Treachery part 22/?

[aviv_b_artwork]

TITLE:  On a Roll (Part 22 of the Treachery Series)
RATING:  PG-13
WARNING:   None
CHARACTERS:  John (Ianto), Tosh, Owen, Jack, Gwen, Brigadier
DISCLAIMER:  Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 960
SUMMARY: Team Torchwod make their escape from the Hub. Will they be able to get to London in time to rescue the remaining participants of the clone and assassin experiments.

Treachery (Part 1) here:  http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/49816.html 
All chapters are linked.

A/N:  Sorry that this has been so long in coming, and that it's short.  I'm hoping to get back on track with posting. My goal is to finish the story in the next four weeks. We'll see if the fates cooperate.

The team hurried on to the secret exit from the Hub. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs Jack and Owen were able to push John along almost as fast as Tosh and Gwen were proceeding.  They walked for over an hour. The tunnel was fairly level but had numerous twists and turns.  Except for their torches, the tunnel was completely dark.

 

Tosh and Gwen reached a point where the tunnel divided and stopped to wait for the men to catch up.  Once they did Jack suggested that they rest for a few minutes. “

 

“We’ll be taking the bend to the right. It isn’t much further, but it’s a long way up at the end.

 

“I wouldn’t like to try to get through here without torches,” Gwen remarked. “What was this tunnel used for?”

 

“Believe it or not, it was always meant as the escape route of last resort.  I think you’ll be surprised when you see where we exit.”

 

“I think we’ve walked half way across Cardiff,” Owen said as he looked back at the way they had come. “We must have walked about two miles.”

 

“Actually it’s only a little over a mile in terms of the tunnel length. And we’re only about a half mile from the Hub. It loops around due to the configuration of the waterfront. Time to get moving, we’re down around 80 feet here so we’ll need the time to get up the last bit.”

 

When they reached the final set of stairs Jack once again had to carry John. It was much slower going this time as Jack was tired and the final stairs up were almost twice as long as the initial ones down.

 

They reached the end of the tunnel with a few minutes to spare.

 

“Lights off everyone,” Jack ordered.

 

“It’s a sewer grate,” Tosh remarked as she looked at the opening in the top of the tunnel.

 

“Shhh. It’s actually supposed to look like a water spillway but it’s fake obviously,” Jack whispered.

 

The team waited in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally they heard the sounds of the grate being pried off.  A torch shone into the tunnel.

 

“Anyone down there?” someone said softly. No one said a word. “Uh…Colonel Nigel Price, UNIT, retired here. Any friends of Lethbridge-Stewart about?”

 

Jack began to roll his eyes and then realized that no one could see him. “Yes we’re here,” he hissed.

 A ladder was lowered through the opening and they began to climb up one by one. The opening was small and there was no way Jack could carry John up the ladder. So Owen went up after Tosh and Jack and Gwen fairly pushed John up the ladder until Owen, Tosh and the Colonel could pull him the rest of the way. 

 

It was dark and there were no street lights nearby. They had to be in some type of undeveloped area. Suddenly a nearby van turned its lights on.  They looked around and realized they were in Hamadryad Park.  The Colonel and Owen hustled John over to the van and Jack and Gwen exited the tunnel.

 

Once inside the van, the Colonel ordered them to lie down and not speak. “Seems to be a bit of a ruckus going on at the Millennium Center. We’ll be circling north of the city center before heading east to London. We’ll be staying off the M4 as much as possible, but there’s always a chance we’ll run into a road block. So keep down, and keep quiet, please.”

 

They drove for about an hour. The radio was on and the passengers listened to reports of first a shooting and then a full scale gang war in progress at the Millennium Center.

 

“I don’t know who these friends of yours are, Harkness, but they are proving to be a bit much for the UNIT folks. And somehow the police are staying away. Funny that, don’t you think. And NO, don’t answer.”

 

They drove for almost another hour. From the feel of the road surfaces, it was clear that they were taking secondary roads all the way. Finally the van stopped. 

 

Someone outside the van spoke. “Ok, get Harkness and that tech wizard of his out.” It was Lethbridge -Stewart’s voice.

 

The door of the van slid open. Everyone but John got out. “We mounted an attack on the UNIT research facility but we need your assistance.” Dropping his voice, he whispered, “there have been some complications, we’ll need the two of you to come with us to help.” 

 

He turned to Gwen and Owen. “The rest of you will be taken to my home in Guildford.” Lethbridge-Stewart dropped his voice again. “Do not say anything to your friend in the van.”

 

They heard John call out from the van. “Carlos? Is that you?”

 

He turned to Owen. “You’re the doctor, right?” Owen nodded. “Good, I want you to stay with the man and you as well,” he said pointing to Gwen. “We’ll radio you with details as soon as we sort things out.

 

Gwen and Owen had many questions they wanted to ask, but they could sense that the Brigadier was preoccupied with the attack on UNIT headquarters. All they could do now was to follow his instructions, keep John safe and stall off any panic John might have about Carlos’ whereabouts.

 

Jack and Tosh accompanied the Brigadier over to a waiting car. A driver was behind the wheel. The Brigadier got in the front while Tosh and Jack got into the back.

 

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Jack demanded.

 

“We were largely successful in our attack on the UNIT facility. But I’m afraid there have been casualties. Very unfortunate casualties.”  

Chapter 23 here:   http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/104779.html