When 24-year-old Steven Ballard is found dead, the police quickly realise that this is no ordinary case — for his body is that of a man in his 70s. They call in Torchwood to investigate, and after another corpse is found, it becomes clear that something terrible is happening. Someone is sending victims to a dark dimension, to be punished by the thing they fear most.

Who is the shadowy taxi driver preying on his passengers? What significance do boxes of matches play in this mystery? And can Jack ever escape from his own personal hell?