Part 8 (2/2)

'How can we? We were moving about all over the place when it happened. Could have been anyone-even you, Colonell'

'Or you, Doctor?' They looked at each other for a moment, and then the Colonel smiled. 'We've got to trust someone, Doctor, so we may as well start with each other. I'll keep an eye on my party, you take care of things here, eh?'

The Doctor nodded, curiously pleased by the Colonel's trust. Starchy sort of fellow this Colonel, but a man you could rely on. Unaware that this was the beginning of a long friends.h.i.+p, they both hurried out of the room.

In the Common Room, Victoria was chatting to Harold Chorley. She'd gone to make some tea and found him sitting in lonely state, a liaison officer no one wanted to liaise with.

He seemed grateful for her company, and was being exceptionally charming. Chorley was a skilled interviewer, who knew how to use the soft approach when it paid him. To her surprise, Victoria was soon telling him all about the TARDIS. Chorley listened, struggling to understand. 'And you say this machine of the Doctor's could get you out of here?'

'Yes, of course it could. The TARDIS can go anywhere.'

'And it's still at Covent Garden where you left it?'

'I suppose it must be.'

'Then why doesn't the Doctor use it to rescue us all?'

'I suppose he will, if there's no alternative. But he won't leave until Jamie turns up. And now they're going to blow up the tunnel...' Victoria held back a sob.

The Doctor came into the room and looked at them, sensing something strange in the atmosphere.

Chorley spoke in a strained voice. 'We were just talking about you, Doctor... I hadn't realised...' Suddenly he rushed from the room.

The Doctor looked after him in astonishment. 'What's the matter with him?'

'I think he's worried about them blowing up the tunnel.'

'He needn't be-I doubt if they'll succeed,' said the Doctor. 'Anyway, why should he worry about that?'

'He's got some idea you could take us all away in the TARDIS-he doesn't want us to be cut off from it.'

'Victoria-you didn't tell him about the TARDIS?'

Victoria nodded. It was impossible to explain the impact of Chorley's charm. 'You don't think he wants to steal it?' she asked in sudden alarm.

'I wouldn't put it past him.' The Doctor tried the door.

It was locked. 'Oh, Victoria,' he said reproachfully. Victoria started to cry.

As Harold Chorley hurried to the Fortress exit, he was surprised to find it open. Jamie and Evans, back at last, were just being admitted by a suspicious sentry. 'Has the Colonel's party already left?' Chorley gasped breathlessly.

It was Jamie who answered. 'Aye, they're already off to Holborn. We pa.s.sed them on the way down the tunnel.'

Before anyone could stop him, Chorley dashed into the tunnel. The sentry decided he could look after himself, and closed and barred the door again. Jamie and Evans moved along the Fortress corridors. They heard a m.u.f.fled banging from the door of the Common Room, which seemed to be locked on the outside. Jamie unlocked and opened the door.

Victoria and the Doctor fell out almost on top of him. There was a brief and rapturous reunion which the Doctor interrupted by saying urgently, 'Jamie, have you seen Chorley?'

'Aye, just a minute ago. He went out as we came in.

Seemed in a rare old state, too.'

'Come on!' The Doctor ran down the corridor. Jamie and Victoria looked helplessly at each other and set off in pursuit. After a moment's hesitation, Evans followed them them.

There was clearly something nasty going on here, and he didn't want to face it alone. Maybe there would be safety in numbers.

He caught up with them just as the Doctor was persuading the reluctant sentries to open the main door yet again.

'What do you think I am,' one of them grumbled.

'Doorman at Harrods?'

Jamie, the Doctor, Victoria and Evans rushed out into the tunnels. The sentry slammed the door behind them and turned back to his mate. 'This time it stays closed.'

A giant shape began moving quietly down the corridor towards them.

Travers threw down his tweezers in disgust, and looked up from the control sphere. 'Well, where is the Doctor, then?

I've gone as far on this as I can without his help. Gives you a job to do and then disappears.'

Anne smiled. 'Shall I go and see if he's back yet?' Before Travers could reply, there was a distant thump, and a m.u.f.fled scream. Travers got to his feet. 'Stay here, Anne.' Ignoring her protests, he moved into the corridor.

Everything seemed quiet. Travers began moving towards the direction of the sound. The noise appeared to come from the Operations Room. He walked along the corridor and looked inside.

Private Weams lay sprawled on the ground. Travers ran to him at once, and knelt by the body. Weams was quite dead, his neck broken by a single savage blow. On the floor beside him lay the model Yeti.

As Travers reached for it, a shadow fell over him. He looked up. Moving towards him was the ma.s.sive form of a Yeti. Travers rose and backed away. The Yeti moved closer, reaching out for him...

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