4

Dawn.

Ianto rose from the army cot and stretched, feeling that pop in his lower back as he looked at the two dogs sprawled on the mattress on the floor. "I don't know about you two, but I need to take a whizz."

Both dogs were awake, alert and skipping for the door.

He opened it and revealed the wide-open world outside the tin storage shed they were currently in. The SUV sat nearby… well… what was left of it. It was nestled in a deep hole in the ground, like a grave. Looks like that front end loader had been vicious in tearing it apart, the transponder from under the driver's seat's lockbox now toast … as was most of the SUV given the lump of cement also covering the motor and other parts Ianto could reach with the buckets he was mixing the ready-mix in.

Overkill?

Maybe.

But he was rusty.

Sez so himself.

"Right… I must cover that bitch over, get us ready to flee the scene and then… what?" he stopped talking as both dogs stared up at him. "What did I forget? Hat? Pants? Breakfast?"

The dogs shot inside as he laughed and followed them in, soon opening cans of dogfood and another can of peaches for himself, siting to eat from the can that matched those filling the shelves while contemplating his next move.

Clearly, he was in play now, his retirement a bust. Someone wanted to talk to him, and clearly, they wanted to talk up close and personal and that made him… uncomfortable. Didn't like people, especially the close talking kind.

"Right… shit, shave and… well… no shower but I can sponge bath I guess" he muttered to himself as he scratched again at the familiar old whiskers he had hidden behind for a few years now.

.

.

Ianto moved to the vehicle in the shed with them, an old nondescript SUV with no redeeming features. Much like him, it seemed to be just… normal. His black ninja style clothes had given way to what looked like a business suit, the tie matching the lining of the jacket he was wearing, it flew back with the breeze to show a shoulder holster as well. OK… maybe not so normal then. This suit was clearly tailor made to hide a side arm or shoulder holster. Like everything else we have come to know so far… this man was a pro.

He checked the back where bags were, pulling one forward to open the zip and feel around inside it, then pull out a zip lock bag of … passports? He started to go through them before choosing one, sliding back in the other driver's license that had bene inside the cover. Then he opened the wallet from his pocket and slid the license into a back section, then he slid out what looks like random cards from the bag to add to the wallet as well. A gym membership, coffee club card… things in the name of this new identity. Some of them looking scuffed and beaten like they had been in the wallet for the entire lifetime of its owner.

"Walter Freeman" he said out loud "Hi, I'm Walter. My friends and work colleagues call me Walt… those who are my real friends know I prefer Walter."

He nodded with satisfaction closing the wallet and sliding it into his back pocket before he looked around one more time and sighed. "Come on girls… last bathroom break before we hit the road."

The dogs shot out the door, Ianto walking outside to watch them carene about like they knew there would be no chance of this for a while his eyes moving to the now flattened earth where the SUV was buried, the straw and such he had spread along with the cut grass did make it less obvious. In a week or so… it would look like it had not been disturbed.

Finally, the dogs shot up into the back to the vehicle so Ianto could close the back door. he then backed it out, pushed a button to close the door of the shed and as he drove off, he threw the button out the window, sighing as yet another place had to be given up.

But hopefully… it could remain hidden for future reference.

As he drove, he hit a button on the wheel and the Bluetooth kicked in, the phone turning on and ringing the preset number. Well, the only number on the damned thing.

"Are you safe?"

Ianto smiled at the soft voice and nodded then remembered that he was on a phone "Yes. For now. They engaged; I shook them off… local law enforcement got involved but I didn't do much damage there… I am sure it can be glossed over… for now I am free running. Yeah."

"I heard about the motel thing… you OK?"

"Yes" he lied, "not a scratch. You know me."

"And the girls?"

"Fine. Asleep in the back. Myf got a whack on the snout that split that old scar, but she's already scabbed up. Janet is… as always… untouched." Ianto said with the pride only a father can have.

"Be safe."

"I know. But safe is a silly word. Like normal. Or completely happy. Or Santa. We all know such things do not truly exist" Ianto replied sagely "But I will try to give the illusion of being safe, will that do Tuppence?"

Soft laughter before the call was cut off before time ran out for anyone trying to trace.

Ianto grinned as he gunned the motor and felt the power move him forward.

He just wish he knew what he was moving towards.

But whether they were ready or not… he was coming.

Ready to dance.