Bridget sighed. “That’s okay. And I apologize for how long it took me to understand what was really going on. I only checked on the Swords and Shadows Reddit a couple of days ago. A few people have seen your video on the dark web, but most don’t think it’s real. Especially once you started doing tricks for money.”

He grimaced. “That was Joanne’s idea.”

“Most people seem to have decided you’re just some weird guy who looks a little like you. You know, they think this whole thing is a novelty act, one of the internet’s weird corners. But I think if we could make your fans realize it is real, we could get them to call the police.”

“How are we going to do that? Even when the sound’s on, either Joanne or Derrick is always hovering right outside the frame.”

She straightened up. “We could hold up a sign asking for help. I don’t know the exact address of this place, just that it’s three miles once you turn on Hoot Owl Road.”

Bob sighed. “The only thing I have to write with is the typewriter, but the type is too small for them to read. Derrick could only see I was typing, not what it said.”

“What about if you got on top of that desk and held a note a few inches away from the cam?”

He looked skeptical. “How’s that going to work? We’re chained together, and there’s not room on top of that desk for both of us.”

Bridget measured distances with her eyes. “I think if I lay on my back on the treadmill and stuck my legs straight up, there would be enough slack in the chain for you to get on the desk.”

Bob shook his head. “I’m not getting up there. It’s not safe.”

The actual danger was waiting for Joanne and Derrick to decide what to do with them. “Okay, then you lie on your back, and I’ll climb up.”

He pressed his lips together. “What if they come in and catch us?”

“Do you think they’re really going to let us go? Besides, how much worse could it get?”

Outside, the wind was howling. Bob shivered. “Maybe quite a lot, especially for you. They won’t kill me while I’m still writing the book. It’s why I’ve made sure to never finish. At least not the book Derrick is reading.”

“I think I have to try.” As Bridget was speaking, the lights flickered. “And I’d better hurry in case the power goes out.”

“The camera runs on cellular service, so as long as the towers are okay, it should work.”

“But if it’s dark, no one will be able to see anything,” Bridget pointed out.