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The soldier looked in a few moments later; the Doctor immediately glanced away, lowering his arms and yawning extravagantly. The man turned around, and soon the Doctor was working at the rope once more. At times the iron nail seemed to be making a better job of cutting the Doctor's wrists than his bindings, but eventually one link of the rope gave way. The Doctor immediately returned to the corner where he had been bundled originally, and called out to his guard. 'I say, how about some food? I wasn't able to dine at the club. I'm feeling a trifle peckish. Some cheese, perhaps. A little Brie would do nicely.'

The soldier considered, and vanished from sight, but was back at his position moments after barking out some orders.

Eventually a second soldier came into view, and the door opened. He entered the room, carrying a tin plate. He watched the Doctor intently, placing the food on the floor.

Then he came over to the Doctor, bending down to untie his bonds.

The Doctor thrust his elbow into the man's face, catching him completely by surprise. As the soldier crumpled to the floor the Doctor flew across the room, kicking at the door. It smashed open, flinging the other guard to the ground.

The featureless hallway was deserted. It terminated in an open door, which led to a lean-to greenhouse. Shadows were lengthening in the garden beyond as twilight approached. He risked a glance behind, saw one of the guards simultaneously shouting a warning and preparing to the fire his rifle. The Doctor dived for the door, trying to close it as he passed, just as the first shot was fired. He felt a stinging pain in his side, which knocked him off balance, but his momentum carried him forward.

He threw himself at the panes of glass, rolling into a ball in midair. The greenhouse walls exploded around him, blotting out the percussive thuds of bullets behind him.

The Doctor hit the ground running despite the pain in his side, and found himself on a lawn of ragged grass, now illuminated as all the lights in the farmhouse came on. In front of him was a garden wall, with a lane just beyond.

The Doctor swerved as best he could to avoid the gunfire, then threw himself over the low stone wall. He risked a backward glance - saw the Soviet soldiers spilling out from the remains of the greenhouse - then sprinted across the lane, vaulting a gate into a field. He could hear the sounds of the soldiers coming after him.

'Please be seated, gentlemen,' said the Brigadier, striding into the vast conference room.

Captain Yates and Bruce Davis exchanged glances as they sat in two of the twenty-five available chairs.

'As you are no doubt aware, the Doctor is missing. We therefore must presume that he has been abducted. The question is, what are we going to do about it?'

Yates cleared his throat. 'I was hoping you were going to tell us that, sir.'

'I think, Captain, that we might start by considering the future of that nincompoop you suggested for the surveillance mission' 'Boggs was trying his best, sir.'

—Trying his best"?' exploded the Brigadier. 'Captain Yates, my grandmother could have done a better job. And she's been dead since 1955.'

'Sir,' said Bruce, 'I realise I'm only an observer at the moment...' His voice trailed away.

'That's quite all right,' said Lethbridge-Stewart. 'Your input would be appreciated'

'Well, sir,' continued Bruce, 'it seems to me that our options are limited. We have no information to go on, no reason to expect anything as mundane as a ransom note.

Can we not inform the airports and put up some road blocks?'

'My thoughts exactly,' said the Brigadier. 'Unfortunately, we don't have anything like enough information to warrant a Green Door alert.'

'Then it looks like we're just going to have to wait and see what happens,' said Bruce, a wry smile on his face.

The Doctor did not allow himself the luxury of slowing down until he knew he was clear of the farmhouse and the Soviet soldiers. Only then did the pain from his wound wash over him. He located the