Chapter 4 – The Cloaked Assassin
"Where is it taking place?" The Tenth Doctor asked
"I have no idea, it doesn't say!" The Ninth Doctor exclaimed panic stricken
"Is there something wrong?" Lincoln asked genuinely worried
"There is, as a matter of fact! The whole of time is at stake, and I don't know where the assassination is taking place!" The Ninth Doctor yelled "This is ter…
"If you told me who was being assassinated I might be able to help you!" Lincoln interrupted
"John Wilkes Booth" The Tenth Doctor replied swiftly
"He also goes by the pseudonym J.B. Wilkes" The Ninth Doctor added
Suddenly Lincoln's eyes lit up and he gave a wide smile of acceptance.
"I know J.B. Wilkes" Lincoln shouted "you said we had ten minutes at least, we might just be able to do it"
"You know where he is!" The Ninth Doctor asked now relieved
"The Ford's Theatre, I saw him once in a play there a few years ago, he hasn't been in a play there for years but I've seen him attend a few, he's never out the place!"
The Two Doctors looked at each other in confusion.
"He's good at double bluffs" The Tenth Doctor said to the Ninth Doctor
"I've got it!" The Ninth Doctor suddenly exclaimed "he's going to assassinate him while he's boring the hole in the theatre box" he suddenly switched to a whisper and whispered to the Tenth Doctor "he bore a hole in the theatre box so he could see if Lincoln had arrived at the play or not"
"It's only blocks from here!" Lincoln suddenly added
"Time to go!" The Ninth Doctor replied with a grin "You" he pointed to Rose "look after Honest Abe while we're away"
"Is that right?" Rose asked
"Oh yes, I'm right" The Tenth Doctor said answering for the Ninth "we're dealing with a powerful assassin here"
"For time traveller's, you're pretty well informed of this era" Lincoln replied with a laugh "knowing my nickname's Honest Abe and all"
"Well, I do like learning all about the American Civil War" The Ninth Doctor replied
They ran to the coach and jumped in, the Ninth jumped in first with extreme eagerness, the Tenth after him worriedly.
"Who are you two?" the coach rider asked in a thick Maryland accent
"We're just two doctors" The Ninth Doctor replied with a grin "can you take us to the Ford's Theatre"
"Is there some sort of medical emergency there?" the coach rider asked
"Yeah, something like that!" The Ninth Doctor replied still grinning
The coach suddenly sprung to life and the two horses took off along the long dirt road tracks.
"I've just thought of a funny thing" The Ninth Doctor said as the coach took a wide turn around a corner "if I die, you'll die since you're me later, but if you die I'll already know my fate so I have a chance of preventing death" he suddenly let out a chuckle
"Yes, except we'll just regenerate, not die" The Tenth Doctor replied sarcastically
"You always spoil the fun, don't you" The Ninth Doctor said now looking glum
The coach suddenly came to a halt outside a small long brick building. The architecture looked particularly federal with a thatched roof. Hanging from the building was a small sign saying "FORD'S THEATRE" in black paint on a painted white background. The theatre was bustling with theatre-goers outside it. The two Doctors jumped out of the coach and ran through the crowd into the theatre building.
"We've only got a matter of minutes!" The Ninth Doctor said to the Tenth Doctor now in panic
The Tenth Doctor ran to the ticket desk with the Ninth Doctor following him.
"Excuse me; have you seen a strange man wearing a long black cloak?" The Tenth Doctor asked the female receptionist
"Why yes, he just bought a ticket for "Our American Cousin"" the receptionist replied
"We bought our tickets earlier" The Tenth Doctor said pulling out his psychic paper and showing the receptionist "can we go in?"
"Yes certainly, please go in" the receptionist greeted them
The two Doctors ran up the stairs towards their fate.
"Where will he be?" The Tenth Doctor asked
"He'll be outside the state box, that's where he bores a hole to see if Lincoln arrives on time" The Ninth Doctor reminded him
Outside the wall of the State Box a suspicious man with black curly hair and moustache was standing outside. He checked there were no people around and began to bore a hole deeply into the wall of the State Box. Suddenly after a few seconds a gruff voice came from behind him.
"What are you doing there?" the gruff voice asked
The man hurriedly turned around to see a tall man with medium-length black greasy hair and a scarred face, wearing a long black cloak, pointing a .44 caliber Deringer towards his head.
"Please, the weapon isn't necessary, I'm J.B. Wilkes" the man boring the hole said "I'm an actor here, I was just doing some simple maintenance for the theatre, the usual maintenance men aren't here"
The man in the black cloak suddenly put the weapon away, gave a malicious grin and grabbed Booth by the scruff of the neck, throwing him to the wall and he began to punch him.
"Do you want a bit of history of this place?" the man said bringing Booth's face to his "In 1862 this theatre burnt down, guess who's going to be in it" the man's eyes were now burning with rage
"But… that's impossible" Booth suddenly mumbled with fear.
Another voice suddenly butted in "That's right, it is impossible"
It was the Ninth Doctor. The Tenth Doctor was standing right beside him.
"You're still following me!" the man with the black coat suddenly shouted
"Yep" The Ninth Doctor replied grinning inappropriately before suddenly fading into seriousness "and I won't give up until you give up this meaningless vendetta"
"Think again, I've succeeded twice already, don't think I won't succeed this time" the cloaked assassin suddenly grabbed Booth by the neck again, pulled out the Deringer and pushed the weapon into his temple.
"Do you feel it Booth! Do you feel the fear that only comes moments before your own demise!"