Chapter Eleven
Martha tried to twist away from the hand that covered her mouth, but was surprised when the hand was taken from it.
"Martha, thank god!" a familiar voice said.
She whirled round, and saw Ianto, eyes and face full of relief at seeing a friendly face.
Both hugged each other, just to make sure that they were both alive.
Martha looked round the room, a puzzled frown creasing her face when she saw the carnage.
Ianto saw her frown, and stepped in front of her.
"Don't ask," was all he said, before steering her out of the room.
"Where's the Doctor?" he asked, peering round the corner of the med-room entrance.
"He's gone," Martha replied.
"Did they take him?" Ianto asked, moving out of the med-area, and slowly started climbing the stairs.
"Those men, I don't think so. Ianto, he's..."
"Not the Doctor anymore, I know," Ianto interrupted her.
"No," Martha said, grabbing hold of Ianto's arm. "Ianto, he's still in there, and he's fighting."
Ianto turned to look at Martha, his face set in a hard mask.
"No Martha, you didn't see him..." Ianto swallowed. "Didn't see what he....no it did. It wasn't the Doctor."
"I don't believe that, or he would have done to me what he did to those others. They were people, inside those black things...."
Martha stopped, as a horrible thought crossed her mind.
"Ianto, what if, and it's an awful what if. What if this was White Coat's plan all along? What if the Reichenstien Paradyme was just a red herring, something to throw everyone off the real scent?"
Ianto looked at Martha, and frowned. "Martha, what if White Coat isn't human?"
Martha nodded. "It would make sense. No-one on Earth has the knowledge to do that, and to do that to the Doctor. But White Coat must be human. You did all the tests on him after Arizona. What if he's working for someone who isn't?"
Ianto frowned. "We have to phone Jack."
Jack was driving as fast as he dare. The feeling that something was not right growing steadily.
It had been way too easy to contact that excuse for a person, and it was beginning to smell more and more like a big stinking set-up.
He put his foot down a little more, but nearly lost it as his phone trilled for attention.
"Harkness," he said.
"Jack, it's Ianto, you need to get back here, preferably yesterday."
The urgency in Ianto's voice made |Jack sit a little straighter.
"What's happened?" he asked, fearing the answer.
"You just need to get here," Ianto replied.
The tone of Ianto's voice was enough to tell him something was definitely up. He put the phone down and stomped on the accelerator.
White Coat slammed the phone down in disgust. He knew it had been a mistake to hire outside help.
He didn't care how many men had been killed. All he cared about was the fact that his property was now loose and uncontrolled.
This was unacceptable, as he had received a message only an hour ago, that his true employers were on their way, and were expecting results, and a delivery.
That gave him no more than 48hrs to find and extract some the Alpha Code from what for the moment was his property.
He had no doubt, that once his employers had what they wanted, they would dispose of the vessel that gave life to it, and he couldn't have that.
He always liked to have some sort of leverage, but at the moment, his leverage was roaming the streets of Cardiff.
"No, that won't do at all," he said and picked up the phone. "Have my shuttle and Delta squad ready to leave in fifteen minute."
White Coat's leverage was stumbling along the pier front, trying to avoid and being avoided by the people around him.
He stopped by the railings and looked down at the grey water.
It would be so easy, it really would, just to climb over the railing and drop. The water at this time year would kill a human within hours
If he slowed his metabolism down, it might take him just short of an hour.
"Yes, that's the best way. I die, it dies, simple really," he muttered.
Except the thing inside wouldn't let him, its survival instinct was too strong.
He let out a cry that was part pain, part frustration, as he felt the strength go from his legs.
"Let me die!" he yelled, causing passerby's to give him wary and uneasy glances.
The thing inside him hissed back, unable to comprehend the words he yelled.
It only knew one thing....survive....destroy...kill.
It fought against its host, who was stopping it from its purpose....there was so much life...so much blood.
It hissed again and once again tried to push itself into the part of it host's mind that had been shut off from it.
The Doctor cried out again as he felt the thing inside attack again.
"No!" he cried.
His cry caught the attention of two passing police officers.
"Are you alright sir?" one of them asked.
The second officer looked into the man's eyes. "Looks like he's on something, his eyes are really dilated. They look a little fuzzy too."
The first office looked as well. "You're right, better call an ambulance."
They both jumped when the man suddenly cried.
"No!"
The second officer put a restraining hand on the man. "It's alright, they can help you."
The man jumped at the officer's touch, like had been white hot.
Both officers were startled when he scuttled back and began climbing the railings. They both moved back, wary of forcing the man into jumping.
"Stay away!" the man yelled, as he wavered dangerously on the top railing.
The first officer said to the second. "Call that ambulance and get the SPO down here."
Whilst the other officer did so, the first officer walked slowly towards the man.
They were starting to draw a crowd, which could potentially drive the man into fatal action.
What either officer wasn't prepared for was the man leaping from the railing and sprinting off.
This is really not my day the first officer said, as he ran after the man.
Jack jogged across the Plas, heading towards the Hub.
At first he didn't take much notice of the crowd that was gathering near what looked like a media van.
Then he heard the sounds of sirens, and that feeling returned to his stomach.
He slowed, trying to see what was going on, but still head towards the Hub.
Then he saw Ianto and Martha emerged from the crowd, and he knew something was very wrong.