Yikes! I cannot believe its been over a year since I last updated this, 2012 was a pretty tough year which meant I had to put writing aside for a while and concentrate on stuff in my own personal life. That's all past now so hopefully I can carry on. I have one more chapter of The Curse of the Crying Boy to upload and I am working on the rest of this series, so hopefully not too much longer of a wait lol.
Chapter 11
Once more Marcus was stood in the room marked RESTRICTED ACCESS at the back of his office, he was agitated and his voice was clearly irritable.
'What do you mean your plan failed!' he yelled. 'You promised me it could not fail!'
Slowly, Anna Maria lowered her hands from her face. 'It would appear that we underestimated the Doctor, he is a more resourceful character than either of us anticipated. However, our little plan may have exposed his Achilles heel. The Doctor's compassion and love for his human companions will be his greatest undoing!'
'And what do you propose to do with that fact?' Marcus snorted; despite the deal he had made with this strange vestal she was beginning to infuriate him with her constant obsession with the strange Doctor and his Scottish companion. All Marcus was concerned about was his journalism business. This woman had helped him to build it back up and now it was on top again. As far as Marcus was concerned his deal with her was done. Now if only he could get rid of her but he had yet to work out how to make her leave his life just as suddenly as she and her strange child had arrived in it, so far now he had to resign himself to the fact he was stuck with her.
'I will do nothing,' Anna Maria stated. 'I can sense that the Doctor and his young companion are on their way over here. It is up to you to ensure that the boy does not leave here alive!'
Marcus could feel the blood rushing to his face, flushing his cheeks in fury. How dare this woman order him about like some sort of lackey? He'd had enough of this nun and her agenda; he was going to set her straight once and for all.
'Now look here,' he snapped. 'I've helped you so far but I will not do your dirty work for you! I don't know who this boy is or why he is important to you, and frankly I don't care! If you want the boy dead you can bloody well kill him yourself!'
'You forget your place, Mr Bagshaw; I made your business what it is today. When I first came to you, your company was just a failing, back street news office reporting on football results and cricket test matches. You were struggling to make a dent on your rivals and their readers. I raised your business from that into the media empire it is today. Now the Rotherham News is the most read newspaper in the city! Soon you will be moving out of this small building and into a new office on the industrial estate, a sure sign of success!'
'I could have done that myself, I just needed more time!'
'In that case maybe I should show what would've happened if I had never come here given you what I have. I can do that, you know, those of us in the Sisterhood have the ability to see all possible outcomes; what has been, what will be and what could have been.'
Before he could say anything Marcus felt Anna Maria's warm fingers pressed against the sides of his temple. At first he thought that she might kill him but there was a flash of light and Marcus found himself watching a series of events play out before him like a movie.
To his surprise Marcus found himself in his office staring at none other them himself. He was sitting on the floor curled up beside the foot of his desk. Scattered around them room were several newspaper cuttings. Coming closer, the present day Marcus could just make out the headlines on the cuttings which read: ROTHERHAM NEWS GOES INTO ADMINISTRATION and BANK FORCLOSES ON LOCAL NEWSPAPER. He jumped back in shock. How could this have happened?
Suddenly the scene flashed forwards. Now Marcus found himself in an alley way. It is dark, smelly and creepy. Suddenly a lone figure staggers down the street, a half empty wine bottle in his hand. The man is incredibly skinny, bones protrude from underneath his clothes which a battered, torn and stained and smell almost as bad as the alley. The man has a rough beard which looks like it has never been trimmed properly. His hair is also overgrown and slick with grease. The man takes another swig from his bottle of wine before flinging in against a nearby wall in disgust. The bottle smashes with resounding crash and the contents splatter everywhere.
As the man comes closer to Marcus there is no mistaking the deep brown eyes and hair. With shock Marcus realises the man is him!
Suddenly, Marcus opens his eyes. It takes him a few moments to realise that he is back in the present and back in his own office with Anna Maria standing in front of him.
'What…what did you do?' he stammers in fear.
'Showed you a glimpse of what would have been had I not come here,' Anna Maria answered.
'God, it was awful!' he remarked.
'Now you realise what prosperity I have given you!'
He merely nodded.
'Then you will help me?'
'Yes, yes of course,' he stammered in reply. 'Tell me what you want me to do and I will do it.'
'Good,' she smiled. 'This is what you will do.'
DWDWDW
The Doctor and Jamie sat in the waiting room while they waited for Mr Bagshaw to call them to his office. Clare, the receptionist they had met previously, was on shift again and had buzzed up to his office. It was becoming painfully obvious (to everyone but the Doctor and Jamie) that she had taken a shine to Jamie and was flashing her eyelashes at the young Scot as she desperately tried to get him to engage in a conversation with her. Jamie was clearly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention she was given him and began glancing around the room looking at the clock, door, flower pot on the desk; anywhere but looking at Clare. Why dae lassies always act like love sick puppies around me?
'So,' Clare started, desperately trying to break the ice with the Highlander. 'What's the deal with the skirt, are you some sort of cross dresser or summit?'
It is no' a skirt, it's a kilt!' Jamie snapped.
Oops, looks like I've upset him. Guess that's blown my chances.
At that moment the intercom sounded, sighing Clare returned to the desk and picked up the receiver. After several moments she turned to the Doctor and Jamie and spoke: 'Mr Bagshaw will see you now.'
DWDWDW
'Hello, Doctor Smith,' Marcus said as he shock the Doctor's hand, greeting the Time Lord as though they had were old friends. 'Please, have a seat,' he pointed to chairs on the opposite of the desk.
Without further prompt Jamie sat down, his hands on his lap. He felt for his dirk, as if to reassure himself it was still there should he need it.
The Doctor was much less hasty in taking a seat than his companion had been. He stood for several minutes before lowering himself into the other available chair, once seated he sat with one leg across the other and his arms folded.
Marcus smiled his smarmy smile. 'Why such hostility, Doctor, anyone would think you didn't trust me!'
'He disnae,' Jamie blurted out.
'You wound me, Doctor; last time you and Mr McCrimmon were here I was civil enough. Why ever would you think that I could not be trusted? Now, gentlemen, why don't you help yourself to a drink?' He indicated to a small table behind the Doctor and Jamie where a pitcher of water and small glasses had been laid out.
'I'm fine, thank you,' the Doctor instantly replied.
'Ah, but Doctor surely you are thirsty after all your hard work,' Marcus implied.
'I said I was fine, thank you,' the Doctor replied, briskly.
'Aye, well ye may be but I'm no',' Jamie remarked, getting up from his seat. 'I'm parched!'
The Doctor quickly grabbed the Scot's arm, forcing the young man to turn to face him. 'I don't think we should drink the water,' he advised his friend.
'Come now, Doctor, you don't think I'm trying to poison your companion, do you?' Marcus asked; a sly smile upon his face.
Before the Doctor could reply Jamie had already made his way over to the table and was readily pouring himself a glass of water from the jug. He brought the glass to his lips and, greedily, began to gulp the water from the glass. When had downed the contents of the glass he licked his lips, as though ensuring he swallowed every last drop of the refreshing water, before returning to his seat.
'I know what's been going on, Bagshaw,' the Doctor stated. 'I know all about the Sisterhood, Anna Maria and Don Bonillo. I know Anna Maria bribed you so that you would help her. Now, I want you to be straight with me and tell me what her plans are.'
However, before Marcus could reply, Jamie stood up and gripped the side of the desk. The Doctor glanced over at him, concerned, his face was flushed and he seemed to be struggling to keep his balance.
'Jamie, are you alright?' the Doctor asked, concerned.
'Doctor, I dinnae feel so good. I feel a wee bit light headed,' Jamie remarked before collapsing in a heap to the ground.
Instantly, the Doctor rushed to his friend's side, scooping him up in his arms he turned to face Marcus, a look of thunder upon his face.
'What have you done to him?'
A look of pure innocence donned Marcus' features. 'Oh dear, I must have forgot to warn him that the water was drugged, how silly of me!'
DWDWDW
Jamie found himself standing in a long corridor. It was clearly an old building as the paint was peeling from the walls. Several doors lead off the corridors, though were they went to, Jamie had no idea.
Suddenly, in front of him he saw a bonfire. A stack of paintings were being burnt and destroyed. Jamie panicked as he watched the orange flames dance in front of eyes. He'd just been rescued from near-death in one burning room and now found himself trapped in another!
'Hello,' he called out, 'is anyone there?'
The sweet sound of a child's laughter fills the air, seaming to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.
'Hello,' Jamie called out again, 'who's that?'
'Jamie,' a child's voice called, the echo bouncing off of the walls, 'come follow me, Jamie McCrimmon!'
Suddenly a small boy stood in from of him. As if guided by some instinct Jamie began to follow the small down the corridor, which twisted and turned, on the walls hung pictures of Crying Boy paintings, each one alight.
Suddenly, the boy stopped. Through the heat of the flames Jamie could just make out the boy he had followed. Behind him stood a beautiful Mediterranean woman with olive skin and long brown hair. She wore a red robe and was the most beautiful young woman Jamie had ever seen; he felt honoured to be able to bask in her radiance.
As the child approached her the young woman instinctively folded the long sleeves of her habit around his waist; as though to protect the child from the coarse young Highlander who has disturbed them.
'The Highlander isn't too bright, is he Don Bonillo?' the woman taunted.
'No, he cannot figure out how to stop us even though he has already been shown the answer. Silly, Highlander,' the boy taunted.
'If only he was smart,' the woman continued. 'He would have worked out that you are interlinked with the paintings and that is how the fires are caused.'
'Yes,' the boy clapped his hands together with glee, 'and that if he destroys the paintings he will destroy the link and free me! And all he needs to do it is simple paint remover and a match, nothing more nothing less!'
DWDWDW
Suddenly Jamie jolted awake. At first he couldn't remember what had happened and was panicked and frightened but, as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he realised, with relief that he was back in his own room aboard the TARDIS and the memories of being in Marcus Bagshaw's office, of the drugged water and the strange dream came flooding back to him.
He was certain that his dream had provided a key to stopping these fires and knew he should inform the Doctor of what he had dreamt but he hung back in the fear that he was unable to explain it to the Time Lord. What if the Doctor would refuse to believe him, where would he be then?
At that moment he felt a warm, comforting sensation full of love and reassurance, yet alien being projected into his mind. Jamie could sense that, whoever, was sending this message was an ancient being; comprised of the very essence of time itself. At first Jamie was alarmed, wondering where the strange sensation was coming from but relaxed once he realised that it was the TARDIS who was trying to reassure him and telling him that the Doctor would follow his advice. You are one of his most trusted companions. He'll listen to you, I promise.'
Jamie marvelled at how she had spoken to him. He had communicated to the TARDIS before; in the past but not to his extent and he couldn't help but be awed at the way the words seemed to fill his head and ricochet around the room as the ancient time machine spoke to him.
DWDWDW
When Jamie found him the Doctor was lying on a board underneath the TARDIS console, clearly inspecting a piece of the machinery.
Bending down so that he could see the Time Lord, Jamie called out:
'Doctor I need tae speak tae ye, it's important!'
At the sound of soft Scottish burr the Doctor rolled out (on the board) from underneath the console. On the top of his head he was sporting a pair of aviation-style goggles that looked so ridiculous that it was all Jamie could do to stop himself from breaking out with laughter. The Doctor noticed his stifled laugh and turned to him:
'What's so funny?' he demanded.
'Ach, ye Doctor; with them funny glasses on yer head!'
'What these goggles?' the Doctor asked, pulling the goggles off of his head.
'Aye.'
'What's wrong with them? I like them; goggles are cool!'
Jamie merely rolled his eyes at that statement: 'If ye say so, Doctor,' he said, despairingly.
'Did you want something, Jamie, or have you just come to mock my goggles, which I happen to think are cool.'
'Nay, I came tae tell ye aboot mah dream,' Jamie announced.
The Doctor turned to face him, staring intently at the young Highlander. He began to circle the young Scot, like an animal circling its prey.
'Dream, what dream?'
'Ach, I'll tell ye aboot it if ye will stop circling, Doctor, ye making me dizzy!'
'Sorry,' the Doctor said, sheepishly.
He sat down on one of the TARDIS chairs.
'That's better,' Jamie replied.
'Now then, Jamie, tell me about this dream.'
'Aye, well what happened was…'
