Right on cue, two chattering Justices came from behind her, through a small door to what was obviously the cellar of the building. She pressed herself tight against the staircase as they swept past and she noticed the odour of aftershave. Yet another piece to the nearly completed 'jigsaw' as the Doctor had put it a few minutes earlier. Now she had a decision to make - upwards or downwards.
It was true, the cellar was nearer to her, and at least she did not have to risk being seen ascending the stairs...Her hand closed around the brass ornate door knob. The door creaked slightly so she only opened it wide enough to allow her to slide through onto the stairs beyond. But she had already passed through the thin beam of light at the level of her eyes...
The camera image zoomed in on the face of the figure creeping round the many plastic-sealed packing cases and the face flicked in and out of clear focus for a few seconds before steadying.
'Excellent,' gloated Quinn 'I was half right - it's not the stranger but his meddling companion. Let her stroll around for a few minutes and then...then crush her like a rotten egg! Then go and get the other stranger too.'
'Why, Quinn? She's doing no harm.'
'Yes she is. Hasn't it got through your thick skull yet. One Justice has died and we had to snuff a villager today. Our efficiency ratings have gone down recently. Then these two strangers turn up put of the blue and start poking their noses in exactly the right places - they're Homeworld spies. Probably enemies of our friend, our employer. If they find out too much about this place, he's finished and if he's finished then supplies of the vaccine are gonna dry up pretty quickly. Then the food will run out and then we're dead meat. Our whole operation depends on strict secrecy, if that's broken...'
For the first time in a long while, Quinn was feeling worried. He shuddered a little because he did not fancy a night in the village once the food ran out.
~~~
The problem that now troubled her, was the crates themselves. They had no exterior markings to state where they were destined or what was contained within. Any packaging normally bore at least a serial number, these did not. They were totally plain but very, very heavy as she had discovered a moment earlier when she had attempted to pick one up. She was about to check the conveying machine when the door slammed open and Justices flooded into the room all carrying smaller pistols, but of a technological advanced variety not of the nineteenth century at all.
'There's no need to conceal yourself, Miss...?' It was Quinn's voice that waited for the answer, he had to come. The girl was concerned like a rat in a trap, even if there hadn't been any bait.
Nervously, Peri rose from her squatting position behind the packages. In a feeble act of surrender, she meekly raised her hands. 'Don't shoot, I'll come quietly.'
Quinn savoured the moment as the girl came within his grasp. He took her arm and twisted it violently around her back. 'When I ask a question,' he hissed viciously, 'I expect an answer, Miss...?'
'Brown. Perpugillium...Peri Brown. Ahhh! You're hurting me!'
'That's obvious, Miss Brown. I intend to!'
Trying to choke back her tears, Peri spluttered defiantly. 'So you look like breaking girls arms do you? Like beating up defenceless women?'
Quinn shook his head solemnly. 'Oh you're going to wish that's all I'm going to do to you. First I'll get the answers I need, then you'll have other uses. But you'll never find out what's happening here, be sure of that.'
Poor Peri Brown felt the barrel of the pistol Quinn was holding thrust into her back. She heard a tiny 'psst' of compressed air, then the cloak of darkness descended over her mind...
~~~
In the distance the sun was beginning to crawl, like some scurring crab across the beach sky. Night would be falling soon.
~~~
'I will ask you once more, before I silence you for good. Why have you come here? Who sent you? Where have you come from?'
With an exasperated sigh, Peri replied irritably, 'Look. I've told you already five times. We were forced to materialise here by some freak disturbance, then the Doctor when chasing after your friend Marlok, and you know the rest!'
'You'd better ask the Doctor then, he'll explain it in simple terms. That should satisfy your puny mind!' Peri scowled and Quinn erupted.
'You insolent little bitch!' He slapped the back of his hand across her cheek and was about to strangle her, when the com-link behind him bleeped. He rushed over to it. 'Yes!' he snapped, 'What is it?'
'This is Marlok. We're about to activate the tractor and it's your turn to relocate it tonight, Quinn. You'll need your shot.'
It was painfully obvious to Peri that Quinn was a little miffed by the call.
'Damn. Why does it have to be in the middle of an interrogation? Can't you get someone else to do it?'
The crackling voice laughed, 'After last night? We're lucky to be getting our men out afterwards, let alone now. The whole situation's getting out of hand and if you, as leader, can't inspire us, then we haven't a hope.'
'Oh, very well,' grunted Quinn dejectedly. 'Bring four ampoules and a hypo up here and issue the stingers to all personnel.'
Suddenly, the tone of Marlok's voice changed to puzzlement. 'Four ampoules, Quinn? But you know that if we take more than one at a...' Quinn cut him off.
'Just do as I order, cretin! Get up here now!' He turned back to Peri. He smiled warmly. 'Don't worry my dear, I'm just going to give you a few injections that should help you settle down a little.'
Peri tensed. 'A...a truth drug?'
Quinn laughed venomously 'Oh no, no. Something even better...or in your case, worse.' His head rocked back and he laughed again rocking with mirth.
~~~
Already the chorus of animals of the night were sounding their unearthly walls, moans and growls from all round the village. They did little to shake the Time Lord's resolve. He had to find Peri and get them both away from the planet. After all, they had not made themselves very welcome here.
All thoughts of investigations had been forgotten. The Doctor was back to his old cowardly self. Then, he saw Perpugillium, staggering drunkenly down the steps of the Courthouse, using the banister rail for the much needed support.
The Doctor caught her at the bottom as she collapsed into his arms and he laid her across his legs, cradling her head in his hands. 'Oh Peri, Peri what have they done to you?'
She smiled weakly. 'It's ok, Doc....they, they gave me the anti-toxin...must be a side effect. Funny...' she giggled. 'Quinn didn't seem to be affected thou.'
Suddenly the Doctor's curiosity was once more aflame. 'Anti-toxin? What anti-toxin? Peri! Answer me!' He shook her.
Sleepily, she replied, 'Vaccine...against the disease from...from the bite of the wolf, silly you...you remember Leon, don't you?'
Sleepily, she replied, 'Vaccine...against the disease from...from the bite of the wolf, silly you...you remember Leon, don't you?'
'Of course I do, Peri!' snapped the Doctor angrily, 'I'm old, not senile!'
'Well...' Peri suddenly began to growl from the back of her throat. '...they, they sort of lied to us...well, Leon did anyway.' She laughed and snarled. Her words were becoming intelligible, immersed in a series of wheezes and growls. 'He...he wasn't the real...real problem...he wasn't the only one...isn't it funny, that all the villagers are werewolves and they don't know it...or aren't letting on...' her voice trailed off.
The Doctor was suddenly pensive as he dragged up some misty thoughts. 'Of course, they wouldn't. Linxons cannot see each other as werewolves, they only know individually and as they are compulsive liars too, they always cover it up. But Leon couldn't have been a Linxon, he'd never have written it down...'
The Doctor was sadly oblivious to the fact that thin shafts of hair were suddenly growing up in between his fingers, which supported Peri's chin. 'That means they were on this planet when they arrived; which also means the Justices came later, supplied with the vaccine you've been given. But the question is, why? Why are they here? What's going on in this village and how?'
He looked straight into Peri's wide staring eyes... and shaggy haired face and watched her salivating fangs gnash rhythmically up and down. 'How am I going to get out of here alive?!' He flung himself away from the transmuting, snarling form he was holding onto and tried to run in the opposite direction. His foot twisted as rain began to splatter in a torrent around him, making his escape even more treacherous as he slid along on his shoes, straight into another hairy hide.
Savage jaws snapped at his face. The wolf pack was beginning to scent its first prey of the night. They dared not attack the men with the pain rods, they knew that, but this one was at their mercy.
The Doctor flipped around like some atrocious ballast dancer and just as he lost his balance and began to collapse, the leader of the wolf pack launched itself, ferociously at his throat...
END OF PART TWO
written by
DARREN FIELD
copyright 2009
