Doctor Who_ The Doomsday Weapon - Malcolm Hulke [32]
The IMC men set to work binding their prisoners' arms and legs, and gagging them. Then big plastic sacks were brought in, and Jo and Winton each put into one.
After that Jo was conscious of being carried down a corridor, into the open, and then being driven on some vehicle for a distance over the rough terrain. When the sacks were removed they were by the ruin of a small single-room stone building. It had no roof or door or windows. They were still surrounded by IMC men, who quickly removed the gags and untied their arms and legs. Then they were frog-marched into the ruin. Two IMC men inside were gently putting a plain metal box down in the middle of what had been the floor. A third IMC man was using a sledge-hammer to drive into the floor a metal spike with a big ring in it. Now an IMC man quickly put a manacle on to one of Jo's wrists, and another manacle on to one of Winton's, then attached chains from them to a ring on the plain metal box; and, having done that, he attached another chain from the box to the metal spike driven into the floor. The attachment of Jo and Winton to the metal box - obviously a bomb of some sort - and of the box to the spike in the floor was done in under a minute, and without a word being spoken by the IMC men. The job done, the IMC men stepped back, and the one who seemed to be in charge came forward and adjusted a control on the side of the box. Immediately, a light started to flash on top of the box. Under the IMC badge on this man's tunic as his name and rank in small letters, 'Security Guard Allen'. Winton wrenched wildly at his manacles, tautening the chain that held him to the metal box.
'I wouldn't do that,' cautioned Allen, 'unless you want to blow yourself to bits. In fact, I wouldn't move at all.'
'You're nothing more than criminals,' Jo shouted.
'We obey our orders,' said Allen. 'There can't be anything wrong in obeying orders.'
With that, the IMC men hurried away. Jo looked about herself. 'What is this place?'
'Primitive ruins; said Winton. 'They must have built these little one-room houses at some time, but they don't now. You find these ruins all over the place.' He stared at the manacle on his wrist. 'What do we do now?'
'Try to get away, of course,' said Jo. Jo compressed her hand, folding in the thumb over the palm to see if she could gently pull her hand through the manacle without upsetting the explosive charge.
The Doctor returned grim-faced from the IMC spaceship. While he had been completing repairs to the colonists' electrical room, the message had come from Dent saying that Jo was in the IMC spaceship and wanted to see the Doctor. The Doctor went there immediately, only to be told by Dent that Jo was attached to an explosive charge at a hidden location, and that she and Winton would be killed instantly if the Doctor made any more trouble for IMC. He went straight to Ashe and reported what Dent had said.
'This is abominable,' said Ashe. 'Even if Jo and Winton committed trespass by entering the IMC spaceship uninvited, they should not be treated like this! I'll go and talk to Dent straight away.'
'I don't think you have grasped the position,' said the Doctor. 'These people have no interest in law and order, or fair play. If you go, Dent may kill his prisoners there and then.'
'What do you suggest?' asked Ashe. He was clearly at the end of his tether, only too willing for anyone else to take the decisions now.
'He said they were “somewhere”,' said the Doctor. 'Maybe we can find them both.'
'I'll organise a search party immediately,' said Ashe. 'Not immediately,' the Doctor said, restraining Ashe. 'The IMC ship is on our doorstep. They can see