I wouldn't soak those types of bulbs. Generally the bulbs one soaks are tuberous ones such as anemones and ranunculus. I would be very surprised if any of those bulbs were still viable. If you want to try them, I'd pot them in containers or in a garden area close to the house where you could keep an eye on them. There is always room for surprises in one's life.

If they look like little pieces of dried cork and their tunics are loose around the actual bulb, it's probably not worth trying. If they are still plump then it's worth putting them in. In zone 9 you can probably leave them in the ground all year, only thinning them out when they become overcrowded. A sandy sort of soil that gets at least half a day's sunlight and reliable winter water will give you a good chance of success with your Freesias. How long will they last? If they get too shrivelled then even a few months is too long. And if they start to sprout but aren't planted then they rapidly run out of the ability to grow/flower. For many bulbs, four to six months - fewer if they have not been hardened off or have had their leaves removed too soon. The main reasons for lifting bulbs are: they've become overcrowded; you want to share with someone; you need the space for something else and don't want to put the spade through them; or the climate has extremes that the bulbs can't tolerate.

With squash/cukes I usually see some starting to sprout within a couple of days to almost a week. I haven't tried to sprout spinach on paper towels, so I'm not sure if they'd take longer. I guess if they start molding before you see sprouts, that's probably a bad sign ;)

If they are firm plant them asap and wait. No other way to tell although if they are viable I'd expect them to be shooting now, even unplanted.