Free Doctor Who: Rags by Mick Lewis Page A

friends.’ He indicated Nick and Sin who had now been joined by Rod. Jimmy was sitting in the driver’s seat of his purple camper van which was parked ten yards up the road, sucking on a joint.
    All of them, apart from Sin, looked detached and stunned but were unable for some reason to leave the scene. ‘I’m sure they’ll take care of you’ Jo thought he looked rather doubtfully at Sin for a second; the Chinese girl’s eyes were shining, her lips were full and pouting. Then he went on.
    ‘I want you to follow this tour wherever it may go. I have a feeling your young friends won’t want to miss out on anything either. And I’m sure the tour has a destination of some sort or other, just as I’m sure it’s an important one. I need you to stick close and find out what it is. But remember one thing...’ He leant closer, and his eyes were deadly serious. ‘Whatever you do, stay away from that truck.’ He gestured briefly out across the moor to where the metal vehicle waited, apart from the encampment like a filthy outcast. ‘And if you discover anything unusual, let the Brigadier know at once.’
    He stood up. Was that it? Was he just going to leave her here with near strangers and no explanation? But instead of questioning him further, she merely nodded. She felt lonely and excited at the same time. Something was definitely... happening...
    The Doctor smiled fondly at her. ‘Well goodbye, Jo. I’ll see you at the other side.’ And he was gone.
    The other side?The other side of what? She realised Sin was staring at her intently, still smiling that fragile, offbeat smile. The other side of the tour of course, the eyes seemed to be telling her.
    Come along, itsgonna be one hell of a time...
     
    Jeremy Willis flicked the channel button on his remote and the news footage of the Oblong Box was immediately replaced by Terry Wogan hosting a game show. He hit the off-button angrily.
    ‘Can’t we watch Blankety-Blank?’ Celia whined, as he’d 64
     
    expected her to. He ignored her and reached for the telephone beside the leather settee.
    He was a tall thin man, impeccably dressed, even now while he was supposedly relaxing. The open top button and the absence of a tie were the only signs that marked him out as enjoying leisure time. He was even still wearing his jacket. His hair was sliced neatly by a conservative side-parting, his tidy moustache was only slightly touched with grey. His companion was big-breasted, brunette and eighteen years old. She looked well under half the age of the proud but haughty-looking woman in the photograph tilted next to the phone that Willis was now using.
    Willis was decidedly not pleased with the man on the other end of the line. When Celia’s hand slipped suggestively on to his knee he transferred that ire to her. ‘Will you leave me alone for just a moment?’ he barked. She pulled away and moved across the settee, a dumb look of hurt on her callow features. ‘No, I mean really leave me alone. This is an important call. Go and talk to the neighbours for five minutes.’ He was slipping. He had become so inured to her lack of character that he’d almost forgotten she was there at all. He should be more careful, especially when talking to the man who was on the line right now.
    ‘We don’t have any neighbours,’ Celia whined. That was certainly true: the nearest house was half a mile down the road.
    ‘Well, go out and talk to the bloody squirrels then; they might enjoy your conversational skills.’
    Celia got up, close to tears, and left the room. When he was sure she was out of earshot he returned his attention to the man on the phone.
    ‘Listen: if you want the princess then you’re going to have to work a lot harder for your money. Perhaps I should have some escaped lunatics on my payroll, they seem to be doing a better job than you at kicking up a stink.’
    He listened for a moment, then cut in abruptly: ‘I don’t want to hear your excuses. I just want some