Doctor Who_ The Algebra of Ice - Lloyd Rose [55]
All right. That was it. He’d done what he could. He knew where Amberglass was, and now he could go to the police. Right now. He hurried down the cold halls and through the old doors, back to the room he’d first entered. By this time he was almost running, and he headed straight for the window. He’d already swung a leg over the sill when he looked down and saw a girl halfway up the ladder.
Molecross stopped dead. He knew her – the girl who’d been with the Doctor.
She looked as surprised as he supposed he did. ‘Oi,’ she said. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’
‘Rescuing. . . I mean finding. . . Amberglass is in there.’
‘Why haven’t you got him out?’
‘He’s locked up. In the cellar.’
‘Sounds manageable. Let’s go.’ The girl came up the ladder, pushing him aside to get in the window. ‘I can’t remember your name.’
‘Adrian Molecross.’
‘Oh yeah. I’m Ace. Where is he?’
‘It’s a job for the police,’ said Molecross weakly.
‘Right. Where’s this cellar?’
‘We have to be careful. There’s a man here –’
‘Does he have a gun?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘No worry, then.’
‘How did you find –’
‘Later, git. Take me to him.’
114
The Algebra of Ice
∗ ∗ ∗
Ace eyed the lock and snorted. She took a set of picks from her pocket and knelt in front of the door. Molecross, sweating, kept glancing up and down the hall, though he knew he’d hear anyone before he saw them. Was Brett the only one in the huge house? It seemed unlikely, but he certainly hadn’t heard any other footsteps. He watched Ace work at the lock. She was very angry, he realised. Frighteningly angry. He hoped she didn’t get some mad revenge idea in her head.
Looking anxiously around again, he was startled when she grabbed his sleeve. He just managed to close the door as she led him down the steps, her torch darting around the cellar proper, leaving him to stumble in the dark.
She suddenly jumped down the remaining steps and darted across the room.
In the narrow beam of the torch, Molecross glimpsed someone under a blanket.
Ace pulled this aside and began to swear. He’d never heard a woman use those words. He’d never heard anybody. Amberglass was squinting into the light, confused. His shirt was open and he had marks on his chest and a few on his face and throat – bruises, Molecross thought sickly. ‘Is he all right?’
‘No,’ she said through her teeth.
‘Ace?’ said Ethan unbelievingly. ‘Where. . . what. . . ?’
‘Later. Can you walk?’
‘Not very well. How did you –’
‘Help me with him, Molemoss. Which foot is it?’ she said to Ethan, gently helping him up. ‘He hurt one of your feet.’
‘Right one,’ Ethan panted. ‘Don’t. . . ’ He shifted her supporting arm. She swore again. ‘Come on,’ she hissed at Molecross.
What with the darkness and Molecross’s limited carrying abilities and trying not to make noise, it was a hard job getting Ethan up the stairs. He was in better shape than Molecross had expected, just lame in the one foot, but disorientated and off-balance. How the hell was he going to manage the ladder? Presuming they even got to the ladder. Presuming Brett didn’t suddenly show up, with a gun. Unarmed, Molecross suspected he might not be a match for Ace, not in her present state.
‘We have to go to the police,’ he whispered urgently. ‘Amberglass will tell his story and they’ll arrest Brett.’
‘Mm,’ said Ace noncommittally.
‘Or UNIT,’ Molecross added eagerly. ‘You know they can take care of this.’
‘Balls to UNIT,’ said Ace. ‘The Brigadier wasn’t there and no one wanted to hear my story; it was all I could do to get the address and car.’
Chapter Thirteen
115
‘You can’t do what you’re thinking.’
‘And what’s that, mate?’
Tear Brett into shreds, Molecross thought, but couldn’t quite manage to say it.
‘No, you can’t, Ace,’ rasped Ethan.
‘Shows what you know.’
‘I mean you mustn’t.’ Ethan pulled back and actually managed to stop them.
‘These people have to be taken by the authorities; they can’t suspect anything.
In fact, the safest thing to do would be to return me to the cellar so they don’t realise –’
‘Oh, stuff it!’ Ace hissed. ‘You’ve got about