Doctor Who_ The Forgotten Army - Brian Minchin [18]
The Doctor grinned at Amy. 'I've always wanted to drive one of these!'
Amy held him back. 'We can't steal a police car!'
The Doctor wasn't deterred. 'First the clothes, now this.
Next you'll be telling me to take the TARDIS back to whoever I borrowed it off.'
Amy wasn't convinced. 'I'm an honorary member of the NYPD, anyway. Well, maybe.'
Leaping into the driver's seat, the Doctor soniced the ignition, and the engine roared into life. 'Come on, Amy!'
Amy got into the squad car. 'I suppose it's nice to see one of these from the front seat.'
Oscar ran round to the back of the station, just in time to see the Doctor and Amy drive off. He resisted the urge to call in and get the car pulled over. Strebbins had told him to do this quietly.
Instead, he called in to Brad that he was taking a car. After signing four forms and a health disclaimer, 70
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Oscar headed off after the Doctor and Amy.
It wasn't difficult to work out where they going. They wanted the mammoth, and he knew exactly where to find them.
71
Chapter
7
The sun was setting over New York. The Doctor left the squad car parked on Fifth Avenue, and Amy took a moment to take in the beauty and sheer scale of Central Park. Above her, ducks circled lazily, and thousands of lights were being switched on across the city, making the steel and glass towers glow against the sky.
'Wow!' Amy was impressed. 'On the maps, the park looks tiny. But you could fit all of Leadworth into it. Twice.'
The Doctor signalled for Amy to be quiet as they got within sight of the Zoo. As the evening drew in, the Zoo was shutting down for the night, and the main entrance was full of groups of schoolchildren, filing out as the security guards closed up.
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'Where exactly is the Zoo?' the Doctor asked.
Before Amy could speak, he answered his own question.
'It's right in the middle of New York, isn't it...'
'Does that mean anything?' Amy asked.
'We're about to find out.'
They circled the Zoo fence until they reached the service gates. Beyond the heavy steel doors, they could see the top of the large animal enclosure, tantalisingly close.
'I can sonic the gates open,' the Doctor told Amy, 'but I'm gonna need a diversion...'
He nodded towards the entrance. On either side of the service gates, two security guards were sitting back in their chairs, chatting and laughing.
Amy smiled and whispered to the Doctor, 'I've got a really good idea. You stop here, I'll get them out of the way.'
The Doctor crouched on the ground as Amy crawled across the road and ducked behind a bush. A moment later a tiny pebble skittered along the tarmac and came to rest beside the foot of the security guard. The man didn't notice and kept on talking to the other guard.
Amy tried again, with a slightly larger stone. This time it bounced up, and knocked against the guard's knee. But he still didn't notice. The Doctor signalled to Amy that they didn't have much time.
On her third attempt, Amy chucked a hefty stone.
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It flew through the air, bounced off the ground, and whacked the guard right on the forehead.
'Owww!' cried the guard. Putting his hand to his head he fell back off his seat, crying in pain for a second time as he landed heavily on the ground. Concerned, the other security guard rushed over to his side.
Amy was sure she could see tears rolling down the guard's cheek as he rubbed his sore head. She ran back to the Doctor's side.
The Doctor asked, 'Was that your really good idea? I thought maybe you'd cause a clever scene, or something, not whack him on the head.'
Amy rolled her eyes. 'Enough with the criticism. Your turn now.'
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Amy, not impressed at all.
'I'm sorry, all right,' she said. 'I panicked. You were pressuring me. I didn't mean to make him cry.' She paused, and added: 'Looks like they're off, though.'
Sure