Doctor Who_ Just War - Lance Parkin [105]
The Doctor blinked. ‘There’s a perfectly simple and innocent explanation for this.’ The Doctor paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. ‘The million Reichsmarks are... I have the blueprints because... er, the contract was...
Herr Kendrick, I was working to —’
‘ Herr Kendrick?’ Reed shouted incredulously. The young lieutenant would have hit the Doctor had the admiral not intervened.
‘Out of the frying plane into the fire,’ the Doctor observed.
Reed grabbed his arms and pinned them against his back.
Another man handcuffed him.
‘Lieutenant, stay here with a couple of the men and guard Munin. I’ll take this traitor back to HQ and interrogate him.’
There was a strange dark shape behind the trees in St James’s Park. Roz decided that a barrage balloon had been punctured and had drifted back down to earth. The staff car screeched to a halt.
‘What’s the matter, Harry?’ Roz’s pistol was ready in her hand.
‘Ma’am, it’s Lieutenant Reed.’
Roz looked out of the windscreen. Almost impossible to see in the darkness, George was waving them down.
Roz pushed open her window.
‘Where have you been?’ Reed demanded.
She tapped her holdall. I’ve got something that’ll be able to track the invisible plane. We haven’t got long.’
Reed pointed over to the park. ‘We’ve found it — it’s landed here.’
She checked her watch. Her sixteen minutes had expired. ‘Landed?’
Reed nodded. Roz leapt out of the car. A few drops of rain were beginning to fall; there was going to be quite a shower. Together, they ran across to the park to where George’s men were guarding the plane. Even close up, Munin was only an outline. Roz ran her hand across the surface of the plane, which was still warm.
There was a commotion behind them.
Roz heard Chris’s voice. ‘Don’t shoot, I am a British officer.’ Chris was dragged forward by a couple of the men.
He was wearing an unfamiliar green-grey uniform, but looked well. After four days keeping a lid on her feelings, Roz was surprised by how relieved she was to see him.
We found this Hun, sir,’ one of the men said.
Benny stepped forward, looking out of place in her movie-star outfit.
‘I’m Professor Bernice Summerfield, these are my friends Christopher Cwej and Roslyn Forrester. Lieutenant, there’s been a mistake - these people may look strange, but they are on your side.’
Reed stepped forward, and couldn’t keep his eyes off Benny. ‘I know. I work with Cwej and I’m engaged to Roz.’
Chris and Benny looked at each other.
‘No, really, he is,’ Roz insisted, look at the ring.’
The British soldiers had let go of Chris, and Reed grasped his hand and welcomed him back. A second later and Reed was briefing Cwej and Forrester, leading them a little way away from Benny. The archaeologist tiptoed after them. ‘We’ve arrested von Wer. He flew in on this.’
‘But that’s how the Doct-’ Roz jabbed her heel down hard on Chris’s foot.
‘The Von Wer from the photograph?’ she asked.
‘The very same. It looks like you were wrong for once.
We caught him underneath this plane, carrying a set of plans, a million Reichsmarks and a signed confession. Kendrick’s taken him to SID HQ.’
Benny had already guessed. Roz caught her eye and nodded.
‘Anything else?’ Forrester asked.
Reed nodded grimly. ‘They’re going to bomb Guernsey.’
‘No!’ Benny shouted.
Reed whirled to face her. ‘I don’t like it myself, Miss Summers, but the Cabinet don’t have any choice.’
Chris grasped his shoulder. ‘They are trying to bomb the airstrip where this was built?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s not in Guernsey. We need to find Kendrick.’ Reed stared at him for a moment, then the two men ran off together towards Whitehall.
Benny faced Roz. ‘And we have to find the Doctor.’
‘He’s at SID HQ.’
‘Where’s that?’
Roz grinned. ‘It’s where those two are jogging to. Just under a mile away.’
Benny groaned. ‘Couldn’t we grab a taxi?’
Roz nodded. I’ve got a staff car waiting.’
* * *
Reed and Cwej caught up with Kendrick as he was about to step into his office. The admiral was beaming,