Doctor Who_ Beyond the Sun - Matthew Jones [81]
Metal bars ran up the back of the armoured car; a long thin cage to protect the lights. If he could climb up on to the roof, then maybe he could surprise the Sunless. Maybe he could save Bernice.
Wincing against the wind, which made the angry wound on his arm burn ferociously, Emile grabbed hold of the nearest bar and edged out on to the corner of the vehicle. Slowly he began to climb up the side of the car. The bars were twisted and crushed from the impact of the crash. One of them came away in his hand as he climbed and he almost fell on to the road as it sped past him. A chill of fear shot up his spine, leaving him breathless. He stared at the ground racing beneath him for a moment before closing his eyes and clutching the side of the vehicle.
When he’d recovered, Emile found that he was still holding the bar. He hefted it in his hand.
Could he use it as a weapon? Step by step, he clambered up on to the roof, the remains of his frock flapping wildly around him in the wind.
The top of the car was devastated – a massive hole was all that was left of the turret. Smoke belched from it as if from a factory chimney. The car wasn’t travelling very fast, and the wind wasn’t as strong as he’d imagined it would be. However, he was still forced to crawl on his hands and knees across its roof.
The Sunless had pulled Bernice half out of the hatch. It was kneeling on her chest, a patient expression on its face as it throttled the life out of her.
The look of quiet concentration on the grey-suited figure filled Emile with rage. It would have been easier to cope with, to understand, if it had been laughing demoniacally or screaming or something. Anything. That it could look upon Bernice’s traumatized face and just dispassionately kill her was the most outrageous thing he had witnessed in his whole life.
Bernice’s eyes were huge, bulging horribly out of her make-up-streaked face. She was staring at him as he scuttled towards her. Imploring him? He wasn’t sure. Her face was so distorted that he couldn’t tell whether she could see him at all.
He scrambled to his feet, more scared than he ever remembered being. He knew that if he paused – gave himself the smallest amount of thinking space – his anger would fade and he would be overcome by terror.
Don’t think about what you’re doing, he told himself.
Just do it.
Emile charged the last few metres of the metal roof, pushing himself against the wind.
The Sunless must have heard the sound of his footsteps clanging against the roof because it began to twist around, showing neither surprise nor concern at his sudden appearance. This Sunless was obviously male, but somehow that wasn’t enough to make Emile think of it as having a gender. In the moonlight, its face was as pale as Tameka’s Vampire Chic make-up. Dark shadows highlighted its sharp cheekbones. Its glinting metal eyes stared up at him, its hands still firmly around Bernice’s throat.
Despite his anger, he was vaguely unsettled to be attacking such a beautiful, calm creature.
It didn’t seem to think of him as a threat at all.
And then, keeping one hand around Bernice’s neck, the creature began to reach out for him.
Emile swung the iron bar down against the Sunless’s expressionless face. The impact jarred his wrist and made him cry out. His words were eaten by the wind.
The Sunless’s head was flung back and it lost its grip on Bernice’s throat. Its eyes closed for a second, its forehead creasing slightly. This slight frown was its only response to the assault. Its eyes blinked open, staring coolly up at Emile. Dark blood dripped from a wound on its shaved head. The shiny inhuman eyes filled Emile’s heart with terror. Its long powerful fingers reached for his face.
Emile recovered his wits and struck it with the metal bar a second time. Then he hit it and hit it and hit it again. Rage fuelled each blow. The last time the bar smacked into its face he felt something give. Bone cracked and he felt the bar sink into softness. The Sunless stopped resisting his attacks. It tumbled over backward on to the roof