Part 13 (1/2)

Anne gave the Doctor a triumphant hug. 'You've done it!'

' We've We've done it, my dear-with your control unit we should be able to work him over quite a distance.' He looked up at the Yeti and said, 'All right, you can put your arm down.' The Yeti obeyed. The Doctor turned to Anne. 'We must get back to H.Q. Now I know that this works, I can develop a way to block done it, my dear-with your control unit we should be able to work him over quite a distance.' He looked up at the Yeti and said, 'All right, you can put your arm down.' The Yeti obeyed. The Doctor turned to Anne. 'We must get back to H.Q. Now I know that this works, I can develop a way to block all all the Intelligence's transmissions.' the Intelligence's transmissions.'

They set off back down the tunnel, then the Doctor turned.

'Mustn't forget our new friend. Come along, old chap.'

Obediently the Yeti lumbered after them.

Evans had finished cleaning the Sergeant's wound, and was now applying a bandage. He tied the last knot and stepped back to admire his work. 'Real professional job that, Sergeant. I should have been a doctor.'

Arnold grunted. 'Well then, Doctor Evans, you can get your medical gear back to the laboratory. Then come back here and start tidying up. This place is a diabolical mess!'

Evans gathered up his things and went out. Trust a sergeant, he was thinking. Fancy worrying about spit-and-polish at a time like this.

Arnold wandered across to the indicator map and gazed blankly at it. So very few lights still burning now... He heard a scream and a clatter and ran from the room.

Evans was standing outside the laboratory, staring into the room with horror on his face. Arnold ran up to him and looked in. The laboratory wall was bulging towards them in a great swelling curve. Even as Arnold watched, cracks appeared, widened. Suddenly the whole wall burst inwards.

Through the gap poured the glowing, pulsating ma.s.s of the Web.

13.

Captives of the Intelligence The Web poured out of the widening gap, slowly and inexorably engulfing the entire laboratory. Arnold jumped back and slammed the door. 'Come on, Evans-evacuate!'

They tore through the corridors and out through the main entrance. Arnold closed and barred it behind them.

'That'll hold it for a short while. We'd better find the others and tell them H.Q.'s had it'

Evans backed away. 'Not me, Sarge.'

'Look, there's four people out there. If we don't warn them they'll be for the chop.'

Evans didn't move. 'So, four people for the chop then- no reason to make it six, now is there?'

'That's enough lip,' roared Arnold. 'Follow me, Private Evans.'

He marched down the tunnel as Evans turned and ran in the opposite direction. 'Come back, you 'orrible little man,'

shouted Arnold. But Evans was already out of sight. Arnold muttered, 'Right, lad, I'll have you for that.' He reeled and staggered for a moment, then regained control of himself.

Battered but indomitable, he set off down the tunnel.

The Doctor and Anne marched along, their Yeti following behind like some ungainly pet. Suddenly the Doctor stopped, as he heard footsteps. The Yeti brushed past him, marching on, since no one had ordered it to do anything else.

'Hey, you,' yelled the Doctor indignantly, 'Stop. Turn. Come back. Wait!'

'Why did you stop, Doctor?' asked Anne.

'Someone's coming. Since we still don't know who's working with the Intelligence and who isn't, the fewer people who know this Yeti's on our side the better.'

'How do we keep it secret?'

'Like this,' said the Doctor. He spoke into his microphone. 'Yeti! Remain here for ninety seconds. Then resume acting on instructions from the Intelligence, until you are instructed otherwise. Switch off for ninety seconds-now!'

Leaving the Yeti standing motionless behind them, the Doctor and Anne hurried away down the tunnel. A few minutes later they ran straight into Jamie and Lethbridge-Stewart.

'Och, am I glad to see you,' called Jamie. 'We came to warn you, the Web's moved as far as Warren Street.'

The Doctor patted him on the shoulder. 'It's very kind of you, but we already know. We ran straight into it.'

'Glad you're both still safe,' said the Colonel. 'Any luck with that gadget of yours?'

'Not really,' answered the Doctor evasively. 'We need to get back to H.Q. to run more tests. Any news of Victoria?'

Jamie nodded eagerly. 'She and Travers are being kept prisoners at Piccadilly. Arnold managed to survive the Web- he saw them.'

The Doctor seemed about to speak, but Anne Travers looked at her watch. 'Time's nearly up, Doc-tor. If we're going to get back to H.Q. and work on the control box...'

The little group hurried back towards Goodge Street. In the tunnel behind them the Doctor's Yeti suddenly came to life. An electronic signal bleeped out, and two more Yeti appeared from further down the tunnel...

As the Doctor and his party were moving along the side-tunnel to the Fortress, they heard footsteps coming towards them. Sergeant Arnold ran up to them. Staggering a little, he came to attention in front of the Colonel and saluted. 'H.Q.'s gone, sir. The Web burst through the wall. Whole place will be swamped by now.'

Lethbridge-Stewart absorbed the news of this fresh disaster with his usual coolness. 'Anyone hurt? Where's Evans?'

'I'm afraid he cracked, sir. Scarpered.'

Jamie heard movement in the tunnel behind them. He swung round. 'Look out-Yeti.' Three Yeti were advancing down the tunnel towards them, their s.h.a.ggy bulk filling the entire tunnel.

Anne moved closer to the Doctor and whispered, 'Which one is ours?'

'No idea,' he whispered back. 'They all look alike to me!'

The three Yeti moved forward. Behind the Doctor and his friends was only the Web-filled Fortress. They were trapped.

Private Evans was running frantically away from the Fortress when he saw a Yeti coming towards him. He dived into an alcove and crouched motionless. The Yeti lumbered past. With a sigh of relief, Evans jumped out of hiding and ran on, only to encounter a second Yeti. He backed away, babbling idiotically. 'If you're looking for your friend, he went that way!' The Yeti shot out an arm and grabbed Evans by the shoulder. The second Yeti reappeared and grabbed him by the other shoulder. They lifted him clear of the ground, and with Evans dangling between them, set off down the tunnel.