Doctor Who_ Return Of The Living Dad Part 43

And possibly Jason. Or not. The couple were arguing furiously in a corner of the coffee shop.

'We don't have time to discuss this,' Benny whispered.

'Albinex could arrive any moment.'

'Joel,' said Jason. 'He could look after him.' Keith was hanging around their ankles, coming out with the occasional 'Va!' in between chewing on a soft toy. 'It's not just you anymore. I don't want you facing the danger alone, okay?'

She took his face between her hands. 'And if we both get blown away? Someone has to stay behind.'

'I keep getting left out!'

'That's as it should be.'

'Haven't you done enough in your life?' He caught her hand, pressed it to his cheek. 'This one's on me.'

'No,' she insisted. 'This is my job. You don't ever stop being a companion, Jason.'

She pulled him closer and kissed him. The Doctor frowned, turning away.

'Now stay put,' Benny murmured silkily. 'Or I'll wallop you with yon frying pan.'

The Kapteynian flew right at the Doctor's face. He threw up his hands to protect his eyes.

She settled onto one of his wrists. 'Listen!' she said.

'Listen...'

'What can I do for you?' he said cautiously, lowering his hands. She looked like a small, perfectly formed human child, with great, glittering b.u.t.terfly wings.

'I want to go home,' she said. 'I sunburn so easily under this sun. We tried sunblock, but it gives me lesions.'

'Done,' said the Doctor.

The Kapteynian lifted from his hand, her wings beating languidly. She turned back and cleared her throat. He looked up at her. 'Thanks,' she said stiffly, and drifted away.

The van rolled up to Greenham Common. Joel threw open the door and jumped down. 'The anoraks have landed!' he announced. 'We're here to save the world!'

Jason looked around at the Doctor's team. 'Oh, great,' he muttered.

'I'll find Bridget,' said Isaac. He hefted his backpack and headed into the growing crowd at a run.

'How many women did you say would be here?' Benny asked the Doctor, as they piled out of the van.

'About thirty thousand.'

There were women planting trees, women attaching banners and pictures to the wire. They were singing folk songs, voices and guitars drifting along the curve of the fence. Later they'd be shaking the concrete pillars loose and snipping through the chicken wire with bolt-cutters.

No wonder Albinex had chosen today to make his move.

But if the Navarino could use them as cover, the cynical b.a.s.t.a.r.d, so could the Doctor's team.

Isaac came racing back, holding Bridget's hand. The young woman looked bewildered. 'She's going to get us in,'

said the Admiral. 'I've explained about our crazy pacifist friend who's going to try to get himself shot.'

'Right,' said the Doctor. 'Thank you, Ms Evans!'

'We'll have to nip around the fence,' said the peace woman. 'Come on!'

Roz took Chris, Ms Randrianasolo, two aliens and the ghost-detector with her. The Doctor reckoned that the ghost would still be with Albinex; the Navarino might be able to mask the drive of his ship from their scanners' but he couldn't hide her.

The Kapteynian had donated a small computer screen, grumbling, and the Doctor had attached it to the ghost-detector. Roz held the hybrid thing in her lap.

They'd let Chris drive. He was haring it down the A339.

The Ra'ashet was taking up two seats in the back. He didn't need a hologram projector; he'd done something telepathic, and suddenly he looked a whole lot like a little girl. It made Roz's stomach clench - if she squinted, she could just make out the scales and the scent of fish - but it was a b.l.o.o.d.y brilliant disguise.

The thing in the boot was too bizarre for words.

Ms R was sitting stock-still beside the alien, her eyes closed, her brow furrowed. 'Got him!' she and Roz said at the same moment.

Roz tapped a fingernail on the screen of her handscan.

'He's just come into range. At that speed, he'll be over the USAF base in minutes.' 'He's very proud of himself,' said Ms R. 'Very confident.

He's... leaving guards on the ship.' 'Those will be the Ogrons,' said Roz. 'No problem,' said Chris. 'We'll be there in a minute ourselves.'

Alekto

It was surprisingly quiet inside the base. Bridget led them across a wide, empty field of gra.s.s. They could still hear the chanting and singing, distantly, and the growling sound of engines.

The Doctor was holding the divining rod, firmly, watching its every twitch. 'We have to keep heading for the silo,' he muttered. 'Albinex must be close by, but if we can beat him there -!' He stopped stock-still. Benny almost walked into him.

He yelped and dropped the stick. It burst into flames as it fell.

The ghost unfolded.

A vast wind blew across the gra.s.s, hammering them back. She was a great cloud of light, pale as an orange rose, her face and blank eyes hovering above them.

Tony fell to his knees. Bridget didn't scream, shielding her astonished eyes with one hand.

The Doctor forced his way through the raging wind, holding his hands out for her. Benny wanted to grab him, pull him away from the monster' but she couldn't wade through the wind fast enough.

The ghost grabbed his wrists, and they both cried out with the shock. 'Stay with me!' he shouted into the storm.

'Stay here! I can anchor you!'

But the nameless ghost was wailing. HE TOLD ME TO HE TOLD ME TO STOP YOU!.

Tony stuck his hands over his ears. 'She's here!' he wailed.

'You know he's using you!' cried the Doctor. 'Stop fighting! Just relax! We can still -'

But she let him go, writhing in the air, her desperate eyes seeking.

Benny saw her coming like a tunnel of light, and there was nowhere to run.

Bridget Evans had seen women lie down in front of army trucks. She'd seen them hang onto the fence even when police truncheons were snapping hands and fingers. She'd seen women come back to the same patch of frozen land over and over after being evicted' carrying their bundles and bags.

It would take a lot to surprise her.

The floating special-effect thing shot down from the sky and surrounded Benny. The woman staggered back and yelled, pushing at the orange light. Bridget stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

'No!' roared the Doctor.

He ran to his friend. The light was like flame now, burning his hands as he tried to reach her. 'This won't work!'

he yelled. 'She can't anchor you!'

I'M COMING APART AT THE SEAMS! the thing screamed. Bridget pushed her hands against her ears. the thing screamed. Bridget pushed her hands against her ears.

Maybe its voice had once been human.

'Back off' Doctor!' shouted Benny. 'Get away!' Orange light was coming out of her mouth. 'I WANT HER HERE!'

The Doctor stepped into the fire and threw his arms around Benny.

They both screamed. She s.n.a.t.c.hed at his jacket, trying to shove him away. Somehow he stayed on his feet, hanging onto her, hands locked together behind her back. ' Let her go! Let her go! ' '

he shouted.

Benny's dad was shouting something which Bridget couldn't hear over the fire and the wind. She saw the Doctor's knees give way' his head falling back' haloed in fire.

With a SNAP SNAP like an elastic band in the eye, it all stopped. like an elastic band in the eye, it all stopped.

32 Out to launch

Jason was hanging onto Keith so tightly that the boy was squirming. He sat in the open door of the van, scowling at the ground.

It was all very well for Benny to leave him to take care of Keith. If she didn't come back, if they failed, the boy was dead anyway.

Joel patted him on the arm in a brotherly way. 'Va va VA,' said Keith.

'Wish we could have gone,' said Joel. 'Wish we could have gone.' His voice was taut as a wire with fear. 'This sucks.'

'Benny would say I just have a lot of twentieth-century hang-ups about my masculine role,' Jason muttered. He looked up at the crowd of women. They were rugged up, talking and singing. The only men he could see were the police behind the fence.

'Takes b.a.l.l.s to stay put,' said Joel. 'Remember, we're backup. In case anything goes wrong.'

'Yeah,' said Jason. 'Well, it gets my back up.'

Keith struggled out of Jason's grip and slid down to the ground. 'Hey you, come here,' said Jason, making a grab for the boy.

But Keith was running away across the cold ground, his little shoes sloshing in the mud. 'Va va!' he said.

Jason jumped down from the van and was after him in an instant. But the boy was - was fading, was becoming a pale figure running towards the women, then just a shadow.

Reaching his arms out to someone only he could see.

'Da da!.' Keith said.