Chapter fifteen: Teamwork

"Ianto, Owen, we're on our way. How are things looking at the slaughterhouse?" Jack questioned as they bounced along the dirt road. "Are you in position?"

Yes, it's all quiet here.

"You should be here in the SUV." Gwen said with a laugh. "It's been as still as a tomb since Jack said a bit too much."

There's a deserted access road to the side. We won't get noticed. I'll direct you in. Ianto paused before asking. Do we want to know why the ride here was as still as a tomb?

"No!" Jackie's voice came out as a roar and she bit her lip before stating calmly. "No, we don't."

Ianto was silent for a moment before shrugging it off. Ok.

"Ianto," Jack informed him. "nearly there."

Take the second turning, park on the left. Ianto instructed. No one will see the car there.

Jack parked the car and then reached for her hand. Her reaction was to pull it free, causing him to exhale. "Hate it when you're like this."

"And I hate it when you make me like this!" She huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest and looked out the window. "Honestly!"

He reached out and brushed a strand of hair back from her face. "I'm sorry." He pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Forgive me."

Her strict face wobbled. "Maybe. But we're on a mission right now."

"I'm multi-tasking." He grinned at her. "Come on."

And with that, Jack grabbed a hold of her neck, pulled her sideways, so her head was in his lap and kissed her. Jack was lucky her dancing skills made her very flexible, any other woman would be screaming in pain at this odd shape. Jackie shook her head as she gently stroked his cheek with the back of her hand before pushing him away and sitting back up again.

There's a main entrance at the front. Ianto's voice caused them to focus back on the mission. It's the only one open. The rest are padlocked and alarmed.

"How many are in there?" Jack questioned.

"It's difficult to tell," Owen said. "there are no windows."

I've got blueprints of the warehouse. Tosh said from the hub, where she'd opted to stay behind this round. The stock has to be in the central area. Having fun?

"You don't know what you're missing." Ianto teased dryly.

"According to the sensor," Owen said. "there's a heat signature across the entire building."

"That's a lot of meat." Gwen said somewhat suspiciously.

Jackie frowned. "It couldn't be a whale, could it?"

"I doubt it, a whale would need water and the texture of the meat wasn't consistent with a whale. You two take the sides, Jackie, Gwen and I will go in the front. We don't want any casualties. We stun gun whoever's in there and put a stop to what they're doing." Jack glanced towards her. "Let's go."

They got out of the SUV and a wave of numb, yet agonized, pain washed over her. She gasped and clutched her heart. "Jack."

He turned towards her. "What is it?"

She stared at him. "Something…is being tortured. I don't know what."

He grabbed her elbow. "Hang onto me. If it becomes too much, head back to the SUV. Promise?" she bobbed her head in agreement. They headed towards the front, when Jack paused. "There's someone there."

Jackie peered around Jack's shoulder while Gwen stepped in front of him. "It's Rhys. It's Rhys," Gwen stammered out in shock. Jackie was taken aback for a moment. "What's he doing?"

"I've no idea." A car with a blue spread eagle painted on the hood pulls up next to Rhys. "He called you a moment ago; he could have been following us."

"And none of us noticed him, especially you?" Jack shook his head. "He must be in on it."

"Never." Gwen shook her head in strong denial. "No."

"How else do you explain that?" Jack questioned before turning on his comm. "Ianto, Owen, stand down. Repeat, stand down."

Gwen turned to Jackie. "He told me he didn't know what was going on. He wouldn't lie to me."

"He also said he didn't know where they were based," Jack pointed out firmly. "but he did."

"There's something wrong." Gwen suddenly bolted for the entrance. "There has to be."

"Gwen," Jack bolted for her. "no. No." he caught her and gripping her by her wrists, forced her against the wall. "No!"

"I just have to get him out." Gwen pleaded.

"What, by charging in there?" Jack demanded. "What then? You gonna knock him out?" Gwen's grip slowly relaxed as Jack's words started sinking in. "You can't just go in there. You have to do as I say." Jack pulled away and looked towards the entrance. "We wait until he comes out."

Jackie stepped towards Gwen. "I'll monitor him. I can't sense anything but nervousness, on his part." She arched a brow at Jack. "Unusual for someone who you're supposedly business partners with."

Jack offered no comments, nor did she offer anymore. Then a few minutes later, Rhys must have been near who, or whatever was in pain, because it intensified. She gasped as words began to translate in her head. Kill me! Just kill me! The words were almost scrambled as they were slightly slurred, but the plea for death was like a blow to the heart for her.

Jackie stepped away from them and cut off all sensors for a moment. She gasped and looked towards Gwen and Jack. "Whatever is in there, it is being inhumanely drugged and tortured."

Jack stepped towards her. "Do you know what it is yet?"

She shook her head. "No, not directly, it's not human, what it's feeling…it's horrible."

Jack wrapped his arms around her and held her for ten more minutes, and then Rhys came out of the warehouse. They stood there as Rhys shook hands with the man who'd met him outside. Gwen shakes her head as she whispers. "I don't get it." all they can do is stand there and watch as Rhys gets into his car and drives away.

"Come on," Jack says as he takes a hold of Gwen's arm. "let's go. Owen, Ianto, head back to the base. We'll meet you there."

"Drop me off at Rhys's flat." Gwen says tightly. "I'm going to have a talk with him."

Jack shrugs. "Alright."

Jackie clears her throat. "Try not to explode all over Rhys Gwen. After all, just because he was at the scene of the crime, that doesn't make him guilty."

"Nor, does it make him innocent." Gwen snaps. "He shouldn't have been there at all!"

"Gwen," Jackie reminds her. "you're marrying Rhys. You know him and you know that he isn't involved in this."

"Don't bet on it." Jack stated. "Anything can turn a good man into a sour one. Sex, love, hate, and money are the four petty, yet, most common excuses."

An hour later, back at the hub,

Jackie smiled at her message from Gwen. Bringing Rhys to Torchwood. you were right, he knows nothing and he wants to help us. Be there soon. I've got so much to share with him now that he knows.

"Good news?" Jack questioned as he stood next to her on the rail, looking down at everyone who was enjoying his or her 'alcohol' hour. Everyone got a drink and met do

Jackie bobbed her head. "Yes. Gwen's bringing Rhys here to meet us. No, he isn't involved and she's telling him everything."

Everyone sat there in silence. "Well, this is unprecedented." Ianto commented as he lifted up his bottle of ginger ale to his mouth. "The fiancé finding out."

Jackie smiled as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. "I think it's wonderful. She's treated Rhys rather badly since she joined Torchwood. He's a good man and didn't deserve such treatment."

Ianto shrugged. "Maybe."

"No need to sound so upset." Owen said dryly

"Mainly because we're all sad and single." Tosh supplied with a hint of a laugh at the end of her voice, which didn't really hide the note of longing at the end of her voice.

"Speak for yourself." Owen said as he set down his bottle ale. "I am better off without all that kind of hassle."

Tosh glanced up at Jackie, biting her lip before stating casually. "Maybe the answer is to go out with someone who knows what you do."

"Look around you, Tosh." Owen said with a slight sneer in his voice. "Only we know what we do."

Unable to stand it any longer Jackie snapped. "Oh for God's sake, Owen, why don't you take Tosh out on a date and do all of us a big favor?"

Tosh dropped her glass of wine in horror and Owen stared at her in shock. "What?"

"Ok," Ianto said as he tugged at his tie. "that joke bounced Jackie."

"I'm dead serious." She crossed her hands and leaned against the rail. "If anyone's a perfect couple, it's you two." She held Owen's gaze. "One date isn't going to kill either of you and since you both work together, you've seen each other at your worst."

"Jackie's right." Jack said by her side. "In fact, it's a brilliant idea."

Owen shook his head. "You can't be serious."

"Have you got anything against Tosh, Owen?" Owen numbly shook his head and Jack grinned. "Thought not. You two can have tomorrow night off, go out and do something and that's an order." Jack stood up and went into the hot house. "Who knows? It might even be fun!" He cleared his throat. "Jackie, come in here for a minute, I want to show you this particular flower."

"Right sure." She stepped into the hothouse room and closed the door. She then smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Where do you want me?"

He arched a brow. "what makes you think that I wanted you anywhere?"

She stepped towards him and placed her hands on his hips. "I know that look….and you know, that I know every plant in this room."

He stared down at her. "Remind me to test that theory sometime."

She released an Eartha Kitt Catwoman style growl in the back of her throat as he leaned forward to kiss her.

Thirty minutes later,

Jackie smoothed her skirt down one more time and patted her hair. She made a face as she pulled yet, another leaf out of her hair. Jack took her hand as they walked out of the hot house towards the lowering lift. "Don't even bother. You look as if you've been completely shagged and everyone knows it."

She glowers at him. "Oh, you!"

He laughed at her before looking upwards at the approaching lift. "Wow!" Gwen laughed at the amazement in Rhys's voice. "Who'd have thought this was here?" at that moment, he pterodactyl glides over their heads. "Oh!" Jackie grinned at Rhys's reaction, it was contagious. "That looked so real."

"It was real." Gwen said with a laugh.

"They're extinct, Gwen." Rhys said in a dead, sober voice.

"In your timeline," Jack said as he approached them. "yes."

"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack and Jackie said in unison.

Jack glowered at her and she smirked. "Sorry, I couldn't resist it. It's your favorite pickup line."

"Jackie?" Rhys's eyes bulged as he stared at her in amazement. "You can talk?"

"Yes." She stepped forward and hugged him. "Jack bought me a piece of alien technology that repaired my vocal chords. I'm glad you know finally."

"Yeah." He gazed around. "This is…amazing."

Jack extended his hand to Rhys. "Thanks for dropping in, Rhys."

"This is the rest of the team." Gwen said as she stepped off the lift and gestured towards each person. "Owen and Toshiko, Ianto."

"Pleased to meet you." Rhys said with a bit of cheerfulness to his voice that she hadn't heard in a long time.

"Welcome to our headquarters."

"It's a bit bigger than mine." Rhys said, earning a laugh from everyone. "So, Gwen tells me you catch aliens."

"That's right." Jack says with a head bob of his own.

"There's a Rift through space and time runs through Cardiff, Rhys," Owen explained quickly. "and stuff slips in from other timelines and planets, and it's our job to monitor it."

Rhys glanced at all of them before stepping off the lift to ask Gwen. "Are you sure they're not some kind of weird cult?"

"You saw that alien in the warehouse." Gwen replied, giving him a nudge. "Go on."

"What did you see?" Jack questioned as he stepped forward.

"It was like this huge, shapeless beast, filling the space," Rhys described. "like a mound of flesh."

"So it's one massive entity," Tosh questioned. "as opposed to several organisms?"

Rhys shrugged as Owen spoke. "The latest tests reveal high levels of chloride, so it probably lives in the water. I reckon it came through the Rift, into the sea and it's beached itself."

"Like a giant alien manatee," Jack surmised. "or, as Jackie thought, whale."

"But how did they get it there?" Ianto questioned. "That warehouse must be fifty meters long."

"Maybe it was smaller when they found it," Rhys suggested. "because they said it's growing."

Jackie's senses went on alert as Jack asked. "It's not dead?"

"No, it's breathing." Rhys confirmed. "Its eye opened."

"Oh God." Jackie breathed quietly.

"So the protein chains regenerate despite the mutilation." Owen said. "So not only is it replenishing its own flesh but it's increasing it, giving them a brand new meat supply."

"It could last them for years, then." Tosh pointed out. "If we understood how it worked, we could feed the world."

Jackie's eyes widened in horror at Tosh's words. "We could release a single." Ianto deadpanned.

"Before we get ahead of ourselves, we're talking about dodgy pies in Merthyr, okay? And the fact that they're cutting it up alive," Jack placed his hand on her shoulder as he turned to Rhys. "which we could have put a stop to already if it wasn't for you."

"Jack." Jackie said with a warning.

"I thought my fiancée was in danger." Rhys explained.

"Well, Mr. Caveman," Jack sneered as he walked up to Rhys. "she wasn't. She can handle herself."

"Jack." Gwen said, warning him to knock it off.

"All you did tonight was mess things up." Jackie rolled her eyes in exasperation Now we have to think of a way to get back in and, thanks to you," Jack jabbed an angry finger in Rhys's chest. "they'll have tightened security!"

"Well, if you stopped," Rhys snapped, causing Jack to turn back and face him. "and asked me exactly what I saw in there, instead of showing off around the place."

Jack's eyes widened and he turned towards Ianto. "Do I show off?"

Ianto shrugged. "Just a bit."

"All the time and without a doubt." Jackie stated. "I think your middle name is 'show off' sometimes." She tilted her head to the side. "Why'd you ask Ianto as opposed to your wife? Never mind, I know, you didn't want to hear the truth."

Rhys stepped towards Jack, in the middle of one of his 'rants' as Gwen called them. "You'd know I got out by telling them I wanted a job as a delivery boy. So rather than mess things up, I've found you a way to get in!" At this point, Jackie was grinning broadly. "But if you can't handle that, big boy, then you can stuff it."

"Wahoo!" Jackie threw her arms around Rhys's neck and kissed his cheek. "Go for it Rhys! You're brilliant."

"No, no, no, no, no." Gwen rattled off as she approached Jack and Rhys. "Jack, he is not getting us in."

"Team meeting." Jack snapped before jabbing his finger in Rhys's chest. "You, too." Rhys's face now wore the confused expression that she wore little more than a year ago. The face that asked, 'how the hell did I get mixed up in this mess?'