10.
Inside the darkened shed, there suddenly came a huge metallic bang on the wall and an excited shout. "We've got it now! It can't escape!"
The sentry spun around, putting his gun at ready as out from behind that same building there was a sound of rapid heels on the pavement and a young woman came staggering out of the darkness, holding her side as if in pain.
The sentry had been alerted that something was amiss so no one was to leave, but he lacked any other detail. He was astonished. "Miss Grant?" All the men knew the Doctor's pretty assistant, if only in admiring her from afar. What was she doing out here at this hour, and alone, and what was that sound?
"Help me! You've got to help me!" she said, one hand grabbing onto his arm with more strength than he would have thought possible, the other pressed to her chest. "They've all gone mad! I don't know why, it's like some kind of alien's taken them over!"
"What?" He'd heard of the lock-down on the premises, but had no idea it was this bad.
"Please help me, they're serious! I've already been shot, the medic managed to help me, thank goodness, before they all came after me again. The Doctor and the Brigadier, and the Captain…"
The sentry's eyes grew round at this, then his jaw hardened grimly. "Shot? Stay with me, Miss. They won't hurt you again. We'll see what's up." Still holding his gun at ready, he scanned the darkness around them. "Do you have any idea who it was that shot you? Was it an alien?"
"No, it was Sergeant Benton," the girl said, then after a moment followed this announcement up with a small sob.
"Benton?" the sentry asked, shocked anew. She might as well have said she'd been shot by the Pope, if he hadn't already heard other disturbing news that night. "I heard he'd accidentally shot the Doctor," he said. "Something's very wrong here. John would never…"
"Him too," Jo was nodding beside him belatedly. "Yes, yes, oh the poor Doctor!"
The sentry frowned at her. "Wait. You said the Doctor was one of 'em coming after you. How could he be doing that if he was shot?"
She looked confused, then looked away. "He, he was changed somehow. I don't know, he, he got back up and then told them to grab me! After what happened with Benton, I was scared."
The sentry's brow creased. "All right," he said slowly, his gun lowering slightly. "I don't know what that was, but I don't see anything. I better call the Brigadier."
"He's one of them too!" she said and hid her face in her hands.
His frown deepened. Now he thought he could hear movement in the yard nearby. What if it was the Brigadier? What then? An alien incursion that had taken over all of the commanding officers and the Doctor would have to have been formidable. A shadow moved near the edge of the mechanic's shed and he adjusted his stance.
"Who goes there?" he challenged, trying to see inside. "Put down your weapons! Come out with your hands up!"
"Don't let them catch me," the girl was saying behind him. She sounded further away. He risked a glance back to see she was slipping back, backpedaling away from his position and eyeing the nearby wall.
A car suddenly roared to life and plunged out of the shed, its lamps flaring up, ablaze. Gasping, the sentry jumped out of the way as it shot past, tyres spinning for traction. He whirled, turning to see, to his horror, it was the Doctor's car - and it was bearing down on Miss Grant!
The girl was running, faster than seemed humanly possible, running for the wall that enclosed the compound. Helplessly he watched, sure she was going to be run down, fumbling for his weapon he belatedly let off a shot at the back of the car, hoping to hit a tyre, to no effect.
And Jo, caught in the twin beams, suddenly turned, uncharacteristically snarling as she jumped for the wall. The car squealed to a stop, a tall figure careening out and running to intercept her, tackling her smaller frame in a great flying leap to bring them both tumbling down among the weeds and gravel.
"Oh, nicely done!" crowed the second person, jumping from the car with ready handcuffs flashing in the lights.
"Eh?" the sentry blinked in astonishment. It was Miss Grant…again. Something wasn't right.
"Well done," came a familiar voice behind him. He turned to find the Brigadier himself jogging up to the scene. He was dressed in velvet. Behind him came Captain Yates and further behind, Sergeant Benton. Confused and intimidated, he fell back to standing at military attention with eyes straight ahead and hoped the madness would all just pass him by.