Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [044] - The Mutants by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426116905
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1977-02-14T23:00:00+00:00

8

The Trap

Not far from the entrance to the mines, Varan paused suspiciously. He could hear movements coming towards him. Not Solonians. Overlords, crashing through the jungle in their heavy boots.

He saw a squad of Overlord guards moving quickly along the trail, the first of the Marshal’s men on their way to surround the mines.

Varan considered. They were directly across his path.

But if he waited, more Overlords might come, until there were too many to escape. Better to surprise them now.

He dashed across the trail, and was disappearing into the jungle beyond before the guards had really spotted him. He heard shouted commands to stop, and blaster-bolts sizzled around his head. Varan ducked and weaved and kept running, until the jungle swallowed him up. The guard Captain stared longingly after him. But the Marshal’s orders had been clear. He gathered his men and marched them forward to the mines.

Ky and the Doctor, who had been searching separately to cover more ground, came together in the inner chamber.

They were tired and dispirited and their torches were burning low. Each could see from the other’s face that the search had been unsuccessful. ‘We’ll just have to carry on,’ said the Doctor grimly. ‘If the torches last – and if the Mutants don’t attack us!’

There was a scuttling sound, and then silence. ‘They’re watching us all the time,’ said Ky softly.

The Doctor nodded. ‘Yet they don’t attack in the tunnels – only at the entrance – and in here. As if this area was important to them in some way.’

‘I feel it myself,’ said Ky unexpectedly. ‘A sensation of being drawn here, as if this place is – special. Warm, and safe. A kind of instinctive attraction.’

The Doctor looked hard at him. ‘As you say, Ky, it’s very strange. We’d better go on with the search.’

They left the chamber and the light of their torches disappeared down the mine shaft. Darkness returned to the chamber for a moment. Then more light appeared. A section of the rock moved away. A huge round silvery head appeared in the opening…

Outside the cave the Marshal was deep in conversation with the Captain of the advance guard. ‘You’re sure it was Varan?’

‘Yes, sir. I’ve often seen him on Skybase.’

‘Very well. Say nothing about this to anyone.’ The Marshal turned away and raised his voice. ‘All right, let’s have those grenades over here – and the blast-packs.’ Boxes of gas grenades and packets of plastic explosive were carried over to the mine shaft by sweating guards.

Stubbs and Cotton came over to the Marshal and saluted. He looked at them thoughtfully, a curious gleam in his eye. ‘Well?’

‘Wonder if we ought to search for the Doctor and Miss Grant first,’ said Stubbs uneasily.

‘Do you now?’ said the Marshal smoothly. ‘I wonder why.’

Stubbs racked his brains, and Cotton came to his rescue.

‘Professor Jaeger needs the Doctor to help him, sir – and the girl’s no more than a kid.’

The Marshal seemed to ponder for a moment. ‘Very well. It’ll take some time to get things set up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.