Part 16 (1/2)

Jo tried to follow but the Master barred her way. 'No, Miss Grant, you will remain here, as a guarantee of the Doctor's good behaviour.'

The Master stepped back, and the door was closed.

The Brigadier was giving a final briefing to Major Cosgrove and the two young officers who would be commanding the attack force. 'We shall, as you realise, be very considerably outnumbered. However, not all our opponents will be armed, and none of them will be trained soldiers.'

Cosgrove said brightly, 'And of course we will have surprise on our side.'

The Brigadier, who had planned to conclude his address with that point gave Cosgrove yet another quelling look.

'Exactly! Now, any questions?'

'No questions, sir,' said Cosgrove, before anyone else could speak.

The two young officers saluted and marched out.

'It's an excellent plan if I may say so, sir,' said Major Cosgrove. 'I should think there's a very good chance of success.'

'Thank you,' said the Brigadier drily. 'I'm very relieved.'

Cosgrove moved off to check the movement orders.

There was a tap on the door and Benton appeared, a little pale but otherwise back to normal, apart from a patch of plaster on the crown of his head.

The Brigadier looked up. 'What the devil are you doing here, Benton? You're supposed to be in hospital.'

'I discharged myself, sir. I'm all right now, just a bit of a sore head.'

'Well, what do you want?'

'I'd like to come on the a.s.sault, sir.'

'Benton, for all we know you may be suffering from severe concussion ' began the Brigadier.

'It's only a scratch, sir,' said Benton desperately. 'You always said I'd got a thick head. I'd just like a chance to get at the blokes who did it.'

The Brigadier nodded, accepting the inevitable. 'All right, Sergeant Benton. If you're sure you feel fit you can take charge of the underground a.s.sault party. Major Cosgrove will put you in the picture.'

Benton saluted. 'Thank you, sir.' He hesitated. 'I suppose there's no news of Captain Yates?'

'I'm sorry, Benton, there's nothing. Nothing at all.'

In the hangar office, Captain Yates was still sawing frantically at the ropes that tied his wrists. The strut had proved too smooth, but Mike had managed to get out of the chair, and he was trying his luck with the edge of an old metal table.

Suddenly, to his delight, the frayed strands of rope began to part just as he heard footsteps coming towards the door...

13.

The Attack By the time the guard came back into the hut to check up on his prisoner, Mike Yates was slumped back in the chair.

Suspiciously the guard approached to check the bonds.

As soon as he was in reach, Mike grabbed him and threw him neatly over his head in a cla.s.sic judo throw.

Pausing only to make sure that the man had been knocked out by the fall, Mike crept cautiously from the hut.

It had taken the Doctor quite some time to choose the equipment he needed from the Prison Workshop, and an even longer time to a.s.semble it to his satisfaction.

He had transferred the lot to a warder's office close to the Process Chamber, where he was engaged in checking it over once again. He was wearing a white coat, heavy gloves and a protective helmet with a transparent visor.

The results of the Doctor's efforts consisted of a huge electrical coil, in the form of a loop on the end of a very long length of wire, rather like a giant la.s.so.

The wire was connected to a square black box studded with controls, a rather special form of junction box, and this in turn was connected by yet more flex to the prison power supply.

The Master stood looking on, fuming with impatience.

'Doctor, you must hurry. If that thing starts moving again...'

'I am well aware of the importance of the situation,' said the Doctor calmly. He picked up the coil in one hand and the junction box in the other and carried them out into the main area of the prison, moving along the corridor and placing them as near to the Process Chamber as possible.

The Master watched in some puzzlement. 'May I ask what you intend to do, Doctor?'

'I'm going to try to throw this coil around that Machine in there if I can get close enough without being killed.'

'I see and what can I do to help?'

It was very clear from the Master's tone that any such help would be given from a safe distance.

The Doctor pointed to the junction box. There was a control panel, studded with lights and dials. 'I want you to operate these controls here. Switch them on to full power when I shout.'

The Master studied the box. 'Very ingenious. What does it do?'

'If all goes well, the box will set up an electric current in the coil a current alternating on much the same frequency as the human brain.'

'And what will that do to the mind parasite?'

'I'm not sure but I hope hope it will confuse the creature enough to inhibit its powers of movement.' it will confuse the creature enough to inhibit its powers of movement.'

'I hope you're right, Doctor.'

'So do I,' said the Doctor grimly.

He picked up the coil and set off.