Chapter 12 - The Descent into the Basement
While Arthur held off the guard in the subterranean vault, Julian regained consciousness on the cold concrete floor of the main basement storage room. His head throbbed with a dull, persistent pain, and his wrists were bound behind his back with heavy plastic zip ties. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, straining his eyes against the gloom until he spotted a sharp metal bracket protruding from a nearby storage shelf. Wriggling backward across the rough floor, Julian managed to position the zip ties against the sharp metal edge, sawing back and forth frantically until the plastic finally snapped with a sharp pop. Freeing his hands, Julian rubbed his raw wrists and searched the dark room for an exit, finding only a small, barred coal chute leading up toward the side garden. He pulled himself up onto a wooden crate, forcing his shoulders through the narrow opening just as the heavy basement door swung open and Elena stepped into the room.
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