Basement B3

Part 5

      That night at home after Laurence finally arrived from working late he asked Tracy if she still wanted him to go down to B3 with her the next day.

"No need," she replied, "I went down there on my own, and Brad Sullivan joined me there a bit later."

"Brad Sullivan?" Laurence snorted, "You and him by yourselves in a scary abandoned lab? You do know he has a thing for you, don't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course he doesn't!" Tracy lied. She knew perfectly well about Brad's feelings towards her ever since they were trapped in a warehouse in Manchester two years ago. But Laurence didn't need to know that.  

She didn't tell Laurence about hearing voices while she was in the lab. He didn't know about her 'ability', and she did not intend to tell him. She regretted not telling him about it years ago when they were first dating, but if he found out now he would be furious with her for keeping her secret from him. He would undoubtedly accuse her of reading his mind all the time. This was not true of course. It would be unfair of her to do it so she never did.....well almost never.

Later that night Tracy lay in bed thinking about the day's events. Her father was due back in a week. Maybe he would have some answers, but one thing was for sure....there was something down there in B3. A ghost? An alien life form? If it was an alien life form, how had it managed to survive for sixteen years in a sealed laboratory?

The next day during her morning tea break Tracy decided to have a look at the floor plan of B3. She brought up the schematic on her computer. She idly examined the layouts of each of the two labs. They were more or less identical except for......Tracy tensed in surprise at what she saw. She enlarged the diagram and looked closely at it. Laboratory Two had an annexe, a separate smaller room connected to the main lab via a single door at the opposite end to the offices. She definitely had not seen that door yesterday. She replayed in her mind what she had seen in the lab. There were three large steel cabinets along that wall. One of them must be in front of the door. Now why would the door be blocked off?
She pressed a button on her video phone. "Brad Sullivan," she said.

Twenty minutes later Tracy once again stepped out the lift onto Floor B3. This time she had Brad with her.

"Tell me again exactly why we are having a look at this empty lab again," he asked.  

"There's a room I didn't see yesterday," Tracy answered as they walked down the passage to the lab door, "and I need your muscles to move a heavy cabinet. Also I don't want to be alone down here."

Brad gave her a quick smile as they reached the door. Tracy entered the passcode, paused for a moment, then stepped into the darkened laboratory, turning on her torch as she went. Brad followed, pausing to wedge the chair in the doorway.

Tracy wasted no time walking across to the wall with the steel cabinets. She knew they were empty, she had checked them yesterday. She pointed to the centre one. "There should be a door behind this. Can you move it?"

Brad grasped the cabinet and slid it outwards and to one side revealing the previously hidden door. "You were right," Brad said, "The cabinet blocked it completely. No one would have known it was here. I wonder why it was hidden like this?"

"So do I," muttered Tracy, "Well, here goes." She reached out and attempted to turn the handle. Two things happened. The door refused to open, and she felt a tingling sensation in her hand which ran up her arm. She quickly let go.

"What's wrong?" Brad asked seeing the surprised expression on her face.

"You try it."

Brad reached out and took the handle. He turned it and pushed hard. "No," he said, "It's locked. Looks like you need a key. Have you got it?"

"No, but I have something just as good." Tracy reached into her bag and pulled out a small metal tube. It was a powerful compact laser device. She crouched down and carefully pointed the laser into the key hole. She paused and looked up at Brad. "Did you feel a tingle in your hand when you touched the door handle?" she asked.

"No, nothing," Brad answered, "Did it happen to you? Must be the excitement. What do you expect to find in here anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but we'll soon know." Tracy carefully pointed the business end of the laser tube at the key hole and pressed the activate button. A white beam was emitted from the device and a few seconds later the locking mechanism had been disintegrated.
Tracy tried the handle again. No tingle this time, but the door still refused to open. She turned to Brad. "Can you?" she asked.

"Sure, stand back." Brad grabbed the handle, turned it and at the same time delivered a solid blow to the stubborn door with his right foot. It swung open.

Tracy and Brad pointed their torches into the darkened room and stepped inside. Tracy froze, gaping in astonishment. "Brad, do you see this?" she gasped, "Brad?" But Brad didn't answer. She turned to see him lying on the floor.

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