73: Escape!

Even as Artemus was falling down the stairs, the Elves moved as one so that they were in position to provide their friend with some cushioning, thereby preventing him from hitting his head on the stone floor. All four tumbled to the ground with moans and curses. Artemus recovered quickly, rolling off Elennen in such a way that he was able to get his tied hands underneath his butt and then bring his legs close to his chest so he could slip his arms underneath them. All those years of doing yoga were finally paying off, he thought with grim amusement even as he scrambled to his feet. He looked around at his fellow captives. It was not entirely dark in the cellar for dim light filtered through grime-encrusted windows set above ground level and the three Elves glowed somewhat, providing additional illumination.

"Here, turn around and I’ll untie you," he said to Elennen who had finally risen to his feet. The Elf complied and while his fingers were clumsy and numbed by the ropes, he managed to undo the knot enough that Elennen was able to wiggle his arms free. He then untied Artemus and then the two of them untied the others.

"Where’s Zach?" Artemus asked Derek as he untied his gwador.

"Over there," he replied, gesturing with his chin to the right. Artemus looked over and saw a dim shape lying on a heap of dirty clothes piled up before a washer and dryer. He was obviously fast asleep. Artemus grinned at the sight, though his smile fled at the grimness of their situation.

"Farrell said ‘the other two’," Artemus said. "I’m assuming he meant the Steiners. Do you see them? Wait, I’ll go turn on the light." He swiftly but silently climbed the stairs. It was darker at the top where the dim light was blocked and he had to hunt for the switch. When he found it, he called out in a loud whisper, "Close your eyes." Following his own advice, he then turned on the switch and then made his way back down to the others. The naked light bulb gave them better illumination but only in the immediate area; the rest of the cellar was still mostly dark. Derek started over to where Zach was sleeping but Artemus held him back. "Leave him. He’s fine where he is for the moment. The Steiners are here somewhere. Let’s see if we can find them and hopefully find a way out of here."

With that, he gestured to the Elves to go around the stairs while he and Derek headed in the other direction, meaning to meet up with the Elves on the other side. Artemus and Derek came upon what appeared to be a workbench, for there were different kinds of tools neatly placed on pegs or lying on the table. They found a flashlight and when they tested it, it worked, though the light was dim and they suspected the batteries were almost dead. Just then they heard one of the Elves calling out in a loud whisper. "Over here."

Artemus and Derek made their way back to where the Elves were to find them in front of a small door that was barely waist high to them. "Hmm...." the agent said as he crouched in front of the door which had no handle but did have a bar across it held in place with a bit of rope. He quickly unbarred the door and stepping back, opened it, revealing a space that was almost pitch black. "Hello? Anyone there?" he called softly and then there was the low sound of a moan. He quickly turned on the flashlight. It gave them enough illumination to see two figures huddled together against the opposite wall. Artemus handed the flashlight to Calandil who was crouched next to him and then crawled in. The others followed.

"Hey, it’s okay," Artemus said soothingly as he approached the two people who were bound and gagged, struggling as if to get away from him. They were both elderly and he could see bruises and blood on the man’s face. "We’re here to help. Derek, untie the missus while I check out Mr. Steiner. He looks pretty beat up. I suspect you gave them quite a fuss, didn’t you?" he said conversationally as he removed the gag from the man’s mouth and began undoing the knots. The man blinked up at him and gave him a ghost of a smile.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" he asked, coughing as he tried to get some saliva in his mouth.

"We’re friends," Artemus answered. "Here, let’s get you out of here. What is this place anyway?"

"Old coal room," Steiner answered as he allowed Artemus to help him to crawl out of the room and then stand up somewhat unsteadily, stamping his feet to get circulation back. "When we bought this place some twenty-odd years ago after I retired, we converted to gas, so the room’s remained empty since. Always meant to do something with it but never got around to it."

"Fred?"

"Here, Ellen." Fred reached out and took his wife into his arms as Derek helped her to stand up. She looked around at them, clearly puzzled and not a little afraid. "Who are you people and who are those awful men?"

"It’s a long story, Mrs. Steiner," Artemus answered. "Just believe that we’re friends. Now, is there any way out of here other than the stairs?" he asked Steiner.

"Who’s that?" Ellen demanded, pointing toward the washer and drier. She left her husband’s embrace and walked over, turning on another light that was above the washer. "Why, it’s Zach Austin. What’s he doing sleeping on my dirty laundry?"

Artemus grinned at the affronted look on the older woman’s face. "He’s been drugged," he replied. "Let him be. He’s fine where he is for the moment."

"Hmph," Ellen retorted as she bent down and gently covered the sleeping man with a quilt that lay in another pile of laundry, then turning off the light before coming back to her husband. Zach never stirred.

"Is there another way out?" Artemus asked again.

Steiner started to shake his head, then stopped, giving them a grunt of assent. "The old coal chute," he said.

"What?" Derek exclaimed.

"Here, I’ll show you. Give me that flashlight, son," Steiner said, holding out his hand to Calandil who gave him the flashlight. Then he was crouching down and returning to the coal room with the others right behind him. Steiner moved to his right and played the light at the ceiling, which sloped somewhat, revealing another door. Attached to the underside of the door was an aluminum chute. "That door is unlocked, though I think there’s a pile of snow over it, so it may be difficult to open."

"But how do we get up there?" Derek asked. "And can we actually climb that chute? It looks pretty smooth."

"One thing at a time," Artemus said, already making a number of plans. "Let’s concentrate on getting up there first."

"The step ladder, Fred," Ellen said and Fred nodded, handing the flashlight to Elennen while he went back outside. Artemus followed after softly commanding the rest of them to stay where they were. He saw Fred heading to the opposite side of the cellar where the workshop was and remembered that there was a step ladder leaning against the wall.

"Here, I’ll get it," Artemus said, as Fred struggled with the ladder. The older man nodded and went back to the coal room while Artemus shoved the ladder through the door before following. As he straightened up he could see Derek and Fred already putting up the ladder directly underneath the chute. It did not quite reach the edge of the chute but he could see that a person standing on the next to the top step could easily reach it.

Derek looked at the chute critically. "There’s not much room for maneuvering and if the door is stuck..."

"I can get up there," Findalaurë said confidently, "and either Calandil or Elennen can hold me in place."

There was a moment of silence while they all contemplated the Elf’s words. Fred and Ellen stared at the three ellyn, noticing for the first time the way they glowed. "You’re Elves, aren’t you?" Fred finally asked them, and at their nods the elderly couple’s eyes widened. "More Elves!" Fred exclaimed. "If that don’t beat all!"

"Can you do it?" Artemus asked Findalaurë, sounding impatient. "We’re running out of time. Farrell will be back for us, or at least for me, soon enough."

Findalaurë nodded. "I can but try."

"Even if we can get the door open and escape from here, what then?" Derek asked. "The ellyn are okay, but none of the rest of us is properly clothed for the outdoors. We’ll freeze to death before we get too far."

"What about driving?" Fred suggested. "We can use my car. I still have the keys in my pocket."

But Artemus shook his head. "No. I have plans for the cars. How far are we from Santa’s Grotto?"

"Walking?" Fred retorted. "It’ll probably take you close to an hour and as your friend said, we’ll all freeze to death before that, leastwise, we Mortals will."

"Wait," Ellen said and she crawled out of the room. The others stood there staring at each other, or trying to with only the dim light of the flashlight for illumination. There was the sound of something being slid across the floor and they heard Ellen panting. "Fred, come give me a hand with these," she called out and Fred joined his wife. Artemus followed, curious to know what the woman was about.

In the gloom of a single light bulb, it was difficult to see what Ellen was doing, but apparently she had pulled out a number of large storage boxes from the wall to his right and now both she and Fred were opening one of them, pulling out a number of items, placing them on the floor. Walking over he saw that they were coats of various kinds and sizes.

"Not sure if any of these will fit you," Ellen said, looking up at Artemus’ approach, "but they may help. They’re our children’s old coats mostly."

Artemus bent down and began sifting through the pile, pulling out one or two of the larger coats and trying them on. One was a better fit than the other. He called out, "Derek, come try these on and let’s see if we can find one for Zach." So saying he went through the pile again as Derek came over. The two spent a few minutes going through the coats. Derek found one that he said would do in a pinch. Both Ellen and Fred also found coats. Artemus, meanwhile had grabbed a few of the coats and with Fred’s help, had tried them on the still sleeping Zach, who did not resist them, but mumbled something unintelligible. The third coat fit him more or less and they left it on him, letting him fall back to sleep.

"He’s going to be a problem," Fred said, "trying to get him up that chute."

"We’ll think of something," Artemus said with a sigh. "I’m not sure what they gave him, but it was enough to put him out for a couple of hours at least. Let’s go back to the coal room and see if Lawrence can open the door." So saying, they trooped back in to find that the Elves had not been idle. Findalaurë was lying flat on the chute while Calandil stood on the ladder, holding his feet and Elennen held the ladder steady with one hand while holding the ever dimming flashlight in the other, giving his gwador additional light to see by. Findalaurë was attempting to push against the door with little success. Without turning his head (and indeed there was no room for doing so), he called out in a loud whisper, "You must push me up further, gwador."

Calandil started to do so, but he nearly lost his balance and had to stop. "Here," Artemus said, "Alan, hold Cal steady while Derek and I hold on to the ladder. That might help."

Elennen nodded, handing the flashlight to Fred. He wrapped his arms around Calandil’s legs while Artemus and Derek stood on either side and held on tightly. They felt Calandil lifting Findalaurë’s legs and pushing them. "Yes," they heard Findalaurë say and then the ladder was rocking as the Elf shifted his body to apply pressure on the door.

"Steady as she goes," Derek muttered as he and Artemus clung to the ladder. Fred joined them, standing opposite to Calandil and between the three of them they were able to keep the ladder from tipping. They heard a grunt and some soft cursing and what seemed to them a large thumping noise as Findalaurë pushed himself against the door.

"Let’s hope our friends upstairs don’t come to investigate the strange noises," Derek said.

"Lawrence, how are you doing?" Artemus called up. "We’re running out of time."

"Give me another minute," they heard the Elf say with an exasperated huff. "Now I wish I had bothered to learn at least one of the Words of Power Atto tried to teach me. Push me higher, Calandil."

Calandil gave a grunt of acknowledgment and the ladder rocked a bit under his efforts and then there was a loud creaking and groaning as the door shifted under Findalaurë’s weight and with a whoosh, it opened up, admitting bright sunlight that blinded them. Artemus was the first to recover, for he had had the foresight to close his eyes at the very last minute as the door swung open.

"Can you climb out?" he called up to the Elf.

For an answer, Findalaurë merely grunted and they heard him moving about, apparently trying to get some kind of purchase and then suddenly, Calandil’s hands were empty of legs as Findalaurë managed to climb out. He turned around as soon as he was out. "I do not know if you can climb up," he said. "It is very slippery."

Fred called up. "You see that shack over to your right?"

"Yes."

"Make your way there as quickly as possible. You’ll find some rope there. We can use that."

"Fred, is there a way to bar this door from this side?" Artemus asked. "It may confuse Farrell long enough for us to get away if he comes down to get us."

"I’ve got some boards and a hammer and nails," Fred suggested.

"Good. Go get them. Derek, come with me and let’s bring Zach inside." So saying the three men left the coal room. Artemus and Derek went over to where Zach was still snuggled under the quilt, softly snoring. Artemus shook him. "C’mon, Zach. It’s time to leave. Derek, grab his other arm." Together they hauled the unresisting and barely awake Zach to his feet. The younger man opened his eyes blearily and smiled. "I know you," he slurred.

"Yes, I’m a friend," Artemus said as they walked back to the coal room with Zach stumbling a bit. "Derek, go first and help him through." In a few seconds they managed to get Zach into the coal room and then left him propped up against the wall out of the way. He was already fast asleep again.

Fred came back shortly thereafter, carrying a couple of slats and a hammer with several nails in his pocket. "I unscrewed the light bulb," he said as he closed the door behind him and proceeded to place one of the slats across it. "That should slow them down a bit."

"Good man," Artemus said approvingly.

Just then, Findalaurë returned, blocking some of the sunlight as he lay in front of the door. "I have the rope."

"Good," Artemus called up. "Can you anchor one end to something?"

"There is a small tree nearby," Findalaurë told him. "I will ask it if it will be willing to hold the rope for us." Then he was gone before Artemus or anyone else could comment. He glanced at Derek standing next to him and his gwador just shrugged. A few seconds later, Findalaurë returned. "The tree is very sleepy but I was able to convince it to not let the rope untie itself. Too bad it is not hísilanya. Mortal ropes are very unreliable."

"Well, we’ll just have to do the best we can with what we’ve got," Artemus said, smiling faintly at the Elf’s words. "Okay. Cal, come down and let Ellen up. Ellen, I want you to grab hold of the rope. Cal is going to lift you up and Lawrence is going to pull you out. Can you do that, Lawrence?"

"Yes. You Mortals are not that heavy," came the reply.

Artemus just shook his head and then helped steady the woman as she climbed the ladder with Cal right behind her. Elennen held Cal steady while Artemus and Derek held the ladder firm. There was a bit of a struggle on Calandil’s part trying to get Ellen up high enough to clear the edge of the chute but then there was a lessening of tension and the light was blocked as the woman was pulled through the door.

"She is safe," Findalaurë called down, throwing the rope at Calandil.

"Okay. Fred, you’re next. Then we need to get Zach up there somehow."

"We can tie the rope around him," Elennen suggested.

Artemus just nodded as he and Derek held on to the ladder as Fred climbed it. As before, there was some struggle as Calandil got Fred up and over but they were able to keep the ladder straight and in another minute, Fred was out as well. Artemus and Derek went over and got Zach up. Artemus slapped him lightly on the cheek.

"Zach, you have to wake up. C’mon, buddy. That’s it. Keep those eyes open. Now, can you climb up? That’s it. One step at a time. No, don’t fall asleep. Cal, shake him. C’mon, Zach. All the way up. Good man. Now reach up and hold onto the chute as best you can while Cal ties the rope around you."

They watched as Zach swayed slightly, yawning mightily, but hanging onto the edge of the chute as instructed while Calandil ably tied the rope around his middle. Then, calling out in Quenya to Findalaurë, the rope tightened and Cal grabbed Zach and pushed him up.

"Hold onto the rope, Zach," Artemus called out and was pleased to see the young man obeying him. Once Calandil got him over the rim, Findalaurë was able to pull him all the way out.

"Okay, Derek, you’re next and then I’ll go. You two can get up there on your own okay?" he asked the two Elves. They nodded. Even as Derek was climbing the ladder, they heard the distant sound of someone cursing and feet pounding down the cellar stairs.

"We’re running out of time," Artemus said. "Fred! Is there somewhere you and Ellen can hide?"

"The loft in the barn," Fred called down.

"Good. Get there as quickly as you can. Derek, when you get up there, grab Zach and head around the house to the front. If we’re lucky, Farrell or the others won’t be coming out to investigate, thinking we’ve just barricaded the door for safety."

"What about you?" Derek called out even as Findalaurë hauled him outdoors.

"Don’t worry about me. When you get to the front, start taking the air out of all the tires on all the vehicles you find. Then find some cover for you and Zach. We’ll catch up with you as soon as possible." He gave his orders even as he was climbing the ladder, and not bothering to wait for Calandil to help him while Elennen tried to keep the ladder steady, he bent his knees and then leapt up, grabbing the rope and pulling himself up hand-over-hand. "Okay, I’m clear," he cried. "Pull me up."

They could hear shouts coming from the other side of the wall and someone was banging on the door trying to open it. There was the sound of a gun going off as someone tried to splinter the door enough to force it open. Artemus wasted no time as soon as Findalaurë pulled him out, but threw the rope back and shouted down. "Be quick. They’ll get through soon enough."

Calandil didn’t bother to answer, merely jumping up while Elennen held the ladder steady, allowing Findalaurë and Artemus to pull him up. Elennen climbed the ladder and as soon as his gwador was clear and the rope lowered, he jumped as well. The ladder teetered but did not fall. A minute later, he was out.

"C’mon," Artemus said. "Let’s find Derek and Zach."

The four raced around the house, keeping as low to the ground as possible to avoid detection from anyone who might still be in the house. Artemus estimated that they had only a few precious minutes before Farrell managed to knock down the door and discover their escape. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Derek letting out the air of the back tires of the van; the car’s tires were already looking flat.

"Where’s Zach?" he asked as he approached.

Derek gestured to a stand of pine trees that lined part of the road. "I left him there. He should still be sleeping."

"Okay. Let’s go."

"Go where?" Derek complained. "We might have been able to hot-wire the car or the van and made a clean escape."

"First of all, what you see in the movies makes it look simple, but it isn’t, trust me," Artemus explained. "Second of all, I’m not planning to take us far, just to Santa’s Grotto where by now there should be others. Safety in numbers and all that, so let’s get going before Farrell and the others come out and start shooting, and don’t think they won’t."

"Storm’s coming," Elennen said suddenly, pointing toward the northwest. They looked to see dark clouds massing in the middle distance, huge purple-black clouds that promised snow and lots of it. "It should reach us in a short time."

"Then all the more reason to get moving," Artemus said. "Let’s get Zach and head overland. We should come across the road leading to the grotto if we angle southeast."

"Why overland?" Derek asked as they ran to the pine trees where they saw Zach sitting against a bole, blinking and yawning.

"Farrell would expect us to take the road," Artemus explained. He turned to the Elves. "Any way to hide our tracks?"

"We can run on top of the snow," Findalaurë reminded him.

"What if we carried them?" Calandil suggested. "They would not slow us down and we will leave few tracks. Look, the wind is picking up and the snow is beginning to blow. That will hide whatever tracks we may leave."

Findalaurë gave them a dubious look and then nodded. "If we carry you on our backs, would that be acceptable to you?"

"Do we have a choice?" Derek asked.

"Not if we want to hide our trail," Artemus replied. "Okay, let’s do it. Alan, can you take Zach while Cal carries Derek and I’ll go with Lawrence."

The Elves nodded and in quick order all three Mortals were clinging to their backs. Findalaurë led the way, heading in a southeasterly direction, panting only slightly as he climbed a hill. Elennen followed with a still sleepy Zach with Calandil right behind. As they topped the hill and were beginning to go down, Derek stole a look back and saw two things. The first was Farrell and the other three agents running out of the house and, seeing the flat tires, start looking frantically around for them and the second was the storm that hit almost at the same time, the snow falling rapidly, the wind howling and a white-out conveniently blocking his view. He uttered a sigh of relief, believing that the agents had not seen them, but his relief was short-lived when the storm came barreling down on them and soon Findalaurë and Elennen were lost from his view.

They had escaped, but now they were in danger of being swallowed up by the storm.

****

Hísilanya: (Quenya) ‘mist-thread’; the equivalent of the Sindarin hithlain, what Sam called ‘Elvish rope’.