One hundred and five steps later they reached the bottom. Ianto was amused by the heavy breathing behind him. The soldiers looked to be in good shape and had glanced at him apologetically as he tried to make polite conversation on the way down. He didn't envy them their assignment. Though they did look smart in those uniforms, he mused as he inserted his key into the lock by the hub door and made a show of typing in an access code. He could hear murmuring as the heavy door rolled back and the iron gates opened to reveal the Hub.

"Wow," one of the men behind him whispered as they stepped into the central area of the hub. Ianto covertly watched their reactions as they fanned out on the platform and looked around.

"Welcome to Torchwood Cardiff. Please walk this way." Ianto led them around the water tower and towards the entrance which would lead them down to the board room. A loud screech could be heard overhead and the whole UNIT team ducked reflexively. They stayed down as the flapping of leathery wings swooped down before lifting away from them.

"What… the Hell is that?" The general shouted as he looked up.

"A Pterodactyl, sir" Ianto responded politely. One of the soldiers closest to him noticed he had a slight smile on his face as he took in their squatted positions on the platform. The major, who had risen after seeing that Ianto was unperturbed, swept a speculative glance about the area. Ianto stared at him for a moment, finally placing the man's face.

"A what?" The general spluttered as he looked up again at the shadowy figure high above them.

"A Pterodactyl. Well, technically a Pteranodon. " Ianto repeated, the amusement clear in his voice. "Think of her as Torchwood's pet."

"You turned a dinosaur into a pet?" One of the aides gasped in awe. She was a petite woman and barely came up to the general's shoulder, but so far she was the only one other than the major not to show abject fear at the sight above them.

"That would be an incorrect nomenclature. Myfanwy is a Pterosaur, which is different from Dinosauria species," Ianto replied. He still had his hand extended to point them on their way. The group ducked again as Myfanwy swooped down upon them again. "We should move on. She hasn't been fed today."

Ianto had to turn away to hide his grin as he saw several of the soldiers visible flinch at his comment. The group moved swiftly along behind him, glancing nervously upwards. Ianto was pleased that Myfanwy had proved enough of a distraction that they didn't look too closely at the interior as they moved along behind him.

He found the aide had moved up to the front, following closely. "What does one feed a pterodactyl, sir?" she asked as she glanced back for another look before they passed out of view. Ianto had to suppress laughter as he heard one of the soldiers mumble something about feeding it anything it wanted.

"I like to give her a mixed diet. It's difficult since none of the fauna she would normally eat exists in this time frame," Ianto replied. "Mostly fish and meat, though she's rather fond of chocolate as well." They passed through the archway, looking about as they followed Ianto. The Torchwood facility was an odd mix of centuries old architecture and modern technology. They weren't able to see too much, however, since Ianto hustled them along to their destination.

The major trailed behind, scanning as much as he could without trying to be too obvious. He suspected that Jones was taking them on a roundabout route in an effort to confuse them. On the other hand, their knowledge of the Torchwood facilities was spotty, and it was obviously a warren of tunnels that stretched out under the city. He could see that the general was growing impatient. Why MacMillan thought Maddock was the one to send was anyone's guess, he mused. He was just glad he was able to insert himself on the team. With luck, he may be able to salvage something from this disaster.

Ianto pressed a button on the wall and a door slid back to reveal a richly appointed boardroom. The dark wood interior was a striking contrast to the stone walls of the tunnels that they had been walking through up to now. He indicated the doorway with one hand, silently inviting them to precede him into the room.

Jack stood with his arms crossed at the head of the table, watching impassively as they filed in, his eyes flicking from face to face. They narrowed dangerously as he took in the general before moving on to the next man who walked through the door. They were followed by two soldiers, who took positions on either side of the doorway. Gwen stood beside him, unconsciously mimicking his pose as she coolly scanned the group.

"Captain," Ianto said as the door closed behind the group, effectively shutting them in. "May I introduce General Grant Maddock and Major Stanley Seales." Both men twitched at having been identified so easily. Stan Seales stared at him for a moment before giving Ianto a nod of acknowledgment. They had been put on notice that Torchwood was prepared no matter what the surprise, and had good access to the latest intelligence about UNIT. "Gentlemen, Captain Harkness and Agent Cooper. Please, be seated," he said, indicating the chairs in front of them.

The two men sat at the table, followed by the two aides, leaving the soldiers standing at attention, two by the door while the other two took up positions behind the general.