Chapter 617

Down in the basement, Andrew had already finished every bit of food. Now that he was full, he had regained his strength. His fists felt strong—strong enough to escape with Melina. He reached into the hollow space under the floor tile. Then, he took out a small, sharp object, which seemed to be a broken piece of a lunchbox that had been filed into a point. He began to carefully pick at the lock on his ankle chain. After a while, there was a faint click, and the lock opened. Andrew removed the chain from his ankle. He walked over to Melina and draped the cashmere sweater, which he had carefully kept, over her. Then, he said with a serious resolve, "Angel, I'm taking you out of here." Melina looked into Andrew's eyes, which no longer looked lifeless the way they had in previous days. She slowly lifted both arms toward him. Andrew scooped her up and headed for the door. Every footstep echoed like a heartbeat, each step heavy, as if they were about to break out of the darkness. Mel