Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [78]
the confined space, utterly disorientated, he fired one more Trevithick had been a crack shot during the War, had bullet into its head. It reeled and fell to the floor.
even won medals for it. But this shot had to count. Had to.
Summoning all his strength, Trevithick fell to his knees and He aimed for the extinguisher and pulled the trigger.
barged the creature through the hole it had ripped in the The bullet hit the compressed carbon dioxide and floor. Its claws clattered desperately for purchase. Trevithick Trevithick was out of the lift in seconds, wrenching the looked at its knobbly back and at one hooked spine in ashtray away so the doors would shut.
particular. That would do very well, he thought.
The creature was instantly consumed by fire, guttural Dodging to evade its razor-sharp claws, Trevithick screams forcing their way through its dreadful gullet. It let hooked the extinguisher on to the creature’s back and then go of the cable as flames tore through every fibre of its body, jumped on to the huge black head like a child on a falling backwards and down, down into the shaft like a trampoline, beating and beating till his boots sank into the shooting star.
brittle tissue. The creature screeched, twisting around in an Trevithick watched the lift doors close and listened to the effort to save itself. Trevithick gave one last kick and the satisfying roar as the extinguisher exploded. He dragged thing slid through the hole into the shaft.
himself to the wall and closed his eyes.
Immediately, it lashed one claw on to the cable and tried Did it. Did it.
to haul itself back inside. Trevithick was prepared, however, He allowed himself a little smile.
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DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
The monastery had lost all the cheeriness of his earlier It was almost dawn as the Doctor pulled open the doors of visits. Now it was a cold and lonely place. No wonder the the monastery. The hinges had buckled and the wood itself Abbot had seemed so maudlin.
seemed to have expanded against the stone frame.
The Doctor looked down at the dusty flagstones, half-The room beyond was unnaturally quiet, lit only by a reminded of something. There was another smell in the air: couple of stubby candles. The smell hit the Doctor almost a musty, neglected smell so common in old religious immediately and he thrust his coat sleeve across his face.
buildings.
Over by the long-extinct fire, several indistinct shapes There was a sudden, distinct plop as a rain drop fell to the were huddled. The Doctor picked his way through the floor. The Doctor gazed up at the darkened roof. Another smashed furniture, steeling himself for what he knew he drop fell and splashed coldly on his forehead.
would find.
Leaking roof.
Three monks lay curled like embryos. The Doctor All at once, he knew what it reminded him of. A recognised them only by their scorched habits. All other forbidden place. A chamber with a secret door, the key to features were ravaged and wasted, skeletal hands projecting which he had once stolen. Such a long time ago...
from folds of grey material.
There was a light scampering of feet in the darkness and The Doctor looked across towards an old armchair in the Doctor whirled round.
which a just-recognizable Mr Peel was sitting, his blotched, In the dim candle-glow, he could make out a small, dark-purple head thrust back against the antimacassar. The haired girl, though her face was lost in shadow.
Doctor stepped over to the corpse and, almost without His stomach turned as he recognised the neat grey thinking, touched the bony head. It fell forward with a pinafore with its red and gold embroidered badge.
splintering crack, hit the floor and vanished like a
‘Grandfather?’ said the girl, giggling. ‘Where have you mushroom spore in an explosion of dust.
been?’
The Doctor’s gaze ranged around the room at the scores of The Doctor’s mouth went dry as dust. His shoulders fell lifeless figures, petrified in attitudes of horror like the and an exhausted