Marie deliberated her escape plan while seated on her bed, aware of her familiarity with the layout of the house and its surroundings.
However, her knowledge did not extend to the woods as Charlie and Joey restricted her access to that area unless one of them accompanied her.
She picked up her phone and began searching for information, hoping to find Antonio's name in the phone book. Regrettably, she only knew his first name, leaving her unable to locate him directly.
Considering her options, Marie contemplated sneaking down to the basement to ask Erin for Antonio's contact information, which would be the first step in their plan. The subsequent stage involved helping Erin and herself escape from their current situation and find refuge in the woods.
Taking a deep breath, Marie rose from her bed and stealthily left her room, counting on the likelihood of Joey staying up late to watch the game. However, her main concern rested on Charlie, particularly if he was in the basement with Erin.
In a careful manner, she descended the stairs, taking slow steps to avoid any potential squeaking. Her lips tightened as she narrowly avoided stepping on the squeaky part of the step.
Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she glanced towards the living room to find Joey seated on the couch, engrossed in a random show. However, she did not spot Charlie, which could potentially disrupt her plan.
Quietly and cautiously, Marie tiptoed towards the kitchen, as it served as a pathway to the basement. Her face contorted with discomfort upon hearing the unsettling sounds emanating from below. She pressed her lips together, wincing at the pained cries.
Determined to remain hidden, she quickly sought refuge under the table, waiting for Charlie to ascend the stairs and return to the living room.
Marie flinched upon hearing a sharp cry, feeling the urge to cry herself. Despite this, she knew she had to remain strong for both Erin and herself.
Erin was in a state between sleep and wakefulness when she suddenly felt a sharp pain surging through her arm. This sensation caused her eyes to open partially, only to witness Charlie clutching her arm tightly with a needle piercing through her skin.
'Do not drift off to sleep, Erin,' Charlie declared, bringing her attention back to the present. The brunette fought against the restraints, feeling blood trickle down her arms as the cuffs dug into her delicate flesh.
Erin's eyes widened as she observed Charlie extracting the needle from her arm. She desperately attempted to kick him, but her efforts were met with a forceful slap across her face. 'What have I told you about kicking?' he demanded, following it up with a harsh punch to her stomach, resulting in her cry of pain.
Charlie took hold of Erin's hair, forcefully turning her head to face the camera. 'Do you see that, Erin?' he taunted. 'You are being recorded. Show Voight and Jay just how bad you are being.' With that, he rose from his position and made his way towards the table in the room.
Erin observed as Charlie picked up an additional needle and syringe. Tears welled up in Erin's hazel eyes as she witnessed him approaching. She began to whimper, attempting to speak through the fabric covering her mouth.
Charlie approached the brunette with a smirk on his face and addressed the camera, saying, 'Hey, Sergeant Voight and Detective Halstead, this girl of yours will repay everything she has taken from me and the debt she owes for my generosity.' He continued speaking, 'You see, Erin has been quite misbehaved,' accompanied by a smirk.
Erin fought back tears, desperately pleading with Charlie, 'Please, Charlie, don't do this. You are free now, so use your freedom.' Her voice was muffled, as Charlie approached, clutching the needles in his hands.
'It is too late for that, my dear,' Charlie responded as he returned to her side. He grabbed her and prepared to insert the needle in the same spot he had already pierced her. However, Erin managed to kick him in the back with her leg, causing him to stumble and fall off balance.
Erin struggled against the restraints once more while keeping a vigilant eye on Charlie, who had stood up. "You shall face consequences for your actions," he uttered as he put aside the needles and went to get some rope to bind her feet, preventing further kicking. He proceeded to deliver another backhanded blow.
"Do you observe, Voight? It would be wise to instill proper manners in her and discourage her from inflicting harm on others," Charlie remarked disapprovingly as he retrieved a gun from the tray. "Now, you must face the consequences for your misconduct," he whispered.
Charlie gazed at Erin, whose eyes reflected fear as she watched him pick up the gun, only to set it down again. "I believe it is not yet appropriate to employ this," he stated before returning to the brunette, retrieving a belt situated next to the firearm.
"No, but you must still endure the punishment for kicking me," Charlie sneered as he raised the belt, directing his attention towards the camera.
Erin gazed at Charlie with a startled expression. "You are behaving irrationally," she whispered through the cloth, unable to contain a cry when Charlie forcefully struck her abdomen with the belt, resulting in a stinging sensation.
"I assure you, I am not irrational!" Charlie retorted, continuing to strike her with the belt. The brunette cried out in pain as he observed her feeble attempts to resist, paying no mind to the blood seeping through her shirt from the repeated blows.
Attempting to shield herself from further harm, Erin closed her eyes and attempted to curl into a protective position. However, her efforts were in vain as she yelped once more when the belt struck her arm and side. "Keep moving," Charlie coldly commanded, indifferent to the additional areas he could target.
The resounding sound of the belt striking Erin reverberated throughout the basement. With tear-filled eyes, she clung to her closed-off state as Charlie concluded his assault, dropping the belt nonchalantly onto the floor.
Erin observed as Charlie leaned towards her face, firmly grabbing her chin as he looked directly at the camera with a grin on his face.
"I trust that you will find pleasure in the video that I am about to send you, Voight and Halstead," he stated, planting a kiss on Erin's temple which was damp with sweat.
Erin attempted to evade Charlie's touch as he kissed her temple, but he forcefully pushed her head back and then proceeded to get off the bed, smirking as he made his way to the camera to take it upstairs.
The brunette watched Charlie glance back at her with a smirk on his face. "I will return in the morning to check on you, and the next phase will be set in motion," he informed her, leaving Erin slumped against the bed, tears streaming down her face.
Erin flinched when the door abruptly opened and slammed shut. She curled up into a ball as best she could, desperately hoping that Voight and Jay would hasten their search to find her, and that she would also have the chance to assist the other girl in need.
Marie visibly reacted when she heard Erin's cries and cautiously distanced herself from under the table as Charlie ascended the stairs and passed her hiding spot, making sure the intimidating man had gone into the living room.
With promptness and discretion, the young lady swiftly opened the door and closed the basement entrance as silently as she possibly could. She proceeded to descend the basement stairs, marking her first visit to this location in a year.
Upon finally reaching the basement, Marie illuminated the space by activating the light. Her attention was immediately drawn to the individual lying on the bed, who instinctively recoiled in response to the sudden brightness.
Marie approached Erin with measured steps, her eyes widening at the severity of the older woman's condition. She observed the sweat trickling down Erin's face, as well as the blood saturating both her shirt and the bedding.
The younger woman lowered herself onto the bed, prompting Erin to instinctively attempt to retreat but found herself unable to move. 'Fear not, I pose no harm to you,' Marie reassured her, gently brushing a strand of hair away from the face of the pale brunette.
Marie yearned to confront Charlie and demand his release of Erin; alas, she realized that such an outcome was highly improbable. Consequently, she resolved to adhere to her plan, which involved removing the cloth obstructing Erin's mouth and nose so that the older woman could speak freely.
Erin let out a raspy cough and strained to focus her blurry eyes on Marie. 'What do you desire?' she inquired, her voice hoarser than usual due to dehydration.
Marie observed Erin for a moment before responding softly, 'I have come to offer my assistance, but it is imperative that we work together to secure our escape.' As she spoke, Marie retrieved her phone, mindful of the distrust evident in Erin's hazel eyes.
"Why will you assist me?" Erin inquired, accompanied by another cough, as she exhaled fiercely. "Because I am determined to depart from this place and distance myself from Joey and Charlie," responded Marie, who proceeded to wipe the sweat off Erin's forehead.
"But in order to contact him, I require Antonio's last name," stated Marie, contemplating the possibility of texting Antonio and providing him with their current location address.
Erin looked at Marie, viewing her as possibly her sole source of hope, and nodded. "It's... Dawson," she managed to articulate amidst the abrupt coughing.
Marie acknowledged Erin's response and promptly covered Erin's mouth and nose with the cloth, ensuring that it was positioned similarly to how Charlie had placed it. "I shall return, I promise. I will reach out to Antonio and apprise him of our whereabouts before morning," Marie assured.
Marie announced, rising from the bed, that Charlie intends to take us from Chicago in the morning or midday." She observed Erin's startled expression but received a nod of understanding from the older woman.
"I am placing my trust in you; please do not make me regret it," Erin uttered through the fabric. Marie nodded in acknowledgment and quickly ascended the stairs, ensuring to switch off the light, nearly stumbling in her haste.
Upon returning to her room, before Joey entered, he inquired with a puzzled look, "What were you doing?" His blue eyes squinted in suspicion. "Oh, nothing. I simply needed to go downstairs for a drink and almost tripped while ascending the stairs," Marie fabricated, casting a hopeful gaze at Joey, wishing for him to believe her excuse.
"Be careful," Joey replied curtly as he settled onto the bed. "I'm going to finish showering," Marie declared, swiftly entering their bathroom before Joey could respond.
( Please leave a review and a comment it'll show me how the story is going)