Page 58 of Forsaking All Others

“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?”