‘Well, we can’t just leave him like that!’

‘We have to,’ said the Doctor. He pocketed his sonic. ‘What’s his name?’

‘Michael,’ said Warren. ‘Detective Michael Green.’

The Doctor smiled, despite himself. ‘Well, I wasn’t expecting to hear that,’ he said. ‘Actually, I can’t hear anything at all.’ He took half a dozen steps along the corridor, then paused to listen. ‘This is the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department, but it’s silent. No phones, no talking, no footsteps.’ He spun back to face Warren. ‘Come on!’

They discovered Grey holding hands with one of the Shroud in the cafeteria, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. And he wasn’t alone. The room was filled with police officers, detectives and civilians, all connected to blue-veiled women. All except a girl in her teens they found cowering beside a refrigerator in the kitchen area. She screamed and tried to force herself further back into the tiny cubby hole at the sight of the two men.

‘Hello,’ said the Doctor kindly. ‘I’m the Doctor and this is Warren. There’s no need to be scared of us.’

The girl looked quickly from the Doctor to the FBI agent and back again, her eyes filled with fear.

The Doctor took her trembling hand in his. ‘What’s your name?’

‘P-Peggy,’ the girl stammered.

‘OK, Peggy,’ he said, pulling his psychic paper from his pocket. ‘I need you to read to me what it says on here …’

Peggy glanced at the paper, then looked back up at the Doctor. ‘It doesn’t say anything,’ she whimpered.

‘As I thought,’ said the Doctor to Warren, closing the wallet and slipping it away. ‘Low psychic resonance. She won’t have seen a face.’

‘Does that mean she’s safe?’ Warren asked.

‘For now,’ replied the Doctor. ‘Peggy,’ he said, turning his attention back to the girl. ‘There’s a drill going on, a kind of emergency exercise …’

Peggy frowned through her tears. ‘You mean this isn’t real?’

‘Of course not,’ beamed the Doctor. ‘It’s just one of those “duck and cover” things. Boring, really, but very important in case of a real disaster.’

Peggy nodded. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘What do I have to do?’

The Doctor pulled her to her feet. ‘Come with us,’ he said with a smile. ‘I’ve got a very important part in the exercise for you. I want you to play a prisoner.’

‘But I ain’t no actress.’

‘Don’t you sell yourself short,’ said the Doctor. ‘Not with the way you’re pretending to look so scared right now. You’re a star in the making.’

Peggy giggled nervously. ‘You think?’

‘It’s like being at the movies,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now, if Warren will kindly lead the way to the cells, we’ll get you into your role.’

A few minutes later, Peggy was sitting on a cold stone bench in a vacant police cell. ‘How am I doing?’ she asked.

‘Perfect!’ enthused the Doctor. ‘Now, if you’ll forgive a little direction – I want you to stay locked in here until someone comes and tells you it’s safe to come out. It might take a while, mind you. And whatever you do, don’t touch anyone with a blue veil over their face – they’re the actresses playing infected citizens.’

‘I won’t!’

The Doctor and Warren backed out of the cell. ‘Ready for your close-up?’ the Doctor winked.

Peggy giggled again.

‘… and action!’

Warren closed and locked the cell door. ‘Will she be safe in there?’ he asked.

‘Safer than a lot of other people,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now, see if you can get me the keys to the other cells.’

They found Clara and Mae in a cell together at the end of the row. Clara hugged the Doctor tightly. ‘I didn’t know what they’d done to you,’ she cried.

‘I’ve been making new friends,’ said the Doctor disentangling himself from Clara. ‘Clara, Mae – meet Warren.’

Clara shook the FBI agent’s hand.

‘Where’s Ben?’ asked Mae, looking round.

‘I’m so sorry,’ said the Doctor.

Mae slumped back against the wall with a gasp.

‘What happened?’ asked Clara.

‘He went into shock,’ the Doctor explained. The Shroud was deep inside his mind when the link was severed. But it wasn’t the police officer’s fault. He wasn’t to know it would have that effect.’

‘Then we have to go back,’ said Mae.

‘He’s not there any more,’ said Warren. ‘The coroner removed his body from the office shortly after you were all arrested.’

‘I don’t mean that,’ said Mae. She turned to the Doctor. ‘You’ve got a time machine – now prove it! Go back and stop Ben from touching that thing.’

‘It doesn’t work like that,’ said the Doctor. ‘I can’t.’

‘But you have to—’

‘I can’t!’ said the Doctor firmly. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Mae buried her head into her hands, sobbing.

Clara hugged her. ‘So what do we do, Doctor?’ she asked over Mae’s shoulder.

‘I don’t know,’ the Doctor admitted, pacing again. ‘Ben was beginning to reject the Shroud when the link was severed, but I can’t go into every single person’s memories and encourage them to do the same. We don’t have the time.’ He stopped pacing and turned. ‘There has to be a—’

Suddenly, they heard the noise of engines, and the Doctor ran to the window, jumping onto a bench to see out. ‘No, no, no!’ he cried, darting for the door.

Warren, Mae and Clara ran out after him. Dozens of dark green military vehicles were driving past in convoy.

‘I have to get back to the hospital,’ said the Doctor.

Chapter 8

The ambulance screeched to a halt at the checkpoint blocking the entrance to the hospital grounds. A lorry was parked across the road behind a long coil of barbed wire.

The drive across the city had been tough. The streets were filled with scores of people holding hands with blue-veiled women, and they had been forced to drive carefully around each pairing.

The Doctor jumped out of the ambulance and raced over to the armed soldier manning the barrier. ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘That’s a lovely barricade you have there. Very well done. Listen, I know you’re not supposed to let anyone through but the thing is I really, really have to speak to whoever is in charge.’

‘I’m sorry, sir,’ said the soldier. ‘General West has set up his command headquarters inside the hospital. No civilians allowed, unless it involves a medical emergency.’

‘We’re in an ambulance,’ the Doctor pointed out. ‘What makes you think this isn’t a medical emergency?’

The soldier shrugged. ‘You’re not a doctor.’

‘Ha! I am too a doctor, and I can prove it.’ He began to rummage through his pockets.

‘What’s the hold-up?’ called Clara from the ambulance.

‘I’ve lost my stethoscope!’ the Doctor cried, looking genuinely mournful. He turned back to the soldier. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Private Wright, sir,’ the young man replied.

‘OK, Private Wright,’ said the Doctor urgently. ‘Here’s the thing. You need to let us through this barricade of yours. The future of the entire human race could depend on it.’

‘I’m afraid that really isn’t possible, sir. I’m just doing my job.’

‘Yes, and you’re doing it very well, unfortunately,’ sighed the Doctor. ‘Is there anyone else here I can talk to? Anyone of a higher rank?’

‘There’s Sergeant Scott.’

‘Marvellous, in which case – can I please speak with Sergeant Scott?’

Private Wright shrugged again. ‘Sarge!’ he called out, stepping back to look behind the lorry. ‘There’s someone here who—’ Suddenly, he raised his rifle and aimed at someone or something the Doctor was unable to see. ‘Ma’am – step away this instant!’

The Doctor leapt over the coil of barbed wire and hurried to Private Wright’s side. Behind the lorry, another soldier – Sergeant Scott by the insignia on his uniform – was holding hands with a woman in a blue veil and matching dress. Tears were rolling down the sergeant’s cheeks and he was muttering to himself. ‘This isn’t real. It can’t be real.’