13
"You know… I think we need to ration the food and…"
"Gwen, shut up" Rhys said as he wandered past "Ianto has food enough in these things for bloody months and I doubt we will be down here three more fucking days."
"Ianto this, Ianto that. I am sick of hearing about your friend" she snarled swinging to face him and thrusting her face into his "I am so sick of him swanking around like he owns the place!"
"Well technically he does own it all ya silly bitch. Who do you think set all this up, manages the funds and made all of the drills possible? The Dragon?" Owen entered the conversation "Look … Ianto saved us. All of us, and you still want to do a dick measuring contest."
"Well, I am going to go back topside for a look about" Jack said as he stepped into the huddle and looked directly at Gwen "Since Ianto carried so much down weight here."
"Well, I should go with!" Gwen enthused with a flick of her hair like a diva.
"And if you turn into a man-eating zombie thing I can shoot you" Jack said with the same light tone she had just used. "No, stay here like a good girl."
She shrugged like it was no big deal as Jack moved off to meet a contact for an update. But Ianto watched and knew she was seething.
And this was not over yet.
.
.
There was an argument in progress and Ianto didn't have to even look to see who was in the middle of it, he just called out loudly across the room "Gwen if you want to leave, it's OK. Follow the yellow paint line in the wall it will leave to an exit into an alley that is not visible from the street. Go… whenever you want."
The silence filled the void left, everyone swinging to gaze at him as he continued to walk, and he added as if an afterthought "But they are not gone yet and might give one more blast first. Mybe if you stick your fingers in your ears you will be OK."
Someone started to snigger softly as Ianto left the room, entering the bathroom and closing the door before moving to the toilet to relive himself. He stood there staring at the wall behind the cistern and pondered. He was getting sick of this shit and he just kept telling himself that he just needed two more days. Two more days and they would be gone, up top would be OK and he could wraith back into the shadows.
Only… now there is Jack.
Fuck.
Ianto let his head thump on the wall as he pondered the fact that the thing he didn't want to happen had happened. He had let him in.
And now… there was no going back to the shadows was there.
.
.
"There was another mild burst and one of the bunkers in Ireland had thought it was all over, so they had headed topside" Jack said to the adults in the meeting area "Same as before. Dropped dead or went mad."
"And now they know some of us are hiding. Great" John groaned.
"But they can't stay forever, maybe they will think that was it. The last of us and leave?" Rhys asked.
"It means they will be at least another couple of days to be sure we are not coming up" Jack confirmed, "Almost there everyone. Just… be calm. Then we can go topside again, stick to our stories and be calm. Be super fucking calm."
"Well, the sooner I am breathing clean air the better" someone said and Ianto gave up, knowing they would do whatever they wanted to and his job to save them was over.
His main priority was to save Lisbon and Mimi, to save his little family.
And now that included Jack and Alice.
"So, what's the plan?" Jack asked as he came along side Ianto.
"well, things are going to turn to shit. I think the best thing to do is to get out of dodge. We dug in and waited, now we have a window to get out and I think… we should do just that. Go out of town, up country to somewhere quiet and hope those fuckers never come back." Ianto spoke softly, like they were discussing the weather and Jack read the room in an instant.
"We are not taking everyone with us."
"Sometimes you have to trim the fat" Ianto sighed "we have to think of our group. You, me, tosh, Owen, Gwen, Rhys and out kids. No more… Andy. Shit. And Andy. Can I substitute Gwen for him and be done with?"
Jack started to snort softly with amusement, looking around the bunker and realizing Ianto was right. Too any people, too many possibilities of fucking up, possible narks and betrayers.
Time to trim the fat.
And time to move as soon as the coast it clear.