Chapter Twenty-Seven

In the compound Pete Tyler had selected to house Torchwood Four, in Pete Tyler's office, behind Pete Tyler's desk sat Harrison Keeling. As head of UNIT, he could have had his pick of offices to choose from. President Greene had offered him an office in Whitehall, in Westminster, even at Downing Street itself. But there was a certain poetic justice in taking Pete Tyler's office.

Tyler was the one who stood in his way in finding the Doctor; despite Keeling's earlier bravado, he knew that the Doctor knew too much about their organization, even if he didn't realize it yet. With Pete Tyler out of the way, they were one step closer to having that threat eliminated.

Tyler was also the one who had taken down the GBF years earlier. Keeling had never forgiven him for that: for the destruction of the organization Keeling had helped to build, and for the years he had had to spend trying to rebuild it.

And of course, with having an office at Torchwood, there was the additional appeal of having Torchwood's resources literally at his fingertips.

And Harrison Keeling particularly loved the fact that several floors below him, in a cell in the sub-basement of the organization he formerly ran, sat Pete Tyler himself.

But Keeling wasn't a fool. He was taking the office at Downing Street as well.

When he had first taken over the office, he had curled his lip in disgust at its cold, industrial shelving, its concrete block walls painted an industrial green, and its government issued metal desk and uncomfortable desk chair. The room was small, crowded and ugly. He couldn't believe that a man as wealthy as Tyler reportedly was would spend so much time working at a government job and in such an unpleasant office. If he was going to spend any amount of time here, he'd have to knock out a wall, upgrade the furniture, put in a private toilet, he had thought. For he had decided after he had arrested Pete Tyler that he would not hire a replacement for him. Instead, he himself would do double duty as both head of UNIT and Director of Torchwood.

Now, across the desk from him sat the man that had made all of this possible, who had cleaned up after the mess Lisa Hallett had made, who had aided her escape and caused her amnesia and who had arranged for the break-in at Pete Tyler's mansion. He had also coordinated with other members of the GBF who worked for Torchwood for the theft of alien technology as well as Lisa Hallett's computers.

"Do you really think it is wise having me here?"

"Why not?" Keeling asked. "I'm in charge of UNIT, I'm in charge of Torchwood, and with the arrest of the heads of all the various departments here, there is no one to oppose me. You have been given full access to this facility; you can even have your old job back if you'd like."

The other man snorted. "Not bloody likely."

"Suit yourself."

"Why did you have everyone arrested?"

"I figured it would be easier to convince Greene that the entire Torchwood organization was bad than it would be for me to try and figure out who was still loyal to Tyler and who wasn't." Keeling shrugged. "Greene was more than willing to believe that Torchwood was trying to take over the planet."

"Well, if it wasn't before, it is now," the other man said dryly.

Keeling chuckled. "Anyway, while you're here I'd like you to conduct some interrogations. Find out how much our organization has been exposed by Jake Simmond's discoveries and to whom."

"I thought blowing up Torchwood Two would clean up that mess."

"Only in part. By blowing it up, we've destroyed all the evidence as well."

"Did they find anything at the mansion?"

Keeling shook his head. "They are still searching it to see if Tyler left any indication where the Doctor and Rose Tyler are, but so far they haven't found anything. The safe was cleaned out, though, so somehow someone knew we were coming and managed to warn Tyler's wife."

Keeling reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a familiar padded envelope. It was the same envelope he had been given after the initial break-in of the mansion. "You know what this is. I need you to commune with our brothers, remind yourself why what we are doing is so important, and keep it on your person until you see me again."

The other man nodded and then stood up to leave.

"Don't forget," Keeling said. "There's a meeting of the heads of the European Alliance tonight at Number 10. I expect you to be there, with that."

He nodded again. As he left, a tall, thin woman Keeling vaguely recognized from GBF meetings appeared in the doorway. Her tailored suit and the severe bun that her dark hair was pulled into made her look at least a decade older than her actual age.

"Director Keeling?" she said. "My name's Darla Henning. I'm the forensic accountant working on the Tyler case."

"Oh, yes," he said. "Please, come in." He gestured at a chair across the desk from his.

"Thank you very much, sir." She handed him a folder from her briefcase before sitting down. "That is the preliminary report you requested on Peter Tyler's finances, both personal and through Vitex. Most of his personal spending is what you would expect, food, power, staff, etc., but one item was unusual. It is a weekly cash transfer to a numbered account in a bank in Wales."

"Really?" He glanced through the report in front of him.

"Now we haven't finished investigating Vitex's expenditures either, however we did find one interesting thing purchased a little over a month ago. It was a deluxe flat in Cardiff overlooking the bay. I don't know what you were looking for, but those two things put together, the unexplained money transfers and the purchase of a flat, usually add up to keeping a mistress."

He looked up from the report and slowly smiled. "Not in this case." He stood and shook her hand. "Thank you very much. Thank you very, very much. And let me know immediately when you find out anything else."

After she left, he pulled out his mobile.

"They're in Cardiff. Undoubtedly working for Torchwood Three. Send some troops out to pick them up."

~oOo~

Sitting behind her desk in her office at what was now UNIT headquarters, General Winifred Bambera hung up the receiver and stared thoughtfully at the phone in front of her. Standing at the other side of the desk was her aide de camp, Captain Erisa Magambo.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" she asked.

"I don't like this, Captain," Bambera answered, shaking her head. "Director Tyler of Torchwood was arrested this morning on charges of treason. I know Pete Tyler – actually worked with him during the Cyberman business. I'd sooner believe that I was a traitor than he is. And now there are warrants for Rose Tyler and her boyfriend, as well as the entire staff of Torchwood Three, apparently. But what really puzzles me is the warrant for Jackie Tyler. That one doesn't make any sense." She pursed her lips, puzzling over the situation. Then, decision made, she looked up at her assistant.

"Magambo, I want you to go to Cardiff and personally head up the investigation. Find out what the hell's going on."

"And then?"

"And then report directly to me. You're dismissed."

Magambo saluted and turned to leave, and then the General stopped her.

"Oh, and Captain, send Captain Price in here. If you are going to Wales, we need someone to find out what's going on in Torchwood Four."

"Yes, ma'am."

~oOo~

At Toshiko's instructions, Rose pulled out of the car park and headed north. Traffic was backed up both heading into the city and towards the airport, but as she was going neither direction, within minutes the road opened up in front of her. Relieved to finally be driving away from the chaos that was London, she put on some speed.

She glanced in her rearview mirror at Tony. Like many small children, he usually fell asleep while riding in a car, and this time was no different. He looked incredibly uncomfortable; his head had fallen to one side and was resting on his shoulder in a position only possible for the very young. She felt a wave of love for her little brother. He was the reason she needed to be careful, she reminded herself. If nothing else, she needed to get him to safety.

Following Toshiko's instructions, they drove without stopping through suburbs and smaller towns. She directed Rose along little known roads, side streets, and through car parks in order to avoid being spotted. Finally, after an hour in the car, they entered the countryside. The area was quiet and in other circumstances would have been enjoyable. There were tall trees and bushes on either side of them, shading the roadway and essentially blocking the view to the nearby farmland and pastures. Since the area was relatively unpopulated, they drove for miles without seeing any other vehicles. And for the first time since breakfast, Rose began to relax.

Her earpiece had been irritating the inside of her ear, so she had removed it and had switched her mobile to the speakerphone. Still, her mobile had been quiet so long that she was startled when she heard Tosh's voice come through the speaker.

"Okay, Rose, there's a police car headed your way, around a bend in the road approximately a quarter mile ahead of you," she said. "Make sure you don't do anything to draw attention to yourself."

Rose and her mother exchanged glances.

"Rose," Jackie said, "your speed."

She looked down at her speedometer and, mindful of her brother in the backseat, she bit off a curse. Her mother was right. In her desire to get them home quickly, she was actually speeding. She might as well have put a sign in the window of the car saying "Pull me over". Kicking herself for her carelessness, she slowed down.

Ahead of them, they saw the police car round the bend and drive towards them. As it passed, it slowed down and the two officers in the vehicle stared at them. To their relief, the car continued on while Rose rounded the curve in the road. Once the police car was out of sight, Jackie took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"That was too close, Tosh," Rose said.

"Rose," Tosh said urgently, "they're turning around. There's a driveway on your right in forty feet. It leads to what looks like a barn and some other outbuildings. Duck in there and pull around to the far side of the barn."

"Tosh, I don't see it."

"It's there. I can see it on my screen. You should be right on top of it."

"I still don't…" Rose started as she slowed down to a crawl and stared at the tall shrubbery that lined the road. All at once she saw a narrow break in the bushes.

"Oh, there it is," she said in relief. The entrance to the driveway obviously hadn't been used in quite a while. The branches had grown to as narrow as three feet apart in some places, and tall weeds covered the path. Rose turned sharply into the drive; the branches scratched the windows and doors of the car as they passed through the overgrown hedges.

"Good," Toshiko responded. "Once you're there, turn off the motor. I'll let you know when you're clear."

They passed several outbuildings, a shed that was on the verge of falling down and what looked like an ancient chicken coop before reaching an old, stone barn. She pulled up to it and parked.

"Tosh, how close are they?" she said quietly.

"They drove past you and are about a mile down the road. They've slowed way down; they're obviously looking for you." Rose heard a sharp intake of breath. "Oh, now they're turning around again."

Rose looked over at her mother. Jackie was biting her lip nervously.

"Tosh, I'll have to call you back," she said and rang off. She then turned to Jackie. "We're going to have to hide the car. I'm gonna get out and see if I can get the barn door open."

Jackie nodded as Rose got out and walked up to the barn. Although it was old, the doors looked sturdy and were chained shut with a large padlock securing them. She rushed back to her mother, opened the passenger side door and held out her hand.

"Mum, I need one of your hair slides. And then get into the driver's seat and get ready to pull into the barn."

"What…" she began as she slid into the other seat.

"Don't argue. Just give me one."

Jackie pulled one out of her hair. "Do you need the band too?" she asked, letting her hair down from its typical ponytail.

"No, just the slide," she answered and rushed back to the lock. Muttering a prayer that she could do this quickly enough, she managed to pick the lock in record time and rushed to open the doors. Jackie pulled in and Rose closed the door behind her. She hurriedly chained the door and locked it again, then walked around the building. Damn, she thought. She couldn't see any way to get in. No holes in the foundation to crawl through, no broken windows to climb through.

She could hear the sound of a motor in the distance. Heart racing, she glanced around her. Despite the rundown condition of the buildings, everything looked locked up tight.

Except the chicken coop, she thought.

She ran back to it. The fence surrounding it was also locked, but it wasn't that high. Six, maybe seven feet up. Not too bad, she thought. She could make it. As the sound of the engine grew nearer, she backed up and ran for the fence. She caught the top, pulled herself over and dropped to the ground on the other side. Then she crawled into the coop.

Inside the barn, Jackie heard a vehicle pull up and people get out. As car doors closed, Tony started to wake up.

"Are we there yet?" he asked, yawning.

"Shhh," Jackie whispered, putting a finger to her lips. "Not yet. And we have to keep quiet again; we're still playing Torchwood agents."

Tony nodded.

From her spot in the coop, Rose peeked out through a narrow opening between the boards that made up one of the walls and saw one of the officers rattle the lock on the barn. "They couldn't be in here," he said. His voice carried in the still air. "And the other buildings are too small to hide a car."

"Well, if they aren't here, where could they be?" the other asked.

"I dunno," he answered. "We must have missed them somehow. Are you sure it was them?"

Rose saw the other officer shake his head. "They matched the description of Jackie and Rose Tyler, but I couldn't swear it was them."

The first officer looked around, and then sighed deeply. "Well, they're certainly not here. Let's head out. Maybe we just missed them on the road somehow."

Rose waited for several minutes after the car pulled away before emerging from the coop. She made a face of disgust as she looked down at herself. Filthy, she thought. She brushed off her clothes and climbed back over the fence. Then she went and unlocked the barn. Her mother sighed in relief when she saw her.

"Oh, Rose, I was so worried!" she exclaimed.

"For a minute there, so was I," she told her with a small smile. "But we're okay now. We've got to sit tight for a bit, and then we can head out again. But first, I need to call Tosh back."

Later, Toshiko led them on a circuitous route through the English countryside.

"Go about five miles on the road you are on, then take a left, go for half a mile, then take a right, followed by a left and then another right. That will take you down a couple of unpaved service roads that aren't on the map, but it will allow you to avoid a checkpoint they've set up ahead of you."

"Rose, there are several police cars patrolling near you. Take a sharp left at the gate to the national forest. Drive about a mile, then turn left. That will take you to the south entrance. When you head out the other side, turn right, take the second left, then take another right. That will put you on a paved road headed west."

"Okay, all the checkpoints in England are behind you. You're going to head into northern Wales on a small road that parallels the A40 near Gloucester. Once you're in Wales, it should be clear sailing to Cardiff, since they haven't begun to put up any checkpoints here other than the ones on the motorways."

"Thanks, Tosh," Rose said.

"Don't thank me until you're here," she replied.

~oOo~

"So where's Tosh?" Gwen said, looking around the living room. She had already claimed her spot on a recliner near the telly, while Owen had taken over the sofa and Ianto had pulled a chair in from the kitchen. The Doctor, meanwhile, was pacing about the room, a bundle of energy without a different outlet.

"Out in my workshop on my computer," he said. "We'll brief her when she's done out there."

"Do we know how soon Rose is going to get back?" she asked. She saw a shadow briefly cross the Doctor's face.

"No," he said quietly. Then he gave them a bright grin, one they all knew was false, and clapped his hands together. "Right. Now what we need to do is figure out what's going on and develop a plan about what to do about it." He grimaced as he mentioned making a plan.

"Let's start with Pete's arrest," he continued. "What do we know?"

"Nothing more than I already told you," Ianto answered. "He's been arrested and is being charged with treason."

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Do we know where he's being held?"

"Not yet," he answered.

The Doctor sighed loudly. "Alright, what else?"

"There are warrants out for you, Rose and Jackie."

"Why Jackie?" the Doctor asked incredulously. "She can't possibly be a threat to anyone."

"I'm sure it's to put pressure on Director Tyler," Gwen interjected. "But I think it'll backfire. I know if someone were to threaten Rhys, I'd take them down rather than give in to them."

"Where is Rhys anyway?"

"Stuck behind a checkpoint on the road. The Severn Bridge checkpoint is searching every truck that passes over the bridge in either direction. He's still hoping to get here."

"I hope he makes sure he isn't followed," Owen said. "Last thing we need is for him to lead them directly to us."

"He's not stupid, Owen," she returned angrily.

"Coulda fooled me," he said under his breath.

Gwen glared at him. "You should be thankful I can't get out of this chair quickly."

"Please," the Doctor said, grimacing. "Let's stop fighting with each other and save it for whoever is in charge of this business. Getting back on topic, what about Brian Greene?"

"Career politician," Ianto answered. "Came onto the scene about two decades ago. Made his way up the ranks from local politics through Congress and now the presidency. Opposed Lumic and supported Torchwood's fight against the Cybermen. Not known for extreme political views."

"And yet he has instigated this mass registration," the Doctor said. "Owen, have you learned anything more about the registrations?"

Torchwood's doctor shook his head. "They're about done on that front. A few isolated areas have yet to be completed. Still not entirely sure what they're looking for, but they are looking for something. I'd bet my life on it."

"What about you, Gwen?" the Doctor asked.

"I know someone in the police force up in Glasgow," she answered. "The Pub is a total loss. They are still calling it a gas main explosion, but privately they suspect arson. They're thinking rioters. He said he'd call if he had any more information."

"It's too big a coincidence to be rioters," the Doctor said. "And no one's heard from Jake yet?"

They all shook their heads grimly.

"And Jake was working on the break-in at the mansion," he continued. "And Pete's office at the mansion was bugged with alien technology from Torchwood. It's all connected, but how? What are we missing?" He groaned in frustration. "If Pete's been arrested and Jake is missing, who's in charge of Torchwood?"

"A man by the name of Harrison Keeling," Ianto answered. "He's been put in charge of UNIT and, by extension, Torchwood as well."

"Harrison Keeling? Why is that name so familiar?" the Doctor asked. He pounded his head with the heel of his hand. "Think, think, think! Oh! I remember. Pete said something about the GBF funding Brian Greene's campaign and that the head of the GBF was Harrison Keeling."

"He heads the GBF?" Ianto asked. "Are you certain?"

"That's what Pete said. Why?"

"Because Lisa was a member of the GBF."

"Lisa was involved with the GBF?" the Doctor asked in astonishment. Ianto nodded.

"She wasn't a member of the leadership or anything, but she was involved with them. We fought about it all the time."

"Why is that important?" Gwen asked.

"Because Lisa Hallett managed to get out of Torchwood Four unseen twice," the Doctor said. "Once when she kidnapped Rose, and once after she had been captured. We wondered how she could have done it by herself without being seen, but it would have been much easier if someone helped her. And then when we add in the fact that the bugs planted in Pete's office in the mansion were from Torchwood, and that Jake was investigating the break-in, it all points to a traitor in Torchwood who also may be connected to the GBF. We just don't know who the traitor is."

"Why don't we just interrogate her?" Gwen suggested.

"Wouldn't work," Ianto said. "She doesn't remember anything that has happened in the last five years."

Before they could continue, Gwen's mobile began ringing and she dug it out of her pocket.

"Hello?" As she listened, her face visibly blanched and she disconnected without saying anything. She stared in front of her in shock.

"Gwen, what is it? Is it Rhys?" Ianto asked.

She shook her head numbly and turned to him.

"That was my contact in the Glasgow Police Department. They found a body in the wreckage. It was too badly burned to be recognized, but they think it was Jake."