‘Yeah?’
‘How many windows in the west wall?’
She turned and counted. ‘Thirty-six. Three rows of twelve.’
‘Middle row, third window along from the right. Big chunk of masonry missing from the lower left-hand corner?’
‘Yes.’
‘There’s a broken chest freezer halfway along the east wall, under the third window. Zanussi. There’s nothing in it except for an empty bottle of Tango.’
‘Hang on.’ Gwen hurried over. Zanussi chest freezer. Bottle of Tango. ‘Yes.’
‘Second-storey window above you. Three pigeons. One’s got a white mark on its head. Looks like a balaclava.’
‘Yes.’
‘Right in the middle of the floor. A rainwater puddle making a figure of eight. Beside it, a piece of curtain track with seven, no
Gwen stared down at the puddle and the broken curtain track at her feet.
‘Jack, how can you be seeing these things?’
‘Because I’m standing right there. Right beside the puddle.’
‘Oh God,’ she said. She felt the
But this did it, with bells on. Her skin prickled and crawled. The hairs on her neck stood up.
‘Jack?’
‘Yeah?’
‘I’m standing beside the puddle too, and I can’t see you.’
‘Ah. I was afraid of that.’
‘Jack?’
James was right beside her. ‘Gwen? You all right? You got the Wooof then, didn’t you?’
She nodded. James knew about the Wooof. In his capacity as the team’s Master of Analogy and Jargon, he’d coined the term.
‘Should I be scared?’ he asked.
Gwen nodded again.
‘Where’s Jack, Gwen?’ James asked.
‘Right here,’ she replied.
‘Wow,’ he said. ‘Big Wooof. I’m tingling. You sure?’
‘Jack?’ Gwen said.
‘Yes, honey.’
‘Are you still there? Here, I mean?’
‘Yes, Gwen.’
‘I really… I really can’t see you. Or Tosh. Or this chapel place you’re going on about. Can you see me?’
‘No. No, I can’t.’
Gwen swallowed hard. ‘Jack, one thing.’
‘Go ahead.’
‘Is this a joke? Because if it is, I’ll knee you in the nuts next time I see you.’
‘Fair comment. No, it isn’t a joke. Swear to God, my skits are never this elaborate.’
‘OK, so where the bloody hell are you?’
Dead air for a few seconds, then Jack answered, ‘I have a nasty feeling Tosh and I may — and I do stress “may” — be kind of… in 1840. Strange as that may seem.’
‘1840?’
‘Yup. Kind of.’
‘1840?’
‘While you linger on that, Gwen, may I ask you a question?’
‘Yes, Jack.’
‘Is it getting dark where you are?’
‘No.’
‘Ah, OK. Just here then. Not a good sign.’
‘1840?’
‘As I said, kind of. Still, you have to see the up side.’
‘What up side?’
‘These phones,’ Jack’s voice said. ‘Great coverage.’
Owen walked into the Hub, feeling like shit. It was noon. He had his ‘sorry I’m late’ all ready, but there was no one in sight.
Water lapped down into the basin. The air was damp and fresh. Data scrolled across the flat screens on vacant desks.
‘Hello?’
Something with leathery wings clacked and took off from a perch high in the vault above him. Owen sneered up. ‘Not on my head, not today. I know what you’re like.’
He went over to his work station and hit start-up. The screen blinked as it came on. He started running through his daily log, and launching some software. X-Tension 07, Eye-Spy v. 6.1, Normal Mailer. Maybe there’d even be a message telling him where everyone had gone to.
He had a headache. He was coming to the conclusion that it was going to be his lot in life to have a headache all of the time.
A suspension field ignited in front of him. Data streamed across a Lexan dome.
This wasn’t his work station. This was Toshiko’s. What the hell was he doing here?
How did he know her passwords?
There was something in the blue glow of the suspension field. A containment box, unlocking itself with a clack and a hiss. The magnetic collar ring turned. Had he done that?
‘Owen?’
‘Ianto? Hey, mate? Where were you?’
‘Having a lie down in the Boardroom. I’ve got a murderous headache.’
‘Me too. Where is everyone?’
‘Didn’t you get the call?’
‘I overslept,’ Owen said.
‘In the last hour or so? Didn’t you get my messages?’
‘No.’
‘Owen?’ said Ianto after a pause. No response.
‘Uh, Dr Harper?’
‘Yeah. Mmmh. What?’
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m just…’
‘I don’t think you should.’
Owen looked around at Ianto. His eyes were bloodshot. ‘Is Jack here?’
‘No.’
‘Then I’m in charge. Me. I’ll do what I want and you’ll do as you’re told.’
Ianto smiled. ‘I don’t think it quite works like that.’
‘Does today!’
Ianto stepped closer. ‘Owen. You’re sitting at Tosh’s station. You are systematically disabling the firewalls encasing the subject specimen. I can’t allow you to do that.’
‘Go and make me a nice cup of coffee, would you?’ Owen replied.
‘Don’t make me hurt you.’
‘You wish. Funny. I’m laughing, see? Aha ha ha.’
