Open Case File [COMPLETED]

The Basement

😂🤣 *falls to the floor laughing and eventually passes out from laughing so hard*

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Donovan woke to a low pulsing in his head and something sharp digging into his cheek. He let out a groan and breathed in dirt. He coughed, the smell and taste invading his throat.

With more effort than normal, he opened his eyes and found everything blurry. He blinked and eventually the world focused. What he found wasn't encouraging.

He lay, with his wrists tied behind his back and his ankles bound, on the dirty floor of a basement.

With a tired sigh, Donovan laid his head back on the floor and closed his eyes. Staring at his surroundings wouldn't change them. He needed to think. He ran through a mental exercise to wake up his brain, multiplying doubles until he couldn't keep track. The exercise worked and Donovan opened his eyes again.

This time he noticed two factors he'd missed before: the other two people in the room.

All thought for himself in the situation vanished in an instant. Carter.

Donovan wiggled trying to move over to her but stopped as splinters dug into his shoulder and arm. He took a breath, trying to ramp down his adrenaline. Think. He needed to proceed with logic and thought.

He needed to take care of his bound hands before he could get to Carter.

Gritting his teeth, he worked his bound wrists down, folding in on himself in order to get his hands in front of him. As he struggled, the ties bit into his skin. Finally, he got his hands out from behind his back.

He checked his ankle for his knife but found his holster gone. Even his belt had been removed. He searched the basement but it was clean as if it had been picked by desperate scavengers. There was nothing there to help cut the ties.

On elbows and knees, Donovan crawled across to where Carter lay, bound wrists and ankles as he'd been. When he gently brushed away the hair from her face, she didn't move. She was still breathing. Donovan careful inspected her for any injures but found none. He breathed out in relief.

Their situation was still bad but at least Carter wasn't hurt.

Donovan tried to reach behind Carter but found with his hands tied so tightly he couldn't manage it. He'd need help. Which meant the other person in the basement.

Donovan stared at Mason and shook his head.

He crawled over to Mason and tapped his cheek. Mason moaned and scrunched up his face.

"Mason," Donovan whispered. "Mason, wake up."

Donovan patted Mason's more insistently until Mason blearily opened his eyes. When he found Donovan peering down at him, he scowled and tried to move away.

Donovan retreated, sitting back on his heels. Mason sluggishly surveyed the basement. When he seemed to have his fill of bare wooden boards, dirt floors, and a single old stone staircase leading to a door, he dropped his head back to the ground.

"I really should find out who did the decorating here," he said. "The horror film decor is outstanding."

Donovan could have been surprised by Mason's nonchalance at waking up in a basement tied up but Donovan knew him too well at his point. When in unknown situations, Mason turned more sarcastic than ever. Sarcasm was the tower he retreated to in preparation for battle.

"I need your help, Mason," Donovan said.

"You need my help?" Mason glanced at Donovan's tied hands. "Boy Scout, how are you not already out of your bounds? I half expected a fire to be built as well and the smell of coffee floating through the air. What's happened to you? Did you lose your badges?"