EATER OF SOULS

Chapter Twenty Three

The Doctor took Rose to the room they shared and sat down with her on the wooden bed.

"What did you find?" she asked.

"Another body, out in the desert. We need to go examine it but I wanted to come back and tell you first," he said to her. "Did you find out anything?"

"Not really. I talked to Chisisi while you were gone. He told me about himself and I told him some things I thought sounded good about life in Greece. I tried to be convincing. Hopefully, I was."

"Well, we can't be concerned about him. We have more important things to think about now," the Doctor said. "We'll wait until everyone goes to sleep though before we go back out. Hopefully the jackals won't take the body away and feast on it while we're here."

Bezrek stood just outside the door, listening. When the Doctor was finished speaking, he snuck away and went back up on the roof, waiting for the moment when Ahmose and Amisi went to sleep. He pulled a communicator out of a small leather pouch hidden underneath his loincloth and contacted his master.

"Speak," his master said.

"Sire, the human child, Rose, and Sheltek Na'barak are going outside late tonight. The Annihilator has found another human corpse.

"I know. My pet did that. I want to try to lay a trap for him. I figured he would take the bait and the corpse would peak his interest. Hopefully, my pet can herd him and the human child into a transmat beam and we'll take them up to the ship where we can dispose of them once and for all."

"Sire, the human child, I want her to be spared," Bezrek said quickly.

"Oh? And why should I spare her?" his master said.

"She is an innocent, Sire. She has been seduced and brainwashed by Sheltek Na'barak. It is not her fault that she follows him. He compels her to serve him."

"Then she is a threat, same as him, and she must also die."

"No, Sire, please spare her."

There was silence on the other end that stretched on for about thirty seconds.

"Are you defying me?" his master finally said.

"No, Sire, I just think it would be hypocritical for you to punish her for The Annihilator's sins. She's been put under his thrall…"

"And he can make her fight for him which is why she must die with him. You are not the leader here, Bezrek, I know what's best for us and even if the child is innocent, she must die as a precaution. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sire."

"Good. Wait and watch for them to leave and follow at a distance. Once they are captured and brought up into the ship, I will bring you up and then we will deal with these interlopers."

"Yes, Sire."

"Good. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Bezrek said no so his master signed off. Bezrek put the communicator back in the pouch and sat and thought about what his master told him. He was loyal to him but he felt he was making a mistake. His master didn't know Rose like he did. Even thought the child lied to him during their chat, he could tell she was a kind, sweet person and the last thing he wanted was for her to suffer and die with a rogue criminal like the Doctor. He decided that he would try to get Rose away from The Annihilator. Perhaps, speak to her tonight and get her to leave with him before the Doctor was taken up into the ship. He knew he was risking his master's wrath, but…

He suddenly realized what he was thinking and it shocked him. He was actually going to risk death for a human child? But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he might actually be in love with Rose. He had never met anyone like her before. She intrigued him and he suddenly realized he was actually jealous of the Doctor for keeping her for himself. He came to the conclusion that he was trying to rescue her in the hope that she might love him for it.

Once she comes to her senses, of course, he thought. Once Rose realizes what The Annihilator is doing and I help free her mind, she will love me. And if she does, it will be worth risking the master's wrath. Even if she doesn't want to be with me, at least she'll be safe.

Making his mind up, Bezrek neared the edge of the mud brick roof, watching and waiting for the Doctor and Rose to come outside and head off into the desert.

"Rose?"

The Doctor gently shook Rose while she lay sleeping beside him on the bed. He had stayed awake watching and waiting till the lights went out and then waiting another hour so he could be sure everyone was asleep. Rose mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Is it time?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes. I think everyone's asleep now," he said.

Rose nodded and she sat up and got up from the bed so the Doctor could get up. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes while the Doctor stood up behind her. She smiled when he gave her a loving kiss on the cheek from behind.

"Mind your steps. I don't want you falling arse over elbow and waking up the household," he quietly teased.

"Oh yeah," Rose teased back. "I think you're the one who needs to watch your steps, Mister Gangly Man."

She gasped when the Doctor pinched the fleshy part of her inner arm and hurried away from her when she tried to swat at him. She reached out for him in the darkness and the Doctor took her hand and led her to the door.

"What are you, a cat? How can you see so well in the dark?" Rose whispered to him.

"I have many talents, Tyler," the Doctor whispered back.

They navigated their way through the house and when they reached the front door, the Doctor pulled back the heavy linen drape over it and they stepped outside into the chilly night air. The moon was shining down on them as they made their way silently through the town towards the desert. Rose shivered slightly in the sheer linen dress she was wearing and the Doctor drew her near and put his arm around her while they walked into the desert. In the distance, a jackal yelped and Rose hoped that they wouldn't run into it while they were examining the corpse.

"Where did you find this dead body?" Rose asked.

"Not far. A few kliks or so away from the town. But the woman's heart was ripped from the body, same as the others," he replied.

"What do you think it means?" Rose asked.

"Not sure but I don't think it's Ammit punishing sinners," the Doctor said. "I think Ammit isn't part of the Egyptian pantheon, let alone from Earth, and if we have to catch that…thing…and interrogate it personally, we're gonna get to the bottom of this before it does any more harm."

"Just as long as we don't run into any jackals while we're out here, I'll be happy," Rose said.

She looked at the Doctor when he gave her an odd look.

"What?" she said.

"Alien crocodile lion thingy doesn't faze you but jackals do?" he said with amusement.

"No, I'm also worried about the crocodile lion thingy but I just heard jackals a few minutes ago so I know they're out here."

"Not to worry, they're probably more scared of us than we are of them."

"Famous last words?" Rose said.

"Now that you mention it, yes. General Custer."

Rose glanced at him, trying to see if he was bullshitting her but his face was inscrutable while he walked with her. She figured he was having her on and decided to drop the subject. While they walked, the light wind moved the sand and some of it hit her ankles while more sand got between her toes and she began to think how much better it would be if she was wearing her trainers and her jeans and hoodie rather than a sheer, nearly see-through linen dress and sandals.

After another half hour, they reached the body. This time the body was laying on a rock, the woman's eyes staring up blankly at the moon. When they got even closer, Rose could see the gaping hole in her chest and saw flies buzzing around it. She fought the urge to puke while the Doctor calmly led her over to it.

"See, same as before, but why? What's the connection between all these deaths?" he mused while he stared at the corpse.

While he stood and thought, Rose sensed someone behind them. She turned and was taken aback when she saw who it was.

"Chisisi, what are you doing here?" she asked while the Doctor turned towards him.

"I…was curious about what you were doing. I was up on the roof and saw you leaving. Not many people venture into the desert this late at night. You found a dead body?" he said, nearing close to them.

"Um…yeah, we have," the Doctor said. "I found it earlier. I didn't want to alarm anyone so I thought I'd bring Rose out here to see it first before telling anyone else."

Bezrek's eyes went to Rose and his heart sped up when he saw the desert wind moving her blonde hair around. The sight of it blowing into her eyes and her moving it behind her ear made his longing for her increase. He neared closer to her while he pretended to study the body.

"Who is it, I wonder?" Bezrek said.

"Dunno. Maybe Ahmose would know. We need to find a way to move the body though before the carrion eaters feast on it."

Suddenly, Bezrek saw his chance to rescue Rose.

"Let me and Rose go back and get Ahmose and a few of the other villagers then," he said as calmly as he could. "We can have them bring something back to carry the body in."

Bezrek held his breath, hoping The Annihilator would agree to his plan. To his relief, he finally nodded.

"Yes. Go ahead and do that. I'm sure they'll wanna bury the body as soon as possible and I want everyone to see her and see if they can identify her. Rose, go with Chisisi."

"Will you be alright out here by yourself?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go ahead and get help," the Doctor said.

Rose nodded and Bezrek felt himself getting jealous when Rose gave his hand a quick squeeze before she turned with him and walked away. Feeling triumphant that he had managed to separate Rose from her captor, Bezrek made her walk quickly through the desert before his master used the transmat beam on the Doctor.

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