171.

Glad that ordeal was over, she was anxious to get back to the crypt and make sure that the Doctor hadn't been interfering with her experiments.

She knew instantly that something was wrong, and the readouts on the monitoring station confirmed her worst fears. While Krillitane Oil was comparatively abundant, the chemical that enabled them to self-evolve was but a tiny proportion of its composition, and it took weeks to extract so much as a thimble of it. This morning the level of extracted fluid had pa.s.sed fifty per cent, but now it was down to virtually nothing. It could only have been the Doctor.

Febron unlocked the security door and rushed into the crypt.

Ignoring the sleeping Krillitanes, she hurried to the extraction system and reached for the vial that should have been half full, wrenching it out of its housing. Empty. Months of patient work, ruined by that inconvenient, interfering Doctor. She would demand to kill him herself for this.

A metallic clang echoed suddenly through the darkness.

Febron spun around. She could see nothing in the dim light of the life-sign monitors. 'Who's there? Branlo, is that you? Tell Henk we have a problem.'

No response. That was strange. Febron walked back towards the antechamber, listening attentively for any repeat of the mysterious noise, but the crypt remained silent.

172.

She stopped as she reached the door, relaxing slightly. It must have been her imagination. Who knew what mischief the Doctor had been up to while he'd been on his own down here? She cursed herself for having left him alone in the first place. Perhaps she should check on the Krillitanes, to be on the safe side.

Examining each enclosure as she came to it, Febron satisfied herself that no further damage had been done. The Krillitanes were still sedated, and extraction of Krillitane Oil hadn't been impeded at source. She turned towards Broken Wing's special enclosure and stopped in her tracks. The enclosure was empty, the chains and pipes that had restrained the powerful male hung limply against the wall.

Surely the Doctor hadn't been foolish enough to set him free?

Taking a nervous look around her, Febron hurried over to the enclosure's life-signs monitor.

'Interfering idiot,' she muttered through gritted teeth. The readings indicated that the Doctor had awoken Broken Wing for a short period before sedating him again, but the levels of tranquilliser he'd programmed were nowhere near sufficient to keep this Krillitane under.

A ba.s.s, throaty rumble broke the silence, and Febron closed her eyes, sensing Broken Wing was close by, waiting for her.

She had to get out of there, right now.

With a grunt, Febron made a run for it, and immediately heard claws scrambling across the stone 173.

floor close behind her. She glanced back. Broken Wing had leapt out of the shadows and was almost upon her. The scientist dived into one of the Krillitane enclosures, pushing her way past the leathery bulk of the sleeping animal. The s.p.a.ce was cramped, too cramped for Broken Wing to follow and her only chance of escape. Through into the next enclosure and the next, batting trailing cables out of her way, desperate to reach the door.

A claw suddenly swung at her from above, missing her shoulder by a hair's breadth. Somehow Broken Wing had squeezed himself into the cramped s.p.a.ce above the enclosures, crawling across them faster than Febron could negotiate her way through the ma.s.s of bodies and technology. She threw herself to the floor, and rolled sideways, back out into the walkway. There, ahead of her and only metres away, was the security door. Febron was on her feet, running blindly. The door was tantalisingly close. Just a few more steps. She could make it.

Then, with a crack, she felt her knee joint twist awkwardly and dislocate, her leg s.n.a.t.c.hed out from beneath her, and she fell, face smashing hard into the flagstones.

She reached up, straining for the door, but it was moving away from her. No, she was being pulled back, away from the door, back towards the shadows where Broken Wing had been waiting for her, plotting his revenge.

'Oi, time to wake up, twinkle toes. I know you're earwigging.' The Doctor was standing over the Krillitane, 174.

hands in pockets. He gave her foot a light tap with the tip of his trainer and waited. 'No one sleeps that soundly unless they're secretly listening in on a private conversation.'

Reluctantly, Toch'Lu rolled over into a seated position, and smiled defiantly up at him.

The Doctor crouched down, levelling a steely gaze upon the bright blue Calabrian eyes behind which the Krillitane was imprisoned. 'I was talking to your friend. I don't know what his name was - the one with the broken wing. He was telling me that you and your Brood were fugitives when you got mixed up with Henk's mob. Fugitives from whom, I wonder? Mm?'

'It is not of your concern,' Toch'Lu replied, tersely.

'It kind of is, really. You see, there's a ship on its way to this planet, a ship sent by someone who is very eager to trace the whereabouts of our Mister Henk, but I have a theory they're looking for someone else entirely. Someone not so well protected. A fugitive, perhaps. Any ideas?'

'When is this vessel due to arrive?' Toch'Lu had become noticeably paler.

'Could be any time. You look worried.'

Toch'Lu stood up and paced across the room, deep in thought.

She stopped and turned to face the Doctor, speaking urgently. 'I need your help. Remove this neck brace so I can a.s.sume my Krillitane form. I must free my brethren before that ship arrives.'

'And why would I want to do that? I'm not going to 175 175 release a hungry bunch of Krillitanes into the middle of a city packed full of tasty humans, just because you want me to. You didn't even say please.'

The Krillitane stared at the Doctor with disdain. 'My Brood will be the least of this world's concerns if we are still here when that ship makes planetfall.'

'What do you mean?'

'If that vessel is searching for me and not Henk, then we are all dead. Our leader, the Esteemed Father, will stop at nothing to ensure my capture, even the slaughter of every living thing on this pitiful world.'

'Why do I always have to be right?' The Doctor put a hand to his head and ruffled his hair in frustration. 'So what exactly did you do to make him so angry?'

Toch'Lu paced across the room, obviously agitated. The Esteemed Father refuses to acknowledge our greater destiny. He is blinkered by the old ways, stuck in the past, but the Krillitane race can be so much more than genetic scavengers. My followers and I had no option but to attempt his overthrow, but we were betrayed, and I was forced into exile.'

She looked up at the high window, lost in bitter memories. The leader of the Krillitanes cannot be seen to be weak - his power would be irretrievably undermined. He will see to it that my disloyalty is very publicly punished.'

'If I hadn't come here...' Emily whispered in horror. This is all my fault. The people of this city don't stand a chance. It'll be a ma.s.sacre.'

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'You weren't to know. If you hadn't found Henk then somebody else would have, and I might not have been around to sort things out.'

'So more of those creatures are coming, Doctor?' asked Darke.

'More? I should say so. A big fat bunch of more with bells on.'

Things had gone from bad to worse, yet again. 'Well, whatever happens, we can't stay locked up in here. Toch'Lu, if I help you, 1 need you to promise me you'll take your Brood and get off this planet immediately. And I mean right now.'

'I never wished to come here in the first place. You have my word, we shall leave.'

The Doctor dug inside his jacket pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, quickly setting about disabling the device around Toch'Lu's neck. 'You'd better, because if you don't, then you'll have me to answer to.'

The tall oak door smashed open, tearing its hinges from its frame and sending the monks on guard duty flying. Toch'Lu pinned one of them to the floor with her clawed foot, and was about to strike a killing blow when the Doctor grabbed her arm. 'Don't even think about it.'

They hurried out into the deserted nave, and were at the entrance to the crypt in moments. Unlocking the door, the Doctor ushered them through into the antechamber before moving straight to the monitoring station. He slapped on his gla.s.ses, and set about the controls. 'Right, first I need to stop the flow of sedatives, 177 177 get your lot back in the land of the living. Then we need to find a way to get them out of here.'

The Doctor disengaged the locks sealing the security door and pulled it open, turning back towards his companions with a smile.

'You know, I was told once that Worcester is riddled with ancient underground tunnels. Be handy if that were true, wouldn't it?'

'Doctor, look out,' Emily screamed, too late.

Spinning around, the Doctor watched helplessly as Broken Wing hurtled towards the open doorway, blood dripping from his stained teeth.

With a bloodcurdling scream, the Krillitane sprang towards him.

178.

THIRTEEN.

There was no way he could have been prepared for the _ force that Tslammed into him, knocking him sideways and smashing into the monitoring station.

The Doctor blinked, not entirely sure why he wasn't dead, but a quick survey of his arms and legs found they still seemed to be in full working order, and his suit didn't have a mark on it. His hearts were beating ten to the dozen, but that was only to be expected.

Then he recognised the sound of a struggle behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw two Krillitanes wrestling in the sparking remains of the monitoring station.

Toch'Lu had thrown herself forward, intercepting her fellow Krillitane and saving the Doctor at the last possible moment, and now the Brood Mother had Broken Wing 179.

in a grip from which he was unable to free himself.

'Brother Myina, relent,' Toch'Lu roared.

Broken Wing stopped struggling instantly, and looked upon his a.s.sailant in shock. 'Brood Mother. It can't be? Henk said he'd...'

'You think that worm has such power that he should defeat me?'

Toch'Lu raised her head, haughtily, and then pulled her lips back into a frightening smile. 'It is good to see you again, Brother Myina.'

The Krillitanes touched foreheads, fondly. Then Broken Wing remembered the Doctor. 'Why did you deny me the glory of snapping this treacherous humanoid's neck?' he snarled.

Toch'Lu placed a restraining hand on his chest. The Esteemed Father has found us, Brother. The Doctor has agreed to help the Brood escape before his forces arrive.'

'But why must we keep running? The Brood are all but adults.

They are strong. Now is the time to stand and fight.'

'Not here, it isn't,' interrupted the Doctor. 'I told you before. I want you off this planet.'

Broken Wing growled at him, but looked to his leader for confirmation that they were to do as the Doctor said. Toch'Lu inclined her head.

'So be it,' the Krillitane conceded, but he had one more score to settle before he was prepared to go anywhere.

Henk stepped out of the Chapter House, and stood at the edge of the small square garden which occupied the 180.

centre of the cloisters, watching the snow falling heavily between the buildings.

It had been another long night, and soon dawn would break on a new day. He could finally relax and take a back seat, confident that his legal team would handle contractual negotiations with those delegates who had already agreed to sign licensing deals. Money was about to change hands. Life was good.

Taking a deep breath of the cold night air, he decided to find Febron.

She'd been gone for quite a while now, and he wanted her to share in the success of their enterprise. He'd been saving a bottle of fizzy Grokk especially.

As Henk was about to step through the door to the nave, he happened to glance to his left, towards the heavily guarded room where his prisoners were languishing. It was no longer heavily guarded.

'By the Fated Suns... Branlo!' Henk bellowed, storming along the corridor. Five guards, all unconscious, lay amongst the shattered ruins of an impregnable oak door. The room itself was empty. Who was this d.a.m.ned Doctor? Some kind of escapologist? Why wouldn't he stay locked up? Henk picked up a stray blaster and primed it.

'Oh my,' Branlo groaned, arriving at the scene of devastation with Archa in tow. 'What happened?'

'Why didn't you pick this up on any of the security-cams?' demanded Henk furiously.

'I... I was monitoring the negotiations, sir. After what happened earlier,' Archa stuttered.

181.

'I warned you before.' Henk raised his blaster and shot Archa in the chest.

The technician staggered backwards, a look of mild surprise on his face, and crumpled to the floor.

'Get the men together and meet me in the nave. We're going after the Doctor and his friends. And clear this mess up before any of the delegates see it.'

'Yes, sir,' whispered Branlo, glancing at the dead body of his friend as he hurried away.

Of all the times for this to happen, thought Henk bitterly. In another few hours the delegates would have been gone, their initial business done, and his carefully laid plans would not now be hanging in peril. The Doctor and Toeclaw would pay for this, and Henk knew exactly where to find them.

First things first. Henk hurried back to the Chapter House doors and quietly locked them. If this was going to get messy, he didn't want any delegates getting involved. Satisfied that the door was secure, he strode purposefully into the nave and headed straight for the crypt.

Toeclaw would have no intention of leaving without her precious Brood, and there was only one way out. Then a dreadful thought struck him, and Henk came to a halt.

Belima was almost certainly down there too. Her life, and by default this entire enterprise, was in danger. Suddenly he wasn't so sure what to do.

That's it. They know we've escaped.' Darke was peering through the keyhole, watching for signs of pursuit.

182.

The large man is out there. He's looking straight at this door.'

'I'll tell the Doctor,' Emily said, and she slipped into the crypt, averting her eyes from the b.l.o.o.d.y stain she'd noticed trailing across the floor and into the darkness.

The Doctor was rushing from enclosure to enclosure, having to operate the controls manually now that the main system had been destroyed. She looked nervously over at Toch'Lu and Broken Wing, who were tending to the handful of Krillitanes that had already been roused.

'Everything OK?' asked the Doctor breezily, not losing focus on what he was doing.

Emily swallowed, trying not to worry about the roomful of waking carnivores. 'It's Henk. He knows we're in here. I thought you'd better know.'