"Fifty-three hours and counting, Ianto Jones," Jack's voice bounced off the concrete walls of the Hub. "Where the hell is that patch?!"
He'd spent the last four hours crashing around the place like a trapped bear. The repeated failures to get around the worm had everyone's nerves on edge. It didn't help that someone from Whitehall started sniffing around wanting to know when Torchwood had hired a new associate and then lost said associate. Jack blamed himself for that near disaster. He'd pushed to hard for information after they failed to hear back on the first BOLO. The low level investigator from MI6 was easy to retcon, but Jack should never have made the mistake.
"Would my stopwatch help you keep track of the time more precisely, Jack?" Ianto flashed a cheeky smile at River. The two had worked almost nonstop since their break to write and re-write a computer programme that could back door the Doctor's worm. They were getting close and neither had the energy to deal with Jack's frustration.
"Very funny, Yan." Jack came around the bank of computers and pinched Ianto's backside hard enough to make the young Welshman jump. "Upload this one," he teased.
"Yes, oh mighty one." Ianto had given up his three-piece suit for snug trousers, a pin-striped Oxford shirt and his waistcoat. "I'll upload something for you all right," Ianto answered with a wink as he slid the thumb drive into the computer's USB port and hit enter. A moment later, their latest effort down-loaded and installed, River sent the request for information to the Consulates and updated the BOLO. A few minutes later, an email from the Chicago Consulate stared at them from the screen.
Individual matching description in BOLO reported found by police in Elizabeth, Kentucky. Please note attachments. Police have requested information concerning family. Consulate has requested police provide protection for Mr Smith until you arrive. Please advise.
They stared at the screen in stunned silence. The patch worked; it actually worked. They'd actually beaten the Doctor's own programming. It would have been so much easier if he hadn't hard-wired the mess into the TARDIS. Now, River knew why the old girl was humming. She had done her best to help them by not interfering.
Broad grins spread across the trio's faces as they turned to look at each other. "I'll be damned," Jack stammered. "You actually did it." He smacked Ianto on the back and turned to grab the phone, This was one call to the Prime Minister that he would enjoy making. This time he wasn't calling to yell about resources on incident reports. This time, finally, he could notify them Torchwood was taking a little trip -- across the pond. They could retrieve their Time Lord without worrying that anyone one either side would suspect that he was anything other than Torchwood's missing young scientist. Jack hung up the phone, clapped his hands together and did something he hadn't since leaving the Hub five days ago. He flashed a huge cheeky, grin, grabbed Ianto's face in his hands and snogged him ... properly.
"Get Martha in here," he said when he let go, leaving Ianto breathless and dazed. "I want everything and everyone ready to leave as soon as I get back with the packet."
"Yes Sir," Ianto squeaked. "May I assume that I will be staying behind with Gwen?"
"No, Cariad, you may not. River: find Amy and Rory!" Jack yelled as headed for the lift.
"Fifty-five hours and counting, Ianto. Hey, where is everyone?" Jack hollered as he walked back into an empty tactical room, surprised to find everyone gone. "Ianto, where are you?" he yelled again before using the overhead comm system.
YOU ARE READING
Broken: A Time Lord's Story (Doctor Who Novel)
FanfictionIn the 42nd century, a search for a kidnapped baby takes a man known as the Doctor to Regulus IV where he's kidnapped and brutally tortured. His salvation lies in the hands of a gentle telepathic child. Forced by her captor to tend to his wounds...
