Kiss Her Goodbye
Chapter 5
"I'm getting no response from Gwynn and Iana, nor from Jacqueline, though the SUV is in motion," Toshiyuki said. "Should we go after Gwynn and Iana or should we return to the Hub?"
Owena gripped the wheel tightly, trying to keep her anger suppressed, and thought about it. "No, let's go back to the Hub, use the equipment there to check on everyone's status. I'm sure you can't do much from that," she added, nodding at the small PDA in Tosh's hand.
"No, I've already tried to access any kind of CCTV but this isn't able to access anything. I'm not even able to fully access the computer network back at the Hub, which is a bit worrisome."
"That's not good," Owena agreed. She fell silent, concentrating on manoeuvring her car through traffic to reach their destination as quickly as possible.
"This is odd," Tosh said. "I'm reading a massive earthquake in the middle of Cardiff Bay."
Owena turned the corner just in time for the car to nearly be upturned by a large section of pavement suddenly jutting upwards, pushed by an explosion that was rocking the entire Plass. She jerked the wheel and turned the car toward a small bit of pavement that wasn't buckling.
"I think I know what is causing the earthquake," Owena said quietly, watching as Torchwood equipment, much of it on fire, erupted onto the Plass.
Marcus was following the navigation system's instructions on how to return to the Hub, and trying to keep from losing control of the unwieldy vehicle in the sudden earth tremors, when a loud gasp from the back seat startled him. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see Jacqueline slowly sitting up.
"You're okay!?" he gasped.
"Perfectly fine. Where are we and have you heard from my team?" Jacqueline said.
"Nearly back to your headquarters, but there's been no communication," Marcus said. He nearly slid off the road as it pitched violently beneath them. "This shaking isn't making things easier, though."
The Doctor was intently studying her sonic. "That is no normal earthquake," she said suddenly. "That was a massive explosion!"
"Explosion?" Jacqueline was fully upright in seconds and leaning into the front seat. "Where?"
Before the Doctor could answer, the communication system in the SUV crackled to life. "Jacqueline? Come in Jacqueline, it's Owena."
Jacqueline reached over the Doctor's shoulder and flicked on the comm. "Come in, Owena, report."
"Best not to go back to the Hub, Captain," she said. "Tosh is helping me find our hidden warehouse in Cathays now."
"Why? What's wrong?" Jacqueline asked.
"That big earthquake? That was our headquarters getting blown up," Owena snarled. "I don't know who did it, but our stuff is strewn all across the Plass and on fire."
"Blown up? Are you and Tosh all right?" Jacqueline asked, worry written across her face.
"We're fine," Tosh answered. "But we haven't heard from Gwynn or Iana yet. Perhaps you had best check on them before meeting us in Cathays."
"Right. You're headed for the old Torchwood warehouse then?" Jacqueline asked.
"Yes. We are taking care to make sure we are not followed, so we have had to make a few detours, but we shall be there by the time you arrive," Tosh replied. "Be careful, Captain, I think someone is determined to keep us from our mission."
Owena snorted. "That's an understatement. Someone is determined to kill us is more like it!"
"I hate to say it but I think you're right," Jacqueline agreed. "You two be careful. We will see you soon."
"We will. Tosh out."
Jacqueline leaned back in the seat and sighed. "This is not my day," she muttered, then activated one of the terminals located in the back seat. "No time to moan, I'm feeding the sat-nav a new set of coordinates," she said. "Keep a close eye on your mirrors, Marcus, and let me know if you see anyone suspicious following us."
"Yes, ma'am!" Marcus replied, turning onto a side street as the navigation system calculated a new route for them.
Iana lay on the floor, staring at the legs of the desk, and listening to Jacqueline's plaintive cry over the comms. It was so hard to not be able to answer Jacqueline's pleas, and she silently willed Jacqueline to hurry there and help them. She didn't know exactly what it was that Joanna had poisoned her with, and likely Gwynn as well because she hadn't seen or heard him looking for her, but Iana had a feeling she was dying. She could feel her body trying to shut down and she struggled desperately, fighting the darkness that threatened to consume her.
"Iana? Iana, where are you? Answer me, IANA!!" Jacqueline's bellow cut across the small deserted office. Iana mentally willed Jacqueline to look under the desk.
"Jacqueline, over here!" A pair of feet appeared at the corner of Iana's vision, followed by a face as Marcus knelt beside her and rolled her over onto her back. "Iana? Iana, can you hear me?"
Jacqueline knelt beside Marcus and pulled a pen light from her pocket, shining it into Iana's eyes. "Damnit! I knew she'd try this! Where did I put that antidote?" Jacqueline started digging frantically through the myriad pockets of her coat.
"Antidote? For what?" Marcus asked. "Where's Gwynn?"
"In here!" the Doctor called from across the room. "He's laying in this little room here. Looks like the same symptoms." She entered the inner office, the door banging shut behind her.
"Paralysing lip gloss," Jacqueline said. "Aha! Here it is!" She held up what looked like a tube of lip balm. "Time Agency issued, and a favourite tool of Joanna's. I had a feeling she'd pull this." Jacqueline rubbed the stick on her lips, then slid one arm under Iana's shoulders, pulling her up from the floor. "I hope this antidote still works," Jacqueline muttered, and kissed Iana.
The door to the inner office banged open again and Marcus ran to help the Doctor drag Gwynn out into the main room and lay him near Jacqueline and Iana.
"Jacqueline?" Iana croaked suddenly.
"Shhh... don't talk, just rest," Jacqueline insisted. She lay Iana gently on the floor and turned to Gwynn, reapplying the antidote lip balm and kissing him as well.
"So, this Joanna just poisoned two members of your team and left them here to die?" the Doctor asked frostily.
"I think she knew I'd come looking when I didn't hear from them. But she's up to something... not that there's anything new about that, but what she's planning is what's got me worried," Jacqueline said. "I doubt she blew up the Hub, though, I checked her over for any kind of explosives she could possibly have carried and she was clean. Well, as far as explosives that is. So who else is out to get us?"
"Saxon?" Marcus suggested.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Jacqueline said.
Owena slowly circled around the block where the seemingly abandoned warehouse sat, letting Tosh run what scans he could from his PDA to make sure there were no surprises waiting inside. Other than massive dust bunnies, that is, considering no one had been in the building in at least twenty years, if not longer.
"I think we are safe," Tosh said. "Shall we just drive your car inside? Then it won't be quite as obvious."
Owena snorted. "You mean, expensive convertible sitting in the middle of these older buildings? Good idea. Can you unlock the door remotely or do we have to get out?"
Tosh shook his head. "There's no technology here."
"Of course not, that would make it easy." Owena pulled her car up and parked just in front of the doors.
Tosh got out and checked the doors. "Then again..."
"What?"
"There is only a key lock here. I think we need Jacqueline's master set."
"Can't you use the unlocking device?" Owena asked.
"It doesn't work on simple tumbler locks, only on electronic locks."
"Great. How long do we have to wait for Jacqueline?"
Jacqueline herded Gwynn, Iana, Marcus and the Doctor into the SUV, keeping a careful watch all around with her gun at the ready, much to the Doctor's displeasure. Finally, satisfied they hadn't been surrounded again, she climbed into the driver's seat and slid her gun back into its holster.
"What now, Jacqueline?" Gwynn asked. "Are we going after Joanna?"
Jacqueline shook her head as she peeled away from the campaign offices. "No, not yet at least. We need to regroup. Tosh and Owena are waiting for us in Cathays, at the Torchwood-owned warehouse."
"Why there?" Iana asked. "No one has been in there in decades."
"Because the Hub is compromised," Jacqueline said, gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Tosh and Owena saw it explode."
Gwynn and Iana exchanged worried looks. Between them, the Doctor was playing with her sonic screwdriver and the SUV's built-in computers.