I figured I had been in Crane's safe house for roughly two weeks.
I could feel the effects of being trapped in the dark, cramped room.
My skin was a sickly pale-yellowish color, my hair was limp, I guessed I had lost about twelve pounds since being held hostage. It wouldn't surprise me if I had scurvy or jaundice.
I was currently back in the cellar.
Stephanie wasn't there, but her screams echoed into the room faintly. I could only imagine the tortures the poor girl was being subjected to.
I was curled tightly into the corner, another panic attack had brought me to my knees and I was still too tense to move. The one thing that helped keep my grip during the attack was the crunch Crane's nose had made when it made contact with my forehead.
Muscles finally relaxing, I stood.
I had a plan.
I looked up at the only source of light in the room, a single bulb hanging from a thick cord above my head.
Reaching up, I cradled the lightbulb in my palm till the heat burned my hand. Wasting no time, I quickly grasped the cord and ripped it from the ceiling. Sparks of electricity flew from the now exposed wires. The plan was now in action, and my heart thundered in my chest. I only had seconds before someone would come in. I had to be fast.
Quickly finding the wall opposite the door in the dark, I knotted one end of the thick cord, making a loop, and threaded the other end through the tiny air vent above me.
In that moment, I sent a prayer to whatever God there was that everything went as planned.
It had been fifteen days since Jonathan had so generously agreed to hold Dr. Alexis McKinley. Sure it took a bit of persuasion on Edwards part, but he eventually got his way. He always did.
Edward was in a good mood, he was all but strolling in the night. He nearly whistled a tune as he made his way down the sidewalk.
Nobody was awake at this hour to see the criminal walking into a tall apartment building near Grant Park.
Edward came to the door he knew to be hers. Number 604.
Her keys gave access to her apartment. He walked inside and closed the door behind him.
Her roommate was gone for the night, working hard to save lives at the hospital. He had the place to himself.
It was almost strange to be in her home, her personal living space.
Everything had an immaculate feel about it. A charade she put around to convince herself of a serene life, no doubt.
He almost hated Alex for having all this around her- and then he remembered that she no longer had any of it.
Soon, the only thing she would have would be him.
He wandered into her bedroom. Nothing had been touched since she was last here.
The police had been here a few days ago, but the only thing missing was her suitcase, several articles of clothing and her car. Few members of the police force actually bought that she willingly left town without telling anyone, but there wasn't much they could do.
They lacked the man-power to search the entire city.
Edward silently stood in the center of her room. He closed his eyes and focused on imagining that his Alex was here.
The image was simple enough, she would amble about- first going to the closet, then to the mirror, then to her dresser. He imagined her simply walking around. He imagined how her hips moved as she walked, the way her footsteps were soft and quiet... she would turn and see him there. Her eyes would go wide, she would make to scream out, but a hand would clamp her mouth closed, as his other hand would jerk her close to his body. She would cry and beg and plead, but it wouldn't help her. She would be his, and his alone.
Edward smiled at the fantasy. She would be back where she belonged soon enough.
But before any of that, he needed to take care of the other woman Scarecrow held.
It had been exactly two minutes and sixteen seconds before Crane noticed something was wrong.
The monitor feed connected to the cameras in the cellar showed nothing but blackness. Either the cameras stopped recording, or Alex had done something. Figuring the latter was definitely more probable, Jonathan sent the hired thug to go down and see what happened.
Opening the door, the goon shone a nearly dead flashlight into the room. As he pointed the weak cone of light into the corner, the mans lips drew into a tight grimace.
"Damn."
Alex hung underneath the small vent, the electrical cord wound around her neck, effetely making a noose.
A small 'tisk' sounded from his mouth while he made his way to the dead girl.
The boss wasn't gonna like this. The whole point of doing all this shit was to make the hand off to Riddler easier... now she was hanging a foot off the ground.
Crane was confident she wouldn't be able to kill herself. He made sure the room she was kept in was stripped of any and everything that could even possibly be used in offing oneself. But if someone's desperate enough, they could find a way.
The knot rested underneath her chin. Clumsily reaching for the knot, his hand brushed against hers. He turned her around and saw her arm was tightly tucked against her chest, her fist was between her neck and the noose. As her face came into view, the first thing he saw were her brown eyes staring back.
Before he could react, her feet came swinging up into his face.
Her kick knocked him flat onto his back, giving her the perfect escape route.
I couldn't believe it actually worked.
Slipping out from the noose, I dropped to the floor.
All my instincts were screaming at me to run to the open door, to finally be free. But I knew I couldn't simply leave the gorilla-of-a-man without checking his pockets.
Kicking him another time in the temple to ensure he'd stay down for a while, I set to work.
I undid his belt with some difficultly and bound his wrists together before digging through his pockets. He had nothing but the key to the room.
'It's better than leaving him in an unlocked room.'
Silently, I left the room, locking it behind me and pocketing the key.
The cellar was in the middle of a long hallway. I could go either right or left.
I had no idea where to go. I had always been unconscious whenever I was outside the room. Letting my gut lead the way, I went to the left and stuck to the shadows as much as the hall would allow.
I wandered through the maze like building, several doors I passed were tightly locked, or so rusted over they were forever sealed shut.
Coming to another door, I fully expected it to be locked, but to my surprise, the knob easily turned open. I had almost walked past it. Maybe God had heard my prayer and took pity.
The room was some sort of cargo loading bay. In the center of the room, several shelves were standing tall while a couple shelves had succumbed to gravity and had fallen over.
At the far end of the room, there was a large rolling steel door.
I almost cried of happiness right there. Freedom was so close.
Running as softly as possible, I made my way toward the exit. I grabbed the chain and yanked.
The door rose about four feet. It was heavier than I expected.
Crouching low, I shimmied under the door as I released the chain. The door closed with a metallic rattle.
The nighttime air was cool against my skin.
It was probably around 1 am by the position of the moon.
I had done it. I was out. My eyes began to water and my chest felt tight.
'No. Not yet. Get to safety first, then celebrate.'
There was still danger. I needed to figure out where I was, then call the police before Crane came after me.
The landscape around me was barren... I'd almost call it a desert.
No other buildings stood nearby, no homes, nothing.
There was a dirt road a few feet away, figuring that'd be my best bet to finding people, I went in that direction.
Taking off in a swift jog, I left Crane, the tied up thug, and poor Stephanie behind.
'I'll get away... find a phone.. and bring the police here to save her. It'll be okay.. she'll be okay.'
I followed the dirt road for two miles before it turned into an old, cracked paved street.
Though I considered myself a strong runner normally, my legs felt like they would give out at any second. My bones ached, my throat was parched, my lungs burned.
I slowed to a quick walk. I wasn't going to stop and risk getting caught. Not now.
It was another mile and a half before I could vaguely make out a small building in the distance.
Something stirred within me. I could do it. Just a little more.
Getting closer, I could see gas pumps.
'Gas station. There's gotta be a pay phone.. or at least something to drink.'
Alex finally stopped running once she reached the covered driveway.
The station was long ago abandoned. Several windows were shattered, the front doors were locked and thousands of weeds cracked through the pavement.
I walked around to the side of the building finding the pay phone.
My heart swelled and a single tear fell. I thought of her brother. I'd see him and his family again and we all would move far, far away from Gotham. We would live in a small sleepy town that didn't have masked heroes and criminals.
I brought the phone receiver to her ear and dialed 9-1-1.
Nothing.
There was nobody on the other end.
Maybe in my haste, I misdialed. I dialed again.
Again, nobody picked up.
I dialed four more times.
No dial tone. Nothing.
The phone was disconnected.
Finally the tears fell. They were desperate, angry tears.
'Why. After all I went through.. why does it have to be dead.'
I cried for what felt like hours. It was worse than when I broke down in that horrible room.
Finally.. I had a sliver of hope, only to have it squashed underneath me.
Desperation turned to anger.
I cursed at the only person I could think of, God.
'He hates me. He must want me to die. He's a sick bastard. After everything I've gone through.. I'm going to die here.'
My rant was cut short by a light coming toward the station in the distance.
It was coming fast. The light split into two lights.
It took a minute for me to realize what it was.
"Headlights."
Dun da dunnnnn!
We're getting close to the end.