Well, the email system is working again (I've been getting reviews and updates now) so hopefully everything is back to normal! Thank you to everyone who has been reading and supporting me so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Red Dragon
Chapter Six
The Bad Wolf
Darkness. It felt like he was suffocating, though oxygen was seeping through a ventilator.
Where am I? It was a stupid question and the Doctor already knew the answer to that. The hum of engines and the distant sounds of voices above informed him that he was no longer on Canodi. He tried to move. Great, I'm trapped in a small, cramped space, tied up and gagged. Oh joy. My life has just turned fun. I'm sure I'll be having the time of my life. To top it all off, I'm in a spaceship. Fun, fun, fun.
There was nothing he could do but wait.
Rose woke to the sounds of low whispering. She felt a little weak and turned her head to the left slightly. On a table that had been moved next to her bed was a glass of clear water. Her hands shaking, she hoisted herself up, so that she was leaning back on the wall. Reaching out a hand she clasped the glass and gulped down the fluid. She licked her lips feeling a little refreshed.
Reaching a hand behind her head she felt a bump. How'd that get there? Then flashes of the night came before her.
The Doctor laying on the ground…
…Rose using unimaginable power…
Their attackers spiriting the Doctor away…
…Mickey and Martha finding her.
"No." she whispered hoarsely. "Doctor, please be alright." She hoped fervently that Mickey and Martha had reached the Doctor in time. Even so nothing felt right. It was too silent to mean anything good.
"Did you find anything?" Martha waited anxiously for Mickey to reply. "The records…the cams?"
"No, nothing. Whoever was behind that attack was very professional about it. No security recordings at all. Nothing. Zilch. I even checked the outbound starship log." He shrugged. "There's too many that left last night. It would be impossible to track them all and then discover the Doctor still on world."
Martha frowned. "We can't just wait around."
"Yeah, well, we have no choice in that matter. We can't pilot the TARDIS. Only the Doctor can. Even if we found that he was not on Canodi, we wouldn't be in any position to help him. Face it, he's on his own."
It was not something that Martha really wished to consider.
Rose…
The voice startled her. Her thoughts had been focused on the Doctor. Rose blinked repeatedly trying to fathom the voice.
Rose….
Oh no, not you again.
The Bad Wolf.
What do you want? she asked, attempting to put vehemence in to the thought.
I've told you. I want to help you. I mean you no harm. It's voice was soft, intimidating.
Rose laughed tonelessly. Yeah right. As if I'm going to believe that! I think I'd rather take the Doctor's advice, thank you very much! With a shove with her mind she blocked off the communication and sat in silence, waiting.
She emerged twenty minutes later. Mickey and Martha sat at a table, mooching over a bowl of soup each. It looked largely untouched. Both looked up, anxiety showing in their features. Instead of allowing them to speak, Rose went right into it.
"We need a plan. Any suggestions?"
"I've already triple-checked any recordings, and flight logs. Nothing. Whoever has taken the Doctor knows what they are doing." Answered Mickey. "I'd quadruple them, but I doubt I'd find anything worth while."
Rose held up a finger, s slight smile forming. "I do have a lead that may help us."
"What is it then?" Martha questioned, her brown eyes studying Rose carefully.
"Simple. Those men that attacked us had a insignia on their uniform. All we need to do is find who they are employed by. That should get us somewhere to solving this thread."
"Can you draw it?" Mickey responded, already anticipating the answer.
Rose shook her head. "Come on, Mick, you should know I'm hopeless at that!"
"Describe?" Martha asked hopefully.
"Two blue lines with the letter A in gold, followed by D.o.A.M.D.F." Rose obliged. "Search for that. It might just open a small hole in this mystery."
The lights almost blinded him when the cover to the cramped compartment was lifted open. Strong, rough hands grasped his shoulders and lifted him out. Without any thought to his welfare, the Doctor was dragged along by the collar of his shirt.
Boy, they really know how to make a guest comfortable, he thought dryly. Running his eyes over his surroundings he memorised the layout. The starship itself was very neat and silver. State of the art. It all seemed the same, save for various different holograms of famous paintings or antiques. All glinting in the light.
Ok, this tells me who ever has authorised my kidnapping is rich. I wonder how much he forked out.
It soon became apparent that he was being led to the bridge, however his assumption was wrong, as at the last minute he was dragged into a side compartment to the left and placed upright by the wall. The gag was ripped out and he took a long wad of fresh air. At least it's not cramped.
He didn't have to wait long till he heard the unmistakable sounds of feet thumping against the deck. The door slid open once more and the Doctor got a look at his captor.
He groaned. "I should've known it would be you."
The grinning face of Derol Flynn stared down at him.
Using his skills with computers, Mickey had taken ten minutes to get used to the advanced system. The screen was flat, embedded into the wall. Presumably the data itself was fed through from another room, however he was not interested in finding that out. He had a job to do. Rose was counting on him. Beside him Martha sat, her eyes focused upon the screen, as Mickey scrolled the page down.
"There!" she pointed out a folder. "Insignia groups."
Mickey looked dubious but complied, selecting the file and opening it up. "Privately owned?" he suggested, noticing a red folder.
"Possibly." Martha responded. "Try it and see."
The folder opened up revealing images of different badges.
"Is that it?" Martha asked. "That one with the blue lines?"
Mickey clicked the insignia and a image magnified itself. "It looks like it - probably an older version."
"It does have the letters Rose mentioned, and the blue lines." Martha frowned. "Is there any information on it?"
"Yeah, but I can't access it. Security coded."
"You can get through that easily enough."
Mickey grinned. "I'm glad you have faith in my skills." His fingers began to move with speed as he pressed keys. His face was concentrated, dedicated to his task. Martha observed with interest. Various screens popped up, blocking the way. Finally, he leaned back, and smartly pressed an odd symbol, grinning at Martha. "Done."
Glancing at her chrono-watch, Martha noted the time. "And that took you the best part of ten minutes. You're good."
"Thanks. Rose barely appreciated it, unless I saved her life in the process."
"I am impressed." Martha replied. She returned her eyes to the screen. "Now that we are in, lets browse."
"I'm guessing this is no social talk, judging by the fact I am tied up?" the Doctor innocently asked. "Any chance of letting me go?"
Derol just laughed. "I'm not so stupid to do that. You will be my breakthrough. Once I've found what I want, you will become part of my museum."
"You're going to kill me then."
"Why would I do that? I have no intention of doing that. I have read the legends of your people, Doctor. Said to have an ability to regenerate? I dare not believe that until I can discover the truth. However if I did kill you to force one, I might find that it's your last one. I'm not willing to risk that. And I suppose you wouldn't be honest with me even if I asked."
"After you've drugged and kidnapped me? I hardly think I would help you." The Doctor answered.
"I thought not." Derol turned away, but then glanced over his shoulder, his piercing black eyes meeting the Doctor's. "But then my elite team of scientists could easily create a truth drug to convince you otherwise."
"Yet you don't know what chemicals would affect me, do you?"
"That is what I intend to find out first." Derol smirked before stalking away.
This is turning into the best holiday I've had in ages, the Doctor thought sarcastically.
"Did you find anything?" Rose sat up from her position on the couch as Mickey and Martha walked briskly in.
"We did," Martha answered, "Thanks to Mickey's skills he was able to slice through the security and find exactly what we wanted."
"And?" she prompted.
"'A' stands for Alpha."
"What about the D.o.A.M.D.F?"
Mickey scratched the back of his neck, leaning his palm on the table. "That was even harder to find, but we got it in the end. It says: Director of Alien Museum: Derol Flynn."
"We should've known!" Rose stood up, anger etched on her face. "He sounded curious when I passed him coming out of the museum." She clicked her fingers as the pieces slowly came together. "If he's done his research, which I bet he has, he knows that the Doctor is the last Time Lord! That's why they took him!"
"We figured that when we discovered who it was." Mickey said sadly. "Rose? Are you okay?" He saw Rose blink repeatedly, shaking her head.
Rose met his gaze. She felt unsteady and was gently swaying. "I'm fine." Images were playing through her head. She had done something she would never do, but had done unknowlingly.
"You're not," Martha took hold of her arm, but Rose shoved her away.
"I'm alright to an extent. Something is affecting me and I think I know what. I have a vague idea of what made me tired yesterday." She admitted.
The others waited for her answer and Rose took a deep breath. "I have a hazy memory of sending a message addressed to Derol Flynn. I signed it."
"What did it say?" Martha could barely breathe.
"What the Doctor was." Rose turned away, pain was evident on her features. "I betrayed him."
"How'd you discover what I am?" the Doctor queried. "I doubt my species is listed on the official directory."
Derol was back, but before he'd had a chance to say anything, the Doctor had intervened. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
"It appears one of your companions betrayed you."
"Impossible."
"You don't believe me?" Derol smirked. He picked up a data pad and then placed it in front of the Doctor's eyes. "Here's your proof."
The Doctor scanned the message, his eyes widening as he realised what it meant. "No…no…no…this is not meant to happen."
"I believe it would be the best time to leave, since someone you know betrayed you to me. Let us see how this damages your mind." The door slid shut as Derol left.
The message continued to roam through his head.
The Doctor is the last remaining Time Lord.
Trust me on this.
Signed: BRTW
"The RT definitely stands for Rose Tyler and that means B and W means Bad Wolf. Oh god. This is not right. It's starting and I promised her I'd be there." The Doctor leaned his head back against the cold, hard wall. When Rose sent this message, she wasn't herself. She was asleep. The weakest point for the Bad Wolf to use her. "Bad Rose Tyler's Wolf. How ironic that it would make Rose sign the message as that."
I have to believe in her to beat it. Otherwise I'm doomed and so is she.
Rose sat alone.
She had admitted everything to Mickey and Martha about the Bad Wolf and what it was doing to her. They had promised to stand by her, but she felt that they were only saying that to make her feel better. Even loved.
Her mind focused on the Doctor. I wonder where he is and what is happening to him. Does he know that I betrayed him? I can't believe I did that. How can he ever forgive me?
TBC
Please let me know what you think!
Next Chapter is entitled: The Doctor's Future…coming in three days time.
Someone asked me to update earlier, but there is a valid reason as to why I update every three days. I like to keep ahead of myself and I am currently working on Chapter Ten. This is my usual schedule with most stories so I'll continue to update every three days. I've been doing that for so long it does take a while to shake out of the habit. Sorry!
Leila-Rose-Bell