He is going to follow Anemone, a beat behind her so he can't get her caught, and metaphorically cross his fingers.

A cultist notices Anemone.

Dammit.

Anemone was going for the trap door so he is going for the side door.

Fortunately, this distracts them enough that they don't notice Mordred's actions.

"Where are you going?" the cultist says, grabbing for Anemone's wrist.

FUCK but there's only so much he can do, please let this be where Carrie is he doesn't want to leave everyone behind.

Mordred opens the side door and reveals Samson Trammel's excellent wine collection.

"Ow. Don't like to get in the middle of family matters." fuck fuck fuck if she only has one hand it will be so hard to use her gun.

The cultist holding Anemone hears the sound of the door opening.

"What are you doing?" he says to Mordred.

WHY

She is going to attempt to bolt towards the trap door while the person holding her might possibly be looking at Mordred because she is extremely skeptical of her ability to talk her way out of this.

She runs up the stairs as fast as she can. She shoves aside the cultists. Her heart is pounding, her breath fast. She can't do much-- she can't fight, she's frail. But she can run.

She loses three of the cultists. Another one of them is following her up the stairs.

She can run-- but she can't run fast enough.

The cultist catches her in the library.

She attempts to pull her rifle off her back and tries to fire on him at EXTREMELY CLOSE RANGE.

There's a loud sound and then quite a lot of blood. The cultist is not getting up.

Mysteriously, someone has cut a hole in the library window large enough for her to get through.

Zoe rules.

Two of the cultists are following her up the stairs.

Auuuuuugh okay she tells herself that running will mean that the cultists follow mher which means fewer cultists for the others to deal with. And she runs through the window, makes it to the car, and escapes.

Meanwhile--

Okay. Okay, wine cellar, this is not Carrie but it's also not horrifying. He takes a moment to collect himself and put a smile back on and then he's going to head back out into the main cellar.

A cultist heard this and is laughing at Mordred when he leaves. "Were you trying to escape? Escape is not so easy in here."

"Of course I wasn't. -- or, I was not trying to escape the glory of the Black Pharaoh, I was absolutely trying to escape Oswald Ferrier's family reunion."

"...uh-huh," the guard says skeptically.

"He saw his sister and immediately started attacking people," Mordred says, entirely truthfully, "someone had to grab him and hold him still so he's stop. I'd prefer not to stay for whatever happens next, thank you."

"...sure," the cultist says. "But you are still one of the investigators who invaded Mr. Trammel's house in order to try to destroy the Living Form of our God."

Well that's something.

"I wasn't trying to destroy anything," is the first thing Mordred thinks of. "I was trying to find out what had happened to Lacie, and now I know and can tell her friends she's alive and happy and -- I don't want to hurt anyone here, or your God, I swear I don't."

"We can't have people breaking into houses," the cultist says practically. "If you can just lie and barge into Mr. Trammel's house whenever you like"-- there's a sound of gunfire from upstairs.

The cultist looks at Mordred like this proves his point.

god fucking dammit okay

"I know. I'm sorry. I -- have no idea who that is or why they're shooting a gun, I'm not armed, you can search me if you want. My intention is to leave Mr. Trammel alone now that I know Lacie's safe."

"You're weak, and vulnerable, and helpless, and not at all a threat to us," the cultist says thoughtfully.

Ahahahahahaha fuck.

"If I vanish every major newspaper in the state is going to get a fascinating letter tomorrow," he lies. "And if you let me go, I'll make sure it isn't sent, I'll tell Lacie's friends she's happy and safe and they don't need to come in and break her out themselves, and nobody needs to hear a thing."