Author's Notes: I'm posting this chapter quite a bit earlier than planned - the only way I can stop fiddling with it is to go ahead and post. I hope it's okay. Please review and let me know if you enjoy it. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks once again to the very generous and patient Prothrombintime for invaluable feedback and advice.

Chapter Eight

January 13th, 2004 (continued)

Ianto groaned deeply as he returned to consciousness. He found he was curled up on his side, a cold, unforgiving stone floor beneath him. Chilled to the core, his extremities felt as if they'd been dipped in ice water, his body ached all over, and his skull throbbed painfully. Blinking several times, he tried to focus his eyes in the shadowy light. As his mind recalled the events leading up to being attacked, he was filled with a sense of desperate panic. Forcing himself upright, he groaned again as a wave of disorientation washed over him. He pressed his eyes closed, hoping it would pass quickly.

"Hey, easy there, Ianto," a reassuringly familiar voice said gently. "You've had a nasty blow to the back of your head."

Opening his eyes and blinking again, Ianto glanced around the strange, dark surroundings. It appeared to be a small, dank cellar. His stomach churned as putrid, stale air assaulted his nostrils. Turning his head, he found Jack sitting on the floor at his side, his knees pulled up to his chest, and watching him with an expression of concern.

"Jack!" he gasped, relieved beyond measure to see the other man again. "You okay?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, fine. Bastards got the jump on me."

Tentatively reaching up to touch the back of his pounding head, Ianto shuffled closer to Jack. A sizeable lump had formed where he'd been struck and rendered unconscious, but as far as he could tell, he was otherwise uninjured. He peered carefully at Jack, but he couldn't see any sign of injury. The man seemed to be almost impossibly resilient.

"This is why I don't like camping," Ianto quipped half-heartedly, shivering involuntarily from the cold.

He looked around the dimly lit space. Dull, late afternoon light trickled in through a small, dirty skylight window in the ceiling. He noted it was too small for either of them to squeeze through, even if they could reach it and scale it to the top. There was also no sign of their guns or his rucksack.

"They took our guns," Jack murmured, confirming his assessment.

"Charming place they've got." Ianto struggled slowly to his feet and moved over to the door on the opposite side of the room. "Judging by the sound reverberations and the air quality, pretty deep underground." He turned to look at Jack. "What were they?"

Jack stared up at him for a moment, but he didn't answer his question. "Ianto, come and sit down. Conserve your strength," he said instead.

Ignoring him, Ianto continued to explore. He found a metal chute near the door. Touching it gingerly, he pulled his hand back and found it was smeared with blood. Horrified, he pulled his handkerchief from his back pocket, and cleaned his hand as best he could. "That body we saw... in the forest," he muttered, trying to piece it all together in his mind.

Looking down at the filthy floor, he spotted a shoe. Kneeling to look closer, he realised there were dozens on shoes in a large pile, accompanied by various articles of dirty, discarded clothing.

"Oh, my God..." he whispered, his stomach twisting as he realised he and Jack were merely the latest in a long line of victims. Presumably, every one of them had been brought to the cellar, and had ended up like the remains they'd found in the woods.

Standing up again, Ianto turned back to the door and examined it. "Got to be three steel bolts. Top, middle, and bottom." He glanced back over at Jack. "How are you at calculating target stress points? Find the weakest point, bit of brute force..."

Reaching up, he grabbed hold of an overhanging pipe to brace himself and kicked repeatedly at the door, but it refused to budge.

"Nice thought," Jack said a moment later. "But it's reinforced."

Ianto growled in frustration, but not ready to give up, he moved to the adjacent wall where there appeared to be another door. On closer inspection, it seemed to be a refrigerator. He glanced at Jack again. "What's in here?"

Jack shook his head. "Ianto, don't."

Ianto paused from pulling the door open. "Jack, what is it? What's in there?"

Rising to his feet, Jack moved to stand in front of him. "You don't want to look in there. Trust me."

"Tell me!" Ianto insisted, glaring at him defiantly. "I want to know."

Jack looked like he was about to argue further, but then he simply stepped aside. Ianto reached forward and determinedly opened the door. He stared in horror, his mouth dropping open and his eyes widening, as his stomach lurched violently. The refrigerator was filled with body parts... human body parts. Some were wrapped in plastic, while others were in jars, the rest just sitting on the shelves without any covering. Gasping with shock, Ianto quickly slammed the door shut and turned to face Jack.

"That's why there was nothing left on the body," Jack said quietly. "They need to eat."

Ianto stood rigid and stared at him aghast, his mind reeling, struggling to process what he'd just seen. It was more horrible than anything he could have imagined.

"We're not dealing with aliens here," Jack added in little more than a whisper. "I saw them. They're human. And we're their food."

Ianto stepped back, shaking his head violently. Aliens he could handle, but this was something more monstrous and sickening than he could comprehend. "No... no, that's insane."

Jack moved closer and rested his hands on Ianto's shoulders, squeezing gently. "It's going to be okay. When they come for us, I'll find a way to distract them... give you a chance to make a run for it... get yourself to safety. You need to be ready when I make my move."

Ianto shook his head again. "No. I'm not leaving you."

Jack tightened his grip on Ianto's shoulders. "Ianto, that's an order. I expect you to do as I say. I can take care of myself."

Ianto wanted to argue, but he understood Jack's reasoning. If one of them could manage to escape, they could at least try to get help. "All right," he agreed reluctantly.

Jack relaxed his grip and ushered him over to where they'd been sitting earlier. "You're shivering. Come and sit down. Here this should help." Taking off his greatcoat, he wrapped it around Ianto's shoulders as they sat down again.

"You're cold too," Ianto protested, noticing Jack was shivering slightly.

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not." Ianto shuffled closer and managed to drape Jack's coat around both of them.

Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto's waist, pulling him close against his side. Under any other circumstances, Ianto might have pulled away and protested about the inappropriateness of the gesture, but he was just grateful for the comfort and reassurance Jack was offering. Jack's body felt warm and strong against his own, and most importantly, it felt safe. Ianto was certain that if they had any chance of getting out of this alive, it would be because of Jack.

"You've been in worse situations than this, right?" he asked a few moments later, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to generate some warmth.

"Yeah, plenty of times." Jack chuckled slightly, but it was obviously forced. "This is just a slow day at the office for me."

While Ianto appreciated Jack's attempt at joviality, he wondered if he would have preferred for Jack to be completely honest. There was no denying they were in serious trouble.

"Don't you ever wonder how long you can survive before you go mad... or get killed... or..." He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence. He knew Jack had lost people to Torchwood, people who had probably been his friends, and whom he'd cared about.

"It's worth the risk," Jack stated calmly. "To protect people. This is what we do."

"And who protects us?" Ianto blurted out, his fear getting the better of him.

Jack breathed out a sigh. "Ianto, this is Torchwood. This is what you wanted to be a part of. It's what you signed up for."

It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't entirely a lie either, and he'd actively chosen to ignore Jack's warnings. He realised how foolish and naive he'd been in his excitement over accompanying Jack on the trip. He'd wanted to prove himself, to show Jack he was a valuable and trustworthy colleague, but instead he'd failed miserably. Not that it mattered now, since it was quite possible they wouldn't live to see another day. "You're right," he murmured regretfully. "Sorry."

Jack tightened his grip, pulling Ianto closer. "It's okay, Ianto," he said with surprising gentleness. "It's gonna be okay."

Grateful he wasn't alone, and unable to shake the overwhelming thought that these might be the final moments of his life, Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack, clinging to him unashamedly. It was the first time he'd felt the warmth and contact of another person since Lisa, and despite the horrendous circumstances, he realised how much he'd missed it.

Resting his head on Jack's shoulder, Ianto breathed in the man's familiar scent, drawing comfort from it. Jack pulled him close against his chest, and Ianto felt Jack's head rest against his own. He desperately hoped Jack was right.

###

"Someone's coming," Jack whispered, startling Ianto back to full alertness as the heavy sounds of bolts being unlocked reached their ears.

They jumped to their feet, and Jack quickly pulled his coat back on. He moved to stand to the side of the door, motioning for Ianto to stand behind him. As the door swung inwards, Jack threw himself at it, sending it flying backwards. A surprised yelp of pain came from someone on the other side. Leaping forward, Jack pulled the door open again, and Ianto watched in dismay as a shotgun was immediately levelled at Jack's chest. Jack raised his hands as an unruly, middle-aged woman with lank, dirty blonde hair glared at him. A younger, scrawny looking man was picking himself up off the ground, muttering angrily.

"I've been sent to collect you. I've got to take you to them," the woman said.

"Tell us what's going on," Ianto demanded, his anger momentarily overriding his fear. He raised his arms as the scrawny man recovered and pointed his shotgun at him. "Why are you doing this?"

The woman laughed in a manner bordering on hysteria. "No one's safe. Every ten years... it takes us again."

"What takes you?" Jack asked in an authoritative voice. "What is it?"

"The Harvest," the woman replied with a crazed smile, as if the answer was entirely obvious.

Jack started to move forward, but he stopped when the man leered and jabbed his gun at Ianto's chest.

"No, please," the woman said. "You have to come with us."

After their hands had been tied roughly behind their backs, they were herded at gunpoint towards the larger building they'd found earlier. Ianto tried to remain calm and stayed close to Jack's side, hoping he had a plan.

"In there," the woman said, opening the rear door.

They were pushed into a room where a plastic sheet had been hung from the ceiling to the floor. A large tear ran down the middle of the sheet which they were roughly pushed through.

Ianto stared around in horror. "Oh God, that stench..." he muttered, glancing at Jack who also looked sickened by the sight before them.

There was blood everywhere. Bodies wrapped in plastic hung from hooks on the ceiling along each wall. A huge chopping board was in the centre of the room, surrounded by numerous body parts in glass jars.

Another man appeared, grinning at them, while the scrawny man moved off through a doorway into another room. This new man was older, easily in his fifties, with untidy, grey, thinning hair. "How are they, Helen?" he asked the woman.

"They're in a good state," she replied, and the man's grin widened. "Evan, I think they're the best we've ever had."

Ianto cried out as Evan grabbed his right upper arm from behind and kicked the back of his knees, sending him crashing to the floor. Ianto groaned in pain and looked up fearfully at Jack, who was glaring at Evan with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Leave him alone!" Jack shouted angrily.

"He's meat," Evan replied indifferently, turning to Jack and punching him hard in the stomach, causing him to gasp and fall to the floor beside Ianto. "I'm afraid we're all just meat."

Breathing hard, Jack leaned closer to Ianto. "Get ready," he whispered as they looked up to see Helen pass a bloodied baseball bat to the other man.

"What're you going to do, put us on meat hooks?" Jack asked in a defiant tone, taunting them.

"No, not yet." Evan smiled malevolently, revealing a mouthful of brown, broken teeth. "You see... meat has to be tenderised first."

Ianto felt a chill of terror as he realised what the monsters had in store for them next. He doubted they'd survive the beating, and Jack was looking at him with a mixture of fear and worry. Jack gave him an almost imperceptible nod, then turned to Evan and grinned up at him challengingly.

With lighting speed, Jack leapt to his feet and slammed his head directly into the man's forehead. As Evan reeled backwards, wavering unsteadily, Jack kneed him brutally in the stomach, toppling him to the floor. Pivoting around, Jack then kicked out at the woman's legs, also sending her crashing to the floor. "Go!" Jack yelled.

Ianto leapt to his feet and started running. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Jack try to follow, but Evan grabbed at Jack's leg, causing him to stumble and land heavily on the floor, his bound hands preventing him from breaking his fall. Ianto paused uncertainly, wanting to go back and help Jack.

"Ianto, go!" Jack cried, struggling to his feet just before Evan punched him viciously across the jaw, sending him sprawling again. Evan turned to glare furiously at Ianto.

Ianto turned away and ran from the building, heart pounding wildly, and breathing hard as he struggled to draw oxygen into his lungs. Dashing around to hide behind the grey tractor, he stooped out of sight as he tried to decide what to do next. With his hands bound and without a weapon, he was at a definite disadvantage, and he doubted he'd be able to outrun their captors in a foot chase. Plus, he didn't know how many more of them were out there. As much as he hated leaving Jack behind, he knew he had to use his escape to their advantage. He prayed they wouldn't beat Jack to death first, or slit his throat and hang him up to bleed. Shuddering violently at the thought, he resolved he wasn't going to let that happen.

He watched as Evan and the younger man left the building, but they went in the opposite direction, heading towards another building. Taking a deep breath, Ianto took off again, running up the hill and towards the outbuilding he'd seen earlier.

###

Ianto almost cried with relief when, a few minutes later, he found the SUV, intact, unlocked, and with the keys dangling from the ignition. It had been abandoned on the far side of the outbuilding, hidden beneath several low-lying trees. It was the first stroke of good fortune they'd had all day.

The next half-hour became a strange blur of events as Ianto's mind seemed to shift, his training taking over, an inner resilience coming to the fore he'd never known he possessed.

Awkwardly retrieving a utility knife from the supplies in the back of the SUV, he managed to cut through the rope restraining his hands, and then armed himself with a Torchwood issue stun-gun. He took cover behind the SUV as he heard two men approach, obviously searching for him. One was the man from the cellar, the other was a similar age, probably mid-twenties, Ianto guessed, and dressed in a police uniform. Straining to listen to their conversation, he was shocked to learn the police officer was also a member of the cult.

The men made the mistake of splitting up, giving Ianto the upper hand. Sneaking up on the first man, he managed to disarm him with a couple of well placed kicks and punches. Slamming the man head first into the side of the SUV, Ianto discharged the stun-gun at its highest setting against the man's forehead, rendering him unconscious. The second man met a similar fate, and after he'd restrained both men and dragged their bodies behind the building, Ianto grabbed their shotguns and climbed into the SUV.

With a roar of the engine, he took off towards the main building where Jack was being held. Fuelled by a mix of adrenaline, fury and outrage, his only thought was on rescuing Jack.

Ramming the SUV through the doors at the front of the building with a deafening crash of splintering wood, Ianto leap from the vehicle and quickly stunned two villagers who were reeling in confusion from the sudden intrusion. Pocketing the stun-gun and readying one of the shotguns, he steeled himself and made his way into the room from earlier. He immediately spotted Helen reaching for her gun. Ianto aimed at her leg and fired, causing her to collapse to the floor, groaning as blood poured from her knee.

Ianto turned to Evan, levelling the shotgun at him. The man was looking around in shock, but he had a grip on a severely battered but struggling Jack, a large knife held to his throat. Although sickened by the sight of Jack's brutalised state, Ianto was relieved beyond words that the Captain was still alive.

"Let him go," Ianto ordered.

Evan looked completely deranged. "You're ruining everything!" he screamed, his eyes moving around wildly.

Jack threw himself backwards and a struggle ensued between the two men. Unable to get a clear shot, Ianto rushed forward to help, but he was a moment too late. Time seemed to stand still, and he looked on in silent horror as the man thrust his knife into Jack's abdomen, causing Jack to gasp and collapse onto the floor. Ianto leap forward and struck the butt of his shotgun brutally against Evan's skull, producing a loud bone-crunching sound as the man fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Jack!" Ianto gasped, kneeling down to help him.

"Ianto, get me out of here." Jack grasped Ianto's hand, squeezing it hard and looking up at him intently. "It's gonna be okay," he murmured in between ragged breaths.

Ianto helped Jack to his feet and quickly untied his hands. "Restrain them, and get our weapons and equipment," Jack mumbled thickly, pressing his hand to his stomach wound and leaning heavily against Ianto for support.

Ianto nodded numbly. After helping Jack into the SUV, he hurriedly tied up the four villagers, and grabbed his rucksack and their guns from the table at the side of the room Jack had indicated.

Tossing the equipment in the back seat, Ianto retrieved the SUV's first-aid kit, pulled out some heavy bandages, and tentatively inspected Jack's wound. He knew it was bad. Jack was pale and bleeding profusely, and his entire torso was severely bloodied and bruised. He suspected Jack had broken ribs along with other internal damage. "Oh God, Jack," he whispered, feeling helpless and panic-stricken.

"Go, Ianto," Jack muttered. "Now."

Willing himself to stay focused, Ianto drove away from the village as fast as he dared, glancing regularly at the other man. Jack had lost a lot of blood, he was breathing erratically, and his pale, clammy, bruised face was contorted in pain.

"Hang on, Jack," Ianto pleaded, increasing their speed as he tried to remember how close the nearest hospital was, but knowing it was going to be too far away. "I'm going to get you some help."

Jack didn't respond. His eyes slipped closed, and his head lolled to the side.

"Jack!" Ianto shouted desperately. "No! No, no, no, no..."

Pulling the SUV over to the side of the road, Ianto frantically reached over to check Jack's pulse. Choking back a sob of despair, it only took him a moment to realise that Jack was dead.

###

Ianto couldn't have said how long he sat numbly in the SUV, Jack's lifeless body on the seat next to him, both Jack and the seat drenched in blood. He was shaking uncontrollably, he didn't know what to do, and some small part of his mind registered that he was going into shock.

Looking at Jack's ashen features, he realised how important the man had become to him. He buried his face in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes and dampening his face and fingers. Jack had sacrificed himself, he'd given his life so Ianto could have a chance to escape. Jack had been counting on him, it had been his job to save Jack, and he'd failed. He couldn't imagine being able to endure the guilt of his failure... if he'd just focused on taking out that deranged bastard first, Jack would still be alive.

He jumped and almost slammed his head into the roof when an anguished, shuddering gasp filled the air. Jack lurched forward, his eyes springing open. Looking around with an expression of sheer panic, his gaze settled on Ianto, who was staring back at him incredulously, his mouth hanging open.

"Ianto," Jack said, breathing rapidly, but with relief evident in his voice. "You okay?"

"Jack?" Ianto stared at him dumbly, a part of his brain noting that Jack's injuries appeared to have vanished. "What... how..." He shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he was dreaming, or if this was some sort of bizarre stress-induced hallucination. "You were dead. I watched you die."

"Yes, you did." Jack sounded resigned, his blood-stained features set in a tired, grim mask. "But I have this problem... I can't die. Or more accurately, I can die, but I can't stay dead."