"You should be able to move enough to see the sword above your friend's head. I guess you'll just have to trust me that there's one above yours as well. It's my very own sword of Damocles! Melodramatic, I know, but it suits the purpose."

Jason and Rob groaned their necks against their restraints as they strained to look for the sword above the other's head. As their eyes met, they confirmed that there was a sword above their own heads as well. It was the only communication they had. Both of their mouths were stuffed with cotton balls and duct taped shut and they'd given up trying to talk through it. Rob had considered swallowing the cotton but was scared of choking to death.

Neither of them remembered how they got there or what was going on. Jason remembered the two of them walking into a bar and sitting down for drinks. He was sure they had finished at least one round, but after that his mind was blank. Rob could only remember them getting into the car and heading out for the evening, but no details beyond that.

He had woken up first and his muffled shouting and struggling quickly roused Jason. They could make out very little about their surroundings, and once they were both awake, their apparent captor had started talking.

"Now you see," he continued as he walked along in the shadows. His voice was from up high, so he was probably on the catwalk that Rob could just barely see. "It's actually quite simple for one of you to get out. But don't do it yet! That would spoil the fun. Besides, there is an asterisk." He tittered a high pitched giggle.

"Your ropes have enough slack in the arms that you can just lift your hands up and free yourselves. Easy as pie! But," his words lingered as his footsteps echoed on the catwalk, "But, your hands are also bound to the sword above your companion's head. You lift your arms, you can untie yourself and go free. Your friend dies immediately."

The two men heard a heavy metal door creak open above them. "So that's your choice. One of you dies quickly or you both starve to death. I'll leave the door unlocked for you. Bye!" And with that the door slammed shut.

Rob and Jason stared at each other wide eyed. They were strapped on their stomachs to benches, facing each other, about fifteen feet apart. Jason tentatively tested his wrists and they did seem to be reasonably slack. Rob blurted out noise in protest, fearing his friend was going to do him in. Jason shook his head and returned to his prodding. They were stuck fast. The knots looked easy enough, but they could never be undone in time to get out of the way of a falling sword.

Then, unexpectedly, the one on the blue bench panicked and yanked up his hands. His friend shouted in protest, briefly.