50
Johnny was in the tunnel system, the others three standing at the manhole, Mickey with one foot on the cover like it might roll off or something. Then Johnny reappeared with a flushed face and a smell like death.
"Some people were down there, I think… fuck I think they thought it was a way to get past the Bugs, not knowing the fuckers were down there too. Like… an entire group of thirty or so, torn apart and rotting. That weird stuff was on them so… I put the boom stuff in the other direction. That OK?" he said as he stomped his boots in the grass to try and get off some of the smell.
"There are plastic bags, you put them over those before you get in my vehicle" Jack said as he pointed at them and Johnny grinned.
"Just like old times lover. Remember that mustang you…"
Ianto's throat clearing was all the warning needed that Johnny was overstepping, so he headed towards the Transporter to check things. And find those bags.
They drove to the second tunnel system only to have Ianto telling them to stop, getting out and canting his head like he was listening to something. Jack could feel the hair standing up on the back of his neck as he watched Ianto's head turn slowly then his eyes widen.
"We need to find shelter" Ianto said as he clambered back in "A storm is coming, hard hail."
Mickey and John started at him like he was insane but Jack drove towards a homestead nearby like it was a perfectly normal request, slamming through the front gate and stopping at the front door. They all piled out and into the house as Jack then took the Transporter to the carport and parked inside under the roof of it, clambering out to find the door opening to let him in.
"Anyone home?"
Ianto turned and headed back into the hallway. No answer, of course not. There was no one here. Jack followed him to the kitchen where the window was open and the contents of the fridge were being thrown outside with open malice. Ianto ignored John's energetic work, powering over to the cupboards and opening them to look inside, and then pull out tinned food like it was any other day in his own house.
The sounds of Mickey's feet drumming down the stairs as he finished his checks made Jack turn to face the doorway and he watched Mickey enter with two rifles in his hands "Look what I found up there in the closet."
"What, not even locked away?" Ianto was scandalized and it made him look so… cute.
"A man only, no need to I think."
"Looks like a man lives here on his own, I see some kid's things but no women's things. Maybe a part-time father? I have massive man-vibes about the place" Jack agreed with Mickey.
"Well, he does like his beans" Ianto mattered like it was a scourge, then added "But the tinned peaches look to be those nice sweet ones."
"Well, pineapple… ooo… we have a few cans of fruit. Fruit salad?" John asked, now over the fruit that he had finally closed and decided to ignore.
"Sounds good, also, those noodles will make a nice spaghetti with these tins of tomatoes and the herbs and spices in here" Ianto's voice said from a cupboard his head had disappeared into.
"Oh wow… Ianto does amazing spaghetti" Jack said to them with delight "We DID get the grab bags with the cookers right?"
"This is a gas stove, I will pop out and knock the gas canisters on the verandah" John said as he took off and Ianto froze, swinging to race after him and he caught him just as he was about to open the door, slamming him against it. John laughed "I said under the verandah, your imaginary hail won't…"
"Shhhhhh" Ianto hissed and John went to turn his head towards where Ianto was staring, then he heard the clicking of something on the wooden boards outside.
They listened as it faded, moving around the house and they ran to the kitchen, signaling everyone down and Jack promptly dove onto the floor as Mickey stood with confusion, staring at Ianto's silent hand motions. Finally he moved to the floor and a shadow passed the window, making Mickey's mouth fall open.
The Bug had to be at least eight foot high.
It was alone, and it moved slowly. It checked the doors which Ianto had locked out of habit, and then to their horror it started to check windows, pulling at the bottom of each one. John paled and Ianto knew in that moment that the one John had been throwing food out of was not locked, and the food was going to be a bit of a giveaway.
Ianto slid along the floor to the wall, stood and slid along and reached out to lock it, then stood plastered to the wall, looking at the Bug as it peered into the room, its claws working in the wood. They could hear the claws cracking wood as it worked hard, then decided it was locked. Jack watched Ianto slowly lift his leg and reach into his boot. The other three raised their guns. When it slammed its upper body through the glass the three on the floor fired at its head with open malice, the man standing beside the window waiting for the firing to stop before reaching out to plunge the knife from his boot into its side. He snarled as he twisted the knife and it made a strange noise.
It was dead now hanging from the broken window.
"Well… fuck" John finally said as he rose and helped Ianto shove the carcass outside "I don't wanna stay here now."
"Agreed, let's take what we want and have a nice picnic in the Transporter" Ianto agreed, "the next homestead is best for overnight I guess, once the hail has passed."
"Hail… what bloody hail" John said, then closed his mouth as the loud thunder of hail answered him, the small ice balls bouncing almost to waist height as they fell like bullets. The size of peas.
They watched the trees outside get shredded, and then Jack said to John "that hail."