Worth A Thousand Words

Chapter Three

It took the better part of an hour of dodging shadows and potential followers before they figured out exactly where they had been taken. Somewhere called Frisco, according to the signage. Even with that bit of knowledge, there was another hour wasted trying to hail a cab and arguing with Rose about the dangers of hitchhiking.

'You do know the latter half of the twentieth century is known for its highway serial murders, don't you?' he pointed out, disapprovingly.

'Yeah, well, if you'd borrow one of the cars we keep passing – '

'You mean steal. Borrowing implies the intention to return the thing that was taken.'

'We'll return it! I don't exactly see you lugging a yellow roadster around time and space!'

The Doctor decided not to mention Bessie to her just then. 'We can't afford to draw attention.'

'Can't afford to get caught, either,' Rose pointed out.

'And we won't, so long as we're careful. But say we did borrow a car – if someone notices it missing they'll call the police. Give them a description. Possibly one of us too if we're seen. Which means the police set up some road blocks and start pulling over every car like the one we're considering stealing. Maybe not just in this little suburb but towards the city as well. Everyone knows the President's coming to Dallas today. Anyone working in law enforcement will be going that extra mile, either inspired by fierce pride or fierce paranoia... What if they delay traffic into the city? What if that delays the start of the presidential procession? I already told you all of that has to happen. We can't do anything that might affect it in the long run, no matter how insignificant if might seem!'

Rose was gaping at him, obviously not having expected the tirade that his refusal would turn into.

'Point is, bad idea,' he finished lamely.

'Nothing's ever simple with you, is it?' she said with a shake of her head. Still, she dropped the idea and fell into step with him on the long walk back into the city.

A walk which involved hurrying into the shadows whenever a car approached on the darkened highway, lest it end up belonging to their mystery agency followers.

'I'm really regretting these boots right now,' Rose complained after about an hour of this.

'You and me both,' the Doctor acknowledged. Her limping gait was not only worrying him, but also making their journey slower.

They didn't talk as much as they usually did although the Doctor attributed that to Rose being tired. Nine hours in an interrogation room was taxing. Once this whole mess was sorted he'd make sure she found her way to one of the bedrooms on the TARDIS.

As for him, his thoughts remained on the self-styled Agent Kinross – if that even was her name.

Determined questions aside, she was obviously very intelligent, and her directness had actually reminded him a bit of Jo Grant.

There was something about her, however, that bothered him. Something in her mental signature that had made him attempt his little hypnosis trick to begin with. Almost as if her mind had already been somewhat weakened by a mental incursion in the past.

By the time they made it back to the heart of Dallas, almost ten hours had passed. Luckily the TARDIS hadn't been found by any of Kinross's people, and so the Doctor and Rose got inside with little cause for alarm.

'Let's get you fixed up,' the Doctor ordered and knelt down to help her ease her feet out of the long white boots; the insides were crusted with blood, and he forced himself not to breathe. He didn't like the smell of blood on a regular day, but the knowledge that it belonged to Rose made him a bit ill. 'Have you good as new in a minute, and while you rest I'll pop out and get my picture taken. Then we'll be off again!'