CHAPTER 20 - CARPE DISCRIMEN

If there is one thing in the cosmos that is truly annoying to experience, it would have to be a seemingly never ending indurance to silence. Not the sound of a wind blowing through the streets, the rustling of leaves falling to the ground, not even an audable sound of breathing. Complete silence.

It was that very same silence that was winding poor Iris around the bend as she remained crouched behind a couple of packing crates, hiding from someone she has yet to see or hear. She glanced over slightly to Powell and her mind ticked over. 'What was happening exactly', she thought to herself, 'who was out there and what was his or her purpose'.

A pained grimace passed across Iris' apphrensive face and a small groan escaped from her lips as she began to shift from side to side where she was positioned.

"Shh, please Iris," Powell immediately reacted glancing quickly in her direction. "We must be still."

"I would chuck," Iris replied in a low tone, "but I'm aftaid my back side has fallen asleep over here. Just what is going on exactly?"

Before Powell had the chance to answer the question they both turned their heads sharply towards to the front of the building where they heard the distinctive sound of one of the doors opening, then closing behind just as quickly. Powell turned back to Iris and placed his finger against his lip to indicate to be as quiet as possible. There was a third person in the building.

"Hide and seek," a new voice softly echoed through the room, "hide and seek. Where are you, what fate will you meet."

Powell looked into Iris' eyes and silently pointed back behind them towards the TARDIS. Iris softly nodded her head as to understand and slowly and delicately they started to move.

"I knew you would come here," the voice continued, in the same gentle, even tone. "I have known this day for some time now. That we would meet, here in this building under these circumstances."

After a few short seconds Iris and Powell met up by the side of the TARDIS, their gaze constantly looking around trying to locate the source of the sound.

"What is going on?" Iris asked in a hushed tone.

"I have absolutely no idea," Powell answered, "I do not know who this person is."

"Oh come on now," the voice carried on echoing through the warehouse. "I've kept up my end of the bargain. Tell me, have you killed the woman yet?"

With that comment both Iris and Powell looked at eachother with a look of shock in their eyes.

"That isn't the plan Iris," Powell quickly commented in a low tone.

"I wouldn't mind knowing just who this mystery person is," Iris muttered to herself as she rounded one final crate before she and Powell reached the TARDIS. They looked up and both stopped dead in their tracks as they became face to face with their hunter.

"I," the man said softly, "am the end."

Unknown to Iris at this point in time, somewhere across the town Victor sat upon a wooden chair looking intently at frail body of Ace who was still in her imprisonment, her predicament becoming more and more dire. There was a couple of bruises forming on her face and her clothes are now ripped in places.

"What purpose do you think you serve by continuing this silence?" Victor asked softly as he absently-minded scratched his cheek.

Ace didn't answer immediately. Through half closed eyes she looked up and set her gaze towards Victor, and a small smile crossed her lips. "Because," she whispered, "the more time you spend in your incarceration, the more I smile."

Victor remained in his chair, un-phased by the comment. He raised an eyebrow and a thin smile crossed his lips. "No matter how much I knock you down, you still have that pesky spirit. Tell me Ace, do you think you will last."

"I will last long enough," Ace replied.

Victor sighed softly and looked down at the floor as he stood up. He looked back at Ace and softly shook his head. "Take a moment my dear Ace and think about something. What would happen if you were to die here today?"

"Iris will come here before that will happen," Ace commented after a short moment.

"Do you think?" Victor spoke with a slight hint of happiness. "I haven't seen her so far, and I hightly doubt she even knows where you are. Koravox is a rather large place, and people too often can get lost in this place."

"She will come," Ace spoke a little softly.

"Oww," Victor almost laughed, "hear the determination just ooze from that comment. Let's face it Ace, even you're not sure she will even get here. But, I can make it end you know."

Victor walked up towards Ace and leant in closely to her ear. A shiver went up and down Ace's spine as she felt his breath on her skin, but remained still and silent.

"Tell me what I need to know," Victor whispered softly, "tell me how to gain access to that TARDIS, and you will be a free woman once again. To do what you wish and to live out the rest of your days."

"Hmm," Ace thought for a few moments, "maybe. How how would you know I was telling you the truth?"

Victor pulled his head back just a little so his piercing eyes were locked with Aces' "Oh, isn't your life worth telling the truth Ace?"

Ace didn't bother about replying, a smile passed across her lips as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes as using her all strength whipped her head forward headbutting Victor directly in the face and nose. The resulting headbut sent Victor reeling back fast making him stumble and fall onto the hard, cold floor.

Victor snapped his head around looking fiercely at Ace, two trickles of blood flowing freely from his nose. He quickly got up and headed towards the table picking up a large serrated blade.

"Oh you are feisty," Victor giggles maliciously, "and you are going to pay for that."

Victor took three long strides towards Ace, and at the very last moment drove the blade deep into Aces' right hand forcing her to scream out in uncontrollable pain.

"So, err what now?" Iris asked looking at the assassin.

"Well, pretty much this," he said motioning towards the gun.

Powell, was trying to look around trying to find some sort of way out without being noticed by the assassin, then out of the corner of his eye he saw it. He knew this was the only time, so drawing a slow, long breath he got a plan together and before either the assassin or Iris realised he was running towards the one of the walls.

The assassin quickly centered his gun and fired off a couple of shots which missed their mark and caught a couple of crates. Powell slowed just a little and lept over a crate and immediately ducked down to hide from sight.

Breathng softly he reached around his back and pulled a small hand gun that was hidden in the back of his trousers.

"You trusted this person?" the assassin asked the now confused Iris.

Powell looked ahead at a dark coloured door. Not taking any chances at whether or not the door was locked, he lept up again and started running. As he did he fired off about four shots at the handle and lock. As he approached the door he put all his weight into his shoulder and rammed into the door which crashed open, knocking it off one of it's hinges.

"So? What now?" Iris asked looking at the assassin. "Am I next?"

Looking around again, Powell quickly noticed a manhole cover set in the floor. He made a track over to it and after a few moments opened up the cover and made his way down into the sewers. Looking up briefly to see if he was being followed or not, Powell darted a look left and right before running as fast as he could manage in the near darkness.

After a couple of minutes, Powell was almost sure he was out of trouble and stopped running, clutching his sides and breathing heavily.

"You're out of shape," a female voice spoke from nowhere.

Powell turned in the direction he was running where he made out the figure of a woman approaching him.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked, his voice shaky and shocked.

"Remember, I have a vested interest in all of this." The female answered keeping a small distance. "What happened?"

"Somebody was there at the warehouse." Powell answered as he got his composure back. "An assassin."

"Who was the intended target?" the female asked.

"I'm not sure, but he took a couple of pot shots at be as I made my escape from there."

"So what, you let Iris get shot by the assassin?"

"There was nothing I could have done differently. Besides, she was incidential."

"Incidential," the female shouted, her voice echoing through the tunnels. "She was paramount. How are we going to acquire control of the TARDIS now?"

"There's always the assistant Ace," Powell replied in defence.

"We can't seem to locate her at the moment, she could be anywhere," the female replied with a slightly irritated tone.

"We'll find a solution, I wouldn't worry if I were you," Powell reassured her.

"Hopefully, there'll be hell to pay," the female uttered between clentched teeth.

"I said don't worry, Anna-Marie."