Doctor Who_ Prime Time - Mike Tucker [68]
Ahead of him the Master slipped lithely through the stalagmites, Perhaps the cheetah virus wasn’t such a burden after all.
Squeezing through a narrow gap, the Doctor emerged into a wide cave. Deep chasms dropped away on either side of the narrow rock ledge. He could hear rushing water far below in the blackness. The Master was motionless in the middle of the cavern, listening. The Doctor struggled over to his side.
‘Do you have a fiendishly cunning plan, or is this just a case of running as fast as you can?’
The Master ignored him.
‘Because, and I hate to be defeatist, there is nowhere to run.’
The Master rounded on him. ‘If we can keep ahead of them then we have a chance. If you would rather wait here...’
‘No, but I thought it might be a good idea to buy ourselves some tune. Use our brains instead of our feet.’
The Master snarled at him. ‘And what great plan do you have in mind?’
The Doctor beckoned him to one side, sheltering in the shadows of an outcrop of rocks.
‘Look,’ he whispered. ‘We know this area is wired with microphones and cameras, that the Fleshsmiths know exactly where we are because our every move is televised, every word monitored.’
‘Including this conversation.’
‘But we don’t need to talk, we’re Time Lords.’ The Doctor reached out for the Master’s temple. ‘Contact?’
The Master hesitated, then reached out with his own hand.
‘Contact.’
Both Time Lords closed their eyes.
Lukos sat forward in his chair, scrutinising the screen.
‘What are they doing?’
Saarl laughed unpleasantly. ‘You could have an interesting new angle to your programming if they carry on like this, Lukos.’
Lukos glared at him.
The Master broke away from the Doctor, his eyes snapping open, He stroked his beard, a smile playing about his face.
‘Ingenious.’
The Doctor shrugged. ‘Simple, but effective. We will need a diversion to allow me to set it up though.’
The Master suddenly tensed. ‘Quiet.’
The Doctor cocked his head on one side. Apart from the rushing water he could hear nothing, but the Master was alert, his head tilted back, eyes narrowed.
‘What is it?’ whispered the Doctor.
‘The diversion you spoke of, just not quite the one we wanted.’
The Doctor stared around the cavern. Crevasses and shadows. A million places where something could be hiding, where a trap could be set.
There was a sudden clink of stone on stone.
‘Our Zzinbriizi friends?’ asked the Doctor.
The Master nodded. ‘I can smell them. They are very close. For the moment it might be wise if we found some shelter.’
He turned and had started to make his way along the narrow rock ledge when six foot of fur and muscle dropped out of the blackness.
The Doctor tumbled backwards as the Master and jackal crashed to the ground. Sparks flew from stone as the Zzinbriizi lashed with its razor-sharp claws. The Master lashed out, sending the creature reeling. It scrambled to its feet, snarling.
The Doctor pulled himself up the rock face. A lens glinted from a crack in the rock front of him, swivelling to focus on the conflict in the cavern below. The Doctor ducked as it swung around. He could hear the whirr of servos.
He twisted around to look at the battle below him. The Master’s face was contorted into a savage leer, his hands were hooked into twisted claws and his spine was curving horribly.
The Zzinbriizi gave a howl of rage and launched itself forward again. The Master ducked down, his hand raking across the belly of the jackal. The creature gave a scream of pain. Its blood splattered on to the rock. Its savage face was twisted in shock. The Master held up a wickedly clawed hand and smiled.
‘Surprise.’
Howling, the Zzinbriizi launched itself at his throat.
The Doctor looked on in horror as the two figures lurched towards the edge of the abyss. Tearing his eyes away he started to prise the camera away from its housing. The roars of the two savage animals echoed around him.
Saarl clapped appreciatively.
‘I think you may have backed the wrong