All-Star Survivor: Greece Episode #5 Backbreaking

Taygete Tribe: Dirk Been, Jessie Camacho, Debb Eaton, Kel Gleason, Ramona Gray
Alkyone Tribe: Ryan Aiken, Gabriel Cade, Stephanie Dill, Hunter Ellis, Peter Harkey, John Raymond, Tanya Vance

DAY 13



Jessie Camacho had had enough of Kel Gleason.

"I'm so sick and tired of him," she complained, as she sat on top of the Taygete roof. She was on scout duty today, and the other four were all scattered out around the island, doing chores. So she was free to vent this morning, something she was more than happy to do.

"We come back last night," she explained, as she peered across the sea at Alkyone, "And he goes into this big long speech about how Carl would have just brought us down, and how we needed to get rid of him. I mean, we -all- know that. You don't need to explain every little thing that happens to us. We're not five years old." She paused to take a drink of water. Always mindful of her dehydration problems in Africa, Jessie was seldom found without a flask of water by her side. "And I'm just so sick and tired of the way he talks to people, as if he is some survival expert, and we're all just children."

Jessie's fiery temper had lain dormant for some time now. Never one to hold her tongue, she had tried so very hard to lay low here in Greece. She didn't want to cause problems. She didn't want to ruffle feathers, make enemies, or be in the center of the drama. Her strategy going into the game had been simple: Keep a smile on her face, a grip on the guys, and her mouth shut. And she had done very well so far. Normally a pretty harsh critic of herself, even Jessie would have to admit that she had done pretty darn well for herself.

But she had finally lost it this morning.

"Why don't you go build a boat or something?!" she had snapped, as Kel had tried to instruct her on how to hold a fishing pole correctly, "Just leave me alone. You nag us all day about how to do stuff, and then you never catch anything yourself! Just please, let me sit here and do it. I want to be alone."

So that had been it. Kel had given her a hurt look, his pride wounded, and then he had drifted away. He was always a very sensitive person, and sometimes didn't realize that his "advice" often came off as pompous. But it was bound to happen with Jessie eventually. The girl whom he considered his final two partner had been giving him the cold shoulder for a while now.

"And I don't know what it is," he concluded, in a confessional. "I'm not sure if she's just starting to crack under the strain of losing. Or maybe it's something to do with Dirk." He smiled, slyly. "I'm trying to get into her head, but she doesn't seem to want to let me. But I'm not going to give up. She and I have had a final two deal for a long time, and we're going to get there." He looked up, as Ramona was approaching, and had to quickly finish up. "We just have to get a little luck on our side for a while, and maybe start a winning streak or two."

But Kel was not aware of a certain piece of information. And that was that Jessie Camacho was done with him. She had already started a crusade to get the Army captain out of the game. She was about to lay down an ultimatum to the rest of the team, that they either keep her or they keep him.

And it appeared that the fireworks were about to begin.




^^




As Kel and Ramona talked strategy, Debb sat out in the fishing boat, trying to catch some lunch with Dirk.

"Personally," Dirk said, "I think we're screwed." He laughed out loud, as his fishing pole sat dangling off the side of the boat. He made no effort to hold it, as it was all essentially just for show. This was his relaxation time.

"I don't know if we can beat them either," Debb said, as she squinted into the blue sea beneath them. She thought she saw a tuna, but wasn't sure. "It's not like we're getting any stronger. We vote people off, but it doesn't seem to make us any better as a team." She sighed. "It just makes us smaller."

"True," said Dirk, as he closed his eyes, trying to take a small nap. "But I wasn't gonna keep Carl around. I couldn't stand the guy." He paused for a few moments, before finishing his thought. "Almost as much as I can't stand the Alkyones."

"Yeah," she agreed. "They're a bunch of creeps." She looked over at the opposing beach, where a few members were playing football in the surf. "I wish we could beat them just once, you know? Give us something to at least be proud of."

"We're doin' our best," Dirk agreed, still lounging with eyes closed. "But I don't think the Lord just wants us to right now. You can't fight it if it aint meant to be."

Debb sat in silence now, just concentrating on her fishing. Dirk was apparently asleep, so she was free to wrestle with her inner thoughts. And it wasn't a particular nice moment either, since one thought screamed its way over the rest: -Debb, you are next!- Debb had been convinced that she was going to go last night. She had been so certain, in fact, that she had given away her luxury item before Tribal Council. She had given her fleece jacket to Carl, and told him to use it when she was gone. And she had been as surprised as anyone to see Carl's name come up instead. She hadn't seen that one coming at all.

So today, she was awash with a strange mixture of emotions. Relief, sure. That was a big one. She would be here until day 15 at least, and that was nothing to sneeze at. But the dread was certainly back. Knowing you would be next, at a time when your team seemed to attend -every- Tribal Council, was a bad spot to be in. And she didn't particularly see any way out of it, either. Jessie and Ramona were joined at the hip, that was as clear as day. And while Ramona was a great conversationalist, and friendly and kind to everyone, she just would -not- vote against her friend. Debb and Ramona had had some issues, some from Greece and some from before, but they were not enemies by any stretch of the imagination. There was no hatred there, but the simple fact remained that Debb was not Ramona's best friend. Jessie was.

And if it came down to the two, it was obvious whom Ramona would choose to keep around.

And as for Dirk... well now -he- was an interesting possibility. But the problem remained that he seemed to be so lackadasical about the whole strategy thing. He just didn't seem to care all that much. And besides, he had the puppy dog eyes for Jessie, and everyone knew it. And you could say the same thing for Kel. Kel Gleason was pretty much the one in charge of calling the shots around here. He was the leader. He knew the game best... or said he did, anyway. And he also seemed to be pretty inflexible about listening to anyone's else's advice. Kel couldn't really be swayed. Debb saw him as the least likely option of them all.

"So now I just have to hope for a twist or something," she sighed, as she reeled in her empty fishing line. "Because the way things are headed, they'll be rid of me soon enough. I'm just the last obstacle in their way."




^^




Tanya and Ryan were in charge of tree mail duty this morning, and were walking through the woods of Alkyone.

"My strategy has always been the same," Tanya said, her thick Tennessee accent drawing out all the vowels, "And that was to lay low and play under the radar. I always wanted to find a strong player and attach myself to them, and just kind of slip by. I'm not really much for drawing attention."

"Which was my strategy too," Ryan agreed, "But I don't think we can do that in this type of tribe." He started naming names off on his fingers. "Peter. John. Gabe. Steph. Hunter. Those five aren't going to vote for each other. They're going to vote me off first, and there ain't a damn thing I can do about it."

"Have you tried anything?" Tanya asked. She noticed that Ryan had left her out of John's alliance, and was certainly smart enough not to correct his error.

"Dude," he said, "I been working my -ass- off. I've gone to Steph almost every day. She just tells me that I'm next to go, and won't budge on that. She says she's sorry, but can't do much."

Tanya shrugged, smirking. -Sounds like Steph-, she thought.

"And I've gone to Gabriel," Ryan said, "Figuring maybe he'd feel bad about it, but he says he's not here to start voting out his friends."

Tanya rolled her eyes, smiling. Big surprise there.

"John is a dead end," Ryan finished, "Hunter thinks I'm a nuisance, and Peter is off in crazy land or something." He gestured crazily with one hand as he said this, trying to emphasize his point.

"So what do you expect me to do about it?" Tanya asked, legitimately curious. She really wanted to know what the guy was up to.

"I have to bring them down," Ryan said, his eyes fierce and determined under his white buff headband. "I gotta bring 'em all down."

"What you have to do," Tanya suggested, casually, "Is turn them all against one another." She paused, watching him glare at her, and quickly added, "But I don't think it can be done."

"Oh yeah?" Ryan said, smiling at her. "Watch me." She looked at him, raising her eyebrows, coyly. She wasn't prepared to help him get out of his predicament, but she was enough of a Survivor fan to know when to pay attention. Tanya was a very observant person, and far more cunning than a lot of people gave her credit for.

And as a famous singer herself might have said, Tanya was just not that innocent. She was not naive in the slightest. She was a player, and a good one at that.

"Have fun," she smiled. "Sounds like a blast."

"You want in?"

"Nah," she said. "But I'll let you know if it's working."

"Thanks," Ryan added, finishing with his normal conversation ender. "You're alright."

But five minutes later, all strategy talk was forgotten, as Tanya found and read the tree mail.

"Oh man," she said, re-reading the same passage again to make sure she didn't misunderstand. "Check this out. We're gonna be moving."

Ryan glanced over the mail, a small piece of parchment, attached to a small golden apple.

"Some will stay home.
Some will move out.
It all will be found in a race.
A twist or a challenge?
You've done it before.
See if you stay in one place..."

"A twist?" Ryan said, looking up. His normally intense eyes were suddenly wide with hope. All of a sudden he saw a new day brightening.

"I can't tell," Tanya said, looking back at camp. "But the guys are gonna want to hear about this one..."



^^




"Welcome, guys," smiled Jeff Probst, as twelve players stood before him, "To today's challenge." He smiled. "And we have something special planned for you this morning."

The two teams were standing on Asterope island, on the beach. This was the most lush of the islands, the most teeming with trees and bushes. And it had been selected just for that reason, of course.

"This is going to be a Survivor first," smiled Jeff, as he picked up two torches. He reached down to light them as he spoke. "Some of you may think of this as a twist, and some may see it as a challenge. But in actuality it is both." He looked up now, two lit torches in hand. "Because this is the first time we have ever repeated a reward."

Tanya's heart suddenly sank in her chest. She knew exactly what Jeff was going to say, mere seconds before it came out.

"... because the losers," smiled Jeff, "Will be losing their shelter tonight. Burned to the ground." He smiled, very disarmingly. "Same drill as before, you know how it works."

"Come on, dude," said Ryan, but Jeff was serious. He handed one torch to Kel, and one to Gabriel. The two team captains took them, looking dubious.

"This is a big one," said Jeff, knowing all too well the emotional impact this would have on the losing tribe, this late in the game. "Taygete, this is your chance to get back in this game. You take out their shelter... again... and you are going to knock the wind out of their sails. And Alkyone," he turned, nodding to Stephanie, "This is your chance to possibly put this game out of reach." He looked over at the Taygetes, who suddenly looked a whole lot smaller. "Because I don't think they have any builders left."

The challenge today would be based on the story of Atalanta. A fierce warrior maiden, she was known throughout the ancient world as being beautiful, strong, and unbeatable in any contest of strength or skill. Men would challenge her to races, time and again, because she had a standing offer: Any man who could defeat her in a race would win her hand in marriage. And anyone who lost a race would pay for it with his life. And fortunately for Atalanta, she never lost.

"... Until this one time," smiled Jeff, explaining, "With the help of these." He held up a small apple, painted gold. It was polished, beautiful and reflected the bright light of the Greek sun. "One clever suitor asked the gods for help to win her hand, and was given a handful of these. Golden apples, made from the most beautiful substance on earth. During the race, the suitor tossed the apples into the bushes from time to time and Atalanta, distracted, went to retrieve them. This happened time and time again until, at the end, she had lost her first race. She had been defeated." Jeff paused, smiling. "You guys ready to race?"

The layout of the challenge was simple. It was a footrace, between two members. Dirk was chosen for Taygete, easily the fastest runner they had left, and Tanya was chosen for the Alkyones. A former college track star, Tanya knew this was her big moment to shine. She had been waiting for a running challenge for some time now.

"You will run into the forest," said Jeff, "And stop at four checkpoints." He pointed up a path, leading into the woods. "At each checkpoint, one of your teammates will be waiting. Tag them off, and they will search the area immediately around them for a golden apple. It could be in the trees, in the grass, in the dirt, anywhere. They have to find the apple and bring it back to you. Then the runner will carry the apple to the -next- checkpoint and repeat the process." He smiled at them, placing his hands behind his back. "First runner back here with all four apples wins reward, and you get the honor of burning the other tribe's shelter to the ground tonight."

The players scattered out to their posts, after quick huddles for strategy. Dirk went through his normal pre-game psych-up ritual for Taygete, saying a loud prayer for them all, and Kel added a quick mention of how much they needed this.

"If they get our house," he added, "We're not going to make it."

Alkyone, for their part, were just as intent on winning this. Some of them still seethed over the destruction of their camp early in the game.

"We are -not- losing our shelter again, guys," said Hunter, his arms around the shoulders of Tanya and Peter. "And let's give them a little payback for our boat too, while we're at it."

"For our boat," said Steph, putting her hand in the middle.

"For our boat," agreed Peter.

Within a few moments, the contest was ready to begin. Peter and Ryan were sitting on the sidelines, having been chosen to sit out, and tensions were high. There was that certain electricity in the air, when neither team wants to lose a challenge. Jeff could feel it. Dirk and Tanya lined up on the beach, each with buffs tied draped over their heads, like pirates. They shook hands, and waited for Jeff to walk over.

"You guys ready?"

"Yo, let's race," said Dirk, grinning.

"So," asked Jeff, teasing, "Are we playing for keeps here? Tanya, is he playing for your hand in marriage?"

"He's gotta win first," smiled Tanya, winking at Dirk.

"Okay," announced Jeff, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "This is for reward. Survivors ready...," he paused, his hand in the air, watching as the runners poised for the start, "... GO!"

The two of them raced off through the sand, slightly up an incline, as they neared the forest. It wasn't the smoothest surface in the world, but they were both determined not to lose, and both were making good time. Tanya because this was her specialty, and Dirk simply because he did not want to lose to a girl.

"They're in the forest!" announced Jeff, as the two of them disappeared into the trees, Dirk slightly ahead. And sure enough, Dirk reached his platform first, yelling at Debb. "I'm here! I'm here! Find it!"

Debb dropped to her hands and knees, searching through the thick grass for the telltale shine of the apple. On the other side of the path, Gabriel was doing the same for Alkyone, having been tagged off by Tanya.

After about three minutes, Debb caught a gleam out of the corner of her eye. She whipped her head to the right and grabbed the small golden object. "Got it!" she screamed.

"Toss it here!" yelled Dirk, as he caught it. He stuffed the apple into his pocket and turned to race along the path again.

"Here!" said Gabe, as he plucked his own apple out of the crook of a tree. He tossed it to Tanya, and she took off again after the lanky dairy farmer.

"Both teams have one apple!" Jeff announced. "Taygete is in the lead by about ten seconds!"

Kel Gleason stood at the second platform, across from John Raymond. The two men were engaging in small talk, as the figure of Dirk suddenly neared. Winded and exhausted, he was pumping his arms and legs for all they were worth, and had soon reached them.

"Find that bad boy!" Dirk panted, as Kel scanned the surrounding area. He didn't have to look long, though, as his sharp eyes caught the gleam of gold within seconds.

"Got it!" he called, and tossed the apple towards Dirk. Dirk snagged it with one hand and didn't bother to stash it. He just took off running again.

"Let's go, Tanya!" called John, as she emerged from the dark of the trees. She was making good time, but was more winded than she had expected. The lack of food around Alkyone had taken more of a toll on her than she had realized.

"Go!" she yelled. "Go!" But she could see the figure of Dirk receding into the forest ahead of her. She knew that things were not going well.

John Raymond had just found his apple as Dirk was reaching platform number three. Almost out of energy, he had received a second wind from the sight of Jessie, jumping up and down, ecstatic, cheering for him. Dirk turned it up a notch for the last few yards, and collapsed upon the ground when he arrived.

"Yeah, baby!" he called, as Jessie raced off to find her apple. She crawled around on her hands and knees, having trouble, as she suddenly heard the sound of Tanya approaching.

"Let's go!" cheered Stephanie, waiting patiently for the tag off. Finally, Tanya reached her, and Steph loped off towards a cluster of trees, frantically searching.

"Both teams are at platform three!" called Jeff from the trail. "It's just a matter of who finds the apple first!"

Both Jessie and Stephanie searched, seemingly without luck. Jessie thought she had it first, but it was just a pinecone. But to her dismay, she finally heard Steph's voice, echoing through the trees.

"I got it!" Steph called, as she scrambled up into a tree. She plucked the small golden apple out of the branches and raced it back to Tanya.

"Alkyone!" Jeff called. "Takes the lead!"

But the lead was short lived, as Jessie finally spotted her apple, laying under a leaf. She picked it up and tossed it to Dirk, who had received a nice rest period. He stuffed the apple in his pocket and took off, intent on catching Tanya.

"Win it for us!!" Jessie screamed, clapping.

Platform four was where it was all going to be decided. Ramona Gray and Hunter Ellis waited, talking, discussing life in the two camps. But the mood soon changed as Tanya appeared on the horizon, out of breath, but still running.

"Let's go, T!" yelled Hunter, as the shape of Dirk loomed just behind her. His lanky arms pumping, he appeared to be catching her.

"Go, Dirk!" called Ramona. But Tanya had reached the platform first, and it was all up to Hunter now. He turned around, facing the forest, looking for a clue. Ramona got the tag-off as well, and turned to her side. But fate was on the Taygete side today, as Ramona caught a small gleam of gold out of the corner of her eye. She shrieked with excitement, running over to pick it up.

"Dirk!" she screamed. "Dirk! Apple! Apple!"

"Taygete has their last apple!" called Jeff, as Ramona raised her arms in triumph. Dirk took the apple, stuffed it into his pocket, and started racing back to the start line, screaming his head off in excitement.

"Here it is!" said Hunter, finally, as he plucked the apple out of a bush. He tossed it to Tanya, who caught it and turned to desperately race after Dirk. It was going to be tough, but she was determined to give it her all.

The two racers ran back down the trail, past all the platforms, as they were cheered on. Dirk looked to have a healthy lead, and was showing no signs of slowing. He held his fist in the air as he passed Jessie, and then Kel, and then Debb. And finally, he was out of the forest. He sneaked a quick peek over his shoulder, looking for Tanya, and saw her two platforms behind, with no chance of winning.

"Yeah, bay-beeeeee!" he yelled, as he approached and then crossed the finish line. He fell onto the sand, exhausted, but it didn't matter. Taygete was finally back on the winning side of things.

"Taygete!" announced Jeff, loudly, "Wins reward!"

Dirk's teammates came out of the forest to mob him, gathering around to greet their champion. Jeff watched happily as the ragtag band of misfits celebrated, something he rarely saw out here. But the excitement didn't just stop with the win. They knew what would come next. In fact, Kel already had a torch in his hand, ready to go.

The new Alkyone shelter was coming down tonight.

And the Taygetes couldn't have been happier.






DAY 14





With rain in the forecast, the day had a very acrid smell this morning. You could just sense it. Something was coming. They didn't know if it would be a monsoon, or a drizzle, or just a plain old ordinary storm. But rain was coming, and it would be here soon.

Dirk Been was on morning scout duty for the Taygetes, and he sat atop the gleaming white house, taking notes. But it was hard to concentrate at the moment. After all, last night had been a celebration. Last night had been their one moment of glory in the past week.

Plus, it had just plain been a lot of fun.

"I know I've been taught to forgive and forget," smiled Dirk, as he reminisced, "But it was -sweet- burning down their house last night. You should have seen the look on their faces. They honestly couldn't believe it was happening." He reached down to retie his blue buff, which was fastened around his elbow this morning. "Man, they been so dang cocky. They been talkin' smack forever, and... well..." He grinned again. "I cannot -tell- you how fun that was."

Dirk sat for a while, half-heartedly, as he watched the other team try to rebuild. It looked like the big bad Alkyones were stuck on manual labor today, a thought which made Dirk snicker. In fact, he could point out Gabriel and John, on the south side of the island, as they were chopping down some trees.

"They've been stompin' us for weeks now," Dirk finally continued, "And to tell you the truth, it has started to get to me. And I know I don't get mad much. Life's too short for that. But after awhile, you can't help but take it personally." he paused, then continued. "I went into this game just like I go into my life, wanting to let bygones be bygones, and just chill out and enjoy the ride. But when you lose like five challenges in a row, it just starts to get to you." He reached down to grab an orange, his breakfast for the morning, and talked as he peeled. "So yeah I have nothing against the people over there. Not as individuals. Not even Ryan. But do I want to win?" He smiled, his large, wide toothy grin. "Man, we're -gonna- win. Aint no doubt about it. Last night was where it alllll started!"



^^



Gabriel chopped down another tree, watching as it crashed to the ground.

"Look out!" called John, but Tanya was already out of the way. She had scurried to the side, letting it hit the ground in front of her with a thud.

"That's five," said Gabe, as he wiped his brow. His white buff was supposed to act as a headband, but it wasn't picking up much of the sweat. It just sat, drenched, across his forehead. "How many more do we need?"

"I figure we need at least ten of 'em," said John, reviewing the mental picture in his head. "We can chop eight of 'em up into the floorboards," he demonstrated with his hands, "And then two for the roof. We can cover the rest of the shelter with some leaves or something."

"Ok," said Gabe, "Get Hunter or someone to come over and carry these back." He looked at the heavy logs, knowing that the task was going to require some hard, physical labor. He didn't wish it upon anyone, but Hunter was the most alpha of alpha males. He knew Hunter well enough that the big guy wouldn't even -let- anyone else carry the logs. "I'll get the last few cut down," Gabe said, as he raised the axe again, chopping into the thick base of the tree.

Soon after John left to go talk to Hunter, Tanya came over, keeping Gabe company as he chopped. She had volunteered to help, but they had only one axe, so she was pretty much out of luck.

"Ryan wants you out," she said to her friend, after carefully making sure no one was watching. Gabe continued chopping as they talked, not looking at her. He just spoke as he worked, trying to avoid suspicion if anyone glanced this way.

"I figured that," he said, "He probably knows he is next."

"He's goin' to try something," Tanya fessed up, as she sat in the dirt nearby. "And whether it's you, John, or Hunter, one of you is gonna be the target. He already says he has Steph on board, and he thinks he has me too." Tanya smiled, laughing at the thought. "I think he expects us to be his little harem or somethin'."

"Ok, cool," Gabe said, still chopping. "But I don't think anything can come of it. He'd have to get Peter or John, and I know that's not gonna happen. Neither of them want anything to do with him. At least, I hope not. I wouldn't if I were them."

Tanya nodded, coming to the same conclusion. Ryan was a confident guy, and very, very cutthroat. But he also had precious few allies right now. All the scheming in the world couldn't overcome a whole tribe out to get rid of you. And Tanya had tried, she really had tried to get in good with the guy. They had a lot in common, being so young, and both being athletes. But in time, every student of the game, as Tanya certainly was, could see when an ally was a dead end. And so she had come scurrying back to John and Gabe, and given away Ryan's countermove.

But she wouldn't call it sabotage. She preferred to describe it as self-preservation.

"After I lost that race yesterday," she had said in a confessional, looking disgusted and annoyed at the same time, "I knew that my stock had probably gone down a little. If they thought I was weak, or a liability, I knew they wouldn't give but a second thought to get rid of me, even if they -do- like me." And so Tanya had acted out of the best interests in her heart.

She had sold Ryan out. To build up her loyalty a little. And it seemed to be working at the moment.

"Where is Ryan, anyway?" asked Gabe. "I haven't seen him all morning. Is he fishing?"

"He said he was," she said, closing her eyes and looking up, trying to catch some sun. She could also feel the rain in the forecast, and was determined to enjoy the sun at least while they had it. "But he never really does any fishing. He's probably out bodysurfing or something."

Tanya and Gabe talked for a while and, Within a few minutes, John had finally come back. The Ryan information was passed along, and a meeting of the mind occurred. This was where the decisions got made. And John was not surprised by Ryan's plan, of course. Ryan was -anything- but subtle.

"It's the sort of thing you'd expect from someone like him," John said, as he relieved Gabe on axe duty, giving the young man a break. "He's like a caged, wild animal. You know he's gonna bite you, and you know it's gonna hurt, but you just don't know -when- he's gonna do it."

"Or if he has rabies," Tanya helpfully pointed out.

With that, John let out a grunt of relief as the axe cut into the tenth tree, and it finally toppled to the ground. Tanya applauded, and Gabe went over to help move it near the others.

"There's only one thing you can do with a rabid animal," said John, as he leaned against the axe, his white buff wrapped around his wrist. "Sometimes you have to take it out back, and put it out of its misery."

"Next vote?" asked Gabe.

"Next vote."




^^




The day passed slowly for the Alkyones. Hungry, tired, and a bit shellshocked, they tried their best to get a new shelter up. John had the general design, Hunter and Peter did most of the manual labor, and the rest were in charge of gathering materials.

"I got the roof done," called Peter, as he finished weaving some leaves together. The shirtless man stood up, walked it over to Hunter, and passed it along. "Just put it at an angle," the bowling alley owner explained, "And let the rain run right down theah." He pointed to a small patch of mud.

The new shelter, their third, stood not far from the burnt out husk of their second home. And their first, for that matter. This grove was turning into a graveyard of past homes. In fact, you could still smell the charred scent of burnt wood, mixed with the mud created by this morning's rain. The smells all mixed into an unpleasant, and entirely too familiar, aroma.

"I hope they burned their hands," joked Stephanie, as she helped to clear some brush out of the way. "Because they sure were having fun." She spat on the ground, unconsciously. The glee with which Taygete had set their home ablaze last night had rubbed several of them the wrong way. Hunter and Gabriel had been the most bothered, as they had just stared, angrily, while Ramona and Dirk had been laughing during the process. And sure, Hunter had seen it as unsportsmanlike, and a bit petty, but he had only been mildly upset.

Stephanie, for her part, had simply been pissed.

"Is Dirk always such a jackass?" she asked Hunter. The big man shrugged, as he shook his head. He had no idea. No one here really knew Dirk. No one on Alkyone had ever met him before. All they knew about him were his actions in his game, and the way he handled himself. And they saw it all. The ever present grin that never seemed to leave his face. The way his clothes hung off his body, particularly his low-riding shorts. The cocky, almost leisurely way he strolled when he walked.

And his way of speaking. That bizarre way Dirk had of combining ghetto slang and Bible thumping. That was the thing that tended to drive people nuts.

"I swear," added Steph, "If he comes over here again, I'll kick his scrawny little ass." She chuckled, but was probably only half-kidding. She just plain did not like Dirk much. And never had.

"He was dancing around last night," she continued, "And laughing when he burned it down. He couldn't have been having more fun. Did you see him?"

"Yeah," added Hunter, as he lashed two floorboards together, "I saw. We all did."

In truth, Dirk had just been having fun last night. He hadn't intended to anger anyone. Together, he, Kel and Ramona had been in charge of the burning itself, so they had come over soon after dinner. Jeff had the Alkyones stand off to one side, and the destruction had begun. Same drill as before.

They all knew it by now.

"Flame on!" Dirk had yelled, as he had tossed the first torch onto the roof. Laughing and high-fiving Kel, Dirk had also taken a few kicks at the walls of the shelter, getting into the mood and just generally enjoying the experience. After all, he hadn't done this before. He wanted to make sure he had a good time. And within minutes, the shelter was gone. And this one hadn't been reduced to rubble, like before. This one had been reduced to ashes.

"Sleep tight, guys" Kel had smiled, as the deed had been completed. Kel, normally very quiet and controlled, had been into the experience more than he had intended as well. He had helpfully pointed out the spots that were uncharred, carefully ferreting out any of the weak areas. Although it really hadn't mattered in the big picture. Dirk had been the main focus of Alkyone's rage, not Kel. Simply put, Dirk had the biggest mouth of the three, and was enjoying it -way- too much.

"Don't worry, guys," Hunter had reassured his team at the time, as they could only helplessly watch. Peter had a strange, solemn look on his face, almost a little sad. Tanya looked at the ground. Gabriel was upset, but was trying not to take it personally. John just watched, blankly, as his mind already raced through the steps they would need to take the next morning. And Stephanie, of course, had her arms crossed across her chest, looking angry.

But it was soon over, and then they had to move on. And now, after a night of sleeping under the trees, without a shelter, Alkyone was ready to take their revenge.

"We just have to kick their asses today," said Stephanie, "And shove it right in their faces." She smirked, letting loose her trademark phrase of dismissal. "Piss on 'em."

"Heck," deadpanned Peter, "I'd piss all -over- 'em if it'd mean they'd stop burning our house down."




^^




John went to get the tree mail for today's challenge, as the rest of Alkyone played a half-hearted game of sea football. It had been Peter's idea, to get their spirits back up, although it was clear they were drained. They were -all- a little drained.

"This game has been a lot different than I expected," John said, as he used a walking stick to step over a patch of mud. He was walking along the beach, taking the long way to the mailbox today, enjoying the time to talk to the camera. "Because when I came out here, I was so afraid of going first. And that's not something you'll admit to yourself, or to others, but it was clear in my mind, and in my prayers." He stopped, to speak directly to the camera. "So I made sure to make some alliances, and, you know, get some protection." John raised a hand to wave to Ramona, who was sitting atop the Taygete shelter. From this point on the beach, they could see one another pretty well. And he liked to at least wave to the Taygete scouts. To just, you know, let them know that everyone was okay over here, and they were still friends. It was a game, sure, but John wasn't as cutthroat as the rest. He didn't think of Taygete as the enemy, as some of them did. Taygete just happened to be some people on the other island, playing Survivor as well. No more, no less.

"But after I got the alliance in place," he continued, "We haven't had to -do- anything with it. We haven't been back to Tribal Council since! So we've been able to just relax and have some fun, and just recharge ourselves. After all, that's half of the game, staying mentally strong. Without peace of mind, you're gonna have a hard time staying at an even keel, and that's when you'll start to make mistakes."

The only thing that was really eating at John at the moment was the dedication of his alliance. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't trust them. Far from it. He chose the people he did -because- of their trustworthiness. That had been criteria number one. No, what worried him was the complacency of his tribe. In short, they were winning. And they always won. And with it came a growing sense of cockiness, something he was starting to see all too much.

And it worried him.

"I'm starting to think people are losing sight of the game," he continued. "People are getting lax, and starting to lose their edge a little." He didn't name names right away, but eventually one name came up, and that was Tanya. Tanya Vance, their sweet little social worker. John loved Tanya. He really did. In many ways, he was as close to her as he was to his own kids. But his conversation with her this morning had been a little off-putting, the one where she had divulged her friendship with Ryan.

Oh sure, he had happily taken all the information she had passed along, but inwardly, John Raymond been somewhat surprised. He had no idea that she was such good friends with the guy. He hadn't expected her to make such close ties with their next boot choice. After all, that was just plain suicidal. You start to become attached to people, and things happen. Bad things. And what it told him was that he had read Tanya wrong. He had read her wrong in one of three ways.

Maybe she was easily manipulated, and Ryan had almost pulled her on board.

Or she was emotional, had felt bad, and had just been making a friend.

Or she was far, far more cunning than she was letting on.

And either of those three circumstances could be trouble, in the long run.

"And I'm not talking about voting her off," he continued. "I wouldn't backstab anyone unless there was a good reason to." He paused, to collect his thought. "You can play this game any number of ways, but flat out backstabbing is not something I would do. I've told myself I would deceive, and I would cheat, and I would even lie to win Survivor. Within the realm of the game, you can justify all of those, to some degree." He smiled. "But I will not backstab. Never. However..." He finished, as he paused again. "If Tanya starts planning things outside the group, then you know that -other- people will as well. It's a bad sign. And that's all I'm saying."

At this point, John had resolved to make sure everyone kept a tighter rein on their fivesome in the future. It was just too risky otherwise. They had to stay focused, and not get bored, or complacent. Or cocky. That was the worst.

"Well," he said, nearing the tree mail box. "I guess we won't know what's gonna happen until the challenge." He reached into the box, smiling. "Let's see what ol' Mark's got cooked up for us today."




^^





"We're building a horse!" Jessie announced. She was walking back with Debb, the two women having retrieved Taygete's tree mail together.

"A Trojan Horse!" yelled Debb.

The blue tribe gathered around, the five of them checking out the small piece of wood together. And it was a very simple message today, just a small, brown, wooden horse. And engraved into the side of it was a simple inscription, the only clue they had been given:

"Build me."

"What do we build it from?" asked Kel. He took a glance around their island, seeing trees, sand, and some fruit trees. He saw nothing that would give them any help. "How big is it going to be?"

"I don't know," said Debb, suddenly getting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. All she had to do was take a quick glance at her teammates, and she knew why.

Jessie. Dirk. Ramona.

None of them could build worth a damn.

Debb didn't have to see them in action to know that. She was good enough at reading people to realize some things about her teammates. None of them were builders. She knew that. Debb was likely the only one here with any building experience. And damn them for getting rid of Diane and Carl! Those two would have been invaluable today. But at the moment, Debb instinctively knew that this challenge was going to come down on -her- shoulders, and -her- shoulders alone.

"Have you ever built before?" she asked Kel, curious to see if he would be any help.

"I've done some," he said, "But never a horse." He smiled at his own joke.

"Okay," she said, instinctively switching into leader mode. "I've done construction before, I know what I'm doing on this." She paused. "I think so, anyway." Debb had tried so hard to tone down her bossy nature since coming out here, but this was no time to be meek. She had no doubt that if they lost this challenge, she would be gone.

This very well could be her last stand.

"Wait until we get some more info," she said, "But Jessie, you and Ramona go out and get some vines." She reached down and picked up a long leaf, ripping it in half, "Like this. We're gonna need things to tie the wood together." She ticked items off on her fingers. "Vines, leaves, rope, anything you can find. And don't dawdle, we're gonna need this stuff quick."

Jessie exchanged a glance with Ramona, a look of distaste on the Floridian's face.

"Let's -move- it," Debb implored. "We -need- this stuff." She turned to Dirk. "Dirk, you're gonna go make sure we have water. Get a few jugs of water over here, and make sure we don't have to get it later."

"Yes, ma'am," Dirk said, half sarcastically, as he stood up, brushing the sand off his butt. "I got water."

Debb looked at Kel, after the three younger members had gone off to do their tasks. He smiled at her, shrugging.

"It's gonna be up to us," she said, sighing. "To get this sucker built." She looked over at Jessie, who was off among the trees, doing her best to gather vines. "You think we'll actually get this thing together?"

Kel looked at her. He didn't look optimistic. He was fully aware of his team's limitations, as well.

"We have to," he said. "If we lose, we're down to four. And then we're never gonna win this game, none of us. We're dead meat in a merge, they'll just pick us off one by one."

At that, Debb sighed.

As if there wasn't enough pressure on her shoulders already.



^^




Jeff Probst visited both camps later in the day, and dropped off their supplies. Both teams received a raft full of wood, nails, screws, rope, and pretty much anything else they would need. They also got a large metal frame, around which they would build their horse. It wouldn't be as large as the -actual- Trojan Horse, of course, as it would only be about six feet tall.

But the construction itself was going to be very important, because it would determine if they would win or lose the challenge.

"The goal of tonight's challenge," Jeff explained to both sides, "Is to get this horse built. You can build it any way you want, but make sure it is strong. You want this thing to be as solid as possible."

He reached down and picked up a medium-sized stone tablet, the size of a hardback book, which had also been on the raft.

"What will happen tonight is that both horses will be put to the test. At dusk, we will put weights on the back of both horses, to test their sturdiness. More weight will be added, and more, and more, until one of the horses collapses. And the team whose horse survives," he smiles, "Will win immunity."

With the details of the challenge in mind, both teams dedicated the entire afternoon to building their creations. Both Alkyone and Taygete spread out on their beaches, in loose circles, as they set about planning everything out.

Debb was in charge for Taygete, of course, and the outspoken redhead kept a tight rein over the building process. She had Dirk and Jessie attach the wheels and, from that point, it was all about hammering the boards in place. She did most of the work, while Kel took over when she was tired. And after about five hours of heavy, physical labor, Taygete had a proud, albeit chubby, looking horse.

"She looks great," Dirk said, testing the reinforced legs at the bottom. He shook the left leg of the horse, which was triple thick, filled with a layer of rock to help support it. "I don't think she'll fall apart."

"Yeah, good job Debb," said Jessie. "It turned out great." Debb had to smile at that comment, as she and Jessie just didn't talk that much out here. It was one of the few times Jessie had said -anything- nice to her.

"Do you think we can beat theirs?" asked Ramona, as she looked across the sea. She couldn't tell, but it looked like other team's horse wasn't done yet.

Hopefully that was a good sign.

As Ramona glanced, Gabriel was hammering some extra thick boards under the neck of Alkyone's horse. It had been John's idea, and so Hunter and Gabe had found the thickest pieces of wood they could find, which were now being hammered into a criss-cross shape.

"We could use some sort of shellack," suggested Peter, "Like when you're puttin' a puzzle togethah." He grinned, as they all looked at him. "Just coat that suckah with paraffin and it'll be as hard as a statue."

It was an idea that no one had considered.

"Great idea," said Hunter, clapping him on the back. "How should we make it?"

Luckily, Alkyone had no shortage of know-it-all types. The ideas flew at him like buckshot, without much of a pause.

"Melt down some fruit juice," suggested Gabe, "Let it harden, coat it on."

"We could also use tree sap," said John, as he looked at a grove of willow trees. "Find some of that, add water."

"Fish guts," added Stephanie, "Are sticky when they dry." And she would know that as well as anyone. After two weeks on fishing duty, she had grown to -loathe- the sticky smelliness of dried fish guts on her hands.

"Just pee on it, dude," said Ryan, smiling. "Let it dry."

"Okay," smiled Hunter, laughing. "Okay. Enough. That's enough. Let's just make -something- sticky and give it a coating, okay?"

So in the final two hours before the challenge, Alkyone made their own homemade glue. Made mainly of tree sap and fruit juice, it wasn't great, but it looked like it would hold pretty well. After all, it was sticky as hell, and that had to be a good thing. Stephanie used the paint brush from her art kit to put the glue onto the horse, slathering it all over the wooden beast, looking very focused as she worked.

"Now -that's- a team player," Hunter grinned, hands on his hips, "She ruins her paintbrush for the team. That's what it's all about, guys."

"Hey," she said, "If we win, it's worth it." She then smiled, a wry grin on her face. "But if we lose, I'm gonna be pissed."



^^



Dusk.

Challenge time.

Both teams were standing on Taygete beach, alongside their wooden horses. The players could finally now see the two beasts, side by side. Taygete's sturdy horse was short and light brown, and looked very thick, and very strong. Alkyone's horse, meanwhile, was larger, almost a foot taller, and darker brown due to the shellack. And both horses were mounted on wheels, although they would not be rolling anywhere with so much sand present.

"You guys ready?" asked Jeff, as he smiled at the two teams. The Taygetes stood on the left, their arms around one another, smiling. They had faith in Debb's horse. It looked very, very solid. Alkyone, for their part, were also standing in a tight huddle, most of them looking supremely confident. Gabe was the only one outside the group, as he squatted down on his haunches, scanning their horse for any last signs of weakness.

"This is for immunity," said Jeff, as he smiled at the two teams. "We're starting with a ten pound weight." He picked up a large stone slab, walked over to Taygete's side, and placed it on the horse's back. The horse did not budge.

"Ten pounds for Taygete!" Jeff said, as Ramona let out a happy whoop.

Jeff walked over to the Alkyone horse, and was amused at its smiling visage. Steph had decided to give it some personality, and had tied her white buff around its neck, as well as painting a smile across its face. Jeff placed a ten pound slab on the back of the tall, smiling horse, and it supported it just fine.

"Ten for Alkyone!" he announced, which was greeted with a cheer.

Jeff grabbed a second stone slab. He looked at Jessie, smiled, and placed it on the back of the Taygete horse. No problem.

"Twenty pounds for Taygete!"

After about ten minutes, the weight had increased significantly. Alkyone's horse was now supporting eighty pounds, although a small crack had just appeared on its left leg. It was a small one, but visible nonetheless.

"It's okay," John reassured his team, as he held his hands up, in a calming motion. "Remember, it's strong enough to support Tanya." Sure enough, they had tested their horse by having Tanya climb atop it. And, although it had creaked and protested, the horse had held. So they should be safe for a while.

Jeff placed the ninth stone slab atop the Taygete horse. There was a slight creak, and Ramona grabbed Kel's arm, nervously. But that was it, just a small creak. Ramona exhaled, relieved.

"Ninety pounds!" announced Jeff, turning towards the smiling Alkyone horse. "You guys ready?"

"Go for it," smiled Peter, although his smile looked a little more forced than usual at the moment. He hoped his shellack would hold. And he held his breath as the stone slab was placed atop the eight others. Jeff stood back, watching, as the horse started to wobble slightly... ever so slightly.

But it was still standing.

"We're going to a hundred!" Jeff called, as Hunter nudged Tanya, smiling.

Jeff picked up another stone slab, and turned to Kel.

"You guys confident?"

Kel smiled back. "She can hold, Jeff. She'll be okay."

And sure enough, Taygete's horse held strong, with a hundred pounds of weight bearing down atop it. Debb smiled, as Dirk reached over and placed his arm around her. Her creation was strong, she had done a good job.

"Ready for a hundred?" Jeff asked Hunter, and the big man just smiled.

"No problem," Hunter said, nodding confidently. "We can go up to -two- hundred if we have to."

Jeff placed the slab on top, and a hundred pounds of stone now sat atop the horse. Again, the horse creaked, ominously. It was louder than before, and for a moment, time stopped. Gabriel closed his eyes, waiting for a crash. He waited, and waited, but that was it. The crash never came. The smiling horse was still standing.

Gabe exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Okay," said Jeff, as he smiled. He was impressed. Both teams had made excellent creations. But now it was time to -really- put them to the test.

"You guys have proven that you can make a sturdy horse." He paused. "So we're gonna have to... expedite... the process somewhat." He grinned at them. "C'mon guys, bring 'em out!"

From behind the Taygete shelter came two large Greek man. Massive and muscular, they each held a large stone tablet in their hands. The two tablets were much, much larger than the ones they had been using up to now.

"Oh, crap," said Stephanie, turning away. She couldn't watch this.

"These are fifty pound stone tablets," announced Jeff. He noticed Debb flinch somewhat at that number, out of the corner of his eye. "This one is for all the marbles. One of those horses is going down. It is just a matter of..." He paused, for dramatic effect. "Which one breaks first."

The two men lined up next to the horses. They each walked up a small stepladder, the ones Jeff had been using, to reach the top of the tablets. And they each raised their tablet, ready to place it down.

"This is for immunity!" Jeff called, as the two teams waited in agony. Jessie clutched Dirk's hand, not bearing to watch. John squatted down in the sand, saying a quick prayer under his breath. Half of the players had their eyes closed.

And then it was over.

Taygete's horse cracked almost immediately upon the addition of the new weight. A large crack ran right down its middle, throwing off the horse's equilibrium. The right front leg finally gave way, and Debb's sturdy warhorse toppled to the ground with a violent SMASH. Within seconds, it was destroyed.

And Alkyone's horse was still standing.

"Alkyone!" announced Jeff, "Wins immunity!"

The tribe in white erupted into cheers, a tremendous release of nervous energy and stress. John reached up and kissed Peter on the cheek, laughing. Ryan and Gabe exchanged a hug and even old rivals Tanya and Stephanie exchanged a hug and a scream. They would all be safe for three more days, and Jeff handed Hunter the marble immunity idol.

"Congratulations, guys," he said, "Well done."

And as Alkyone celebrated on the beach, the Taygetes now knew it was all over. Kel just watched, squatting down, his chin in his palm. Debb had already started to walk back to their camp, as had Jessie. Ramona was in tears, out of frustration.

"I'm sorry," said Jeff, placing an arm around the chemist's shoulder. "But you guys know what this means."

"It means," said Kel, shaking his head nearby, "That we're screwed."




DAY 15




Jessie Camacho and Ramona Gray had been friends since the start. Since day one, the two free spirited women had been nearly inseparable. Whether gathering fruit, pairing up for scout duty, or just sitting around and talking about life, they had always been a pair. Simply put, they were "Jessie and Ramona," always a team. Where you found one, you would find the other. And while neither one was much of a schemer, or really a strategist in the most cunning sense of the word, they had been fortunate that the cards had fallen the way they had in Taygete.

Because once Linda had gone, the two of them had pretty much been calling the shots. It was a phenomenon that had baffled the normally calm and stoic Ramona.

"I was -stunned-," she admitted, as she waded in the ankle-high surf. "I couldn't believe that the two of us were making the important decisions." She laughed to herself, incredulous. "Us! The fruit gatherers! But once Kel came on board, and Dirk showed up to play, we had a foursome, and that was pretty much it. There wasn't much anyone else could do."

She glanced behind her, at the Taygete camp, where Jessie was sitting with Dirk. The two of them were laughing as they sunbathed together. "But I know -exactly- why the guys hang around, and it aint me." Ramona gave a coy smile, ever so slightly. "My momma didn't raise no fool. They hang around because of Jessie. And I'm just along for the ride."

Ramona had been thrust into the position of strategist early on in this game. She didn't intend to, she hadn't wanted it, and she didn't think she was even that good at it. It wasn't in her nature to try to manipulate people. But it had to be that way, there was really no way around it. Either Jessie had been incapable of strategy, or she had just been unwilling to try. If stuff was going to get done, Ramona would have to be the one calling the shots.

"Jessie didn't want to deal with strategy," Ramona lamented. "She -doesn't- want to deal with it," she quickly corrected. "So it was going to be up to me. I'm the one who has to talk to Kel, because she won't do it. I'm the one who has to figure out what Debb is doing, because Jessie thinks Debb is weird. So it comes down to me. It's always been me." When asked if she was tired of it, Ramona quickly shook her head. "Of course not. I'm just explaining why I've been so moody out here. It takes a lot of energy to plan things out, and frankly I don't have that kind of patience." She shrugged, half laughing at herself. "Hey, I'm just doing the best I can. Don't blame me if we lose!"

As Ramona talked, the normal activities of Taygete went on, as usual. Dirk and Jessie had already dismissed the idea of strategy talks, opting instead to spend the day sunbathing. They seemed to be getting along well lately, and Dirk had even gone so far to invite her out to join him for his daily prayer sessions, or "quiet time," as he called them.

She had politely declined.



^^



Kel Gleason was sitting in the Taygete fishing boat, trying to bring in some lunch. With Carl gone, the bulk of the fishing had fallen upon his shoulders. And although Kel was not the greatest fisherman in the world, he was keeping his team fed. No one was hungry around camp, and he felt good knowing that it was mainly because of him.

"Debb probably knows she is going," he said, as he cast a second line out into the sea. The first had just snapped on a piece of coral, so he needed a replacement. "It's always kind of been the pecking order around here. First Linda, then Diane, and then Carl. And once those three were gone, the only one left was Debb." He shrugged, almost apologetic. "Debb's just the odd man out here, in a manner of speaking. And it's really been no fault of her own, although I know she probably thinks it is."

Kel looked up to see Gabe and Hunter standing on the shore of Alkyone, trying to catch some fish. He waved to them, and they responded.

"Debb really can't help us any more," Kel continued, leaning forward now, almost conspiratorally. "But at the same time, she's pretty much the only semblance of a survivalist that we have. You go to our camp and you see it right away. Clothes scattered around, pots lying on the ground. Our flag is laying in the grass somewhere, and there's a big ball of fishing line that Dirk was supposed to unravel." Kel chuckled. "It's still sitting right where it always was, in a big ball. Debb is the only one who will attend to stuff like that, she will sit down and do things." He shrugged. "The others won't. So if you look at who we -need- around here, I think we still -do- need her." He smirked, ever so softly. "But it's not going to matter. People don't think that way around here. I'm the only one who does."

Kel paddled his boat slowly out to sea, tossing a fish into his bucket every so often. This was -his- team. He knew what was best for them, and he was using this time to reflect upon the best course of action. Sure, they were down. And sure, they were getting trounced. But he was not going to simply sit and let them give up. What kind of solider would he be, to just concede defeat? Had he learned nothing from his military training? Leaders fought until the end. That was the only way he knew how.

But as Kel planned out the course for the rest of the game, he was unaware of what was happening back at camp. Little did he know that he was missing out on a important event, one that would likely have some deep ramifications.

Jessie and Ramona were having a fight.



^^



"I'm voting for him," Jessie said, a little too loudly. "I don't -care-! I don't want him here!"

Ramona closed her eyes, holding up her hands, just trying to get Jessie to calm down.

"Woah, woah," she said. "Just take a minute to think about this."

"No," said Jessie, her fiery temper finally showing itself. It had lain dormant for far too long. "I don't want Kel here. He pisses me off, and I just don't like him!"

"But we -need- him," Ramona tried to explain. "-You- need him. Don't you see that he'll follow you anywhere you want to go?"

"So?" countered Jessie. "It's not worth it."

"Look," said Ramona, "You lose Kel, you lose Kel's -vote.- You lose Kel's vote, and we only have three here, not four. I mean, I'm no mathematician, but I know we could use numbers. We don't have a whole lot going for us right now."

"No," snapped Jessie. "That's it, forget it."

Ramona sighed, rolling her eyes. And that was really all it took. Jessie saw this and viewed it as a sign of disrespect, something she would not tolerate from -anybody.-

"I'm voting for Kel," she said, much more defiant than before, almost challenging Ramona. "And I bet Dirk is too."

"Big surprise," laughed Ramona, which was probably the wrong reaction.

"And you can either come with us," threatened Jessie, "Or not. We can get Debb, I'm sure, and she'd be more than happy to vote with us." She glared at Ramona. "It's your decision."

"Look," Ramona said, finally getting a little heated herself. It wasn't her style, but there was really only so far you could push her before she would push back. "This isn't worth it." She laid a hand on Jessie's shoulder, carefully, cautiously. Even though Ramona was trained in martial arts, she didn't really want this to get to a breaking point. She wasn't entirely sure she could take Jessie in a physical altercation. Jessie Camacho was a big, strong woman.

"We don't need to be fighting," Ramona said. "This is just a simple vote, and all you have to do is say yes or no."

Jessie smiled somewhat, a little less angry now. Now that it was out of her system, she was pretty much back to normal. Sometimes that was all it took. Just one quick outburst, to let off some steam, and then she was fine. And this one had been building for some time now.

"No," she finally said, calmly. "I don't want to vote for Debb."

"That's cool," smiled Ramona, trying to get a smile on her friend's face. "That's all you had to say. We vote for Kel, I got no problem with that. But just tell me beforehand next time, okay?" Jessie finally smiled, laughing over the absurdity of it all.

"Sorry about that," Jessie apologized. And then the two of them then hugged, and made up. They were friends again.

"So," smiled Ramona, "You want to tell Debb the happy news, or should I?"

"Oh man," laughed Jessie. "She's been moping around all morning. She's gonna give you a big kiss."




^^




As Taygete readied to vote off their leader, Alkyone was preparing for another try at catching sheep. Tomorrow, they were going back to Maia island. And this time, they would be prepared.

"So Gabe," asked Hunter, "You're out?"

"Yeah," answered the young man from Celo, "You guys can head out, I'll stay here. It's not really my deal." Gabe had tried hunting, just for the experience. As usual, he wanted to experience everything in life, at least once. And although he had enjoyed the camraderie, he knew that once had been enough. He didn't need to try again.

"So who do we have for tomorrow then?" asked Hunter. "We have John," he looked at the pastor, who nodded, smiling, "And Peter and me. Anyone else?"

"I'm in," said Stephanie, as she sat against the wall of their new shelter. Her floppy hat covering her eyes, she raised one of her long arms. "I'm up for it."

"Ok, great," said Hunter, smiling. "We got four people. I really think we're gonna bring back something this time."

"Bring a helmet though," joked Peter, to Stephanie. "If ya got one. Those little suckahs will chahge ya."

Gabe let loose one of his laughs, "Ah-HA-ha!", causing Hunter and the rest of them to smile.

"Peter almost lost his life," the big man explained, "To a kamikaze sheep."

"You played chicken with a sheep?" asked Stephanie, "Isn't that against nature or somethin'?"

"I sweah!" Peter protested. "He came right for me. I had to jump up on a rock." And then Peter described how he almost became roadkill. The rest of the tribe laughed throughout the exchange. The story had already reached mythic proportions by now.

So the tribe packed up, preparing for tomorrow's big hunt. Things were light, and frivolous, but there was definitely some underlying tension in the air. Sure, it was going to be fun, but the tribe in white was running -very- low on food right now. The fishing situation had not really gotten any better, as no one had figured out how to catch fish without a boat. And sure, there were trees to be picked, but the olives, figs and oranges had all started to run somewhat dry. And besides, they could use some protein right about now.

They were -all- starting to feel the first pangs of starvation.

"You guys bring us back a sheep," said Ryan, as he walked over to turn on the camp stereo. He was generally in charge of the music, and he preferred it the louder the better. "Just let me know if you need an extra hand."

"Nah," said Hunter, "We should be fine. Four is all we need, I think. Maybe next time."

"No problem, man," said Ryan, smiling. But of course, he hadn't been invited. As usual, he was being left behind. But he had vowed to make the best of it this time. With the big boys away, that meant the kids would have a chance to play.

Ryan tossed a quick glance at Gabriel, who would also be left behind. Just the two of them here, plus Tanya. And the three of them could -definitely- find something to talk about.

Ryan would make sure of it.

"Yeah," he smiled, "We'll be fine. Just bring us back some meat, okay, bro?"



^^



With Tribal Council rapidly approaching, Taygete were scrambling to solidify their last minute voting plans. Due to Jessie's insistence, the plan had rapidly switched from Debb to Kel, and things appeared to be going smoothly. But there were still -some- glitches, of course.

"Why get rid of Kel?" suggested Debb. "Why not Jessie instead?"

Ramona had taken it upon herself to approach the introverted prison guard, and deliver the good news. Debb would be spared. Kel was out instead. But Debb, knowing a mistake when she heard it, offered up Jessie's name instead. She didn't want to get rid of Kel. Kel -worked.- Jessie didn't. In Debb's mind, it was a simple as that.

"Jessie just sits on her butt all day," complained Debb. "What good is she?"

Ramona was initially surprised by this response. She had expected that Debb would be overjoyed, thankful, and more than happy just to go along. After all, this was supposed to be her night. Everybody knew that. Right?

"I agree," said Ramona, somewhat cautiously. She didn't want to say anything that might come back and haunt her. The trees were known to have ears. "But I promised her I wouldn't vote for her."

"And I promised that our horse would win," Debb said, not really joking. "Sometimes things don't really work out, you know."

"Look," said Ramona, under her breath. "Deep down with you, I agree. Jessie is worthless out here. I can't argue with that. But the problem is that neither of the guys will vote for her."

"Oh, crap," said Debb, understanding all too well. All of a sudden she saw the impenetratable wall that Jessie Camacho had built around herself. She was almost totally untouchable. "We're screwed."

"For now," said Ramona. "But it's not that bad. All you have to do is make it through one more vote after tonight, and you'll make the merge. Just take out Kel tonight, and you have a chance. You can get Jessie out later, if you get a little luck."

Debb thought it over.

She didn't entirely trust Ramona. In fact, she didn't trust her at -all-. Ramona was widely considered the sneakiest one out here. But the problem was that Debb didn't entirely trust -any- of them. She was way too guarded to believe -anything- that came from the mouths of Jessie or Ramona. But in this instance, Debb knew Ramona was telling the truth. Debb -had- to go along with the plan. This was an individual game, not a team one. If Kel had to go for her to make it three more days, well that was just how it would have to be.

"Fine," said Debb. "I don't like it, but I'm in. I still think this is a huge mistake, but I'll vote for Kel."

"Great," smiled Ramona. "I'll tell them."

"Poor Kel," sighed Debb, suddenly sad for her Australian compadre. "He's not gonna see this coming at all."

Ramona frowned, sadly. There was always a drawback, wasn't there?

"No," she said, packing up her backpack. "I don't think he will."



^^



An hour later, the five members of Taygete were sitting at Tribal Council. Dirk has just taken his seat, to the far right, as Jeff smiled at them all. And the shadows of the fire licked off the host's face darkly, as the whole set looked particularly dark tonight.

"Well, well, well," Jeff smiled, looking at their haggard and defeated faces. A Taygete appearance here was turning out to be a regular thing. "Welcome back, guys. And I'll just start right out and ask the big question. Kel, do you honestly think you guys can win this anymore?" Kel lifted his eyes from the ground. "Or is it all over?"

"It's never over," Kel answered, "We just have to work a little harder."

"Come on," Jeff prodded. "I know you have to say that. But let's look at the hard facts. You guys are down seven to five." He counted these items off on his left hand. "You lose nearly every challenge. Your camp is in total disarray. And tonight, you'll be down to four." Jeff nearly laughed out loud at this point. "You could very nearly go into a merge with three members. And frankly, if you do, I'd say that you got lucky. If Sonja hadn't been on Alkyone, you guys could have lost every single immunity challenge."

Kel only glanced down at the soft dirt. He had no answers. He had no more answers.

"Dirk," asked Jeff, looking at the tall man in the back row. "What about you? You're an athlete. I'm sure you've played on good teams before, as well as bad ones. Tell me right now, is this just a plain old bad team?"

Dirk chuckled to himself, as he looked up at the sky.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I'd guess you'd have to say we're a pretty poor group of players, Jeff. And I don't know how we're gonna get out of it."

"So you're giving up?" asked Jeff, to which Dirk backpedaled.

"Nah, nah, no way man." Dirk scrunched up his face. "But we have to realize that we're stranded on an island here, in the middle of a beautiful sea, with all of God's creatures surrounding us. We just have to realize that we're here for a reason, and maybe it's not to win."

"Fair enough," said Jeff, as he turned to Debb. She knew the question that was coming before it escaped his lips. After so many Tribal Councils, she could practically read the guy's mind by now.

"Debb, are you going home tonight?"

Debb only let loose a small smile.

"Probably."

Jessie shot a quick glance at Ramona, wondering what was up. Didn't Debb know she was safe tonight? Ramona could only shrug.

"I'm doin' my best, Jeff," said Debb, "But if things stay the way they've been goin', then yeah."

"And does that bother you?" asked Jeff.

"Nah," sighed Debb. "I've been here long enough by now. If I go, I won't look back with regrets. I think I've proven to myself that I could do it." Then she smiled. "But it don't mean I want to go home yet."

"Okay," said Jeff. He turned to Ramona. "Ramona, what's the dynamic in camp right now? Who calls the shots?"

"I think we all do," she said, meekly, to which Jeff cut her off.

"Come on..." he said, in disbelief. He placed his hands behind his back, waiting for a real answer. He was sick of Taygete's waffling at Tribal Council. They did it all the time. And tonight, he was determined to get some dirt out of them. For once.

"Kel does," she finally admitted, "For the most part. We picked him as leader and he's done a great job." She hated herself for it, and absolutely regretted it the moment she had said it. She could see Kel's chest practically puff out at this answer, and she said a quick prayer under her breath for forgiveness. -Sorry Kel!-

"So would you say Kel is safe tonight?" asked Jeff.

The question hung in the air, and it was apparent that Jeff knew. He knew! Ramona locked eyes with him, cursing him for putting her on the spot, but it was no use. He wouldn't move on until she answered him. She was trapped.

"No," she said, quietly. She didn't elaborate.

"Okay, final question," said Jeff, turning to Jessie. The swimsuit model stared at him, expectantly, waiting for the assault.

"I see you with Dirk," said the host, "And I see you with Kel. What's the relationship there?"

No one saw it, but Debb winced in the back row at this question. She knew this one was riddled with landmines. Jeff was really going for the jugular tonight.

"We're just friends," Jessie smiled. "We're all friends."

"Any romance in the air?"

Jessie smiled, her best, most innocent smile.

"Oh no," she laughed. "Never. Not in a game like this. We just like hanging out."

"Well, I just wonder if -they- would say the same thing," added Jeff, almost as an afterthought. But he didn't continue. He just announced that the questions were over. "Okay, guys, it's time to vote. You know the drill by now. Time to cut this team down to four. Debb, you're up."

Debb Eaton stood up and walked to the podium. She shook her head as she wrote, but cast the vote for Kel, as planned.

"Kel, I don't really think you should go, but there's not much I can do about it. Take care, buddy."

Jessie Camacho followed, writing out a vote for the person she had wanted to get rid of since day one.

"No comment," she added, before placing the ballot in the box.

Ramona Gray cast her vote, her face solemn and sad. This one had hit her harder than she had expected. She was quickly learning that the game was -far- more emotionally taxing than she had planned.

"This stinks," she said, placing Kel's vote in the box. "I'll see you around."

Dirk Been cast the fourth vote for Kel, with no hesitation whatsoever. After all, it was getting rid of his biggest rival. Jessie had barely even had to ask.

Kel Gleason was the final person to cast his vote. He walked up to the podium, opened the pen, and wrote down Debb Eaton's name. That had been the plan.

That had -always- been the plan.

"Debb," he said, holding it up to the camera. "Your name came up next, even though you did nothing wrong. I'll see you around. You're a special person, and we'll miss you."

Kel walked back to sit down, completely unaware that anything was going on. He was totally oblivious to the fact that his neck was about to be severed. In fact, the thought had never even crossed his mind.

"The person voted out tonight," said Jeff, "Must leave the Tribal Council area immediately." As he said this, the large greenish metal gate behind him swung open, revealing the dark path to the sea. And as always, the boatman awaited. Not looking, just waiting.

"First vote," said Jeff, as he pulled it out. He flipped it around. "Debb."

Debb Eaton remained emotionless, only staring, her red hair softly waving in the wind. It was a windy night.

"Second vote," said Jeff, pulling it out, "Kel."

Kel's eyes remained fixed on the ballot box, not blinking, only staring.

"Kel," said Jeff, pulling up the third vote. "That's two votes Kel, one vote Debb."

Kel placed his chin in his hand, leaning down to consider this. Who voted against him? Dirk? Mona?

"And the fourth person voted out of the Taygete tribe," said Jeff, as he pulled out the ballot and paused for extra drama.


"Kel."


Kel said nothing, only biting his upper lip slightly. Otherwise he was emotionless. He simply reached for his torch, took it up to Jeff and stood at attention. He didn't look at his tribe, nor did any of them look at him. Most of them found something fascinating to stare at in the dirt for the time being.

"Kel," said Jeff, snuffing out the Army captain's torch, "The tribe has spoken."

"Good luck, guys," said Kel, nodding, as he turned and walked down the long dark path to the sea. He boarded the boat, sat down, and just stared out at the water, stunned. He was literally shellshocked, not having prepared for this at all. He didn't even know how to react. No one had told him. No one had hinted! Why hadn't anyone warned him? What had he done that was so wrong?

But soon, the ferryman's oar was placed into the water, and the boat disappeared into the cool night sky.

Kel was gone.

"Well," said Jeff, turning to the remaining four. No one was smiling. Indeed, most of them felt like naughty children at the moment. Jeff had sufficiently shamed them into feeling like crap.

"I guess it's safe to say that Kel didn't see that coming."

Only Ramona nodded, a grim look on her face.

"I guess this means," continued Jeff, "That you'll need a new team captain tomorrow." He paused, and then added his own little commentary. Just one last dig. He couldn't resist. They had earned it.

"Although I don't know how you're gonna pick a captain, since the position seems to be temporary, at best."

Jeff had nothing else to add, so he bid them goodnight. He watched as they filed back onto their transport boat. Dirk, then Debb, then Jessie, and then Ramona. Jeff wasn't their biggest fan and, frankly, he was kind of sick of seeing them back here every time. Taygete was a team that he really, truly seemed to dislike sometimes.

But he was legitimately curious as to how they would react now. Who would be so foolish as to try and take the helm? Who was going to be the great savior of Taygete at this point?

He would have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

- Read Kel's Final Words!

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