Part 7 (1/2)

The Dragon The Brigadier sat at his desk, struggling to absorb the astonis.h.i.+ng theory that had just been presented to him. 'A connection? Between what happened at Stangmoor, and what's been happening at the Conference?'

The Doctor was staring abstractedly out of the window.

'Another mysterious corpse with an expression of terror?

There's got to be a connection.'

The Brigadier said, 'But this Keller Machine of yours is miles away.'

The Doctor nodded. 'The power must be relayed in some way...'

He fell silent, lost in thought.

Mike Yates bustled in. 'Excuse me sir, we're just about ready for off. If you'd okay the movement order and the route plans?'

He handed the Brigadier a sheaf of papers.

The Brigadier leafed through them, initialling each page.

'Off on a little jaunt, Captain Yates?' asked the Doctor.

'We're moving the Thunderbolt a nuclear powered missile with a war-head full of nerve gas. Not exactly a jaunt, Doctor.'

'I thought those things had been outlawed?'

'They have. This one's on the way to the Naval dockyard. The Navy are going to dump it in the depths of the ocean.'

'With the Peace Conference going on? Not a very tactful time to be trundling rockets about, is it?'

The Brigadier looked up from the papers. 'I see you're taking Sergeant Benton?'

'If it's okay with you, sir.'

'You're welcome to him. Just be sure he doesn't lose the missile for you. He managed to lose a Chinese girl in broad daylight!'

The Doctor looked up. 'Chinese girl? What Chinese girl?'

The Brigadier handed back the papers. 'All right, Yates.

Carry on, and good luck!'

Mike Yates saluted. 'Thank you, sir. Bye Doctor!' He hurried from the room.

'Brigadier!' thundered the Doctor. ' What Chinese girl? What Chinese girl? ' '

'Captain Chin Lee, the late General's aide. I thought she might be implicated, so I had her followed. Benton lost her.'

The Doctor jumped up. 'That's it. That's the connection. When Emil Keller installed the Machine at Stangmoor, he had a Chinese girl as his a.s.sistant.'

'Could be coincidence.'

'Coincidence, my foot. You'd better put out a general alert for that Chinese girl, Brigadier. Wherever she is, she's got to be found!'

In fact, Captain Chin Lee wasn't very far away. She was walking towards the Master's limousine, which was parked in a nearby back street.

The Master opened the door and patted the seat beside him. 'You are late, Chin Lee.'

Chin Lee entered the car. 'My apologies, Master.'

'You did well at the Conference. Now I have another task for you.'

Chin Lee shrank back, her eyes widening in fear. 'No.

Please, no...'

The Master's hand shot out, seizing her neck like a clamp, his fingers adjusting the little metal disc behind her ear. His voice was deep, soothing, hypnotic. 'You will obey my command, Chin Lee.'

'Yes, Master.'

'Tonight you will kill the American Delegate.'

Tonelessly Chin Lee repeated, 'I will kill the American Delegate...'

'Good,' said the Master gently. 'Now go and obey me.'

Chin Lee got out of the car and moved away Harry Mailer had laid his plans well. Very soon the Special Wing was under his control. The three prison officers were lined up in the corridor, guarded by Mailer and half-a-dozen released prisoners.

Among the captives was Prison Officer Green, still quite unintimidated. 'You'll never get away with this, Mailer,' he growled. 'You've got no chance.'

Mailer gestured threateningly with the pistol. 'Shut up.

One more peep out of you '

He was interrupted by the arrival of Vosper. 'I've fixed the phones Harry, but they've got the Wing surrounded.'

From outside there came the wail of an alarm siren.

'They won't bust in,' said Mailer confidently. 'Not while we've got some of their screws here.'

'Oh, sure,' said Vosper gloomily. 'They can't get in but we can't get out.'

'We'll get out,' snarled Mailer. 'Shut up and let me think.'

'We can't just stay here, Harry. They'll starve us out.'