Chapter Eleven

"Please...don't take me where I want to go, take me where I *need* to go."

"Doctor?"

At the TARDIS controls the Doctor startled slightly, he hadn't realized Quay was awake. Having been awake nearly twenty-four hours the human had needed to rest, but he hadn't stayed down long. Quay looked concerned, a look the Doctor was familiar with. It was the look people gave him when he talked to the TARDIS. The Doctor flashed Quay a smile to try to put him at ease. Quay mimicked the smile but it was clear that he was still worried.

"Ready to go?" The Doctor asked.

"Go where?"

"That is an excellent question." The Doctor pulled the large red lever. "Let's find out."

Once the TARDIS had landed the Doctor went over to the doors and peeked out. Quay came over and looked out as well. The neon sign of the Golden Nightingale was turned off and the once busy street was abandoned. The Doctor glanced at his wrist watch and use it to calculate the local time. It was almost six in the morning, the sun would be rising soon.

"We are back at the club." Quay announced unnecessarily.

"That we are, but we aren't 'when' I thought we'd be here."

"What does that mean?"

"I have no idea, but I'm just going to trust her."

"Her?"

"Never mind. Come on, let's head inside."

Quay shrugged and followed the Doctor. At the front door Quay placed in his combination in the lock and the door slid open. Their were still a few employees cleaning up the club after the night's festivities. Everyone knew River was gone and they looked to Quay hopefully. Quay shook his head sadly and they all gave the Doctor a sympathetic look before going back to their tasks.

The Doctor went over to one of the tables and sat down. Quay motioned to one of the women and she went over behind the bar. Quay took the two glasses of bourbon and ice from the woman and joined the Doctor at the table. Lost in thought the Doctor took the drink and sipped at it only to quickly spit it back into the glass.

"Sorry about that." Quay apologized. "I know it's early..."

"Never the right time for that." The Doctor pushed the glass away. "Can we get some tea?"

"This is a night club, not a breakfast club."

"I'll take that as a 'no'."

Quay motioned the girl back over and instructed her to go out and find some place to get some tea to bring back. The Doctor reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small digital tablet. Concentrating on the tablet he scrolled through the display. Quay sat quietly until the Doctor made a noise of frustration.

"Doctor?"

"There are no 'Emperors' in a twenty light year distance from here, on planets where slavery is legal or otherwise." The Doctor explained. "There are Kings, Governors, Presidents, Czars, Warlords...but no one who self identifies as an Emperor. Buyers don't tend to be local, right?"

"No idea." Quay shrugged. "It's always assumed that people are taken off world."

"There are six worlds within reasonable travel distance with the current technology where slavery is practiced." The Doctor read the screen again. "Wow, six whole worlds without a clue...what is wrong with this section of the Galaxy?"

"A lot of the worlds out here were first colonized by pirates and outlaws." Quay shrugged. "It's surprising that we've managed to become as civilized as we have. We are a long way from Galactic Central Point out here."

"True, the Shadow Proclamation probably doesn't even know you exist."

"The who?"

"Exactly."

"Doctor if River has been taken off world..."

"I will still find her." The Doctor said firmly. "I know this isn't where I lose her."

"What?"

"Nothing. We just need to find this 'Emperor', he's our strongest lead to the Ivory Mar..."

The Doctor was distracted by a loud tapping on the dark glass front door from someone rapping a key against the glass. Quay looked over at the door with an annoyed expression. One of the large guards was already on it. The Doctor assumed that people often tried to get in after hours after having drunk enough during the night to not know when it was past closing time. Without opening the door the guard informed the intruder that they were closed by tapping on his watch. The man at the door however didn't leave, even when the guard made a motion for him to move along. The dusky glass obscured the man's features but his voice tugged at the Doctor's memory.

"I need to talk to the owner!" He shouted through the door.

"Not happening." The guard growled. "Go away."

"Please, I'm looking for information on Miranda Afterglow." He pressed. "I need to know if she's missing."

"That is none of your bus..."

"Thomas, let him in." Quay ordered.

The Doctor had gotten to his feet the instant the man had mentioned River's stage name. Thomas nodded to Quay and unlocked the door. When Dace stepped inside the Doctor instantly recognized him from Tanya's memory. He looked a little worse for wear, although it was hard to tell if it was sweat or rain that soaked him. In his hand he held a battered copy of the club flyer. The Doctor hurried up to the man, noting that he seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"It's you, you helped Tanya out of the Market. Dace, was it?"

"Do I know you?" Dace asked surprised.

"No. I'm the Doctor..."

"Doctor!" Dace exclaimed in excitement as he weaved unsteadily on his feet.

"Are you okay?" Quay asked as he stepped closer.

"I'm fi..."

The Doctor lashed out to catch Dace as his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness. The Doctor eased Dace to the floor and released him. Quay gasped as the red stain that was now marring the Doctor's hands. The Doctor looked down at the red in surprise.

"This isn't paint." The Doctor announced gravely.

"Blood?"

"Blood." The Doctor confirmed as he pressed his hand against Dace's forehead. "He is burning up with fever."

"Bring him to the back..."

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "Help me get him to the TARDIS. I can do more for him there."

Quay just nodded and gathered Dace up in his arms to lift him up off the floor. The Doctor would not have guessed that Quay was strong enough to lift the other man on his own, but he assured the Doctor that he could carry him. Inside the TARDIS the Doctor lead Quay with his patient into a room that held a large variety of equipment. The Doctor motioned to a metal table in the middle of the room.

"Lay him down on his side." The Doctor instructed.

Quay laid Dace out and helped the unconscious man stay on his side. The Doctor took a hold of the back of Dace's shirt and tore it open. The Doctor's breath hissed across his teeth as he looked at the poorly tended to slash marks that were across Dace's back. On the table Dace shivered as his fever spiked higher.

"He has an infection from the wounds, some Targian antibiotics and he'll be fine."

"Someone beat him hard."

"I'm guessing his employer didn't fall for 'it was an accident' concerning Tanya's escape."

"He's a slaver?" Quay asked in disgust.

"I think he's had a change in heart."

Quay didn't look very convinced. His expression showed he had suddenly lost any trace of sympathy for the man. The Doctor cleaned up the wounds and placed an artificial skin over the open areas. He used a spray syringe to push the antibiotics into his blood before he brought over a small bottle of bright blue crystals.

"What's that?"

"It will wake him up." The Doctor replied.

"Shouldn't we tie him up or something first?"

"He saved Tanya's life."

"You said it could have been an accident." Quay pointed out.

"I was wrong. He recognized my name, which means River talked to him, she told him to find me, which means he tried to help her just like he helped Tanya."

Once again Quay remained doubtful. He stayed on guard as the Doctor waved the open bottle of crystals under Dace's nose. Dace jerked awake with a cry of panic. He looked around frantically at the medical lab that he had suddenly found himself in. When he spotted the Doctor he calmed somewhat.

"Did I pass out?" Dace asked sheepishly.

"You did." The Doctor nodded.

"I can't remember the last time I got any real sleep." Dace explained as he slowly sat up. He looked the Doctor over for a second. "Are you the Doctor?"

"That's right."

"River told me to find you, I can't believe that I did."

"She told you? She could still speak?"

"No." Dace shook his head sadly. "She spelled it out for me."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. She was sold."

All three men were silent for a moment. Dace reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose with a whimper of pain.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I tried to help her."

"Before or after you sold her?" Quay growled.

"Quay." The Doctor admonished.

"He's a slaver! Change of heart or not, he's a criminal."

"Actually I'm a cop, at least I was. I'm a dead man now."

"What?"

Dace gave the Doctor and Quay a short run down of how he had come to meet River. The Doctor noticed the hollow hopelessness in the young man's voice as he confessed to partaking in the Ivory Market as an undercover Agent. He didn't rationalize anything he'd done, he just admitted to it all being in vain. He finished with the fact that he hadn't bothered to allow the support team to treat him as just one of the survivors.

"I wasn't thinking, I blew my cover right in front of them and now they know what I look like and what I am."

"But they were all arrested." Quay pointed out.

"We only cut the tail off the snake, the rest is still out there and angry. It's only a matter of time before they come after me. My boss let me go home without any guard, but I know that's because he knows there is no stopping these people. They are going to get me."

"Well I'm not going to let that happen." The Doctor assured. "Can you tell us anything about where River might be?"

"I think she was bought by the 'Emperor'. Unfortunately I don't really know anything about him. I don't...I don't even know why I bothered to track you down, River is gone, I can't help her now."

"Of course you can. You can tell us where the sales floor is."

"It won't matter, after a bust like this they will have already moved on to a new location. It's too late."

"It's never too late." The Doctor smiled. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve for just this sort of occasion."

Dace looked at the Doctor with a confused expression but didn't ask any questions. It was clear that he was still suffering from the mental strain of the past few months as well as the physical strain of not getting any sleep. Quay looked to the Doctor, looking like he still had some reservations against Dace. Although now it looked more like he was just concerned over the man's mental stability as a reliable witness more than holding a grudge.

The Doctor was just about to press Dace for more information when a fast paced beeping interrupted him. Dace jumped slightly and began patting down his pockets. Pulling out a small phone he looked at the number. He mouthed a silent apology to the Doctor as he brought the phone up to his ear.

"Agent Harper." Dace answered.

Dace listened to the caller for a moment before he suddenly sat bolt upright. The Doctor became hopeful for some good news as he watched Dace's expression.

"Make the deal." Dace ordered. "Anything he wants. Yes, right now, go! I'll hold."

"Dace?"

"One of the men arrested, Nick, he wants to make a deal for information on where River is."

"You would let one of these men go to get River back?" The Doctor asked surprised. "You knew her less than an hour."

"My motives aren't entirely selfless." Dace admitted. "I think she saw one of the top players, maybe *the* top player in the Ivory Market when she lost her voice. I need her back, I need to know what she knows."

"Well you can count on me to get her back, just knowing what planet she's on is all I really need."

"What's to keep this guy from lying to cut a deal?" Quay asked.

"Nick is scum, but he knows that he won't get his freedom until his info cheques out. His only loyalties are too himsel...Yes, I'm here, what did he say?"

The Doctor watched as Dace knit his brow and asked the caller to repeat what they had just said. Thanking the caller he hung up and looked to the Doctor.

"Well?" The Doctor asked anxiously.

"The good news is she wasn't sold to the Emperor. Bad news is she is already on Ianos 9, it's nearly twelve lightyears from here."

"That's not bad news."

"It kinda is. Beyond the fact that Ianos 9 is *way* out of my jurisdiction, I don't have access to anything that can fly that in under a month."

"I've got a ship that can technically get us there before we've even left." The Doctor smiled brightly.

"You what?"

"Just trust him on this." Quay said with a smile as well.

"Come along, let's go get River back!" The Doctor said in excitement.

"There is another complication..." Dace admitted.

"Complication?"

"River has been sold into Royalty."

"Sold into Royalty?" The Doctor repeated confused. "What do you mean by that? Like a palace servant?"

"No." Dace shook his head. "I mean her wedding to the King and her subsequent coronation is set for tomorrow."

"Oh, that will never do. She's not a wedding person."