Chapter 7: An underhand trick.

I quickly realise the seriousness of my situation. If I don’t return to the dormitory before roll-call, I will be returned to Buchanan in shame. A chill runs through me. I berate myself for being so stupid as to drop my guard and allow Paulo to chain me like this. There is no doubt in my mind that he’s the one responsible for my predicament.

Is he being a coward who is scared of meeting me in fair competition? That seems inconsistent with the Paulo I’ve been with tonight, but he would surely have woken me had he noticed anybody else entering this café while we slept. Perhaps he is a better actor than I gave him credit. For all I know, his training could have included a course in seducing maidens. After all, half the contestants are young women. Some, like me, will be gullible enough to fall for Paulo’s charms, and walk into his deadly trap. But I mustn’t dwell on Paulo’s reasons. My immediate priority is to get free.

I test the strength of the chain restraining me. It’s similar to the security chain threaded through the handles of the cabinets behind the bar. Paulo must have come across a spare length of chain while he was exploring earlier. The chain is lightweight but strong. There is no way I can break it. Which means I must somehow break the lock securing the chain to my ankle. It is a combination lock like the one securing the other end of the chain to the table. Unless I’m extremely lucky, I won’t have enough time to open the lock by randomly guessing the five-digit combination. Just as I’m about to vent my frustration with a few choice curses, a flash of inspiration hits me. Paulo must have known the combination to fasten the lock to the chain. How did he know the combination?

I check the tables and floor around me, as far as my chain allows. The combination must be written on something. I just hope it is something within reach. Could Paulo have been careless and left me the combination?

The chain is long enough for me to reach the small service area next to the bar. If the owners of the café have written down the combination, then this is the most likely place on this level. My frantic search is rewarded when I find a basket holding more lengths of chain and padlocks. Each padlock has a small detachable tag with the combination for that lock printed on it. Unlocking the padlock enables the tag to be removed. I search the bottom of the basket for any tags no longer with their padlock. Sure enough I find four tags. Hopefully one belongs to the lock securing the chain around my ankle.

I try the numbers on the lock on my ankle. I meet with success on the third number, and within seconds I’m free of my chain. But before I can go anywhere I hear two people talking. They are coming up the interior staircase from the main café below. Two voices I recognise. Paulo and Chloe! They are too close for me to try and exit over the balcony, so I can’t leave the way Paulo and I entered. My only option in the time available is to pretend I’m still asleep and chained to the table.

“See, she’s still asleep,” says Chloe. “The sound you heard was probably the fridge humming.”

“I don’t know,” replies Paulo. “I’m still not happy about leaving her chained like this. It’s an underhand trick.”

“Think yourself lucky I didn’t chain you as well,” replies Chloe. “You saw her during the preliminary session this evening. She’s a serious challenger and she’s best eliminated now.”