Pounding of hooves

The relief in the children's voices was guaranteed to be short lived.  Dangerous situations like these didn't end smoothly like everyone involved hoped.  There would be no surrendering of the bad guys while they dropped to their knees and the hero could walk over and untie the victims.  Things like that just didn't happen, and that was the reality of life.

Jack's eyes narrowed as Seb spoke his response and promptly tensed as the knife was pressed against Eric's throat.  One wrong move and the floor would be painted with a fresh coat of red.  At least the Captain had been in this situation enough to know he shouldn't panic.  He'd just talk his way out of it like he always does, promise and compromise. Sebastian wanted to live, as almost every mortal does.  They were willing to do anything in order to keep themselves breathing.  That was good to know.  It made talking easier.

Glancing behind him, Jack briefly eyed Dakota for a second time before watching the tense situation before him. "You could say that. Don't worry about her, she won't do anything to threaten you. Isn't that right?" The last question was a rhetoric one aimed at Dakota. He really hoped she didn't move a muscle.

"It looks like we're at a stalemate. You kill him, I'll put a bullet in your head. Neither of us want that. So how about I drop my gun and you drop your knife. You get to walk away with your life and I get to take these children to their homes. What do you say? On the count of three?"

Sebastian never let up with the knife, keeping it pressed against the boy's neck. One move and the boy will be dead. That was something he'd do to keep his secrets from being leaked; although it would be no point if he was dead.

"Mephis. Do you know the race?" He cocked his head to one side, wondering whether the traveller had seen aliens, which the boy must have mentioned in their previous conversation. With all the effort, he couldn't remember the whole time leading up to this 'stalemate.' Did he want to give up the kids, no. But did he want to live? Yes. Very much so.

"Do me a favor. The kids cannot tell anyone. I will keep my mouth shut but they snoop around or if I see them again, there will be not compromise." Sebastian counted up in his head and dropped the knife, which clinked against the concrete below and out of reach.

Dakota watched the whole thing play out from behind the door. She still wasn't quite sure what was happening, and she didn't want to get involved. She only came to watch a horse race. Look how that turned out!

Her pulse quickened as a knife was held up to Eric's throat, but then dropped as the knife itself dropped.
Now that no one was in danger, she could sneak away and be forgotten.

Placing her metal pipe on the ground, she started tiptoeing backwards away from the office. Everyone was fine, she kept telling herself. When she was a good distance away, she put her back to the horse place and ran as far as she could, away.

Eric was tense, almost shaky the entire time through as he stared at Captain Jack, wondering when he was going to shoot the red man already! But that didn't happen, and instead he suggested they both drop their weapons. Eric wondered if that was a good idea...the red man could just pretend to lower his, and then slit his throat. He had a hard time swallowing against the knife to his throat, and his eyes watched the knife as it moved, then dropped to the floor. He almost sighed in relief, but making any sound short of screaming was too hard in his anxious state.

With the man no longer holding him, he got up and hopped over to where Captain Jack stood. Once he had reached him, his hands still tied and his feet finally shaking loose where his legs had been poorly tied, he practically hid behind the large tall man. He stared at the red man, taking in his words with a shudder of fear. He had no intention of telling anyone...at least not at the moment, and he didn't like the idea of the red man coming after them if he DID tell them. He was sure Captain Jack could do something once they were safe...but he didn't dwell on that too much. He only wanted to get out of there before the red man changed his mind and attempted to kill all three of them.

"Ellie," he finally spoke in a voice barely above a loud whisper. "Let's go." He looked up to Captain Jack, and waited for the man to move with them and protect them from the red man, in case he changed his mind.

The sound of the knife clattering to the knife was relieving, but that did not take the tension out of Jack's shoulders. He could do it now, go back on his word and put a bullet in between the man's eyes. It would be so easy and he would wipe the world of the criminal's presence and the children wouldn't ever have to have nightmares of what has happened to them. The itch in his fingers to pull the trigger increased at the mention of the alien name. As an agent of Torchwood- hell, as the Captain- he had the sense of duty to rid Earth of any extra terrestrial life that could and would bring harm to the human race. But perhaps seeing more blood wasn't what his companions needed. When did children make him so soft?

The gun clicked as he pulled it back, returning it to its place at his side. There was no doubt that Jack would get his team on Seb's case the moment he returned to HQ. He'd be damned if he let this man get away. "The devil's henchmen. Yes, I know the race. The children won't say a thing, I can promise you that." And to keep his promise, he would be dragging their butts to Torchwood with him. The last thing anyone needed was kids running around and announcing there was an alien living in their midst. To those who actually believe a child's word, they would be panicked and Jack would have failed one of his duties which was to keep everyone ignorant of alien's on Earth.

Jack untied Eric's bound hands, silently instructing him to stay by putting a firm hand on his shoulder before he moved away to free Ellie of her restraints. Once completing that, he pulled the girl up and led her back over to Eric. "We're going. Stay close and keep quiet."

The captain nudged the kids to get them to walk to the door as Jack walked as a barrier between Sebastian and the kids. He watched the criminal with distrust and distaste but said nothing nor made any threatening move. The only thing he was worried about was getting out and to a safe distance.