Doctor Who_ Just War - Lance Parkin [104]
It took a moment to recover her breath. Finally, she managed to say, ‘Chris what’s that thing above your mouth?’
Chris probed his top lip anxiously. ‘It’s my moustache,’
he concluded.
‘It looks stupid.’
She’d forgotten how funny she found it watching his face fall. God, it was good to be acting childish again. She hugged him, nuzzled her head in that broad chest of his.
‘Come here, you hulking great fashion victim, you.’
‘At least I’m not wearing sunglasses at night,’ Chris sulked.
Benny broke off her embrace. ‘I’ve got my reasons. Have you seen the Doctor?’
Chris pointed back the way he had come. ‘He was in the plane with me. He muttered something about unfinished business.’
‘That’s him all right.’ Benny peered across the park. ‘I can’t see him.’ She began stumbling towards the plane.
‘He also said we had to stay back.’
‘Oh, come on.’
Chris followed her.
* * *
The Doctor had just managed to prise open the bomb-bay door when he head the sound of pistols being cocked behind him.
‘Hands in the air.’
The Doctor raised his hands high above his head and turned to face the gentleman who had addressed him. He was a British admiral aged about sixty, with lines around his eyes. The Doctor couldn’t put a name to the face, but the officer clearly recognized him. Behind him were a number of troops, all armed.
‘Doctor von Wer!’ the admiral declared.
‘Doctor who?’ he scowled. There was only one thing worse than being recognized by an opponent, and that was being mistaken for someone else. The soldiers were moving to encircle him. Now he had moved, the Doctor’s view of the TARDIS was blocked by the plane. There wasn’t a clear escape route.
‘He doesn’t sound German, sir,’ said a young army lieutenant at the admiral’s side.
‘Step away from the plane,’ the admiral ordered.
The Doctor slowly edged back. A couple of the men ducked past him and began clambering up to Munin’s cockpit. He couldn’t let them get too close a look at Munin —
much as he would love to give the Allies some advantage in this war, they couldn’t be allowed access to stealth technology. The British state-of-the-art counter-measure against radar at this time was dropping short strips of tin foil from the planes. It scattered radar beams, causing hundreds of confusing echoes, and it was actually pretty effective, but the technology was not exactly in Hartung’s league.
‘Which one is this, Hugin or Munin?’ the officer asked.
‘This one is Munin. May I ask who you are, please?’
‘I am Admiral Kendrick of the —’
Scientific Intelligence Division,’ finished the Doctor. ‘Of course, I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you sooner. That chap up there is George Reed, isn’t he? We almost met once.’
Lieutenant Reed jumped down from the plane. ‘There’s no sign of damage, sir, no sign of a forced landing. We did find this.’ He held up the briefcase. The Doctor blanched.
‘Ah yes, that’s mine, if I could just...’ the Doctor moved to take it from the young lieutenant, who snatched it away from his grasp. A couple of the troops moved in to restrain the Doctor. Reed laid the case on the ground and opened it up.
The Doctor licked his lips nervously.
‘Admiral, there’s a fortune here in Reichsmarks.’ Reed had clearly never seen so much money before. He rummaged underneath the pile of banknotes. ‘There’s also a set of blueprints. And this. Sorry, sir, it’s in German, do you mind?’
Kendrick took the sheet of paper from him and began scanning it.
‘Well, if my business here is concluded, I’ll be off, then,’
said the Doctor cheerfully. ‘I can see you’ve got a lot on your plate and —’
‘“From today, March the fifth 1941, I shall become a loyal citizen of the German nation, I swear total allegiance to the authority of the Führer and the rule of German law. From today, I shall work exclusively for the Luftwaffe zbV... I shall work untiringly for the final victory of the Reich, and the total extermination of its enemies... I renounce all previous associations with foreign powers, organizations and individuals. I am in full possession of my faculties and I am not signing this