8.
"All right," said the Brigadier. "Benton, you come with me. We'll come around this way, you and Miss Grant go the other."
"Wait!" Jo said. "If we see it, we'll need some way to tell it apart from the real Brigadier."
"I have this," the Doctor said, gesturing with his blinking device.
"You do, but the rest of us don't," she insisted. "I know! Take off your coat!" She reached out and to his surprise began tugging at the collar of his burgundy velvet jacket. "The Brigadier can wear it."
"What?" the Brigadier and the Doctor protested together. Nevertheless, he allowed her to take it, and Lethbridge-Stewart allowed it to be foisted off on him. Jo could be very persuasive.
"There. That's better. If it still looks like the Brigadier everyone thinks of in their heads, we'll know it's a fake. No one would be imagining him in velvet," Jo said reasonably.
The Brigadier looked down at his non-lacy cuffs poking out from the velvet. "Not my style," he commented.
"I'll have to agree with that," the Doctor grumbled as he smoothed his waistcoat. "But she has a point. Now, let's go."
--
Benton carefully worked his way along the outer perimeter, half an eye on where the Brigadier was working along the inner so he didn't outpace him. He slowed as the Brig began systematically going through the long line of trimmed boxwood shrubbery that had been grown along the side of the main building. They were nearly done with this side; the car park would be next and he didn't look forward to that one. Walking slowly forward, he kept scanning all around. Up ahead two figures rounded the corner walking along the wall, one shorter and one taller.
"Hey! You there, stop right there. Hands in the air," he ordered firmly.
The figures stopped at the edge of one of the pools of light, then one of them gave a little cry of fright, hiding behind the other. "It's him! Don't let him get me, Mike!"
Benton gaped a moment. Jo? But he'd just left her, going the other way around the building with the Doctor. Across from him he could just see the Brigadier in the boxwoods, quietly reaching for the pistol he had beneath his incongruous jacket.
"Leave her alone!" Yates challenged, keeping the girl behind him. "Haven't you done enough damage already? What's wrong with you?"
"Captain!" Benton warned, "It isn't what it looks like. You! Step away from him, hands where I can see them!"
The girl began to cry, something that unnerved them both as it was something she rarely did.
Both confused and angered, Yates stepped forward. What if Miss Grant was right and something had gotten ahold of his fellows, or worse, was mimicking them? "No, you get your hands up, Sergeant, if that's who you really are."
"All right, that's enough!" the Brigadier said, stepping out from the bushes. He had his pistol out.
Yates gaped at his superior officer clad in red velvet. Something was obviously wrong here.
There was a clatter of heels on the pavement. She was running away into the darkness. Yates still stood, surprised at her retreat but covering for her, arms spread out. "Leave her alone," he repeated. "What do you want?"
"For you to get the hell out of the way," the Brigadier growled as he ran after the girl, Benton following.
Yates reached belatedly for his own sidearm, only to remember he didn't have it with him. The Brigadier was already barreling past him, so he did what he could: he tackled Benton. "Run Jo!" he cried as the two men fell painfully to the pavement together.
"Oof! It's not Jo, it's an alien!" Benton snapped. "Let go!"
Yates hung on. "How do I know it isn't you that's the alien? You shot her!"
"I did not!" Benton protested, trying again to regain his feet. "She looked like the Doctor when I shot her!"
"What…." Yates was suddenly cut short by a firm hand grabbing his shoulder and spinning him off of the Sergeant.
The Brigadier's eyes shot daggers at his unfortunate Captain. "Now you've done it; it's gotten away. Come on, both of you. I don't care what your opinions are on it, Captain, but I expect you to listen. Benton, continue around the wall. Yates, with me. It's somewhere between us and the Doctor and I've just had the entrances to the buildings sealed off. We'll find that blasted thing yet."
"But Miss Grant…" Yates started, still feeling like the entire world had taken a surreal twist. He automatically followed his officer.
"Wasn't Miss Grant," the Brigadier finished tersely. "That creature can look like anyone, apparently. Watch for anyone who's been wounded."