Winnie Is Not Okay

2.9

"I hate the countryside", Owen said in the passenger seat as they were driving down a near-empty road surrounded by green, "It's dirty, it's unhygienic, and what is that smell?"

"That would be grass", Gwen deadpanned, lightening the mood in the car.

"It's disgusting."

"I could stretch my legs", Winnie noted after a short pause.

"Me too", Tosh agreed.

They pulled up to a small lot next to the road with a mobile snack van and only one other car around and Jack unpacked the case for them. Ianto went to get snacks but Winnie stuck to her thermos of coffee.

"Seventeen disappearances within the last five months", Jack told them, "The police are clueless."

"Now there's a surprise", Owen commented, "No offence, PC Cooper."

"You see, when something like that happens in an area like this it's either, like, wild animals or some super fucked-up cultish thing", Winnie said, leaning against the car with her arms crossed.

"Are you proposing a bet?", Owen raised a brow at her.

"I would never", Winnie looked at him with feigned shock but amusement shimmering in her eyes, "Twenty quid it's the cult-thing. I love a good cult story."

"You're on, Tyler."

"Back to business", Jack talked over them, "The last known whereabouts of each one is somewhere around here."

"All within a twenty mile radius", Tosh added.

"Anything else linking them?", Gwen asked, looking at the papers.

"None of the bodies have ever been found. These people just fell off the radar. No patterns in age, sex, race. One minute they're here, the next, pff. Gone."

"Charming way to put it", Winnie nudged him.

"Said the one who placed her bets on them", he raised a brow at her.

"The rift doesn't spread out this far", Gwen pondered, "Does it?"

"We don't know that much about it to be certain. And it's increasing in activity all the time."

"Oh, come on. Aliens aren't gonna bother hanging around out here", Owen rolled his eyes, "Probably some weird suicide club with people choosing the same spot to end it all. God knows, if I had to spend too long up here, I'd want to top myself."

"Called it", Winnie tapped her nose.

Ianto came back from the snack van and handed everyone a burger, "Here you go. Careful, they're hot. Sure you don't want anything, Tosh, Winnie?"

"Really sure. A friend of mine caught hepatitis off a burger from one of these places."

Winnie pulled the corners of her mouth down into a frown. Everyone who had taken a bite already now put their burger down in disgust.

"We'll start with the most recent victim, Ellie Johnson", Jack changed the subject, "We last have record of her making a phone call. She dropped out of signal mid-call. The coverage map has her placed somewhere about here. Looks as good a place as any to set up camp."

"Right. As good a place as, say, near a beach in a fjord somewhere in Iceland where crime is low. Or one's own backyard. Or an official camping ground", Winnie muttered.

"Winnie", Jack scolded her loudly and in an annoyed tone, getting back into the car.

Under Owen's protest they drove to an open field between the mountains and set up camp, "What's the matter with a hotel?"