“Julia! Julia, wake up!”

A foot nudged Julia, shaking her out of her stupor.

“Who? What? What’s going on?” Noticing her companion with surprise, Julia exclaimed, “Killian?”

Killian nodded, although she looked shaken and a little scared.

“Did we―did we rescue you?”

Killian shook her head. Julia tried to sit up, and found she could not. Her hands were bound, and her legs shackled.

“What happened?” Killian asked.

“I’m not too certain myself,” replied Julia. “William and Henry were about to test their experiment, and the Inspector, George, Emily, and myself were above ground. The rest of the Constabulary went off in search.”

“ ‘The rest of the Constabulary’?” asked Killian. “I thought it was just the Inspector and a few constables. So they really did hear me?”

“Yes. You were heard. By over a million people, I assume. The Inspector sent Jackson to the Chief Constable, telling him to go to the government with this.”

“Our government?”

“Of course our government.” Then she added sheepishly, “And quite possibly the American government too.”

Killian rolled her eyes. Just what they needed. A chance for Terence Myers to get his dirty little fingers mixed up in all of this.

“I don’t like it either, but the American government and president have heard of James Gillies. He is a hazard to all of us. Which is why we need to find a way out of here.”

“I think I’ve got one.”

“Already?”

“Yeah, as long as I can reach it. Do you still wear those hair pins I bought you for your birthday?”

“Yes,” Julia replied.

“Good.”

Killian lowered her left hand as far as the restraints would allow her, and her fingers brushed against Julia’s hair.

“Can you lift your head a wee bit?”

Julia obliged, and Killian fished around in her hair, and pulled out her hand victorious. In it was a long, pointed hair pin.

“Alright. Let’s see if that case with Houdini helps at all here,” she muttered to herself.

Killian twisted and prodded and turned the pin in the locks, until finally, there was a click. Julia looked at Killian and smiled. Killian’s arm restraint unlocked, and she turned to the other, then her neck, and then the legs.

When she had finally freed herself, Killian bent down to Julia and undid the ropes binding her. Then, she tended to the shackles, and they fell off easily.

“Come on,” said Julia. Killian took a step, and then faltered. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just a little unused to standing, that’s all.”

Killian tried to take another step and fell. Julia caught the girl before she face planted, and gently lowered her to the floor.

“No, there’s something more. Killian?”

Killian sighed, and said, “It was just a little electricity, nothing more.”

“What? Gillies electrocuted you?”

“No! Well, technically, yes, but that’s beside the point. I’ll tell you about all of my adventures when we are out of mortal peril.”

“Alright, but you need to take it slow.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Killian rose to her feet and took a few shaky steps. They approached the door, and Killian knelt, pushing the hair pin into the lock.

“Okay, this is a much more sophisticated lock―”

“Killian?”

“―so it might take me awhile―”

“Killian?”

“―to get the bloody thing open―”

“Killian?”

“What, Julia?”

“The door’s open.”

“What?”

Julia turned the knob and pulled. The door swung open, leading into a long dark hallway. Killian blushed, and her cheeks went red with embarrassment.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” said Julia. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

“I know. I just make mistakes more times than not.”

Julia shrugged and gave Killian a reassuring smile. They slipped out of the room and down the hall together.

“You know,” whispered Julia. “what the best thing about living in the woods is?”

“What?” Killian whispered back.

“You’re prepared for things like this?”

“Julia, how?”

“I’m not wearing a corset, now am I?”

Killian stifled her laughter, but allowed herself a small smile.

“Do you have any idea about how we’re going to get out of here?” asked Julia.

“No, but when in doubt, follow the sun.”

“But where’s the sun?”

“Yeah, didn’t think about that.”

“Actually, nevermind.” Julia pointed upwards. There was a pale light coming through small cracks in the ceiling.

“Julia, you’re a genius.”

“I know.”

Killian shook her head, and together, they followed the light until they came to a door.

Killian approached it, but Julia caught her arm.

“Wait. We don’t know what’s behind there.”

“That’s exactly why we’ve got to open it.”

Killian shook free of Julia and touched her hand to the door. She breathed deeply, and then threw it open. Behind the door was a spiral staircase leading upwards to God knew where.

“Where does it lead?” asked Julia.

“Hey!”

Both women turned. James Gillies stood about 50 meters away from them.

“No time like the present?”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

Julia and Killian ran through the door and closed it, locking it behind them.

“It won’t take Gillies long to undo that lock,” said Killian. “And if I know him as well as I think, he’s going to have an escape route. Let’s get climbing.”

        *                *                *

“Emily. Emily. Emily. Emily!”

“What?” Emily yelled back from the top of the staircase.

“You’ve been trying for hours. That door is not going to open.”

“At least I’m actually doing something!”

“All you’re doing is making yourself angry.”

“Yeah? I wonder why?”

Emily shoulder chucked the door once more before a small pop could be heard.

“Ow!” she cried.

Emily climbed back down the staircase, her right arm held tenderly across her chest.

“Let me guess,” said Murdoch. “You dislocated your shoulder?”

Emily nodded sheepishly and sat down.

“Do you want me to set it?” She nodded again.

Murdoch hesitantly touched Emily’s arm. She winced, but kept still otherwise.

“Alright. Three, two, one.”

Murdoch jerked the arm back into place, and Emily gave a slight yelp of pain.

“Go on, say it,” she said, her voice filled with pain and anger.

“Say what?”

“ ‘I told you so’.”

“I told you so. While I like going full speed at a door every now and then, we need to be thoughtful and rational about this.”

Emily sighed.

“You’re right. As always, Detective.”

“I’m not always right.”

“Okay, when has there ever been a time when you were wrong? Like, noticeably wrong?”

“Well, uh, there was the time I―” But now that Murdoch thought about that, he couldn’t find a spot off the top of his head.

“―I was wrong about Gillies,” he decided.

“Detective, everyone was wrong about Gillies.”

“Now you’re right.”

Emily smiled. Then, she frowned.

“Is is me, or is it getting a little stuffy in here?”

“It’s not you.” Murdoch stood and looked around. “We’ve been stuck here for a long time. Underground.”

“So?”

“Our supply of oxygen is running out.”

“Oh.”

Emily was a pathologist, so she knew plenty about the effects of carbon dioxide. She knew that if they were stuck down there for too long, they would suffocate.

“We just need to keep our heads cool and attached to our necks. They probably realize that we’re missing and are looking for us now.”

“Yes, but Killian and Julia are still missing. Their priorities would be them, and they don’t even know Julia’s gone.”

Murdoch sighed. Emily usually always had an optimistic attitude, but her attitude now was snappy and hopeless.

“It’s impossible in trying to escape this.”

“Not impossible. Improbable, maybe. But not impossible.”

“Detective, please, spare me the sermon.”

“I wasn’t about to give one.”

“But you were thinking about it.”

Murdoch shrugged. “Yeah. I was.”

Emily smirked and stood.

“Maybe I’ll give that door another go?”

“Doctor…”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just use my other arm.”

“And if you dislocate that one too?”

Emily shrugged and climbed back up the spiral staircase.

“Detective!” she called down. “You might want to see this.”

Murdoch stood and climbed up the staircase. Two things surprised him. One, the door was open. Two, Killian and Julia stood in the doorway.

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Sorry for not updating this soon. I've been sick for a while and, me being me, made it worse. So now I have to go to the doctors and see wtf is wrong with me. Also if I do not update a chapter per week, feel free to spam me about it. Now this story is nearly over and I hope you all have enjoyed reading it.

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All credit goes to Flynn Writer.
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Crazybird out~