Everything hurt. Although Reid was in a daze from the sheer disbelief of their escape, he could still feel the results of his captors' brutality. It was as though the inside of his anal cavity had been ripped to shreds. He knew that wasn't physically possible, but there was still enough damage to merit the anguish he felt – physically, but especially mentally.
He and Emily were both uneasy on their feet as they made their way down the damp, dismal passageway for what they hoped to be the last time. The lights were extremely dim and they each leaned onto the concrete walls for support and guidance. In their hands were weapons they grabbed off the wall of torture devices. Emily had a rifle draped across her should while Reid held a revolver similar to his own gun that was back in the SUV.
Although armed, the horror they felt was still very palpable. Reid couldn't help but glance behind him every few seconds, fearing he might see the mad faces of the demented brothers. He was shaking from both the trauma and his cold, naked state.
"Reid," Emily whispered, a few feet in front of him. "I think we're almost there."
He didn't answer, but noticed that they were getting closer to a dim beam of light streaming in from the door at the top of the rickety, wooden staircase he was carried down almost a day ago. It scared him. He knew what was locked away in the cage in the basement, but upstairs was a mystery. What if Angie returned? What if there was yet another inbred relative waiting for them that they had yet to meet? However, the slight chance that his team would arrive to rescue them kept him going.
Reid's heartbeat sped up as they approached the staircase. They were so close. He remembered seeing a lock mechanism when he was first brought down, but thankfully they had the entire ring of keys. One of them had to open the door.
"Ready?" he asked weakly.
"Absolutely," she sighed, still bracing herself on the wall for support.
The stairs seemed to go on forever. The light drifting out from the door crack exposed the same scratch marks that he saw when he was first dragged down into the basement. Looking at them more closely, there seemed to be multiple sets. Knowing the family's pathology, he knew there had to be a long list of victims.
Finally at the top, Reid went to open the door.
"Wait!" Emily cried, making him jump.
"What?" he asked, trying to keep himself from falling down in fright.
"The old woman… she must still be up there," Emily started.
She was right. In all their efforts to escape he overlooked the fact that there was still an unsub loose in the house. Although she didn't look outwardly dangerous, he knew they couldn't take any chances.
"I – I guess we can bring her down here," he suggested. "Look her up with the rest of them."
"Okay," Emily agreed with wide eyes, still trying to process everything that happened in the last two days. "I have your back."
Holding his gun out with one hand, Reid twisted the knob and opened the door with the other. The light from the kitchen was on, fluorescent and harsh. Taking a step in and checking the corners, he saw it was clear. He took another step, peering into the hall and the living area while Emily took another step up, aiming the space he had his back to. The table lamps in the sitting room were dim, one covered by a red scarf creating a hellish glow. Reid turned his head slightly and nodded for Emily to follow him up.
It would be a strange sight to see, he thought - two completely nude agents clearing a house. But at the moment he would exchange their safety for pride in a heartbeat.
They two continued to check the downstairs. When they reached the dining room, Reid saw that dinner still covered the table. A shot of guilt ran through him then, reminding him of his naivety.
"We should see if they have a phone," Emily said, her eyes still darting to potential entryways to the room. "They were probably lying when they said they didn't."
Reid nodded. There was so much they needed to do and they had so little time. They had no idea where Luke actually took J.J and even less clue where Angie was stalking.
Before he could suggest finding clothes to cover up with, there was the faint sound of something rolling. The agents immediately pointed their weapons in the direction it came from. It wasn't a person, but a can – a can leaking gas into the air.
Reid grabbed Emily by the arm and headed for the front door. Someone was trying to gas them. Whether it was poisonous or just a disorienting agent, he did not know. They needed to make a run for it either way.
Another one was tossed into the main hallway as they bounded for the door, causing the entire floor to fill up with the noxious substance. Reid felt Emily go limp and fall out of his grip. It would only be a matter of time before he drifted off. He fired into the cloudy air in vein, feeling his eyes become heavy. He wanted to scream, but he was out before it was possible.