23

Harold held out his hand "I take it Doctor Jones is there?"

Jack considered, then handed the phone over, watching the man place it to his ear "Hello?"

"Hello there."

Harold grinned widely "Doctor Jones. The elusive man himself. So strange, staring at you and yet… you are not here. These Avatars are so nicely done. Covert. Sneaky. One of the reasons we believe they should…"

"Look, Mister Saxon, I hate to interrupt you but the phone is making a noise, I assume the battery is draining at an accelerated rate near your device so… maybe you need to tell me what you want?"

Harold swung to stare at the device, then held the phone away to stare at the screen before placing it back to his hear "You're right. It does drain power cells. I had not considered communications. Hmmm. Well. OK. What I want is a face-to-face discussion with you. I want you to stop the production and distribution of Sims while we sort out a peace treaty."

"What sort of treaty do you suggest? A Sim Free Zone?"

Harold seemed surprised by this, clearly not having got as far as coming up with demands to make. Finding Jack and Owen down here had been a lovely little surprise for him and now… now he had to take some time to get this right.

"Tell you what. Tomorrow, we will meet. I will contact you with a time and place on this phone." Harold said grandly "until then, Captain Harknes and Doctor Harper will remain my guests, how does that sound?"

"And how can I trust you?"

"You don't have a choice old man" Harold laughed with glee "I have the gun."

"And my Sim is not me."

"Ah… but your Dear Harkness is the real deal!" Harold crowed "Oh yes, we've been watching you. You even came out in your own true form the other day with him to go to an antique coffee shop. My people were there, we saw the tremor of the hand, the limp. I know the real you now, not so different to your avatar but less… shiny."

"Hey!" Jack stepped tards him, the anger on his face making Harld laugh all the more.

"See? He loves you. Even with a gun in his face, he defends you… his gimp." Harold chortled.

"If you harm either of them, I will send this entire city to hell in your name in order to find you".

"Of course you would. What I am counting on!" came the blad reply "I will be in touch with a time and place… oh… and like I said… I know the real you so… no Sim. You feel me?"

"Oh, I do… and if you reaaaaally want to… you will soon feel me too Harry!"

Harold closed the call and placed the phone in his pocket before waving the gun at the two men "Well? Get on your Hover then. Let's go. I can't wait to give you the guided tour. Company and not even tea made."

Jak glanced at Owen who was more focused on the machine that was no longer humming, slammed on to the back of the Hover by the two men who carried it, their faces bland as they clambered up and produced guns of their own.

It had been a pretty good trap, you had to give them that.

Owen was impressed.

.

.

"I don't know" Jack said yet again, the chair he was tied to rocking back as the blow caught his cheek.

"Come now, mister big shot doesn't know?" Harold sneered, nodding as his goon drew back his fist against, this time aiming it at Owen.

"Look… think about it. I am the face, the voice and the fucking sex appeal of the business. You seriously think I even know how to hold a soldering iron let along how to make one of those things?" Jack roared "Ianto is the brains… always was. Ianto is my partner, the other major shareholder in the company. His mother was a Loyd for fucksake. Together we hold majority shareholding!"

Harold raised a hand and the fist lowered, Owen breathing a sigh of relief as his own nose continued to bled ever so calmly down his chin.

"Look. I never got involved with that side. After what happened to Gray, I admit I was scared of that area. I know the fundamentals like everyone else, I spout them for the cameras… but I have no idea where their central brain is even housed in there!" Jack admitted.

"In the back of the head, like the brain stem." Owen said.

"How would you know?"

"First off, I am a fucking Doctor. Secondly… my wife is one of Ianto's techs ya fuckwit." Owen scoffed "I helped develop some of the components and I repair the damaged ones."

Harold canted his head slightly and stared at Owen "I thought you were just his bestie."

"Ianto? A Bestie? That was Lisa… his dead wife."

Jack blinked as he heard a word that had not been said before. Girlfriend sure. Fiancé even but wife? Now… he knew Owen was bluffing there… but why?

Then it struck him.

Owen knew who this was. He knew him.

How?