Chapter Four
Martha backed away, but she wasn't fast enough, and the Doctor caught one of her wrists in a crushing grip.
He reached for the carrier with the other hand and pulled it from her grasp.
"That doesn't belong to you," he said.
A spark of annoyance ran through Martha, and she glared at the Doctor.
"It doesn't belong to you or that bastard White Coat!" she spat.
"Language Martha Jones, what would your mother say," the Doctor chided.
"You know what that does, you can't really want that," she said.
The Doctor handed the carrier to the man standing behind him, and then pulled Martha closer, until he was only inches from her face.
"Why should I care what you stupid apes do to each other? If I had my way, you'd be dead and buried, along with every other stupid simian," he snarled.
Martha paled and managed to push him away. "You don't mean that," she whispered.
The Doctor didn't reply, his attention was taken by the discarded phone. He picked it up and could hear Jack on the other end, yelling Martha's name.
"Harkness, how nice to hear from you again," he said.
Jack's face fell when he heard the Doctor's voice. "Doctor," he said quietly.
"Jack, you've had my number all this time, and you didn't call once, I'm hurt," the Doctor said in a mock hurt tone.
"Doctor, this Martha's phone, where is she?" Jack asked, the fear of what this version of the Doctor was capable of almost paralysing him.
"Oh, she's a little busy," the Doctor said.
Jack flinched when he heard a gasp, which sounded way too much like Martha.
"Doctor, don't," Jack warned.
"Or what, you'll hunt me down and kill me, well bring it on. It'll save me the trouble of finding you," the Doctor snarled down the phone.
"If you hurt her, so help me..." Jack started to say.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," the Doctor interrupted. "Why would I dirty my hands? Although I might have a little fun."
Jack heard the phone fall to the floor, and a chill ran through him when he heard the Doctor again.
"Shall we play hide and seek? I'll count to ten, shall I?"
Jack heard what sounded like Martha's voice, then he heard the Doctor again.
"Run Martha Jones...run!"
****************
Jack smacked the window of the helicopter in frustration. They were speeding towards the isolated research facility, but Jack knew with growing fear, that they would be too late.
Anger and fear battled for his attention. He was angry at himself, he really should have killed White Coat when he had the chance.
Fear at what he may have to do, fear that he would have to make good the promise he made the Doctor back on Valnax, so long ago it felt like an eternity. Could he do it? Could he carry the burden, the guilt? How would history judge him, a killer or a saviour?
All those thoughts went through his head as the helicopter sped through the darkness, getting ever closer to a destiny that Jack didn't want or need.
All those thought were accompanied by the manic laughter of the Doctor as he counted to ten.
****************
Martha ran, heading for the door, she skidded round the corner and ran towards the door. She pulled on the handle, but it didn't budge. She let out a cry of frustration as she kept pulling on the door.
"Martha, M-a-a-r-t-h-a Jo-o-n-e-s!" the Doctor's voice floated down the hell lit corridor.
Martha tried to ignore the voice, and began punching the code into the door.
"Trying to get out the door isn't playing fair, although to be fair, neither am I."
"No!" she cried as the door beeped in rejection of the numbers she'd punched in.
"I changed the codes, it's quite simple, once you have the originals. Dr Johansen was very helpful with the deadlocks as well," the Doctor's voice was getting closer.
She tried the code again, but it still refused her, she thumped the door in frustration.
"Told you," the Doctor said.
Martha whipped round and saw the Doctor leaning against the wall, just past the corner, only a few feet from her.
"You really aren't any good at hide and seek, are you?" he said, a wicked parody of his smile on his face.
He stifled a yawn. "You're boring me now Martha Jones," he said, and pointed his screwdriver at the door.
Martha stepped back, wary of the door as it hissed open.
"Well, go on Miss Jones, or have you forgotten, I don't give second chances," the Doctor said before turning away and disappearing round the corner.
"Go now Martha Jones," he said, his voice echoing down the red lit corridor.
Martha didn't hesitate and ran, the feeling that something catastrophic was going to happen giving her speed. She flew up the flights of stairs, trying not to see the bodies that littered the stairs and the corridor as she ran along it, through reception and out into the cold air.
**********
The Doctor walked back along the corridor, and sauntered up to the man who he'd given the carrier to.
"Time to go, I think," he said, placing his hand on the man's back.
The man nodded in agreement and turned to go back along the corridor. He'd only gone a few steps when he felt a sharp pain in his neck.
He turned his face set in a mask of surprise, and saw the Doctor, a cold smile on his face. He looked down as he heard a scuttling noise, and saw a small metallic run across the floor.
The last thing he saw as his vision faded and his world turned black was the Doctor plucking the carrier from his paralysed hand.
"As if he'd pay you that much," he said and walked away.
He quickly ascended the stairs, giving the weeping form of Dr Johansen a cursory glance...humans, they had such fragile minds.
"Thank you for your assistance, it's a shame your reward is going to be so final," he said.
He ran from the building, back up the slope, past the 4x4 and kept running until he came to the helicopter he arrived in.
He climbed in and the pilot took off, turning in the air, so that the helicopter swept over the building.
The explosion had be spectacular, Altusian charges always were.
The Doctor looked over and saw another helicopter landing. He saw the familiar figure of Jack Harkness running towards what was undoubtedly Martha Jones.
He hissed in annoyance as he saw his would be murderer Gwen Cooper following just behind and he snarled when he saw Ianto Jones.
He swore in his own language, he'd lost his chance.
"Another time Harkness," he growled and looked away.
**********
Martha kept running, even when she heard and felt the deep rumble of an explosion somewhere deep within the research building.
She only slowed when she heard what sounded like engines, and she looked up and stopped. A helicopter climbed into the air, above the smoke and fire that was now rising into the night air.
She had no doubt as to who had caused the explosion, but she couldn't blame him, he was a mad dog, let loose from its chain. No, it was the one who held the chain she blamed, and she swore there and then, that if Jack didn't kill him, then she would.
She looked round at the sound of another helicopter, and watched as it landed. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw a familiar figure running towards her.
***************
Jack watched in horror as he saw the flames rising from the ruined building. He could see people staggering from the ruins, and he could see what looked like bodies amidst the burning wreckage.
"No, he hasn't," he breathed.
Then he saw someone, and his heart leapt...it was Martha, running like she was running for her life.
"Set this thing down!" he yelled at the pilot and was out of the door before it had chance to land properly.
"Martha!" he yelled and sprinted across the space between them.
He stopped when he saw the look on Martha's face.
He grabbed hold of her. "Did he hurt you?" he yelled. And when he got no response, he shook her.
"Martha! Did he hurt you!?"
Martha blinked and seemed to see Jack properly.
She shook her head. "The virus, he took the Reichenstien virus."