Doctor Who_ Longest Day - Michael Collier [86]
Only once he was inside did the fear suddenly ebb back into his body. Now he had to start panicking again, worrying again, wondering whether he would get through this after all. And, slumped against the brown rust, breathing shallowly, his stomach a tight knot of pain, he really wasn't sure he even wanted to.
***
Sam had dragged Tanhith to his feet. He was stronger now: the effects of the drug Yast had administered, clearly. He seemed confused at the chaos and the slaughter as the aliens - they'd called themselves Kusks - either shot or pulled apart the terrified men.
'Where's Felbaac?' he muttered, allowing Sam to pull him away out of sight.
'He's on there,' replied Sam, hollowly, indicating the ship. The ramp door was closing up. The old man she'd tried to help had been trampled by one of the terrible creatures. 'He ran like a rabbit as soon as those things showed up.' Sam sighed. 'I don't know. I just don't know. Have you ever had a nightmare, one that just goes on, and on, and on?'
'Yes.' Tanhith looked at her, his eyes bleary.
She put a hand on his shoulder. 'Why can't we just wake up?' she whispered.
***
Felbaac thumped a hand on the control pad in the shuttle and swore. Only two of the other men had made it into the ship behind him. All this planning, this time and effort, this risk , for two new converts at the expense of almost his entire original crew. No Tanhith, Yattle and the rest of his team doubtless lying slaughtered outside... He'd called to them but they'd been screaming too loudly to hear. Only Yast had made it.Well, that was typical.
And those disgusting things... some kind of K'Arme secret weapon?
Whatever, it was a disaster. A total, stupid disaster.
He hit the console again, and looked at Yast, slumped miserably in the corridor outside. Then his attention turned to his two new recruits, who were staring mournfully down at the pitted and scarred metal floor. Some exchange. Both were in their forties or fifties, one skinny and emaciated, the other dour-looking and grey.
'What are your names?' snapped Felbaac.
'I'm Furstican,' said the grey-haired man, 'and this is Mortayne. He's deaf.'
'I'm not,' snapped the skinny man.
'Nearly deaf,' apologised Furstican.
Felbaac punched the console one more time, then sneered at them. 'Listen to me, you two. You're my crew. You're going to do exactly what I say, when I say it, understand?'
'Pardon?' asked Mortayne, grumpily turning his ear towards Felbaac.
Felbaac attempted to keep a hold on his rapidly disappearing patience. 'We are going to get out of this. Understand me? And if either of you so much as breathes a word about anything that happened here today...'
***
It was steel flex. It would be painful, but it was possible.
The Doctor grabbed the flex and gave an experimental tug. The Kusk holding the other end didn't move, and the rope stayed taut.
'Doctor, you're mad!'Anstaar's voice floated across the arena.
'It comes with the territory,' he cried back, with a smile. 'Sorry, Nashaad.'
But Nashaad just waved, perplexed.
Shirt sleeves rolled up, the Doctor flexed his muscles experimentally.'Here we go, then.'
Holding on with one hand, the Doctor swung both feet against the cliff wall.
He grasped his bundled-up coat in the other hand, and balanced it on his chest, so that, when he took the flex into his other hand, his forearms formed a kind of cradle for it.
He pulled on the rope, got a firm grip and yanked himself slowly, painstakingly up the rock. Straight above him, he could see the huge impassive face of the Kusk holding the rope staring down at him.
The Doctor continued his ascent.
***
Their instinct had been to get back to the settlement as fast as possible -
why, they didn't know. They had slipped away while the aliens had busied themselves with the screaming targets about them, but Sam was sure she'd seen the bulbous eyes of one of them