Doctor Who_ The Nightmare of Black Island - Mike Tucker [54]
That had seemed like hours ago, and ever since she had been cleaning glasses, straining to hear past the music and the din outside, waiting for the sound of their car pulling into its parking spot. She crossed to the back door and pulled back the net curtains. The 128
headlights from the car were dazzling her. She couldn’t see properly. . . Then the headlights snapped off, the passenger door sprang open and a small figure emerged.
Beth cried out, hauled the door open and rushed into the rain. Ali stood caked in mud with a guilty look on her face, the look she always had if she’d just been caught raiding the sweet jar or reading by torchlight under the covers of her bed.
Beth swept her up into her arms, oblivious to the mud, not sure whether to laugh or cry. Ali squirmed in her grip, embarrassed.
‘I’m all right, Mum.’
‘Quite a handful, your Ali.’
Beth looked up. The Doctor’s friend, Rose, was standing there shivering. Her face was pale and streaked with dirt. She looked exhausted.
‘Thank you.’ Beth could feel her vision blurring. ‘Thank you so much for bringing her back.’
Rose shuffled uncomfortably. ‘Yeah, well, don’t thank me too soon. This isn’t over yet, and I don’t think you’re gonna like the next bit.’
‘No.’
Beth curled a protective arm around her daughter’s shoulder, her face a mixture of anger and disbelief. ‘You can’t ask us to do that. Not again.’
Rose sighed. She had known that this was going to be the tricky bit ever since the Doctor had outlined his plan. They were sitting in the old-fashioned kitchen of the pub, a welcome refuge from the cacophony of the bar. Ali sat draped in an old tartan blanket, a huge mug of hot chocolate in her hands. Her parents sat protectively on either side of her. They had barely let her out of their sight since she had got back inside the house.
Rose had changed into an old sweatshirt and some tracksuit bottoms that Beth had lent her, feeling warm for the first time in what seemed like an age. She drained the last dregs of coffee from her mug.
‘Look, I know that this is hard for you, but the Doctor says. . . ’
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‘The Doctor says. . . ’ Mervyn slammed his palm down on the table, sending cutlery flying. ‘He went up there to rescue Ali and now you just want to put her in danger again?’
‘She’s not going to be in any danger!’ Rose was getting exasperated now. ‘I told you, there’s a transmitter in the old lighthouse. That’s what’s been causing the nightmares. That’s what’s been controlling you, stopping you sorting this out for yourselves. All we’ve got to do is knock it out and the Cynrog are powerless.’
‘The Cynrog.’ Mervyn snorted. ‘Aliens with masks that live in the rectory.’
‘Yes! Disable the transmitter and it stops whatever they’re up to.’
‘Then why don’t I just go up there with a big hammer and smash the thing?’
‘No!’ Rose banged her mug down. ‘That won’t help.’
The Doctor had explained to her that simply destroying the transmitter wasn’t going to do any good. Worse, it might trigger something that affected the kids permanently. It had to be disabled carefully and precisely, he had been very clear about that. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, placing it on the dining table in front of her.
‘This is what’s gonna do the job. This and someone small enough to get where it needs to be used.’ She nodded at Ali. ‘She can do it. Just let her come with me and we can finish this.’
‘No.’
‘Mr Hardy. . . ’
‘I said no!’ Mervyn rose to his feet, knocking his chair backwards.
‘I’m warning you, girl. . . ’
‘Or what?’ Rose could feel her own anger building now. ‘What are you gonna do? Hit me? Throw me out? We’re the ones trying to help you. Me and