'Those fuckers,' Shade snarls, but we don't move.
However much I'd like to beat the shit out of these guys, we're here for Daisy. She is our first priority, especially if she's down in the dungeon.
When the two assholes are gone and the coast is clear, we leave the room and move down to the next crossroads.
We go left and find the door marked 'Cellar'.
It's ancient and rickety but solid, much like the main door Douglas showed us.
The steps leading down are wrought iron and have a utilitarian, army feel to them, as if they were added much later to replace the original ones.
We go downstairs, and I see more evidence that thisplace was once used by the military. In the corner, there are old crates with markings I recognize as army stuff even though I'm not much of a history buff.
On the far wall are five doors. They all look the same. Two are open; I look in both, but there's no one there. The third one is closed but not locked. I try it anyway, just in case.
The fourth one is bolted, and there's a padlock in place. There's a small door at the bottom that looks like it's for food.
I bend down and pull it open. ‘Daisy?' I whisper into it. 'Are you in there?'
'Mav… Mav, is that you?' a small voice asks.
Daisy!
All at once I'm awash with relief and fear.
'We're going to get you out of here,' I say.
Shade is already inspecting the padlock. I hand him the cutters, glad Douglas told me to bring them along.
He puts the industrial pincers around the padlock and puts all of his strength into cutting the metal. After a few moments, he glances at me and shakes his head.
'Let me try,' I whisper. ‘There's no fucking way we came all the way here and aren't leaving with her right now.’
I put the cutters back on, using the indentation Shade already made, and I strain with everything I have, praying that it’ll be enough.
The lock falls to the floor and Shade throws the bolt. The door opens inward, and we stand at the threshold.
The room is small like the other cells. Bathed in light from the doorway, Daisy sits on a cot that looks like it, too, was here when this place was used by the army. She's shivering, dressed in a thin, gray uniform.
'Are you real?' she asks quietly.
'We're real, Tulip,' I say.
I go into the room cautiously and go to the bed. She looks up at me, unmoving.
'We need to get out of here. Come on,' I say gently.
She nods and stands up. I wince when I notice her feet are bare. There's no blanket in sight, and this place is freezing.
I envelop her in a hug.
'Jesus, you're freezing,' I say, rubbing her arms.
She doesn’t say anything, just hugs me tighter.
‘There’s a camera,’ she says quietly. ‘I think it’s on at the moment.’
I look around and see it up in one corner. ‘Think anyone is watching it right now?’
