White Walls

Chapter 3:

           Whatever it was that had forced the gut-wrenching scream was coming after him, and Luke was ready. I'm intelligent enough and wise enough, thought Luke, that whatever it was should not be underestimated as that would be his biggest downfall. He also knew that he had no idea what he was going to do when he faced it, but was wise enough to know that that was the case in everyday life – no one knows what will happen or how they will react to situations as they occur.

"People may think they have everything planned out," Luke pumped himself up, "but in fact, they have no idea. Life is just a game and it can throw things at you that you never thought possible. We live life as best as we can, some fall, some rise, and some just exist. No one knows what they're doing, but we do it anyway, because that is how life works. One step in front of the other and it goes on. COME ON!" Luke roared, "I'M WAITING!"

A part of the wall situated right next to the spot where Luke stood swung open, hard enough to knock a normal door off its hinges. Luke Adams jumped with a start but was ready for whatever it was that was about to enter. He couldn't believe his luck that the door had been where he had positioned himself. He could use the door as a temporary hiding spot, long enough for the thing about to enter to have to look around. It meant that Luke had the upper hand of spotting it first and the element of slight surprise.

What walked in shocked Luke, but worked out to his advantage. A man draped in a long white coat appeared in the room and stood just further than the door swung. Before the man had a chance to turn, Luke slammed the door shut and wrapped both his arms around the doctor's neck, one hand holding his cheek. Luke had a crazed expression on his face – part of the effect, thought Luke.

"I was once a black belt in Karate, and I know how to break your neck in one movement. Now, I suggest you tell me who the hell you are and what I'm doing here." Luke growled quietly, so no one else would hear – he was not sure how soundproof the room was.

The man remained silent and calm infuriating Luke even more.

"I also know how to break your neck into many pieces, making sure you feel excruciating pain before your death." This rocked the doctor's expression. "Now, if you've done your research, you'll know I'm a man that always gets his own way. Who are you?"

At this, Luke adjusted his hands deliberately giving the impression that he was ready to use the excruciating pain method. When the main remained silent, Luke gave him a fierce push and pulled him into a tighter grip.

"I'm a technician for R&D," he stuttered.

"And what am I doing here?"

"Let's just say you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Anger rose in Luke, and the man sensed it.

"Th- the train due for Birmingham New Street," the technician continued, "never came. It was replaced by one of ours and it brought you here instead."

"And how do you get out? What's with the doors?"

"The doors are designed to give the illusion that it is just blank walls. You have to know where they are to open them."

"And, where am I?" Luke pressed, desperate to gather as much information as possible. "What is this place?" He had a feeling, though, that this question might be a bit too much. He was proved right. The man again remained silent.

Luke dragged him over to the place where the man walked in.

"Open it. Now."

The man reluctantly obliged and took out a key card from the inside of his long lab coat. He swiped what seemed like a random part of the wall, where a touch screen keypad appeared. The technician entered a code of numbers so fast that Luke could only catch the first two numbers. Luke made sure the door was slightly ajar before dragging the man to the corner of the room, out of sight of the door.

"Just before you kill me," the man said, "a quick word of advice. If you go out there and get caught roaming, you'll be shot dead."

Without another word, Luke placed his thumb in a spot on the man's neck and pressed. Luke may not have known how to break necks, but he did know how to make someone fall unconscious.

Luke then stripped the man of his lab coat and key card and threw them on himself. He'd played enough stealth console games to know that disguise was everything. People may not see past his face, but the lab coat may buy him time, and that was good enough for Luke.

He walked over to the door and turned back to the man slumped in the corner and said, "It's a good job I'm not going to get caught then."