The cab pulled up in front of the Inn, and Gertrude hopped out, paying the cabby and tipping him generously. He had managed to make the entire journey with remarkable speed. She hurried up the steps, only to find the door slightly ajar, and the lights on. That was enough to worry the soldier in Gertrude. She crept silently around the house, stopping in the shed to grab her handgun from it's box. She reveled in the weight of it, and chided herself for not using it more often. She grabbed a fistful of bullets and loaded the revolver, pocketing a few more. If someone had seen fit to make an enemy of Gertrude Mayweather, than they had better be able to pay the price. A few more seconds passed, as she stashed the Captain's coat and her own cloak, grateful that she had worn practical clothing instead of those stuffy outfits that she wears for the guests. There was a thud from inside the house, and Gertrude leapt into action, moving stealthily to the service entrance. She heard voice's within.
"Mrs. Mayweather, where is your wife?" That voice, cold clipped, militant. A soldier.
"By whose authority do you come storming into my home and demanding to know were she is?" Gertrude smiled. Olivia was a ball of fire, despite her sweet persona.
"By the authority of UNIT under the command of the Queen." Her blood ran cold. After all this time UNIT had finally come to do what it had failed to do in the past. It had finally come to destroy her heart.
"Oh, UNIT. Well I haven't dealt with your kind in quite a while. Tell me, how is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart? I've not seen him in ages." Gertrude stifled a laugh. She knew that Olivia was aware of the Brigadier's passing. They had both been at the service. But appear old and outdated was a keen safety move, and it seemed to be paying off. When the soldier next spoke, his voice was more patronizing.
"The Brigadier is dead ma'am. He has been for a few years. But we still need to know-"
"That's a pity then. He was always keen on my coffee. Would you like some coffee?" Olive chimed, and Gertrude heard her shuffling out of the room, followed by the scuffling of boots. She saw the lights in the room flicker off, and she pushed open the door carefully, gun at the ready. When no threat presented itself, she moved further in, crouching amidst the stacks of crates and furnishings that she knew so well. When she reached the door to the kitchen she heard the voices again, this time much more agitated and commanding.
"No, ma'am, no coffee. Just tell us where your wife is. She is in position of top secret UNIT property, and needs to return it to us." Gertrude saw red. That Martha woman must have called her superiors and ratted her out. Obviously she hadn't told them that she already had the vial, or else UNIT wouldn't be here.
"My Gerty? You boys must be mistaken. The three of you, thinking an old woman like her could do that, for shame." Gertrude smiled again. Obviously Olivia knew that she was here, and was helping her plan her entrance. Three armed opponents? Not too hard, especially with surprise on her side.
"We know that you and your wife have both been working with Torchwood, especially Captain Harkness and Mr. Jones. Are you aware that they staged an attack on a UNIT facility yesterday?" Gertrude could practically see Olivia feigning shock.
"Those boys! Never! They are the sweetest people to walk the earth! Oh the shame of you, accusing my poor old wife and those lovely kids of such horrible things." There was a scuffling sound, and Gertrude grit her teeth as she heard Olivia gasp in pain.
"Enough of your games. Tell us where she is, or you'll be und arrest for conspiring against the crown." Olivia let out a choked sob.
"Never. I've lived through far too many things for you to come into my home and threaten me for no good reason." There was a sharp smack.
"You are a traiter to the crown. Silos, Flannigan, take her-" Gertrude burst through the door, leveling a bullet through the leader's arm. Two more shots rang out as she took at each of the other soldiers legs. Olivia swung around, jar slamming over the leaders head sent him sprawling to the ground, unconscious. The other two soldiers, held up their hands, sensing defeat. Gertrude trained her gun on them, her eyes never leaving theirs as she spoke.
"Olive, are you alright? He didn't hurt you too bad did he?" Olivia wrapped her arms around her wife from behind.
"nothing these old bones can't handle. Glad you turned up though, I'd hate to have had to spend any more time in a UNIT prison." Gertrude smiled slightly.
"Just like old times. If it isn't too much, go fetch some rope and let's tie this idiot's up. I know that these two can't run, but when the other one wakes up, he'll be spitting mad." Olivia nodded, limping out of the room to grab some rope. Gertrude leveled the gun at the two men.
"Tell me, what does UNIT get at coming here and threatening old women? I just came from the hospital were two of the best men I know are laying near dead because of your people. Why are you here?" The soldiers looked frantically at each other, and then back at her. She cocked the revolver, and one of them broke.
"We were monitoring one of our Agents. She was showing signs of going rougue, so we tapped her cell phone. We intercepted a call about you delivering the vial to her, and we had reason to believe that it was the same vial that had gone missing during the fighting at the warehouse." Gertrude allowed herself a little smile. Martha hadn't betrayed them then. Not intentionally.
"Well, I don't have it. It's been given to the proper authorities, just like you will be." Olivia came back into the room, a bundle of rope in one hand, and a suitcase in the other.
"Thinking ahead then, go on, pack the car. I'll call the police and tell them were to pick these three miscreants up." Olivia headed to the door.
"Oh, and can you pick up my sewing kit? The captain's coat took a bit of a battering and I intend to mend it for him." Olivia nodded, heading out the service entrance into the dark. Gertrude forced the two wounded men to their feet, forcing them to lean on each other to stand. A few quick knots and one was tied in one corner, one in the other, both of their wounds field dressed. The commander was tied to the island in the middle of the room, his wound untouched and bleeding. She pulled out her phone.
"Yes, We have an emergency. Three intruders have been shot. Yes, none dead, two took a shot to the leg, a third to the arm. Yes one is unconscious. No address. Trace the call. Oh and contact UNIT. Yes I think they'd be very interested." She hung up and shook her head at the men, dashing out to meet her wife.
"I got the coat, your things, as well as my knife and some more ammo for you. I do hope we don't have to use any of it. I'm too old for all this." Gertrude nodded sliding into the drivers seat, and gunning the old car out of the drive.
"Would you mind putting some of your stain treat on that coat? I can at least get rid of the blood stains before we get to the hospital." Olivia nodded, sprinkling the solution on the coat in her lap. Gertrude glanced over and frowned at the deep bruise forming on her wifes cheek.
"Did you save that footage?" Olivia nodded, pulling back the collar of her blouse to show the slender silver flash drive.
"good. I'd hate for them to get away with hurting you. At least now we have evidence." Olivia nodded again, and winced.
"Gerty, please tell me that you got rid of whatever it is you had. I don't think that I can run with my hips being as bad as they are." Gertrude nodded, pulling onto the main road.
"I gave it to Torchwood, so that they can fix it. Apparently UNIT saw fit to blind Ianto, and not let him keep the cure." Olivia smiled.
"You just couldn't resist playing the hero could you." There was no loss of humor in her voice, no lack of mirth. Olivia was proud of Gertrude, even if it did result in them becoming fugitives of the law. It wasn't the first nor the last time they had been in this situation.
"You're right, I couldn't. But hey, I kept my nose clean for twenty years, that has to count for something." Olivia shook her head.
"It has been so quiet lately. Oh there's your turn." Gertrude followed her wife's directions.
"The sad thing is that I nearly feel guilty for doing it. I've uprooted our quiet little retirement." Olivia placed her hand on the woman's arm.
"It doesn't matter dear. Right now we need to focus on Mr. Jones and Captain Harkness. They'll help us get everything straightened out later." Gertrude nodded, focusing once more on the road. They drove in silence after that, both women contemplating recent events and the possibilities of the future.