Chapter 11
When the time came, Ianto Jones didn't worry anymore about proving his worth to the Front de Libération du Soleil Enchanté.
Rupert Humphrey, his semi-guard, so-called colleague and Marion McIntyre, the computer section chief who supervised his archiving Torchwood information brought him a Wednesday afternoon, three weeks after his 'recruitment' to Frazer's office.
A team of four was sat around the table in the plainly decorated office. Starch white walls, a map of the world on one side, a large video screen behind Frazer's chair, a videoconference set-up on the cheap large table and water bottles at every seating.
Ianto was introduced to the three men and one woman of the team; the same team that had following the trajectory of the large rock and had hunted Gwen and Owen.
They had not been affected when they had picked the largest part of the alien rock as they had been more prepared and had more underneath their hoodies and jeans, protective gears. But two scientists of the Front were at this very moment in the same comatose state as the Torchwood team members, and these two men had taken protective measures in their labs.
"So Jones, I hear you want Harkness?"
The leader sat in the only decent chair. He was short, round bordering of the obese. He had a slight accent when he spoke, yet nearly indefinable.
Ianto realized that being invited there; he could not shy away.
"Harkness can't die. I want him bury for all eternity; I want him to die forever. I want him to remember me forever as he wakes only to die again."
"Your bitterness is charming!" the young woman said. She had been introduced only as Charlie.
Ianto felt under a scrutiny he didn't enjoy. The team he would work with only had code names; yet they seem to know everything about him.
"McIntyre, you have something for us I think", asked Doggie, the leader of the team.
The elderly woman opened her briefcase and passed six folders around the table. The only one who didn't get one was Rupert.
Ianto went grey as ash. All the blue folders had his name stamped in large bold red letter on top.
"Jones, take a breath" Doggie smiled but didn't laughed at Ianto's discomfiture. "You don't expect us to work with you and not check you out. You're betraying Torchwood after all; what's to say, you won't do the same to us!"
Ianto looked around him. He didn't want to glare but didn't want to act cowardly either.
"I'm betraying no one. I said it before when you interrogated me, I'll say it again. I want Gwen and Owen cured. I want Tosh to be safe. I want Torchwood to continue its work. It's Harkness I want remove. Only him."
"Yet, you gave us access to everything about Torchwood?" Charlie was showing her antipathy, she did obviously not trust him.
The other two men remained silent. Ianto felt he would either pass or fail and it might be with those two men, not with Frazer or the leader Doggie.
"If you want to destroy the Hub, I'll go along. But Tosh mustn't be hurt and Gwen and Owen must be cured. They can rebuild Torchwood together. I don't care what you do to me after. It's Harkness, only Harkness I want." He took a breath. Short enough to seem genuine, long enough to make a point.
His eyes never left Charlie. His tone was calm.
"You can kill me afterward, doesn't matter to me. Gwen, Owen and Tosh must be safe. You can bury me with Harkness for all I care; he can revive to my putrefied remains"
His eyes wandered between the four team mates. His tone had risen. His anger flared and they all saw it.
Doogie shook his head toward Frazer; so did the other two men. At last, Charlie did too.
"If you try in any way to stop us when we attacked the Hub, we'll kill your friends. You'll get to watch them die." the tall blond man said very softly as he got up "My name is François".
As François extended his hand to Ianto, the other three got up.
"I'm Dennis" said Doogie.
"Jeanne" said Charlie.
"Welcome, Jones; I'm Ben. You work with us and yours friends will live"
The last one to get up was Frazer.
"You already know my name; you make this mission a success, you can have your own team in my group. If your Tosh wants to restart Torchwood, we'll let her. If she wants to work with us for a cure, I'll allow her"
"Marion, can you get us some dinner and drinks, please?"
With that, the leader of the Front shook Ianto Jones's hand.
"Welcome to the Front, Jones. Make sure I didn't misplace my trust!"
/*/*/**\*\*\
Ianto hadn't been left alone. He was given his own gun, cartridges; he was part of Dennis' team.
The attack on the Hub came at dawn.
Tosh and Jack were alone.
Ready.
Ianto was the first one to be shot, straight through the chest. One bullet. Jack had not even hesitated.
Tosh had fired a steady stream from her own guns, getting Ben and Dennis swiftly.
François fired, hiding behind Ben's lump form on the ground; he hit Jack's once, in the arm.
Jane surrendered quickly when two uniformed men took her by surprised. François was hit on the head abruptly by Rhys.
The surprise attack had been overturned in less than 10 minutes.
Jack, holding on this bleeding's arm, walked toward Ianto. He picked him up gently and carried him softly toward the main area of the Hub, sitting him on the couch. He touched his face and murmured "You did good, Ianto; you did good".
Tosh gestured to the two Units members to cuff the sleeping Front's members.
She went toward Owen's medical cabinet, retrieved a syringe and went to Ianto's sleeping form.
"Jack, can you remove his sleeve. I'll give him the injection; he'll wake up soon."
Rhys came toward Ianto. "Do you think he has the cure, Jack?"
"We'll know soon enough, Rhys. Soon enough!"
Jack left Ianto to Tosh's care; he should wake within the half-hour.
He waved to the lieutenant, as he left through the cog door. Units would deal with the Front,
"Let's get Gwen and Owen out of the storage; come help me Rhys".