Chapter 175 Bribery
Elizabeth had just arrived at Lakeside Haven and was on her way to find Emma when she was captured by a group of people.
She had been held here for several days, and it seemed as if the kidnappers had forgotten about her, as they hadn't shown up again. After a few days, they unexpectedly brought Emma in and locked her up as well.
Elizabeth had been starving for days. When she found out Emma was also kidnapped, she just wanted to know if Emma had any food.
Emma had hypoglycemia, so she always kept some candies in her pockets. She took out all the candies and handed them to Elizabeth. She was so hungry she almost ate the candy wrappers along with the candy.
After munching on a few pieces, Elizabeth calmed down enough for them to talk.
"How do you plan to get revenge?" Elizabeth was most concerned about this question.
"That's a matter for later. First, we need to escape."
If they couldn't escape, everything else was out of the question.
Elizabeth said she had tried to contact the outside world, but no one responded to the notes she threw out. Hearing this, Emma felt a bit down. Maybe the area was too deserted, and the wind had blown the notes away.
Elizabeth had used up all the writing materials in the room. Now, even if Emma wanted to write a note, there was no paper left. She had to find another way to escape.
Elizabeth was too weak and just sat quietly on the bed while Emma kept searching the room.
Next to the bed was a dusty wooden table, and beside it was a big cabinet that reached up to the ceiling.
The room was so damp that the cabinet doors had warped, and the walls were covered in mold.
Emma opened the drawer under the table and found a lighter. She pressed it, finding it still work. Emma quickly hid the lighter in her clothes; it could come in handy later.
Besides the lighter, there was nothing else on the table, so she turned to the cabinet.
She noticed a rusty lock on the cabinet door. The lock was old and looked like it hadn't been opened in ages. But it didn't seem too tough; maybe she could try to pry it open.
Emma glanced around, hunting for something to pick the lock with. After a bit of searching, she spotted a rusty nail and a solid stone on the ground.
First, she used the nail to mess with the lock cylinder, then used the stone to give her some leverage. She slid the nail into the lock's gap, trying to find the sweet spot.
The nail made a faint scraping noise as it went deeper. Using the stone for leverage, Emma started applying pressure. She kept adjusting the angle, trying to get it just right.
With a slight click, the lock cylinder seemed to budge. Emma felt a rush of excitement and pushed harder.
After a few tries, the lock cylinder finally gave a satisfying click, and the lock's mechanism seemed to give way.
She quickly pulled out the nail and gently tugged at the cabinet door to see if it was really open. The door wobbled a bit, no longer held by the lock.
Emma took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and pushed the cabinet door open.
The door creaked as it slowly swung open, revealing the dark, unknown interior. She listened carefully for any sounds outside and, realizing the robbers weren't paying attention, cautiously peered inside.
The cabinet was packed with old clothes and random junk. As Emma rummaged through, her hand brushed against something metal. She pulled it out and found a small, rusty but sharp knife.
Holding the knife, Emma felt a surge of strength and hope. With the knife and lighter, she was one step closer to escaping.
But as she continued to feel around inside the cabinet, something felt off. The cabinet was too shallow.
From the outside, it looked about 3 feet deep, but inside, it was only about 2.5 feet. So where did the extra half-foot go?
Emma focused on the back panel. She pressed it and found it was movable. Knocking on it, she heard a hollow sound.
Emma lit her lighter and examined the cabinet closely. She found a seam in the back panel, leading into darkness, extending far beyond.
Emma gently touched the back panel. It was old and termite-ridden, making the wood fragile. She pressed lightly around the seam, and the panel began to crumble. Applying more force, she made a large hole in the back panel.
Emma carefully widened the hole until it was big enough to crawl through. She peeked inside and saw a concrete staircase leading down, like a descent into hell.
Emma found this increasingly strange. Where did this staircase lead? Who had built and hidden it? What secrets lay within this abandoned building?
For a moment, Emma's curiosity got the better of her. She stepped into the hole and onto the concrete stairs, then suddenly remembered Elizabeth waiting outside.
Emma poked her head out and asked Elizabeth, "Hey, wanna come down and check this out with me?"
"Of course." Elizabeth didn't hesitate and immediately nodded in agreement.
She crawled into the hole and stepped onto the concrete stairs. Elizabeth was even more careful than Emma. She moved the big piece of the door panel back, closed the cabinet door, and used the wood to block the hole, trying to make it look like it did before.
With the light gone, the concrete passage was pitch dark. Luckily, Emma had a lighter, and with its faint light, they could keep moving.
They walked down the concrete stairs, and a weird smell started to hit them. The further they went, the stronger it got.
Since the lighter was still burning, it meant there was enough oxygen to breathe, so Emma kept going. Staying outside offered no chance of escape; going down might still hold a chance.
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