42
It was late, almost everyone was asleep and just Ianto still knocking about like he does when he can't sleep.
Jack was asleep, as were the babies and he wished the heebie-jeebies would bugger off, this feeling of dread so damned annoying. They were safe, he knew they were safe, they could not be more safe.
Cell jammers and an electronic black out bar the room set aside with the foil covered walls and electromagnetic additions that were there so when filming the production team's fiddling in the background did not interfere with the digital cameras. A few tweaks and you have a Black Box.
They were, effectively, disappeared.
As he sat drumming his fingers he saw an alert on the screen. Toshiko had set up an alert system to key off certain words and apparently something was there. So, of course, he clicked on it.
And felt beyond sick… he felt murderous.
.
.
"Yes… the kids are NOT around." Owen said for the third time, frowning at Ianto who seemed beyond pissed about something. Finally, they all settled in their chairs and Ianto clicked on the link to play whatever was recorded overnight.
"My name is John Davies and my wife, Rhiannon, has been in a terrible accident. She… she… she might not make it" Johnny made a show of stopping to take a deep shuddering breath, the overacting severe. Then he continued "Her brother has the children with him on holiday. We have lost contact and I am desperate to find them. On the screen you will see photos of my children and their uncle. Mica is five and David is seven. Please, if you see them anywhere, please… god…."
Johnny stopped talking and sobbed for a second or two, then cleared his throat, looking up again "Chichi and Fiddy… Taddy loves you."
Ianto stopped the recording and let everyone sit for a moment, then Jack was first to speak "He is not Taddy… he's Da."
"And it's Mimi not Chichi and Davey Boy, not Fiddy." Ianto agreed, "What does this tell us?"
"He is being coerced and this is the only way he can warn you that it's not him" Toshiko said firmly.
"Yeah, but the main thing here is that our photos are on the screen… my face. The kids are not the only ones in seclusion now. I am likely to be on the front page of the newspapers this morning too… if we are really unlucky, maybe Jack's too." Ianto nodded.
"Fuck. We need you out there you are like a fucking robot" Owen groaned.
"Well, the only other way to handle this is to work with it" Ianto leaned closer and Jack frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"We need to lay low for a while, and then I need to pop up somewhere and set of some alarms, then go silent. Do that a few times to really piss them off… then go silent. They will comb that area for days.. weeks. Then I can simply slide into another area without them even noticing" Ianto smiled as he showed his teeth "Because they do not know me at all. The think they do, they have that cute photo of me, all clean and clipped. They've not seen the Welsh Bastard….my Cariad knows him, don't you."
Jack's face showed his alarm "What do you mean? You…"
"Yeah. I've lived the good life, I've been a good faithful husband to the police officer man… you are not that man anymore. I do not have to keep up appearances anymore. I think it's time. Time for them to learn that sometimes grabbing for the Tiger's Tail only gets you in his eyeline."
"OK"
.
.
Ianto walked the street with his head held high, the three piece suit finely tailored and his face one of aristocratic boredom. He was every bit the Englishman…not. The Welsh Bastard's eyes were moving everywhere, noting the cameras and ensuring they got a good look, passing then slowly to make sure his slight limp he was currently manufacturing was noticed… that he was being watched.
Then he wraithed.
Then they watched the Red Caps swarm the area with futility in their movements.
"Well…now we know." Toshiko said softly "Facial Recognition software."
..
.
"Hell there, can I have fifteen of your chocolate éclairs please?"
"Fuck me mate, ya got a preggers wife or something?" the man behind the counter laughed and Ianto laughed along with him before adding "No… I am bulking up for a UFC fight."
More laughter as they both enjoyed the bullshit that this lean, well quaffed handsome aristocrat might be anything but a pussy. Ianto held a cane today, along with swishing a silly hand motion like a cat's claws and they laughed some more.
He made sure several cameras got him as he exited the store with his boxes and high step, like a prima donna would.
The Welsh Bastard grinned.
.
.
"Enough?"
"No Cariad... one more where they almost have me. They need to taste victory on the wind, only then can I crap in their little red hats"
"Fuck, I knew you would say that… sorry darling. Daddy said a bad word."
.
.
Ianto was running, his breath coming in short, sharp gaps as he ran over the uneven ground, cursing as he deliberately let his 'bad' leg fold several times, forcing him to his knees.
Then he rounded a huge tree and simply… vanished.
Now, if you knew these woods like he knows these woods you might know this old maple tree is hollow. That if you step around the roots you might find an entrance large enough to slide through into the interior. But… as we all know… no one knows these woods like Ianto fucking Jones knows these woods!
Ianto slid down to his arse and opened the backpack, the things he has swiped from the UNIT vehicle while doubling back behind the men were invaluable to keeping tabs on the fuckers and he knew Toshiko would have a field day.
Step one, disable tracking devices and all GPS.
Ste two, remove anything that is identifiable.
Step three, turn everything off for now, Toshiko can turn it all no later when they are in the room she lovingly refers to as her Faraday Box.
Ianto listened to the men shouting and running about.
Yeah.
He knew he was safe.
He got out a piece of jerky and sat with a bottle of water to chew thoughtfully as he contemplated how gullible some people are.
And his next steps.
Stomps.
Heh.