Doctor Who_ Illegal Alien - Mike Tucker [84]
He darted through a door marked 'Conference Room'
and found himself in an expansive room with more external windows. He closed the door, put on the lights and started pulling the blackout curtains open. He was halfway along the wall when he heard the door open behind him.
McBride spun to see Wall in the doorway. A Cyberman loomed behind him. Wall slithered into the room, his camera eyes firmly centred on McBride.
'No escape for you.'
He launched himself at the American and the two of them crashed to the floor. McBride struggled to keep Wall's hands from his throat. He was fighting like a man possessed.
Those cold, unblinking lenses stared down at McBride.
'All my work, all my plans, ruined because of you and that spiteful little Doctor.'
McBride tried to ward off the blows raining down on him.
He twisted and fought. He got his foot under Wall's stomach and pushed.
The little man flew across the room, crashing against the door. The Cyberman levelled its gun. McBride ducked behind the conference table as the weapon crackled. The window behind him exploded into a million pieces and cold air and rain billowed into the room.
McBride braced his back against the heavy table and heaved. It toppled over and crashed to the floor. Using it as cover, McBride launched himself towards the shattered window, but something caught hold of his leg. Wall again, slithering over the floor like a huge reptile.
'No escape,' he hissed. 'You will be like us.'
McBride could see the Cyberman taking aim. He reached down and hauled Wall to his feet. There was the harsh discharge of the energy weapon, and Wall convulsed in his hands. Smoke curled out from his collar and the cameras embedded in his eye sockets spat flame. Wall gave out a long, warbling scream.
McBride let the smoking body drop from his grasp and hurled himself through the broken window. Behind him he could hear the rattle of the Cybergun, and splintering wood.
He hit the ground hard, the breath punched from his body. He scrambled to his feet and began to run, eyes closed, waiting for the noise of the gun again.
There was a colossal explosion behind him and he was hurled to the ground. He looked around. The Peddler factory was ablaze, not only with the electric lights but with fire. In the darkened city it shone out like a beacon. The German bombers had already started to use it as a target and, as he watched, another fireball tore through the building sending bricks and shrapnel high into the night air.
McBride suddenly realised that he was in a very dangerous place. He hauled himself off the wet road and began to run again, towards the looming shape of the power station. Where the hell was this police box? And what good would it do him to find it?
There was another explosion, louder this time. It made McBride's ears ring. He thought that he could hear his name being shouted. He shook his head to try to clear it .
'McBride!'
He could hear someone calling him. He looked up, wiping the rain from his eyes. There was a figure standing outside a police box, waving at him frantically. The Doctor.
He sprinted forwards, collapsing inside. The Doctor slammed the door shut.
McBride lay on the floor, panting, desperately trying to recover his breath and clear his head of the noise.
The noise.
There was no noise. There were no explosions, just a quiet, contented hum. He looked up. The Doctor was beaming down at him. 'Hello, Mr McBride. Glad to see you're still with us.'
McBride groaned. 'Mullen?'
'Over here, McBride.' The familiar Irish lilt floated across the room. McBride staggered to his feet, helped up by the Doctor. As his eyes cleared he got his first look at the inside of the police box. His jaw dropped.
The Doctor looked at him quizzically. 'Aren't you going to tell me that it's bigger on the inside than the out?'
McBride shook his head and crossed to where Mullen was watching the destruction of the Peddler factory on a huge (colour!) television screen. 'I always knew that you weren't from Perivale.'
CHAPTER 21
Ace cried