The White Coated Man

1

Martha whined at the door; she wanted to take a walk. I slipped my favourite white jacket on and clipped her leash to her collar. I opened the door and started walking left but she sniffed the pavement and ran to the right. 

"Okay, okay, we can go this way this time," We hadn't walked this side of town for a couple of years. I was curious as to why all of a sudden she wanted to go this route. As we walked by the houses, I noticed that fewer and fewer houses were occupied.  Strange,  I thought.  I  thought lots of people lived up this way. 

After we'd walked up the road for a half hour it got too creepy for me and I suggested to her that we turn around. She just tugged on the leash. 

"Alright, just a few more minutes," I kept walking, hesitantly. All of a sudden we heard a woman's ear-splitting scream coming from a few houses up. Martha nearly tore my arm out of its socket.

I ran to where I thought I heard the noise, but there was nobody around. Then I heard it again, coming from the ground. I looked around and I saw there was a window to a basement with a light on. I heard a door slam and the same voice from before was crying. I crept to the window, peeking through. I gasped as my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside. There was a woman chained to the wall, bleeding in several places. her head was down and her whole body shook as she breathed. I knocked on the windowpane (there was no glass). Her head snapped up to show a pair of fearful blue eyes and an extremely pale face. Her eyes filled with hope when she saw me.

"What's going on?" I asked. 

"Shhh! Don't let him hear you!" she warned.

"Who?"

"My...My ex-husband. I got a divorce but then he... he kidnapped me and threw me down here. he doesn't give me enough food...I'm so hungry...he beats on me..." She was extremely weak and couldn't breathe right.

"Has nobody else noticed you down here?" I asked. I needed to help her.

"They have...they tried to go to the police...but he stopped them...he blackmailed them..." her voice was barely above a whisper. "He's mad...he's gone mad and nobody can help me..." 

"Well I'm not just going to sit here," I told her. "What's your name, Love?" 

"Linda,"

"Alright, Linda, do you know if there's a back door to this place?"

"There is...it's always locked...he...he keeps a key in his drawer by his bed..." She paused. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, I don't have anything to prove you can but surely anything's better than him"

"Good point..." She coughed. "You'd better hurry then...I'm not sure I can last much..." and right then she passed out. I made sure she was still breathing before doing anything.