room again.

"Jack maybe if you keep it distracted I can get close to it," said Gwen.

"Keep it distracted. What are you going to do when you get close to it?"

"Jack I am doing a scan of the warehouse and I think it's vulnerable through its eyes. They are the only things that are giving off any kind heat source," interrupted Molly.

"Thanks Molly but how is that going to help us?" asked Jack, "I think that he is nearly finished we are down to the wire here guys."

"The brain, it has to be their most vital organ like the heart is to us. I bet that in the human form it is exactly where ours is located. Shot him through the eyes," answered Molly.

"It's worth a try Jack he is going to fire that thing up and then it will to late," pushed Gwen.

Jack sighed. They were right. This is why they were on his team. They analyzed the situation quickly and then went onto action. He stood up, "So you think that a little flick of your hand is going to get rid of me? Well I have got news for you. Even if you hadn't taken form in such a gorgeous looking body, and it really is not everybody can pull off the tentacle look, but you… well you are not getting rid of me that easy."

Jack moved a tad closer keeping Gwen in his line of vision, "I mean really. We are Torchwood and we don't get to just run away from dirty little murderous aliens like you. Especially when you try and kill one of our own."

Marchek ignored him, the alien was focused on leaving the planet and when he did he would kill the annoying human behind him. Did the man like the sound of his own voice?

Gwen inched her way around the warehouse so she could get a frontal shot. As Jack drooled on she watched as the alien made final adjustments on a circular object no bigger than a basketball. All of its six tentacles enveloped the ball at what looked like key points. The object began to spin around the alien.

"Gwen take the shot!" hollered Jack.

The thing turned to where Jack had been yelling to. As Gwen stood to fire the alien flicked his wrist just as Gwen fired two rounds.