Articles Episode Breakdown: Children of Earth: Day Two by DJ Forrest

 Original Broadcast: 7 Jul, 2009

The huge blast from the bomb inside Jack’s stomach rips through the entire Hub, destroying decades of Torchwood history. Above ground, Gwen is thrown off her feet. The blast has temporarily dulled her senses, and she stumbles about unable to register the magnitude of the explosion. Desperate to find her friends she returns to the bombsite, as fires blaze all around her.

An ambulance arrives on the scene and two paramedics hasten across the Plass towards Gwen; as she wrestles in their grasp, they drag her back to their waiting vehicle. Her hearing restored, Gwen suspects that they’re not who they claim to be and while one readies the syringe with the lethal dose, Gwen chomps down on the arm of the other. Leaping to her feet, she grabs the fire extinguisher and strikes out with it at both men. Inside their uniform coats she discovers that these NHS boys are packing heat. Taking both weapons from the unconscious men, she jumps from the vehicle, only to find a red laser picking her out. 

Firing back as the gunman on top of the MC opens fire, she ducks behind the side of the ambulance, eventually climbing into the driver’s side and drives away from the crash site, putting a distance between her and the scene of the explosion. With only one ambulance man in the back, the other having fallen out at the scene, she has a few questions of her own when he comes too.

Picking his way through the debris, Ianto Jones is also picked out by a sniper, who miraculously misses his target each time. Ianto sprints from the scene as the sniper heads down the flight of stairs in pursuit.

At Frobisher’s home, the phone rings, something of a habit that Anna Frobisher is beginning to realise.  It’s Johnson, reporting in. It’s not completely positive news, and although Harkness appears to have been eliminated, Frobisher is less than happy that both Jones and Cooper escaped capture.

As Frobisher ends the call there’s a knock at the door. Dekker has the translations. In the study, Frobisher pores over the documents.

   ‘Instructions. Specifications for something they want us to build.’ Dekker explains. ‘And we haven’t got much time to do it in.’

With the communications such as this, with the detail of the build, Frobisher can’t help but wonder why they target the children.

   ‘Because they can.’ Replies Dekker. ‘And because they want to scare us.’

Parked up, a safe distance from the blast site, Gwen switches off the engine. The ambulance man is awake. He plans his next move as he hears Gwen alight from the vehicle. She climbs into the back, her weapon trained on the soldier.

   ‘Who do you work for? Who do you work for?’ she demands; her mouth still bloody from biting the other soldier.

   ‘The NHS.’ Gwen fires the gun through the roof of the ambulance before pointing it back at the soldier’s head. She’s not playing games now.

   ‘Who do you work for? You tried to kill me. My friends, my friends could be dead, so don’t think I won’t use this.’ Gwen growls her contempt.

   ‘The government. I’m working for the government.’ The young soldier replies, with what appears to be a Yorkshire accent. ‘I just follow orders, that’s all.’

Gwen finds it hard to believe that the Government want them dead, when they’re meant to be on the same side.

The ambulance man takes his chance, and attempts to jab Gwen with the syringe he has hiding behind his back. Gwen retaliates by shooting him in the foot. Determined to find out why the government want to destroy Torchwood, she asks the young soldier again, but as with most foot soldiers, he’s following orders. Hearing a siren in the distance, Gwen leaves the scene.

At the blast site, the Police begin cordoning off the area. PC Andy Davidson and his partner watch as Johnson barks orders. Only when Ianto and Gwen’s names come up in conversation does Andy speak up. When he hears that Johnson figures her a terrorist does Andy feel he needs to defend her.

   ‘I’m just saying, you’re barking up the wrong tree, that’s all.’

Johnson wants their houses raided. It’s imperative to her that she ties up all loose ends.

Rhys has a rude awakening as Gwen bursts into their bedroom, demanding he get up, they have to leave immediately. Having never been on the run before, Rhys has no idea what to take with him.

Rumbling along the road in an army Land Rover, PC Andy sits in between Johnson and the driver. Defending Gwen might have been an honourable thing, but now riding with the team that intend on extinguishing a ‘terrorist’ threat, Andy feels less than comfortable.

As Gwen buzzes around the house, searching for keys to the car, Rhys looks out some reading material and grabs a suitcase.

   ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?’

   ‘Packing.’

   ‘Well, you're not going to have time to read. And they can trace us with that.’ Gwen replies pointedly, snatching his mobile phone and tossing it away.

   ‘Well I don’t know, I’ve not gone into hiding before, have I?’ He replies defensively.

Ianto locates a phone box.

Andy gives the directions to Gwen’s flat, completely convinced that Gwen will not be a problem, and is definitely not a terrorist. Worried that they’ll go in all guns blazing, when he gives the final destination, Johnson and team, tool up.

In the flat, the phone rings. Before Gwen can stop him, Rhys has already picked up the receiver. Even though it’s only Ianto, Gwen is less than pleased that Rhys even touched the device.

   ‘Ianto, are you OK?’ She asks, taking the phone to the window, glancing out of the curtains.

   ‘Yeah. Have you heard from Jack?’

   ‘No. No I haven’t. Sorry, hang on. Do you think he survived?’

   ‘He usually does.’ Ianto replies. ‘Who was it? Any idea?’

Gwen tells him that the soldier in the ambulance said he worked for the government, which didn’t make any sense to either of them. Gwen couldn’t understand how the bomb inside of Jack could have been planted. Ianto on the other hand, had a fair idea.

   ‘It was him, that Dr Rupesh guy. He was shot and killed in the hospital earlier tonight. It must’ve been then.’

Suddenly, Rhys finds the car keys after searching inside the sofa. Gwen instructs him to take the bags and get the car ready. Desperately she tries to think where she and Ianto could meet up. But before a meet up can be arranged, Johnson’s Land Rover is heading towards them. Rhys toots the horn.

Gwen hangs up.

Running out into the street, Gwen fires shots at the Land Rover’s radiator and tyres, slowing them down to a standstill.

Jumping in the car, she instructs Rhys to put his foot down. Johnson watches them speed away.

    ‘Now do you believe she’s a terrorist?’ Johnson asks the policeman. Andy is less than convinced.

   ‘She shot the wheels. What kind of terrorist shoots your wheels, hmm?’

   ‘A clever one.’

Rhys parks up the car in a remote spot. Gwen insists they have to leave it behind.

Unconvinced, Gwen informs him that number plate recognition would have them picked up in seconds. Despite the car being new, Rhys is still unconvinced that going on the run is a good idea. He thinks that giving themselves up might save them from a hail of gunfire if they’re caught. But Gwen is far from giving herself up to any official of the government, least not until she’s got some answers of her own first.

   ‘When I know what’s happened, I’ll tell someone. Until then, we’re going underground.’

   ‘Well, let me carry the bag.’ Rhys offers. Gwen stops dead. The thoughts of her pregnancy suddenly swimming before her eyes, how would he know?

   ‘What?’

   ‘You want your trigger finger free, don’t you?’

Smiling, she reaches up and kisses him, out of relief and out of his kindness.

  

Armed soldiers break down the front door of Johnny Davies’ home. They file up the stairs bursting in on the dark bedrooms, shining torches at the occupants of the beds, frightening the children.

   ‘We’re looking for Ianto Jones. Don’t move. Don’t move.’ The soldiers announce as they pound the rooms to find him. Bursting in on Johnny’s bedroom, Johnny is less than impressed that they’ve disturbed his sleep, and more than a little annoyed that they expected to find Ianto in his bed.

Picking his way through the dark streets of Cardiff, Ianto is spooked when a newspaper delivery van pulls up behind him. When it drives on, after dropping off a pile of newspapers, he lifts out the top newspaper and reads the headline.

   ‘Message to the world We Are Coming.’

The next morning, in the Frobisher household, John insists that his girls keep their phones on them all day, so that he can speak to them if he needs to. Holly insists that if they go off in class, they’ll not get them back till Friday. John suggests that they put them on mute.

When he heads out into the hallway, his wife follows him. No longer able to put up with the secret phone calls, the mystery meetings, she wants some answers, except, John isn’t willing to unburden himself, just yet.

Anna can put up with almost anything, but when it affects her own children, that’s a line too far.

   ‘I saw how scared you were last night.’ She tells him.

   ‘I know. It’s frightening to see it first hand. There’s no lasting damage, it’s quickly over.’

   ‘This isn’t a hula hoop craze.’ Anna snaps. ‘It’s happened to Brian and Wendy’s kids, and they live in Canada. You don’t think this is over any more than I do.’

Not wishing to be drawn into an argument first thing in the morning, John restates his wishes regarding his girls and their phones. He kisses his wife, and tells the girls he’ll see them later.

When the girls adopt the glazed gaze and demand a pony, John takes it in his stride.

   ‘See?’ He assures his wife. ‘Nothing to worry about.’

Clement MacDonald walks casually down a street and lifts a free newspaper, and is spooked by the headline.

At Alice Carter’s home, the radio announces the news of the terrible blast in Cardiff, which prompts her to phone her Dad and find out if he is OK. When she gets no response but the answer phone, she begins to worry.

Lois Habiba arrives at work for another busy shift. While Louise Minchin broadcasts the news.

   ‘Residents in Cardiff are reacting with shock and outrage. The entire Bay area has been closed off and witnesses say the effects of the explosion last night could be felt five miles away. No one can say for sure why this area was the site of such an unexpected attack, and the Prime Minister’s office has refused to speculate until more details are known. Fortunately, the timing of the device last night was….'

She logs into the Government Information Network using Bridget Spears’ password and reads up more about Torchwood and its personnel.

In Prime Minister Green’s office, Frobisher keeps him in the loop.

   ‘As you know, Harkness is a difficult man to kill. Current theories suggest that his longevity is connected in some way to the Torchwood Hub. Which necessitated taking out the entire operation.’ Frobisher explains.

   ‘Well, he can’t still be alive after that.’

   ‘As I said, awaiting results.’

   ‘What about these er, these specifications from the 456? I could barely understand a word of them.’ The Prime Minister asks of the document.

   ‘Nor me. But I am told the translations are excellent. And they’ve started work. Dekker’s called in the damage control team. They’re working as fast as they can. Early reports are looking, well, let’s say promising.’

Green wonders when he can see the progress made on the top floor and is informed that they’ll be able to at 4pm.

   ‘Can I ask? Did the 456 contact any other country?’ Frobisher asks, wondering if others are building the same structure.

   ‘Intel’s been listening. No chatter on the wires. Seems like it’s only Britain.’ The Prime Minister tells him.

Frobisher wonders how long they can keep it a secret. When the children had announced about the creature coming back, he wonders when it had last been in Britain.

Keen to crack on, Green dismisses Frobisher, but at the door, Frobisher hesitates. Like a humble servant, he thanks the Prime Minister for entrusting him with the responsibility. Green on the other hand replies flippantly, that all he’s done, is put Frobisher up for a fall. The front line. First to fall.

Fire and rescue services swarm all around the debris thrown up by the blast. The search for the missing Captain begins. Johnson watches as a fireman abseils into the crater. An arm is detected poking out of the debris, as the fireman calls out hoping that there is a body attached, it soon becomes clear that this is an unattached limb.

Alice tries again to contact her Dad but again, it goes to answer phone. She leaves a message.

   ‘It’s me. Call me, when you get a chance.’

Bridget spies Lois deep in thought and queries if she’s alright. Snapping out of it, Lois informs her that they’re expected and the car is waiting for them. Bridget hurries her on.

As they’re joined by John Frobisher, his mobile phone rings. It’s Johnson.

   ‘We thought there was a body, but we’ve got an arm, a shoulder and the remains of a head. It’s almost a waste of a body bag.’ She tells him. Frobisher asks if it’s Harkness, but at this stage, it’s difficult to identify. He suggests they take him to Ashton Down and keep him under surveillance.

Ianto watches from the roof of the MC building and takes down the number of the black van carrying Jack’s remains. NK03 OXR.

Hearing mention of Captain Jack Harkness in the phone call with Johnson, Lois mentions that a Captain Jack Harkness had in fact called the office yesterday offering his help. She backs it up by confirming that she marked it in the log. Frobisher informs her that he won’t be helping anyone any more.

   ‘That bomb in Cardiff last night, he was the one at the centre of it. It tore him to shreds.’

Johnny is fixing the front door after the raid the night before. Two official men, one with a camera, watch from a nearby parked car. A paper-boy drops off his newspaper. Carrying it into the house, he opens it as a white envelope falls out. David picks it up announcing that it will be from Uncle Ianto, but to keep it quiet as they’re probably bugged.

Over acting on his part, Johnny loudly conveys his disgust at the raid, indicating that his son peed the bed. Rhiannon takes the letter upstairs and opens the envelope to find a card inside, with instructions of where she can find Ianto – Where Dad broke my leg, at noon. Bring laptop. I.

   ‘What’s he done? Why’s he bringing it to our door?’

   ‘Hey, hey, we’re the only family he’s got.’ Johnny replies, taking a seat beside her on the bed.

At Ashton Down cells, Johnson instructs the soldiers where to put the body bag. It’s small and light, and is placed on a metal table. Alice calls her Dad again, but still no answer.

At the monitoring station, Rhys Williams’ and Gwen Coopers’ debit cards are flagged up, and captured on CCTV. Both are unable to withdraw any cash.

   ‘What now? How are we going to manage without money, Gwen?’ Rhys asks.

   ‘We need to get to London.’ She tells him. ‘That’s where all the decisions are made. Whoever wants us dead, that’s where they’ll be.’ Rhys considers that the best place for them is a few hundred miles in the opposite direction but as Gwen explains that she needs to speak to people, and without the list of contacts, from the Hub, London is the place to be. They have to leave immediately, because ‘soon as you put your card in, bells start ringing somewhere.’

Frobisher, Bridget and Lois arrive at Thames House.

At Ashton Down monitoring station, Johnson asks if there’s any change to their current body bag. The Operative replies no, but wants to know if the body of Patanjali can be released to the family. As Johnson stares at the monitor, Jack’s body bag begins to take shape.

Johnson and the Operative head to the cells where the fully skeletal form of Captain Harkness is now evident in the bag, complete with a level of flesh beginning to reform. The Operative wrinkles his nose up, it’s a disgusting sight as he unzips the body bag.

   ‘It was a bag of bits when it came in, and I asked you to keep an eye on it. ‘  Johnson scowls. ‘Get it out of that thing and cuff it to the wall.’ She instructs.

Johnson contacts Frobisher with further news, he receives it as he’s riding the lift in the MI5 building.

   ‘The good news is we don’t have to wait for the DNA tests. This is definitely Jack Harkness.’ Johnson informs him.

   ‘And what’s the bad news?’

   ‘His Lazarus qualities remain undiminished.’

   ‘Jesus Christ.’ Frobisher curses.

   ‘If he can survive that, what can’t he survive?’ Johnson replies.

As Frobisher and the team reach Floor 13 of Thames House, he instructs Johnson to keep searching for Jones and Cooper, he wants the whole team out of the way by tonight.

As he enters the construction area, Bridget instructs Lois to wait behind. She tries to peer inside but there is little to see apart from welding.

At a small vegetable packing business across the road from Tony’s service station, Gwen and Rhys climb into the back of a lorry bound for London. It’s carrying food but not of the kind they can expect to grab a meal from, not unless they’ve got a chip pan handy.

Climbing up to the back of the lorry to avoid being spotted, when the lorry driver returns to spot the curtain clasp swinging, Rhys and Gwen, bed down on a bed of raw potatoes for the long journey to London.

Gwen asks Rhys if he may have a penknife handy, initially thinking she’s that desperate to eat raw spuds, she quickly explains that they may need to cut their way out.

At the Davies’ home Johnny has rounded up a few local lads to surround the surveillance car, while Rhiannon uses this moment to escape with her laptop. The lads rock the car from side to side, preventing the men from going anywhere fast.

At Ashton Down monitoring station, Captain Jack Harkness is still regrowing, only now, fully aware of the situation, he can do nothing else but scream at the pain.

The operative who had been left in charge of monitoring his condition considers that Harkness would have been better off dead.

Riding in the back of the lorry, Gwen is anything but comfortable.

   ‘My best friend’s belly had a bomb go off in it last night. Someone’s been trying to kill us ever since. I’m travelling at seventy miles an hour on top of a bed of potatoes and I think I’m going to be sick.’

   ‘Travel sick is it?’ he asks.

   ‘When have you ever known me to be travel sick?’ she asks him.

   ‘Well, when have you ever travelled like this? On an empty stomach. What? What?’ he asks her, trying to read her.

   ‘You know some announcements you rehearse in your head?’ She smiles, hoping she doesn’t have to explain herself, and as the penny drops, and her smile deepens, Rhys is over the moon at the prospect of becoming a father. But then a thought strikes him between the eyes.

   ‘Hang on. The bomb, the guns, the car chase, the hiding from the law. God, what am I like, letting you do all that in your condition.’

   ‘Well you carried my bag.’

   ‘Gwen, I’m serious. This changes everything.’

   ‘No, no, it doesn’t. We’re up the same creek and we still need a paddle.’

   ‘Yeah, but three of us in the boat?’

 Rhiannon sits on the park bench waiting on Ianto while children play on the swings in the play area. He greets her and she’s surprised at his appearance. Glancing around to be sure she wasn’t followed he takes a seat beside her. When Rhiannon tells him that their dad didn’t break his leg on purpose, he refuses to accept it, believing that he shouldn’t have pushed so hard. Rhiannon is concerned about the state of him.

   ‘That bomb. It was meant for me and the people I work with.’ He explains.

   ‘My God, why?’ She exclaims, but Ianto has no clue. ‘What sort of civil servants are you?’

   ‘Unappreciated ones.’ He replies. He tells her that he has no way of knowing if the man he loves is still alive, but he knows so far that Gwen is alive but has no way of contacting her.

The children in the park are quiet, there is an eerie silence.

Rhys jokes with Gwen in the truck.

   ‘If it’s a boy, Edward.’ He says, raising up a potato when she questions him. ‘Yeah, after the king.’ They laugh.

Suddenly the lorry stops and sounds the horn. In the road, at the crossing, the children have stopped moving, mid step across the road, holding up traffic both ways. After a few moments they begin to chant in unison.

   ‘We are coming tomorrow. We are coming tomorrow. We are coming tomorrow.’

The news flashes up on Bridget’s computer screen and she instantly informs Frobisher.

   ‘It’s happened again.’

   ‘Shit. What did they say?’

   ‘We are coming tomorrow.’ She relays.

The children continue to chant, and across the city, at the Hereford Arms, one middle aged man also chants the same thing. In front of the barmaid and the locals in the tavern.

In the park the children continue to chant, until the moment passes and they return to play. In the Hereford Arms, Clement is surprised to find he too had been in a trance like state and hurries out into the road, like a mad man.

   ‘They’re coming. Oh, I can smell them.’ He cries. ‘They’re coming! Tomorrow, and they’ll be here.’

At the park Ianto hurries to a little girl who was in a trance like state, but only arouses the suspicions of her parent who shoos him away. Rhiannon is on her phone and discovers the children at school were exactly the same.

   ‘It happened to David and Mica. What is it? What is it?’

   ‘I don’t know. But this is what we do. We deal with things like this.’

   ‘So deal with it. Stop it.’ She begs him.

   ‘I need to find Jack. Give me that.’

   ‘How will this help?’ She asks.

   ‘I took the number of the van they put him in. You can track any vehicle with the right computer programmes.’

   ‘Really?’ She’s amazed.

Ianto asks for the car keys and although reluctant, she hands them over. He hurries towards it without a backward glance.

   ‘Be careful.’ She begs as he drives away.

Lois manages the phones taking calls from anxious people after another bout of chanting children. The newscaster continues to report the news as it comes in from France to China, every child chanting in English, ‘We are coming tomorrow.’

From a phone box in Parliament Street, Gwen makes a call to Frobisher but gets Lois instead. Unaware of who she is until Gwen mentions Torchwood, Lois quickly brings up her file. When Gwen urgently requests Frobisher’s attention, Lois is quick to realise that this would be a suicide mission on Gwen’s part.

As Lois appears to fob Gwen off, Gwen demands to know with whom she’s speaking to. Giving her name, Gwen asks her if she’s heard of Torchwood. Lois has, and it’s for this reason alone that her interest into why Torchwood haven’t been called in to help has forced her to question who she is working for.

   ‘Then you should know that right now, you lot need us. The whole world needs us. But someone’s trying to kill us. Someone who claims to be working for the government.’

   ‘Why would the government want to kill people who can help?’

   ‘Yeah, exactly. That's what I have to find out. That's why I need to see him. Look, I know all this sounds mad, but you have to believe me.’

   ‘I do. I do believe you. Hold the line, please.’

Frobisher exits his office and insists that his wife is called, as he’s in a meeting with the PM. Bridget informs him that she’s putting the school through. Frobisher re-enters his office and speaks with the school enquiring after his daughter’s.

Back in the phone box Gwen wonders if Lois is tracing the call, when she denies it, Gwen presses her for a meeting. Lois agrees.

In Café Aroma, Rhys and Gwen sit impatiently at a table with a good view of the door. Rhys is starving, as is Gwen.

   ‘Can we trust this guy?’ Rhys asks.

   ‘He's our man in the government. If we can't, we really are in trouble.’

Lois enters the café and introduces herself when she identifies Gwen.

   ‘Where’s Frobisher?’ Gwen’s guard goes up.

   ‘He’s not coming.’

   ‘Why not?’

   ‘My God, this is probably the worst mistake of my life. I’ve read your files. Some of the stuff you’ve done, you’re like unsung national heroes.’

   ‘Listen. I don’t do autographs and I don’t want to be rude, but why am I talking to you and not your boss?’

   ‘Because if he knew you were here, you’d be dead. He gave the order to have Jack Harkness killed.’

Taking a seat beside Rhys, facing Gwen, she asked after Captain Andrew Staines, Colonel Michael Sanders and Ellen Hunt. Gwen is surprised to learn that each of these names have already been eliminated by the government, the same day that Jack was.

   ‘I didn’t take the job to commit treason on my second day. What am I doing here?’

   ‘You tell me Lois.’ Gwen is curious too.

   ‘If you're the bad guys, why doesn't it say that on your file? And if you're the good guys, who am I working for, and why do they want you dead?’

   ‘Listen, this a lot to talk about. And we're going to arouse suspicion. And we haven't ordered. When we went on the run, we didn't have any money, see? We put the last of the coins into the phone box to get through to you. So if there's any chance you could, er…’ Rhys hints heavily. Lois digs into her bag and hands over notes to Rhys who cheerfully goes to the counter to order two steak pie and chips and a cup of tea for him and Gwen and a Latte for Lois.

While Rhys orders lunch, Lois enlightens Gwen about the work on the top floor of the MI5 building. Although she’s unsure what it’s for, it seems strange to her that the people who can deal with aliens are being hunted down before the aliens arrive tomorrow.

   ‘Why does Mr Frobisher want you out of the way all of a sudden?’

Gwen enquires after Ianto and Jack. Lois informs her that Captain Harkness is dead, but Gwen knows that Jack is a hard man to kill. Lois agrees as it seemed strange that Frobisher requested that he remained under surveillance.

   ‘I mean, why do that to a dead person?’

Jack Harkness is quite vocal in the concrete cells that he’s chained to by the wrists. Completely naked and fully formed, he shouts his discontent, demanding that they show themselves and face him like a man. Up on the roof of the building, a hatch slides open, and Johnson peers down at him.

   ‘I'm not a man.’

   ‘Who are you? What's all this about?’

   ‘Apparently you can't die, so it would be foolish to tell you anything. But I will say this. If I can't kill you, I can contain you.’

Squeaking over the roof, the long arm of the concrete funnel edges into the hole in the roof, and Jack can only scream as gallons of wet concrete fill the cell and encase him in a concrete tomb.

Safe from capture, Ianto watches through binoculars, Jack’s screams echoing from the building as he drowns in concrete.

In Café Aroma Lois relays details of where Jack is being held, showing a floor plan of the military base. As Rhys takes a seat, she passes over the condiments to him, while she continues to give information about Ashton Down and how to get inside, posing as funeral directors.

   ‘Well, Mr Frobisher’s just authorised the release of a body from Ashton Down. This is Rupesh Patanjali.’

   ‘They must have thought he was one of us.’ Gwen considers.

   ‘Well, the undertaker’s name is Richard Rossiter, and he’s got an appointment to pick him up at five thirty today. And I was thinking, access to a funeral director would be easier than access to a secure military compound, so, he’d have to pass through here at some time between five and five fifteen to get to Ashton Down for five thirty.’ She explains. ‘And there’d be no witnesses. The name of the contact at the compound is a Corporal Camara. His number’s on there, and he’ll be expecting you. Sugar?’ Lois passes some over. Gwen is staring at her curiously. Lois smiles. ‘Im a P.A. it’s what I do.'

   With much admiration for the young PA, Gwen smiles back.

   ‘When this is all over, and you want a job, come and see me.’

In a country lane, stripped and gagged and lying in an empty coffin, the undertaker’s muffled indignations are heard by Gwen and Rhys as they carry the box into the undergrowth.

   ‘I’m sorry.’ She explains. ‘I don’t suppose you’ll believe it, but this is all in the national interest.’

On Floor 13 of Thames House, the Prime Minister views the room for the first time. Dekker as usual isn’t too far away.

   ‘Have they sent us any further information?’ He asks.

   ‘Not since they sent us the designs for this thing.’ Frobisher replies. ‘I've got two radio operators working round the clock. They're sending out continuous messages on the 456 wavelength, but we're getting nothing back.'

   ‘Carry on. Don't mind me. What's the latest from Jodrell Bank? Any signs of their approach?’ Green asks.

   ‘No, but then there wasn't last time.’ Frobisher replies.

Green views the large container.

   ‘What’s that for?’

   ‘It’s for them.’ Frobisher replies.

Dressed in the undertaker’s clothing which appear to be an exact size, Rhys pulls up at the Ashton Down sentry post. He tells the soldier that they’re here to pick up a body, a 5:30 appointment. When they mention the Corporal’s name, the sentry is suddenly shocked, assuming that Corporal Camara is dead, shocked more so as the guy owes him money. When he discovers this is an error on his part, he’s extremely relieved he radios Camara who lets them in.

A CCTV camera follows the van’s progress towards the cell block.

   ‘We’re not going to get away with this.’ Says Rhys fearfully.

   ‘You really shouldn’t be here, Rhys.’ Gwen tells him.

   ‘I shouldn’t be? Hello? If Jack needs carrying, you’re going to need me here.’ Rhys shows the soldier the paperwork. Camara directs him to the easiest route.

   ‘See that fire exit? Do you want to back up to that, save you having to wheel him round the block?’

Inside the Cell Block, Camara leads Rhys and Gwen towards the cell containing Rupesh Patanjali. He strikes up a light conversation with Gwen as Rhys wheels the trolley after them. Camara tells Gwen about there being three bodies already in the cells. The corporal frowns, certain that he’s seen Gwen before. Gwen shakes her head.

   ‘You don’t look like an undertaker. If more undertaker’s looked like you, there’s be more of a demand for bereavement. Ooh ooh hand on. I’m just going to open the fire door for your mate. Corporal Camara at the west corridor. Just opening the fire door for the body-snatchers, OK?’

Rhys wheels in the trolley. Camara walks beside Rhys, in the vain hope that he might be able to get a date with Gwen if he asks the right questions. However, Rhys, adorable Rhys, almost lets the cat out of the bag when he snaps at the soldier, declaring that she’s married and pregnant.

   ‘So you can forget it, mate, right?’

Gwen spins around and indicates with her hands that Rhys should shut the hell up. Calming down, they enter Rupesh’s cell. The body in the bag confirms it. Using her pen like device that disconnects the cameras into the cells, the Operative in the call room calls down to the corporal.

   ‘Everything OK, the camera’s not working.’

   ‘Yeah, just checking the paperwork. No problem.’ Suddenly he’s hit from behind and falls to the ground unconscious. Gwen snatches up his set of keys and they exit the cell to try the other doors. Using her zapper, she shuts off all the other active cameras.

The operative in the call unit is concerned when he doesn’t hear back from Camara and the third camera goes down, he sounds the alarm. Gwen and Rhys are running out of time, and luck…

   ‘Intruders, two of, west corridor. Intruders, two of, west corridor.’

   ‘Shit.’ Gwen exclaims. Rhys tries unlocking the next cell unsuccessfully. Gwen applies a little more force to it and blows the lock by shooting at it. When she pulls back the door, she’s met by a concrete wall.

   ‘What the hell is that?’

Soldiers pile into the cells and Gwen is forced to retreat around the corner. But as more soldiers block their escape, Rhys feels that their only option is to surrender. Out of options, Gwen is almost out of bullets, as Johnson instructs her to lay down her weapons.

   ‘You’re as trapped and helpless as the man in the concrete cell. Put the guns down!’

Resigned, Gwen lowers her weapons, just as the cell block is shaken and Jack’s cell is removed by the aid of a JCB driven by Ianto Jones wearing a hard hat.

Taking the opportunity, Gwen with Rhys runs from the cell block and climbs onto the JCB.

   ‘Ah, Ianto, you took your time.’ She announces climbing aboard.

With the roof collapsing, the soldier’s exit the cell block and open fire on the JCB. As the vehicle heads away from the cells, the soldier’s pile into trucks determined not to let any of them escape.

   ‘They’re going to catch up.’ Rhys replies.

   ‘Hold on tight.’ Ianto insists.

Eyeing the petrol tanker, Gwen insists Rhys move it into the road to slow their pursuers down. As he climbs back onto the JCB, she fires shots at the lorry, causing a fireball.

   ‘Come on.’

Blocked on the other side of the tanker, Johnson watches their prey leave yet again.

   ‘We’ve got a problem. Cooper and Jones stalled us at a roadblock.’ Johnson informs Frobisher.

   ‘How did that happen?’

   ‘I’m sorry. There’s a chopper on the way, but they’ve got a head start on us now.’

   ‘If he talks we’re in deep, deep shit. I’ll have to call you back.’ Frobisher hangs up.

Ianto drives the digger to a deep quarry with only one thing on his mind. To free Jack.

   ‘Get the car started. We’ve only got a few minutes. Come on.’ He instructs Gwen as he pulls up near Johnny’s car. Extending the hydraulic arm holding Jack’s cell over the precipice he waits till it’s fully extended before flipping the lever that will tip the concrete tomb over the edge. As it drops and smashes below, the trio speed down into the quarry as fast as they can.

Jack gasps for breath and sits up, dusty but alive. As the saloon car pulls up, Jack stands naked and still cuffed and walks towards them.

   ‘Told you I’d be back.’

   ‘With a little help from us.’ Rhys adds.

   ‘What the hell’s going on?’

   ‘Don’t know yet, but the latest from the kids is that it’s happening tomorrow.’

   ‘I’m just in time then.’

   ‘Get in the car, come on, we’ve got work to do.’ Gwen orders as she hands him a coat to cover himself up. Jack throws it over his shoulder and pads towards the back seat of the saloon car, Gwen averts her eyes.

Reporters update the world on the news so far, which is nothing to what is really going on upstairs at Thames House. Dekker informs Frobisher that the seals are locked on the glass cabinet in the room. With the go ahead for the technician, the cabinet is filled with gas.

   ‘As per the 456 instructions, a combination of 25% nitrosyl chloride, 22% hydrogen chloride, 20% nitrogen, 12% fluorine, 9% hydrogen cyanide, 6% acetone, 6% phosgene. In short, poison. I’d hold on to your nose, Bridget, though come to think of it, you’ve been doing that for years.’ Dekker delivers, sarcastically.

   ‘And that’s what they breathe?’ Frobisher is shocked.

   ‘Breathe. Eat. Fart. We know nothing about them.’ Dekker admits.

   ‘Excuse me. If we know the composition of that gas, can’t we work out what sort of creature could live inside it?’ Bridget asks.

   ‘Could do, if we had all the time in the world.’ Dekker replies.

   ‘So they arrive, and then what?’

   ‘The whole room’s laid out according to 456 instructions. Something of an ambassadorial suite, I’d say. Or a throne room. Who knows? Maybe a slaughterhouse.’

   ‘But if they arrive tomorrow, then how? How do they arrive inside that?’ Bridget enquires.

   ‘No idea.’ Confesses Dekker.

   ‘Who else knows about this?’ Bridget asks curiously.

   ‘Well, for all we know, they’ve sent the same instructions to every country in the world. We’ve said nothing. Maybe everyone else is keeping quiet, too.’

   ‘Oh, I don’t think so. Whoever they are, they’re coming for Britain.’ Dekker replies.

   ‘But why?’

   ‘Exactly. Why is that Mr Frobisher?’ Dekker asks, turning the tables.

As Frobisher and Bridget leave, Dekker walks closer to the large glass cabinet filled with poison and embraces it like a mad scientist in love with his own creation.

April 1^st - Day Three