It seemed to Erin that the slow creep downstairs took a year, but she knew that that wasn't possible, since the argument had gone on and on as they continued downwards, and Erin felt her hands turn to ice the moment her feet were flat on the basement ground. She knew that this was a visceral reaction, that she was remembering the time she was held captive down here, and that she had fought so hard to stay sane and to escape, even after her first botched attempt. Grant touched her arm, and she looked up at him, giving him a tight smile as she shrugged. Before she knew it, the younger man was pulling her into a quick, tight, hug and Erin breathed in deeply as she tried to calm her nerves. This would only last a few minutes longer, and then they would be headed upstairs with Alex in tow.
John and David were still arguing, and for that, she was grateful, as it allowed her to whisper a new plan in Grant's ear. "You go on the far side of the door, I'll stay closer to the stairs. There's a bathroom in there that's closer to the stairs than the far wall. Since the door is closed, I'll open the hatch where John delivered my food and supplies daily, and see what's happening in there. I know that that's risky, since I don't know where in the room John and David are, but it is our best chance of figuring out where Alex is in that room."
He nodded as they crept over to the door, and Erin slowly drew in a long breath, trying to remain as quiet as possible as they went. As soon as Grant was in place on the far side of the door, Erin crouched down and slowly opened the hatch door, remembering that speed had determined if it would squeal or not when John opened it. It was so difficult to take her time, to not rush, because she needed to see Alex's face after being separated from her for so long. She had never thought herself jealous in that manner, but knowing that she was so close to Alex and still separated from her made her heart ache. Finally, with shaking hand, she had the hatch completely open and she rested her open palm against the door in order to catch her breath before looking through the opening. John and David were near her table, their argument now involving shoving and angry words. Alex was seated on the edge of the bed, her hands bound behind her back as she watched the men intently.
Shaking her head, Erin wondered how she would get Alex's attention without drawing the attention of either man, since she knew that that would end in disaster. She had to keep everyone safe and away from the men who had sought to destroy her, and she released a long breath as she looked up at Grant. He was giving her a concerned look and she nodded as she just as slowly closed the hatch door before getting to her feet and crooking her finger at him. "What is it, Erin?" he whispered in her ear.
"The men are arguing by the table, which is the farthest away point of the room, while Alex is sitting on the end of the bed. I think, if we can get the door open as quietly as possible, I can dart in there and pull her out of the door before we close it and lock them inside. That way, they're contained, and we can get Alex outside to safety while we wait for backup to arrive. Again, we'll have to be slow and steady, the door creaks if you open it too quickly. But I don't need too wide an opening to get in there, as that will make it easier to close the door on them."
"Erin…"
"I will be careful, I promise. Now, let's get that door open. The sooner we're have her out, the sooner we can lock them inside." She gently pushed Grant away from grabbing the handle of the door, and began to pull on it, making a small crack between doorjamb and inner room. Grant took over when he saw that she was serious about doing this, a look of apprehension on his face as he created an opening large enough for her to slip through.
Before she did that, Erin peeked her head inside to make certain that David and John were still embroiled in their argument before she nimbly ran over to the bed, clapping her hand over Alex's mouth. The woman looked up at her with panic in her eyes, and Erin shook her head as she jerked her head towards the door. Alex nodded eagerly, allowing Erin to help her to her feet before they were making their way to the door. Erin made certain to push Alex out the opening first, just in case the men noticed them, and that proved to be a good idea, as her foot caught the edge of the door, the noise enough to get the attention of John.
"Hey!" he called out as she felt Grant wrench her the rest of the way out of the door before he slammed it shut and threw the locks into place. Moments later, a dull thud of bodies against the door came, and Erin flinched against Alex's chest as David and John began to pound on the door.
"You need to also lock the hatch door, Grant. I know they can't escape that way, but I'd feel safer if it was locked." He nodded as he did just that, and then Erin was breaking down into tears as she turned into Alex and gave her a tight hug. "James, James is upstairs, and Aaron and the team are on their way here. We just need to get upstairs."
"Okay." Alex's voice was tremulous and weak, but it was so good to hear that one word from her lips, and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as they went over to the staircase, Alex heading up first, with Erin following her and Grant bringing up the rear. For the first time, Erin noticed that he had his gun out, and that it was trained at the door, just in case the door didn't hold, and that thought sent a shiver of fear down her spine. "As soon as we're upstairs, can you untie my hands? The rope is starting to chafe my wrists."
"Of course we can do that, Alex. Though I'll want Grant to throw the locks on the basement door. We can't have too many precautions, after all." Alex nodded as she stepped into the pantry, heading towards the kitchen door while Erin and Grant closed the basement door, hurriedly throwing the locks before she turned to look at Alex, noticing that she was crying as well. "Lexie, you're safe. They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Alex shook her head as Erin guided her into the kitchen. "Dave hit my head when he saw me snooping around the house, but nothing too major."
"Okay, okay. Let me find a knife to cut this rope with," she said as she rummaged through drawers, knowing that there had to be one somewhere. Finally, she pulled open the right drawer and pulled out a sharp knife before gesturing to Alex. Her friend nodded and reached her hands towards her, and in a few fluid motions, Erin had cut the ropes binding her before setting the knife on the counter. She had barely turned around before Alex was wrapping her up in a tight hug, and they both burst into tears as the enormity of what had just happened washed over them. All that was left now was for Aaron's team to arrive, and then they could head home to safety.