PREDATOR AND PREY
Chapter Twenty Nine Jackie gasped when the Doctor and Jack rounded on her and Pete, their eyes ablaze with unspoken rage. "So…are you a part of this as well?" the Doctor snarled at Jackie. "Part of what?" Jackie said, trying not to show her fear at the rage on the Doctor's face. "This!" the Doctor said, pointing to the spot where Rose had been. "You've been with John. Are you working for the Valeyard as well?" "No!" Jackie said. "We didn't know he was going to do that!" "We're not working for the Valeyard, Doctor. I give you my word," Pete said. The Doctor considered that for a moment and then rushed to the microphone. River, Rory and Amy were still looking at John's file. "You three," he said, speaking into the microphone, "get out of there now. John was working for the Valeyard and he just betrayed us and kidnapped Rose. I'm betting he's telling his boss about your whereabouts so get out of there NOW!" "What? John was working for the Valeyard?" Rory said. "Never mind, Rory, we'll recover from the shock later. You heard the Doctor, move!" River said, pointing to the door. The three of them turned and hurried for the door. River unlocked it with the screwdriver and peeked outside before she beckoned to the others to follow her. But a moment after they left the office, a klaxon sounded throughout the building and River let out a curse as the three of them picked up speed. "Permission to ring the clone's scrawny neck when we see him?" Jack growled as he and the Doctor watched their flight from the building. "You can ring it after I get done with him," the Doctor said, fuming. The three of them nearly got to the lift before three people rounded the corner up ahead of them. Pete cursed when the two men and woman pointed at them and yelled out that they found them. River let out a yell of rage and began to run straight towards them. Jack laughed when she barreled into the stunned people and decked the man in front while Amy and Rory ran to help. River wrestled the man to the ground while Rory took the other man and Amy took on the woman. The Doctor cursed when the images became blurry and confusing while Rory wrestled with the man he had targeted. He heard a gun shot and Rory looked around at River. River managed to get hold of the first man's gun and had pointed it towards the ceiling and fired while giving all three people a look of warning. "I suggest you run before the next bullet goes into your skulls," she snarled at their attackers as she aimed the gun at the man. The attackers backed off, scrambling to their feet and running away while River told Amy and Rory to head for the lift. They reached the lift and River fired into the air over two more pursuers heads, causing them to dive for cover. The lift door opened and all of them ran inside, Rory cursing while he jabbed his finger repeatedly at the ground floor button. "Come on, close, damn it!" he yelled at the slow moving lift door. "Doctor, any idea where John took Rose?" Amy said, stepping in front of Rory. The Doctor pushed the microphone button. "No. Don't worry about that now, just get out of there and back to the TARDIS and we'll find a way to get to her," he said. Everyone in the lift let out a gasp when the lift suddenly jerked to a stop and they were trapped between floors. River tried the screwdriver on the buttons and cursed when nothing happened. Rory yelled and the Doctor and Pete cursed when they could see a grey mist filtering down from a vent overhead. "Knockout gas," Pete said. "It's designed to stop intruders and thieves from leaving the building." Pete winced when Rory collapsed to the floor and all they could see from his perspective was grey smoke filling the lift. "Now what?" Pete said to the Doctor when they heard the lift going back up. "Now, we wait because I'm sure either John or the Valeyard will be contacting us soon," the Doctor said. "Will they be alright?" Jackie said. "I'm sure they will be for the moment," the Doctor said. "If John hasn't told the Valeyard about me, he will and I'm sure they'll want me to surrender." "If you go, I'm coming with you," Jack said. "I'm betting you won't have a choice," the Doctor said. "I'm sure John will tell them about your immortality as well." "And he'll want the TARDIS as well?" Pete said. "Yes, that's a given," the Doctor said while they watched the mist being sucked back into the vent. "I have a feeling Rose's escape was orchestrated because they were betting that she'd try the dimension cannon and try to find me. Why wait for a coral to grow when you can have a fully grown TARDIS at your disposal." They watched while a couple of men wearing gas masks came inside the lift, grabbed Rory by the arms and lifted him up. They watched while Rory was dragged down the hall back to the Valeyard's office. The Doctor bristled when the door was opened and the Valeyard was sitting at his desk with John standing beside him. "Where's Rose?" Jackie said. "Probably in one of the detention rooms," Pete said. "At least I hope she is." "No, they won't kill her yet," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "They need her as a bargaining chip to get me or Jack or both of us to come to them." "The lenses in those glasses are a camera," John said to the Valeyard while he pointed at Rory. "The Doctor can see and hear everything." The Doctor let out an angry sigh and walked over to the microphone. "I s'pose you want me to surrender then," he said, pushing the button. "That's exactly what I want you to do. You and the rest of your friends," the Valeyard said. "Come quietly and no one will be harmed." "What about Rose? Where is she?" the Doctor said. "She's in one of the cells but she's fine…for the moment," the Valeyard said. "Surrender to me and she'll stay that way." "Where do you want us to surrender?" the Doctor said. "Oh, just come in the front door and my partner will be waiting for you," the Valeyard said, gesturing to John. "Oh good, I get to deck him then," Jack said. "You do, Harkness, and I'll make sure you die a hundred painful deaths over and over," John snarled at him. "You'll do everything we say or Rose and these three suffer and then you get your turn. Got it?" "Yeah," Jack said angrily, boiling with anger when he saw the sneer on John's face. "We'll come on one condition," the Doctor said. John snorted. "See, told ya he'd try to take control of the situation," he said to the Valeyard. "I'm not taking control of anything. I'm asking the Jackie and Pete be spared and left here. They're not a part of this and they have a child," the Doctor said. John looked at the Valeyard for confirmation. The Valeyard nodded. "Fine. As long as we have you and Harkness, that's all that matters," he said dismissively. "Doctor, let me come with you," Pete said as the Doctor took his finger off the microphone button. "No. You and Jackie find a hotel and take Tony away from here," the Doctor said. "If he takes the TARDIS, I don't want you three inside it. You have a child to think of. We'll be alright, trust us." Pete nodded reluctantly and the Doctor pushed the microphone button and told the Valeyard that he and Jack were coming to Canary Wharf's lobby. After the Valeyard cut off communication and ordered River, Amy and Rory to be taken to a cell, the Doctor and Jack prepared to leave. While Pete went to fetch Tony from the TARDIS's playroom, Jackie walked up to the Doctor and surprised him by giving him a hug. "Despite your reckless behavior, I am fond of you and I want you and Jack to come back in one piece along with Rose and everyone else. D'ya hear me?" "Crystal clear, Jackie," the Doctor said. Jackie gave Jack a hug and waited for Pete to come back. When Pete and Tony were ready, everyone exited the TARDIS and the Doctor hid it again before they parted ways and he and Jack headed towards Canary Wharf.
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