Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

Catching Up

Catching Up

(Original Interlude)

Cyndi looked up for only the barest of moments, not a trace of surprise on her face. "Ah. Hello again, Mallory. I was wondering when I was going to run into you." Casual as could be, she continued sorting delicately through the safe deposit box she stood in front of, eventually pulling out a slightly orange-tinged perfume bottle. She looked over to the Mother and gave a charming smile, holding up the bottle.

The Mother shoved forward, pushing between Mallory and Sarah Jane and aiming her gun at Cyndi. "Give that to me."

In a single, fluid motion, Cyndi had the gun on the ground, her left arm around the Mother's neck, and the bottle still in her other hand. "Stupid," she said in the Hunter's ear. "Guns have a certain range of effectiveness, you know. They're distance weapons."

The Mother gave a choked, indecipherable reply.

"I'd say I hope you learned your lesson, but I do believe you'll perish from old age quite soon, so I'll simply bid you pleasant dreams." Right on cue, the Mother dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks. Cyndi stepped out of the way, brushing her free hand on her black slacks. "Mallory, it might be a wise idea to let your outside contacts know the Daughter should be making a break for it right about now."

"Good to know," came Mark's voice, evidently having heard.

Mallory, on the other hand, was still gaping. "You're dead," she finally got out.

"I must smell very good for a dead person," Cyndi said, deadpan. She glanced over at Sarah Jane. "I don't believe we've met. Cyndi Shirk."

"Sarah Jane," she introduced herself.

"But you fell in the distortion field," Mallory said, her mind still going in circles.

"I do seem to remember the Doctor saying a corrupted field might do some very odd things," Cyndi said. She bent down and picked up a small leather purse from the floor, slipping the perfume bottle inside. "Now, there are some hostages upstairs that would likely enjoy knowing they're free to go home." Without waiting for a reply, she strode up the stairs, leaving the other two following in her wake.

The three were the last to emerge into the blinding sunlight, and if Cyndi hadn't been half a step in front of her Mallory might not have noticed the way she looked as if she was going to blend back into the crowd and melt away. "Cyndi, wait."

The redhead turned, honey eyes searching. "Yes?"

"You're not about to disappear again, are you?"

"You all right?"

Mark's voice broke through the crowd before Cyndi could answer, and for a moment Mallory was half-afraid the latter would take advantage of the distraction and be gone in the blink of an eye. Instead, his gaze slid over to Cyndi's, eyes narrowing slightly.

She held it, one eyebrow quirking. "No," she said, staring at Mark for a moment more before she looked back at Mallory. "I'll stay and explain. You have my word." Her gaze flicked back to Mark again. "Please do pardon my dislike for the crowd, though," she said, before slipping away.

"Who is she?" Mark murmured.

"Cyndi Shirk," Mallory said. "A psychic from the future who's supposed to be dead." She looked at Sarah Jane, who had barely spoken since Cyndi appeared. "Does this make any sense to you?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she said with a wry smile. "You trust him?" she asked of Mark.

"With my life," Mallory answered.