The trio had piled back into Yumiko's Ford Sierra as soon as they had finished speaking with the youths. The rain clouds the Doctor had saw in the distance earlier that day had finally arrived & a heavy downpour was now soaking the area. The car's windscreen wipers were moving at top speed as they turned the corner not far from Alpin Crescent & began travelling up the long, lonely road to the Ludovico Estate.
"Oh good, I was worried we were going to end up somewhere creepy again." said Yumiko, sarcastically. "There was me thinking that I'd exaggerated my childhood memories with time."
The cause of this caustic remark had been the flat itself, looming large out of the darkness of the night. The road which paved the way to the tower was only intermittently lit by lampposts, most having either been vandalised or fallen into disrepair. The tower itself was only sparsely lit, the occasional beacon of light shining out of small windows. Out of 15 floors, only a handful of lights could be seen shining out as the Ford Sierra powered up the road. The trees lining the route & besieging the circumference of the tower were barren of leaves, so much so that it gave the immediate area a desolate & dead atmosphere.
Coasting to a stop in a largely empty car park, none of the trio seemed eager to leave the confines of Yumiko's car.
"I feel a little bit of a fool." said Freya, nervously.
From the back, the two women were vaguely aware of the Doctor rifling through his coat pockets.
"How so?" asked Yumiko, tearing her gaze from the ominous monolith.
"Well...how are we going to get in? It's long past time for the service button to be in action & if anyone's actually in there, they'd be bloody idiots to just let random strangers buzz them & waltz in."
"If I can find the very thing we need, it's shan't be a problem." said the Doctor.
Yumiko & Freya turned in unison & saw the Doctor free whatever he was looking for from his inside pocket. It was a slender metal tube with what appeared to be an emitter at the top.
"This'll get us through the door." he said, brandishing the Sonic Screwdriver.
He had been lurking for the better part of the day. The cold no longer bothered him, nor the wet, but the interminable waiting played on his nerves. He had to retrieve the box once the fools were finished solving it so that it could be passed on to the next sacrifice. The arrival of the three strangers had changed things. The boss had let all of his little soldiers know about the UNIT agent, how, despite her investigation going nowhere, to still be careful of her. However, he hadn't said anything about the funny little man or the pretty Asian-looking woman.
He watched as the three, huddled under the protection of the man's umbrella, race for the flat door. From his position in the trees, he could make out the little man producing a metal tube & holding it to the door. In seconds, the door had buzzed open & the three had disappeared inside.
Doing his best, & failing, to suppress an involuntary convulsion, he suddenly found himself apprehensive. Something about the little man did not sit right, not at all.
He would have to let the boss know about this, but his first duty was retrieval. He would have to follow in their shadows & wait for an opportunity.
But whatever happened, he could not be seen by the Order. He'd be in for more than just a world of pain...
The Doctor, shaking his umbrella, pocketed the Sonic Screwdriver. Beside him, Freya read the sign detailing the flat numbers & their respective floors, but Yumiko remained by the door.
"Could have sworn I saw something in the trees."
"It's just your imagination." said the Doctor, walking to her side.
"I didn't imagine anything." said Yumiko, truculently. "There's barely a breath of wind & there's no foliage on ground level."
"Perhaps someone out walking their dog." said Freya, still examining the board.
"Have to be bloody stupid to be out in weather like this...wonder what that makes us then." she added.
"Intrepid fools." replied the Doctor, softly.
"Not sure about the intrepid part." retorted Yumiko, examining the main lobby for the first time.
The lobby was dank & messy. The black tiled flooring, once gleaming & shiny, had been trodden on by so many dirty feet & barely cleaned that it now sported a matte finish. The walls, once a cream colour, had been damaged by what appeared to be a leak of some kind, leaving drab brown stains in places. A notice board, slanted & in danger of plummeting to the floor, hung from a single nail. Most of it's contents had faded or been torn ineffectively, leaving concert ads with only their top halves or council notices illegible. The double set of lifts sat in the centre of the room, wood wall panels decorating the exterior of the surrounding lift-shaft. Several doors were positioned around the lifts. Pushing one open, Freya found herself in a communal laundry room, the various washing machines & driers in poor shape. Yumiko discovered the stairs behind another door & saw that the decor was similar to the lobby. All pervading was a strong smell of bleach which permeated lobby & stairs alike.
"It hasn't changed in 15 odd years then." said Yumiko. "Still manky."
Outside, a gust of wind blew suddenly forcing rain onto the large windows by the door. The sudden patter made Yumiko turn & once more, a movement caught her eye.
"There's definitely someone out there."
"It's probably just a resident, hoping we'll move along so they can come in." replied the Doctor, pressing the button for the lift. "I doubt very much the inhabitants will have good words for each other, let alone strangers or policeman."
A high pitched screech of grinding metal accompanied the lifts descent &, as the doors opened, the Doctor grimaced. A strong, foul odour escaped the confines of the conveyance. Something else, a disturbingly familiar note, hid under the abominable smell.
"Why do the lifts always smell like somethings died in places like this?" grumbled Freya.
The Doctor's expression became dark as the two women sidled past & entered the lift, holding their coat collars to their mouths. Entering, the Doctor pressed the button for the 10th floor & lifted his paisley handkerchief to his mouth.
"Let it not be them." he thought.
The lift doors opened laboriously & the sight that met the gazes of the trio was an ominous one. A flickering, strobe light above the door illuminated a trailing, bloody hand-print on the wall ahead of them. Stepping forward, the Doctor examined the stain before turning his head this way & that. To the left of the lift stood number 32, the door wide open. Cautiously moving over, the Timelord craned his head around the portal & withdrew it immediately. Yumiko & Freya joined him but, due to the foreboding atmosphere & the Doctors pale face, both found themselves unable to look.
"Something terrible has happened here." said the Doctor.
Turning back in the direction of the lift, the Doctor walked past it toward Number 40. Without knocking, he immediately opened the door & stepped into the abode. The interior was dark, the walls barren of pictures or decorations. Poking his head into what was clearly a bedroom, the Doctor wrinkled his nose at the poor state of the room. The double bed, once on wooden stands, had partially collapsed. The quilt covers were filthy, the floor sticky & the walls spotted in places with what seemed like food.
Directly opposite this room was another bedroom. Walking in, the Doctor was mildly pleased to see it was better kept. The faded poster of the boy band "Take That" situated above the made bed, various cuddly toys & a small collection of make-up suggested the inhabitant was a teenager.
"Eilidh's room." muttered the Doctor.
Stepping back into the corridor, the Doctor's stalked up it's short distance & entered the living room. The sight that met his gaze was a carbon copy of the Beatties living room, only on this occasion there were leftovers. By sofa, the Timelord could see dismembered fingers scattered about. On the floor, unidentifiable organs lay rotting among shredded scraps of clothes & magazines. The smell of the room was abominable, so much so that the Doctor had to retreat. Yumiko & Freya, taking one look, shut the door behind them & took several steps back.
"That wasn't done recently." said the Doctor, breathing into his handkerchief. "Days ago, at least."
"The girl, Eilidh...was it her parents?" said Yumiko, tremulously.
The Doctor merely nodded. Standing up straight, he passed the two women & exited out onto the 10th floor lobby.
"Let's make a check of the other flats."
The three made their way to number 34 where, whilst still empty, they found no signs of violence or struggle. It was as they stood outside number 36 that the Doctor raised a hand for silence. The silence that followed was as deafening as it had been at the Beatties. That was, until both Freya & Yumiko could make out the sound of someone muttering.
"Lamentable Ones...solve the box...bring the light..."
With a wary glance, the Doctor silently opened the door. Creeping into the corridor, similar in layout to the other flats, the trio edged up the corridor toward the living room where the muttering was coming from. Opening the door, the Doctor flinched as it let out a loud squeak. It seemingly made no impression on the mutterer, he continued his soliloquy & refrained from turning to the sound.
"The sweet...sweet suffering...need...need it..."
Entering the room, Yumiko was surprised to see that it was relatively well kept, if a tad dark. The curtains were drawn & the only light was the candle that sat before the man, seated on his knees on the floor.
With a sudden movement, the Doctor raced forwards, dropped to his knees & began trying to wrench something from the man's hands.
"Stop man, you don't know what your summoning!" he bellowed.
Rushing forward, Yumiko & Freya saw what the Doctor was trying to wrest from the man's grasp. It was a small, immaculately lacquered box. In the distance, the sound of a tolling bell could be heard. All around them, sounds akin to a house settling in could be heard, only louder.
"It's too late." said the Doctor, a grim look coming over his face as he stood up straight.
At the other end of the room, the large black television began to flicker. Several images flashed on the screen, most too quick to be discerned. Above them, the single bulb began to flicker on & off. Each time that the light came back on, it did so far brighter than the last, as if a surge of intermittent power was passing through it. Suddenly, the television set screen exploded, the glass showering all in the behind them, the sound of the living room door slamming shut sliced through the brief silence between tolls of the ethereal bell. A bright light began to glow from behind the curtains as the only sound that filled the room was that of the bell.
A spark of electricity flashed & all were immediately aware of another presence in the room. A deep, ragged breathing echoed from the darkest corner & an incessant chattering could be heard. The intruder remained in the corner, however.
With a shuddering crack, the far wall where the television stood began to pull itself open, as if two large doors had been there the entire time. Instead of the night air of North Fens, a shining, blinding light emanated forth & a wave of air passed into the modest living room. The scent of vanilla wafted & permeated the flat, but despite this, neither Yumiko or Freya were relieved by the smell. Beneath the sweet scent there was a sour, repellent note that neither could put their finger on. Whatever it was, made them feel sick.
Out of the light, two figures emerged, one corpulent & grotesque, the other lithe & feminine. The strength of the light prevented their forms from being fully discernible & the two stood either side of the shining gateway. The tolling bell reached a crescendo & the wind began to die as another figure began to emerge.
Backing up, Freya attempted to open the living room door. Finding it firmly shut, she was horrified to feel the over-strong grasp of a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she bit back a scream of terror as the first, mysterious interloper was revealed by the shining light. It's horrible, misshapen head & chattering teeth glistened in the glowing light as, with seemingly no effort, it pushed her back towards the Doctor & Yumiko.
"Stay close to me." shouted the Doctor, casting a scornful glance at the creature as the tumult began to wane.
Looking back to the gateway, the new entrant appeared taller than the rest &, as he fully entered the room, the light weakened just enough for figures to become visible. The sight that met Yumiko & Freya's eyes repelled them as much as the chattering ones visage had. Each of the new arrivals had each their own form of disfigurement or scarification. All were clad in leather in various styles &, as the tolling bell began to distort, the sound of raspy, stertorous breathing became more apparent.
"Cripes...Wh-what...who...are they?" stammered Yumiko.
The final arrival took a few steps forward & halted, examining those before him. His expression was almost bored, but his gaze lacked the accompanying distant look. As he examined each in turn, his dark eyes pierced all.
"The Priests of Desire." growled the Doctor. "The Cenobites."