Who: Tish Jones and Jack Harkness What: Tish calls Jack to ask a question When: October 24, 2009 Where: Tish's office, London; Torchwood Hub, Wales Status: Complete
Meeting at eleven, work lunch at half twelve, paperwork from two to four, staff meeting and then drinks. Tish shook her head, moving one meeting down the schedule. If necessary she'd remove it out right. It was a minor meeting. It could wait. She was the head of the planning company now. She could do what she wanted. But it seemed that keeping a schedule was her forte, not her sister's.
They'd had a great weekend, but she'd missed her usual phone call last evening. That was Martha. She'd get caught up in a case or some files and the world would just disappear. Or maybe things had gone better with Owen than even Martha had thought they would! Either way she needed to talk to her sister to find out. But that was harder than it seemed when getting in touch meant phone and she wasn't answering.
Placing work aside, Tish shook her head. She had to wonder about her sister occasionally. And as much as she hated to do this, it was possible she could just make another call and get the information. And that seemed a good idea. And for that reason she dialed another familiar number. She waited until she heard someone pick up before smiling. "Jack? Hi, its Tish."
Unfortunately this would not be a simple phone call...
Jack picked up the mobile and smiled, glad to hear a friendly voice. They were still looking for Toshiko and so far the team has precious little to go on. "Tish! How are you? It's been ages since I've talked to you. So when's that lazy sister of yours coming back to work?" he teased. "I thought she was going to be in today."
Back in. Jack was a kidder. He always had been. It was one of the things she liked about him. Shaking her head, Tish smirked on her side of the call. "I'm well. We really don't talk enough," she paused a moment. "You know I can't speak for Martha. But I am calling to see what you're doing to her. She was supposed to call me last night. I can't get her at home or on her mobile. Please tell me she didn't spend another night sleeping in her office." She chuckled shaking her head. "Thought maybe you could tell me if the reason she didn't call had to do with a certain dinner I was told about between her and a certain other Torchwood doctor."
"No... I haven't seen her since she left to go visit all of you," he replied slowly. "Hang on a moment..." he used the office line to call Martha's mobile, then her home and got no answer from either. "She's not answering. Stay on the line with me and I'll drive over there, okay?"
Tish blinked a few times on her side of the line. "You haven't seen her? She left here on Sunday. She hasn't been in the office today?" She didn't like this. Her sister was sometimes forgetful when it came to calling her, but not letting Jack know where she was? When she was due back at work? That wasn't like her at all. "I'm not going anywhere," she said seriously. Worried. Oh this wasn't good...
"She was supposed to come in the next day after she got home." Jack was already moving and heading down towards where the SUV was parked. "I haven't seen her since I saw her off at the station, Trish."
This news hit Tish like a pile of bricks. Martha had rented a car when she'd gotten to London. She hadn't driven herself to the station. Her car would still be at her apartment. No one had seen her sister since she'd left London. No one had seen her? "Martha's missing?" On her end of the line, despite what she knew - Martha was perfectly capable of taking care of herself - she started panicking. A bit.
"We don't know that for sure yet," Jack said, despite the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He made it to Martha's flat in record time and discovered that she wasn't there. Everything was still locked up and the neighbors hadn't seen her either. "Toshiko is gone too," he finally told Tish. "This can't be coincidence. And if both of the girls are gone, then I'm almost positive that we were right and someone from UNIT or with their intel has them."
UNIT. At that her heart jumped into her throat. For at least a few moments she'd been hoping that it was just something random. Sometghing unrelated but UNIT? Martha had been running from them for so long. She was supposed to be safe with Jack and the Torchwood people! "They have her AND Tosh?!" Tish heard the door closing through the phone. "She has a spare key... under the rock by the door," Tish was trying to keep her cool. "Hopw ould this have happened? She was supposed to be safe! I thought that UNIT was done with her once she was working with you and the others!" She wasn't blaming anyone. That wasn't Tish's style. But she didn't understand. Martha had even said that UNIT seemed to not be interested anymore.
"I've got a key too, in case of emergencies," Jack told her as he keyed into the flat to look around. "And UNIT was one with her. Same with Toshiko. But we're thinking this is some kind of splinter cell. I don't know why they'd want Martha though. I'm pretty sure she destroyed the Osterhagen key after that mess with Davros and the Daleks. I'm going to get them back, Tish. You have to trust me and do your best to stay calm, alright? We've faced down worse... you know that."
Tish tried breathing. She tried to calm down. But how calm could you be when your sister was missing?! At least the last time she'd known where Martha was. When she was Walking. When the earth was stolen, she'd known who her sister was with. But Tish was the older sibling. She closed her eyes, her hand holding her mobile tighter. "I trust you," she said seriously, she was trying to keep her mind off the worse of the possiblities. "I trust you and I trust her. But I don't trust them. There's no telling what they could be doing to her, to Tosh..." she paused for a moment. "God... I'm going to have to tell Mum..."
"They won't hurt them. That's not how UNIT operates," Jack reassured her. "And do not tell your mother. Just give me a few days to try and get this sorted, Tish. You know me... you knw I'd never let anything happen to Martha or the rest of your family."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments... almost too long. But there was some movement. Proof that the call hadn't been disconnected. And finally Tish's voice came back. "I know..." It was almost too quiet, but that lasted only a minute. "Find her, Jack. You find Martha and you bring her and Tosh home." It was almost an order. Not intentionally, but her tone lent itself to the person keeping themselves under control for the sake of others. She was going to have to tell her mother. She was already on her way down the stairs, having left her papers and her computer on. Nothing else today was important. She needed to get home. "I want to know when you find her and give those UNIT bastards something to remember." And it was edging on anger.
"I will, Tish. You know I will. And believe me... once I catch the bastards responsible for this? There's going to be hell to pay," he assured her.
Even though he couldn't see it, Tish nodded. "We're counting on you, Jack..." She let out a hesitant breath. "I- I have to go make some other calls." She didn't want to do this. But their family had the right to know. They needed to know. Jones' stuck together. They'd been through the Year that Wasn't together. They'd managed through the Indigo fiasco together. And they'd get through this. And once it was over, damnit they would all converge on Cardiff. She was not okay... but right now she had to be...
"I'll call you as soon as I have some information," he promised. "And Tish? I'm going to get her back for us. Don't worry."
With that Tish hung up the phone... She never would have envied anyone her task. She didn't want to. But they would be strong. As a unit.