31

So… we have more than one team, at least two to a team and they must still be out there somewhere. The darkness is a bad place to be at any time, I do not like the dark but right now with a monster fire coming to consume all it can, the last thing I need is some vigilantes who think these Domes are some sort of hoax coming to wreak things. This is not like a Moon Landing thing…. EVERYONE knows we are based here on earth; they have fucking tours around the outer complex for fucksake. It must be them, their letters full of threats and warnings of reprisals or whatever. Right?

As this train of thought went through Ianto's mind Mickey fell ahead of them and he slowed the dozer to call out if he was OK. Then the weird pinging side near him had him sitting back in his seat.

Was that a bullet hitting the metal cab?

Mickey was up and running back towards him and Ianto knew for sure he was about to find out how many were in this sector at least. With open malice and extreme anger Ianto stomped his foot on the gas pedal and the dozer leapt forward, no longer encumbered by the soil the blade about three feet off the ground… you would be surprised how fast one of these bitches can go.

And he headed straight for the direction of the shot.

As Mickey reached him and ran in behind the blade to cling to it like it was a shield, lifting his feet to plant against it, Ianto saw read blooming on the suit at Mickey's hip.

Fuckers had shot him.

Fuckers had shot at family.

Mickey seemed fine, loving OK so it must just have winged him but now we knew they were dangerous. Ianto heard another ping hitting the blade of the dozer, harmlessly flying away and then a roar began as Jack ran from behind the dozer, the gun in his hand firing already.

Yeah motherfucker. We got a gun too!

Jack showed no fear, only anger like Ianto and as one of the fuckers erupted from the undergrowth to take Jack on Rhys swung the hammer.

THUD!

Ouch… that gotta hurt.

Rhys felled the man even as Martha roared from behind Ianto for her husband to fall back to her.

"Yes, while they are distracted." Ianto yelled. Mickey leapt from the blade now the dozer was stopped, running back to the machine she was driving and she then raised the back hoe from the dirt, slamming the tractor unit into low gear to drive around the far side of Into and continue towards the entrance.

She had an enclosed cab, hopefully she would be OK, Mickey struggling with the lockbox under her seat that did not have a gun but did hold flares. If nothing else, he could signal ahead for Ianto to see ahead in the darkness.

Another one… Jack firing with a calmness in the direction of the fucker's headlamp.

Lamp down.

A hit. A palpable hit.

Ianto felt glee, continuing as Jack jumped down to run over to the lamp, kicking at the man.

"CARIAD… FIRE!"

Jack ran back for the shovel on the side of the dozer then went over to start turning over the dirt and burning dry grass the embers had ignited.

The fire was here, and they met it head on.

.

.

The fire crews were working, the fire almost out as Ianto and Jack stood inside the airlock with their helmets off but still in their too hot suits, arguing with the Fire Chief, Owen behind the couple inside the inner airlock door looking at Mickey's wound.

"Well, we caught another few of them, but I think some got away" the man was saying once he calmed down and accepted that Ianto was not letting him in.

"I think at least another four or six of them" Ianto agreed "Also, check them for maps, any sort of indicator of how they knew how to accomplish this."

"Oh, we already have an idea." The police detective said as he stepped in beside the Fire Chief "One of them is the son of one of the main board members of the company"

"Seriously?"

"Might have bene working independently to try and force you to breach your employment contact by coming outside without hazmat gear or… space suits or whatever those are, but… we are going to check everything, all means of communication to see if there is anything that can tie the company to this"

"If we leave the Domes without these suits on, if we panicked and tried to save everyone, we would be forfeit of our contracts. Breached, as you say. I would put a bet on it that you will find something somewhere that shows this has been discussed" Ianto huffed with annoyance. "Two months… barely… like… seven weeks. They really want us to fail? It would not only hit my pocket big time, it could cripple the company itself… or was that the plan? Destroy me the only way they can by targeting what I care about?"

Ianto then glanced at Jack who had the good graces to look a little embarrassed as the unspoken truth flowed between them. The whole place could burn… but not Jack. If they really wanted to hurt Ianto they should have targeted Jack, because this baby, this project of his … not his first love anymore.

"Well, it's all on camera and it all went live so… any confessions are also the property of…"

"I am the major shareholder I essentially own the company and I give full permission for you to release any and all footage to the authorities, the company and the media" Ianto confirmed angrily "Especially the media. I will put out a press release as well, telling everyone what happened, how efficient you all were in helping us and the fact we are still compliant. Let us see them try something underhanded then!"

"Agreed."

Seven more weeks…. They can do this.