(A/N) - So, I know Ch. 16 was pretty short, so I added this chapter hoping to make up for it...? :) Anyway, I think this should hold you guys over until tomorrow...
-TY, and enjoy! xx ;D
Jeff sat in the vaults just staring at a Weevil. He knew he should be doing something, but he didn’t know what. The Weevil glared back at him and grunted every now and then. Jeff sighed, trying to think of where Tyler could have taken Becca. “He was your friend! Where would he go?” Jeff asked himself repeatedly, but he had no answer to his questions.
Upstairs Owen was finished with Tori. He had sewn her up, and he was attaching her to an IV and a heart monitor when Tosh gasped.
“What is it?” Gwen asked, coming up behind Tosh.
Tosh was sitting at her desk and she looked disgusted as she pointed at the computer screen.
“Oh my God…” Gwen whispered, “Ianto! Go get Jack. Brendan, come here. I’ll go get Jeff.” Then she ran towards the vaults.
Ianto walked up to them, and Brendan led his way over to Toshiko. Brendan gasped as well and then he walked away, saying he couldn’t watch. Tears were welling up in his eyes
“What is it?” Owen asked Brendan as he finished up and began taking his latex gloves off.
Brendan shook his head, “You may not want to know.”
Confused, Owen walked over to the computer that Tosh was on.
“Jeff?” Gwen called as she walked down the stairs to the vault, “Please, we need you upstairs. There’s something you need to see.”
“Coming,” Jeff said blankly.
“You alright?” asked Gwen. She walked into the Vault Room and saw Jeff sitting and watching the Weevil Jack fondly referred to as ‘Janet’.
Jeff sighed and turned to Gwen, “I’m fine, just a little shaken up. Is Tori okay?” he asked, walking toward her.
Gwen nodded, “Owen just finished up with her.”
Hope flared in Jeff’s eyes, “Good, now all we need is to find Becca.”
Gwen winced slightly at the mention of Becca’s name as she replied, “Yes… that’s why you may want to come and see this.” Gwen grasped Jeff’s hand and then began walking up the steps. Jeff followed without struggling.
Jeff, Gwen, Owen, Ianto, and Jack all got to the computer at about the same time. Crowding around Tosh, she explained what they were watching.
“This is video from security cameras at the beach…” Tosh trailed off, “I’ll just let the video speak for itself.”
She hit play, and Owen almost threw up. It was a video of Tyler throwing Becca against a rock and then attacking her. Owen’s hands shook in anger as he watched.
Jack had his arms crossed and he winced each time Ty hit Becca. He imagined what happened to himself, long ago, and understood her pain.
Gwen turned away, and Jeff’s mouth dropped as he realized he had seriously doubted Tyler’s dangerous capabilities.
Ianto bit his lip and looked away.
When it finished Tosh clicked out of it.
Gwen made eye contact with Jack, “What do we do?” she asked quietly.
Jack sighed, “Let’s discuss what we know. Jeff and Gwen, why don’t you do that? Tosh, keep working on trying to find a video trail of where they went, Brendan and Ianto, I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be a long day - we need coffee.”
Ianto and Brendan nodded and then walked away. Jack called after them, “Industrial strength, please! Thank you!”
“What about me?” Owen asked. He felt bile rising in his throat.
Jack thought for a moment, “Go check up on Ari and Tori, then write up their incident reports.”
Owen nodded, and went off to check on Ari. He walked into her room and to his surprise, saw that she was awake.
“Owen?” Ari frowned.
Owen smiled faintly, “Yes Ari?”
Groaning, Ari tried shifting onto her side, “Was I just shot or is this a dream?”
“Nope, sorry, but you were shot.”
Ari cracked her neck, “Great. By who?”
Owen looked down and bit his lip. His murmured, “Tyler De La Garza…”
Ari’s eyes got wide, “…What?”
Owen sighed, “And he also shot Tori.”
Ari sat up in her bed, “Excuse me?” Tears were in Ari’s eyes.
Owen put a hand on Ari’s shoulder and gently pushed her back, “I’m sorry.” Owen shook his head, “He also kidnapped Rebecca.”
Ari curled up into a ball and ran her hands through her short, dirty blonde hair, “No… Oh God…”
Owen stood there awkwardly, unsure how to comfort her, “I’m really sorry…” He touched Ari’s shoulder again and then walked out, his own shoulders sagging.
Jeff and Gwen sat and talked about what they knew so far.
“One,” said Jeff, “Tyler shouldn’t even be alive.”
Gwen nodded, sticking a picture of Tyler next to his name, “Tyler, full name Tyler David De La Garza.”
Jeff stood up and paced slowly, “Two, he probably shot Ari."
"Most likely he was aiming for Tori,” Gwen piped up.
"No," Jeff shook his head, "No. I knew Tyler, I trained with him... He never missed. Ever. That man, he, he's controlling, and he always shot deliberately. I think he shot Ari becuse she was so close to Tori, because he wanted to shatter our sense of security."
Gwen looked up at Jeff, taking in his intelligence, his fine lines, his hands, the way his brown hair swooped up, and how h-
Jeff was staring at her, confused/
Gwen stuttered for a moment and then regained composure, “That sounds about right, then."
Jack stepped in, saving Gwen some embarrassment. “I just thought of something…” he drifted off for a moment, then continued, “Tyler mentioned something… when he came out of the water, he said, ‘let it off’. He meant ‘let off’ some sort of a gas that knocked us out. However, this means one thing… It means that Tyler has people at his command.”
- - -
Across the Central Room, Owen was now at his computer, typing up incident reports. That’s when a little beeping noise filled the air around the computer. Frowning, Owen saw he had a message, pulling it up, he read it.
To: Owen Harper
Hello Owen.
How’s my Tori? I trust that everything is well, even though I took away one of your doctors… I’m sure you were able to manage just fine without her… Besides, I think you’ve seen the videos by now… That poor girl is so weak…
Anyway, I have a proposition for you. Watch this video and tell me what you think… But of course you have to show the rest of Torchwood! Heaven forbid Captain Jack not know everything that happens whether it concerns him or not…
Under the message was a video. Owen clicked on it and he almost had a stroke.