47
I gather my thoughts and take a deep breath, preparing for whatever’s to come.
Our rack trial is complete, and as the final judge I’ve been charged with opening a large timber trunk at the back of the torture chamber.
Reaching into the trunk watched by my team, most of whom have collapsed and are sitting or lying, spent, on the cold rock floor, I pull up a piece of paper and read out the instructions.
Only this time, it’s not another trial.
Not like the ones we’ve just been through anyway.
“Only if you have not already sacrificed/lost a team member in this contest, may you use this advantage.”
We look at one another and breathe a collective sigh of relief that not only have none of us died, we’d even picked up a spare.
“Finally,” I breathe, “a fucking break.”
Without pause, I continue reading out loud.
“The team member who reads this letter has a decision to make. Carry on with your group or eliminate them all and win solo. The contents of this trunk may help you decide.”
No one asks what I’m going to do, but Sona and Evelyn flick each other concerned glances, and everyone struggles to their feet as I throw the paper aside and pick up two of four handguns from within the deep, timber chest. Inspecting them quickly, I tuck them into the top of my suit near my breasts and zip them in tight.
Guns, I understand. One of the first things I’d done when I’d assumed my minder’s identity and gained my freedom was to apply for a sporting shooter’s license.
I’d practiced on firing ranges wherever I went.
Reaching now for the other two, I ensure they’re also loaded and ready to fire before turning to face my team, a gun in each hand.
“Give me one,” Evelyn holds out her hand.
“No.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Neanche per sogno”
“It means not even for a dream,” Thorun says quietly.
“I know what it means!” Evelyn snaps. “You don’t need four, Catriona. We’re not going to war, you know.”
“Yes,” I nod. “I do need four. Each only has one bullet.”
“So, you’re a shit shot,” she snorts.
“Not at all,” I answer casually. “There are four contestants, and four bullets.”
“Oh my God, I knew you were a killer,” Valérie bursts out, her voice becoming more high-pitched as she screeches, “I knew you’d murder us all. All these trials, all this talk of teams, all along you planned to kill us all. Oh, dieu me sauve! Dieu me sauve!”
“God’s not going to save you!” I snap, stepping forward to give her a quick, hard slap, before leaning down and resting my hands, still holding the guns, on my knees as I try to catch my breath.
She gasps and falls back, one hand to her bleeding cheek. I’d forgotten I was still holding the gun when I’d struck her.
“She’s not going to kill us, Valérie,” Thorun murmurs, her tone anything but confident as she pats the French woman on the back consolingly. “We’re going to make sure Khutulun’s team comes last.”
“By murdering them all?” Valérie squeaks, eyes wide.
“No,” I snort, temporarily recovering from my inability to get enough air into my lungs, “well, maybe. The main thing is I can protect us while we solve the last puzzle and get us to the finish line. And if I can, I’ll prevent them from getting anywhere near it.”
“It’ll be easier if I have guns too,” Evelyn says, her voice coolly even, eyes upon mine. “Each contestant is only permitted to eliminate two others in a contest where guns are involved. You know that as well as I do.”
“That may be,” I shrug, “but if you want one, you’ll have to take it.”
“We said there’d be no leader,” she snarls.
“And yet, here we are,” I shrug.
“Give me a gun.”
“Come and get it.”
“C’mon, you two,” Sona sighs, putting an end to our sniping as she turns and begins leading the way, once more.
“The last trial is a test to get out of here. The puzzle pieces are bits of a map. We have four clues, four pieces. People with fewer pieces will find it hard to get out of this labyrinth, but I think I can find the way.”
“Excellent,” Thorun grins, giving her a high-five.
I turn and follow last because I don’t want Evelyn behind me.
But also, although I’m trying to hide it, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to put one foot in front of the other.
If it wasn’t for how weak and ill I feel, I would have shot my team and made it out first. But I’d had to acknowledge, as I considered that option from all angles, that strategy-wise it wasn’t a smart move.
I need Sona to solve the puzzles. I might need Thorun or Evelyn’s strength if we have to physically fight our way out or make a last-minute dash, and as it’s likely that other teams have guns too, I can use Valérie as a human shield.
As we walk, breathing becoming increasingly difficult, I consider my end stratagem. I’m still working out a few kinks in my plan when we reach the top of a long flight of steps and step into a short tunnel, at the end of which we can see starlight.
“We made it!” Evelyn says under her breath as the team begins to make for the fresh air.
In the distance I spot Valérie’s team members standing with the Viscount.
She moves to run out and join them, but I grab her by the hair and pull her back.
“Khatara!”
My team turns back immediately, and I motion to them to step back into the dim protection of the tunnel they were about to leave.
“I have a plan.”
Still holding Valérie by the hair, I place my gun to her temple and force her to her knees.
“Get down. Right now.”
Her eyes widen and she starts to cry, but she folds down.
“Cat…” Thorun starts.
“Not now. Valérie, quit your whining; you need to do as I say. You have to sit here until your team members get back here. They’re going to want you to go with them. But you can’t.”
“Why?” She whines.
“Because we don’t want you to come first, obviously,” Evelyn snaps. “Fucking frog idiot.”
“But if I don’t go with them my team will come in last and I’ll be eliminated along with them.”
“She has a point,” Thorun says gently.
“I won’t let you get eliminated,” I roll my eyes. “Your other two team members and you will sit here under my protection until I’m ready to let you all go to the finish line. All you have to do is stay down now and pretend to be terrified of me.”
“I’m not pretending, you’re a psychopath,” Valérie sobs. “But my roommates are made of stronger material. How will you stop them?”
I walk to the end of the tunnel and squint towards the finish mat. From where I stand I can’t see any evidence that they have guns, which made sense because by giving up Valérie they’d lost that option.
I quickly do the sums.
As far as I know Khutulun’s team is still four-strong. If one of them hadn’t eliminated everyone else, they’d still have guns. The twins will have guns; all three of them had made it out of the river. But every other room has lost someone.
That meant there were a total of twelve guns in play — and I had four of them.
Making my way back slowly to my team, I outline my plan.
“Your team don’t have guns. Technically, I should be able to threaten them to comply, but if they try to fight me I’m going to shoot one of them in the leg. You and your team will sit here until I tell you to make for the exit.”
“Why only the leg?” Evelyn snaps. “If you’re such a murderer, why not kill everyone?”
“You know perfectly well why, Evelyn,” I mutter, “you already said it. After the massacre of Season Five Hundred, there’s a limit on how many competitors you can shoot dead in a contest.”
“What happened?” Thorun asks, her tone hushed.
“One competitor killed everyone else, obviously,” Evelyn snaps, “and the season ended abruptly.”
“That’s right,” I nod, “so now, unless given special dispensation, as we were earlier when I had the option to dispense with you all, we’re only permitted to kill two contestants in each contest involving guns.”
“And you want Khutulun,” Thorun murmurs.
“I do.”
“So you’ve got it all planned out. Great. And just where does that leave us?” Evelyn snaps.
“You, Sona and Thorun will wait at the finish line,” I say quietly and firmly. “I’ll wait here. If any other team tries to cross the line I’ll threaten to shoot them. I’ll ensure the Mongolian’s team comes last and I’ll make damn sure we come first.”
“And my team?” Valérie asks.
“If you behave yourself, second. If you fuck around I’ll put a hole in your head. Now play along, here they come.”