Plunk, plunk, plunk.
The rain had returned even heavier than the last downpour. Torrential waves of droplets could be heard hammering against the thick canvas roof as the wind billowed and howled against the tent, causing it to sway and pull against the sturdy cables and ropes that were keeping it otherwise in place.
The lieutenant didn't look anything like Rose had been expecting to see.
The impression created by the team of soldiers was that their commanding officer was formidable and respected for it. No one had wanted to make a move on deciding what part the Doctor could play without his say so, and even the knowledge of orders from the very top of the ranks hadn't been enough to sway them into action.
Rose had imagined someone older. She assumed being the officer in charge would allow the privilege of leading the operation from the comfort of his office.
In his early twenties, the man standing in front of her had an attractive face defined by a strong jawline. It complimented his olive-toned skin well, as did his windswept mop of jet-black hair. Standing at a little under six feet, he had the lean and muscular body of an athlete. He wasn't wearing his protective gear like the rest of his team were, and his jacket and trousers were damp and coated in mud.
Even his attractive face was dirty, as though he had been crawling around on the ground.
Someone in such a state should by rights had been shaking from head to foot. But the lieutenant couldn't have looked more at ease with himself. There was a glint of something perilous within his spectacular eyes, and Rose hardly dared to breathe as he walked past her and Amell without comment. The grey orbs were still locked onto the Doctor as he remained where he was, sat down at the desk with his muddied All-Star Converses laid out across the unity pile of paperwork.
But as he made his way around the desk, the lieutenant's attention diverted to Kensington and Becker and the large map they were stood in front of. Picking up a black marker pen that lay just inches from the Doctor's feet, he uncapped it before encircling the smallest of symbols. It was an archway that had already been crossed out that lay no more than one mile from the base's location.
Kensington and Becker exchanged a curious look with one another.
"Boss, we already check out that cave." Kensington pointed out. "There was a large boulder blocking the entrance."
"One almost as big as the cave itself," Becker added. Nothing could have…."
The hint of a wary smile from the lieutenant made the burly sergeant think twice about the impossibility of such a feat. They were not dealing with humans here. The alien they were searching for had nearly torn a man's head clean off, and its tooth was the size of a hand. Moving such a large boulder wouldn't be much of an issue for such a creature.
"The boulder has been moved." The lieutenant confirmed. "Apart from the woods, the cave is the only other place this thing could be hiding."
He spoke with the same southern dialect that Amell did. Both soldiers were either from Hampshire or one of its neighbouring counties. They were also the closest in age compared to the rest of the team as Sergeant Becker and second-in-command Kensington were older than their boss by several years. Rose wondered if they might have been recruited by UNIT together, hailing as they might from the same place.
"Gone to ground! That's what you were about to write down. You turned an expression into the solution, brilliant!"
All attention swiftly returned to the Doctor.
The lieutenant's stony-faced expression returned as he once more regarded the Time Lord. But no words followed his unflinching gaze, and the soldier instead chose to wait patiently until one of his men explained to him why this stick-figure of a man and his travelling companion were here in the first place.
"Code Nine, boss," Kensington whispered. "The Doctor and Miss Tyler were found by Gordon and Hart. They've seen the body and have demanded to speak with you."
Demanding.
It was probably the worst choice of wording that Kensington could have used. The lieutenant glared at the Doctor in the same way as though he was something trodden inside with the mud. Not even acknowledging Rose, the idea of the Time Lord making any such command was not received well.
"Oh, I heard what the Doctor had to say for himself."
The venom in the lieutenant's voice was unmistakable.
But the Doctor remained unfazed by whatever embarrassment his words might have caused. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and let out a huff of disappointment. Apart from Gordon and Hart, everyone else had treated himself and Rose as though they had no business being here. In any other place and time, this might be true, but this was a UNIT operation. During his exile on Earth so many decades ago, there hadn't been a day when the Time Lord hadn't driven his beloved Bessie around whilst on official business.
"You're a cheery lot, aren't you?" He mused. "I thought you'd be more pleased to see me?"
"What makes you think we need you, Doctor?"
The young officer might have spoken arrogantly, but the Doctor doubted it was without merit.
Physically very fit and capable of working out in the field, he had the respect of his men enough for them to know what was expected of them. Given how methodically the surrounding area had been searched in such a short amount of time, this wasn't his first time commanding an operation. The disorganised pile of paperwork hinted that the lieutenant didn't always prioritise the administrative side of his job, but the Doctor could understand that.
All of this, however, was simply background information compared to those striking eyes of his.
They were quite unlike any the Doctor had ever seen before, and he had come across a whole universe of them. Hints of silver seemed to shine against the artificial light, as though flecks of the precious metal were embedded within the irises. They matched the ring he was wearing perfectly.
The band was untarnished against the dirt and grime covering the lieutenant's hands, and the piece of jewellery was further enhanced by the blue gemstone at the centre of it. Large and circular, it did not sparkle but instead glowed with a luminescent quality that created a sense of movement from within.
It was as unique as its owner.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot." The Doctor admitted. "Hello, I'm the Doctor. This is Rose Tyler."
The lieutenant didn't look any more impressed than he had when he'd first walked into the tent. Perhaps it was because the Time Lord was still sat with his feet propped up on his desk, but regardless of that, the officer wasn't about to relent and greet either one of them with any amount of civility. Such a disregard for his authority had put him in a bad mood. Overhearing what the Doctor had said about him had only served to cement the damage that had been done.
"Lieutenant Peter Alexander Argent." He growled back. "The apparent idiot running this operation and the only person here who is allowed to make any kind of demands."
"Yes, well on that note -"
"Get your feet off my desk!"
The swift and sudden outburst even made the Doctor flinch.
For once, having no response, the Time Lord simply nodded and carefully lifted his muddied shoes off the table. Several pieces of paper had become dampened and dirty as a result, and each looked more important than the last as he surveyed the damage he'd unintentionally made.
"Right, yes." He breathed. "Sorry about that."
Lieutenant Argent didn't seem to think it was worth the effort of condoning him over the ruined paperwork. Folding his arms across his chest, he glared down at the Doctor as one might a child that had been caught doing something they shouldn't have. Now he wanted answers, and quickly. There was no more patience left for any longwinded chat the Time Lord might have been hoping to have.
"What are you doing here, Doctor?" He questioned. "I didn't ask for a scientific adviser."
The Doctor grinned at this. Even UNIT was as keen as any other group of humans to label and organise everything and everyone they had. Never was there a species with such a need to self-explain each individual aspect of their lives. Nothing escaped being categorised from a pencil to a fish living in the deepest part of the ocean.
"Oh, yes. UNIT gave me a title." He mused. "Do you know, Rose? I'd completely forgotten…."
His smile dropped as he looked over his shoulder and saw Rose shake her head at him. Quickly, his companion made the motion with her finger that he should turn back to face Lieutenant Argent. Doing as he was told, the Time Lord faltered under the soldier's unimpressed glare of annoyance.
"Though technically, and in my opinion." Lieutenant Argent continued. "You're nothing more than a freelance consultant."
"A consultant that's been useful to UNIT in the past." The Doctor countered. "So you might want to -"
"I might not want to do anything, Doctor. Because, as a freelance consultant, you have no NATO rank. Therefore, I remain in charge and will decide what action to take."
Nothing else the Doctor said or did was going to change the officer's mind about accepting his help. It had been a poor start, but Rose doubted the outcome would have been any different. Even if their arrival had been expected and appreciated, she could understand how such a team would think they required any assistance. None of them knew what was out there, and what good would the Doctor's sonic screwdriver be compared to all those guns and boxes of equipment?
But the return of the Doctor's cheerful grin showed that he wasn't about to admit defeat just yet.
"On the subject, lieutenant." He confidently stated. "Maybe you should read this?"
Pulling the psychic paper out of his coat pocket, he very slowly and deliberately placed the battered leather wallet in front of the officer. It was almost pleasurable to watch as Lieutenant Argent's confidence wavered for the first time. His grey eyes bore a hint of caution as he stared down at it. He already knew he wouldn't like what would be written on the enclosed piece of paper, and Peter was now dealing with the inevitable as he failed to reach out for it.
"What is that supposed to be?"
The Doctor smirked and leaned back in his chair.
"Why didn't you read it and find out?" He replied. "I'm sure it'll answer whatever questions or concerns you might have."
Rose loved it when the Time Lord was like this.
No matter the situation or danger he found themselves in, there was always a moment when he managed to turn the tables. It could be as simple as using the psychic paper or even a turn of phrase that exposed a weakness his opponent hadn't even realised was there. Lieutenant Argent wasn't their enemy, but he did every according to rank and had taken advantage of the Doctor's lacking one. Luckily, someone who outranked him had unwittingly had their name placed onto the psychic paper.
"It's an order from the brigadier, boss," Amell explained. "Giving the Doctor full access to the operation."
"You have got to be kidding me?"
Amell shrugged back apologetically, leaving the lieutenant no other option but to pick up and inspect the credentials for himself.
A trained poker face gave nothing away as he read the words that had appeared on the small rectangular piece of paper. He was unaware they were coming directly from the Doctor's mind, of course, and that the command from the brigadier had never even been considered by the man himself. Even so, it was not quite the defeated reaction that might have been expected as he looked back up at the Time Lord.
"So, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has explicitly given you an order to come here?" He inquired. "To my operation. Just so you could help out?"
"Yes."
The tables had suddenly been turned again. Lieutenant Argent knew something which the Doctor didn't, and all of his arrogant confidence had returned tenfold as a result. Now it was his turn to show off his intellectual supremacy, which few people could achieve when the Time Lord was sitting opposite them.
"Oh, I don't think so." He said. "Nice try, Doctor. But I don't believe you. This order, it's fake."
The Doctor knew at once that he had been caught out. How that had happened, he couldn't say, but it was clear that Lieutenant Argent hadn't even considered for a single moment that the brigadier had sent the time travellers to the New Forest with the sole intent of aiding this mission.
Still, maybe it was worth one more try?
"No, if you read it properly -"
"I have read it, Doctor." The soldier countered. "But it's not what's written down that gave you away. You see, I have many skills and talents that I rely on to do this job, and one of them is knowing when I am being lied to. So forgive me if I don't fall for your cheap tricks."
Throwing the psychic paper back down onto the table, Lieutenant Argent placed both hands on the back of the chair in front of him and leaned forward with a sly smirk on his face. Reclaiming the battered leather wallet and pocketing it once more, the Doctor was still trying to work out how he had seen through the depiction of his false document.
"Cheap or not, how'd you know?" He asked. "You can't always know when someone isn't telling the truth?"
"I can." Lieutenant Argent replied with all seriousness. "As easily as if I could hear those two hearts of yours."
What a strange choice of words.
But the Doctor couldn't dwindle on them right now. They really had wasted time now, and it was a commodity that Jane Wilson was quickly running out of. If Lieutenant Argent really had located the place where she had been carried off to, they need to set off for it right now.
"Okay, maybe we don't have official permission to be here." He admitted. "But what's two more pairs of feet on the ground to help you out?"
"They're not boots." Lieutenant Argent retorted. "As I said, what use is a scientific adviser and his latest associate to me?"
"Oi!" Rose protested. "I'm not his associate."
Any fear she had felt against the soldier's intimidating nature evaporated in a flash. Lieutenant Argent might have support from a whole organisation behind him, but Rose had seen the Doctor defend entire worlds against the very worst the universe had to offer. Not prepared to sell herself short either, she doubted any of these men had absorbed the heart of the TARDIS and used it to defeat an entire armada of Dalek ships.
"No, you're just a civilian girl who isn't worth the paperwork." Lieutenant Argent sneered. "Who, against the list, isn't all that impressive."
List? What list was he talking about?
The Doctor intervened before anything else could be said. Genuine anger had crept across the Time Lord's face, and he wasn't prepared to allow this soldier to insult Rose simply to get them to leave. He had been initially impressed by Lieutenant Argent, now he liked him almost as much as the creature seeking refuge in the encircled cave on the map.
"Leave her alone." He warned. "Now, I am telling you that -"
"No, I am telling you, Doctor." Lieutenant Argent bit back. "I'm done with the pair of you. Stefan, get them out of my sight."
Corporal Amell stepped forward obediently.
"Come on, Doctor." He said. "There's really no need for you to stay."
Though Rose nodded in agreement, she mustered the meanest look she could manage and aimed it at Lieutenant Argent as she took hold of the Time Lord's arm. It was best they left before the two men came to blows. The team could find the missing woman without their help, and besides, there were many more exciting places to explore.
"Yeah, they don't want us here." She said. "Let's go somewhere fun."
But the Doctor could be incredibly stubborn.
"I'm trying to help." He tutted. "Then again, maybe you're just too stupid to see that?"
The danger this caused was felt in an instant.
Lieutenant Argent's nose wrinkled up into a snarled expression, and if looks could kill, the Doctor would have already been six feet underground. Each of his three men knew this warning sign well enough to know what was about to happen, and their worried expressions told Rose that they could do nothing to stop their boss once such a threatening wave of anger exploded out.
Kensington actually took a step away from him.
"Get out of this tent, Doctor!" Lieutenant Argent bellowed. "Before I drag you out of it myself!"
Standing up, the Doctor wasn't about to be dragged anywhere. He had seen too many angry young men with guns to last all ten of his regenerations, and he wasn't going to allow this latest one to stop him from helping an innocent woman falling victim to the same creature which had so brutally slain her boyfriend.
"You know, I feel sorry for your team, Lieutenant Argent." He persisted. "Stuck as they are with a commanding officer who doesn't care enough to do something which might save their lives."
He had finally pushed his luck too far.
Peter Argent's fierce temper was finally released full force, and his eyes flashed with rage so quickly that it was almost as though the silver flecks had illuminated with a light all of their own. Storming around the desk to confront the Doctor, he looked as though he was about to hit him…
Wisely seeing what was about to happen, Stefan Amell managed to place himself between his boss and the Doctor. The lieutenant's left hand had been about to swing up to meet with the Time Lord's face, but he managed to grab hold of it just in time.
"Peter, cool it." He whispered. "Take a breath, mate. He isn't worth it."
It was a move that could have gotten him into trouble. But a fight had been prevented, and one that Rose knew the Doctor wouldn't have won. Taking his friend's advice, Peter drew in a deep breath and allowed the anger to flow out of him. Turning away, he emitted nothing more than a frustrated huff of annoyance.
Stefan let go of his arm, but the corporal wasted no time turning around to confront the Doctor on his behaviour.
"You can question many things here, Doctor." He told him. "But you do not get to doubt the lieutenant's commitment to us or the job. He protects the Earth, the same as you. So you will show him and his authority the respect it deserves."
Just like that, the tension broke.
As the Doctor looked over at Lieutenant Argent, the officer glared back at him. At least for now, it looked like Peter would ignore them both as he got on with the task at hand. He quickly recovered himself as he began to give out orders that Kensington, Becker and Amell were all too happy to follow.
"We need to get over to that cave." He said. "Becker, I want everyone ready and kitted up in ten minutes. Stefan, you stay here. You and I will run point on this one. I need to brief you on the entrance and what I found inside."
Corporal Amell nodded in agreement as Becker retrieved his pistol from the desk before standing to attention.
"Boss," The sergeant replied. "I'll see you in the mess."
Plunk plunk, plunk plunk, plunk plunk.
Rain was falling heavier than ever, leaving puddles of muddy-brown water to gather around the tent's permitter where there was a gap between the fabric and the ground. Still not entirely dry herself, Rose shivered at the idea of anyone going out anywhere on such a miserable night.
"Sounds like one heck of a storm out there." She said. "You'll have to wrap up warm."
Peter didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to her.
Returning to his cot bed and picking up the heavy Bergen rucksack as though it were a pillow, he set it down on the stiff canvas mattress and started some of its removing its contents. First out was his kevlar vest and protective pads. Stripping off his muddied jacket, he quickly strapped everything on securely before exchanging his outer layer for a clean replacement. The final piece of kit was a pair of fingerless gloves that had reinforced knuckles. Combined with his evident strength, Rose just hoped that the Doctor wouldn't do anything else to wind the lieutenant up.
The Time Lord tutted disapprovingly, however, as the weapons started to emerge.
First was magazine cartridges full of bullets for the SIG pistol strapped to Peter's right thigh. After tucking them into a designated pouch attached to his Kevlar vest, the soldier then produced a huge hunting knife. Tucked away in its sheath, the exposed hilt part of the weapon glinted in the light of the LED light. It was clipped into place on his belt, joining the collapsable riot baton and a bulky two-way radio that were already there.
"How exactly are you going to stop this creature?"
Peter glared at the Doctor with renewed irritation.
"By any means necessary." He replied. "Peacefully, I hope. But if it comes to it, we prioritise human life."
There it was again. That dangerous glint in the soldier's eye had returned to warn the Time Lord that Peter was willing and able to use lethal force to complete his mission. He hadn't cared for his opinion on how things were being run, and he certainly wasn't about to adhere to the same moral code if it risked anyone else getting hurt or killed.
"Perhaps it'll be an intelligent being?" Kensington pondered. "That would certainly be a nice change."
"How can it be smart if it nearly ripped someone's head off?" Rose countered. "Why would anything with a brain do something like that?"
This is what the Doctor loved about his companion. She cared about everything and everyone. Rose had even managed to understand and feel sympathy for a Dalek, putting herself between it and the Time Lord and the blaster he'd been about to use on his oldest and most despised enemy. Some people would call it a naive outlook, but it was a far better choice than violence and hatred.
"This could just be a form of entertainment." He explained. "The thrill of a hunt is always bigger, Rose."
Lieutenant Argent scoffed loudly. But his disapproval wasn't coming from what the Doctor was saying, as it was actually quite a sensible point to make. No, as Peter turned around to face the Time Lord and Rose with a hand placed on his hip, he looked as though he couldn't believe the Time Lord was cable of such words.
"What could you possibly know about hunting something down, Doctor?" He mocked. "You don't like weapons. You're not a soldier, and according to your file, you are a notoriously strict pacifist. How do you know what goes on inside the mind of a creature like that?"
"You'd be surprised."
For only the second time, the lieutenant's confidence wavered.
"What about the missing woman?" Rose questioned. "Do you think she's still alive?"
Recovering himself, Peter this time chose to listen to her and considered the possibility that Jane Wilson was still without a massive chunk of her neck missing. They hadn't found a body or even a piece of clothing. The rain might have washed any blood or footprints away, but it was strange how the creature had been willing to leave Tom Richardson out in the open but not her. The only lead they had to go one was one rock had been moved from its place in front of the entrance to a small cave. No human could have shifted it, so that could only mean one other possibly…
"It took her for a reason. Something else is going on here, something more than a hunt. I can feel it."
"Oh, well, it must be true then." Kensington quipped. "Still, you do have a knack for these things, sir."
"Perhaps," Peter assured. "Are you happy staying here and keeping in contact with command?"
His second-in-command officer was busying himself by attempting to organise the strewn pile of paperwork covering the desk. For such important documents, his boss had not taken the greatest of care to keep everything in its proper place. Even without the Doctor's muddied footprints covering a number of the documents, it was a fire hazard waiting to happen.
"I am so long as I can find that preliminary autopsy report." The second lieutenant replied. "You know you'll never make captain if you can't… Ah, here it is."
The report would have to be rewritten before being used again. It had borne the brunt of being under the Doctor's foot and was damp enough to almost fall apart as Kensington picked it up. But rather than get annoyed by his ruined paperwork, Lieutenant Argent was reminded instead that he hadn't yet finished dealing with his two unwanted guests.
"I'm sure the Doctor can give you a hand." He declared. "It'll keep him and Miss Tyler busy until we get back."
It was easier to leave them behind here than try to force the Time Lord and his companion to return to the TARDIS and leave. He certainly wasn't going to let either of the time travellers accompany his team to the cave, and perhaps it was for the best. Rose couldn't imagine herself crawling into such a dark and cramped space to confront such a monster. Peter fully intended to use both his gun and knife tonight, regardless of how intelligent the creature was.
"You need to be careful, lieutenant." The Time Lord cautioned. "You've seen what that creature can do."
"Thank you, Doctor. But you can save your concerns for the creature."
Such brash confidence would have been ill-placed with anyone else, but it somehow seemed to suit Peter. A dangerous glint had reignited within his grey eyes again as he prepared to head out on a hunt of his own. It was why he was good at his job. He thrived off the thrill of the hunt just as much as the creature did.
Boom!
A colossal bolt of lightning struck directly over the tent, and it illuminated the whole base better than the floodlights set up around the perimeter. The sound was simply deafening, and Rose felt its rumbling aftermath travel through her as two more bolts followed. It was going to be an evil night for the weather. But such a tempered change had at least allowed the rain to cease falling for the moment.
"We best head to the mess, boss," Stefan suggested. "The guys will almost be ready."
"Yeah," Peter agreed. "Let's…"
Tension flowed through him as quickly as the lightning which had coursed through the clouds. Something had attracted his attention he did not like the idea of, and Peter remained stood like a statue against the presence of this unseen danger. Only his eyes moved as they travelled left and landed on the canvas wall of the tent. Slowly, his right hand travelled down towards his gun, and he slowly unclipped it from its sheath.
Kensington and Stefan both reached for their own weapons and led by their commanding officer's example. But the Doctor could tell that they had not detected anything themselves. Instead, both soldiers were sensing it through the lieutenant. He had not yet declared what that was, but he was sure it existed.
"What is it?" The Time Lord whispered. "What have you -"
"Turn off the light." Peter hissed. "Now!"
The cable powering the LED panel was encased in reenforced rubber, so it could get wet without causing a short circuit. But the box powering it had been set atop a large create place next to the large notice board. Moving as fast as possible without the risk of making any noise, Stefan harried for it and flicked the green switch. The whole tent was plunged into darkness, leaving only the perimeter floodlights to give them any sense of their surroundings.
A shadow appeared that belonged to a monster.