Doctor Who_ Illegal Alien - Mike Tucker [56]
He was driving the Cyberman back into the far corner of the room. Again and again he jabbed, holding the rod to the Cyberman's fractured chest unit. The alien voice box exploded in a scream of circuitry.
And fell silent. Ace was standing when the man turned to regard her.
'Ththanks,' she said. 'You saved my '
'Please,' interrupted the man curtly, 'no clichés.'
Slowly, casually scrutinising her, the man paced around Ace in a leisurely circle, hands clasped behind his back.
'Yes,' he said to himself, 'I see...'
What was his accent? Dutch? German? He was about thirty. Powerfully muscled. Walked like a soldier. A German soldier.
He reached out and touched her bomber jacket, running its material through his fingers.
'Look, who are you?' she asked.
He snapped to attention.
'Captain Hartmann. And you,' he replied, 'are Ace.'
'Where's George?' Ace asked, suddenly frightened.
'What have you done to him?'
He didn't reply. He was staring at the Walkman, still clutched in her hand. With a catlike movement he snatched it from her.
He examined it for a moment and, with a satisfied grunt, began jabbing at the buttons. The little machine began to record.
'What is the function of this machine?' he barked.
'You're the master race,' Ace replied quietly. 'You tell me.'
'I will ask you only once more,' Captain Hartmann whispered. He meant it.
'First tell me what you did with Mr Limb.'
He told her.
Ace let out a wail. No! That sweet old man.
She lashed out at the Teutonic face grinning down at her.
Hartmann deflected her blow with ease. The Walkman fell to the ground and cracked open, its cassette skidding away from the machine.
Ace shot a glance down at the tape. Somebody must be told. The Doctor must be told. With another yell she flung herself at him, kicking the tape into a corner of the room as she did so. He floored her with one punch. The last thing she saw as she tried to clear her head was the man swinging something towards her. The lamp. His homemade cattle prod.
She felt her whole body lurch. She tingled horribly, sickeningly, all over for a brief moment, then London's blackout enfolded her.
Hartmann looked across at the prostrate Cyberman. Let the old man keep his monster. It was practically dead. It was the girl his masters were interested in.
He dragged the unconscious Ace from the room and switched off the light.
CHAPTER 15
The heavy wooden front door of George Limb's house opened slowly.
'Doctor, come in, please, come in.'
The old man seemed shaken.
'Mr Limb, are you all right?' asked the Doctor.
'I have some rather worrying news for you, Doctor. Most perplexing, most perplexing.'
'Ace...' said the Doctor.
George Limb nodded and began shuffling towards a side door.
'I'm afraid since I telephoned you the situation has changed somewhat. I had to go further than I anticipated to make the call. On my way back I had the misfortune to encounter some ruffians. I took evasive action evidently they were intent on using their fists rather than their brains and returned to the house. I found the front door ajar, and our young friend gone.'
'Gone?'
'Vanished into the night, Doctor.'
The Doctor slumped against the banister rail.
'Always one step behind. We're still playing catchup, Mr Limb.' He drew himself erect; a small, inoffensive man with lightning in his eyes.
'Somebody is playing games with me, Mr Limb. And I don't like it.'
Suddenly he was brisk, businesslike.
'You said you had some other information for me.'
'Yes,' the old man replied. 'I fear I have been irresponsible, Doctor. I fear I might have unwittingly brought misfortune on to young Ace's head. Perhaps on to all our heads.'
He turned at the foot of the stairs.
After your previous visit it dawned on me that there must be a central collection point for the blood. I have friends in many walks of life, Doctor, and it was relatively easy for me to discover the location of the facility, as it was for me to procure some bags of blood plasma.'