Out of Place Chapter 8

[galadriel1010]

Nick looked up as Jazz entered and raised a hand idly, “How did it go?”

“Interesting.” She brushed her hair out of her eyes and sank into her chair, “You’ve been and gone I take it?”

“Yeah, crashed back at yours with Jack and Ianto. When did you two finish with the autopsy?”

“Just now.” She laughed, “Tiiiired.”

“Where’s John?”

“I sent him home to get some sleep.” She yawned and waved out of the glass window, signing a request for coffee across to Ianto who nodded briefly and disappeared smartly. “He’s only mortal after all.”

“You should do the same.” Greg suggested, “You can’t work if you’re exhausted.”

“I’ll be fine.” She shrugged, “Want to see what I’ve got?”

“Go on then.”

“Human vic number one from the closed end of the alley. Oh, this is useless.” She looked up and waved across to get Jack’s attention, signing a message to him, “Jack, get your arse over here.”

“Why?”

“I want you.”

“You always want me. Ianto’s just coming.”

“OK, bring him with you.”

A minute or so later, the two Torchwood agents appeared in the doorway and Ianto passed out mugs of coffee, leaning idly against the desk with Jack’s arm wrapped around his waist, “I understand you wanted us commander?”

She glared at him moodily over the top of her mug, “Call me commander and I’ll have Jack stand on the opposite side of the room to you.”

“Sorry Jazz.” He attempted a look of absolute contrition and held onto Jack’s hand possessively, “He stays there or you’re on decaff for the rest of our stay.”

“Erm… Touche.” She took a deep sip and sighed, “Thanks Yan, you’re a lifesaver.”

“You’re such a swinger.”

“You’ve slept, I haven’t. Remember that dear.” She sighed, “Anyway, you want to know how our three DBs became DBs?”

“Yes. And were you right about it being the wrong Weevil?”

“Yes she was.” Greg jumped in with a printed sheet and passed it across to Jasmine, “DNA doesn’t match. You know, I never thought I’d be comparing the DNA of two aliens.”

“You can have a look at my DNA later if you like.” Jack winked at him, grinning when Greg blushed brightly, but the grin dropped completely when Ianto unwound the arm from around his waist and crossed the room to stand behind Jasmine with a scowl. “Oh come on Yan, you know I don’t mean it.”

Ianto remained silent and merely took a measured sip from his coffee. Jazz sighed and reached back to clip him round the ear, “Stop enjoying it!” They exchanged a steady stream of silent communication until he glanced away and met Jack’s eyes instead, sending an equally silent apology. “For God’s sake, men!”

Ianto crossed the room again and wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist burying his head under the Captain’s chin, sighing sadly and happily at the same time, “Sorry Jack, I’m an ass. Flirt all you like.”

“Oi. Sweet and all that, but these two are off limits.” Jazz scanned through the readings. “I need to have a look at these back at the house, see what the DNA reader can give us.”

“OK. And you were right on the mouth shot?”

“Yeah.” She stiffened suddenly and her gaze became fixed on the door

“CSI Donovan, welcome…” Conrad Ecklie also froze, he in the doorway, and glared at Jack and Ianto who were still wrapped in each other’s arms, “What is going on here?”

“Assistant Director.” She greeted him, “Good to meet you at last. This is Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones, they’re assisting us with our investigations.”

“Then surely they should be securely contained?” He demanded, still glaring at them as they moved only slightly into a more defensive pose

She snorted, taking a dislike to him even more than she had after Nick and Greg’s tales, “When I say ‘assisting us with our investigation’, I mean what I say. They’re experts from my team in the UK. They are not on your team and they do not work by your rules. Understood?”

“Who do you think you are?” He snarled

“Commander Donovan, UNIT level 1 and I know that you know what that means.” She glared, “Thank you Assistant Director. I’ll tell you what we find out.”

His face blanched when she announced her position and he turned and walked away without another word. Jack looked at her over the top of Ianto’s head and sighed, “Stuck up prat.”

“He’s been called that before.” Nick sighed, “Glad it was you two caught rather than us though.”

“You should be careful how you phrase things Nicky.” Catherine poked her head around the doorway, “Who steamed Ecklie?”

They pointed at Jazz, who was smirking at the table, “I do my best.”

“Yeah, well remember that you don’t actually have to work with him.” She warned, “Getting anywhere?”

“Started the same conversation twice, not finished it yet.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.” She disappeared with a wave and Jazz smiled down at the report on her desk

Jack shook his head, “You know, I’m really glad our director and assistant director are relaxed about the whole relationships in the workplace…”

“Sex in the workplace.” Ianto added

“Sex in the workplace, casual reports thing.” His partner sighed happily, pulling Ianto back against him and resting his hands on his arse, “Yep, definitely has its advantages.”

The Torchwood team chuckled, but Greg and Nick looked slightly suspicious, “Who are your director and assistant director?” Jack and Jazz pointed at each other, “Ah, thought so.”

“Anyway, can we please concentrate?” Jazz sighed, “Yes, Weevil killed by a one in, one in what Jack, one in fifty?”

“For me, yeah, for anyone else, one in two hundred?”

“Show off, but yeah, highly unlikely shot. But the fifteen shots before it and quite a lot that hit the walls probably improved his odds.” She sighed, “Human vic number one, the one who wasn’t killed by the Weevil.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No. He was shot. Twice in the back.”

“That would explain the FBI crawling over the scene.” Nick sighed, “They think it’s a mob killing.”

“Ianto, can you hack in and find out why they think that. Post them some demands for information, then hide it. You know…”

“Annoy them as only an archivist can. Got it.”

“You’re tampering with government files?” Greg asked in shock

“Yes. I’ll rubberise them so that they spring back after twenty-four hours. With integrated music videos of course.”

“Why music videos?”

“We Rick-Roll people we don’t like.”

“Nasty.” Archie wandered into the room with a file for them, “Mind if I join you?”

“Welcome to the party.” Jack grinned, extending a hand, “Archie Johnson I take it. Captain Jack Harkness, nice to meet you.”

“Captain Jack, it’s an honour. And Mr Jones, loved your report on the activities of Blowfish.”

“My… Oh.” He shook Archie’s hand and grinned, “Yeah, that was a rush job. Archivists annoying each other. It’s like war fought with post-its.”

“Well it made me chuckle on a long night.” He laughed, “Is it all true?”

“All completely factual based on observations. Observations made of a friend of ours who got very drunk the night she demanded the report.”

“That’s Atraxet?!” Jazz threw her head back and laughed, “I should have knowned.”

Ianto stood up and beckoned to the teenaged immortal, “Got that file Jazz, two similar deaths. All connected to a drug ring the FBI have been trying to crack for a while.”

“And now the ring is cracking itself and falling on them.”

"Basically. Files sent over to us. So he’s the next link they were after.”

“And let me guess, the last person they got on to was the last person to drop dead.” Jazz sighed, “So someone’s covering their tracks. Were the drugs terrestrial?”

“Completely, just normal E.” Ianto confirmed. “So where does the Weevil come in?”

“In the alley. Body dump.” Jack answered, “The other guy went to dump the body, got attacked by the Weevil hiding in the back of it. Presumably he was the one who shot the Weevil, but was too badly injured to get out of the alley and survive.”

“Wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“Unless he somehow shot himself in the back with a 9mm when he had a .45?” Jazz laid out her hands, “He wasn’t alone. He had a friend who tried to defend him.”

“And ended up killing him.” Jack sighed, “I hate it when that happens.”

“You’ve done it?”

“Had it done to me.” Jack touched his shoulder reflexively and shrugged at Ianto’s concerned glance, “Before your time, long before your time actually, early 20th century.”

“If it helps, the Weevil inflicted wounds would have been fatal too, just not as soon as the gunshot.”

“So now we have to find our witness?” Jack straightened up and folded his arms, “OK, Ianto and Jazz…” He quailed under her glare, “Sorry boss.”

“OK, Archie check the video feeds, see if you can find them on their way there. Ianto you go with him and give him some ‘help’.” The Welshman nodded his understanding and headed off, giving Jack a quick peck on his way out. “Jack, I want you to do fun stuff with Nick regarding those guns, see what you can find. Greg, you’re in here with me chasing paper regarding our vics. And I’m going to send John in to see what he can find out.”

“Are you sure?”

She hesitated a moment but nodded, expelling a great breath as she did so, “He’s the best man for the job.”

“Agreed. One more thing though.”

“It’s a Cardiff Weevil.” They nodded and she leaned on the desk, “I don’t want to know how many more there are.”

Jack tapped his wrist strap’s controls and looked up at her, “Sending the readings to you.”

There was silence whilst she waited, then Jazz dropped her gaze from the screen and swore violently, “Three, there’s another three.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, “I’ll get Archie and Ianto to deal with the mapping.”

“OK.” Jack sighed, “That can only mean one thing.”

“Someone’s importing Weevils.” Jazz agreed, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Only if you’re thinking Weevil fight club.” Jack told her through clenched teeth