Love In The Dark

Lady Detectives

TW: Mention of the William Lewis drinking scene and portrayal of similar events. 

After they hear the clicking of the lock Liv turns back to Amanda who grabs her hand.

"Breadcrumbs? What breadcrumbs? Liv what is he talking about? Is there some kind of trail? Anything?" Liv lets out an exasperated sigh. She knew that she was about to diminish any and all of the hope that Amanda was holding on to.

"I couldn't risk leaving a trail. We don't need them to find us, we need to come up with an actual plan that involves both of us leaving this place alive." Liv grabs the light moving the blanket out of her way. She shines the light onto Amanda's wrist and she can see where the metal has dug up the skin. She looks at Amanda and back at her wrist. "We need to get this off of you." Liv assesses the situation. She knows that there's no point in trying to break the chain but she also knows that without something to pick the lock with, they're not coming off.

"Liv I've tried. It's too tight, I'd lose my entire hand before it came off. Liv goes back over to the tote taking everything back out. "What are you doing?"

Liv doesn't turn back around. "I need to find something to pick the lock with." She picks up a can and looks at the pull tab. The thick metal would be too wide and not pliable enough to pick the lock with. She reaches into all of her pockets and runs her hands through her hair. "Do you have a bobby pin, a safety pin or anything?"

"If I did don't you think I would have tried that by now?"

"Yeah, I thought you would've been down here trying to pick a lock in complete darkness." Olivia angrily tosses the can back in the tote and slides it away from her.

Amanda scoffs in annoyance. "The last thing I want to do is fight down here, but I've already accepted that the only way these cuffs are coming off is if he takes them off. It's a waste of energy to sit here and take time trying to pick the lock."

"Amanda, I can't sit here and do nothing. Sitting and doing nothing is what got us here in the first place. He's been out here all along doing God knows what and I was so sure that I could figure everything out that I let all of this happen instead of just listening to you in the first place."

"I already told you this isn't your fault."

"Yes, you told me that but that doesn't make it true."

"You can't blame yourself, isn't that what we tell vic-" Liv cuts her off before she has time to finish her sentence.

She raises her voice slightly. "I'm not the victim here Amanda! You are. You are in this position because I was too stubborn and too confident in myself that I overlooked your feelings and your concerns and now we're here. Who would you consider the victim right now?" She paces back and forth. Amanda pulls at string on the hem of her shirt not knowing what to say. She'd told herself all along it wasn't Liv's fault that she was down here and the last thing she wanted was to see the situation in a way that made her blame Olivia.

"I know that you're blaming yourself for all of this, and you know what maybe this exact scenario could have been avoided, but it is not all on you. I chose to walk away; I chose to let my own fear of losing you allow me to do what he wanted. I could have called for help the second I got his message. I could have chosen not to leave the diner. We can place the blame wherever we want to, but it won't help the situation." She knows that she's rambling and probably doesn't sound very convincing but she doesn't know what else to say or do. Liv continues pacing in silence like she didn't even hear her. She picks the flashlight up and walks up the steep stairs leading out of the basement. She turns the handle pushing on the door but knowing it's not going to budge. She holds the side of the railing kicking the door as hard as she can with the small amount of leverage she has.

"Liv come back down. The door is too heavy and you're just going to hurt yourself." Liv backs to the edge of the step kicking at the door again.

She huffs repeatedly attempting to kick down the door.

"I've

*kicks door*

kicked

*kicks door again*

down a thousand

*kicks door*

different doors

*still kicking the door*

what is wrong with me?" She yells out into the otherwise silent room.

"Liv, come back down here. There's nothing wrong with you, if there was an actual way out of here, do you think he'd have left you uncuffed? He's reinforced this entire room. That door probably weighs more than you do."

"What gives you that idea? A completely structurally sound cement box under a dilapidated mansion?" Defeated she retreats back down the stairs. Amanda ignores the facetious remark.

"Amanda, I'm sorry." She runs her hands through her hair absentmindedly. "I'm so sorry." She slides down beside Amanda and buries her face in her palms sobbing.

"Liv we're going to figure something out." She reaches her free hand and pulls Liv's hand into her own holding it tightly. Liv rests her head into Amanda's chest and closed her eyes. She wasn't trying to fall asleep, but the exhaustion was getting to her. A few hours later they're both startled by the door slamming open.

"Lady detectives, can I just say...I never imagined you two being together." Liv groggily rubs her eyes.

"What do you want Lewis?"

"Now, I thought we talked about respect."

"You think I'm going to respect you?"

"It would be in your best interest."

"Our best interest? You have no regard for what's best."

"You know what Olivia, I liked you a lot better when you were drunk. Lucky for you." He pulls out a bottle of vodka and her breath caught in her throat. "I brought you something, for old times sake." He grabs her by her arm and pulls her off the floor.

"Get the chair."  She slowly walks over to the small metal chair and picks it up carrying it over and setting it beside him.

"Sit."

She sits in the chair and he roughly pulls her hands behind her back cuffing them around the back of the chair. He grabbed a roll of duct tape out of the paper bag he was holding and taped her legs.

"We're going to all have a celebratory drink to celebrate this little reunion." He picks up the bottle and unscrews it walking over to Amanda. She turns her head and he grabs her face turning it towards him pushing the bottle to her lips.

"Drink." She chokes back the vodka. Liv winces knowing the familiarity all too well. "There you go." Amanda coughs as the alcohol warms her body.

"Olivia." He walks towards Liv pressing the bottle against her face. "This should be a nice refresher for you." He tilts the bottle back and she presses her lips closed.

"Don't fight with me right now Olivia, drink." He holds her face the same way he held Amanda's and hers long before that." As soon as the liquid hits the back of her throat, she spits it on the ground and he poured more holding the bottle until she choked and cried out.

"Please, I'm pregnant."  He stepped back and laughed turning to Amanda. Her face had dropped and gone white. Liv coughed while trying to catch her breath.

"The lady detectives are having a lovechild? This day just keeps getting better and better."