I try, but someone comes into Flora's cell.

Before you can even get a full minute, you hear a deadbolt lock being opened and then a door scraping against the concrete floor. You spin on your heel expecting to see someone coming into your room, but when you see your door still locked and closed, you deduct in an instant that it’s probably Flora that is being visited.

There’s a brief scuffle than a scream from Flora. From the sound of it, there are at least four people in there with her. Despite the lack of hitting, they are still scaring Flora out of her wits.

“Stop all that screaming!” Someone finally snaps at Flora. “We’re not here to beat you. A-again or anything, we’re just coming in to make sure you aren’t gnawing your leg off.”

“Gnawing my leg off?!” Flora barks back. “Why in God’s name would I be doing that?”

“Well, I’ve always assumed that everyone behind the walls that weren’t in some kind of proper outfit would be. Well. You know...odd that way.”

“Obviously not.” Flora sighs. “What kind of freaks have you people dealt with if that’s the norm for the people you hold against their will?”

There’s a few seconds of silence and then a follow-up. “No one that’s half as normal looking like you either.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“But, looking at you now, I must admit that you do look like you come from someplace that is at least somewhat organized. You and your buddy from a bigger camp?”

“I’m not going to tell you anything,” Flora has regained her composure. “Because I don’t owe you anything.”

“You can lose the attitude, miss.” The same man who had been speaking chases Flora calmly. “But, I can promise you it’ll be better for you if you just… was nice and answered our questions.”

Flora doesn’t say anything in return, but there’s more shuffling on the other side. They continue to banter, but you’re now busy looking around your room to find a way out.

After about 5 minutes of searching, you stumble over a small leather pouch. There’s a note stitched to it, but when you opened it, you found all the text had long-faded and must’ve been for someone else that was also locked in here at one point or another. The contents inside consist of a lockpick, a small knife, and a tin of bobby pins. Nothing in here was going to help you get out of here.

You pocket the knife and pace around the room, continuing your search while Flora is lightly interrogated. Before they leave her alone, they handcuff her. She puts up no resistance, not that you blame her. You do figure you’re the next person to be visited, however, unless they captured the others too.

Nonetheless, you stage yourself right beside the only door in the room and wait for someone to come in with the pocket knife in hand. Flora tries to talk to you, but you quiet her every time she asks a question. You don’t dare tell her what you are doing, but she’s smart enough to piece together on her own that you are going to attempt something dangerous.

Six agonizing minutes of doing nothing is brought to the point of climax, however, because soon as your door opens, you take your chances and thrust the tip of the knife into the man’s neck. You expected to be tackled and beaten, but nothing happened to you. Instead, the man rolls around the cold floor, gurgling as he attempts to hold his wound together.

“What did you do over there?”

You look at the body. “Nothing clean.”

Then you look at the doorway. Then, when no one comes else, come in, you go out.

When stepping into the hallway, you find it cold and alarmingly empty. This allows for a stress-free experience trying to find the door to Flora’s “cell” room, however.

Upon stumbling into Flora’s cell, you can tell they had cherry-picked her into the superior option. Aside from the bloody table, everything was in better condition. Perhaps it was because she was a girl? Perhaps there were other reasons? Whatever the case may be, Flora was in there, handcuffed to a waist-level pole in the center of the room. The chain is looped under a thick metal arched bar. Her hands gripped the bar and flexing around it.

Flora’s features are bruised, bloody, and damp with sweat. A new look of worry also accompanies them. “You still looking for that kiss?”

You scoff. “Not exactly. How well can you lockpick?”

“Not great,” she admits. “But, if you need to look around some more, then I can give it a try.”

You hand her the lockpicks and tell her you’ll look for the keys. She needlessly tells you to be careful, but you suppose it’s in good heart.

After a couple of minutes of wandering around the hallways of the basement, you realize that what you are doing is entirely pointless. Aside from it going around in circles, it’s kind of claustrophobic. All the other holding cells are empty. There’s a bathroom, for you assume the guards, that’s clean and odor-free, and then a large metal door that says “EXIT”, but is locked.

Along the circular hallway walls, you spot a conveniently large vent that looks like it would fit you. And if it would fit you, then it would fit Flora… You run a hand through your scalp and nod. Unfortunately, you’re a little too short of reaching up to that height.

You go back to your room and grab the table and press it against the wall. It doesn’t take much to open it. You suppose these people didn’t have to worry about vents into the hallway until now. You can see that the vents split until a forked path about 12 feet in. Maybe you can manage to find the key for Flora?

Before crawling inside, you decide to go back to Flora and tell her what you have in mind, which doesn’t make her very happy. She tells you to stay and help her with the lockpick, but you aren’t very helpful either, so you step away.

Flora stops you at her door. “Wait! Warren, please be careful. I don’t want to be stuck as someone’s property.”

“Well, if I find the key, you better give me that kiss.” You jokingly suggest.

Flora scoffs. “Stop kidding around, would you? Or I’ll tell Kenji about it - or anyone else alive for that matter.”

You can’t tell if she’s joking or not. However, you should have guessed Flora wasn’t in a joking mood, but it does remind you that you shouldn’t let her go around and do whatever she pleases…

This sticks with you as you crawl through the vents, going around trying to find a barracks or a lone guard. You get lost at one point and end up directly above Flora as she struggles with her handcuffs. Luckily, however, you do end up spotting a guard playing with some small silver keys. You catch him in a conversation over the radio.

“-Workhorses might be able to come in and work her over,” the man says, sounding a little sick. His voice is familiar. You wonder if that’s the one who handcuffed Flora. “We have Jeffery working over the male right now. He might be pulling his teeth out as we speak. Uh, over.”

Another man replies over the walkie. He goes over some details about finding out where you and Flora came from and that they’re still searching for a suspect hiding inside the city. You guess Scarlet, but it sounds more complicated than that, it seems. You can’t catch all the details, but there might be another person kicking the hornet’s nest.

“I’ll send the Workhorses inside the girl’s chamber then. After a couple of minutes, I’m confident she’ll be singing all the details we need to know,” the man gestures over his crotch, feeling himself a little bit. “You don’t think they’d let me watch, do you? Uh, yeah- over.”

There’s silence for a few seconds over the man and his partner on the walkie. Then suddenly, an answer comes through. “You’re a gross dude. I’ll send them over as soon as possible with strict orders for them to go straight to the girl and start doing her in. Our boss will have our necks in the morning otherwise.”

“Sounds good,” the man sighs and then keys off his walkie with “over.”

You fiddle with the vent above the man, which was more accessible than the first one, and fall on top of him. There’s a brief scuffle for the walkie, but the shock and pain from you falling on top of him prevents him from getting any kind of advantage, so you kill him within a minute. Stuffing his body in a nearby closet was more complicated than the actual fight.

With the keys in hand, you dip around the hallways until you find the door leading to the cells. The keys allow you to unlock the door this time, and you’re reunited with Flora in just one minute.

She looks defeated, and you find out it’s because she broke the lockpick you gave her. “Don’t worry. I have the keys.”

“Thank God.” Flora smiles. “Get over here and get off these cuffs.”

“How worried are you about getting used?” You ask as you approach her. She looks at you quizzically.

“I guess I haven’t told you about what happened to me, and I promise you I’ll explain more about my past when you get out of here. Just hurry up and get me unlocked.”

“How about that kiss?” You say sarcastically.

Flora snaps. “I’d never kiss a fucking sicko like you. You twisted idiot! Nothing would have worked with that girl you knew at the tavern because you’re god damn weird!”

She huffs, straining against the chains. “Now, get me out of here.”