Doctor Who_ Prime Time - Mike Tucker [33]
‘Ace, I want you to take Gatti and get out of here.’
‘Professor—’
‘NOW! I’ll try and draw the Zzinbruzi off.’
Ace was about to argue but the Doctor had that look in his eye, and she knew it only too well. She nodded. ‘All right, Professor. Whatever you say.’
The Doctor smiled and tapped her nose. ‘See you back at the TARDIS.’ He turned and vanished into the jungle.
‘No wait...’
Gatti started to scramble after him, but Ace caught her arm. ‘Are you mental? You heard what the professor said, he wants us to get out of here.’
‘But you don’t understand. He’s playing right into their hands!’
‘Who?’ Ace caught Gatti by the shoulders. ‘What the hell is going on, Gatti?’
The Doctor crouched in the shelter of a huge overhanging fern, scanning the path ahead of him. He had crashed through the jungle, making as much noise as possible, desperate to lead the Zzinbriizi away from Ace and Gatti, and now he was going to try and double back towards the doors.
He could hear or see nothing of the creatures stalking him.
The baying and howling had stopped – now there was silence.
He checked his watch. There had been nothing for several minutes. No sound at all. Cautiously he stepped out on to the path.
With a guttural snarl the jackal launched itself at him appearing as if from nowhere. The Doctor swung blindly with his umbrella, the creature bellowed in pain. Not daring to look back the Doctor began to run.
He knew it’ was futile, knew that he had no chance of outrunning the jackal, but at the moment he had no better plan.
Leaves whipped at his face, the ground was treacherously uneven. He stumbled and felt himself falling. forward.
The ground vanished from beneath his feet and he began to tumble through the air. The slope was steep and slippery.
He rolled himself into a ball. Vegetation cracked and splintered. He hit ground again, began to roll and slide.
He hit the bottom of the slope hard, gasping with the pain, his eyes closed.
A low sinister chuckle floated around him.
‘My dear Doctor, you do tend to make the most dramatic of entrances. You really should conduct yourself with a little more dignity.’
The Doctor opened his eyes.
Lukos leant forward. ‘Stand by with the theme music, get him in close-up. Cue Roderik.’
Saarl’s deep tones boomed from a speaker.
‘Well, things are looking pretty bleak for the Doctor.
Separated from his companions, stalked by Zzinbriizi jackals and now confronted by his oldest and deadliest enemy...’
‘Close-up,’ hissed Lukos. ‘Close-up now!’
A saturnine bearded face filled the screen.
‘... the Time Lord known as the Master!’
The theme music crashed in and the screen faded to black.
Commercial Break
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