Chapter 5

Montana Tower

"Here we go," said the Doctor, stepping out of the elevator. He stepped into the foyer out outside Henry Montana's office. It was similar to the rest of the building, but the sunlight poured in the room, then into the elevator. "Whoever the architect was, I should tell him how much I like this place," the Doctor added.

"Thank you," said a man in his fifties who stood six feet tall.

"Oh, you're welcome," said the Doctor.

"I'm Henry Montana," said the man holding out his hand.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor took Montana's hand.

"The doctor with no name," said Montana, "I've heard of you, Doctor. The man who appears out of nowhere and saves the day from monsters."

"Oh, you've heard of me? That's great," said the Doctor.

"But you look different from the reports," said Montana, "But I guess you've regenerated."

"You've heard a lot," said the Doctor.

"When you're friends with Alistair, you learn a lot about his and your adventures," said Montana, "And from what I've heard from him makes you and whoever is with always welcome here at the Montana Tower."

"You know Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart! I haven't seen him in ages. I should go by and give him a visit as long as he's not in Peru. I mean seriously why is UNIT sending him there," said the Doctor.

Alex cleared her throat behind the Doctor and Montana looked behind him.

"Oh yeah! These are my friends Alex Russo and Harper Finkle," said the Doctor.

"Good to meet you two girls," said Montana, "Well, Doctor, I heard you were coming so I came to meet you first before you had to go through anymore protocol. You and now your friends will have complete access to this entire tower."

"Oh thanks, that's great!" rejoiced the Doctor.

"Now why have you come?" asked Montana.

"We need to talk about that," said the Doctor looking back at the two girls then back to Montana, "In private."

Montana looked back at the two then to the Doctor and he said, "I understand."

The Doctor turned around and told the two, "You two wait here. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Doctor," said Montana, standing in the doorway of his office.

"Coming," said the Doctor. He followed Montana into his office and closed the door.

Alex and Harper watched the Doctor go in and Harper turned to Alex, "He left us here to do nothing."
"No, he didn't," said Alex in her sneaky tone, "That Montana man said that we had access to the whole building."

"Yeah, but does that mean we should go look around without the Doctor," said Harper, "He did say that there was something evil growing in this place."

"Where, Harper?" asked Alex, "This place looks too calm and peaceful for something evil to be here, anyway. I mean I've fought evil anyway."

"Yes, but the Doctor said it was different from every other evil you've ever fought," said Harper.

"Well, too bad!" said Alex running to the elevator doors. The doors opened and Alex stepped in. "Well are you coming?"

Harper resisted, but eventually gave in, "Oh, okay, but let's just be back by the time the Doctor gets done talking with Mr. Montana."

"Oh we will," said Alex.

Harper jumped into the elevator and the doors closed.

"Where do we go anyway?" asked Harper.

"Since this is the top floor, we go down, Harper," acknowledged Alex, "So we are going down."

"To which floor? There is over 150 floors," said Alex.

"I don't," said Alex, rubbing her head, "How about floor 76?"

"Why 76?" asked Harper.

"I don't know I just got a feeling that we should go there," said Alex as she pushed the floor 76 button on the console.

The elevator descended and stopped on floor 76. The doors to the elevator opened and the two teens stepped out on the Montana Tower's main science floor. Alex walked right passed the guard station, Harper right behind her. Alex walked towards a lab with the name Dr. Tesla Howard engraved on the door.

Alex rubbed her head again and said, "Let's go in here."

"Alex, I don't like this," worried Harper, "I don't like that you were rubbing your head. I'm going to go back and get the Doctor."

"No Harper, don't. He's busy," said Alex.

"That's not you," said Harper, stopping.

"What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"I mean the Alex I know would love the Doctor to come here and find out what's behind that door with her. She wouldn't go inside without him," said Harper, "Something's wrong with you."

"Harper, I don't think you should get him," said Alex.

"I'm going and you can't stop me," said Harper. With that she bolted from Alex and ran into the elevator.

"Harper!" yelled Alex, taking out her wand, then she smiled and put it back.

Harper was terrified as she saw Alex raise her wand when the elevator doors shut. When the door shut, she screamed at seeing her friend change right before her eyes. That scared her. The Doctor had been right, there was an evil here, but it wasn't the one Alex had thought it was. It was the one that Harper was afraid of. It was the kind that worked from a strategy called divide and conquer. Harper wasn't about to go with Alex into that room. She could tell before Alex turned on her that that room was not right. It felt like the elevator was taking hours to reach the top floor from the one she was just on. She had to get the Doctor and hopefully change Alex back to her normal self. She had seen the Doctor do incredible stuff and she hoped he could do another incredible thing.

Floor 76

Alex saw the doors to the elevator shut and she knew that the Doctor would soon come for her. She wanted him to come rescue her and free her from this influence on her mind. She regretted not listening to Harper about leaving the top floor. She was screaming but nothing was coming out of her mouth. She could hear herself scream, but it was all in her mind. That's all she had was her mind, but her body was not in her control.

The Doctor had told her about this back at the sub station. He told her about and evil that could control a mind or body. He called it being a slave in your own body and he said that it was worse than dying. She had never died but it was terrible that she was no longer in control. She felt her legs move. She did her best to fight it but nothing happened, her legs just kept moving and she cried inside her mind, but like everything else, there was no tears in her eyes. The world had no idea what was happening and that made her cry even harder, but like before there were no tears. Her face was dry.

Alex's body walked into the room and the doors shut behind her. Before her mind could think anything else, she blacked out and collapsed on the floor.

Tesla Howard was standing over Alex's unconscious body and said to himself, "She'll just be labeled as another teenage runaway. Such a shame though, she is little beauty."