10
Two days later Owen arrived looking more than slightly tense and Ianto knew something wa going down that they were not going to like.
"So, six more came forward and I now have twenty of them… only… I don't. UNIT has taken over their care. Came into my office, took their records and have set up their own clinic in the town hall, it looks like they are going to built their own birthing suites there and everything."
"Twenty? What?" Ianto gasped, the previous umber of ten clearly out the window since he had talked with him last, though Jack obviously knew of more already.
"But how did they know? Toshiko was so careful with the firewalls and such… but they knew?" Jack was amazed "But it does get worse. They are starting to also put out some sort of barriers to cement the walls around this place. We are being boxed in"
"What do you mean?" Ianto asked, focusing more.
Jack sighed "Like a prison. Scuttlebutt around the station is that they intend to make it a rule that only women who are NOT pregnant can leave the village for business. Passports and all sorts."
Ianto did not like this one but and was about to say something when Jack's phone went and Jack hit the speaker button as he was trying to fit a cream bun into his mouth.
"Captain Harkness. We need you to come in for a debriefing. We would like to know what the rumours are going around at the moment so we can face them head on. We can't have unrest."
Jack swallowed the bun before answering "Sure. Be there in fifteen minutes."
The phone pinged off and they sat there staring at it.
"Wow" Owen finally said softly "that was creepy. Like they knew what we were talking about."
Ianto was pushing out his chair and sinking to his knees, Owen glancing over "you know I am still here. Do you need me to leave before you… what are you doing?"
"Crumbs on the floor" Ianto said as he got onto his hands as well, staring up under the table, then reaching out to run his hands around, then removed one with a small dot on it.
"What is…"
"For fucksake Owen. You might live like a pig but I do NOT like crumbs around here" Ianto said forcefully pointing at his hand "It brings BUGS!"
Everyone started at it for a moment linger, then Jack said more calmly than he felt "Gotta go kids. No fighting inside, you might break something."
"I am going to walk that bloody dog of yours, the moors look nice and breezy today" Ianto said, "Come meet us there when you're finished. She will want the ball chucker."
"Right… by the old bench seat?"
They now had a plan… if Toshiko had time to come with.
.
.
"So what did you do with it?" Toshiko asked as she watched Ianto wind up the chucker and let the ball fly, the dog barking with glee as she raced after it. Good for his shoulder which still pulled now and then. The injury it sustained a few years ago tore so much away that there were fears he might ever regain it's full use. Don't' say 'can't' to a Jones.
"I put it back exactly where I found it of course" Ianto replied "It was cleverly placed. So cleverly that it might not have been noticed by a normal person."
"But you are not exactly normal are you" she replied, turning to watch Owen now wrestling with the dog in the grass. The wind flicked up her scarf and she pulled it back around her head as she looked back at Ianto's face.
"And they have not clocked me yet, have they?" he snorted softly "They traipse around in their little red caps thinking they are all that and a packet of crisps. Meanwhile, an ex Green Beret is watching on. Yeah, they don't know there is a fox in the hen house. My time working in Her Majesty's Service is still classified."
"And so… here we are. We need to start strategizing based on what we know" Toshiko nodded.
Ianto swiveled to face her, the wind whipping his hair around his face "I know how this will go."
"Lay it out."
"First, they will want a headcount of those with child, whether or not their dates match. They will want to test all the fertile women somehow… they will most likely use the Fete as cover for this."
"OK. And then?"
"Then these gates we can walk in and out of freely will suddenly change. Anyone they suspect of being pregnant will not be allowed to leave. Those who are deemed pregnant will start to be watched, treated like cattle or lab rats."
"Agreed" Toshiko shivered as she looked out at the lunatics on the grass, then she saw Jack coming towards them "He doesn't look happy either."
"Hey. This is getting worse… they want to have a booth at the fete got blood donations… they want it made clear that they expect everyone to take part" Jack huffed.
Ianto glanced over at Toshiko who nodded to show she saw the danger.
Then something else niggled and she paled "What if I am pregnant? I've not tested myself."
"Don't. Not here… NEVER talk about it. When we go to the city for my scans and such on the last Friday we can do a test away from here… do not even look like you are thinking about it or they might get suspicious!" Ianto warned.
"OK… we will all go." Jack agreed.
Then he ran over to jump on the man on the ground, Owen squealing with glee as they wrestled.
Ianto had a bad feeling in his gut.