His hand stops, on the handle to the exit door.

He has a feeling, absurd, from nowhere, that someone on the other side of that door might need his help.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

He's frozen, for a moment, between his urge to run and the pressure he suddenly feels to check, to see what's happening on the other side of that door.

Thump thump thumpthumpthump in increasing frustration.

just run, just let me run and pretend i didn't hear anything, it probably isn't anything, i don't want to be in this building right now

This time, instead of another thump, there is a harsh mechanical buzz, like some sort of power tool starting up.

oh god

He edges, fearfully, toward the red door, and reaches out with one hand, and pulls it open.

There is a garage, empty of cars.

There is a tall man, wrapped in blankets, hands clad in heavy-duty yellow gloves like gardening gloves, holding a running power drill in one hand.

And there is his blue box, and she is afraid -

And the man turns, and sees him through a welding mask, and, still holding the power drill in one hand, begins to walk purposefully toward him.

nonono

i'm sorry

He slams the door shut and glances desperately around for a chair to brace it with and doesn't find one and just runs, out the front door -

The metallic rattle of the door to the garage, sliding open, upward, in the thick-gloved hands of the blanket-wrapped man.

He's already running - he's barely looking - he's past the garage door and heading for the alleyway -

The pounding of heavy footfalls behind him.

He turns the corner -

And almost runs headlong into a complete stranger, who was running down the alley the other way.

" - there's a guy with a drill - "

" - always something - come with me - "

And she turns and bolts.

He follows.

"Do you know what's going on?  With the box?"

"The police box?  Most of it, but it'll sound mad and there isn't time - get in my car - "

She beeps open the doors of her rental car and scrambles in.  Once Bryce is inside too she peels out and swerves around in a u-turn.

"What did the person chasing you look like?"

"Uh wrapped up in blankets with a welding mask helmet thing on, and heavy gloves."

"You couldn't see his skin?  - would that work?"  The second more to herself than to Bryce.

"Would what work what - no, he was all covered up."

She rounds the corner, and when there's no other cars coming makes a probably-illegal pass to park on the left side of the street.  "You mentioned a box.  Does he have it?"