Doctor Who_ Remembrance of the Daleks - Ben Aaronovitch [38]
The Doctor placed a cool hand over her rnouth and jerked his head to the left. Ace slowly turned her head and saw the rear of a grey Dalek half a metre front them. She closed her mouth and swallowed carefully.
Private Abbot saw Sergeant Smith motion with his arm and led the section out of the school gates. Abbot’s grip on his gun was sweaty -. he didn’t have any faith in it any more, not even with the special-issue armour piercing rounds. Might as well spit at the damned pepperpots.
‘All right,’ said Smith, ‘come with me, and keep your eyes peeled for Ace and the Doctor.’
Abbot glanced back at Bellos who carried the anti-tank rifle. ‘Hey,’ he whispered. ‘If we see a pepperpot, do me a favour will you?’
Bellos grunted. ‘What?’
‘Don’t miss,’ said Abbot.
‘Shut it,’ hissed Smith.
I wonder what his beef is? thought Abbot. Adjusting his grip on the gun, he scuttled across the road.
Mike ran up to the pub window and checked inside.
Nothing. Behind him the section was pressed warily into the pub wall. He waved Bellos and Amery into point on the intersection of the alley and Coal Hill Road. The two men quickly set up the launcher and slipped a round into the back. Amery crouched down and readied a second rocket.
It was quiet.
Mike was watching for Daleks, white and gold ones.
Ratcliffe had assured him that the threat came from them.
He felt a twinge of regret for Matthews and the others killed at Totters Lane, but Ratcliffe explained it so well –
sacrifices had to be made.
Mike signalled Abbot forward. The soldier got into position behind a lamppost, gun at his shoulder and eyes alert to any movement. They were good lads. Once the Association was in power it would need men like that.
Disciplined men who knew their jobs. Afterwards.
But first, Mike wanted to see Ace safe.
‘Sarge,’ called Abbot. ‘Movement, up the alley.’
Mike slipped the safety off his gun.
The TARDIS was standing where they had left it in the shadow of the alley. Ace stared at the smooth blue paint on its surface. It was unnaturally smooth, that strange shade of blue. It was all she could do not to push open the door and go in.
‘Couldn’t we just...?’ said Ace, nodding at the time-space machine.
‘No,’ said the Doctor. ‘We’ve got work to do. Here comes the military.’
Ace looked and saw Mike running towards them a big grin on his face. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Dalek hunting,’ said the Doctor, ‘Now it’s the other way round.’
Ace felt absurdly pleased at the impressed expression on Mike’s face. Let’s play this nice and cool, said a voice in her head. Play what? asked another, younger voice. This!
said the first voice. Oh, said the young voice, that.
‘Is Gilmore still at the school?’’ asked the Doctor.
Mike looked quickly at the Doctor. ‘Yes.’
‘Then we had better get back and soothe his troubled brow,’ said the Doctor and marched off. Ace hardly noticed.
Mike wished that Ace wouldn’t look at him like that. The girl was so intense, but that was all right – he liked that.
Mike wondered whether she kissed with the same intensity.
You’re never going to find out, he told himself, unless you get something going soon. Mike had been thinking of and discarding one chat-up line after another. What could anyone say to a girl who attacks Daleks with a baseball bat?
It had to be neutral sounding, but unmistakable. Mike cleared his throat. ‘Ace?’
‘When we’re finished with this lot do you fancy going to the pictures?’ For a terrible moment he thought she was going to laugh.
‘You’re confident,’ she said. ‘What’s on?’
Mike’s mind went blank. ‘Don’t know.’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ said Ace, ‘I’ve probably already seen it on television.’
Mike had about three seconds to try to figure that out before a bolt of superheated plasma blew away the wall behind him. They both ducked, heads jerking round to look for the enemy. Mike saw than first.
They were grey Daleks.
No, thought Mike, this can’t be right. Ratcliffe said.
‘Daleks!’ He grabbed Ace’s hand and together they ran for the srltool. There wits a flash to the left: