Doctor Who_ Father Time - Lance Parkin [45]
Barry had come over. ‘Too right. Or at least get to a phone to warn them.’
There was a car coming. Debbie found herself flinching.
‘It’s a Sunbeam,’ Barry said, exercising his talent for identifying cars from their headlights.
The three of them stood in the road, waving their arms and hoping it wasn’t so dark the driver wouldn’t see them.
The car slowed down, and Debbie was surprised to recognise the owner.
‘It’s Kim Dawkins,’ she said.
The Doctor was scanning the horizon. Barry was opening up the car door.
‘What’s going on here?’ Mrs Dawkins asked. She had seen the column of smoke and the wrecked crash barrier. She looked haunted.
‘We’ve run into some friends of yours,’ Debbie said.
‘They... they killed John,’ Mrs Dawkins said softly. Debbie wondered if she was in the early stages of shock. It didn’t look like she was safe to drive any more.
‘Miranda?’ the Doctor asked, coming over.
Kim looked at the blanket on the back seat. ‘I drugged her. They’re following me on discs.’
‘I’ve got a good view, and there’s no sign of them yet.’
‘John hit one of the hoverdiscs. That will slow them down.’
Barry looked around. ‘I’ll keep watch,’ he said.
‘We know everything,’ Debbie said. ‘We’ve been aboard their ship.’
‘We don’t know everything,’ the Doctor cautioned. ‘We know one person’s version of events. I doubt the Imperial Family were really as bad as Zevron painted them.’
Mrs Dawkins sighed. ‘I imagine everything they told you was true. Miranda’s people abused their genetic privileges. Their birthright gave them great powers and potential. To a man, every member of the Family used those gifts to satisfy their own lust for power. For centuries, every one was a sadist, a pervert, a mass murderer –’ She started to choke.
The Doctor was trying to keep her talking, trying to keep her focused. ‘You’re not her real parents, but you were on the Emperor’s side during the civil war?’
Mrs Dawkins nodded. ‘I was part of the Emperor’s household, a wet nurse. John was a bodyguard. Miranda is the Emperor’s granddaughter, last of that line. She was two months old when Zevron came for her. We couldn’t let her die.’
‘They’re here!’ Barry shouted, running over.
The hoverdisc was arcing towards them, barely visible in the night sky.
Mrs Dawkins had a gun in her hand. ‘Take Miranda, Doctor. Keep her safe.’
Debbie opened the back door of the car and lifted Miranda out, keeping her wrapped in her blanket. She was surprisingly light.
Debbie ran for cover. Behind her, Mrs Dawkins was firing into the night, using the same sort of weapon the Hunters had had on the ship. She pulled herself down into a ditch at the side of the road. She had a good view out, but was well hidden.
The Doctor and Barry were shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the hoverdisc to arrive.
It was moving slowly, weighed down by having two men on it. The Deputy was piloting, the Prefect had something in his hand. As it swept past the car, barely four feet above it, something fell from the hoverdisc and clanked against the roof.
The Doctor shouted something and pulled Barry and Kim away.
The Talbot exploded. Before tonight, Debbie had never seen a car explode. Now she knew just what to expect – tiny explosions, followed by a big whump as the petrol tank went up.
The hoverdisc came in to land. The Prefect disembarked, but the Deputy stayed put. Once the Prefect was on the ground, the disc was airborne again, and was much faster. The Deputy was swooping around, keeping Kim Dawkins and her ray gun away from the Prefect.
‘Where’s the girl?’ the Prefect shouted at the Doctor and Barry.
Debbie ducked her head down, shielding Miranda from view.
* * *
‘Stay where you are, Doctor,’ the Prefect ordered. He was tall, powerfully built, but he was practically middle-aged.
The Doctor stood his ground.
‘Here!’ Barry objected, shoving himself in front of the Doctor.
‘Mr Castle, don’t,’ the Doctor warned. ‘The Prefect is –’
Barry turned. ‘Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you were doing with my wife. I’ll deal with you in a minute,