Doctor Who_ The King of Terror - Keith Topping [107]
‘Did you know Mark Barrington?’ Paynter shouted.
‘Yes sir,’ replied Murphy. ‘He was a grand man was the lieutenant. He saved my life once, so he did.’
‘Well?’ Paynter said, producing the terrified Quay from behind him with the bravado of a magician pulling a rabbit from a top hat. ‘This thing killed him.’
‘I know sir,’ said Murphy calmly. ‘But that still don’t make it right. On principle.’
Paynter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘Who gives an effing toss about right or wrong any more? The world’s about to go up in flames.’
Murphy thought for a moment and then said, ‘I give a toss, sir. And UNIT
does too. We’re supposed to be the good guys, so we are. That’s why I joined up. I have me suspicions it’s why you did. I know it’s why Mark Barrington did.’
It made sense.
That was the annoying thing. It all made sense.
Paynter let go of Bill Quay and watched the sobbing terrorist fall to the floor like a rag doll. ‘Tell them you’ve got six prisoners then,’ he said dejectedly, holding out his gun for Murphy to take.
‘Five sir,’ said Murphy, pushing the gun away from him. ‘There’s many a day I’ve felt like that. But I’ve never killed an unarmed man in cold blood when I wasn’t ordered to do so. And neither have you.’
Paynter ignored him and walked through the door into the garden as the sunlight cascaded down from yet another clear blue sky.
Another day in paradise.
He sat on the grass, cross-legged, and began to rock backwards and forwards. And he wept for a fallen friend.
∗ ∗ ∗
203
By the time Paynter arrived back at UNIT headquarters with his truckload of prisoners the Doctor and Landmott were already in the process of drawing up a complicated and brilliant scheme to save the planet from imminent destruction. At least, that was the way Tegan phrased it. Having expected to be torn off a strip, or demoted to the ranks, Paynter was astonished to find Lethbridge-Stewart congratulating him on the success of his capture of almost all the terrorist cell.
‘Apparently the leader is dead,’ Paynter managed to offer when Lethbridge-Stewart wondered about command structure.
‘Yes,’ noted the Brigadier, ‘so our friend from the CIA informs me. He knows rather a lot about everybody’s business it would seem,’ Lethbridge-Stewart continued with clear irritation. ‘Nevertheless, that’s good work, Captain. If we survive this kerfuffle with these alien chaps it’s reassuring to know that California still has the death penalty for murder.’
Paynter found himself unable to say anything in reply and was thankful when the Doctor and Agent Landmott emerged from one of the briefing rooms followed by Tyrone and Turlough. All of them were smiling and the Doctor and Landmott were chatting like old friends at a school reunion.
‘. . . He was a servant of the Terrible Zodin,’ the Doctor confided. ‘Utterly without pity, but with a strange predilection for cream cakes. We got on rather well . . . Ah, hello there,’ he smiled genially at the Brigadier and Paynter. ‘I suppose you’ll be wondering what devious and complex schemes we’ve been cooking up in there?’
Lethbridge-Stewart joined Paynter in a moment of mute irritation.
The Doctor seemed surprised that his extreme cleverness wasn’t producing the desired effect. ‘Typical of the average soldier,’ he told Landmott. ‘Can’t appreciate genius when they’re exposed to it.’
‘Doctor,’ snapped Lethbridge-Stewart. ‘Do get on with it.’
‘The communication-satellite network,’ said the Doctor, rushing to the door, then pausing and turning when neither the Brigadier or Paynter moved to follow him. ‘Well, what are you waiting for? We’ve got a world to save. I’ll explain on the way . . . ’
If the north side of the valley had been less than thronging with fleeing crowds, then Hollywood and Vermont Canyon, the twisting road that led up to Griffith Park, the highest point in the city, were the opposite. The cover story of an expected earthquake that the US government had put out had seemingly reached the public by now and the Brigadier, the Doctor and Paynter, in the patrol car with the ever-reliable