Nightingale: Agent of Torchwood

Ghost Machine [4]

"Bernie Harris, the scarlet pimpernel of Splott," Toshiko huffed as the team gathered outside for lunch.

"Give me aliens any day," Nightingale sighed.

Toshiko looked up when Owen came next to her. "Any luck?"

"No," Owen said. "But I got four pasties for a pound. Anyone?"

"Ooh," Nightingale brightened as she grabbed one. She held one up to Jack, but he walked off. Nightingale looked at the team with a shrug and followed the captain.

"What's he gonna tell us?" Owen voiced as he and Tosh followed behind, "Got it off an alien down the market?"

"Where are we going?" Nightingale asked Jack.

"Back to the railway station. Controlled experiment," Jack explained. "We replicate the original events as far as possible, observe and analyze the results,"

"I have to do that again?"

"Someone does. I told you I wouldn't abuse your power, but that machine activated something, and we don't know what..."

Nightingale looked at the device in her hands. "We don't know what it is, what it does,"

"No,"

"Jack, this could be dangerous..."

"I don't mean to be picky," Owen said, "but I think I can spot some flaws in this plan..."

"I'm sorry. I thought you were the guys who gave up looking for a 19-year-old kid this morning. I figured maybe you were after something more exciting. A bit of a challenge,"

Nightingale glanced as the device began beeping again. "Jack!" she glanced up as she heard thunder and found herself in the same spot but at a different spot. "Not again..."

A young woman wearing heels stumbled under the bridge. She used the stone wall to stay upright as she looked frantically behind her. "Oh, he's a rotten bastard," the woman sobbed as she took out a compact from her purse. "My mum was right. His eyes are too close together. I said just a dance, but he wasn't having a bar of it. I shouldn't have gone outside with him. I should have known better,"

"What's your name?" Nightingale whispered.

"Lizzie," A man's voice called out tauntingly. "Lizzie Lewis,"

Lizzie pointed accusingly at the man as he neared her. "You're a bad one, Ed Morgan. The girls said not to go with you, and they were right,"

"Am I bad?" Ed asked her, "Am I a bad boy? You're a big girl now, Lizzie. You can make your own decisions. That's why I like you. You're not like the others. You don't follow the herd. You're smart. Don't you like it that someone can see how smart you are? Hmm?"

Lizzie's breathing was erratic, and she was frozen in fear while looking at Ed.

"I can see you, Lizzie. The way you really are." Ed kissed Lizzie as the girl fought to push him. Having enough, Ed slapped Lizzie in the face and grabbed her by her blonde hair. A switchblade was placed at the edge of her neckline. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't,"

"I...I told my mum I'd be home by 9:00." Lizzie sobbed.

"Shh..."

Nightingale wasn't sure if she could feel the rain from that night or if it was tears as she watched Ed carry the girl away.

"Please! No! Don't hurt me!" Lizzie pleaded. "Help me! Help me! Please!"

Nightingale felt the machine fall out of her grasp and began to fall as she heard Jack calling her name "Gale? Nightingale?!"

"She was so scared," Nightingale whispered.