Survivor: Okinawa
Episode 4- Which side are you on, Anyway?
by Mario Lanza




Sato Tribe (green): Christopher Collins, Murtz Jaffer, Lance McHale, Hogan Mueller, Joni Newman, Amy Twieg
Kamiya Tribe (yellow): Matt Carter, Michelle Kin-Fraley, David McDaniel, Ryan Rebez, Mike Ruff, Isabella Smith, Beth Sowles




DAY 10



It was morning... and Lance McHale was still in shock.

The young teacher from San Diego sat against a tree, eyes glazed over from lack of sleep. And he just stared. You see, he was -still- recovering from last night's vote. Lance had been so surprised to see Henry's name come up that it was going to take a while for him to recover. Because he hadn't seen it coming. For the second straight Sato vote... Lance simply -hadn't- seen it coming. No one had bothered to clue him in.

And things had been bad enough at the first vote. That was day three and that was where the Satos had offed Elisabeth. And of course they hadn't warned him it was coming. Since he had been Elisabeth's closest friend, it would have been too dangerous. And afterwards, Lance had tried to deal with it as well as he could. So by now he had finally made his peace that maybe Elisabeth -was- stirring up too much trouble and the tribe had needed to get rid of her.

Fine.

But then came the Henry vote. Last night's vote. And this one had been like a two-by-four right between the eyes. This was the second time that Sato had taken out his best friend, and the second time they had done so without warning him. And after a second time of walking in a blindside vote, Lance was starting to get worried. He was starting to get frustrated. He was starting to think he wasn't -meant- to be a part of this team.

"Now I'm not the smartest guy in the world," he confessed, speaking slowly, "And to be honest... I'm probably not even in the top fifty percent. But I'm smart enough to know that your tribe not informing you of their voting plans isn't a good thing."

He smiled, somewhat ironically. Because although he felt like crap this morning, he was trying not to let it ruin his fun out here. And sure, he hadn't slept in nearly forty-eight hours. Sure, he was rapidly running out of friends. And sure, he hadn't really had a clue what was going on with the vote since the game began. But Lance loved this team. He -loved- his Satos. No matter what they were going to do to him, he adored this tribe. And he loved the green buff so much that it almost hurt, knowing that his time would soon be up. So he was trying to put on a brave face today... despite the fact that he was under -no- delusion that his tribe really wanted to keep him around.

"So I guess my legacy," he noted, "Is that I'll be the guy who voted along with the bootee each time. I'll be -that- guy. And again, it looks like my head is now on the chopping block." He sighed. "Because you can put it any way you want, but I'm a dead duck if we go to one more vote. Which is a shame, because I was -finally- starting to relax out here. I was just starting to have fun and now it's more or less over."

He picked up a football from the sand-- his luxury item-- and turned it over and over in his hands as he spoke.

"As I speak, I have at least four people on my tribe that voted differently than me. So from here on out I don't have much of a choice." He looked downward as he spoke, trying to get these words just right. Because Lance was an athlete, and he knew exactly what had to be done. It was just about time for some action.

And maybe a little pep talk.

"From now on, they're gonna have to -work- to get me out of here. Because I'm not going to give up. I know they want me to but I won't. I'm going to go into -every- challenge with all I've got, and I'm leaving -everything- behind on challenge beach. They're going to have to think twice about voting for me when they see what I'm ready to give for this team. Because they haven't seen the real Lance McHale yet. And it's just about time they did."

He smiled now, somewhat pacified. It was small consolation, but at least he knew he still had -some- power over his fate. Unlike his friend Henry, Lance was still here. And he was still playing. And most importantly, he was still a Sato. They weren't going to pry this green buff out of his hands until he was good and ready.

"This game isn't about the million dollars," he nodded, looking up. "It's about proving a point. It's about proving that someone who has -no- allies can go the distance. It's about showing that the good guy -can- win and that you don't have to lie and deceive to get ahead."

He stood up now, brushing the sand off of his shorts with both hands.

"So I'm going to do -everything- in my power to keep that immunity idol at Camp Sato. The second that thing goes back to Kamiya... my time in this game is done. So...," he shrugged, "That's about where we stand right now. Call it desperation, call it motivation, call it whatever you want. But the game starts right now. This is day one, and it's time to start showing them what I can do."

And then he reached down and untied his buff. The beloved green cloth had been tied around his wrist and now he unloosened it. Once it was off, he raised it to his head and tied it around his forehead.

There.

Now he was ready to go.

Game on.



^^



Despite Lance's feeling of isolation, the entire Sato tribe seemed to be much happier today. The removal of Henry had been a very popular event, something that they were -still- talking about today. Because even with Henry gone, the guy was still the most popular topic of conversation.

"Henry," explained Hogan, "Was responsible for all of our fish... but also for all of our B.S. The fish we needed. The B.S. we didn't."

But Hogan wasn't done there. Oh no. The joyous event of Henry's dismissal had caused him to compose a song, just for the occasion. And he sang it now, for the enjoyment of the whole tribe.

"Ding dong, the ho is dead. The ho is dead. The ho is dead. Ding dong, the wicked ho is dead!"

The rest of the tribe sat around and laughed as Hogan sat down now, pleased with his rendition. But the five of them were here now... all of them except Lance... as they sat around in the chilly morning air and ate their breakfast. Shikwasa was on the menu today, that strange green citrus fruit that Amy and Joni had discovered growing in a nearby field. And though the little fruits were a bit tart, they were actually quite good. And the tribe sat and ate their meal as a team. Without Henry here, they were starting to feel like a team.

And this was as good as it had been in Sato in a -long- time.

Joni Newman sat cross-legged near the fire, as she carefully weaved some palm fronds into a mat. Her job today was to help reinforce the shelter... that rickety lean-to that they called a shelter, anyway... and she focused on her work, mainly ignoring the conversation around her. When Joni weaved, she tended to block out the rest of the group.

Amy Twieg was tending to the fire, making sure that the small little orange flame stayed alive in the cold morning air. Huddled up in a thick blue jacket, Amy poked at the embers with a stick, trying to will them to stay alight. Because re-starting a fire was a pain in the butt. Even with kerosene, it was often hard to get the shriveled pieces of wood to light up again.

Christopher Collins was downing his fourth shikwasa of the morning, hungrily devouring the small little fruits. And this appetite was due to the fact that he had been on fishing duty all morning. He had been working hard. With Henry gone, Christopher had now become the fisherman of the tribe, and he wasn't one to half-ass his job. He had been out since dawn today... and had already brought in enough fish for lunch. It was one reason why the Satos loved the guy so much. Christopher's work ethic was impeccable.

Murtz Jaffer sat on a log, slowly massaging his temples with two fingers. And this was something he did a lot. It was one of Murtz's habits. Because even though this was a relatively calm time in the game... after all, he and Chris had done the impossible and tied up the tribe at 3-3... he was still thinking about the game. Murtz wouldn't allow himself to just sit here and relax like the others.

And the fifth member of the happy little circle was Hogan Mueller, the young Eagle Scout. The fifteen year old was on cloud nine today as he happily worked on carving a small stick. Because things couldn't be better right now for Hogan. Things had officially started to turn around for him.

To begin with, he had grown close with Amy over the past few days. With the twist coming... and Amy's old alliance disappearing into the night... Amy had turned to Hogan for support and this had been the pairing that the two of them had needed. Amy needed an ally she could trust... and Hogan needed a leader he could respect. And since then the two of them had become inseparable. The single mom and the Eagle Scout, usually found side by side.

But beyond Amy, Hogan had started to bond with other members of the tribe as well. He was very close to Lance at the moment. So close, in fact, that Hogan had agonized over the decision not to warn Lance about Henry's dismissal last night.

"Right now," he had explained in a confessional, "The new alliance is going really smooth. Things are working out great. But I felt -awful- that we couldn't warn Lance about the vote. He was left totally in the dark and it really wasn't fair. And although I -do- consider Lance to be a good friend, I realize that if we go to Tribal Council again, I'll need to boot him out. That's just the way the alliance wants it."

But despite his bond with Amy and his friendship with Lance... Hogan's two closest friends on the tribe were not Satos at all. His two best friends were newcomers, and he had bonded with them almost instantly.

"Christopher is great," he would smile. "I trust him as much as anyone and he's a really nice guy. He and I look out for each other and he always lets me know what's up."

But Hogan's best friend in the game was Joni. And while it had taken some time for the two teenagers to meet up, by now Hogan already considered the spunky actress to be his best friend. There was already a bit of a bond between the two... although they were being careful to hide it from the others. Few people knew that Hogan and Joni talked so much, not even Christopher or Amy. Nobody had really seen them together much.

Which was exactly the way they meant to keep it.

"Joni is," Hogan admitted this morning, "Plain and simple my best friend here, even though I've only known her for two days! She's a great talker, a great listener, and I've found myself opening up to her more and more." He had smiled happily. "She's the smartest one here too. She really knows what to do in this game, and when to do it. And for that reason we've developed a bond that we're kind of hiding from the rest of the tribe."

He smiled.

"Nobody knows this yet, but she and I have solidified that we're going to be the final two. And this is really top secret, so hopefully nobody has a clue. But yeah, she spilled her guts about all the stuff at Kamiya and how she was an outsider. And I told her everything about Sato and why people hated Henry. But mainly we just found that we could relate to one another. So yes, I'm glad I met her and I'm glad we found each other. She's a good girl and she exemplifies the Scout Law. So what else could you ask for?"

And as Hogan smiled happily at his super-secret new friendship with Joni, he was not alone in his feeling of security. Because Joni was turning out to be the most popular member of the Sato tribe, and she knew it. In her own subtle and sly way, the young girl was slowly ingratiating herself into the fabric of the Sato tribe.

Christopher loved Joni. No, he didn't love her-- he absolutely -adored- her. And for the meanest player in the game, that was saying something. Chris tended to look over "Jones" like a hawk at all times, almost like an older brother. And his relationship with her sometimes brought out a protective side that even -he- didn't know he possessed.

"Jones is the greatest," he would say. "And she's the only reason I can stay sane out here. She keeps me level-headed. Otherwise I probably would have killed some of them by now."

Amy was a big Joni fan as well. The two of them would spend -hours- some days just talking about girl stuff. They would discuss Harry Potter. They would discuss religion. They would make fun of how paranoid Murtz would often get. And mainly they would just relax and unwind from the game together.

"This tribe is starting to get a Star Wars feel," Joni had joked with Amy this morning. "You know, with Jabba and all. And you can call me Leia if you want but I'm -not- wearing an iron bikini around camp. I don't care if -anyone- asks. Not gonna happen!"

It was comments like that which seemed to make people fall in love with the girl. Because she had spunk. Joni definitely had some spirit in her, which was always appreciated around the often-morose Sato campsite.

"I -love- this girl," Amy would smile. "And I'm so happy we stole her away from Kamiya."

So it was true that "the girl with the glare" was slowly starting to weasel her way into all sides of the Sato alliance. Which had been Joni's intention, of course. She had started to bond with Amy and Hogan as quickly as she could... once she was carefully out from under the watching eye of Christopher. Because while she loved Chris like an older brother, she was always wary about keeping her options open.

Joni was always trying to look for a little extra security.

And the beauty part of it was, few people had really noticed. As far as they knew, Joni was just the quiet girl who was terrible in the challenges and had a chip on her shoulder about being so young. But right now, she also happened to be the most powerful person in the tribe. She was just the girl who sat there and weaved palm fronds.
And nobody had really caught on yet.

"Hey guys," asked Amy, as she looked up. "Do you think Lance is okay? Do any of you know where he is?"

The rest of the tribe shrugged their collective shoulders. None of them knew where Lance was. Like usual, the guy had wandered off somewhere on his own. And most of them didn't care.

"I'm a little worried about him," Amy admitted. "He took the vote pretty hard last night."

"Yeah," sighed Joni. "He did. I heard him walking around all night. I don't think he slept at all."

"Poor guy," frowned Amy.

And the rest of the tribe sat in collective silence, thinking of how Lance must be feeling today. Well -most- of them sat in silence. Christopher sat in amused glee. Poor Lance? Whatever. The guy was going to be the next target... so why on earth should they feel sorry for him? Lance, in Chris's mind, was no more than a shmuck. You reap what you sow... and he had decided to align with Henry. -So sorry Lance-, thought Chris, -But tough shit. Play a little smarter next time.-

"I think he'll be okay," he said out loud, trying to sound as reassuring as he could. "Lance is a team player, guys. He'll be okay once he thinks it over."

"I hope so," said Amy, as she looked off in the direction of the forest. And she looked worried. And Chris didn't like it.

"Hey..." said Chris, trying to change the subject, "Was anyone here not sad to see Henry go?" He smiled broadly. "Did anyone here -not- wet their pants when they cast that vote?"

Joni giggled, covering her mouth with one hand. So did Hogan. Murtz didn't appear to have heard. He was still lost in thought.

"Who was responsible, anyway?" asked Chris. "Who started the whole vote-Henry-out plan?" He looked at Amy. "Was it you, Amy?"

And after a beat of silence, Hogan timed his response perfectly.

"I think Henry started it."

This was too much, and the Satos started to lose it. Joni covered her face with both hands, she was laughing so hard. Christopher nearly spat out a mouthful of shikwasa. Even Murtz looked up, confused, as Hogan laughed at his own joke.

The only one who didn't appear to be laughing was Amy.

Much to Christopher's dismay, she was still staring off into the forest, looking for Lance. And he could read that look on her face perfectly. Damnit, she's starting to pity the poor sap. She's starting to feel bad for him! -Amy-, he seethed, -Lance is not in the alliance. Don't go feeling bad for him! He signed his own death warrant... and now he's toast. Keep your mind in the game!-




^^



As breakfast wound down, the Satos went off to their daily tasks. And it was true that today was a new day indeed. The tribal spirit was -much- stronger today. This was officially a team and people were starting to really get along.

Christopher went off with Joni to go bring in some more seafood. The two friends walked off merrily into the morning air, Joni holding a small gunny sack with which to bag the fish. And they were laughing. They were having a good time together, as always.

Murtz went off to feed Jabba, the Sato mascot. Because that was his new strategy. Murtz had recently decided never to be apart from the tribe's turtle if at all possible. Damnit, he was going to make them like him if he had to kill himself doing it. Because he had determined that Sato was a nicer and less cutthroat tribe... so now Murtz was an "animal lover." He loved the turtle, the turtle loved him, and people were already starting to comment that it was sweet. Murtz loved Jabba. How cute.

But Amy pulled Hogan aside before he could head off to the john. And the young man looked surprised as she lightly touched his arm. That wasn't like her at all. Amy usually wasn't very touchy-feely.

"Stay here," she whispered. And she tried to make it look as nonchalant as possible.

So Hogan milled around the campsite, trying to make it look like he was shoring up the shelter roof. And once the rest of the tribe was gone, Amy called him over.

"What's up?" he asked.

"It's Lance," she said. And sure enough, Chris had been right. "We need to go explain things to him, Hogan. We need to make sure he feels like he's still important."

"Yeah," sighed Hogan. He had been feeling the same way. "I know."

"Lance can get kind of sulky," she said, "I don't know if you've ever seen it but he tends to zone out if he thinks he's in danger. And we need him for the challenges. We can't win if he doesn't want to be here."

"What should we say?"

"Well," she bit her lip, "I think you and I have a lot of explaining to do today. If nothing else, because he will be mad we voted against a Sato."

"Especially you," Hogan noted. "Because of the suns on the ballots. He probably thought that was your idea."

"Dangit," sighed Amy. She had forgotten all about the suns.

Hogan shrugged.

"Well I'll tell you what," said Amy. "I'll go talk to him first and make sure he's still on board. Because we can't lose his trust. Not now. Even though he's not a part of the core, I don't want to lose him yet. I'd rather take out Dave first."

"Yeah. Me too. Dave gives me the creeps."

"Okay," nodded Amy. She was prepared now. "I'll talk to Lance and then you can right after. Just kind of confirm the same story."

"Yup."

"Thanks Hogan," she smiled. "And you have yourself a real good day. Have fun with your book."

"Ya."

And as Hogan trotted off to wherever it was he went, Amy still felt a bit melancholy. True, she would probably be able to handle the Lance situation. And she would probably be able to swing the vote towards Dave if Sato were to go to the next Council. But she still wasn't feeling happy.

And then it hit her.

-Kamiya!-

Amy turned towards the beach now, to look out to sea. And she stared in the direction that she thought Kamiya's camp must be located. It was somewhere down the coast... somewhere to the south. And she worried.

She was worried about her friends.

"At the moment," she confessed, "I think things are pretty much well in hand around here. I think we'll be okay. But I worry about Matt, Beth and David. I worry about them a -lot-."

She sighed.

"When they find out I got rid of Henry, they'll probably celebrate. They'll probably be happy for me. And they'll probably relax, thinking the game is in hand. But I hope they're careful. I hope they keep their guard up."

She winced.

"I just hope they're okay."



^^



At camp Kamiya, things had already gotten out of hand. Much to the delight of Ryan Rebez, the big blowout had already started. And David McDaniel was at the center of it.

"The war is on, baby," laughed Ryan, as he sat atop his favorite bluff. "Oh is it ever -on.-"

Ryan was summarizing this morning's events, which had gone pretty much entirely as he had planned. Today had been perfect. David had played along like a good puppet. And Ryan was ecstatic.

"This morning," he admitted, "McD absolutely lost it on me. He just flipped. And I knew it was coming so I just sat there and took it. And man, was he ever -pissed.-"

The event Ryan was referring to was David's new master plan. And that was total chaos. David had decided late last night that today would be the big day that Kamiya all fell apart. Today was the day that he was going to bring them to their knees... and it was going to be ugly.

Because David had decided to repeat everything Ryan had said the other night.

In front of the whole tribe.

And watch as the sparks flew.

"It was great!" Ryan was still laughing. "It was just beautiful, wrathful, vengeful, Earth-shattering madness. Even more than I could have ever hoped for!"

David had started by calling a tribal meeting. Just after breakfast he had called all the Kamiyas around-- Mike, Isabella, Michelle, Matt, Beth and Ryan-- and he said he wanted to tell them something. And once everybody was there... he smiled politely and told them all the truth.

"I don't know if you guys know this," he had started, "But Ryan told me some things the other night that you should know about."

Ryan had expected this, of course, so he had immediately gone into an act of shocked betrayal.

"David!" he protested, "I said that stuff in private! You promised you wouldn't tell! We had a deal! Man to man!"

"Ryan told me," David ignored him, "That he is the one who calls the shots around here. He told me this is -his- tribe and that it always has been." He smiled. "Michelle and Emma, he said you two were nothing more than his secretaries. He said that you two were morons who would just do his bidding until he no longer needed you."

"That's not true!" Ryan was hurt.

"And," David continued, "Mike, he thinks you're a big dumb moron. He said he can't stand you and he promised me your spot if I played along. He promised me 'special consideration' if I helped him out. Said you were replaceable."

"That's bullshit!" Ryan spat. "Mike, I would never!"

"Ryan asked me to pick which one of the ex-Satos I wanted to get rid of. He told me to pick between Beth and Matt, and that if I told him the truth, he'd take me on board." Now David stared at Ryan. "And I know you guys didn't want this to turn into a four versus three situation, but he's trying to do it. He's trying to make the three of us galvanize together and he's being a real asshole about it."

"That is utter and complete -bullshit-!" Ryan screamed.

"Oh, is it?" asked David. "Then why don't you tell your secretaries that. Do you even talk to them? Are they really important to you? Where do they fit in?"

"I never called anybody secretaries," Ryan said, trying to stay calm. "Whatever, man."

But Michelle was glaring at him now. David could sense she was upset with Ryan. Isabella's face, as usual, was unreadable.

"Look," Ryan protested, "He's obviously making it up. He knows his ass is down four to three, so what else is he going to do? He's trying to stir things up."

And then Ryan had done the thing he knew would get a response.

He turned around and walked away.

"Oh, so you're too good for this discussion?" asked David. But it wasn't working. His attempt to rile Ryan up wasn't paying off... so David moved on to plan B. After all, this was only going to work if Kamiya were all upset. Only total chaos would do.

"Hey honey," he turned to Michelle, "Why don't you go give him a message. Go tell your boss that he doesn't run this show and we're not done talking yet."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Please deliver a message to him. Since I'm not important enough to talk to."

And really, if there was one thing that could set Michelle off... it was this. You didn't demean her. Especially if you were a guy. Michelle was already about one step away from punching the guy.

"Go talk to him yourself," she sneered. "This is your fight, not mine."

"Oh this is -all- of our fight," David said, trying to push the right buttons. "So just go fetch him and bring him back. Be a good girl."

"Fuck you," she spat.

To the side, Beth and Matt exchanged a worried glance. Uh oh. What was David trying to do? Beth didn't like this. She reached to touch him on the arm. He needed to stop.

"Uh, David..." she started.

"Why don't you and Emma stand up to the guy?" David asked. He was glaring at Michelle now. "He's a total asshole. He walks around this camp like he owns the place and he's a chauvinist jerk. He hates women!"

"I've never seen that side of him," suggested Isabella. "When did he say all this?"

"Last night."

"I heard it too," said Matt, stepping up. "I heard Ryan say it all. He wants Mike out and he thinks you two are idiots."

Mike had yet to say a word, but he looked upset. Which was exactly the plan. David smiled inwardly at the furrowed brow on Mike's forehead. Mike was buying it!

And now here came Ryan again. Ryan was back, and now he was screaming.

"Look, I don't appreciate you trying to make things up about me! This really sucks, David! I thought we were friends! I tried to help you fit in!"

"Well," laughed David, "I just thought we should all hear what really went on. I just thought the girls would be interested."

"I never called you secretaries!" Ryan yelled. "He's making that up!"

"What did you say?" asked Michelle. "What exactly did you call us?"

Michelle was certainly no Ryan Rebez fan. She never had been. And truth be told she really had -no- clue what he had told David last night. All she knew was that Ryan was supposed to piss the guy off and make him lose his cool. That was the plan. But what Michelle -hadn't- expected was that David and Ryan would pull her in on this too. She was supposed to be innocent in all this. This wasn't part of the deal!

"I may have said something," Ryan fessed up, "That implied you and Emma always knew what was going on. But that was it. I swear!"

"Do you really want me gone?" Mike now bellowed. And David was thrilled. -That- was the reaction he was waiting for. The Ryan-Mike rift had now officially begun.

"No!" screamed Ryan. "I never said that!"

"Um..." stammered Beth, trying to keep some semblance of peace, "Can't we just get along for now, guys?"

But Beth's pleas were ignored as Mike started to confront Ryan. Mike appeared to be furious.

"Hey, hey," said a shocked Michelle. She knew this fight was staged but she was surprised at how well Ryan and Mike were selling it. Mike looked like he was ready to take Ryan apart.

Isabella was trying her best to look shocked by it all but deep down she was a bit turned off by all this ugliness. What was the point? Why were they fighting again? Just because Ryan wanted to torture David and the Satos and mess with their heads? Please.

"Mike," pleaded Ryan, "I never wanted you out! I swear! We're in this to the end. Kamiya all the way."

"You don't need to make it tribal, Ryan..." started Michelle, but that was when David crossed the line. That was when he finally crossed the line with her.

"Let them talk," he snipped at her. "Just shut up for a minute."

"What?" she turned towards him, furiously.

"I said just shut up and let them talk."

"How about I just punch you in the face?" she said, stepping closer, "You motherfucker!"

"Hey now," said a disturbed Beth. "Come on, guys." But Michelle was in David's face, and wasn't going to back down. Suddenly Michelle was involved in all this as well, a fact which made Ryan's heart soar. David had awoken the bitch in her. He had done it! David had done it!

The fight had lasted most of the morning... on and off... with only Isabella really staying out of it. She had excused herself early on to go for a walk, being sickened by it all. She just wanted to go practice her yoga by the beach.

But now Ryan was sitting up here on the bluff. It was two hours later, and he was reliving it all in glorious detail. It could not have gone more perfectly.

"When I came here," he grinned, "I knew that Okinawa was the bloodiest conflict in the Pacific during World War 2. And if I have -anything- to do with it... we'll be reliving those wonderfully chaotic days of old." He laughed. "And we'll be doing it -my- way. Because if there were no battle lines here before, there sure are now. It's three against three in a battle to the death. And with Mike as my sidekick in all this... the victor's already been determined."

He closed his eyes now, happily. Ryan was already picturing the next step in his head. He would be going to the girls... and pleading that David had made it all up. He would cry. He would offer tears of forgiveness. "I tried to get him riled up," he would say, "But the guy took it too far. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to be so nasty! This wasn't what I wanted at all. Please forgive me!"

And it was going to work. Ryan would come off smelling like a rose. He always did.

"It's time now to go play Jesus," he smiled, eyes still closed. "I get to go to Emma and Michelle and say... hey, look at me, guys. Check out my crown of thorns, and the cross that I carry. Pity me! Feel sorry for me! Mourn my sacrifice!"

And then he opened his eyes, excited. This was too much fun.

"Mourn me... and then worship me!"




^^



The rest of the day at Kamiya was spent in predictable tension. Ryan had somehow managed to make every one of them upset. Except for Isabella, of course. She was currently sitting on the beach, doing some pilates. She was going to stay as far from this as she possibly could. Screw Ryan and his games. Screw that little weasel. Let him have his fun for now. She could take care of him later.

And the two players who were the most upset from the fight were clearly Michelle and David. The two of them had butted heads at the end and it was clear that neither one was going to back down. All of a sudden, Michelle seemed to have crossed some line of decorum and now she spouted angry epithets at David whenever she saw him. She really -was- like a caged beast sometimes.

And David had somehow managed to open her cage.

"This is just a game," she had complained in a confessional. And she shook as she talked, still furious with the guy. "This is supposed to be a simple game... but David has taken it far beyond. He has started to cross over the line into personal attacks, and I don't like it."

Michelle was referring to one line David had said towards the end of the fight, when the fact came up that Michelle was divorced. This was a lie, of course, as Michelle was very happily married back at home. The "fake divorce" idea had been Chris's, and she had been playing along with it at his request. But David hadn't been joking at all.

"Of -course- you're divorced," he had said, "Just look at you. Who would put up with that? I'm surprised you ever got married in the first place."

It had been a cheap shot, of course, and David had immediately regretted the comment. He knew he had crossed the line. And boy did Michelle react after that. If the gauntlet hadn't already been thrown down, this comment had done it.

"David has taken it far beyond a game," Michelle complained now. "Because this -isn't- life or death. This is a -game-. And damn him for single-handedly taking all the fun out of playing this game for me. He's ruined it, and it was wrong. His comment was completely unsportsmanlike and went way beyond the scope of any human decency."

Michelle had already called for a meeting with the producers, and had politely asked that David be removed from the game. She had already taken that step... asked for him to be kicked out... and her request had been denied. And really now there was no choice in Michelle's mind what had to be done at this point. In her mind, there was only one acceptable outcome now.

David had to be destroyed.

Sato had to be destroyed.

All of them.

David was the one she wanted most... but now he had made it personal. She was going to destroy him and she was going to take his two little friends down with him. Because you didn't mess with Michelle Kin-Fraley. Not this way. Not in a competition like this.

She would make sure the Satos were going to pay.

"As as much as David sucks," she added, "I hate -all- of them. Screw them for coming here and trying to rip us apart. They came to -our- camp and are trying to make us miserable! I hate all three of them!" She spat, angrily. "Dave is an idiot, Beth is a wuss, and Matt..." She threw her hands up. "Matt is just flat out stupid. He's a moron. -Everything- that comes out of his mouth is idiotic. And he wants to be a high school history teacher some day?? He'll be teaching our future generation??"

She clenched her fists as she finished. This was definitely personal now. These three morons had been welcomed here long enough. It was time for the gloves to come off. And you could almost see it in Michelle's eyes now. She had officially crossed over to the dark side. She hadn't wanted to, but now she was there.

"And geez, Matt doesn't do any work around camp. He sits there all day and doesn't care. He thinks he can just save his energy for the challenges and that we won't mind. Well, guess again buddy." She stared at the camera. "From this point on, Matt doesn't eat. He's not sitting around here and eating -our- food anymore unless he works for it. So if he doesn't do his fair share today, then he's starving. I don't care what the rules say. This is our camp and our food. He can get his own."

She glared now.

"The next three days can't go by fast enough," she added. "I can't -wait- to get to that next vote."

And as Michelle vented, the rest of the tribe sat to give their thoughts on the newfound tension in Camp Kamiya. Because Michelle was right. Things -had- kind of gotten out of hand. And everyone had something to say about the situation.

"I think," Beth commented in a confessional, "This we're to a point now that's kinda out of control." And secretly, Beth wondered if David had gone too far. She was worried he may have pushed the Kamiyas a bit too hard today. "Poor Matt is kind of basket case right now. He went off to be alone right after the fight and I know the stress of the game is kind of catching up with him. He's just not happy here."

Beth sighed, sadly. She had gone over to give Matt a hug this morning but it didn't seem to help much. The poor kid was depressed. He missed Amy, he missed Sato and he missed his old tribe. And in many ways he seemed to have given up. Matt's tank was running on empty right about now.

"But -none- of us are happy here!" Beth added. "I mean, the Kamiyas are just mean, nasty people. They can all kiss my cute little behind. And I know I speak for all three of us when I ask... can I please go back to Sato? Can we please just go back to Amy... and Hogan... and Lance? My goodness, I'd rather be dealing with Henry than these people!"

Beth smiled now, although somewhat sadly. Because she wasn't as down as Matt... not yet... but she was still feeling a bit alone over here. She missed her Amy. She really missed her best friend Amy. And she didn't find much to like about the Kamiyas at all. Not one bit.

"Ryan is awful," she explained. "He's just terrible. How in the hell did Mike get voted Least Honorable with Ryan here? I just don't understand it. Are the insane people running the asylum? They must be! He thinks he's charming... but he's not."

She stuck out her tongue when she spoke of Ryan Rebez, clearly not a fan. And Ryan would have been incredibly hurt. After all, didn't she enjoy performance art when she saw it?

"Emma is the only sweet person here," Beth added, "She's naive and nice and I feel bad for her. She doesn't belong with these people and I feel bad that she'll get caught in the crossfire. But I'm just not a fan of my new tribe. And as much as I’m up for a good game of Survivor, I’m just -not- into this terrible mean stuff. Just vote me out already."

Another person who was ready to talk at the moment was David McDaniel. The Sato strategist sat by the ocean at the moment... still wondering about the fallout that would be coming from this. Had he made the right move? Was this fight going to work? Could it backfire?

He was still undecided. But in any case, he was glad he had done it. He was definitely glad it had finally happened.

"Today," he commented, "I took a calculated risk. A -big- risk. I stuck my neck way out there and it's only a matter of time if it will get chopped off or not." He shrugged. "But it came to a point where I had to do it. When you run out of strategy, you go with emotion. And that's what happened with me today. To quote Julius Caesar, "Cry 'havoc' and let slip the dogs of war."" He paused. "And that's pretty much what I did. I just played the hand I was dealt."

David was running over the possible outcomes in his head now. He knew Ryan and Michelle were going to stick together. He had more or less pushed them into that direction. But there were still two key votes out there. Two Kamiyas... who he thought were more or less still ripe for the taking.

"I pray," he added, "That Mike has more sense than Ryan. I pray that he can see what Ryan has been trying to do and that he'll stick by us if we go to Council. I think he will. He -says- he will. But as a backup plan, I don't think Emma was completely thrilled with Ryan either... and that could be something to exploit." He shrugged again. "I don't know, I don't know her very well yet."

And normally David would stop here. Normally he liked to keep his thoughts pretty much to himself. But for whatever reason he was very chatty today. Perhaps the fight -had- affected him a little more than he cared to admit. Because for the first time in a long while, David actually let his emotionless veneer drop for just a moment. For a moment he almost appeared to be emotional.

"Ryan -really- pissed me off," he smiled, slyly. "I hate to say that but he did. And sure, maybe I let my emotions get the better of me. But the guy was rude and disrespectful, plus he insulted my intelligence. And I hate to sound petty but I -really- hope it costs him. I think it will. Because I painted a huge target on myself... as well as one on Ryan. And now we've got to wait to see who gets to pull the trigger."

David again stopped, but was goaded by a producer into talking some more. They loved to get him going when he was like this. This wasn't a side they saw of him very much.

"Everything I did today was calculated. It was my attempt to throw them off balance, shake them up, and see what ammunition fell out of the tree. But honestly, I will -never- understand some of them." He sighed. "I think Michelle has just about lost her mind. she went from zero to sixty in a few seconds flat... and then she started screaming that this is her house and we should get out. Yeah, whatever. She's the biggest bitch of them all. And Ryan is a bastard. Plus I dont think he's even -started- to get nasty yet. You can tell he's biding his time, and he'll probably let Michelle take the heat for him for a while."

He chuckled, still deep in thought.

"But Mike is a good guy. I think he's a little over his head here, but he seems to know how to tread water. As opposed to Emma, who is simply drowning. But those two are really the key. And in the next few days I need to get to know the two of them better. Especially Mike. I need to make sure he hates them and likes us. And if not... then we get Emma as a backup."

He shrugged. That was all he could do.

But there was one small piece of the equation right now who was unaccounted for... and his name was Mike. The big man was suddenly in a -very- powerful position in the tribe... as both groups felt like he would be on their side. With the line being drawn in the sand, both sides were already placing supreme confidence in the allegiance of Mike Ruff. Both sides expected him to be with them come the next vote.

And both Ryan and David would be surprised to hear the words that were coming out of his mouth... as well as the tears that were coming out of his eyes. Because Mike was crying.

Mike was feeling -awful- about all of this. He was already starting to regret what was about to take place.

"I never expected the game to be like this," he said. "It never should have gotten this nasty and I hate every minute of it."

Mike was walking along the shore as he spoke, giving his first confessional of the day. Because he felt it was very important to get this message out. Before all the drama that was about to go down, Mike wanted to make one thing perfectly clear.

"I just want people to know that we're -not- evil people at Kamiya. We are simply playing a role... and we're creating drama. We're supposed to be having fun... although I think Ryan tends to go a little far with things."

He was quiet for a moment. And then he continued.

"And yes I feel crappy about the pledges of loyalty I'm getting from Matt, David, and Beth. The three of them are lambs being lead to the slaughter, and I'm the Grim Reaper. And I hate it. This isn't like me at all!" He wiped at his eyes again. Gosh he hated himself when he got emotional like this. "And I'm a Catholic. I have always prided myself on treating others right. And I have to say right now that the Satos don't deserve this. They don't deserve to be toyed with and they -don't- deserve for me to lead them right into a deathtrap. But what can I do? I don't have much of a choice!"

He stopped now to collect his thoughts. And he placed a hand to his forehead... clearly troubled by the actions he was about to take. He wasn't sure if he would be able to go through with it.

"These people are actually pretty nice, but Michelle and Ryan won't give them a chance. They've never had a chance. Beth is the sweetest person you will ever meet. And even weird Matt is starting to grow on me. How did that happen??"

He looked up to the sky. Maybe there were some answers up there.

"I hope that the Satos will one day forgive me for what I am about to do. I wish they hadn't taken my friendship as a long-term commitment and I wish they weren't placing so much hope on my loyalty. Because I've talked to David but I have never -ever- used the words "for sure" or "I promise." I just wouldn't do that! So I just hope I can somehow soften the blow when I vote them out."

He sighed.

"I hope they see that what I did was because of the game. I hope they see that I appreciate them all as people. I hope they see that I had no choice and this is a role that I was forced into. And I hope they know that I don't -ever- want to see people suffer at my hands. That just isn't right."

And Mike started walking.

Alone with his thoughts and guilt, he started walking.



^^


The day passed relatively uneventfully for both tribes. Since this was an off-day (no challenge), it meant that people could pretty much just kick back and take stock of their position in the game. And at some point, most of them took time to think about how things had gone so far, and how much had changed since day one.

And for Murtz Jaffer, things had changed a -lot-.

It was only day ten, and Murtz already felt like he had run a marathon. Here they were, barely one fourth of the way through the game, and he had already been through peaks and valleys. He had been very high, he had been very low, he had been happy, he had been sad... and now he had changed.

Because for maybe the first time in his life, Murtz Jaffer had been humbled.

"When I came to Okinawa," he admitted, "I really didn't think that there would be any competition around here. And I don't know if I was just cocky, or if I just thought the game would be easy, but I -never- expected to have the kind of problems I have had. It just never really crossed my mind."

Murtz was out in the Sato fishing boat today... although he wasn't alone. He had taken Jabba... his new best buddy... out into the boat with him. And together, the two of them were just having some quiet time. This was Murtz's time... alone... where he was going to decompress. And talk to the cameras. And be honest. Because this was stuff he really needed to get off his chest.

And the tone of Murtz's voice was definitely different today. Gone was the fiery rhetoric. Gone were the cocky predictions. Gone was the trash-talk. Being humbled had made him a changed man.

And it was definitely a refreshing thing to see.

"I think," he admitted, "That Chris is playing a good game right now. And the thing I like -most- about his strategy is that he includes facets of his own fiery, cocky personality when he talks to people. That makes him appear genuine to me." He smiled. "And yet Henry always described Chris as modest. So if -that's- how other people perceive him, then Chris is a good salesman. Maybe the best one here. And that's why he'll be a major threat at the merge."

Murtz paused to dump a small handful of fish parts in front of Jabba. The turtle sniffed at them and then laid its head back down on the hot wood of the boat.

"But Amy," continued Murtz, "Is without question the best player on Sato right now. And I don't always like her... but the thing that impresses me is that she decided to eliminate the biggest threat to her-- Henry-- instead of voting along tribal lines. And I -know- she's playing everybody but the thing is... you can never catch her on it. Since she's Mormon, people immediately trust her. Plus she's always smiling and is really the center of attention at all times. She's made herself into the heart of the tribe and I think she knows it. And that just makes me applaud her strategy all the more."

Murtz then laughed.

"You know how I always joke about Anti-Dave? Well, Amy is the Anti-Mike. She's a quiet leader who does not make waves. She -knew- that Henry would turn on her at any time. She also knew that the Kamiyans were desperate and by siding with us, she would be safe for the next two Sato tribal councils. Simply because we would owe her a favor. So yeah... she's pretty much sitting pretty until the merge. And she's sharp. -Very- sharp."

Murtz then moved on to his former team-- Kamiya. And though he had vowed that he was no longer one of them, he still had pangs of loyalty left in him. From time to time, Murtz found himself wistfully thinking of the early days in the game. Especially with Ryan. Murtz -really- missed the days of ruling this game with Ryan.

"Ryan is playing a solid game too," he confessed. "And I hate the fact that he left us for dead, but he simply rocks as a player. I don't see him having much competition except for perhaps the mysterious Emma."

He smiled.

"Because there's only one thing I regret so far in this game. Only one regret, and that's the fact that I underestimated Emma right off the bat. I thought she was a meek pawn, someone that I could use as an extra vote and subsequently sacrifice. But -since- the twist, I have changed my stance. I now think she's the smartest one here. All you have to do is watch the way she blends in and you realize she's definitely a power player."

Murtz shrugged.

"So those are the big four. Other than me, those are the four people who I feel are capable of winning this game. Amy, Chris, Ryan and Emma. And the goal is either to stop them... or use them to help me. From here on out, that's my goal."

And Murtz was serious. His new strategy was really a two-parter. It was something he had not intended to do when he arrived, but had come out more or less out of necessity.

Step one was to bond with the turtle. That one had been a no-brainer. Get them to think he was an animal lover, and they would start to think he was a nice guy. And truthfully Murtz couldn't have given a rat's ass about the stupid turtle. They could make it into soup for all he cared. But this part had been essential. The turtle was going to be key.

And in many ways, it was the same way Murtz treated young Joni. He liked to view her like a pet. Sure, he talked to her. Sure, he tried to put up a good front and make her feel like he valued her opinion.

"But I hate those stupid shit-ass conversations," he would admit. "It pisses me off when Chris says I need to talk to her more, because I -do-! I talk to her every day. Even though I hate it. It's not -my- fault we have nothing in common!"

And the second part of Murtz's plan was to start showing his nice guy side. He needed to be seen as humble and he needed to seem grateful. This part was absolutely essential. If he needed to be seen as one of the group, he had to start kissing up, and he had to start kissing up to Amy. Despite his revulsion towards kissing up to -anybody-, it was time for Murtz Jaffer to start putting pride aside.

It was time for Amy Twieg to become his new best friend.



^^


Amy Twieg ended up having a very eventful night.

She ended up having three conversations... in rapid succession... that all ended up being very important. These were memorable chats. And that sort of thing just didn't -happen- in a game like this. Most of the daily conversations around camp were beyond boring. So what was up?

First off, she had talked with Lance. This was priority number one, and this one had been huge. She had gone to Lance, she had apologized, and she had made amends.

"It was very hard for us, Lance," she had explained to the young teacher. "And I knew we should have warned you, but you don't understand how much drama Henry brought to camp. He was just too much after a while."

"I understand."

"And I want you to realize," Amy had pleaded, "That we need you. We -need- and I need you, Lance. We can't win things without your help. You're one of the best athletes we've got."

Lance had smiled at this. Because it was true. Amy seemed to be the one person who grasped the fact that they needed him right now. Nobody else had said a word to him today.

"Well I appreciate it Amy," he smiled. "I know it was probably hard for you to come and tell me all this but I really am grateful." He then paused. "But can you finally admit something now? Can you tell me if there's an alliance on Sato... and am I just not a part of it?"

"Yes," she finally fessed up. "There's always been one."

"And am I next?"

"Well that depends on who you ask..." Amy grinned. "But if you asked me, I would say no. I'd like for the Satos to stick around."

"That's all I wanted to hear."

And at that Amy and Lance had shared a hug. And they made a pact. She would help look out for him... and he would help look out for her. Despite the fact that he wasn't a part of "The Core," she wanted to keep Lance around... just in case. For she knew he was going to be important. She didn't know how yet, but she knew Lance McHale was going to be important down the road.

After Lance had been pacified, Amy had a lengthy chat with Hogan, her young Eagle Scout buddy. She had updated him on Lance's status and Hogan said that yes, he had made amends with the guy too. Lance seemed to be back in the fold.

"He was mad though," Hogan said. "I could tell. I think we really hurt his feelings."

"Yeah, we did."

"And have you noticed," Hogan asked, "That Dave is acting all weird today?"

"How so?"

"He went fishing with Jabba. He took the turtle out with him!"

"No way!"

"I swear," said Hogan, "He's really clingy to that turtle. And I wouldn't have expected it. I thought he'd kind of be an ass when he first got here."

"And that's not even his turtle," Amy joked. "That was David's turtle!"

"What?"

"It's true," Amy confessed. She thought it was funny, but was still a little bitter about it. She didn't like how Murtz had taken possession over the tribe's mascot so fast. She still thought it had been rather presumptuous of the guy. "David caught it the day before the twist. He named it Mertle. Then when Dave and Chris got here they thought -they- were the ones who had caught it and Dave named it Jabba. But that's David McDaniel's turtle, Hogan. It always has been."

"That douche!"

Amy snickered, but that was the truth. She liked her new visitors... well two of them anyway... but Murtz's affection for the turtle had always rubbed her the wrong way. And it probably always would.

"Maybe they have another turtle over on Kamiya," Hogan shrugged. "Maybe David caught one over there too." He laughed. "Hey, they can be boyfriend and girlfriend at the merge."

Amy laughed.

"Oh sure," she quipped, "Then we can have baby turtles for Emma to vomit up again."

Hogan erupted into a laughter fit, as did Amy. Despite their differences in age, the two of them really -did- seem to get along.

"So are we still together?" asked Hogan finally, as bluntly as he normally did. He wasn't particularly skilled at easing into alliance talk.

"Of course. It's the Core to the end and you and me in the final two."

"Sweet. Yeah, I was just checking."

The two of them tapped fists and that was that.

But Amy's final conversation of the night was the one that she had with Murtz. Because sure enough, the guy came to her just after dinner... and he seemed different. Murtz seemed to be positively gushy as he thanked her for saving him at the last vote. And it caught Amy off guard. This was Murtz? This was the same guy that none of them could stand?

Who -was- this guy?

"I won't forget it Amy," Murtz had explained. "You have no idea how much I appreciate you and Hogan helping me out. Because I know Henry wanted to vote for me at some point."

"Yeah, he did."

"And I just wanted to tell you," Murtz finished, "That I am now 100% comfortable on Sato. I wasn't at first, but now I am. Because when Henry brought me over to be sacrificed, it was a really horrible feeling. I knew I was doomed... but now that he's gone I can really be myself. I can finally be myself... and it feels wonderful!"

"That's great, Dave." She smiled. "I'm glad you're happy now."

"Well as far as I'm concerned," Murtz said, "You and Hogan have my loyalty now. As far as I am concerned, you two are the reason I'm still in this game."

"Well," frowned Amy, "I don't know about that. You've got lots of others to thank too. Poor Joni took two votes to the gut from Henry."

"Yeah," sighed Murtz, "Poor girl." He then perked up. "But I'm serious Amy. I don't look at this as a game of tribes anymore. It is now a game of people and of -friends-. You and Hogan are now my friends, regardless of what happens here. I like people of their word."

"So do I," she smiled, treading carefully here. What was he up to? "And I glad we'll be friends, Dave. No matter what happens in Okinawa."

"And if we both make the merge," Murtz promised, "You can count on me to do whatever serves all of our needs the best. I have friends on Kamiya just like you do... but none of them ever saved me like you and Hogan did. So you are safe with me. I swear. Even if it costs me the game, I will say it was worth it."

"Well thank you Dave," she smiled. "But just remember that this move benefitted us, too. We like you but we -really- didn't like Henry."

Murtz laughed. Well at least that much was the truth. And then they hugged.

And by the end of day 10, Amy now had three more people who had pledged her their loyalty to the end. Add this to her growing friendship with Joni and Chris... and suddenly she had ties to every member of the Sato tribe. She was connected in some way to every single one of the Satos. Just like before.

Not bad for a day's work!

^^


And while Sato was indeed growing into the Love Tribe that it was always expected to be... that didn't mean that the game had ended. Just because people were getting along didn't mean they had stopped playing the game.

Because he didn't know it yet, but Lance McHale was already a hunted man. The soft-spoken teacher's future in the game was already in serious peril. Worse than he even imagined.

"Lance is a fucking dead man," Chris confessed. He was sitting out under the moon, alone, the last Sato to turn in for the night. And he was furious.

You see, Lance's performance in yesterday's immunity challenge had raised more than a few eyebrows. Because he had been -creamed- by Michelle. In the final matchup of kendo wars... the deciding one... Lance had simply been decimated.

"He threw it!" Christopher had immediately whispered to Joni. "He lost on purpose!"

And while Lance had not thrown it... he would -never- throw a challenge... his poor performance had indeed raised some suspicions. How was it possible that Michelle had beaten him so badly? Was she really that good? Was "The Sports Guy" really such a pushover in combat against a girl?

And just the thought of it had pissed Christopher off to no end.

"The reason Lance is dead," he explained, "Is because that motherfucker threw the kendo challenge. He'd been going on for days about how we need to win as a team... about how we all need to try hard... and then he takes a dive. What a dick." Chris was still seething over it. "He was probably planning to vote me, Joni or Dave out. So he let us waste -all- our effort and energy just so he could stand there and laugh about it."

Chris glared back at camp. Back at their shelter. Back at where he knew his next victim was sleeping. Because Lance was now officially on his hit list. And like Danielle and Henry before him... Lance would soon be learning things the hard way.

You didn't mess with Christopher Collins.

And while he was worried about the growing bond between Joni and Amy... as well as Murtz's newfound chuminess around camp... Lance was still the target he wanted now. Lance was the next target. The other problems could wait.

"My whole strategy right now," he admitted, "Is to convey to everyone that Lance is an asshole. I want Joni to hate him. I want Dave to hate him. I want Hogan to hate him. And I -really- want Amy to hate him. They all have to realize what a prick this guy is. And that will more or less cement his fate for good."

And Christopher smiled. Under the moonlight it looked particularly sinister.

"It’s over, Lance," he promised. "And I know you think you're in danger now, but you have no idea. You have no idea how hard this is gonna be. Because I will make sure you go down. If it is the last thing I do in Okinawa, you will go down, you self-righteous, uninteresting blowhard. You are -officially- Angel Enemy number one."

He grinned.

"I think it's time you should start saying your goodbyes."




DAY 11




The reward challenge was set to take place first thing in the morning.

Michelle and Isabella were walking back to camp Kamiya together, having taken the time to go for an early morning stroll. And Michelle carried in her hand a small scrap of parchment. Treemail.

"We really need to put on a good show today," Michelle was saying. She spoke as she walked, trying to keep up with the brisk pace of her Georgian teammate. "We need to make this look right, or David is never gonna buy it."

"Yeah."

"But this is gonna be awesome," Michelle smiled. "Seriously. They're never gonna see it coming."

The show Michelle was referring to was the grand finale of Ryan's master plan. It was going to be the great culmination of all that had happened in the past five days... and it was set up perfectly. Right now the Satos thought they had Mike in the palm of their hand. The three of them didn't expect a -thing.-

"So when is the fight supposed to happen?" asked Isabella.

"Tonight," Michelle confirmed. "Tonight Mike and David have the big blowout and then Mike has a reason to turn on them. That's our justification. And that's how we're gonna keep Beth on board for the next step. Then she won't be mad."

"I see."

"And seriously," Michelle chuckled, "I won't be a bit sorry to see David go. The guy gives me the creeps. I've never liked him much."

"He's an odd one," Isabella nodded, "I think he's dangerous."

"Yeah."

And as they walked, the two women talked mainly about mundane things. They talked about the weather. They talked about Mike's moodiness. They talked about life back home. And although it was a perfectly pleasant conversation... Isabella sensed a general tension in their words. For some reason, Michelle's comments seemed stilted today. This wasn't one of their normal Angels conversations, where Michelle spelled out exactly what Isabella was to do.

Something was up.

And it was only moments later when Michelle finally brought up the topic that had been nagging her lately. There was one small issue that she wanted to point out... just a minor thing. But it had been eating at her lately.

"Why is it," she asked, "That everyone underestimates how smart you are?"

"What?" asked Isabella, trying to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Oh you should hear them," Michelle chuckled. "Boy oh boy are they going to be surprised when they find out how smart you are. They're going to be shocked when you end up in the final four or final two, and walk away with this game. I love it!"

"What?!" laughed Isabella, trying to get a little more information. Had her cover been blown? Uh oh.

"It's true!" smiled Michelle, with perhaps a little too much awareness in her grin, "No one realizes you are the smartest one here."

"No way!"

Michelle just stared at the ground as she walked, not even realizing that Isabella's mind was whirring. She didn't realize she had sent the girl into damage control mode.

"Well..." started Isabella, "Thanks for saying that, but I don't know if I'll get that far. I mean we're -all- smart. Look at the way Ryan's handled the Satos."

"Yeah."

"Besides, I never know what's going on. I'm just as clueless as anyone else."

"Yeah," nodded Michelle, "But did you ever notice that you don't take any heat?" She turned to look at her shorter tribesmate. "The rest of us seem to take all the crap from the Satos but you come off smelling as sweet as ever. Why is that?"

Isabella simply smiled and shrugged. She wasn't about to give a straight answer... which would have been something like "Because I'm a good player and you're not, you loudmouth twit." For Isabella was hardly much of a Michelle fan. Never had been.

"I don't know," she finally fessed up. "I just think it's because I'm not real good at the scheming part of the game. If I try to lie people see through it."

"I guess."

"I don't like the way some people play the game," Isabella said, "And I don't think I could do it if I wanted to. Like the way we're treating the Satos. I don't really like it... but I guess it's kind of necessary."

"It is," Michelle nodded. And Isabella had now successfully changed the subject. Michelle didn't even realize she had done it. "But if we don't get rid of the Satos, we'll never have a chance to get the Angels back together. And that's what it's really all about."

"I agree. I miss those guys."

"It's funny," Michelle said, "But Mike and I thought you might be having a hard time dealing with all this. We figured that deception wasn't really the way you played things."

"Yeah," sighed Isabella. "It's hard. But I'm trying."

"So it's a dirty game," Michelle admitted, "But we can't win unless the Satos go. And I don't want to take any chances of them surviving. For the Angels, we -have- to do this."

"Yeah," smiled Isabella. "I guess you're right. Angels all the way!"



^^



Back at camp, Michelle read the treemail aloud to her tribemates.

-You must all stick together, if you want to win this one.
Just one player will cross the line... so let's go have a nice run.
One team will lose, and go home sad... while the winners will rest in style.
With donuts and coffee and pillows to spare... to block out the cold for a while.-

"Donuts!" cheered Beth, happily. "Chocolate ones?"

"It doesn't say."

"Oh man," smiled Matt. "I want those blankets. We need those, guys."

And as the Kamiyas got ready for the big reward challenge, Isabella was off by herself. She had quietly slipped away from the group for a quick confessional. Because Michelle's words on the walk had troubled her.

"They've been talking about me," she said, as she stood next to a thicket of bamboo. "And that's not good, because Michelle's usually kind of dense. She's the type who spends so much time talking that she rarely notices what's going on around her. So when she starts noticing that I'm not taking any heat, that's the time that I have to start being careful. Obviously I've been careless."

And to a certain extent, Isabella was correct. This was a topic that Michelle had been pondering for the last few days. It wasn't yet to the point where it would be a problem... but it was definitely planted in Michelle's head by now, and was something she talked about quite a bit.

Why did Isabella always seem to avoid all the drama. Could that -really- be just a coincidence?

"Right now," Michelle had commented this morning, "Beth, David and Matt probably hate me. And that's to be expected. After all, I volunteered to play the bitchy one in our little game with Sato. They're supposed to hate me. But being a bitch isn't really me. And what I'm worried about is that it has made me a marked person." She had frowned. "If any of them make it to the jury, I probably won't win their vote. And if I'm up againt Emma... who takes no heat whatsoever... I'm screwed. Because somehow, magically, Emma comes off looking innocent. I don't know how she does it, but she always does. Despite the fact that she's deceiving them just like the rest of us, she's going to come off clean as a whistle."

Isabella hadn't heard these words yet, but she could already sense that Michelle was onto her. Michelle had probably figured her out. And Isabella would probably have to do something to fix this.

"But the thing that will save me," she smiled, "Is that Michelle only cares about getting the Angels back together. That's -all- she wants, and it is going to blind her to the truth. She wants to get the stupid Angels back, and then she expects us to go cry and hug in a big circle when we all meet up again."

Isabella grinned. This was one of her favorite subjects to make fun of.

"Well of I course I just -love- the Angels. Don't you? Don't you just love Chris and Michelle, the two biggest hypocrites in the game? You know how some people get attention because of their actions? Well those two are the types who talk and talk until somebody finally listens to them. And then they talk a little bit more. And I'm -glad- Chris isn't here anymore. I didn't like him much when he was here and I couldn't care less about him now. He's so full of himself that it hurts to listen to. Yes, Chris, we're your little family. Whatever."

Isabella seemed to be in a bit of a pissy mood today. For whatever reason, she was particularly spiteful of her Kamiya tribemates this morning. It probably had something to do with their recent behavior. She had been beyond sickened by their recent torture of David and Matt. It hadn't even been necessary. So why the need for all the cloak and dagger stuff? What was the point?

"If I had one wish," she smiled, "I would wish for a twist to come up at Tribal Council tomorrow. I wish that we got to the vote and Jeff told us that all three Satos were immune. Because I would -love- to see the look on Ryan and Michelle's face. They haven't even planned for it. Please, oh please, give us a twist! I just want to see it happen!"

She laughed.

"The brainiacs' latest plan is called 'Let's fool the Satos.' So now we all have cover stories that we're supposed to follow, and we all have roles. We're all supposed to lie. But there's a small problem with this, and I hope it comes around to bite them all in the ass." She grinned. "When I was little, I used to play a game called 'Telephone.' It involved one person whispering something to another, and then that person whispering it to another and so on down the line. The point being that by the time it got to the -last- person, the original phrase had almost always been twisted into something completely different."

She paused, and then smiled.

"Well, 'Telephone' seems to be pretty popular here at Kamiya, and a lot of the people don't even know they're playing it. Because things have a way of getting confusing. I've already seen it start. I remember when we used to play as children... someone or another usually changed what they whispered to the next person on purpose, just to stir things up."

She chuckled.

"It's always been more fun that way!"

And with that, she was done. Isabella went back to happily rejoin her tribe. Her Kamiyas. The ones she loved oh-so-very much. Because it was time for a reward. It was time for a challenge. And most importantly... it was time to see who the Satos had voted out.

Had they voted out Christopher or Murtz, as most of the Kamiyas expected?

Or had Henry managed to vote out Amy, as Beth and David both feared?

Or... as Matt wished with all his might... maybe some miracle had happened and Henry was gone.

"Well, one of three things is gonna happen at the challenge," the young redhead commented, as he set off on his long walk. "If I get there and Amy -isn't- around, I will right then and there draw some blood. I'll get Henry on his knees, grab a machete, and take care of him samurai style. But on the -other- hand, should Amy and Henry be there and a random Kamiyan be gone... so much the better."

He smiled.

"If... however... I find Henry to be gone, expect a dance. That is all."



^^



The two tribes arrived at challenge beach around 9:00 AM.

"Come on in, guys," said Jeff, as he called them both over.

The Satos marched in proudly from the east, led by Murtz Jaffer. The young man with glasses strode in front of the pack, his green buff wrapped proudly around his wrist. And in his hands he held Jabba, the tribe turtle. Jabba had been brought along as the tribe's good luck charm, and Murtz placed her down in the sand.

But the Kamiyas were here with -their- own good luck charm as well, as Mike placed his gnome down in the sand near the yellow mat. And as before, the gnome wore a white hockey mask, compliments of Isabella's luxury item-- Play-Doh.

"Welcome," smiled Jeff, "To today's reward challenge. As well," he chuckled, "To another round of mascot wars."

A few players laughed, at which point Jeff explained the rules.

"Today's challenge is simple. It's probably the easiest one you will have all game, because the name of the game is running. It's called the Tag Team Race. And basically your tribe will hold hands and run... as a team... through six numbered checkpoints."

He pointed his finger along the horizon, singling out six thick bamboo posts. Each of them had a flag atop it, with a different number.

"At each checkpoint," he continued, "Your team will lose one runner. It will be random choice, based on the number you are wearing." He held up a small necklace, with the number 2 on it. "So basically you keep going until your tribe has just -ONE- runner left. That person will make a mad dash for the end... by themself."

He nodded.

"And the first runner to cross the finish line wins reward for their team."

He smiled.

"Wanna know what you're playing for?"

As the tribes oohed and aahed, Jeff opened a small pink box. And inside sat two dozen hot, fresh donuts. He also picked up two pitchers, one full of orange juice and the other full of coffee.

"You're playing for a big continental breakfast. It will take place tomorrow, before the immunity challenge. So basically, if you win today, you'll be getting a -big- energy boost for the challenge tomorrow. As well as..."

He pulled out a handful of thick blue blankets, as well as some small white pillows.

"Some pillows and blankets to help you stay warm at night."

Some of the players applauded, while a few of the girls started whispering excitedly about the pillows. Joni and Amy looked particularly excited about the prospect.

"So let's get ready to race," smiled Jeff.

And as the players got ready to start, two events happened in quick succession. Once Jeff's back was turned, two things happened all at once.

From across the sand, Mike caught Murtz's eye. And then just as planned, Mike flashed him a quick thumbs up. -The plan is back in effect-, Mike was trying to say. -We're still with you!- And the smile that spread across Murtz's face was reward enough in itself. That thumbs up made Murtz's day. They hadn't forgotten about him! The game was back on! Murtz was still a Kamiyan!

And at the same time Amy and Beth locked eyes, from the two opposing sides. The two friends exchanged a glance.

"Henry?" mouthed Beth.

"Gone" smiled Amy, happily. And as if to prove her point she drew a quick thumb across her throat, discretely. She knew Beth would be thrilled with her.

"Yay!" smiled Beth. She then whispered the news to Matt, who was overjoyed. Amy had done it. She had somehow managed to save herself!

"Thank you," he smiled, looking up at the sky. And then he gave a quick prayer of thanks. "Good riddance, good fun, good God thank you... for Henry is gone."



^^



Moments later... both teams took their places at the starting line, all with linked hands. The Satos stood on the left, wearing green and looking determined. The Kamiyas stood on the right, wearing yellow and looking confident. And Matt sat on the sidelines, having been chosen to sit this one out for Kamiya. It had pretty much been a consensus decision, as Matt was large and not altogether spry on his feet. Sitting him or Mike would have been a no-brainer for any team.

"This is for reward!" announced Jeff.

He looked over the tribes to make sure every player was wearing a number. Sure enough, they all were. Each player had been assigned a random number, and was wearing the appropriate numbered necklace.

"Survivors ready! GO!!!"

The two teams started running across the sand as a group, heading for checkpoint number one. And it was quickly clear to everybody that speed wasn't the name of the game today... the key was working together. You all had to run at the same speed, at the pace of the slowest member, or you would fall. It was as simple as that.

"Let's go!" shouted Murtz, as the Satos took the early lead. The green tribe was a few steps ahead, as they more or less ran as a unit. They were being slowed somewhat by Joni, who was pretty much being dragged along. But luckily she was small enough that she didn't slow them down -too- much... and now they were in the lead.

"Move!" shouted Mike, from the Kamiya side. The big man was urging his team along, but was already feeling his feet start to drag a little. It was clear that his size was working against him, and he was by far the slowest one out here. But he pushed along, watching as his team stayed a few paces behind the Satos.

And now they were at checkpoint one.

"Break it!" said Christopher, as he pointed to a small glass ball atop the checkpoint. And sure enough, Amy did. She reached up, plucked the ball from its holder, and smashed it against the ground. A small piece of paper fluttered out, and she picked it up.

It had a number 5 on it.

"You lose runner number five!" announced Jeff. "Number five, let go and your team will race without you!"

Joni realized she was #5, and with a delighted whoop she released her hands from Hogan and Murtz. She had been the one dragging them down the most, and now she was -more- than happy to take herself out of the equation. So she let go of her teammates' hands and sat down. And Sato started running again.

As Joni sat, the Kamiyas had arrived at checkpoint one.

"You lose number five!" said Jeff, and it was quickly determined that David McDaniel would be leaving. The athletic man dropped his hands and let go, sighing with frustration. So far he had been one of the fastest Kamiyas in the chain, and he wished his team good luck as they moved on without him.

With the loss of Joni, the Satos had started to open up a lead. Lance and Christopher were clearly the fastest, and they dragged their three teammates across the dry sand towards checkpoint number two. And they were doing great. There was not a single weak link here, and the Satos started to open up a big lead against the struggling Kamiyas.

"They're falling down!" said Lance, as he looked back at the yellow tribe. And sure enough, the Kamiyas had tumbled to the ground. Isabella and Beth had become entangled, and it had brought down the whole tribe.

"Checkpoint two!" announced Jeff, as the green tribe had now arrived.

Amy smashed the glass ball against the rocks, and picked up the loose scrap of paper.

It read #6.

"That's me!" said Murtz. "I'm out. Bring it home, guys."

He let go of his teammates' hands and wished them luck. And the Satos were off and running again, excited about their growing lead. They could already smell those donuts.

As Murtz sat and waited, the Kamiyas finally struggled into the second checkpoint. They were still eager and excited... but were having a rough time by now. They simply couldn't seem to match the speed of the younger Satos. And Mike's bulk wasn't helping them much either. The guy simply ran like a tank.

"Who's #6?" asked Mike, to which Beth raised her hand. And with that, Beth was left behind.

Now it was four against four.

"We have them!" said Amy, excited, as the Satos raced off the sand and into the jungle. The team of Amy-Hogan-Lance-Chris was really opening it up now, the four athletes now working together as one. They leapt over a fallen tree, raced through tall grass, and easily spotted checkpoint number three. Soon they had reached it.

Amy smashed the glass ball again, and saw a small #3 inside.

"That's me," said Christopher, as he pulled himself away and sat down. Chris was one of Sato's best athletes, and it was a blow to lose him. But with the lead the Satos had, it wasn't going to be too much of a hurdle. They let him go and took off again.

Chris waited for about fifteen seconds, and now the Kamiyas had arrived. Mike was huffing and puffing in the back, and the athletic duo of Ryan and Michelle was trying their best to keep him moving. But now they were met with some more bad news.

"Number three," sighed Michelle, "That's me."

"Damnit," said Mike, as Michelle stepped aside and sat down. But the Kamiyas took off without her, now staring at the backs of their green-buffed rivals. The trio of Mike-Ryan-Isabella was clearly being outclassed, but that didn't mean they had given up. They were still determined to win this one, and off they went.

"Sato," announced Jeff, "Slowing down a little, but still with a big lead!"

Amy-Hogan-Lance had stumbled somewhat going through the mud, but now they were free and on open ground. Hogan looked back and saw the Kamiyas gaining, with Ryan leading the way. The gap was starting to narrow a little.

"We're almost there guys," said Hogan, as the Satos finally pulled close to checkpoint four. Gasping with exhaustion, they reached it now, and Amy smashed the small glass ball.

"Number 1," she said, "Who's that?"

"Me," said Hogan. "You guys finish. I'm out."

Hogan dropped out and now it was just Amy and Lance. The two of them held hands as they raced out of the jungle, trying to open up their lead for the last straightaway.

"Number one!" shouted Ryan, as the Kamiyas had arrived at the checkpoint, "Who's number one?!"

"You are!" said Isabella, to which Ryan winced. He cursed under his breath and dropped her hand. The Kamiyas had just lost their best athlete, and the dark haired young man from Canada sat down. He was eliminated, and it would now be up to Isabella and Mike to catch the Satos. The smallest female and the bulkiest male... in a running race. Those two were expected to be the Kamiya champions.

"We're toast," said Ryan, as he joked to Hogan. "It's over."

And sure enough, Lance and Amy had now opened up the lead. The two of them crossed a long stretch of open sand, smiles stretching from ear to ear across their faces. Checkpoint five loomed directly ahead of them, and Isabella and Mike were still nowhere in sight.

And now they were here.

Amy smashed the glass ball... and saw a small number two.

"That's you," she said, as Lance nodded and sat down.

"It's all you, Amy," he said, smiling. "Go win it for us. It's your show now."

Amy nodded, as she saw the Satos cheering down by the finish line. She turned and looked back, and saw Isabella and Mike now stumbling out of the jungle. Mike appeared to be out of gas, and poor Isabella was having a hard time just trying to drag the guy along.

Amy took off, sprinting as fast as she could. She saw the finish line ahead of her, a checkpoint with a large number six painted on it. Her brown hair flew in the wind as she raced across the open sand, her legs and arms pistoning in perfect rhythm. And really it wasn't much of a contest. The young woman from Wisconsin had her fists raised in the air moments before she crossed the finish line, to the delighted cheers of her Sato teammates.

Sato had won. In a landslide.

"Sato!" announced Jeff, "Wins reward!"

The green tribe danced around and hugged one another as Jeff came over to congratulate them. He handed them the thick blankets and pillows, and promised them the rest would come later.

"First thing in the morning," he said, "Breakfast." He smiled. "On me."

But as Sato celebrated, poor Mike had more or less given out. He just wasn't made for running contests, and he collapsed just before the fifth checkpoint. He was done. And Isabella was faring no better, having had no choice but to just sit down and end it. It was the worst defeat thus far for the Kamiya tribe, and they came over to console one another. And now looking at the victorious Satos... who promised to be energized and well fed for tomorrow's challenge... things suddenly looked bleak indeed.

Well unless you planned on throwing tomorrow's challenge. If you were a true Kamiya, you really couldn't have cared less.



^^


Back at Sato, Amy Twieg was officially queen for the day.

She sat happily on a log, curled up in one of the tribe's new blankets, as the rest of tribe happily relived the events of the relay race. Because it had been a convincing victory... a blowout even... and Sato had definitely earned the right to brag for a while. This was Sato's day.

"And did you see?" laughed Chris, "When Mike fell down at the end? He totally fell on top of Emma. I was afraid he'd crush her."

"That was hilarious!" giggled Joni. "Poor Em."

"But they didn't know we had our super weapon," said Chris. And he walked over behind Amy, to rub her shoulders. "They didn't know we had Wonder Woman here."

Amy laughed.

"Oh, whatever," she said. "You guys gave me enough of a lead. I couldn't have blown it if I tried."

"Boo!" taunted Chris. "Let's hear some trash-talking. Boo for modesty!"

"But it's true!" said Amy. "I had very little to do with it."

"Man," said Chris, shaking his head sadly. He looked at Murtz. "This is why Sato is boring. You guys aren't vicious! Where's the cockiness?"

Murtz chuckled. Chris was ripping off his material. -Thank you Chris, for stealing my line.-

"I did feel bad for Emma though," said Amy. "You could tell she was frustrated with Mike. He kept slowing her down. I could tell she wanted to smack him."

Joni nodded, empathetically. So did Lance.

"Oh boo hoo," teased Chris. "Poor Mike, boo hoo. They'd be making fun of us if they won, so just enjoy it. This was all you, Amy. You're the reason we have blankets tonight."

And then the Satos broke out into a spontanous round of applause. They were cheering for her. Amy looked down, blushing. She was a bit embarrassed.

"Amy!" chanted Hogan. "Amy! Amy! Amy!"

"Hey," she pouted, "I though I was the cheerleader! Joni, weren't you going to make me a palm frond skirt?"

"Nah," quipped Joni, "Henry wanted you in the coconut bra instead. He vetoed the skirt."

But the Satos really had pulled it off. They had faced down the big bad Kamiyas and had trounced them soundly. It had been the biggest runaway victory of either tribe thus far, and Sato was living it up. Even the normally reserved Murtz was taking part in the celebration. Today he just seemed to be a little more happy and laid back. Although Murtz would tell you it was because of the thumbs up he had received from Kamiya. That one gesture had made his spirits soar.

But Sato didn't have to know about that yet.

"Man," he smiled now, shaking his head, "I can't believe we destroyed them so badly."

"Well," grinned Amy, "Lucky for us they had Mike. I guess -he- turned out to be our secret weapon after all. We should give him a donut in thanks."

"Ha!" pointed Murtz. "I knew it! You -do- have a vicious side!"

"I do not!"

"I was waiting for it," Murtz smiled. "Now we see the -real- Amy." He winked at Chris. "See, I told you. It was just a matter of time."

"Well, okay," smiled Amy. "Maybe I can be a -little- vicious..."



^^



As Sato finished up and went off to their tasks, it was time for Christopher and Amy to meet up and discuss the state of their tribe. Because in the last few days, these two had more or less grown into the leaders of the tribe. Despite the fact that they came from different sides... and their personalities were almost complete opposites... Christopher and Amy had more or less grown into the parental figures of the tribe.

These two were the leaders.

And despite the fact that they didn't entirely trust one another yet, there was a genuine bond here. Simply put, Chris respected Amy and Amy respected Chris. They had recognized one another as an ally early on, and it was for this reason that Sato was succeeding. Because for the first time in a long while, there was some effective leadership going on.

"One of the oddest things," Amy had confessed this morning, "Is that I'm forming a real friendship with Chris, which is helping me overcome my homesickness for old Sato. And while he hasn't replaced David, Beth or Matt... he's definitely helped. He's just a good guy and I can talk with him openly. We can talk about anything... and it's -nice- that I get to be a real person every now and then. I don't want to be a gaming bot, sometimes I just want to have a friend."

And the kicker had come just this morning, when Chris finally came out of the closet to her. He had revealed to Amy the big secret that he was gay. And this was something he'd had some -major- reservations about too... due to the fact that Amy was religious...

"Why on earth would I come out to a Mormon?" he had asked himself, "I doubt she even knows what a gay person is."

But Amy had surprised him by not being phased in the slightest. She didn't seem to care, and Chris had immediately thrown his lot in with the Amy fan club. She wasn't Michelle, true, but she was close. Chris would always give his first allegiance to his friends-- to his Angels--- but Amy was about as close as an outsider could get right now. Right now she was high on his list.

"And I'm really glad," Amy had admitted, "That Chris felt comfortable enough with me to tell me his 'secret'. I can only imagine what he must've felt, knowing my religious affiliation. This is one of many reasons why society sucks."

But Chris had a mission this morning, and that's why he was here to talk to her. He had waited for the rest of the tribe to clear out... and now he was here to get the ball rolling.

It was time to get Amy to start mistrusting Lance.

"Miss Amy!" he greeted her, as he walked into the clearing.

Amy was tending to the fire so she looked up, happily. You could always tell when Christopher was around. He just had that spirit about him. He had that vibe.

"Chris!" she said.

Chris went over and greeted her with a hug, and then went right into business. He wasn't here for small talk today.

"So if we go to the vote tomorrow," he asked, "What's the plan?" He laughed. "Cause Dave is getting all panicky today. He needs to know who the vote's gonna be or he'll start flipping out."

"Sheesh."

"Yeah he gets like this before every immunity challenge," Chris added. "He never shuts up about it either. It's like I spend half my day just pacifying the guy. Just telling him what he wants to hear."

Amy chuckled.

"Yes Dave," Chris mocked, "Yes, sure I'll make a final two deal with you. I would love to. Except for the fact that -you won't even be here!-"

Amy laughed.

"So if you want to vote Dave," Chris nodded, "I have no problem with it. I'm not protecting his sorry ass, he gets on my last nerve. But I think you know that I'd rather vote Lance, and I think you know my reasons why."

"Yeah," nodded Amy, "Because you think he threw the challenge."

"Yeah."

Amy had heard this line of logic before, of course. Christopher had been harping on it for a few days now.

"I don't know," she sighed. "I really don't think Lance would throw a challenge, Chris. I think you're off on him. I just think he got beat."

"Maybe..."

"Lance isn't like that. He's too ethical to lie about something like that."

"Well," suggested Chris, "Whether he threw it or not, I still don't really trust the guy right now. Do you honestly expect him to stay loyal now? After what happened to Henry?"

"That's a good point."

"I don't think he cares about -any- of us," stated Chris. "He's never really extended the welcome mat to me or Jones, you know. He's never even -tried- to be friendly."

"So you think we should vote for Lance?" asked Amy.

"If you're asking me, I say absolutely. Number one, keeping him around is bad for morale. But that doesn't even -matter- if we question his loyalty at all. I think we need to scrap him. He's trouble, Amy."

"Well..." she was still dubious. "Yesterday he came and pledged his loyalty to Hogan and me. He came to us and said he wasn't mad or anything, and that he still just wanted a Sato to win. He said he wasn't mad at all."

"Well of -course- he said that!" Chris laughed. "What else would he say?"

Amy shrugged.

"If you were in his spot," Chris continued, "You'd say the same thing. Of -course- you'd try to weasel your way back into the tribe."

But for the first time in the game, Chris's tactics weren't going to work. For the first time in the game, somebody was going to stand up to him.

"No way," Amy stated, "I'm sorry Chris, but you're way off. Lance is nothing if not honest. I know this for a fact."

Chris didn't reply.

"And I know you have a problem with him," nodded Amy, "But when he gives his word about something, he's going to keep it. Lance may have a lot of flaws in his personality but being a liar isn't one of them. He's telling the truth."

Chris smiled now. And he couldn't really tell if he was offended or he was impressed. Because Amy wasn't going to back down. Damn her.

"It's okay," he shrugged, "You're probably right. I'm not really stressed about it though. I'm just not sold on him yet, that's all."

"Lance is solid," she stated. "He's an upright guy."

"Alright," said Chris, meekly. And he hated himself for it. "So we vote Dave instead."

"I think Dave's more dangerous. Don't you?"

And with that, the discussion was pretty much over. Chris had failed in his mission, and he soon slunk off to go fishing. And neither of them had any clue, but in some sense a torch had just been passed. In this one conversation, Amy had been the first person to ever stop one of Christopher's character assassinations. She didn't even realize it yet... but history had just been made.

And before she got back to work, Amy sat down to give a quick little confessional on her thoughts as the new head of the Sato tribe. As well as discuss some of the moral conflicts that she could already see starting to loom down the road.

"Every time," she sighed, "That I talk about strategy with my Core alliance, I feel a little guilt. Every time I get close to one of them, like Chris just now, I start to have regrets. Because my memory simply isn't short-term enough for this situation. You see, I remember my old alliance. I -love- my old Sato alliance. The four of us-- Me, Beth, David and Matt-- strong and unstoppable." She grinned now, from ear to ear. "And to see Beth flash me a thumbs up at the challenge, that just gave me the strength I needed right now. I couldn't hide my smile when the two of us caught each other's eye." She smiled and then closed her eyes, thinking back. "And you know, I still hold out hope that the four of us will be able to come together again at the merge. But the -problem- is that the game does things to peoples' loyalties. There's -no- way of predicting who will be here at the merge and what relationships will be like when we next see one another. So right now... I can't even say what I would do in the event that we were all safe and together."

She stood up now, intending to go clean out the shelter.

"So yes, I'm with Joni and Chris right now. I like them, and I intend to be loyal. Yet I'm also with Hogan and Lance, and I intend to be loyal to -them- too. And I know it's dangerous, to have my loyalties in so many places at once, but I can't see any way around it."

She sighed.

"This game can really get to you sometimes. You just have to find a way to be ready for the tough choices when they come. And hopefully," she shrugged, "I can put off those choices as long as is humanly possible."



^^



But as much as Amy hoped to keep the dogs away from Lance... she was going to have trouble. She didn't yet realize how badly the Kamiyas had it in for the guy. She had no idea that by protecting Lance, she may be inadvertantly putting herself in harm's way.

She had no idea the anti-Lance sentiment ran so deep.

"Things are going fairly well in Camp Shit-O," Murtz was currently confessing, "And that's because Chris and I have done a lot of hard work to ensure that we are regarded as useful. And we'll be doing even -more- work to ensure that Lance goes home next."

He smiled.

"And I personally felt like punching the taste out of the guy's mouth for trying to throw the immunity challenge. I mean, I can't really blame him for -trying-. After all, they have the majority and I would have done the same thing if I was him. But what bugs me is the way he did it. The guy went on and on beforehand... telling us to try our hardest. Then he threw all these horrible sports cliches at me. 'We need to win this as a team, Dave.' 'We all win or we all fall, guys.' You know, shit like that. Lance always talks like that."

Dave snickered. God, Lance annoyed him sometimes.

"So sure, in that sense, Lance threw more than the competition. He threw away his credibility. He stressed how Sato is a family and all this other crap, then he proceeds to lose to a girl. So right now I'm glad we don't have a mirror... because I don't think he would be able to look in it after that display."

He smiled.

"Oh, and for those of you who are saying to yourselves... but Murtz, what about when you couldn't eat that centipede? Well all I can say is screw off. At least I didn't lose the gladiator battle. So Lance, when the hammer comes down on you, just realize that you earned it. Right now you're nothing more than a human shield for Chris and me. And you'll be getting yours very soon."

"Hey Roth!" called a voice, and Murtz quickly ended his confessional. He stood up, pretending to go back to work. But the voice belonged to Christopher, who was here to give an update.

"Amy doesn't want to vote for Lance," Chris said. "I just talked to her."

"What?"

"She says he's truthful and can be trusted. I think she wants to keep him around."

"Damnit," Murtz gritted his teeth. "I knew she'd get all ethical and shit over this."

"Yeah."

"And did you hear," Murtz said, "That she is serious about giving Mike a donut?"

"What??"

"I'm totally serious, bro," Murtz said. "Joni told me. Amy wants us to donate some donuts to Kamiya tomorrow at the challenge. Kind of like a peace offering."

"But she was joking!"

"Nope," Murtz said grimly. "She may have been at first, but she told Joni she thinks we should do it. We should all give up half a donut. She's going to ask us all tonight."

"What is with these people?" asked Chris. Although silently he was a bit jealous. Damn Amy for thinking of this before he did.

"If she tries it," Murtz says, "It's going to fuck her. She'll look like a kissass. It's political suicide."

"No kidding."

But then the conversation turned back to Lance. Because despite Christopher's dislike for Murtz, he knew that Lance was the one that had to go next. In Christopher's eyes, Lance was -far- more dangerous to keep around than Murtz. For Lance was a Sato, and Murtz was a child. Murtz was easily controllable. Murtz had to be protected.

For now.

"But yeah," nodded Chris, "Amy doesn't want to vote Lance. We're gonna have to try something else."

"Bitch."

"I know."

"God I hate Lance," Murtz said. "I can't stand him. He talks in cliches. Did you ever notice that? He talks in fricking sports cliches!"

Chris laughed. Come to think of it, he -DID- talk like that!

"I think that's why he was cast," Chris laughed. "He's retarded, isn't he?"

"No way bro, that's Hogan."

"No, seriously," grinned Chris. "I think they had to cast someone with a handicap. That's why Lance is here. I get it now."

Murtz laughed. Chris was still one of the few people who could get him to laugh. That was probably why the two of them hung around so much.

"You're -so- much more of an asshole than me," Murtz grinned, admiringly. "It's awesome."

"No way," protested Chris, "I may be a moody bitch, but at least people like me. No one can stand you."

"True."

"I just get pissy sometimes," grinned Chris, "When I realize I'm stuck here with Mormons and Republicans. I mean this is my fucking team! How the hell am I supposed to get laid??"

Murtz laughed.

"Sorry," added Chris, "I didn't mean to go off. I guess I'm just on my period tonight. Maybe you can give me one of Henry's tampax or something."



^^



As Sato geared up for the great Murtz vs. Lance war, things were just starting to get heated up in Kamiya. The plan was just about to go into effect... and everything was all set to go as planned.

"The challenge today was hilarious," smiled Mike, "Because it worked out perfectly. We couldn't have been happier with the results."

The big man was currently building a deer snare... the latest in his long line of camp improvements. This was his mission today, to get a snare made. He thought it would help greatly towards getting the Kamiyans some food.

"Either I'm the luckiest player in the game," Mike said, "Or I'm the best strategist. And actually, it might be a little bit of both. Because by losing the reward challenge today, we hopefully gave the Satos enough of a boost to win immunity tomorrow. I hope we gave them that little bit of edge they're gonna need to try to win." He smiled. "And I say -we- lost the race but in truth I lost it. I was the deadweight they couldn't drag around and that was fully intentional." He laughed. "Not that I really had to fake my lack of speed!"

Mike grinned.

"Really, it was a two part strategy. Number one... I wanted us to lose. But number two, I wanted to come off like I wasn't much of a physical threat. I wanted them -all- to see that I'm the weak one here, and I can't keep up in the challenges. Because if I ever get to the merge, I want to be -damn- sure they aren't threatened by me.

Mike looked at the camera and smiled his sly smile. For this was a side few of the other players had really seen yet. Not even Isabella had caught on. Right now most of them had only seen "moody, surly" Mike. The guy who loved his gnome. They had no idea that most all of it was an act. Even though he could be wildly emotional and sensitive at times... most of them had no idea what kind of competition they were up against in Mike Ruff.

"The key to winning this game is foreshadowing. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If people have seen something once... they are most likely to believe it later. That's been the key to my strategy all along. If they write me off now, they will write me off later. If they think I'm crazy now, they will think it again later. If I'm nice to the Satos now, they'll expect me to be nice again later. Even after I turn on them and vote David out tomorrow."

He chuckled.

"And right now I think I'm in a pretty good position. I've more or less got a final two pact with Ryan, as well as one with Emma, which I think will be a key. And the Emma one I fully intend to honor, for as long as possible, because she is true blue. Emma and Beth are almost carbon copies of one another, and I hope to be in good with both for the rest of the game."

He shrugged.

"But unfortunately... much as I hate to do it... there's some things that have to be done first."

He heard Michelle off in the distance, yelling. Apparently she had started early. It was time for the games to begin.

"Well," he sighed. "Here we go."



^^



"You guys cost us the reward challenge!"

Michelle was pointing an angry finger at Beth now, as she continued her verbal assault on her bespectacled teammate.
"You guys totally dragged us down out there. I am so pissed right now! We really needed those blankets!

Beth didn't have much of a chance to outyell Michelle, so she kept her mouth shut, just waiting for a chance to rebut. But Michelle wasn't giving her much of an opening.

"That's it!" Michelle yelled again, "I'm so tired of you three coming in here and ruining our team! We had a nice place here! But you show up, you don't do any work, and you ruin our game! Who do you guys think you are??"

"Hey now," David tried to step in, but he thought wiser of it. He didn't want to tangle with Michelle again. It wasn't worth it.

"You said running was one of your best events," Michelle accused. She was glaring at Beth. "You said you could run!"

"I did my best!"

"Look, you chunky monkey. We put our faith in what you said and you screwed us!"

The rest of the Kamiyas looked on in either amusement or horror as Michelle laid into the soft-spoken Beth.

"The only reason you were out of breath was from trying to hold us back. You used your chubby butt to knock Emma down at checkpoint two. I saw you do it!"

Beth was trapped more or less like a deer in headlights. She looked to Matt for support but he was trying to stay out of this one. He had seen Michelle before. He wasn't going to stand up to her.

"We -all- agreed to put in our best effort!" Michelle accused. "And I know I did. I saw Emma giving her all. And poor Mike almost died trying to win it for the team. And what did you three do? Nothing!"

"Come on, Michelle." said Ryan, trying to play the nice guy, "Just lay off. They tried their best."

But this whole drama had been scripted, of course. That was the plan. This was Kamiya's attempt to justify throwing the challenge tomorrow. They wanted to make sure they had a valid reason when Mike "turned" on his friends tomorrow. They wanted to make sure it could be justified on TV.

"Look," said Michelle, "We should have all tried to help Mike out. This wasn't his event and he really needed our support. And Matt, at least you sat out. I have no beef with you. But these two idiots..." she pointed at David and Beth, "These two cost us our blankets and I'm pissed off! Shit!"

Isabella stood off to one side, arms crossed across her chest. And all she could feel right now was pity. Pity for the Satos. What had they done to deserve this? Why was all this necessary?

"Hey guys," said Mike, as he had now arrived. "What's going on?"

"Michelle's shooting off her mouth again," said David. And he matched Michelle's glare with one of his own. "She thinks we lost the challenge on purpose."

"Well," sighed Mike, "Since we're talking about it all, I guess I should say something."

And this was the part that Mike was later going to regret. He gritted his teeth as he said it.

"Ryan, I wish you guys had asked me beforehand if I wanted to sit out. Because I would have volunteered. I'm no runner."

"Sorry, man."

"And honestly," Mike lied, "I'm not really happy about what went down out there. I wasn't happy that you guys made me run and I wasn't happy that I wasn't consulted. It bothers me that I wasn't included in the final decision."

"I'm sorry, Mike," said Michelle. "We didn't know you cared that much."

"Well I did."

"Well then I apologize," Michelle said. "We didn't know."

"A little late now, don't you think?"

And Mike could see out of the corner of his eye that Beth was smiling. -She's buying it.-

Ryan was also paying careful attention to the reaction of the Satos. And he could see without question that they were buying it. Mike still had them completely snowed.

"Well big guy," said Ryan, "We'll just have to work our way through it. Okay? Let's all get settled down and get back to business. We lost today, but we're gonna win tomorrow. Right? Let's get this train back on track tomorrow."

And he smiled. Because the play had come off without a hitch.

-Dance, puppets, dance.-


^^


And as the evening wore down at both camps, both sides settled in for an uneasy night.

Kamiya's second big blowout had already paid some immediate dividends... as the three Satos had more or less been huddling off in a corner all night. The plan had been to alienate and terrify them... and it had worked. The three of them had retreated to the shelter not soon afterwards and spent most of the night there, trying to discuss their options.

"Michelle is a freaking nut!" Beth whispered. "What is she on, anyway?"

"I have no idea," David replied. "I don't know what's going to come out of her mouth half the time. Seriously, I think she's got some mental problems."

"So do you think Mike is still on board?" asked a worried Beth.

"He better be. I don't see why he -wouldn't- be, after that display. I don't think he likes them much at all. Especially Ryan."

"Hey," piped up Matt, "Is it against the rules to duct tape someone's mouth shut? Can we do that?"

"Who's got the tape?"

"Get Mike to build some," smiled Matt.

"Well then whose mouth?" asked Beth. "Ryan or Michelle?"

"I don't think we'd have enough tape for Michelle's mouth. We'd have to do Ryan."

Beth giggled. Despite all the turmoil in Kamiya, at least Matt was still here. And Matt always made her laugh.

"Well," explained David, "This is how I see it. We either trust Mike to stay with us or we don't. Because I don't see a whole lot of other options."

"Emma?" asked Matt.

But David shook his head.

"She's too flaky. You can talk to the girl for twenty minutes and she won't tell you much more than the name of her dog back home. I wouldn't rely on her."

"Ginger," smiled Beth. "Her dog's name is Ginger. She told me that too!"

"Well," said Matt, "If it was up to me I would go get Mike to take a definite stance ASAP. I think we need to know where he stands."

"I trust Mike," Beth nodded. "He'll do the right thing."

"Oh yeah," said David, and his eyes brightened noticeably. "Matt did Beth tell you about Amy?"

"No."

"She was trying to talk to us at the challenge!" Beth spilled out. "She gave me an okay sign."

"Ahh," smiled Matt, "Good old Mrs. R. I was happy to see she was still around." He paused, and then added. "Fuck Henry."

David laughed.

"She was trying to tell us that she has things in hand," he explained. "I think she has the tribe pretty much under control now. So it's up to -us- to get our butts back there at the merge. She's done her part, now we have to do ours."

"Well I'm up for it," smiled Beth. "I miss her."

"I think we all do."

^^



And as the Satos spoke in the shelter, they assumed that the Kamiyas were probably doing the same. They expected that Ryan, Michelle... and probably Emma... would be off having a similar dicussion right now.

But what they would -not- have expected was that Mike was there too. Because Mike was as much a Kamiya as any of them, and he always would be. Appearances notwisthstanding, Mike was still very much an enemy of the Satos.

And worst of all, he knew -everything.-

"David told me," he reported, "That Amy flashed him a sign at the challenge. She gave him a thumbs up."

"Was it just to him?" asked Ryan.

"I think so. I think David and Amy were the two leaders over there. Those are the two that called the shots."

"Excellent," smiled Ryan.

"David said that Amy would only do something like that if she were in control of the tribe. So she probably had something to do with Henry leaving last time. I don't think that our guys are safe at all yet. I think Amy still runs the show."

"So we have to throw the challenge," said Michelle.

"Absolutely. We still need to protect Kamiya."

"Well," explained Ryan, "Here's what I think we need to do. I think we need to fuck this challenge up so badly tomorrow that everyone knows we threw it. I think we need to send a message to Dave that we're still working with him, because I don't want him to start defecting."

"How bad should we do it?" asked Michelle.

"Well personally," explained Ryan, "I'm about to become the biggest stumblefutz ever. But your mileage may vary."

"So after we get rid of David," asked Michelle, "Who's next? Beth or Matt?"

"I'd rather keep Matt around," Mike fessed up. "I hate to admit it but I kind of like the little creep. He's starting to grow on me."

"I can't stand Matt," Michelle spat. "What a moron. And to think he wants to be a teacher some day."

"Well, personally," laughed Ryan, "I kind of enjoy Matt. Although his tolerance for his own idiocy is pretty high. I don't think I really need to hear any more 80's horror references or jokes about circumcising Mike's gnome with a machete." He chuckled. "Anyone who can talk to him for ten minutes and not kill him deserves a medal."

"What about you Emma?" asked Mike. "What's your preference?"

"Oh!" said Isabella, quickly putting on her stupid hat. "Well, y'all make some really good points." She giggled. "I don't know. I guess it would be good to keep Matt but also good to keep Beth. Whatever y'all want to do I guess is good."

It was one of her typical non-committal answers... the kind that tended to frustrate people. And it worked like a charm. No one asked her for her opinion again.

"Well..." said Ryan, finally changing the subject, "I know we've kind of broached this idea before, but maybe we should make it permanent."

He smiled.

"Is this the Okinawa final four? Am I looking at our final four?"

Mike smiled. It was about time somebody finalized it. He nodded.

"Hell yeah," said Michelle, smiling from ear to ear.

And for the first time ever, the Kamiyas made this something permanent. They put their hands in a circle and finalized the deal. And sure, most of them had sub-pacts at this point. Everyone here was playing for themself. But this was the first time it was official.

"You in, Emma?" asked Ryan, as she had yet to say a word.

"Of course!" she laughed. "I'm in!" And she smiled.

Her Tina smile.

"Like hell I'd ever go to the end with you," she thought to herself, words behind the smile, "Because -none- of the three of you is winning this game. Not if I have anything to say about it."




^^



As Kamiya's night came to a close, Ryan hopped up to his favorite bluff to give his traditional end of the night comments. This was his usual pre-bed ritual. And as usual, he had a lot to say.

"It’s ironic," he smiled, "That Dave Roth once told me I was an "under the radar" player." He laughed. "Well, if I was under the radar -before-, I'm probably not anymore. Right now I’m more or less sitting on the radar screen with a stogie, bare-ass naked except for a sash that reads "Mr. Fuck You 2003." I'm sitting on that radar screen blowing smoke in people’s faces and wagging my gonads at the entire control center."

He laughed to himself.

"My strategy right now is risky as all hell and I know it. Right now I'm placing -all- my faith in Kamiya to stick together. I’ve somehow ended up placing my life in the hands of three people who I can only assume will vote the way they tell me they will. And it's risky."

He shrugged.

"Because if even -one- of them gets it in their heads that they’d be better off without me..." He slowly drew a finger across his throat. "But then again -every- king puts his life in the hands of his servants. If the chef poisons the food, or the maid waxes the stairs, or the chauffeur cuts the brakes, the result is just as fatal. So I have no choice but to trust those beneath me in order to remain above them."

He smiled.

"And if I’m still sitting on that radar screen when day breaks on the 13th morning, then trust them I shall. Aut vincere aut mori, I guess... To conquer or to die. And since those are the only two options I have, it’s pretty much in the hands of fate now"




DAY 12



What had started as a simple act of charity was about to turn into a fiasco. And by the end of the day, it would only be known by one word.

Donutgate.

"Donutgate started as a joke, really," laughed Amy. She was gathering bamboo stalks this morning, away from the tribe. She was gathering materials to help keep their meager shelter roof stong, for it had collapsed last night. Due to the winds of an oncoming storm, the Sato roof had fallen apart.

"What happened," Amy explained, "Is that yesterday I felt bad for Mike and said we should give him a donut. I figured, hey we'd have a whole box of them today, so why not share? What harm could it do?" She smiled. "But then Dave started grilling me about my reasons behind it, which I wasn't prepared for. Hello, paranoia." She shrugged. "Anyway... after getting him to back off, I thought about it some more. And I realized, why -can't- we be nice to Kamiya? I mean, they took a beating in that challenge. So what's wrong with offering a pat on the back? We're all players here, but that doesn't mean we have to be jerks to one another. It's hard enough to survive without being hateful. It wastes too much energy, if you ask me."

She laughed now, thinking of the absurdity of the argument that had followed. Because Murtz hadn't been happy about it. Not at all.

"Anyhow, offering half a donut from my own stash wasn't a big deal to me, so I asked others if they'd be willing to do the same. Well, Lance liked the idea too and suddenly it took off like wildfire! Everyone jumped on board and I was thrilled to see team spirit working in our favor for a change." She shrugged. "The only problem was that we weren't able to ask Dave about it. He wasn't around, so we just decided for him. Kamiya gets donuts, and we voted as a group."

Amy grinned.

"And I know Dave is gonna pitch a fit about it today, but that's -his- problem. If you want to speak out against a humanitarian act, go right ahead. Be my guest. But yes if you're wondering, of -course- it's an advantage to my game to do this. I look like a sweetheart, to both tribes! Besides, a taste of fried dough won't give Kamiya a boost in energy or in spirit. It's just a good faith effort from Sato to Kamiya. And hopefully people remember whose idea it was, too."

She giggled.

"Even if Joni thinks we should lick the donuts first."

But the stage had been set. The donuts were going to be delivered to Kamiya today as a peace offering, and it was going to happen before the challenge. And really, what harm could it be? After all, Sato had twenty-four donuts sitting in boxes at their campsite right now. And if they were to give three donuts to Kamiya-- half a donut for each Kamiyan-- then what harm could it do?

Really, how could Murtz object? It was only half a donut!



^^



And as Sato prepared for the big challenge, Hogan and Joni returned with the good news. The two teens emerged from the bushes, laughing at some inside joke and happily waving a piece of tree mail. It was time.

"-If you want to make an omelette
You have to break some eggs
But if you want to win -THIS- challenge
You'll have to move your legs

It's time to burn
It's time for heat
To see if your flame will reach higher.
With immunity at stake
And visions of glory
It's time to conquer the Fire Pyre.-"

Joni read the rhyme out loud and smiled. Because the message wasn't done. She then turned it over and read the second part of the message.

"The winning tribe will win not only immunity... they will also get a special surprise. Lights, camera, action!"

The Satos looked on in stunned silence.

"That's it?" asked Lance.

"That's all it says," shrugged Joni. "I guess Jeff will explain when we get there."

And with that, plans were made to get ready to head off. Bags were packed, shoes were tied, and muscles were stretched.

A few members also went off to give a pre-challenge confessional, to give away their thoughts at the moment. And some, like Lance, were definitely aware they needed this one. The young man looked nervous, but determined, as he spoke to the camera.

Maybe for the last time.

"Right now," he stated nervously, "Our morale is just about as high as it's ever been. The reward was a huge boost for morale and the juice and donuts were a huge pick-me-up. So our outlook is strong. But the problem is that if we go to Tribal Council... I can't guarantee I'll be here tomorrow. So that means we can't go to Council. No ifs ands or buts about it. We have to win this one and I will -personally- make sure we bring that idol back here today."

He smiled.

"Besides, Kamiya was riding a high for a while there. And now it's time to bring them back down to Earth... Sato style."



^^



Both tribes arrived at challenge beach just after breakfast. And as usual, they would be accompanied by their respective mascots. It seemed like the mascot wars were never going to end.

"Roth, are you bringing the turtle to every challenge?" asked Jeff. And he laughed at the sight of the thin young man trying to lug the heavy turtle across the sand.

"You got it, bro," said Murtz, as the rest of the Satos filed in behind him. "Jabba needs to be here."

And now the Satos were all here, looking fit and ready to go. Bellies filled with donuts and juice, the six-member tribe in green was satiated, they were ready, and they were psyched. They were going to be tough to beat today.

Hogan stood on the far left, as the tall young Eagle Scout stood with arms crossed, buff across his forehead. He was followed in order by Murtz, Joni, Lance and Chris and Amy-- who was wearing a woven palm cheerleading skirt. The one Joni had finally made for her.

"You're gonna compete in a skirt?" asked Jeff. But Amy simply smiled and removed the woven fronds. She had a pair of shorts underneath.

And then Jeff heard a noise from the north. He looked up and saw the yellow tribe arriving across the sand.

"Okay, Kamiya come on in."

The seven members of Kamiya marched across the beach in a single file line, as machine-like as ever. They were led, as always, by Mike and his gnome. Although today the gnome was wearing something new. Instead of his usual hockey mask he was holding something green.

It was an effigy...

...Of a turtle.

"That turtle would make a better meal than a mascot!" called out Matt, as the Kamiyas lined up on their yellow marker. "Jabba is gonna be soup if we get ahold of her!"

"Hey!" said a hurt-looking Murtz.

But both teams exchanged a laugh as the Kamiyas were now in place. Beth stood on the left, followed by Isabella, Mike, David, Matt and Ryan. Michelle stood off to one side, all alone. The fiery woman from Tennessee had been chosen to sit this one out.

"Are you guys done with the smack talk?" asked Jeff, amused.

"Actually no, Jeff," said Amy. "We brought something for the Kamiyas."

Jeff nodded and watched as the young woman from Wisconsin pulled three small donuts out of her pocket. They were small, they were chocolate, and they looked delicious. Matt's stomach let out an audible growl. Then Amy brought them over to Jeff, with a smile on her face.

"Half a donut for each of them," she smiled. "From us to you."

And the Kamiyas were thankful as Jeff distributed the sweet little chocolate donuts. Each one of them got a half, and each one was wolfed down quickly. Isabella was thoughtful enough to share some of hers with Michelle.

"Amy, aren't you worried," asked Jeff, "That this will give them some energy for the challenge?"

"Hey, they earned it," shrugged Amy. "They busted their butts last challenge. Especially Mike. It's only fair."

Jeff nodded, althought Murtz was still seething. How dare Amy make this decision for him without asking! Who did she think she was?? Didn't she know how bad she was making herself look?? He was still worked up about it. He felt he should have at least been asked.

"Alright," said Jeff, "Onto today's challenge, guys. Immunity is back up for grabs."

He placed the immunity idol in the sand.

"Today's challenge is called the -Fire Pyre-. And it is very simple in nature, but will require some teamwork if you want to win."

He turned and pointed behind him. Two large pyres stood in the sand. They were twisted spires of metal, wide at the bottom and tapering up to a point at the top. They each stood about five feet high. And above each pyre was a tree branch... A low hanging tree branch from a nearby mangrove tree.

Dangling from each tree branch, just above the pyres, was a small string of firecrackers.

"Your job," explained Jeff, "Is to set off those firecrackers. And to do it, you'll need to light a fire big enough to reach to the top of your pyre. If the flames are big enough, they will reach up and light your firecrackers... and you win immunity."

He smiled.

"Very simple. But what you will need first is three things."

He counted them off on his fingers.

"One, you will need some wood. You guys will be scattering around the beach, looking for driftwood to burn. Two, you will need someone to tend your fire. You will need to keep your flame going at all times, and keep it growing, so it gets big enough to reach the top. And three... you will need some good old-fashioned concentration. Because you'll be stacking the wood along the sides of the pyre, in a pyramid shape. And if you aren't paying attention, your whole stack could come tumbling down. So pay attention... because we don't want anyone to get burned."

He clapped his hands together.

"So let's go line up. It's time to start."



^^



Both teams lined up in a circle around their respective pyre. The yellow Kamiyas were on the left, the green Satos on the right. And all twelve players looked anxious and ready to go.

"This is for immunity!" announced Jeff. "Survivors ready... GO!"

The players immediately scattered off to all corners of the beach, picking up driftwood as they ran. The goal was to gather wood... and fast. And luckily, there was a lot of it.

"I'll start the fire!" yelled Beth, as she carried four pieces of wood back to the Kamiya pyre. The ponytailed woman dropped to her knees and arranged her four pieces of wood in a small stack. She then grabbed the magnifying glass that had been provided and aimed a small pinpoint of sun at the wood.

And she waited.

"Amy, Joni," called Lance, from the Sato side, "Go start the fire. The rest of us will get the wood!"

Joni was already at the Sato pyre, and the teenager dropped her pile of wood in a heap. She was soon joined by Amy, and the two females worked together to start the Sato flame. Joni blew on the wood while Amy aimed the light.

And like Kamiya, they weren't having any luck yet.

Minutes passed as the two teams deposited wood back at their pyres. The Satos proved to be much better wood gatherers, as they scrambled to and fro across the beach like ants. Lance in particular was running like a madman, bringing back armful after armful, with Chris usually just a step behind him.

And then the first fire was lit.

"We got it!" shouted Joni, as she excitedly watched a small flame dance across the Sato woodpile. Amy patted her on the back and the Satos went to work on making it grow. Joni blew on the flames and Murtz brought over a small handful of grass. But the fire was there... and it was beginning to grow.

Beth was struggling with the Kamiya flame, and had now been joined by Ryan. The two Kamiyas worked together to start the fire, with Beth aiming and Ryan blowing. Meanwhile, their woodpile was growing on the ground, with David and Isabella being the main contributors. But Kamiya's woodpile paled in comparison to the impressive Sato one across the sand.

Kamiya was going to have to get this fire going... and fast... if they wanted to catch up to their opponents.

"Start stacking the wood!" yelled Lance, from the Sato side. The Sato flame was now healthy and growing, as it covered most of the base of the pyre. The tribe in green started stacking wood along the sides of the pyre now, trying to fit it against the twisted metal frame. But it was Lance who took charge of balancing the wood for now, and he had his act together. Sato had soon built an impressive pyramid of wood. They stood back and watched, content, as their flame slowly began to grow and grow.

And as Sato had their pyramid built, Kamiya finally had their first flame. Beth had finally coaxed it to life. And she cheered, excitedly, as Kamiya now had a chance to catch up.

At least until Ryan stepped in.

Because Ryan had made a vow to his Kamiyan tribemates. He had made a pact, and it wasn't going to be broken. This challenge was going to be thrown, and it was going to be thrown -hard-. Poor Beth wasn't ready for what was about to hit her.

Ryan leaned down... and blew out her dancing little flame.

"Ryan!" she shrieked, to which he just feigned mock horror.

"Shit!" Ryan play-acted, "I was trying to make it grow! I'm so sorry, Beth!"

But he watched with amusement as she started aiming a beam of light at their woodpile again. -Yeah, keep trying,- he laughed, -Let's see how far you get.-

But Beth knew. And she glared at the young man as he stood next to her, hands across his chest. He wasn't making any attempt to help. That little prick.

And despite Ryan's attempts at sabotage, it really wasn't going to be needed. It was clear that the Satos were clearly the superior fire builders out here. Because even with an impressive flame going, they -still- ran across the beach, putting all their energy into gathering wood. Lance was still racing around like a madman, sprinting across the sand at full tilt, stacking wood as fast as he could. Amy stacked the wood with Murtz and Joni was in charge of making the fire as hot as possible. The young dancer used every trick her Scoutmaster father had taught her... and soon the Satos had a roaring flame.

"This isn't even close, guys," chided Jeff, as he looked at the small flame the Kamiyas had finally produced. "Step it up, the Satos are kicking your ass."

But most of the Kamiyas had more or less given up by this point. They were still bringing wood back, but it clearly wasn't being done at full effort anymore. And though Beth tried her best to fan the flame, and Isabella and Matt were stacking together a pretty sturdy pyramid, it just wasn't going to be close.

Plus Ryan wasn't helping at all. He was more or less just staring at the ocean.

Beth fanned the Kamiya flame now with a fury. Her glasses had fogged over from the smoke and she was drenched in sweat. But she just couldn't do it alone. And she looked up, helpless, at the roaring Sato flame.

Jeff walked over to the Satos now, who had now gathered around their blazing pyre. The six of them put their arms around one another and watched, waiting for the inevitable.

And finally, at twenty minutes into the contest, it was over.

Sato's flame reached the pinnacle of their pyre. The fire rose up, lit the small string of firecrackers, and they went off with a bang.

-POP! POP POP! POP! POP! POP! POP POP!-

"Sato!" announced Jeff, as the green tribe erupted into cheers, "Wins immunity!"

The six Satos hugged in a group circle, jumping up and down, as Jeff handed the immunity idol to Lance. He held it up, excitedly, and then gave the temple statue a great big kiss. He was ecstatic. He had done it. He had done it for his Satos!

And then Jeff walked over to the Kamiyas.

The contest was over... and their flame barely licked at the bottom of their stack. Half of their pyramid had fallen down and Mike was still off gathering wood somewhere. No one knew where he was. In short, the Kamiyas had been destroyed.

And Ryan was giggling.

Beth looked exhausted at the moment. She had poured her heart into this one and hadn't come close. Matt looked down at the sand, sadly, and David was scowling, hands on hips. Even Isabella looked a bit beaten up, as she sucked at a small burn mark on her finger.

And Ryan still had that grin on his face.

"Kamiya," said the host, somberly, "You know what this means."

Beth nodded, sadly.

"Tribal Council tonight," added Jeff. "One of you is going home."



^^



But the real delight for Sato came with the surprise. Jeff didn't spring it on them until after the challenge, but he had brought a smile to the Sato faces with eight simple words.

"You guys get to see yourselves on TV."

The surprise had been a huge bonus. A huge morale boost to the players left in the game. Because Sato were going to get to watch the first five minutes of -Survivor: Okinawa, episode one.-

"You have a TV waiting for you back at camp," Jeff had explained, "With the tape all cued up. So get on back and watch yourselves on TV." He had smiled. "Enjoy."

And now Sato was back.

"Watch it again!" cheered Joni, as the tape had finished for the ninth time. "I want to see Henry hit on Elisabeth. That was my favorite part!"

The tribe had crowded around the television almost immediately and had been here for nearly an hour. And they delighted in their own images spilled across the screen. There was the opening montage! And there was the credit sequence! There was Matt holding a machete! There was Hogan sitting in a shallow stream! And there was Lance, jumping into the ocean! This was great!

And Murtz had smiled, gratefully, as his name was listed as "Dave." They weren't giving away his secret.

"I could care less about missing Tribal Council," Chris had laughed, in a confessional, "Because I was -WAAAAAAY- too excited about seeing myself on TV. Hey, I can’t lie. I’m a media whore through and through! Winning isn't nearly as important to me as just being on the show!"

And Chris was excited. So excited, in fact, that he broke one of his cardinal rules of the game. It was just a minor slip, but suddenly he did it. Suddenly he swore. In front of Joni. And in front of Amy. In front of his Mormon buddies.

"Ha ha," he laughed at a scene of Ryan being spooked by a roach. "Fuck you, Rebez!"

And Chris immediately knew he had screwed up. He looked at Joni, but she didn't appear to have noticed. But Amy held a hand to her face, smiling. She had caught it.

"Errr.." corrected Chris, "Screw you I meant."

"It's okay," Amy punched at his shoulder, "Don't censor yourself around me. I've said the F word here too, you know. Remember, I knew Henry longer than you did."

And for the most part it was a joyous celebration. The video was great and the tribe was already planning to have a costume party tonight. Their first. And this feeling of excitement was something shared by all of them right now. They were all happy. Well, all of them except Murtz anyway. Because he still had something stuck in his craw.

And he wasn't one to forget grudges.

"Amy, can I talk to you?"

He pulled the young woman aside for a moment to discuss things with her. Because this was something he definitely wanted to get out in the open.

"What's up, Dave?"

"Amy, I just wanted to let you know I was hurt that you left me out of the loop with the donuts. I didn't really know what was happening and I was really kind of hurt by the whole thing. I felt like my opinion wasn't important."

"Well I'm sorry, Dave. We just didn't have a whole lot of time. You weren't around."

"It's not a problem," he smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you knew how I felt. I just wanted to raise my concerns."

"Well I apologize," she looked sympathetic. "But I'm glad you told me. At least now I'll try to be more respectful next time."

"It's no big deal," Murtz smiled. "But you know me. I get worried sometimes. I can even read a donut exchange as being more than it really is!"



^^



But Murtz wasn't done.

"She shouldn't have given away our donuts!"

He had now pulled Joni aside, to give her another version of his "Amy sucks and is selfish" rant. And this time he was a little more worked up about it.

"I wasn't consulted at all," Murtz hissed, "And it made me mad. Did she even ask you?"

"Yeah," nodded Joni. "I kinda had to say yes. Everyone else already had."

"Well I want to affirm," explained Murtz, "That I have -no- problem with food being distributed to Kamiya. That's not my point at all. I just think she should ask all of us first. Especially when we're low on food as it is."

Joni nodded.

"This should have been a tribal decision," Murtz finished. "We all worked for those donuts and we should have all had a say in it. That's all I wanted to say."

And Joni smiled, nodding. But deep down she was just screaming at him to let this drop. -Just let it go, Dave, it's over! Don't pick a fight over this!-

But Murtz wasn't done with it.

He went to Christopher next, and repeated his concerns once more. Donutgate simply wasn't going to die. Not today, and probably not ever.

It looked like there could still be some trouble in camp paradise.



^^



As Sato settled down for a wonderful day of relaxation and giddiness, Christopher sat down to give his end-of-the-day thoughts on his new camp.

The young actor waited until the rest of the tribe were off to make their costumes for the party. Then he walked down to the beach, cameraman in tow.

Because Christopher had a lot to say. It had been a while since he had done this.

"First off," he said, "Dave is a fucking loon. And it's weird, because sometimes I feel for the guy, and sometimes I just want to drown him in our stream. Because he's just -so- negative. It just never stops. And then if you don't get negative back with him, he gets paranoid and thinks you're conspiring to get him out. So basically just to keep him appeased I have to bitch with him about every little thing. It's more or less like babysitting. And... oh man... don't even get me started on Dave and the donuts."

He laughed.

"Those stupid donuts. He won't shut up about it! Yes, Dave, you are probably right. Yes, Dave, Amy should have asked. But it's done so just -stop whining about it!-. Jesus! You sad little man, I hated that she gave them away too but I have moved on!"

He rolled his eyes.

"And the worst thing about Dave is that all he wants to do is talk endgame. Not just every day, but like every hour of every day. He'll come up to me and say something like 'Hey Chris, give me an erection. Let's talk boot order.' And really, every so often I just want to shake him by the shoulders and scream 'You don't have to worry about it! Because you won't be here at the merge!'"

Chris paused to skip a rock across the sea.

"I'm still not that big a fan of this tribe. And to be perfectly blunt I'm quite pissed about their lack of organization. I know I'll end up telling these idiots how lazy they are at some point, and I don't want to do it. I don't want to have any "Jerri" moments out here." He grinned. "And much as I hate to do it... at some point I'll probably -have- to step up and take the reigns, just so we get some food. Cause right now we're starving. With some food in us, we'd -all- do much better."

Chris then started to comment on his Sato teammates. Most of whom, of course, he didn't really care much for.

"Hogan is someone who I once thought was a bit of a simpleton. But in time I've come to realize he's actually a lot deeper than he appears. And of all the things I've said and done in this game, I'd like to say right now that I feel bad I ever bashed him. The kid deserves respect and I don't look forward to hurting him when all this is over. Some people are fun to screw over, but that one won't be fun."

Chris shrugged.

"Lance is..." He grimaced. "Lance is still as exciting to talk to as he probably will be to watch on TV. Half the time I don't remember he is here, and the other half he just puts me to sleep. And after every one of our conversations, I have to remind myself that I would have been just as happy banging my head against a tree." Chris laughed. "Because Lance is a bit.... well.... um...." He sighed. "Lance is a bit.... yeah."

He yawned.

"And Amy, of course, is Sato. It all starts and ends with her. But I was -stupid- today when I accidentally dropped a big ol' "F-Bomb" on her. I kind of lost concentration for a minute and screwed up. But hopefully I managed to backpedal out of it okay. I think I did, anyway."

He then grinned, mischeviously.

"Fuck!"

And then Christopher finally came to Joni. His best friend. His little Jones. And he couldn't say enough about the girl he already more of less considered to be his sister. His comments about her were always a bit different than the rest.

"Joni and I have always been on the same track," he smiled, "Because all we've ever wanted is an Angels final four. And it's so strange that she and I ended up aligned, because we're just so different. We don't communicate in quite the same way." He shrugged. "She likes to keep to herself and do her chores. But every once in awhile she'll come around to talk strategy with me... in a somewhat vague and roundabout manner. She won't say things straight out." He grinned. "But I'm more of a social creature. I'll chatter with her about random things, just whatever's on my mind for the day."

He sighed.

"But she's good company, and I like her a lot. I much prefer her to Dave, anyway. I am -so- thankful I'm stuck here with at least -one- Kamiya I can stomach for more than a few hours at a time."



^^



As Sato partied the night away, there was still some drama to take place across Okinawa. Because the tribe in yellow was scheduled to go to Tribal Council. It was nearly time for Kamiya to be cut down to six.

"Well," said David, as he packed up his things, "This is certainly going to be an interesting evening. And I can't say it's going to be much of a surprise. Because it looks like Ryan and I are going to have our showdown at the OK corral." He smiled. "It's time to find out which one of us will be pulling the trigger first."

David and the Satos had had just one mission upon their return to camp, and that was to make sure Mike was still on board. Without Mike Ruff's vote, they were going to be doomed.

"We've really been backed into a corner since we got here," said David. "Because Ryan more or less drew the line in the sand right when we arrived. He flat out told us that it was going to be him or us. Not that he had much convincing to do. I mean, one look at the Kamiyas and you know he's the biggest threat here. No one else is even close."

David zipped up his backpack now. Then he tightened the straps.

"Michelle is no more than a loose cannon. She talks big, she thinks big, and she's completely out of control. She has a temper on her to match anyone... though I have to say I've had a fun time pushing her buttons. We've pretty much been at each other's throats since I got here, and it's fun to just set her off once in a while. Kind of like a firecracker," he smiled. "Just light the fuse and run away."

David laughed. Then he pulled his backpack up onto his back.

"Emma is someone I very much wanted to pull on our side. She seems like an extraordinarily sweet girl, but her strategic sense is definitely lacking. She just does whatever Michelle and Ryan tell her, and she never became much of an option for us. She was always a dead end." He grinned. "But at least she has a dog named Ginger. That's about all she tells anyone."

David stood up now. He was pretty much ready to go.

"So ever since we got here, our best bet for a swing vote was Mike. And honestly, I thought it worked pretty easily. He seemed to have problems with Ryan from the beginning, and he has always been very truthful with us. And I -knew- he was a standup guy, that's why I believe him when he says he wants Ryan gone. He's said that all along, and I know he doesn't like the way Ryan plays."

David shrugged.

"So right now, it's about time to go shore up that final vote. It's time to go make sure my gun is loaded... so that the gunfight will turn out in our favor tonight. Because Ryan has to go. He's the type of player who is bad enough that he won't win, but good enough that he can hurt you. So if I have anything to say about it... and you know I will... Ryan Rebez has seen his last campfire at camp Kamiya."




^^



David was feeling pretty confident as he walked across the Kamiya campsite. Because as far as he knew, Mike was still in. As far as he knew, Mike had -always- been in. Mike had never said otherwise, he had never expressed any doubts, and he had always been best friends to the three Satos. Well, at least to Beth and David anyway. Mike still seemed to hate Matt.

So David walked quietly, hands in his pockets, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. He didn't want people to see him going to Mike. He wanted to make this as quiet as possible.

As David strolled past, however, one pair of eyes was following his every move. One pair of female eyes was watching him like a hawk.

Isabella Smith was standing behind a thicket of bamboo, watching David, her blonde bangs hanging down over one eye. Because she knew where he was going. She knew that David was going to talk to Mike. And she knew that Mike was going to stage an argument. Those two things were certain. This was where Mike would justify his "turning" on the Satos... so as to later save face with Beth and Matt.

And then the cycle would be repeated. Mike would cozy up to Beth and Matt... and this would all take place over again. Twice.

The death of the Satos. Slowly and painfully.

"But what Ryan and Michelle don't realize," she said, being careful to keep her voice low, "Is that Mike isn't as sure a thing as they seem to think he is. Mike is still having issues with this plan, and they don't seem to care."

She watched David walk now, being sure to watch his every movement. Because despite her issues with David's naivete and his lack of common sense, she kind of liked the guy. Not enough to save him, obviously, but he was one of the few she enjoyed talking to on occasion. Even if she pretended to be dumb as a brick in most of their conversations.

"Right now," she explained, "Ryan and Michelle are behaving like a couple of idiots. They are as cocky as can be and they're making the game very dangerous for themselves. But really..." she smiled, "I'm happy they're doing it. Because if needed, I can use that cockiness against them. And don't think I won't."

She was quiet again as David had reached Mike now. She watched as David clapped the big man on the shoulder. And just from the look on Mike's face, she could see that he was still having issues with this. She knew that Mike wasn't a sure thing at -all-. She was legitimately curious as to if he could pull this off or not.

"Mike kind of reminds me of Darth Vader sometimes," she grinned. "He's a big guy who likes to look mean and scary, but deep down he's got a conscience. And I don't think Ryan has seen that yet. And like in Return of the Jedi, right now you have Ryan shooting lightning bolts into David, laughing his ass off. But he has no idea that Mike is standing right there next to him, watching. Mike doesn't like it. And if Ryan isn't careful... Mike could turn on him. He could toss him right into the generator shaft. He could do it like -that-, and it wouldn't be a surprise to me at all."

She now crept a bit closer to the two men, trying to get a better glimpse of what was happening.

"I don't think Mike will do anything risky tonight," she finally added. "He looks calm. I think he's made peace with screwing the Satos over. Which is good, for me. Because if someone is going to bring Ryan down, I don't want it to be Mike."

She grinned. And you could see she meant it. She had that look in her eye.

"I want it to be me."



^^



David's conversation with Mike had started out pleasant enough. The two men had exchanged pleasantries, shaking hands, and made small talk. But David had wasted very little time in moving to the big issue. Because he knew their time was short.

They would be leaving for Tribal Council in less than thirty minutes.

"I just want to ensure," he said, "That we're all tight on this vote, Mike. I want to make sure that it's Ryan. Because I'm going to vote for him, and I know Beth and Matt are too. The three of us are all solid behind the plan."

Mike looked up at him, as he remained stone-faced. He was just waiting for the perfect opportunity.

"I honestly think that Ryan has given up," David added, lowering his voice. "Look at how badly he threw the challenge. He's done, Mike. He's tired of the game and he wants to go back to the lodge. He knows you've beaten him and he doesn't want to give you the satisfaction. He probably hates to be in the driver's set and the little wuss is giving up."

And that was the opening that Mike needed. It was time for this rug of hope to be yanked out from under David's feet. It was time for the hoax to end.

"Ryan threw the challenge?" said Mike, standing up. "What about -you-? Are you kidding me?"

"What?" David was legitimately surprised.

"You threw the challenge worse than anyone!" Mike accused. "And after we had these long discussions about all of us trying our best! What were you trying to do?"

David was stunned into silence.

"Look, David," said Mike, "I don't know why you threw the challenge, but you did. You're the best athlete here and you weren't even coming -close- to your best! What are you up to?"

"Mike," said David, trying to soothe, "I can assure you I was trying my best. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mike sighed, heavily.

"David, don't sit here and call me an idiot. Because I saw what I saw. And I have no idea what your intentions were, but I don't trust you. Who's to say you're not working with Ryan right now, trying to get me out instead? You know he doesn't like me. So why would you try to deceive me right before the vote! Our relationship was supposedly built on trust and respect! You're not doing a very good job of getting me to trust you!!"

"Look..." David started, but Mike cut him off.

"I know you're not stupid enough to deliberately piss me off right before the vote. But the fact is, you deceived me and I didn't appreciate it. And after all the shit you've given me for the past six days, about being open an honest with each other. Then the first chance you get... you trick me."

Mike was starting to raise his voice now. This was intentional, of course, but David still hadn't caught on.

"Look Mike," he hissed, "Just keep it down. I never lied to you and I've never tried to trick you. I didn't throw anything!"

But now Mike had sufficiently attracted the rest of the tribe. One by one they wandered over to see what was up. Beth was the first to arrive.

"Mike?" she asked, curiously, "Are you okay?"

"I don't trust David anymore," Mike fumed. "He lied to me about the challenge and he's lying to me now. He claims he didn't throw it!"

"He threw it?"

"He just admitted it!" claimed Mike. "And after we all agreed to put in full effort! I don't appreciate him setting us up to all get sapped of energy! Not if he knew we were going to lose!"

"Mike," whispered Beth, "Just keep it down."

But it was too late. Now Michelle was here, and she was smiling.

"What's up, Mike?"

"Beth," said Mike, "I don't know if I can trust David anymore. And I'm sorry but that's just me. That's the way I am. I'll tell you if I'm upset and I am. I just feel incredibly betrayed."

"I didn't throw the challenge!" David protested.

"I knew it!" said Michelle. She turned to glare at her old arch-rival. "David, you lost this for us!"

"I never did!"

"It's a given fact," stated Mike, "That you're probably the best runner here. So there's no way you could have done -that- poorly if you weren't trying to! It's not possible! Something is fishy!"

"What about Ryan?" David asked. "He blew out the flame! Twice!"

"Don't start trying to drag him down too!" glared Michelle. "Is this the way you work? You try to turn everyone against each other? Well it's not going to work!"

"Oh can it, bitch," David snapped, like a reflex, "Just shut up for once, would you?"

And David had once again crossed the line. Now Michelle was livid. Whether she had been acting or not, now he had crossed the line with her. -Nobody- called her a bitch.

"You fucking idiot," she snarled. "Do you really think we're not going to vote your ass out tonight? Do you really think Beth and Matt want anything to do with you? You rip teams apart! And you're going to drag them down with you! You're going to get them voted off too!"

And David could see in Beth's eyes that there may have been some truth to this. She was looking at him now... with a look that seemed to say -why?- She looked disappointed in him. She was clearly thinking that he had screwed something up. Beth was buying it!

"Beth, no..." he started, but now the rest of the tribe was here. Ryan had arrived, as had Matt. They had been listening to the commotion from afar. And then Isabella arrived, as she popped out from a field of bamboo. She nervously asked Mike what in the heck was going on.

And David suddenly felt very alone. All of a sudden he knew that something was dreadfully wrong here.

"Mike," he hissed, "We had a deal. You promised."

"I know I promised," said Mike, "And I never said that I had changed my mind. I was just stating some fact. And I -won't- be deciding what to do until I cast my vote. Nothing you, or anyone else, says will be changing my mind anymore."

He sighed, disappointed.

"I'm sorry David, but that's all I can say. This was a bad day to pull something like this."



^^



As the Kamiyas made their final preparations for the vote, a few of them sat down to give their final thoughts. One by one, they were pulled aside to comment on their plans for tonight's vote... and to make a prediction for what they thought would happen.

"My vote tonight," admitted Beth, "Will still be for Ryan. I want to make sure we kill any chance he could get Mike to turn against us. Plus I don't want him to have any more control over poor Emma." She paused. "I don't like what David did today, or whatever games he's trying to play, but I still think Mike will do the right thing and stay with us." She smiled. "I think Ryan will be surprised to see his name come up four times."

"I'm voting for David tonight," grinned a still-seething Michelle, "Because he's a jerk and he pissed me off. He made this personal when it didn't have to be, and this vote will be -very- personal. No one calls me a bitch and gets away with it." She chuckled. "Right now I've been set up to play the role of tribe bitch, and I think everyone is buying it. A little too well. But we're -all- playing roles right now. Ryan is playing the slimy used car salesman, Mike is playing the nice guy, and Emma is playing in between. But then you have Beth playing the super-sweet role, Matt is being weird and David is playing the part of the fucking idiot." She laughed. "Oh wait, that's not a role. He really is one. But I just hope the aftermath from this vote isn't too bad for Mike. He's a great guy and I hope he doesn't receive too much flak for this."

"Right now," Matt admitted, "Mike seems to be super mad at David... and I can't entirely blame him. Because David has been particularly shady lately and has stepped up more into an instigator role. And in all honestly he may have screwed himself over. David is skating on thin ice right now." He shrugged. "But tonight I'm still voting for Ryan because I just want him out. Plus I hope he falls and impales himself on his torch on the way out. That would make me happy."

"At the moment," Mike smiled, "We have four of the best actors Survivor has ever seen, right here on Kamiya. And I think the only one who truly knows what is going on is me. I have worked both sides with an agenda that is so unbelievable it is scary. I can't believe how well I infiltrated the Satos' good graces." He smiled. "And I know I have a lot of options tonight. So we'll just see what happens. All I can say is... I expect to stay in character for the rest of the night. I don't plan to tip -anyone- off as to what's going to happen."

And Isabella was characteristically coy in her confessional. She simply smiled.

"I plan on doing what's best for me. That's all I have ever done."



^^



An hour later the Kamiyas were seated at Tribal Council. The seven member tribe sat on their benches, three in front, four in the back. And the Shinto temple set was particularly calm tonight as Jeff asked them about recent events at camp Kamiya.

And as with Danielle, the Kamiyans were going to have some fun with their answers.

"So is this really a unified tribe," asked Jeff, "Or is there still some division between Sato and Kamiya? Have you guys come together yet as one?"

"Well..." admitted Ryan, "It's a group of four and three alright. But it's not the four and three that one would expect. Isn't that right, David?"

He looked down to snicker at his feisty opponent.

"Or would it be wrong to assume that when you said 'Mike is my bitch now' that the lines had been redrawn? I'm just so confused, Jeff. All of David's stories and ideas keep throwing me off guard. I just don't know what to think anymore!"

David didn't respond. He just locked his gaze with Ryan and stared him down. But Ryan didn't blink. He was loving this.

"Jeff," added Beth, "I've never seen too much unity here. Whether or not it’s a tribe of various numbers or not, we've just never been much of a tribe."

"I think," piped up Michelle, "That we all -wanted- to be unified... but situations came up that caused division. Accusations and personal attacks were made that divided the tribe, and now some healing will have to take place."

And now she glared at David as well. He just ignored her. He was tired of Michelle.

"Well then," smiled Jeff, "How do you decide who to vote for tonight? What's the criteria you will use to decide?"

Most of the answers were predictable. But it was Mike's answer that really started to pique David's sense of dread. Uh oh.

"I am planning," said the big man, "To vote out the one who detracts from this tribe. And I realize I am naive and gullible when it comes to alliances, but when someone with transparent motives and a need to feel superior talks down to me, I will take action. I don't appreciate being made to feel small and irrelevant. I would rather sacrifice my chances of winning rather than let someone like that move on."

David exchanged a glance with Matt. Uh oh. That didn't sound good.

"So before we vote," smiled Jeff, "I'd just like to go around the group, and ask one thing." He grinned. "Would you be surprised if you were to be voted out tonight?"

"Not at all," said Beth, shaking her head. "I always expect to see my name on that parchment."

"Not really," shrugged Matt, "I know it's not that difficult for me to piss people off or rub people the wrong way. That and the tribal advantage held by the folks from the old Kamiya is a bit frightening."

"Absolutely not," stated David, "There's no denying that I've really ticked Ryan and Michelle off lately. I can feel the target on my back. I just hope they see it would be the wrong choice."

"Not at all surprised," smiled Ryan. "I'd be heartbroken, but not surprised."

"Well," said Jeff, standing it up. "It is just about time to vote. Does anyone have any last comments before we vote?"

"I do," said Ryan, smiling. And he looked directly at David. This was it. This was going to be their last showdown.

Might as well make it count.

"I just want to say," he said, "That Kamiya was blessed to get Mike back. We thought we had lost our beloved leader to the twist, and now he's back." He smiled. "And David, I -know- you wanted that crown. You wanted to be the leader and you failed miserably. All you've done is divide us. So it may come as a shock to you, but I refuse to vote for Mike tonight, no matter what you’ve promised me. You can try your little coup without me. Go back to plan B and be damned. I'm tired of helping you out."

And then to cinch it, he patted Mike on the knee. And winked at David.

And with that, it was time to vote.



^^


One by one the Kamiyas walked up to the podium to cast their ballots.

Beth was the first to arrive, and she angrily uncapped her pen. The bespectacled woman wrote something down and then held up the ballot. On it were written four letters.

"Ryan," she said, "My vote tonight is for you. Because you've shown yourself at all times to be an ass and a complete liar. If -ever- I thought I could trust your word, tonight you showed me I can't. Even in your answers tonight, you lied. No one -ever- asked you to vote for Mike. And Mike knows that, you little cretin. So good riddance to you and then Michelle. I hope she'll be joining you soon."

The next up to the podium was David, who cast a similar ballot for Ryan Rebez. Although he was less upset than Beth about it. David still viewed this as a battle of wits. And hopefully he would be coming out ahead.

"You may win tonight or I may win," he admitted, "But the real loser here tonight is Mike. I'm sorry he got stuck in the middle. I'm sorry he got stuck between us. But remember Ryan that -you- created this situation."

And Matt cast the third Ryan vote. The young man in the hockey mask held up his ballot, which was spelled out in big bold letters.

"It's funny," Matt chuckled, "At first I really liked you and what you had to say, and I believed everything. Then it turned out you were playing all sides of this thing and that I was being naive. Silly Ryan. I think the Bard said it best in Julius Caesar: As he was valiant, I honor him: but as he was ambitious, I slew him. I'm just hoping that Mike will make us a good Brutus tonight."

And then it was Michelle's turn. The fiery young woman held up a ballot for David, a taunting smile on her face.

"David," she said, "You call yourself a student of the game, but it's obvious you haven't studied enough. First, your threatened me when you got here, and tried to pick a fight. That pissed me off! -Never- threaten me because it will come back to haunt you. Second, you should have never called me a bitch... because I'm about to make you -my- bitch. Class dismissed!"

Mike stepped up to vote, and then he was followed by Isabella. The petite young woman came up and, without hesitation, cast a vote for David. As much as she wanted to bring Ryan down--- she knew this just wasn't the time. It was going to have to wait.

"David," she smiled, "You are a lying, deceitful, two-faced son-of-a-bitch who will try anything just to save yourself." She paused. "And I must say I -like- it. And although you are entertaining, you have no use for me here. Goodbye."

And the final vote was cast by Ryan Rebez. The impish young man bound up to the podium in a very Dalton-esque manner, a wide grin on his face. For he had been waiting to do this for a while. He had plotted this speech out in his head, six days ago.

"McD," he said, holding up the ballot. And he pronounced it 'Mickey D.' "Our fencing matches have been fun, but we -both- know who's the better swordsman. Besides, it helps that I took the liberty of dulling your blade beforehand."

Ryan stepped back and slashed his pen in the air like a sword. He made two quick swipes and then poked it directly at the camera. He had a wide grin on his face as he spoke.

"Touche."



^^



As Ryan returned to his seat, David had a message to deliver to him. Before Ryan could sit down... David leaned over and whispered a phrase.

"Let us be sacrificers," he said, "But not butchers."

And David smiled. He looked like he appeared to know something. Ryan simply grinned and shrugged. He wasn't worried. He knew he had the votes tonight.

And then Jeff went to gather the votes.

As Ryan waited with the rest of the tribe, he saw David turn around yet again. David apparently had one more message to impart.

"Ambition's debt is paid," he said softly. And then he patted Ryan on the knee.

"Whatever," muttered Ryan. But now he was starting to get a bit worried. What was the guy up to?

But when Jeff read the ballots, Ryan's anxiety quickly went away. Because the first three came up in quick succession... and they were all David votes.

Bam.

Bam.

Bam.

David just stared ahead at the sight of each vote. He didn't seem to show any emotion, one way or another. It was as if the guy wasn't even here.

"That's three votes David," nodded Jeff. Then he reached into the urn and pulled out the fourth vote.

He turned it around.

"Ryan."

That was Beth's vote, and it was the first. And Ryan smiled. He still wasn't worried.

"Fifth vote," said Jeff, pulling it out.

He paused, and then revealed.

"Ryan."

That was Matt's vote. And Ryan still wasn't worried. Even though it was now three to two.

David turned around and locked eyes with Ryan. And both men grinned. Both of them were actually enjoying this... in some weird fraternal knighthood kind of way. At least the showdown was going to be close.

"Sixth vote," said Jeff. And he pulled it out.

Both David and Ryan held their breath and Jeff revealed. And sure enough...

"Ryan."

"That's three votes David," said Jeff, "Three votes Ryan."

He nodded.

"Last vote."

The Kamiyas looked on in silence as Jeff pulled the final ballot out of the urn. And six of them stared at the host as he looked at the scrap of paper. The only one not staring was Isabella, who has turned her eye to Mike. She hadn't voted for Ryan tonight... but had -he-? She didn't think he had. But oh, how fun that would make things if he did.

And now Jeff was ready to reveal.

"And the second person voted out of the Kamiya tribe..."

He slowly turned the ballot around.


"-David-."


David McDaniel let out a quick rush of breath as his name came up, and he knew his game was over. That was that. Mike had turned on them. But David didn't make a scene. He simply stood up and reached for his torch. He expected Ryan to say something to him but it didn't happen. The young man from Canada simply shrugged and mouthed something. It appeared to be "good game."

And then David was standing in front of the host.

"David," said Jeff, as he slowly snuffed out the torch, "The tribe has spoken."

And with that, David was gone. He slowly left the set and walked down a lonely path to the shore, all alone. Within moments, he was gone. And he left behind two -very- worried-looking Satos. Beth and Matt now looked completely defenseless. Without David things were going to be rough.

And Beth then reached to hold his hand. Matt accepted it, gratefully. The two of them were still going to face this thing together, and she was still going to help look out for the kid. No matter what. After all, Matt was only eighteen. She didn't think he should have to go through something like this. This wasn't right.

"Well," said Jeff, as he turned to face the tribe. "All I can say from tonight's vote is this."

He grinned... as he looked at four -very- happy looking Kamiyans and two very scared looking Satos. Poor Beth appeared to be crying.

"You guys have had an interesting week together as a tribe. But remember that you -are- a tribe and you will need to work as one. Sato isn't just going to roll over and die over there. So don't let success go to your head. This is a long game... and remember that things can sometimes change like that."

He snapped his fingers.

"So don't get cocky and try to outplay the game. Because sometimes... the game can outplay -you-."

He smiled, and then sent them out.

"So good luck, and I'll see you guys tomorrow. We have a lot to do."






Visit the Okinawa Official Homepage for David's final words and all the cast bios. Also check out the Survivor: Okinawa Message Board for behind-the-scenes trivia, fan postings, complete Tribal Council transcripts... and to submit questions for David's Early Show appearance. His post-game interview is already up on the message board!

Episode five ("Prisoners of War") coming in the next 7-10 days.