Hide and Seek

Chapter 21 – Viva Las Visaim

Donna had no opportunity until now to talk alone to the Canthions. She stayed that morning chained to the wall, doing her usual trick of pretending that she was resigned to her fate. It wasn't until she realised the Master could be back at any time, that she knew she would have to take advantage of the situation now.

Her injured hand was sore and occasionally the wound would open again as fresh blood leaked through onto the bandage. She would ask one of the Canthions if they had a fresh dressing. Perhaps she could get them on her side, if she could actually get them to understand her.

Listening intently she stayed still and alert until she heard movement outside the door. "Hey! Hey, someone help!" she called out.

She waited a moment and then shouted again.

"I need some help, I'm bleeding again!" She yelled.

A Canthion entered the room and after locking the door approached her warily. He didn't come too close just watched her with a mounting fear, occasionally looking back towards the door. He looked like he was desperate for the Master to return and actually tell him what to do. As if he feared that he may do something wrong and be punished severely.

Blinking rapidly, his head resting on his shoulders, he looked across at Donna but said nothing.

"You okay?" He eventually croaked.

Donna gasped when he spoke to her.

He came further into the room. "What wrong?"

Wordlessly Donna held up her injured hand and showed him that it had started bleeding again.

"I get help," the Canthion whispered, watching her cautiously. "It needs more suqui." He waited for her to nod her head in confirmation. "I go now."

Donna asked tiredly. "Can you unlock my other hand? My wrist hurts real badly. That bastard locked me up too tight. I know you will have your orders, it's just that…" Donna left the statement hanging in the air.

The Canthion moved forward again, looked over to her hand locked to the wall. "It would not be well. Master."

"Yes, but I'm sure he wouldn't want me to be in pain. He'd want you to look after me."

"I cannot."

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying," Donna agreed. "But don't expect me to help you, when he complains that you didn't help." She spat back. "I don't think he expected me to hurt like this. I don't know if I can take the pain any more. It hurts so badly." Her eyes filled with crocodile tears and she let out a mournful sob.

"Oh!" The Canthion sighed. "Want to help. Can't. He is back soon. He helps."

"No, not him!" Donna brushed the tears from her eyes with her bandaged hand angrily. "You know I can't stand people who can't stand on their own two feet and make their own decisions. I want out of here. I want your help."

"I can't help," the Canthion said. "He like you. I not argue." He pulled a face. "You stay."

Donna laughed then. "Oh God, I don't want him to like me. That's the problem."

"You don't choose," the man exclaimed. "You like him."

Donna laughed again. "Thanks for the advice."

"I get suqui now."

A fat lot of good that was, Donna fumed to herself. She scowled at the door which the man had walked back through and locked carefully behind him.

Shifting herself around on the floor she tried to make herself more comfortable.

#

The Master returned some while later. He came into the room humming 'Viva Las Vegas' and slid over to Donna with a wide smile on his face.

"Donna, Donna Noble, we are on the move. Pack your bags. It's time to hit the road."

"Where are we going then?" Donna asked rudely.

"Oh bright lights, big city…you'll love it."

He unlocked her handcuffs and dragged her to her feet.

"Oh you haven't got any luggage have you," he pursed his lips considering this fact. "Still it's always best to travel light, I think."

He threw the handcuffs across the room and with a final look around the room directed Donna towards the door.

"Pity about the ceiling, it was rather pretty." The corners of his mouth turned down in a petulant pout. "Still, come along, I've some new friends for you to meet."

#

Outside Donna kept walking ahead obediently, somewhat encouraged by the gun held against her back.

The buildings soon began to become few and far between and eventually they were at what Donna called the backend of beyond.

"Welcome to Visaim," the Master said, the grin not quite reaching his eyes. "I hope your stay is an enjoyable one."

Here they stopped and met with another man and woman. Donna listened as the Master spoke to them. Owen he'd called the man. She didn't know what the woman was called. They both held a gun and torches poked out of their jean pockets. The Master handed over some folded papers to the man and then handed Donna over to their custody.

"Walk this way," the woman directed with her gun.

Owen grabbed her wrist, twisting painfully and forced her to walk further out into deserted scrubland.

Owen and the woman chatted together as they walked. Tosh, he had called her, and from what Donna could tell he wasn't happy being here.

"Bollocks to this. When this is done I'm off back home."

"You don't want to mess with him, Owen. Remember, we owe him our lives."

"Yeah, right. Well I've got one final debt to pay and that's it as far as I'm concerned."

"So, where are we off to then?" Donna asked as cheerily as she could. "Somewhere nice, I hope."

"Just shut up and keep walking," she was instructed by Owen.

"Don't overdo the friendliness," Donna retorted.

The man ignored her, so they fell into silence as they walked.

Gradually the ground became rockier and the sand underneath their feet gave way to stones and pebbles. Trees grew larger and stronger, although Donna had not seen trees like them before. They were russet and golden in colour and they made a glorious contrast to the barren landscape she had just passed through.

They stopped by a rocky outcrop and Owen pulled aside some bushes to reveal an underground entrance. This was barred by a wire gate attached to fencing that seemed to run around the interior of the hollow. He shone his torch inside, the beam reflecting jerkily off the mud brown walls. Owen put his hand up to the gate and released the latch allowing them access to the tunnel.

"In," Tosh instructed, waving her gun and pushing Donna through into the darkness.

It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the light but as she felt her way along the passage she began to find her sight becoming clearer. The air was cool but the further in they went it began to hang heavy with a cloying dampness. The earthen walls eventually gave way to metal struts and soon the whole area opened into a large cavern.

"So, what is this place? And what do we do now, if I may ask?" Donna looked around with hands on hips. There was a distant metallic sound, the hum of an engine, vast and powerful.

"Underground reservoir," Owen replied. "Think of it as a swimming pool, only much, much bigger."

"This way," the woman said shining her torch further into the darkness.

Donna followed her through the cavern and along a tunnel reaching out from the other side. They came to a dead end and a cell made out of wood, blackened with age, each baton a foot square in diameter. Hanging from the ceiling were handcuffs, attached to long chains.

"In here," the woman said and pushed her through the door. "You'll stay here until it's time."

"Time for what?" Donna asked.

"Time to die," Owen said, attaching her hands to the cuffs, so she couldn't move from the centre of the room. He stood back and studied his handiwork and then, satisfied with his result, he closed the door, locking it with a key.

"I can't die out here," Donna shouted at him. "No-one will find me."

Owen continued to study her, watching her twist and turn in the irons. "That's the general idea, sweetheart," he said as he walked away.