Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 |
"Doc, they found Jovanka's car. It wasn't too far from where her 'brother' said it would be. The forensic team is checking it over now to see if they can find out anything from it. So it looks like she came here after all." Burke sat down next to Liz. He was a little winded from his walk back from the parking garage. "Still no sign of her, of course. We've asked around and no one has seen her today. So any ideas?"
"I think I'd like to talk to her 'brother.' He mentioned she was going to see her boyfriend, so I'm a little perplexed as to who he is." Liz took off her glasses and looked at the inspector. "Fancy a trip into town?"
"Ah, so you're beginning to think he may be a suspect, too? I'll make a policeman of you yet." Burke stood up and began to head for his car. "Think we'll need backup?"
Liz laughed. "I still think there's probably a simple explanation for this 'brother.' If he were responsible for her disappearance, why call the police? And then why stay at her house waiting for us to call? So, no, I don't think we'll need backup."
"I'm tellin' ya, Doc, the criminal mind does the oddest things some times. So don't be surprised if this 'brother' turns out to be an ax-murderer."
Less than half an hour later, the pair arrived at Tegan Jovanka's block of flats. "She's in number 18. Looks like it's that way," Liz said.
Turlough was on Tegan's computer surfing the Internet when he heard a knock on the door. He logged off before answering. A man and woman were there. "Um, hello. Can I help you?" he asked.
"Are you Turlough Jovanka," asked the man as he took out a wallet. Turlough nodded. The man showed his badge to the younger man. "I'm Detective Inspector Burke, and this is Dr. Elizabeth Shaw. We have a few questions for you. Can we come in?"
Turlough gestured for the couple to enter the room. "Please, have a seat. Could I get either of you something? I have some tea in the kitchen."
"Nothing for me, thanks," said Dr. Shaw.
Burke shook his head as he said, "You seem rather calm for a man whose sister is missing. Is there something you know that we should know about?"
"Other than the fact that Tegan's capable of looking after herself? Why should I sit here in a panic? It certainly won't do her any good. I've never understood why hu..." Turlough corrected himself, "people feel the need to worry about things over which they have no control."
"For most people it's a matter of emotional attachment. Perhaps you and your 'sister' don't get along very well. Perhaps you aren't as worried because you know where she is." Burke didn't like this young man and his cool attitude. At the very least he should pretend to be concerned.
Turlough sighed. "People express emotions in different ways. And as I said before, worrying isn't going to help Tegan. I'd rather act than worry." Turlough got up from his seat and walked over to the computer. He tore off the printout and brought it back to the police. "Looks like Tegan isn't the only person who's turned up missing. I'd say you folks have a problem."
Dr. Shaw looked at the printout, which was an e-mail from Scotland Yard to PROBE's central office. "How did you get this?" she asked. "The encryption of police e-mail is almost impossible to crack."
"Almost isn't good enough." Turlough smiled smugly.
Burke had listened to enough. "All right lad, I don't know what your role in this operation is, but you obviously are one of the people responsible for the disappearances." Burke stood up and got out his handcuffs. "Get up and I'll read you your rights. Not that scum like you should have any."
Before Turlough could protest, Dr. Shaw spoke. "Wait a minute, Burke. Let's give him a chance to explain himself. I still find it highly unlikely that he's involved. I'd just like to know who he is. And how he broke a 32-character encryption."
Turlough looked at the cop to gauge his reaction. After a minute of looking at Dr. Shaw, he sat back down and pointed to Turlough. "Okay kid, let's hear the truth. You aren't Tegan Jovanka's brother. So who the hell are you?"
"My name is Vislor Turlough. I'm a good friend of Tegan's. I was visiting her when she disappeared. Rather than tell all this to the police, I told them I was her brother. It saved a lot of explanation. Considering the fact that her parents have all but adopted me, I was nearly telling the truth." Turlough was still wary of Burke's intentions and was trying to puzzle a way out of this mess. Of course, he couldn't tell the whole truth. Then Burke and the good doctor would lock him up and throw away the key.
"So how were you able to decode the encryption?" Dr. Shaw asked. She was still amazed that it had been done so quickly.
"I'm a genius." Turlough looked completely serious when he said this. Burke stood up again emphatically. He walked over to the phone. He was on the phone for a few minutes before he returned.
"Well, we'll soon see how your story checks out. I've got the boys looking up your name and some others will be calling the Jovanka's to see what they have to say about you. So you wanna change your story yet?"
"No." Turlough stood up, much to Burke's annoyance, and went toward a closed door. Burke moved to intercept when Turlough said, "I'm just going to use the little boy's room. You want to watch?" He smiled as Burke backed away. He went into Tegan's bedroom where his bag was stored. He sorted through the contents before he found what he was looking for. He placed the two instruments into his jacket pocket before heading back. "False alarm," he stated as he returned to the room. "Guess I'm not as calm as I look."
Dr. Shaw turned toward the young man. "Mr. Turlough, have you any ideas about Miss Jovanka's disappearance? You apparently have been working on this nearly as long as we have."
"Well, actually, I haven't any formal ideas. Just a few long shots. And the name's Turlough. I never use my first name."
"So, what's in your pocket, lad?" Burke pointed at Turlough. "I looked in the room just in time to see you slip something in your pocket. It wouldn't be a gun, would it?"
"No, it wouldn't. Only idiots use guns." Turlough watched Burke's face turn red with anger. "I was just getting some scientific instruments in case you folks asked for my help."
"What makes you think we need your help?" asked Dr. Shaw before Burke could reply. "And why would we trust you? I still find it hard to associate you with the disappearances, but you are an enigma that needs to earn our trust."
"Fair enough." Turlough took out one of the two instruments from his pocket. "Like I said, it was a long shot, but I seem to be picking up a temporal trace. I don't expect you to (a) understand this or (b) believe it, but it is the truth. Look for yourself if you'd like." Turlough handed the device to Dr. Shaw, certain that she'd be baffled. Perhaps if they thought he was a harmless nut, they'd leave him alone to finish his own investigations.
"Oh come on! Liz, this guy is a complete and utter fruitcake. That's probably one of those new-fangled video games. I say we go back to Heathrow and work on some real leads." Burke was now at the doorway, waiting for Liz to join him. But she wasn't moving.
"This is remarkable!" she exclaimed. "Where did you get this?"
Turlough raised an eyebrow. "You know its function? You're not a medical doctor, are you. I had assumed..."
"Looks like Burke isn't the only one jumping to conclusions here today. No, I happen to be a physicist. I'll admit I'm a bit out of practice, but I do recognize this waveform. A temporal signature? There is no Earth technology that can measure a temporal signature." Burke merely sighed and went back to the couch.
"I'm impressed, Dr. Shaw. You do seem to be rather accepting of alien technology. You didn't use to work with a man called the Doctor, did you?" Turlough was trying his best to recall names of people the Doctor had mentioned in passing. There may have been a Liz Shaw in there...
Burke covered his eyes as Liz nodded. Alien technology? What was the woman thinking. He was quite convinced that suddenly all the world had gone mad, except him. And he wasn't too sure of himself right now.
"Indeed," said Turlough. "Then I must say it is a pleasure to meet you. So your experience with temporal waveforms comes from working with him?"
"Yes," Liz said as she returned the device to Turlough. "So, do you think he's involved in this?"
Turlough shook his head. "No, a TARDIS would have a different waveform than this. It looks to me like a time fissure. Do you think I'd be able to scan Heathrow with this chronometer? It's just a guess, but that may be where the fissure is."
Dr. Shaw looked at the inspector, then she said, "Well, we haven't had any luck with any of our other leads. I don't think it would hurt to try." Burke shrugged as he stood. The three of them walked out to the car and headed for Heathrow. Along the way, Turlough told Dr. Shaw about Tegan's dreams that she'd been having. Liz decided to ask the families of the other employees if they'd been having dreams. It was another long shot, but she was getting desperate.
The darkness was suffocating. The dreams weren't helping either. Tegan banged her head against the wall behind her as she tried to fight the memories. She had just been thinking of the first time she'd been in the TARDIS. No one was there and the place seemed infinite. She was feeling the same thing here.
Where was everyone? Why weren't they looking for her?
Officer Jeremy Newman was patrolling the parking garage of Heathrow airport. He wondered why the regular police had been called in. Surely this was the jurisdiction of the airport police. But he did what his superiors told him to do, anyway.
He knew that Alice was going to be upset that he was working overtime. They barely had a decent honeymoon, and already he was back to work and working late hours. Jeremy wished he could make it up to her some way. And he really wished he could get her mother to like him. He remembered when he told Dr. Shaw that his new mother-in-law hated him. She had just laughed. "What could she possibly have to hate about you? You're as harmless as a puppy, and as loyal as one too." Sure, she knew he was a good bloke. Why couldn't his mother-in-law see it?
Jeremy was lost in thought as he walked by one of the walls. He thought he heard a sound, possibly someone saying something. "Who's there! Come out where I can see you!" He was upset that he hadn't been paying attention. There wasn't supposed to be anyone in this section, since they had blocked it off to the public. Two of the vehicles of the missing persons were found here. He looked around the garage. No one was there. He breathed out slowly. There was nothing to be afraid of in here. So then why was he suddenly so tense?
The sound came again. He moved forward a little and put his ear to the wall. The wall felt normal at first, then it seemed to give in a little. He shook his head. The silence and darkness of the garage must be getting to him, he thought. Jeremy moved toward the exit. Then he heard the scream. He raced back to where he had been a few moments earlier. The scream repeated. It was definitely coming from the wall.
Jeremy fumbled for his radio. He put his hand to the wall without thinking as he moved the radio to his lips. The wall gave in and he found himself on the floor of a world of gray shapes and muted sounds. A woman with wide eyes stared at him, then ran out of the chamber he was in. He looked behind him to find that the brick wall wasn't there anymore. He stood up and moved over to where he thought he had come from. There wasn't a hole or anything. He put his hand to the wall, but it was solid. He slid it over the wall some, and finally found a soft spot. This must be where he had come from.
The sound behind him made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. It sounded like a wounded animal, possibly a rabid one. It sounded like heavy breathing and was joined by a very pungent odor, like a mixture of old sweat and urine. Jeremy turned around very slowly and moved away from the exit, lest the creature follow him out. When he had the creature in his peripheral view and noticed it wasn't as close as he feared, he ran as fast as he could. He didn't have any idea of where he was or where he was heading. All he could think of was the sound of the beast running after him.
Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 |