26

First there’s a loud buzz, then the lights switch on. A few seconds later, the central air kicks in and chilled jets blast through the vents. Anton and Carl stop fighting. Everyone cheers. I feel all kinds of relieved and grin at JT. He gives me a half-smile, but I can see he’s still worried.

‘The back-ups kicked in, that’s a good sign,’ I say.

‘It’s not finished yet.’ JT glances towards the terrace. ‘We’re still in lockdown.’

He’s right. The metal shutters are shrouding the consortia doors and the windows. We’re still locked inside. I think back to the blueprints and the building notes we’d studied for Skyland Tower. In a power outage, once the back-up generators kick in, if no threat is perceived, the panic room protocol reverses itself.

I bite my lip. Cabressa and Carmella are sitting real close, so I can’t talk about this to JT because I’d have to reveal that I’ve looked at the design of the building and its security systems, and as far as they’d know I’d have no cause to do that. As I look across the table at JT, I see the concern in his eyes and the tension in his body – like he’s ready as a momma bobcat to jump into action – and know he’s thinking it too. If the security system is still active, what threat has it detected?

The others, unaware of how the system works, are high-fiving and cheering. Anton puts his hand out and helps Carl up. Carl slaps him on the back. They’re laughing. Mikey’s pouring more champagne. Otis goes over and sits with Johnny. Johnny hugs him. Even Cabressa cracks a smile.

We all flinch as two loud beeps come over the room’s integral speaker system.

Otis looks around. His eyes widen, panicked. ‘What the hell is—?’

‘Main power to the Skyland Tower has been disrupted,’ says an electronic-sounding voice. ‘Secondary power has been activated. Do not be alarmed. For your safety, panic-room protocols are in operation until main power is re-established.’

That isn’t right; that isn’t what the building’s systems manual said it was programmed to do. I frown at JT. He’s looking concerned too, but flicks his gaze towards Cabressa and gives a little shake of his head. Don’t say anything, not right now.

I stay silent.

Carmella loads the deck into the Shuffle Master and looks to me and Cabressa. ‘Now we’ve got the power back, are you ready to continue the game?’

Cabressa narrows his eyes. ‘I’d rather wait until the knight is reunited with the set, but given this situation I suppose we can play forward.’ He fixes me with a hard stare. ‘Just know that I won’t consider the bet paid in full until the chess set is complete.’

I stare at him. Don’t like what’s happening, or the attitude he’s giving me, but seeing as we’re locked in this penthouse suite for God knows how much longer, I figure I need to keep him sweet and play along. So I nod. Force a compliant smile. ‘Understood.’

JT gets up from my player’s chair, and I settle back into the seat. JT stays close behind me, and I’m thankful for it. Feels like I’m in a snake pit going head-to-head with a cobra. I’m real glad JT has got my back. The rest of the guys gather closer around us, watching. As Carmella’s about to deal I hear Anton cuss.

She stops, the first card poised over the green, and looks over at him. ‘Problem?’

Anton turns his champagne flute upside down and says in a childlike voice, ‘There’s no more fizz.’

A flash of irritation passes across Carmella’s face before she supresses it with her mask of professionalism. ‘There’s plenty more.’ She looks over to Thomas, the security guy, who’s still standing by the door. ‘Could you bring more champagne for our guests?’

‘Sure.’ He leaves his post and strides through to the kitchen area.

There’s a clink of bottles, then he reappears carrying four more bottles over to the poker table. Thomas gives the first bottle to Anton, who fills his glass, and then those of Carl and Mikey. The second bottle goes to Johnny, who abandons his glass in favour of drinking straight from the bottle. Thomas sets the other two bottles in the ice buckets.

‘Thanks,’ says Carmella.

As Thomas moves towards the door, two loud beeps sound over the penthouse’s speaker system again. He stops, and turns back towards us looking confused. ‘What’s that about?’

Then the electronic voice begins to speak again, and everything changes.