54
"What are you thinking about?"
Ianto looked over at John with surprise, used to hearing that question from Jack. They are a lot alike, those two. Ianto sat back and composed his thoughts knowing this man would not get him the same as Jack does, he would need to use more… simple words. John likes direct.
"The Bugs will have all winter to dig those tunnels out, come spring the fuckers might be back" he finally said, watching John as he swung on his chair, looking out over the darkness to ponder this.
"So, you thinking on that?"
"Yes"
"What are ya thinking on that?"
Ianto smiled softly, turning to watch a lone horse wandering across the far field and he heard John turn to watch as well "That one of ours got loose?"
"Nah. Looks feral."
Ianto snorted with mirth as he settled back in the chair. It was a good sign. A horse wandering like that. No Bugs in the vicinity, or they would already be on it. He went back to John's question.
"I am thinking, we need something to stop them wanting to open the tunnels again, the only way to get this far for the next six months or so is underground. I am thinking, we could make life hard for those fuckers underground where they think they are safe" Ianto admitted.
"And what did you come up with?"
"More explosives."
John laughed openly, rocking back in the chair as he looked back over at Ianto "No… seriously. What's your plan?"
"Well, I am thinking. Pondering still. Its close, I can feel it ticking but I've yet to fully grasp the idea in the back of my brain box Johnny."
John nodded, going back to watching his portion of terrain.
"Bug."
"Hmmmm. A lone juvie. That's weird."
Both men watched in companionable silence as a small bug ran like the hounds of hell were after it, the fear visible in it's movements obvious. Seems they don't like it out here in the dark either. Especially so small and alone. Where were its three mates?
Things to ponder.
.
.
Ianto was in his office, staring at the patchwork map in the wall, his mind whirring as he absently chewed on the sandwich Jack had lovingly made and placed on the desk covered with papers, kissing Ianto's head before heading out to see what the lookout wanted.
He reentered the office "you kept John company for quite a while last night."
"Hmmm."
"Everything OK Tiger?"
"Chewing on things."
"Ah. And how's that going for ya then?"
"The Dam… it's powered down and pretty damned dormant" Ianto pointed to the corner of the map.
"Yeah, the rain and snow must have it at capacity." Jack agreed. "the thaw might overflow it and then there will be trouble."
"Maps. Do we have maps of the slice gated and runoff culverts?"
Jack knew Ianto was coming to a decision and just wanted it to be presentable to everyone else so he knelt by all the tubes on the floor behind Ianto's desk, sorting through them until he found the one he was looking for. "Here it is. The Dam and the outer river and creek beds that are fed from it."
Into unrolled iy on the desk over top of everything, including the half eaten sandwich to let his eyes drink it in, then he tapped the paper "Here. I need… hang on."
Ianto lifted the map and placed it over the one on the wall, the tunnel system now faintly visible underneath it with the red lines now under the paper of the top map. "See?"
"What am I looking at?" Jack asked, aware of John who had been sitting in the back of the room on a chair, cleaning his rifle. Now rising to stand beside him. He had been waiting too.
"If… but if… if we blow a hole here so this river is diverted down to the tunnel here… see… then we open the slice gate here… we can flood this tunnel." Ianto tapped with a finger "What would the fuckers make of that? Bet they can't swim. Imagine… they chip away at the blockage in the tunnel thinking they are smart only to be drowned by the flood of water."
"That's cold." John said, then added "I like it."
"But the others?"
"Same difference. We simply blow the river beds or divert the flow somehow, make sure every tunnel is flooded, even if we have to get a fucking fuel tanker and… oooo. Fill it with diesel or something. Then the added feature of a possible boom." John stepped forward to stand by Ianto now "We could do that. Those trucks back at the truck stop. Some were fuel tankers, right? We pump those down, could set a charge so if they try to come through the tunnels again we set them on fire as well. BOOM!"
"I like it. Not overkill?"
"Ianto… these fuckers.. nothing is overkill. I want to massacre them, decimate them like they have humans. God… if we pull this off.. we could wipe out hundreds of them. All primed for war. Booooshhhhhh"
Ianto nodded "Yeah. Maybe."
"I will need to check out the dam, we might not be able to open the sluice gates, might have to blow it and we might create a ripple effect and flood the valley." Jack warned.
"Not out valley, it's the one over so… I can't help but not care. Napalm for Bugs" John grinned in a feral manner.
Seems like they had a plan… once the snow stopped.