Chapter 2
As Ianto cut the connection he looked over to Owen who was looking up at him – a frown of concern etched into his face. Gwen, now fully conscious, was leaning heavily against Toshiko, who was sitting with her back against the wall as she too tried to compose herself.
"What was all that about?" Owen asked, his frown turning into an irritated scowl. He was tired… no, not tired… he was downright exhausted!
He'd been shot – he should have been resting…
Instead he was having to track down the crazed lunatic of a man he'd only discovered the existence of a few hours before, having to clean up the trail of devastation he'd left in his wake...
Two of his four colleagues had already suffered at the hands of Captain John Hart; one beaten, and the other poisoned… and now his Captain had gone missing… again!
Jack was beginning to make quite a habit of this, he thought angrily to himself.
It was then that he caught sight of Ianto's expression however – his face unusually pale, there was an anxious look upon his face, and his tone immediately softened.
"…Ianto?" He pressed him.
"That was Jack…" Ianto explained. "I think he's in trouble!"
Gwen gasped, and both men turned to see that Toshiko was already carefully helping her feet. The young woman turned to look at Ianto.
"What sort of trouble?" Owen asked.
"John pushed him off the roof of the office building…" Ianto explained. "I don't know exactly what happened… Jack didn't tell me… but… I think he's really hurt… he sounded in a bad way when I spoke to him just now!"
Owen scoffed – they were all now aware of Jack's condition – his weirdly wonderful ability to heal himself and his apparent total inability to die. In all the years Owen had known him he'd rarely found himself in need of medical attention.
"Come on, this is Jack we're talking about…" He shook his head.
"He landed with his back on a bench!" Ianto told them, undeterred by Owen's apparent lack of concern. "He says that he can't move Owen… he's in too much pain! There was a weakness in his voice…
You're right, this is Jack we're talking about… and you don't forget about it when you hear a man barely clinging onto consciousness! Believe me this is bad!"
Owen's tired eyes bored into Ianto's – observing the frightened look within. He was pleading with him silently, and he couldn't just ignore the genuine nature of the situation.
"Oh shit!" He cursed as he picked up the medical bag containing the anti-toxin kit beside him. Toshiko grabbed her laptop case, and the small group started running from the storage container where they'd found Gwen, and back out to the SUV.
"Where is he now?" Owen panted as they ran. The two women trailed along behind.
"Still at the office buildings." Ianto explained.
"Fucking shit!" The young doctor growled as all four finally reached the SUV. Ianto, the only one amongst them in any condition to drive, leapt into the driver's seat, whilst Owen seated himself in the front passenger seat beside him. "Some evening this is turning out to be!" He muttered as he buckled himself in for the short drive ahead.