Doctor Who_ Longest Day - Michael Collier [61]
***
Sangton looked at her in surprise, his eyes wide. Then suddenly he began to laugh. A low guffaw rising to an incredulous peal of laughter, as if at a wildly unexpected but perfectly fitting joke. The troops too began to laugh, following his lead. He saw Fettal smiling tightly - the bitch couldn't be seen to laugh, but her eyes were shining darkly with pleasure. For a second his laughter died away before he turned to look at the hysterical Traxes and burst out laughing again.
But suddenly Traxes was screaming, not laughing. A gout of red splashed out from a hole in his chest and he stared wildly around, a look of paralysed amusement stubbornly on his face as if he was trying to catch the perpetrator of this latest stunt to give them a good-humoured caution. But his eyes went glassy and the smile finally faded as his body keeled over, hands desperately scrabbling to hold in the blood that was pouring out.
Sangton's head spun round over those of the prisoners gathered before him, but he could see nothing. Then a scream from another of his guards rang out, dying in a strangulated gargle as most of the man's neck was turned to molten putty. He saw another guard fire a shot automatically in the direction his comrade had been facing, but the guard next to him was already being cut down by a silent bolt of energy fired seemingly from near Sangton himself. He turned in confusion, reaching for his pistol, his grip on his weapon hard and cold.'Protect me!' he roared, his voice loud and angry, his face furious and twisted in outrage.
His men ran towards him. He turned to see Fettal being grabbed round the neck by Tanhith, then her elbow slamming back into his ribs, Tanhith coughing, shouting at Yast to help him. He turned back to his men. Two had fallen, one quite still in a cloud of red dust, the other lying on his side and screaming. He turned once more to Fettal, and saw Tanhith delivering a blow to her neck that sent her sprawling unconscious to the ground.
Sangton suddenly reached forward past his guard and grabbed hold of the blonde creature's collar where she knelt in the heat, head lolling downward.
He felt a muscle pull in his side as he yanked her towards him and cursed his old body while realising how desperate he was to preserve it.
Sinking to his knees behind her, he shouted out. 'Stop it! Stop it now, or I kill this one.' There was silence. 'Is that you, Felbaac?' he yelled, gasping for breath. 'I mean it. Show yourself or I'll kill your pathetic attempt at a standin.'
There was still silence, and Sangton could feel his heart pounding away against his ribs, so hard and fast he wondered if it might break through the fragile old bones. Why had he risen to the bait laid by this piece of scum? 'I mean it! And I'll fire into your crowd of believers, indiscriminately. I'll kill all of them if you don't come out now.' Still silence. He felt the warmth of the creature's body against his side, even in the wretched heat. Then two more of his troops ran over to join him, flanking his armed escort. 'Damn you, Felbaac, these are prime K'Arme troops you're facing! You really think you stand a chance?' But he knew the fear hung heavy in his voice. How could this be happening?
A hole suddenly appeared in the back of the head of one of his guards, and Sangton felt a shower of blood spatter his silver hair and yelped like a wounded animal. The man slumped to the parched earth, his arm catching Sangton's shoulder a glancing blow.
'And this is a prime K'Arme high-fusion tool I took from the dead body of one of your flight engineers.' The voice was triumphant.'I hold your flight matrix in my hand. I'll crush it unless you surrender your weapons immediately.'
Sangton raised himself arthritically