I darted back, depending on my training for the quickness of my reaction. A kick from my left boot sent the needle flying, landing far away from Jason in the corner. This allowed me to reverse the attack at my leisure, holding short from doing any serious injuries. The competition didn't start until later, after the dinner.

Putting his unconscious body out in the hall after I liberally applied my catalyst to his skin here and there, I locked my door and went to open my trunk once again. In here were the tools and things I would need to win this thing and take over Briar Island.

Father's chemical company had produced several of them from arcane recipes that he had worked on over many years, hoping for his own opportunity at conquering the island. Some others I had found after some time spent with my Maori teammates in the military; old island blends of natural things found throughout the South Pacific.

The best of the tools and devices in my trunk would simply incapacitate... and the amounts I used would set the time. A full dose of some of the weapons would lead to weeks or months of disability, but it easily may be diluted to last 18 hours or so. Any one of these alone would work my magic. I carefully set the locks and the alarms and the seven separate booby-traps. Should Mr. Speed or Michael or a servant dare to touch the trunk, they might live, or might not, depending on the method used. Short of using C4, this luggage would resist their best efforts.