Fffc Bingo Card - Running

[m_findlow]

Title: Running
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Gwen, Rhys 
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 91 - Moving at fffc
Summary: Gwen knows that they have to keep running if they're to stay alive. 

'Steady on, Gwen,' Rhys complained as she shoved him in the back to keep him moving. She didn't have time for sympathy right now, they just had to get the hell out of here, out of Cardiff, out of sight. 

'Just shut up and move,' Gwen told him in no uncertain terms. They already knew where she and Rhys had dumped the car, and where they'd stripped their cards at a cash point on St Mary Street. They knew the pair of them couldn't get very far on foot. A net was very quickly closing in on them and there wasn't a second to waste. 

At least Ianto had made contact. He was alive, thank God. She'd barely escaped the blast zone herself and she'd hardly had a moment to consider that he might not have made it. He would have wanted to stay with Jack, just as she had, only he would have fought even harder than her. But he'd gotten out alive. That was something. If he survived, then maybe Jack… no, he'd had that bomb inside him. There was no way, and yet she desperately hoped that somehow Jack would survive it. He'd come back from all kinds of horrific injuries. And she didn't quite know what to do without him. She'd never felt so alone. She could only hope that Ianto puzzled out her clue she'd left him so that they might be able to find each other again. She didn't doubt that if people were after her, they'd be after him too. 

She hadn't even stopped to think about it until now. Someone wanted them dead and she had no idea why. It couldn't be a coincidence that they chose today to strike. It was all connected. Maybe it was those Committee people, come back out of the woodwork after nearly a year without a trace of them. Maybe it was whoever was behind this alien voice thing with the kids, or maybe it was their own government. It had been soldiers she'd seen, after all, with guns, trying to kidnap her from the chaos of the scene. Whoever they were though, she'd find them and make them wish they'd never messed with Torchwood. 

'What do we do? What do we do?' Gwen muttered, sweeping her head left and right along the busy high street. They were surrounded by people but did that make them safer or easier to snaffle in the confusion of a crowd? She might not even see them coming for her until it was too late. They could be anyone. 

'Gwen?' Rhys’ expression was imploring, bordering on scared. She had to get her head together for both their sakes. 

'Yes, I'm thinking. Shut up.' Busses and trains were out of the question. They'd have every station and bus terminal watched. Hitchhiking was too risky and too uncertain. They could always carjack someone but they'd be reported to police pretty quickly. They needed time and resources - two things Gwen didn't have. 

What if they tried to go north up to Scotland? No one would expect that. Did Torchwood Two have the kinds of resources she needed? Ianto and Jack would have known. And what use was Archie in all of this? Was Torchwood Two even secure enough for them to use it as a base of operations? 

She chewed her lip, realising there was only one place she could go. If the government were after Torchwood, then all those instructions were coming from London. If they were to have any hope of stopping this, she needed to convince someone that Torchwood were all that was standing between what was happening and how to put an end to it, but she needed to know people weren't coming after her with guns. 

'What if we went to Daf’s place?' Rhys suggested. 'He'd let us borrow his car.' 

Gwen shook her head. 'They've been watching us, Rhys. They know everyone we know. They'll be waiting for us to reach out for help. It's what they want.' She briefly wondered who they'd be watching if Ianto went on the run. 'We need to get to London, Rhys. Without being seen.' 

'Oh, aye. There's only about a million CCTV cameras between here and there. No problem. I'll just hail as a taxi, shall I?' 

Gwen ran a hand through her hair, beginning to feel the beginnings of panic seep into her consciousness. She needed ideas. She needed her two teammates here to provide some alternatives. Rhys tapped her on the shoulder and she shrugged him off.' Not now.' 

'Gwen, we're just round the corner from the markets.' 

'For God's sake, Rhys! Now isn't the time to worry about your stomach!' 

'I'm not talking about the food, Gwen,' Rhys argued. 'I'm talking about the trucks. There'll be loads of them hauling stuff between here and London.' 

'Hitchhiking is too risky.' 

'Who said anything about riding in the cab? We can sneak on whilst they're loading. God knows the paperwork takes ages. Loads of time to get inside whilst the driver is filling out forms.' 

Gwen had to admit, that was slightly brilliant. Nobody would be thinking to look for them inside a truck full of veggies. Even she hadn't thought of it. 'And you're sure you can tell which trucks are headed back to London?' God knew she didn't want to fund herself stuck hundreds of miles away in Newcastle or somewhere. 

'I work in haulage, Gwen,' Rhys said, using that tone he employed when she cast aspersions on his abilities and intelligence. 'I think I know a thing or two about logistics.' 

She nodded. 'Okay, then. Let's get a move on. The quicker we get there, the quicker we can start fixing things.' 

'You don't want to wait for Ianto? He can't be far away.' 

She hated herself for saying no. She'd just have to hope that he could use all that cleverness to figure out his own way there. So long as they both kept moving.