XX
Chasers and scavengers

The Island
Outside the festival
4 Days earlier

April wakes up with a start, and the first thing she notices are the light grey clouds hanging in the sky. It is daylight and the last thing April can remember is running away from the wolves that were chasing them. But it was dark then. And now it is daylight.

But then April suddenly remembers. Jason smacked straight into the forcefield around the woods.

In a panic, April calls out Jason's name, yet her throat is so dry, her voice is completely inaudible. April rolls over onto her front, feeling mud and bits of grass sticking in her hair. As she rolls, she finds Jason lying in a crumpled heap in the grass not too far from where she is.

Ignoring the ringing in her ears, April hauls herself onto her knees and desperately scrambles over to an unconscious Jason. When she reaches him, she calls out his name once more, her voice croaking with fear. She tugs at his shoulder, rolling him over onto his back.

But to her relief, Jason is already awake. His eyes squint in the brightness of the sky. Jason's eyes flicker over to April whose face immediately relaxes with relief. Jason groans.

"Why does it feel like I decided to start drinking wine after beer last night?" Jason asks rhetorically as he shields his eyes from the brightness of the sky. "My head is killing me."

April suddenly finds herself laughing slightly, letting go of the panic she had seconds earlier. "There's a forcefield around the woods."

Jason pauses for a moment. "Yeah, I knew that."

April helps Jason and herself get on their feet. They both groan in pain, their muscles aching from the running and the blow of the forcefield. Jason brushes off bits of grass from his clothes before looking over towards the festival. Then he suddenly tenses.

"Shit." He mutters.

April looks over to the festival and then feels the same exasperation Jason feels.

"How many hours have we lost?" Jason queries as he fiddles with his wrist watch. The face is cracked and somewhat unreadable. April notices this too. However she does not mention that the face is cracked exactly the same way the clocks back in Manchester were.

"Probably a few hours," April says, diverting her attention away from Jason's watch. "They haven't opened the festival yet so it must be no later than seven or eight in the morning perhaps." Yet as she speaks, her mind continuously flitters over to Jason's watch. How can the crack in the face be identical to the mantle clock back in Max's house in Manchester 1775? She suddenly remembers seeing the weeping angel back at the Black Lighthouse. April's scowl becomes deeper as she thinks about this, but when she catches Jason watching her with a raised eyebrow, she shakes her head. "You need a new watch."

With that she turns and starts walking over towards the wooden fence that runs around the outside of the festival. Without another word, Jason follows her. They walk along the fence for a short while, but as soon as the entrance to the festival comes into view, Jason and April immediately drop to the ground.

Around the entrance stands around a dozen shape shifters. A few look like they are deep in conversation and others stand there, completely motionless.

"Jason, how long have we got left?" April asks in the low whisper.

Jason looks pensive for a moment. "Four days I believe," he pauses. "Yeah we've got about four days until you and I meet in the Black Lighthouse."

"So it's another two days until the Doctor and myself show up here?"

Jason shrugs. "Something like that."

April nods and looks back over to the shape shifters. She then nudges Jason to start crawling back the way they came. Jason does so and once they are safely hidden behind a few stalls, they quickly scramble over the fence, passing through the forcefield.

When they both land quietly on the other side of the grass, they can hear the buzz from the forcefield around the festival. Jason frowns as he notices the slight shimmer in the air just above the fence.

"So they allow intruders into this area but you cannot escape." Jason mutters under his breath. "Strange."

Jason and April slowly weave their way in and out and around the stalls, careful not to be caught. They make their way towards the woods. Every so often, they have to crouch down behind one of the stalls as they let some shape shifters, or Heat Miles workers, wearing bright purple jackets pass by. They eventually find themselves around the back of the main stage in the centre of the festival. And that is where they find an entrance into the woods. For a short while they stay hidden in the shadows of the large stage as they catch their breaths.

The fence curves around to create a separate circle in the space between the woods and the edge of the festival. There are two gates that need to be passed through to even get to the woods. But standing in between the two fences is a man pacing up and down. Just from the look of this man's appearance, it is clear he is not from Heat Miles. He does not have the stern look across his face, nor does he have the stocky build most of the workers have. This man however has limbs that look too long for his body, and brown hair, peppered with grey, that swishes over to one side. April wonders if this man must be a villager being paid to work at the festival, just like the hosts of this festival and the stall owners are.

Making sure that there are no shape shifters around, April steps out of the shadows and starts marching towards the gates to the woods. For a brief second, Jason hesitates as he looks after April, his eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" He hisses after her, but April keeps walking on. Once Jason sees the man by the gates notice April, he runs after her, swearing under his breath as he does so.

The man looks at April and his thick, bushy eyebrows knit together. "Who are you?" He demands with a strong cockney accent.

"We need to get into the woods immediately." April says without hesitation.

The man looks from April and then to Jason who appears from behind her. "From what orders? Who are you?"

"Heat Miles." April's voice is confident, but she speaks a little too quick. She fumbles in her pockets and pulls out the Doctor's psychic paper before pushing it into the man's hands, fully aware that using it didn't work before but still hoping for the best. "We're on duty for the Day of Destruction. It is our job to check on the woods."

The man looks down at the psychic paper for a while, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. April nervously clenches her fists. Surely the psychic paper can work for her this time. This man is a normal villager not a member of Heat Miles.

"I'm afraid, Ms Robinson, that I'll have to call security down to confirm this. I don't believe this." The man says, passing April back the psychic paper.

"You don't have to do that." April suddenly splutters in a panic.

The man stops and stares at April and Jason suspiciously before standing up straighter. "I really think you two should leave now."

"You don't understand. Havoc is going to erupt on this Island and neither of us have the time to waste. Just let us through and we'll be gone. Please!"

"Just go back to the village and come back when the Day of Destruction begins."

"April." Jason warns under his breath.

"I'm not asking much," April hisses through gritted teeth. "Just let us through."

The man sighs heavily. "I'm sorry but the woods are closed to all villagers. It is under strict orders. You should know that by now."

April turns to look at Jason who shrugs.

"Just go back to the village or I'll call Heat Miles."

April continues to stare at Jason as she holds onto her breath. She is not going to let this go. They have a short time limit to get this job done – whatever it is – and they can't afford to lose any more time.

A sudden rush of anger hits April and she sharply turns back to the man. She takes hold of the collar to his coat and roughly pushes him backwards, holding him firmly against the wooden fence.

"I am through with being told what to do, God dammit, now let us in!" She shouts.

The man, frightened at April's sudden anger, stares at her, stunned. "Alright!" The man whimpers, trying to push April away. "Let go and you can go."

The anger in April's face suddenly switches to fear very quickly as she immediately releases the man. He stares at her as if she is crazy, before unlocking the gates.

"Thank you." April snaps, pretending to be confident.

"For both our sakes, I will keep quiet about this," the man snarls. "I don't fancy losing my tongue because of you two crazy people."

April says nothing as she charges through the fence and towards the woods. Jason silently follows. They notice the way the air changes as they pass through the fence. The air seems colder, icier, yet there is no wind.

Jason waits until there is some distance between them and the man before he speaks. "You okay?" He asks as he glances at April's pale face and her clenched fists. "Never seen you that angry before..."

Jason stops speaking when April turns to hide behind a tree. With one hand laying flat on the trunk of the tree, she bends over and suddenly retches onto the muddy, leaf covered ground below her feet. Her throat burns violently as she is sick, the anxiety, the pain and the anger that has been building up inside her finally being released.

Jason says nothing and doesn't even hesitate before he pulls her hair back from her face and gently rubs her back. They remain there for a while in silence and April spits out the last of the bile in her mouth. She then hastily wipes her mouth with the back of her hands and stands up straighter, but suddenly finds herself shivering.

"It's alright. You're okay, buttercup," Jason says softly as he holds onto April. He pulls her away from the tree to another where they sit down at the base of the trunk. They sit there in silence for a little while longer. A cool breeze rustles the leaves around them, making them dance in the air as they fly past. April and Jason are aware that for the time being, they are locked in these woods, completely covered over by the forcefield. April is surprised at how easy it was to force that man to allow them into the woods. But now they are here, they are completely shut off from the world of the Island outside of the woods.

And April never thought she would feel peaceful here in the woods.

"Rodger Barratt has to pay for what he's done." April says quietly after sitting by the tree in silence for what feels like a long while.

Jason looks at April, trying to read the expression on her face, but she just scowls. "Everyone has to pay for what they have done at some point in their lives."

"He is the reason why I'm afraid to sleep. He's the reason why we're here to fight this battle. He created a power device he cannot even control himself. And he has to pay for all the damage he has caused."

"And how are you going to make that happen? If the Daleks open the Cytracik like it is said, they will then..."

"Then this Battle is not going to end." April finishes off for him. "We have to destroy the Cytracik one way or another. And a way to do that is to destroy the one who started this."

Before Jason has the chance to respond to April, they both suddenly jolt in fright at a dull thud from somewhere in the distance. It is as if something heavy has been dropped on the ground, yet it does not cause a stir in the ground.

Another breeze blows past them, only this time a little colder and harsher. April and Jason scramble back onto their feet and look over into the direction where the loud thump came from.

And then there is another.

When the second thump happens, all at once the birds flee from the trees. They flap their wings in a panic as they push themselves off the branches and into the sky. April and Jason look through the gaps in the leaves above them, listening to the hundreds of birds fleeing the woods. They then look at each other. They notice the way each other's shoulders rise and fall as they catch their breaths from the fright. Jason breathes in and out heavily. He looks down at the leaves on the ground as he holds both of April's arms. They remain like this for a moment before they are interrupted by another sound.

Twigs on the ground snap under feet and leaves rustle. It is a sound that Jason can recognise from a mile off. The sound of someone – or a group of people – creeping their way under cover, trying their best to be as silent as they can possibly be, as they try to sneak up behind their prey. However, whatever is creeping closer to them is no tiger prowling. Jason knows an amateur when he hears one.

"April," Jason says through gritted teeth. "Get out your gun."

April says nothing but does what she is told. She slowly reaches for her belt and pulls out her gun. She makes a move to say something but Jason quietly shushes her. He looks just over he head into the trees behind her. Instantly he can spot the shadows hiding behind three trunks and bushes.

"Look behind me." Jason says through gritted teeth.

April glances over his shoulder and after a moment, she sees a flicker on movement in the bushes. They are currently surrounded by something in the woods, whether it be aliens or a trap for the Day of Destruction, neither Jason nor April are so sure. But from the occasional glisten in the light, they know that they are armed.

April and Jason stand very close to each other as they try to keep their breathing as quiet as possible.

"I'm going to count to three," Jason whispers with his eyes closed. "And we're going to do something."

"Like what?" April whispers back.

"Something. Shoot back, I don't know. But let's just outrun them. We're good at that."

"Fantastic plan." April mutters and Jason smirks at the sarcasm in her voice.

"Okay, ready in one, two...THREE!"

Instantly around half a dozen tall and skinny men dressed in grey rags jump out from behind the trees and shoot at April and Jason before they have the chance. Immediately they duck down to the ground, just missing the fire from the men's guns.

"Go!" Jason shouts at April and they start to run.

Jason and April run through the woods as fast as they can, running further and further away from where they were before, heading further and further away from where the festival is. The men in the grey rags chase after them. They occasionally shoot in their direction, but Jason and April only turn to quickly shoot the chasers down. Not to kill them, but to slow them down by shooting them in the leg or foot.

They run further into the woods and for some odd reason, all April can think about is wondering how big these woods are. Are they bigger inside than they seem on the outside, like the Tardis?

Eventually, when there is enough distance between Jason and April and the chasers, Jason stops at the bottom of a tree.

"Come on, I'll give you a heads up." Jason says, glancing over at the shadows, but fully aware of the sound of stamping feet in the leaves, running in their direction. Without a second thought, April takes Jason's offered arm and starts to climb the tree. Jason follows.

April does not take much into consideration about how high they may be – all she wants is to be well hidden from these chasers. She hauls herself up and gets herself onto a long, thick branch protruding from the tree trunk. She helps Jason onto the branch and they stay there, hidden in the leaves of the trees.

The chasers run past their tree, shouting at each other to where April and Jason may have gone. Or the scavengers, as they are now named.

April cranes her neck and peers through the leaves of the trees. The chasers seem to have stopped running, now aware that they have lost each other. April then catches Jason's eye. He frowns before looking down at the three chasers who stop just below their tree. April and Jason exchange another silent glance.

"We lost 'em." One of the chasers states the obvious before spitting to the ground.

"Little runts," another sneers. "We almost 'ad 'em. That fucking geezer and that bird. Those scavengers. The fuck did they go?" He then suddenly shouts which makes April and Jason cling onto the branch tightly. "Show ya faces you scavengers!"

"What did Rodger Barratt say?" The first says. He looks around their surroundings as if scared that something is going to appear from around the trees.

"He ain't gonna show his face 'ere any time soon."

"Yeah but we're gonna be well done in for if he finds out we lost some nutters in the woods. It's outta' bounds."

"Yeah if he finds out. And he ain't gonna!"

There is a moment of silence between the chasers as they look around the trees. Jason is well aware of the pins and needles building up in his right leg, but he continues to curiously watch the chaser who seems to hover near their tree. The one who shouted aloud and who seems somewhat agitated.

"Mate, we're wastin' our time," the third chaser says, his voice almost bored. "Look, all we gotta do is kill that geezer and then our job is done."

The one standing just beneath them, looks at the third chaser sharply. "We're 'ere to kill the one 'o knows all. How fuckin' easy do ya think that's gonna be?"

For a split moment, April feels her heart leap up into her throat. The very thought of a group of men being under Rodger Barratt's orders to kill Jack Gruntler terrifies her. Even if they succeed their current job, they're still going to have to save Jack's life. And April can't even begin to imagine what it will be like if anyone gets close to killing Jack Gruntler.

April clenches her fists tightly as she stops listening to the chasers down below. She takes a look around the tree they're hiding in and the trees around her, wondering how she and Jason are going to escape, unless the chasers leave this area. However, April can only imagine what else is going to be hiding in these woods in preparation for the Day of Destruction.

But that is when April sees it.

Glowing in the light that shines through the leaves, April can see a stopwatch. A stopwatch where the time is on pause. But in moments like this, April suddenly feels like she knows Rodger Barratt way more than she originally thought, and that he can be predictable at the best of times. Unless that is purposeful or if he really thinks that no one is as smart as him – she doesn't know. But it doesn't take an idiot to recognise a bomb. It is a trap saved for the Day of Destruction.

April thinks back to the day she first met Ellis Lustworve – which in the present moment is going to happen in a couple of days. Ellis explained to her all about the Day of Destruction. And that is when she remembers Ellis saying how many volunteer's are purposefully killed during the race and being made to look like their death was an act of heroism.

If there is one bomb trap here, then there must be more around the woods.

However this one has a stopwatch. So surely something must be done in order for it to go off. April clenches her fist over her gun and decides to do the one thing that comes to mind.

Jason sees the mischievous look on April's face and she draws out her gun and aims it to the bomb in the tree.

"You are insane." He mutters seconds before April pulls the trigger.

The bullet hits the bomb which immediately sets off the timer, only giving them thirty seconds.

"The fuck was that?" The third chaser exclaims, but without further ado, Jason shoots him in the leg, knocking him down to the ground.

April and Jason do not hesitate before scrambling down the tree and running as fast as they can in thirty seconds. Yet they only manage to pass a few rows of trees with more chasers behind them before the timers reaches the end.

At first there is a sudden wave of hot air. And that's when the fire starts to spread.