39.

ou yell loudly. Upstairs, someone stomps on the floor, a cue for you to keep quiet. The door to the basement opens, and both the well-groomed man and large guy appear before you. The well-groomed man says, “Sir, I’m afraid I have to ask you to keep quiet.”

You grunt and continue to struggle with the ropes. “Tsk, tsk. Those are the sturdiest fibers from the Seychelles. Trust me when I say that they cannot be broken or snapped.” He then turns and waves the large guy towards you. He reaches out with an oversized fist and drives into your jaw like a racecar into a brick wall.

When you come to, you find you’re no longer tied up. You look around for the chair, and realize where pieces of it have ended up. Ouch!

To get the splinters out of your fanny, go to 1.
To squeeze out of the basement window, go to 44.