KITG: here you go guys. Next chap via my new secondhand laptop. Hehehehe.
CHAPTER 3Shape and sounds slowly came back to the Doctor as he regained consciousness. He sat up with a groan, groggily running his hand over his face. He tried to remember what had happened. For one why was he on the floor in the first place? He was running, they had been running, they…ROSE! He looked round the deserted ally. He groaned again as he stood, now rubbing the point of his head that had impacted on the bin. He had to find her, but how? He took out his sonic screwdriver; glad he hadn't been mugged while he was out cold. He had to find out for sure how that man had died. So he would have to finish the scan, then he could get to the search for Rose.
He walked back to the morgue, but as he came closer to the window that he and Rose had jumped from before. he spied someone hiding in the tree. He crept closer making no sound. He stood looking at the young man in the tree for about 10 minutes. It was the guy from before, which had jumped through the window before them, he was sure. So what was he doing up there? Perhaps he would have seen what had happened to Rose. So with that in mind. He thought it was time to introduce himself.
" Hello, What you doing up there then?" he watched as the man nearly jumped out of his skin, the doctor just keep his eyes on, him, wearing his trademark grin.
"What you want? I aint done nothing. You a coppa?"
"No I'm the Doctor. Who are you then?"
"What it to you? I don't have to tell you anything" Billy sneered as he jumped down; he turned from this strange man in the leather jacket. But was stopped by the man laying his hand on Billy's arm
"Look, I need to find my friend. She's an attractive blonde. Often gets herself into trouble. I just need to know if you have seen her," the man was almost pleading.
"Ok mate. I seen her. But you have to tell me what you were doing in there first" he indicated with his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the morgue. The doctor looked at the morgue then back at the young man.
"I went to find out how that man in the paper died."
"Did you find out how?"
"No, cause you got spotted and we had to run, and my friend vanished. Not to mention the bruise on my head. She won't let me live this down in a hurry, I mean. Knocked out by a bin." The Doctor rambled, ice blue eyes boring into the youth. Making him unnerved. "Now tell me where my friend is.
"The Skulls got her." He sated simply, sighing.
"Oh I haven't got time for your petty squabbles. Where will they have taken her?"
"They are not petty squabbles, my brother might be dead because of them. That's why I'm going back in there. To see if it is him. I have to know" he looked hard at the man now, as if daring him to report him. But the man just put that annoying smile back on his face.
"Ok. Then I'll go with you."
"What? No your not. What you following me for?"
"Well after we been in there. You're going to take me to my friend."
"Oooh no. That's in the middle of Skull territory. Look Doctor was it?" the doctor nodded in response. " I'd forget about your friend. She probably dead by now"
"Don't say that, she'll be fine. They have no reason to harm her." The mans voice had dropped to a deadly tone, making Billy take a step back from him. But he had enough courage to respond to his last statement.
"If she is still alive, when you find her, you may wish she had been killed, would have been a lot less painful" he turned back to the morgue. Missing the cold dread and fear on the Doctors face, it was there only an instant. Then the hard mask replaced it. Hidden. Only visible now in those ice blue eyes.
Rose awoke to cold, bone numbing cold. But unfortunately not cold enough to null the pain in her face, or her arms and legs. She rose slowly groaning in the darkness. She took stock of her surroundings, she was in what seemed to be a cage and chained.
"Great" her sarcastic tone not totally lost in the dark. She looked past the cage. She saw what looked like a warehouse, like the kind you get in American movies. Like by the docks or something. As if to confirm this she heard a horn of a boat. It was dark, but here and there were fires in steel drums. Around them were sleeping forms. She watched drawn to the fire, it danced as if alive, as if she could feel its warmth all the way over here. But then a breeze would howl through the gaps in the corrugated metal frame. It would burst the warm bubble, her form shivering teeth chattering.
"Here" she jumped at the sound of a voice close to here ear. She turned to she a lad, couldn't be older than 16. He had in his hand a mug of something, whatever it was, it was steaming hot. She wrapped her hands round it gratefully, taking it through a hole in the mesh of the cage, it was like a hatch, that the one inside the cage would pass products through, once people had signed for it.
"Thanks" she took a sip, it wasn't tea. But a coffee. Industrial strength by the way it made her wake up so much.. " What's your name?"
"Ben, what's yours miss?"
"Rose. Where am I Ben?"
"Your in a warehouse at the docks, though you probably guessed that. This is the hideout of the Skulls. Your Dogan's property now."
"Property! I am no one's property" Rose went right up to the cage, her tone low in quite fury.
"Shhh! Not so loud. If they find out I've been talking to you. Let alone give you something to drink."
"Sorry, but I am no one's property Ben. I am not an object, a toy."
"Look, let me give you some advice Rose, do what they tell you. It will be easier on you."
"Thanks for the advice, but I'm getting out of here" Rose tugged at the chains, looking to the handcuffs. They clinked, and Ben tried to shush her.
"Rose. Stop it. What can you hope to do?"
"One, I'll get out of here. And two my friend will find me."
"Must be some friend, to brave facing them"
"He's my best friend. But I hope to get out of here before he comes. Saving me from you lot ain't worth his time" she smiled at this. Picturing his smile and eyes. Him making fun at her being caught not by aliens. But a common street gang. Oh how she hope she would be there to take that. She would have him do it for as long as he liked.
"I wish I could help you rose, I really do. But they'll kill me. Oh Speedy's back with Mick. I ave to go. Sorry Rose." Ben shuffled back into the darkness. There were shouts, as the one Ben had called speedy told everyone that Mick was here. She watched as two forms walked forward. She recognised them from before. The one in front had been the one that had hit her. She listened to them to talking.
"Mick, about time."
"What's up Dogan? Scratched her again" Mick asked. He looked to be in his 50's hair already white. In his mouth was a large cigar, which stuck out from one side. He wore a blue full mechanic suit. Stained with oil and various paint.
"I didn't scratch her"
"No you never do. What's with the girl?" he Pointed Rose, she stopped what she was trying to do.
" Nothing Mick. Pretend you don't see her ok?"
"Hard to miss such a beauty, but fair enough. Were ya baby then? Lets look at her."
They walked off into the darkness, and then some floodlights came on, illuminating a black car. Rose rolled her eyes, men and machines. She watched as the man Mick tended to the car, like a man to a woman. Rose sat on the ground. Huffing out her breath. She closed her eyes a moment. It was then that she heard it. A slimy wet sound. She turned her head to the side, something glistened like wet leather. For a moment, But only for a moment she thought it might be the Doctor. But when she saw one of the gang, lying in front of this thing, being smothered by it, like a huge slug. She realised it wasn't the Doctor. She watched, mouth wide, as the man screamed in agony. The gang members turned as one and screamed. Pulling fourth their guns, and in the middle of all this was Rose's cage.
"Fantastic" was the last thing she thought as she dived to the deck.
The Doctor and his new friend Billy had returned to the morgue and found that indeed the body was that of Billy's brother Rob. Now they walked through the night. Billy had been deathly quiet since he had seen the grim remains that had been his find Rose.
" Look I'm sorry about your brother. But I need to find my friend."
" What could have done that to him?"
"I don't know. But please, she doesn't deserve this."
"And you think we do? You don't know anything."
"Oh please, some squabble over land? Cars? Is it really worth people dying for? Was it worth Rob's death." Billy deflated at those words. "No, didn't think so. So take me to my friend"
"Fine. But once we get there. Your on your own" Billy quickened his steps. The Doctor mumbled under his breath before he followed him. "Wouldn't be the first time."
The Doctor looked on as they neared Manhattan docks. He could see the cranes in the darkness, like some towering machine, waiting to walk across the landscape. Over the black void that was the water, he could see lights twinkling, as the boats went to and fro. He could hear the faint tinkling of the bell, which rested on the sea buoy. The smog was weaker hear, blown away by the sea breeze. The Doctor had wondered on why there was so much smog over the place. Billy, wanting to get off the subject of his brother had told him that it was the factories to the north. They supplied power to Justicum prison. But they couldn't afford to pay high price to make a large nuclear power station. So they had opted for the cheaper coal burning, and then pumped in seawater to boil for steam. These places went 24/7. He had wondered why they needed so much power. But Billy explained that the prison was bigger than it looked.
"How'd you mean?" the Doctor asked
" Justicum Prison is what used to be Alkertraz"
"What? But that small place shouldn't need so much power."
"Well as I said. It's bigger on the inside." The Doctor smiled at that "the main complex is underground. They say it stretches for miles. There are also rumours of torture. Though there was no proof find. But I know once you go in. you don't get out."
"What ever possessed the to build the place?"
"To deal with the gangs. This place had become a war zone. So they passes a bill, that is you were even suspected of being in a gang. Or doing anything gang related you get forcefully arrested, and dragged off to Justicum."
"What no trial?" Billy shook his head in response. The Doctor was about to ask more when gunfire split open the quite night in amidst them were screams of terror.
"ROSE!" The Doctor ran to the warehouse, as the sound of car engines roared t life, he just had time to jump out of the way as a black car roared out of the open warehouse, following them were several other cars. Then men and women, screaming wide-eyed terror.
"Whoa, something scared the hell out of the Skulls" Billy noted, as he ran next to the Doctor who was couched on the ground after jumping out of the way. He made no comment as he rose quickly to his feet and ran into the now abandoned hide out. He paid no attention as Billy followed him.
"Rose!" no reply he tried again "ROSE" but only his echo greeted him.
"If they haven't taken her with them. They would have left her in the cage."
"The cage?"
"Yeah, I was caught once, they tried to make my brother back off by threatening to kill me. But he got me out. It's over this way."
As they came to the cage, he could clearly see the form lying chained on the floor. He could see the blood on her jacket, also as it seeped onto the floor. Then seeing all the empty bullet casings. He came to the inevitable conclusion."
"Sorry Doctor. But I don't think you want to see this" Billy had turned, obscuring The Doctors view of the cage. But he just pushed past Billy, and then saw the cage.
"ROSE!" he ran forward, almost colliding with the cage door, sending empty casings skittering across the floor. He shook the door.
"Open damn you, ROSE. Come on Rose. You have to be fine." He took out his sonic screwdriver, the lock yielded quickly and he collapsed to his knees at her side. He stopped frozen for a moment, as if afraid. Then he gently rolled her over. His face in pain as he saw the bruise on he face. He places his fingers at the joint of her neck, and found a pulse. He let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. Also it was if his heart had resumed to beat, free from the clamp like hold.
"Rose, come on you stupid ape, open you eyes"
"Who…you…calling…. stupid…. ow" came a mumbled response.
"Me now open your eyes" he watched with relief as she opened her eyes, she blinked them a few times to get them into focus. Then her eyes locked onto his. She saw he pain and fear there.
"Hey" she rasped
"Hey, what hurts?"
"Arm does, think I got nicked by a stray bullet." The Doctor gently touched her face, pain again deep in his eyes. She knew he must have looked a right mess; he was now gently tracing the bruise with his thumb. She raised her hand to touch his.
"Not your fault ok?"
He didn't reply, just looked at her. Then he looked to her exposed arm. There were loads of little pinprick holes, still oozing blood.
"What did they do to you?" she looked at the arks, and then her face screwed up in thought. Suddenly she went ridged, fear came to her eyes.
"We have to get out of here, it might still be around."
"What?"
" A huge creature, it looked kinda like a slug. It ate a guy over there, oh god, he screamed so much. That's when they started shooting. I remember diving to the ground, then the pain in y arm. Then…. oh god. It grabbed me…through the mesh. It had like I don't now…looked like tendrils. They stuck in my arm. It hurt so bad. I must have passed out." She held the Doctor in a tight grip by his leather jacket. He hugged her. Then stood.
"It must have run off. But lets get you out of here" he made quick work of the cuffs. He stood helping rose to stand. She was a bit shaky. It was then they heard the sirens.
"We have to get out of here. I don't fancy a trip to Justicum. You two best come to my place. Its closer than where the morgue was." The Doctor nodded. But before he left he went over to where rose had said that man was. Where the creature had made him scream. He found the body…. looking exactly like Rob…Mummified.