Doctor Who_ Deep Blue - Mark Morris [67]
The Brigadier seemed momentarily thrown by the question.
‘Um... Benton!’
‘Yes, sir?’ said Benton, hurrying over.
‘Do we have any torches?’
‘Yes, sir. We should have.’
‘Distribute them among the men, would you, Sergeant?’ the Doctor said. ‘Then organise them into two groups for a two-pronged attack. I suggest that you lead one of the groups and the Brigadier and I will lead the other.’
‘Couldn’t we just ask someone to turn the lights on in there?’ suggested Tegan.
‘We could if our Xaranti friend hadn’t disabled the power supply,’ said the Doctor. ‘He seems to prefer the darkness.’
‘Terrific,’ Tegan muttered.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you,’ the Doctor said, ‘particularly as you and Turlough will be waiting for us out here.’
‘I don’t think so,’ responded Tegan hotly, ignoring Turlough’s expression of relief.
‘Tegan, there isn’t time to argue,’ said the Doctor bluntly.
‘There’s no point in you and Turlough putting yourselves at risk for no reason.’
‘We didn’t come all this way just to sit this out!’ she protested.
‘Tegan, the Doctor’s right,’ said Turlough placatingly, taking her arm. ‘We’d only be in the way.’
Tegan shot him a look of contempt, and was about to respond when the Brigadier said firmly, ‘Besides, Miss Jovanka, may I remind you that this is a military operation under my command, and as such I forbid the involvement of civilians.’
‘But the Doctor’s going in with you!’ Tegan said stridently.
‘The Doctor still holds the position of UNIT’S scientific adviser.’
‘No he doesn’t!’
The Brigadier closed his eyes briefly. Then he said, ‘May I also remind you, Miss Jovanka, that it is within my jurisdiction to remove all civilians from the immediate area for their own safety.’
Tegan glared round at the trio of faces regarding her. ‘Oh, you... you... you men!’ she shouted.
Less than a minute after the two groups had entered the Ghost Train a blue Ford Escort screeched to a halt behind the Brigadier’s staff car and Mike Yates jumped out. Tegan, who had been sitting in tense silence with Turlough in the open-topped back of a UNIT jeep, glanced at him in disgust and muttered, ‘Boy racer.’
Mike ran up to them. ‘Turlough,’ he cried. ‘What’s going on? Is the creature still in there?’
Turlough nodded. ‘As far as we know. They’re all inside.’
‘How long since they went in?’
He shrugged. ‘No more than a minute.’
Mike glanced at the entrance and exit. ‘Pincer movement.
Am I right?’
‘Right,’ said Tegan before Turlough could answer. She jumped down and walked towards him, absently scratching at her arm. ‘Are you going in?’
Mike reached under the suede jacket he was wearing despite the heat and drew out a handgun, the barrel of which he kept pointed up at the sky. ‘Yes I am.’
‘Then I’m coming with you.’
Mike looked at her almost with amusement. ‘I don’t think so, miss.’
‘You haven’t got time to stand here arguing about it,’ said Tegan. ‘And the only way you’ll stop me following you is to shoot me.’
The amusement on Mike’s face turned to exasperation.
‘Come on then. But stay close behind me and don’t do anything stupid.’ Turning to Turlough he said, ‘I suppose you want to come too?’
Turlough looked both alarmed at the prospect and a little shame-faced as he shook his head. ‘No, thank you,’ he said.
‘I’m quite happy to wait here.’
‘At least one of you’s sensible,’ Mike said to Tegan, leading the way.
‘An abject coward, more like,’ Tegan said, not bothering to lower her voice.
Something touched the Doctor’s face, and he flinched before realising it was one of several threads of wool hanging from the ceiling. No doubt it was supposed to feel like cobwebs or a ghostly caress. He smiled sheepishly.
The Ghost Train was a man-sized rabbit warren, full of twists and turns, which made progress tortuously slow as they crept onwards. The passageways were narrow and littered with corners around any of which the Xaranti could have been waiting to pounce. The men were already edgy and aggressive, because of