Doctor Who_ Atom Bomb Blues - Andrew Cartmel [96]
But Lady Silk just sat quietly in her assigned chair, staring at the floor, making no move even to take off the raincoat she was wearing. Butcher sat in the other chair, his elbows on his desk, trying to look authoritative and businesslike and forget that he was locked up with a beautiful woman, traitor or no traitor, for the rest of the night. Silk’s captors had made an attempt to doll her up for the General’s photo session and they’d even gone so far as giving her some perfume to put on. The smell of that perfume was beginning to drive Butcher crazy.
He was grateful when the phone on his desk rang. He snatched it up before the second ring. ‘Butcher here.’
‘Major Butcher,’ said a familiar voice, affable and sardonic and somehow always conveying the infuriating impression of effortless superiority. ‘It’s the Doctor here.’
‘Isn’t it a little late to be calling?’ said Butcher.
‘I understand that you were roped in for the General’s photo session with Lady Silk, so I was fairly sure you wouldn’t be asleep. Is she with you?’
‘Is who with me?’
The Doctor sighed. ‘All right, maintain the façade of official security if you feel it’s necessary, even now that you know we’re colleagues.’
168
‘If British intelligence wanted me to co-operate with you they should have notified me through the proper channels.’
‘Yes, that must rankle,’ said the Doctor. ‘As I’m sure must the General’s mugging and posing with the famous fugitive that we both know you arrested.
I don’t imagine you were invited to appear in any of the photographs, were you?’
‘Look, if you haven’t got anything to say, get off the line,’ said Butcher. ‘I’m expecting some important calls.’ He wasn’t actually expecting anything.
‘I have indeed got something to say. It’s in the nature of an invitation, really.’
‘An invitation.’
‘Yes. We’d like you to come and join us. We’re having a little gathering.’
‘Who is we?’
‘Myself, Ace and Ray Morita. We’re in Ray’s apartment. Why don’t you pop up as soon as you can?’ There was the muffled buzz of a voice in the background and the Doctor said, ‘Yes, yes, of course. That’s what I’m saying.
Bring Lady Silk with you when you come, Major.’
‘I’m not coming anywhere,’ said Butcher, although he was tempted to accept the invitation just to get the hell out of the confines of this tin shack, where he was sealed away with a beautiful woman who was smelling better by the minute. Making a pass at a female who was in your custody was just about as low as it could get. But it was the middle of the night and Butcher was feeling weary and embittered and ignored, a lowly member of the team that was about to detonate a device that might just wipe out the greater part of New Mexico.
‘I really think you ought to join us, Major. You would find it very interesting.’
‘How’s that?’
‘Well, I imagine you’ve been wondering what happened to that other body at the Chapel of the Red Apocalypse.’
At these words Butcher felt an icy crawling sensation along his spine. He gripped the phone so hard his hand began to hurt. ‘I’m talking about the missing corpse of Imperial Lee,’ said the Doctor. Butcher said nothing. ‘Are you still there, Major?’
‘How did you know about that? And how the hell did you give me the slip and get back to Los Alamos before me?’
‘All will be explained Major. Just come to Ray’s apartment. And bring Lady Silk.’ The Doctor hung up.
Butcher sat silently at the desk. He was inclined to ignore the call. Then Lady Silk crossed her legs and the raincoat slipped to one side, revealing a shapely calf. Butcher turned abruptly away from the girl. He unholstered his gun and checked it, making sure it was fully loaded and that the action worked smoothly. Then he holstered it again.
169
There was a rumble of distant thunder and then the sound of rain beginning to fall on the tin roof. Butcher put his slicker on and ushered the girl out, locking the hut behind them as they stepped into the cool, steady downpour.
The door of Ray Morita’s apartment was half open, as usual, and the sound of