Here's the next chapter, hope it was worth the wait.
The next morning finds everyone in the hub busy rushing around completing final checks. Jack is sitting at his new desk looking over some information Martha found for him. He hears someone walk in and looks up to see Alonso.
"You seem to be settling in nicely Jack. See I told you. All you needed was a good nights, er... sleep." They both laugh.
"Somehow it does feel right sitting here." It did feel right to him, almost as if he had never left.
Several alarms sound and the communication systems lights up.
"What's wrong?" Jack stands and rushes to the door. Alonso stops him and shakes his head.
"It's just the alarm system in the vaults. For some reason the noise detecting system has become overly sensitive. It's bad enough that every time someone even floats an air biscuit it goes off. I need to get down there. Before I go, what are your plans for today?"
"I am on the hunt for another team member, then after that I am flying out to contact one more hopeful."
Alonso looks a little sad. "Guess I will see you when you get back then. Be careful Jack and Jack, I love you."
He panics. Should he say those words? Those awful terrible wonderful words? He can't hide away forever, he can't ignore him, so he just blurts them out. "I love you too, Al."
Al smiles and turns, running directly into Mickey, who says something about air biscuits and who is responsible, then he heads toward the vaults.
"What's that all about Jack?" Mickey looking very confused.
"Something to do with the alarm systems. Was she able to get it Mickey?"
"If you mean this", he shows him an envelope, "Then yes."
Jack stands, takes the envelope from Mickey, shakes his hand and then pats him on the shoulder. "Then I'm off, wish me luck."
"Judging by what Martha said, you're going to need more than luck. You are going to need a bloody miracle."
"I could use one of those too." He grabs a bag that was sitting on the floor beside his desk and rushes down the stairs and out of the hub. Once he's in the SUV he looks at the GPS. There is a flashing dot on the map to indicate the location he is seeking. He fires up the engine and drives out. A few hours later he reaches the military facility.
He isn't sure why but he's always been comfortable on military bases, though after passing four check in stations and requesting her location a dozen times he remembers why he doesn't visit more often. Jack finally reaches the area she is in. He passes one more hanger and rounds the corner to find total chaos and smack dab in the middle of it is Johnson. She is yelling at several men, all of who are dressed totally in black and carrying very large guns. Judging by the fake pop up people and the explosions going off all around, he surmises he must have wondered into a training session. He walks towards her, never flinching even as explosions litter debris all over him. He dusts off his jacket as he approaches her. She sees him coming and freezes. She looks directly at him then draws her gun on him. Jack unaffected, continues to walk towards her. The men, who just moments ago were engaging in the obstacle firing course, all stop and turn their guns on him, forgetting they are not carrying live ammo. They begin to close in on him and Jack walks right up to her, the barrel of the gun just inches from his forehead.
"You know that will not stop me." He speaks very smugly.
"Yes but it will give you one hell of a headache, plus I feel safer keeping you at least arms length from me Captain. I don't know why you are here and frankly I don't care. I want nothing to do with you, wherever you go death seems to follow and I want no part of it. "
"Too late for that Johnson, you are already caught up in it." Jack smiles coyly.
"What have you done Captain?" She looks at him suspiciously.
"Why nothing Johnson, I just managed to get you a new job, working with the best organization in the country, and with the best looking boss ever, if I do say so myself." He looks at her, never cracking the slightest smile, but inside he's laughing hardily.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Put the gun down long enough for me to hand you this letter and you will find out." He nods towards them. "Send your men away so we can talk."
She still doesn't trust him but lowers her gun and orders her men to stand down. She explains to them she has everything under control even though she is positive everything is about to go to bleeding hell. They lower their weapons and walk away slowly, each of them gestures toward Jack that they are watching him.
"As I stated before, I want nothing to do with you Captain, death seems to be your closest friend."
"Is that so Agent Johnson? You seem to have recorded quite the list of dead yourself. How many people have you killed? If I am deaths best friend you must be his favorite sister." He speaks aggressively.
"I was ordered to do so to protect my country. I follow my orders, " sounding a bit more defensive than she intended.
He snidely replies."Yes I remember, Frobisher's pocket assassin, how handy that must have been."
Sounding indignant. "I am the leader of an elite task force, and I am nobody's assassin."
"You keep telling yourself that. I ask you again, how many people died by your hand personally?"
"I was just doing my job."
Scoffs. "Your job. Well I want you to know how efficient, determined and successful you are at it. You ruthlessly slaughter dozens of people, blindly follow orders, and somehow you manage to feel absolutely no sorrow for anything you have done. Totally guilt free, it isn't your fault you were just following orders."
Becoming extremely defensive. "I slaughter people and what about you Captain, how many people have died because of you, how many of your friends and family have YOU had to watch die." Feeling as if she just one upped him.
The last statement struck a chord with Jack, and he gets right up in her face inches away. His voice is full of anger. "You know nothing of what I have had to do. I sacrificed my grandson, I lost my lover, my friends are gone, just so the world could live. Do you know how that feels, what that is like? No. You don't because you have trained yourself to ignore such feelings and you choose to just blame it on orders. I have seen more death than you could ever imagine, yet I have probably prevented this worlds destruction more times than I can count. Now here I am standing before you swallowing my pride and ignoring my better judgement. I came here to give you a chance to make up for all the wrong you have done." He reaches inside his coat pocket removing an envelope and hands it to her. "YOU should take it. "
She looks at him confused. She takes the envelope and rotates is around. "This is the seal of the Prime Minister, what would he want with me?"
Clenching his jaw as he speaks. "Maybe you should open it up and find out."
She opens the letter and begins to read it out loud.
"From the desk of the Prime Minister
Agent Bryce Johnson
It has been brought to my attention that there is a need for your type of talent in the Torchwood organization. On the advice of my staff and because of an informal request from the Queen, you are hereby reassigned to Torchwood. You will be under the direct command of Captain Jack Harkness. This is to take effect immediately.
Sincerely,
Prime Minister.
She lowers her arm and yells at Jack. "How the bugger did you manage this Captain?"
He raises his eyebrows, a smile dances across his face."Was fairly simple actually. You see, I promised to have tea with the Queen, she was so excited she said she would grant me any request. So I just asked her."
"No, this can't be happening. Why would you want me to work for you?"
"As the letter stated, I have a need for your talent. Let me be honest. I don't like you but I need you, Torchwood needs you. I want my team members to be protected to have a safe work place. You seem to have the uncanny ability to break into almost anything. If Torchwood security can keep you out, I know it works. Also things with the rift have become extremely volatile so I need a weapons expert, someone I can trust to keep my team alive."
"So what you are telling me is Torchwood needs an assassin." She grins.
Sounding exasperated. "Yes, yes if that's what you want to hear, then yes."
"I still can't believe this is happening." She looks at the letter again. "I am so tempted to tell you where you can shove this letter but as you stated before I am trained to ignore things I don't like."
"You better believe it, this is all very real. We could stand around here chattering on about it but we do have a plane to catch so if you could quickly gather your gear we can get moving."
"A plane, where are we going?"
"To Africa of course." He says curtly.
She stands and stares, not knowing what to do.
"That's an order Agent Johnson, you do remember how to follow orders don't you?" A fake smile forms on his lips as he raises his eyebrows.
"Yes Sir, I do know how to follow orders, and if not for this piece of paper I'd just shoot you in the face and then call for a concrete truck." She smirks turns and jogs toward the barracks.
A few minutes later she returns, a duffle bag hung over the right shoulder resting on her back and another one hung over the left shoulder resting on her chest, and she is carrying two large bags, one in each hand. "I wasn't sure what I would need so I brought everything."
"I can see that."
"Where are we headed Sir?"
"That's a need to know basis, and right now all you need to know is Africa."
She pulls her gun from its holster and cocks it then points it at him. "Captain I can still call for that concrete truck, if you want my help you need to trust me."
"I will trust you to do your job but I suppose you should know what's going on. We will be searching for a doctor. I want him on my team." They begin walking.
She puts her gun away. "Where is he now?"
"Darfur."
"Then we will be encountering hostiles."
"Yes."
The two of them keep walking, Johnson thought again about the 456 incident. That was the first time she ever questioned her orders. She remembers his face from that day, the mixture of grief, turmoil, tenderness and excruciating pain and the feelings of total anguish and helplessness that she felt. She never wants to feel that way again. Unconsciously she checks the gun in her holster forming a tight grip on it. She would never tell him but she truly felt great respect and a sincere empathy for this man, though he is very dangerous, she is certain there will be times that he will be needed again.
Jack doesn't say much as they continue to walk towards the plane. Once they reach the stairs he turns to her and speaks. "You don't have to like me, but you do have to be able to follow my orders. Is this going to be a problem for you, if so then don't get on this plane."
"This paper," she taps on her shirt pocket where she has folded and stored it, "Says I am to comply with your instructions and this I will do." She thinks to herself, least till I can figure out how to get these orders reversed.
"Good then go and stow your gear and lets get this bucket of bolts in the air." He smiles on the outside, but inside he is fighting, with all his might, to stop the river of tears from flowing. She plucked a nerve earlier and he knows he must not show her any weakness. He swallows hard and enters the plane.
Okay for a bit of clarity here, when researching I found no first name for Johnson, so this one was taken from her real name. If I made a mistake and one exhists then let me know and I will correct this. Also if you would be kind enough to review, it would be very appreciated. The more feed back I get the better the story becomes. Thanks for reading!