Doctor Who_ The Nightmare of Black Island - Mike Tucker [35]
The Doctor worked at it for a few seconds, then stood back with a satisfied grin.
‘That should hold ’em.’
As if on cue, something huge slammed against the door, shaking the whole lighthouse. The Doctor jumped backwards.
82
‘Well, I think it’ll hold them. For a while. Well, a bit of a while.’
Bronwyn gave him a hard stare. ‘So have you locked them out or us in?’
‘Let’s just hope they don’t like canned food, eh?’ said the Doctor. Morton’s office in the old rectory was dark and quiet. In the centre of the room sat Morton in his wheelchair, fingers steepled and pressed to his lips, his eyes closed.
A fire cracked in the large old-fashioned grate and the music of Elgar drifted across from an old-fashioned record player: the last bars of his cello concerto. As the last note faded, a high screeching roar came from outside as something huge and monstrous lumbered past the house.
Morton opened his eyes and smiled. He wheeled himself over to the desk, picking up a heavy framed photograph. The picture was himself as a young man leaning on a cricket bat. The picture had been taken on the lawn out front many, many summers ago. Morton Sighed. He had been through so much since then. So much pain and torment. But soon, soon it would all be finished.
The heavy door to his office swung open, shattering his peace, and Peyne pushed Rose roughly into the room. Morton swung around in his wheelchair, a frown furrowing his brow. He didn’t like people entering his office unannounced. His frown turned to surprise.
‘Miss Evans? And Miss Peyne.’ He gave the alien a puzzled glance.
‘You’ve slipped into something more comfortable, I see. I hope there is an explanation for this.’
Peyne crossed to his side. ‘I found her in the power room,’ she hissed.
‘Really?’ Morton looked up at Rose curiously. ‘You really are very persistent, Miss. . . ’ He cocked his head to one side, looking at her expectantly.
Rose shuffled uncomfortably. ‘Evans, I told you.’
‘Oh yes? That’s hardly original, even in Wales. There really is no point in lying to me any longer. You might as well just tell me the truth. It will make things so much easier in the long run.’
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Rose shivered. She had the feeling that he wasn’t bluffing. ‘Tyler. It’s Rose Tyler.’
‘Better. And Dr. . . Jones? Is he around somewhere too? Do I need to send my people to flush him out?’
Rose shook her head. ‘No, he’s not here. But he knows where I am. If I’m not back soon he’ll come and. . . ’
‘What?’ Morton smiled. ‘Come and pay your bail? Come and explain to the police what you were doing, trying to gain access to my affairs under an assumed name. Come and listen to you explaining why you were caught breaking and entering. Come and offer compensation for the criminal damage that you have no doubt caused gaining entry to my property.’ He tutted condescendingly. ‘No, no, no. I’m afraid that, if I want, you can be in an awful lot of trouble, young lady.’
‘And what are you going to do about them?’ Rose nodded at the Cynrog that lurked in the open doorway. ‘How you gonna explain to the police that you’ve got alien nurses looking after your patients?’
Morton gave Peyne a look of surprise. ‘She is well informed. How refreshing. Perhaps the police aren’t such a good idea after all.’
‘Oh, I dunno,’ said Rose. ‘Bring ’em on. I’m sure they’d be interested in hearing about you covering up that death on the beach.’
Morton stiffened in his chair and his tone changed. ‘It seems that you have been digging rather deeper into my affairs than I had realised. Perhaps we do need to tighten up our operation a little. Peyne, whatever it is she found get rid of it. Then make sure that she was alone. Get your men to make a thorough sweep of the grounds. And tell them to put their masks back on. We don’t want any prying eyes seeing too much, do we?’
Peyne gestured to her unmasked colleagues and they snapped to attention, pulling the surgical masks with their human faces back into place and hurrying away