Survivor: Okinawa
Episode 6- When the Cat's Away...
by Mario Lanza





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



DAY 16



Murtz Jaffer had been voted out of Sato... and Christopher Collins couldn't have been happier about it.

"It looks like voting out Dave last night was the right thing to do," he smiled. The tall actor was sitting on a rock as he spoke, just staring out at the ocean. "And I -thought- I would be feeling guilty about it this morning, but Dave spared me from feeling bad. Or Murtz. Well -whatever- his name is, the guy gave me an out I was -more- than happy to take. And today... it's back to business as usual."

He laughed as he reminisced. Because last night had surely been one of the more memorable evenings of Christopher's young life... in more ways than one. Despite a relatively stress-free vote, last night had turned out to be -full- of surprises.

"So we came back last night after the vote, and we find out that Dave had killed and eaten poor Jabba. He also left us a note-- in which he revealed that he had been “pretending” to be someone else for the whole game. Puh-leeze." Chris rolled his eyes. "Does he really expect us to believe it was -ALL- an act? I absolutely, positively do not believe it for a minute – it was simply his way of saving face. “Dave” is embarrassed about his behavior-- and more than a little worried about how he's gonna come off on TV."

Chris laughed now. Because it had all been so funny. Just the -sight- of that dead turtle last night had alleviated any feelings of guilt Chris might have felt for poor "Dave." In an instant-- gone. Chris now knew that the tribe had made the right choice. And today he was giddy.

"Murtz’s strategy was interesting," he chuckled. "Though I’m not sure why he thought that playing the asshole this early would keep him around to the end. It's just too damn -early- to be playing that card as mercilessly as he was."

Chris smiled and took a deep breath, as he finally prepared for the serious part.

"But in all honesty Dave, you were my friend. However misguided and irritating you could be... you supported me as much as your deceptive nature would allow. It was -good- having someone to laugh wickedly with, you offered me an outlet for that side of myself. And I was sad about offing you. I really was!"

He grinned now, mirthfully.

"I -was- sad about it until I read that note, and saw what you did to Jabba. And in one instant you killed any chance that I would -ever- feel bad about voting your sorry ass off. You would've been better off just letting me sit here drowning in my guilt. But no... you gave me an easy out. You made it easy for me to dislike you."

He smiled.

"So thanks buddy. And here's to you."

He winked.

"I guess it really -is- true that Murtz hurts. But only on the inside."

And though Chris was feeling quite giddy about the latest turn of events, most of the Satos were not. Most of the Satos had been quite troubled by what they had seen last night... particularly Lance. And while Amy thought it was "impressive" that Murtz had pulled off a lie like that, and Hogan was "disgusted" that anyone would do such a thing, Lance saw it more as a revelation. Lance saw it as a lesson to be learned.

And in Lance McHale's eyes, the discovery of Murtz's fake identity could very well be the turning point in this game.

"You know," he sighed, as he tended to the tribe's breakfast, "I -could- have pulled Dave over last night and given him a courtesy heads-up. I thought it was the right thing to do and I was -very- close to doing so, but in the end I didn't. I didn't want to put the rest of my tribemates in an uncomfortable position."

He shrugged as he continued to stir the boiling water. And as usual, Lance spoke very slowly. Very deliberately.

"But after seeing Dave's antics last night," he frowned, "I'm the happiest guy in the world that he went home. You see, I -respected- him. I treated him with the utmost respect at all times. I -never- lied to him, not even once. And then to see what he pulled off!"

Lance shook his head, disappointed. He couldn't even begin to comprehend how someone could lie about a sick and dying mother like that. To lie about cancer! It was just... sickening.

"We're not even halfway through this game," he explained, "And already my mind is running wild. Day after day, I find out that everything I know in Okinawa is wrong." He shook his head again, slowly. "I thought that Elisabeth was just a good girl who couldn't tell a lie. I learn later that I was wrong. I thought that Henry was someone who was always straight up with me, even to a fault. I learn later that he had used my name in talks of elimination." He looked disgusted now. "And I thought Dave Roth was someone who cared for his ailing mother and played a straight-up game. I learn now that I was wrong."

He sighed again, heavily. Lance didn't like this aspect of the game at all. He didn't like what the prospect of winning did to people. And he didn't like the ugliness that Survivor tended to bring out in many of his tribemates.

"I don't know what to expect anymore," he said, quite truthfully. "I have no idea who these people are. There's -so- much lying and backstabbing going on that it makes me sick. And I'm out of the loop on all of it!"

He sighed again, disgusted with it all. If this was what it would take to win this game, then he wanted no part of it. No sir. Lance wasn't going to change his ethics out here, not for a little bit of money. Not a chance.

"All I know right now," he murmured, "Is that I'm just a guy, standing here next to the fire with a green buff around my neck. All I'm here to do is bust my butt in every one of the challenges... and hope that my name won't be written down on those parchments for a long while. I mean, that's all I can really do."

He shrugged.

"All I can do is win. That's all I came here to do."

But the happiest member of Sato this morning was undoubtedly the teenage girl who was taking a short swim in the ocean. For Joni Newman was ecstatic. She had done it. She had actually done it. She had finally gotten rid of Dave Roth... or whatever his name was... and today she was living large.

This was going to be the greatest day of her young life.

"If there were angel choirs on Okinawa," she beamed, "They'd be singing the Hallelujah chorus right now!" She was grinning from ear to ear as she spoke, her wet hair tied back with her green buff. "And I guess I can go home happy now, because my game is complete." She laughed, mischievously. "Just kidding. But at the same time, this was an overwhelming personal triumph for me. I managed to outsmart someone who considered me as smart... maybe... as a flobberworm. But Murtz, let me tell you buddy, you made my day. And as a message for future players, this is what we can take from the legacy of Murtz: If you're going to assume a character, for heavens sake-- assume one that isn't -annoying-!"

She laughed, still tickled by it all. This was just too funny. This was Joni's highest point in the game thus far, and she was loving it.

"However," she noted seriously, trying to get back to business, "The triumph is probably going to be short-lived, because this is where things can get dicey." She sucked in a breath, cautiously. "For all I know, Amy and Hogan are doing every bit as much sweet-talking to me that I've been doing to them. They could have wanted David out not only for convenience, but to give Sato a leg up in numbers. And they very well could be lying about our friendship... just to use my vote."

She paused, thinking it over. Because this worried her. She never for one minute had expected the friendship extended by the Satos to have been real. No way. No matter what she thought of Amy or Hogan as people... she still didn't trust them. Not yet.

"All I know," she continued, "Is that I'm very hesitant to go to Tribal Council right now. And the next few days will be... interesting..." She shrugged. "Because I just don't want to make them choose. I don't want them to have to choose between Lance or Chris and me." She shrugged again. "Because I don't entirely trust them to do the right thing."

She now smiled.

"But that's all in the future. And for now... I party."

She reached back to pat herself on the back.

"So good for me." She laughed. "And now that I sound like the most cocky player ever... it's time to get back into the game. After my personal triumph over David, it's back to the land of sunshine, rainbows and ponies for me. I just hope I earned my sparkly sticker!"

And she ducked her head under the water, swimming happily. Swimming free. Because today was a good day. Today was going to be a good day indeed.



^^



The majority of the Sato morning was spent in preparation-- as the intrepid little tribe of five prepared for their Kamiya visitor. Because someone from the other tribe was coming today... and they were coming with harmful intent. Due to the punishment involved with last night's challenge, one of the Kamiyans was one their way today to destroy the Sato shelter.

"And I hope they get lost and starve to death," joked Hogan.

But the Satos spent the day gathering extra food, with which to prepare a surprise for their Kamiyan guest. Joni was on cooking duty, and she was preparing a lemon shrimp cocktail-- which was as close as Sato could come to any sort of delicacy out here.

"Who do you think is coming?" Chris now asked, as he helped the young dancer slice up some lemon wedges.

"I bet anything it's Mike," Joni whispered. "They won't send Ryan, he's too unpredictable. And no way they send Matt or Beth."

"What about Em?" Chris whispered, as he dumped a pile of shrimp into the pot. "Would they send her?"

"I don't think so. She wouldn't hit the shelter, she's too passive. They'd be more likely to send Michelle. In fact she might be who they pick."

"Oh," smiled Chris, "That would be so cool! I'd love to see Mich again. I can't believe how much I've missed her!"

"I know," pined Joni. "Me too." She looked around, seeing who happened to be watching. "I mean I like the Satos and all but my home is with you and the Angels. I still don't trust Hogan or Amy much. They've both got their own agendas."

"Especially Amy," nodded Chris. "Don't trust her. I know I don't have to tell you that but she thinks she has everything under control. She's as cocky as Dave used to be."

"Oh I know. Don't worry, she doesn't know Hogan wants her gone. If we need to, she won't see it coming. She'll be completely fooled."

"That's my girl," said Chris, as he tossed some sliced lemon wedges into the mixture. "Keep it up, I'm supposed to go for a little walk with her. Strategy talk."

"Yeah, have fun." Joni smiled. "Tell her I said hi."

And as Christopher left to go find Amy, he spotted the young mom picking flowers-- picking a bouquet for their Kamiyan guest.

"Hey Ames," he waved, greeting her warmly.

"Oh hey Chris," she said, happily. "What do you think? Daisies or violets?" She held up two small bouquets of flowers. "Which one would Kamiya like best?"

"Depends on who they send," he shrugged as he came over next to her. He looked over the two bundles of flowers. "Go with the violets. They'll last longer."

"Yeah."

"Did I mention though," Chris smiled, "How excited I am? I mean, we actually get to see someone new around here. Can you believe it?!"

"It's awesome," Amy grinned. "I will be -so- happy to see a new face around here." She looked over at Chris now. "Who do you think it will be?"

"It will probably be Michelle or Mike," he said. "They wouldn't send Ryan. Nobody can stand the guy. They wouldn't trust him."

"Yeah," nodded Amy, "That's what I've heard. Ryan's really that bad?"

"Oh yeah. Total asshole."

"That stinks," frowned Amy. "Murtz always said he was a good guy."

"Well look at the messenger," Chris shrugged, "Murtz also thought sick moms were funny, so I'd be wary about anything he told you. Besides, Ryan is the biggest snake in the bunch. If you ever run into him, be careful. He's bad news."

"Well," sighed Amy, "No matter who comes, at least you'll get to see an old Kamiyan. That'll be nice for you and Joni. I'd love to see Beth or Matt again but that's not gonna happen."

"Well if it is a Kamiyan," said Chris, putting an arm around her shoulders, "I'll introduce you to them. But just as a warning, I'll be hugging anyone who comes over here. Don't get scared, it's just a formality."

"Oh I understand," she grinned. "I'd hug Matt or Beth if I saw them too. Just do what you gotta do."

"I don't want Lance or Hogan to get the wrong idea," Chris said. "I mean I know -you'll- be okay with it... but will they panic if they see me fawning over someone from Kamiya? I don't want them to take it the wrong way."

"Nah," said Amy, shaking her head. "Lance is still too upset over Dave to do much. He's still royally pissed off. I doubt he'll even care what you do."

"Yeah," nodded Chris, sadly. "That letter was too much. It made me sick."

"And the turtle!" Amy exclaimed. "What is with the dead turtles in Okinawa, I mean really! First we had the baby turtle in the food challenge and now Jabba's dead!" She looked angry. "Enough with the turtle carnage already!"

Chris laughed.

"But Lance should be okay," Amy added. "I think he's kind of awakened to the game a little bit, but he's still in shock. He wasn't ready for that at all."

"No," said Chris. "He wasn't. I had a long talk with him this morning and he just thought it was horrid. He hated it."

Amy nodded.

"Lance is a good guy," Chris added, "So long as you tell him the truth. That's all he really cares about, isn't it?"

Amy nodded again.

"Lance is solid," she agreed.

"But really," Chris whispered, "You know that you and I are the best weapons on Sato right now. No one else can really do much without our help."

"No kidding."

"So no matter what happens today," Chris said, "Just stay cool and take notes. Listen to what they have to say and maybe we can gleam some important info off of them."

"Already planning it," Amy smiled, as she exchanged a high-five with her fellow Sato leader. "Hey by the way..."

She turned to him.

"Murtz whispered something to you as he left." She looked curious. "What did he say?"

Chris smiled-- his best, most innocent smile. And then he lied. He didn't tell her that Murtz had wished him well in the game. He didn't tell her that Murtz had hoped Chris would take this thing all the way, "so evil will win in the end." No, that wasn't what he told Amy at all. She didn't need to know this. Not yet, anyway.

"Murtz only had one message for me," he sighed, "He said we had a present waiting for us back at camp."

"That's it?"

"That was it!" he looked surprised. "Frankly I was disappointed. I was expecting something more."

"Yeah. Me too."


^^


As Sato prepared for their visitor, Kamiya was undergoing similar preparations across the island. And at the moment, Michelle Kin-Fraley was packing up for her long hike-- as she received some last minute words of advice from her teammates.

"Make sure you tell them -why- we didn't throw the last challenge," said Mike. "Make sure Dave and Chris know we aren't trying to leave them out to dry."

"I'll do my best," said Michelle, as she stooped down to re-lace her boots.

"Make them realize that it was only because of the punishment," Mike added, "And that we didn't want to get our shelter smashed."

"Yeah, I got it," said an annoyed Michelle.

She had been getting ready to go for about thirty minutes and for the majority of that time, her tribesmates had been getting on her nerves. Ever since breakfast, it had seemed like they were -trying- to drive her crazy.

First it had been Ryan, with his coy little mindgames. As usual, it seemed like he was almost -trying- to make her paranoid. It was a skill in which he was particularly adept. And so he had come up to Michelle this morning and warned that-- with her away at Sato-- Beth and Matt were likely to make some sort of power play.

"They're gonna try something," he had said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "And It's not gonna work, but just be aware that Beth is up to no good. She's been working Mike -hard- lately. And with you gone, I think she's gonna make a pitch."

"Don't tell me that!" Michelle half-joked. "I don't want to know! You guys just take care of it while I'm gone. And if the bitch tries something just smack her down for me. Please?"

"No problem," assured Ryan. "We'll be fine."

And after Ryan had gone away, Michelle's mind had been racing. Why the hell would he tell her something like that, right before she left? What the hell mindgames was Ryan Rebez trying to play now? And it had angered her. Ryan -knew- that she often stressed about things. Michelle tended to be a worrier. And now Ryan had planted something in the back of her head.

Damn him.

And after Ryan came Mike, who had been giving her detailed instructions on what to do for the past fifteen minutes. He was more or less laying out the plan she was supposed to follow-- without even realizing he was doing so.

"Find out who their leaders are," he added now, as he leaned up against the shelter. "Find out if it's Amy. Because I bet it is."

"It's gotta be Amy," she muttered. "Beth and Matt are practically in love with her. I'd bet money she's the one who calls the shots over there."

"Well be careful with what you tell them."

"Look," said a frustrated Michelle, "I know! Just get off my back, okay? It's not like I'm switching tribes or anything. I'm just going over there to whack their damn shelter and maybe say hi to whoever's still left. That's it!"

"Sorry," said a surprised Mike. And he looked incredibly hurt. "I was just trying to help."

"It's okay," she said, as she walked over to give him a hug. You often had to be careful with your words around Mike-- he tended to take things personally. "I'm just a little stressed, that's all. This game just messes with your head. I'm kind of dreading being away from camp for so long."

"Yeah."

"So you guys be good," she smiled, "Okay? Don't let Beth and Matt try any of their shit while I'm gone."

"Matt's supposed to come back to camp today," grinned Mike. "He's done sleeping in the woods. I think he's finally realized I'm not going to kill him."

"Well if he tries anything while I'm gone," Michelle said, "Feel free to kill him. I mean it."

"No problem."

And then Michelle finished her packing. Now it was just about time for her to leave.

"I'm gonna talk to Beth a bit today," said Mike, offhand. "And find out the Sato power structure. That way you and I can compare notes when we get back."

"Yeah, good idea," she nodded, "Do you think she trusts you still?"

"Yeah. I've been charming her again lately. It's not very hard. She doesn't seem to be wary of me anymore."

"Great."

And with that it was just about time for Michelle to go. She went with Mike back to camp... where she said her goodbyes to the rest of the tribe. One by one, the Kamiyans hugged her and wished her well on her trip. And most of them had some sort of wisdom to impart before she left.

"Sing 'Mrs. Robinson' for me," Matt smiled. "It's an old joke."

"Give Amy a hug for me!" chirped Beth.

"Make sure they get the deer meat," said Mike.

"Don't get lost!" offered Ryan.

And the last one to speak was Isabella. The young blonde happily bounced up to Michelle and whispered something into her ear.

"Don't forget the Charlie's Angels reference," she said. "See if the Angels are all still together."

"Well they better both still -be- there," Michelle whispered back. "Because if Chris is gone, I'm gonna fuck them up."

And with that, Michelle was off. She waved happily and set off into the jungle, hands in her pockets, whistling happily as she walked. Her big red backpack bounced along her back as she moved, but she was in no hurry. After all, she was expecting a perfectly pleasant walk. This was going to be relaxing. This was going to be great. This was going to be a lot of fun.

And then... for reasons she would later regret... she turned to look back.

All it took was one glance... one small peek back at camp... and she knew her walk was going to be ruined. She knew this was going to be two hours of pure torture. Because what she saw made her blood run cold.

She was Mike and Beth, exchanging a hug. And then Beth laughed. And then Mike whispered something into Beth's ear.

-Damnit!- Michelle thought to herself. -Why did I have to see that??-

She cursed herself as she started walking again. But now she started to think. Now the pangs of worry were running amok in her head. She wasn't more than 100 feet from camp, and already she was starting to get paranoid. Now the questions came at her fast and hard-- like a series of punches. -How close is Mike to Beth, really? How much do I really trust Ryan, and why does he always have that grin on his face?-

These questions weren't uncommon-- this just happened to be the way that Michelle thought. Her mind was always racing-- always looking to head off trouble down the road. But generally she had someone to discuss things with, someone to reassure her. But now she was alone. And now the questions were coming at her faster than ever.

-How do I know Emma isn't smarter than she appears? Why was Mike so eager to see me leave? Why did Ryan warn me about being away, is he planning something? Why was Beth laughing when I left? How do I know Matt and Mike's feud isn't all a big act?-

She groaned now, knowing this was going to be pure misery until she got back to camp. Paranoia tended to do that to her. But she -still- hadn't been hit with the big one yet. And the big question suddenly reared its head and punched her in the gut.

Suddenly, she was hit with the knockout punch.

-How do I know Chris is even still there? What if they voted him off? What's it going to be like if I walk into Sato and see Dave Roth grinning at me?-

And Michelle knew enough about herself to know this was going to be a very long walk. These thoughts weren't going to go away, especially on a two hour walk of solitude. Not for a worrier like Michelle. Not for a player who liked to control every aspect of the game around her.

No, this wasn't going to be fun at all. This was going to be a -very- long walk indeed.



^^



Michelle was gone, but she needn't have worried. Because the Kamiyans had no plans to backstab her at the moment. Oh sure, they loved making her paranoid-- that was just part of the fun. But Beth and Matt were still being toyed with at the moment, just like before. Nothing had changed.

And with Matt back in camp, for now anyway, he and Beth were doing their best to plan out some sort of attack. As Ryan had predicted, the two of them wanted to make their pitch now-- with Michelle gone. This was now the absolute perfect time to make their move.

"I'm worried that Amy will be gone," Beth said, as she sidled up next to her young teammate. "I'm really worried about her."

"Oh she'll be okay," Matt reassured. "Don't worry about Mrs. Robinson-- she'll be safe. I know she will." He then paused. He wasn't sure he wanted to bring up this next topic, but he knew it had to be discussed sooner or later. "The bigger worry for me is if she's really still with us or not."

"What?" Beth look concerned.

"I'm serious," Matt said. "Look at it... we've already been on Kamiya for more days than we were at Sato. And we'll probably be here at least a few more. By the time the merge hits we will have been Kamiyans for a lot longer than we were ever Satos."

"That's bull," said Beth. "I'll always be a Sato."

"As will I. But I've been worried more and more lately than Amy might not be."

"No," said Beth, shaking her head. "Amy wouldn't turn on us."

"It's not that she'd turn," said Matt. "It's more than she may have new allies. I mean look at the Henry vote. She somehow joined with Kamiya to get him out... and that sort of thing doesn't happen easily."

Beth was silent at this, so Matt continued.

"All I'm saying is... we might have a tie to her, but she might not have a tie to -us-."

"Damn," muttered Beth. "Why do you have to say stuff like that?"

"Meh," he shrugged. "Just trying to make small talk I guess."

"Well..." Beth said after a short pause, "I don't care what side Amy's on, I just wish we could talk to her. I'm jealous of Michelle. I wish one of us had gotten to go."

"Me too," sighed Matt. "But at least we don't have to listen to her yapping for a while. At least we get some Michelle-free hours today."

"That's true."

"So what's the plan?" he finally asked. "Who are we going after?"

"Ryan wants to talk to me," Beth said, "He said to meet him down by the beach in an hour. He said we had something important to discuss."

"Prick."

"Yeah," she smiled, "I know."

"Don't listen to anything he says," Matt said. "Remember, he's an asshole."

"That's why I like having you around," Beth smiled. "Because you're a cynic. You hate everybody."

Matt shrugged.

"I do what I can," he said.

"But that's why we make a great team," Beth joked. "Because you're strong in the areas I'm not, and vice versa." She paused for a moment. "What's the word for that again?"

"We're symbiotic," smiled Matt.

"Yeah, that's it."

"You're the anemone," said Matt, "And I'm the crab. You protect me and I get you food. But otherwise we can't really co-exist."

"I wouldn't want to anyway!"

"So here's to us," Matt smiled, as he reached to give her a hug. "The old and the young. Team Co-dependent."

"Yeah!"

And after the hug, Beth realized it was just about time to go. She had to go meet Ryan.

"Remember," Matt advised, "Just ignore anything he says. Remember who you're dealing with."


^^


Michelle's Kin-Fraley was walking through a deep thicket of bamboo, searching for some sign that Camp Sato was nearby. Because so far, she had seen nothing. In the past two hours she had been completely alone... alone in the woods. And for Michelle, that had been a terrible place to be.

She had spent the past two hours running over all the scenarios in her head as to how Kamiya was going to backstab her. And she hated herself for doing it... but Michelle had been in a state of near panic at times, seemingly muttering to herself as she walked.

"I hate this," she finally said now, as she peered through the bamboo. "I -hate- this. I just want to see Chris and Joni and get back to Kamiya, as soon as possible. Damn them for sending me away like this. I hate this fricking game."

And then she saw someone. Finally she saw the first sign of the other team. She saw the tall form of a man washing his clothes in a stream. And just from that silhouette, she knew who it was. Michelle's heart leapt with joy as she recognized the unmistakable profile of Christopher Collins.

"Hey trouble," she called out, as she happily stepped out into a clearing.

Christopher looked up, surprised, but then his eyes darted off to the side. He was sending Michelle a message... and she caught it almost instantly. Someone else was here. Michelle and Chris weren't alone.

"Hi Michelle," smiled Amy, as the young mom walked over to give Michelle a hug. And the two competitors embraced warmly,

"You must be Amy!"

"That's me," smiled Amy.

"Mich!" greeted Chris, as he and Michelle embraced in a big bearhug. "How are you?"

And he wanted to whisper something in her ear. He wanted to pass on a message. He wanted to say something like "I missed you," but he couldn't. Because Amy was watching the two of them like a hawk. She was clearly looking for some sort of code to be passed... so Chris decided to play it safe.

"How's Kamiya?" he asked, as he stepped back.

"Oh you know," Michelle shrugged. "Same as usual. Nothing much ever changes."

"How are Matt and Beth?" asked Amy. "Are they okay?"

"Oh yeah," dismissed Michelle. "They love it. Matt's great and Beth is a sweetie. Everybody loves them."

Amy smiled. That was reassuring. Because she had been worried.

"Hey," smiled Chris, as he took Michelle by the hand, "Let's go take the tour of our camp. You need to meet everybody!"

"Okay!"

So Chris and Michelle walked hand-in-hand back to Sato, with Amy following closely a few steps behind. She wasn't about to let these two out of her sight. No, siree, that simply wasn't going to happen.

And as the threesome approached camp, Michelle finally heard the voice she had been waiting for. Finally she was reassured that the Angels were all still intact.

"Michelle!"

Joni came running over to hug Michelle, and the two friends laughed and smiled as they embraced. But as with Chris, Joni didn't dare give away the fact that she and Michelle were close allies. The young dancer just stepped back and nodded.

"Welcome to Sato!" she smiled.

Lance and Hogan came over and Michelle was introduced to them both. She shook hands with Lance, already thinking that the guy was a bit of a cold fish. He just had that air about him, she didn't find him warm or friendly at all. But Hogan, on the other hand-- Hogan was a character right off the bat.

"Did you know," he said, "That if you take a dump each day, you get more energy? Seriously, you should try it."

"Uh..." she started, "Thanks. I'll... uh... give it a shot."

"Hogan is our expert on all things excretory," Chris explained. "If you need to know anything about the way your body breaks down food, he's your man."

"Don't even ask him about corn though," joked Amy. "Trust me... you don't want to know."

Hogan smiled proudly.

"Oh," noticed Michelle, "And I see you bring your reading material along with you too." She nodded at the well-worn copy of -War and Peace- that he held in his hand. "Nice job planning ahead."

"Yeah," nodded Hogan. "I'm gonna finish it in Okinawa. I'm on page 432. Prince Andrew just got engaged."

"That's great," smiled Michelle, desperately wanting to change the subject. So she looked around, and suddenly noticed who was missing.

"So you guys voted out Dave last night?"

"Yeah," nodded Amy. "Only his name wasn't really Dave. It was Murtz."

"And he killed the turtle!" said Joni.

"His mom was all a big fake," explained Chris. "She was never dying."

"He was a dick," said Hogan. "He wrote on Joni's scriptures."

The answers all came at her rapid fire, so Michelle had to ask them to slow down. And then she finally started to grasp the true story. David Roth was a fake. The mom with cancer was a gimmick. All of it had been a lie.

"Ho-lee crap," she whistled.

"Yeah," nodded Amy. "We just found out last night."

And the tribe talked for nearly an hour, just lots of small talk, lots of "getting to know each other" chitchat. But unfortunately, there wasn't going to be much else Michelle would be able to do. She desperately wanted to break away and talk to Chris and Joni... but the Satos weren't going to allow such a thing. Especially Amy. Amy was on her like a hawk, paying close attention to every word that came out of her mouth. And Michelle had meant to pass on some sort of Angel message. After all, that had been one of the reasons to come-- to see her Angels. But she hadn't had a chance to say anything yet. Not without being obvious.

But while Michelle was hesitant to say anything, her friend Christopher had no such qualms. God bless him for it, Chris finally just came right out and said the words she had been waiting to hear.

"Well Michelle," he smiled, "I have to say that Dave might have been poopy, but Joni and I have been positively -angelic-."

Joni giggled a bit and Chris thought he saw a smirk on Michelle's face. But otherwise the comment went by unnoticed. Nobody seemed to have caught it.

"Hey," said Michelle, picking up on the hint. "Did you guys hear that Mario the gnome had an accident?"

Nobody had.

"Yeah," she nodded, "Somebody was acting like they were in Charlie's Angels and threw a ninja star at him. I couldn't believe it!"

Okay... now Joni was giggling, and she had to turn away to compose herself. But Chris and Michelle were just getting started.

"I love that show!" he grinned.

"Yeah, it's great."

But by now Jeff Probst had arrived. He was here to interrupt the reunion, for Michelle was only supposed to stay for an hour. The host approached the camp from the beach, a sledgehammer in his hands. It looked like it was time for the festivities to end. It was just about time to get down to business.

"Sorry guys," Jeff smiled, "But I am the bearer of bad news, and I think you know it."

Amy and Lance nodded.

"Michelle," nodded Jeff, "This is for you."

He handed the heavy sledgehammer to her, and she took it in both hands.

"You get three whacks at the Sato shelter," Jeff explained, "Per your reward. So anytime you're ready... we can begin."

But Michelle just smiled. She knew exactly what she was going to do. She didn't even lift the hammer at all. She just dropped it onto the ground.

"I choose not to hit it," she smiled.

The Satos cheered out loud, as Amy and Lance exchanged a hug.

"You're sure?" asked Jeff.

"Absolutely. I refuse to hit it."

"Well then," nodded Jeff, "Congratulations Sato, you guys got lucky." And he could see by the looks on their faces that they were greatly relieved. They hadn't planned for this turn of fortune at all.

"And," nodded Michelle, "I also brought a gift. Something to repay you guys for the donuts."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out five strips of deer meat. It had been salted and preserved by Matt and was now more or less like beef jerky. She presented a strip to each person.

"Just a gift from Kamiya," she smiled, "From us to you."

And from the hugs she received, she knew she was winning some major brownie points. Suddenly, Michelle Kin-Fraley was the most popular person in Okinawa.

"Okay," said Jeff, as he looked at his watch. "Ten more minutes, guys. Michelle has to get back to camp."

At this, Michelle and Chris exchanged a look. They simply had to get a minute alone before she went back. But Michelle didn't want to suggest it. Nor did Chris. Neither one of them wanted to make Amy suspicious... not with the Angels still in a delicate minority over here.

And while Chris and Michelle simply smiled and nodded at one another, Joni decided to take a chance. She excused herself from the group and went back to the shelter. There, she took a pen, ripped out a page from her scriptures, and composed a quick note. Thinking quickly, she looked around... looking for a place to hide the note.

And then she saw a pillow. One of the pillows Sato had won last week in a reward challenge.

"Ha," she laughed out loud, as she went to go grab one of the spare pillows. This was Murtz's, and Sato wasn't going to need it anymore. So Joni stuffed the note inside and went back to the group. She carried the pillow in both hands.

"I'm serious," Michelle was currently lying to the Satos... trying her best to confuse them about Kamiya events, "Matt and Mike are the best of friends now. You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it... but Matt wanted to come destroy the shelter!"

"No way," said Amy.

"It's true! He said that -he- built it so he wanted to be the one to rip it down. He said we owed it to him to give him that closure."

"That doesn't sound like Matt."

"Plus Matt and David had a huge fight before David left," Michelle lied again. "David was being a real bastard and didn't like that Matt had turned on him. We almost had to pull the two of them apart."

Amy didn't believe this, of course. But like Michelle she was also a bit of a worrier. Uh oh... what has Matt gotten himself into over there?

"I'm just saying right now," Michelle implored, "To watch out for Mike and Matt at the merge. The two of them profess to be enemies but they are really the best of friends. In fact we're hoping that Mike goes next. Nobody really likes him much."

And now Christopher caught out of the corner of his eye that Joni was walking back with a pillow. Perfect. He didn't know the specifics, but he knew she had put something inside. He knew Joni well enough by now to know she had smuggled something inside that pillow. And that was why he loved her.

"Sato," Chris smiled, "Would you guys object if I offered Kamiya a gift? In exchange for sparing our shelter?"

"Nope," smiled Amy. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"How about Murtz's pillow!" Joni laughed. "We don't really need it anymore!"

Nobody had any objections, so Joni came walking back to the group, pillow in hand. She smiled as she handed it over to Michelle. And none of the Satos caught that Michelle had just been handed a letter. Michelle didn't even know it was in there. She just took the pillow happily and gave Joni a hug.

"You're such a little Angel," Michelle grinned.

"I've -always- been an Angel!" Joni grinned back.

And with the gift exchange, that was that. It was time for Michelle to go. And now she finally panicked... It suddenly hit her that she hadn't had a chance to talk to Chris yet... and this was going to be her last chance. This moment was crucial, because she -desperately- had something she needed to say to him.

So she walked up to Chris and gave him a big hug. Screw protocol, she didn't care who was watching. She had something she needed to say.

"Help me," she whispered quickly. "Ryan and Mike are trying to screw me."

Michelle pulled back quickly, trying to pass it off as just a hug. But Sato had seen... and now they were eyeing Christopher suspiciously. But for his part, the tall actor didn't react. He simply stared at her, concerned. Michelle was in danger? Uh oh.

All this had come about during Michelle's long lonely walk through the woods. Because as usual, the time alone had wreaked havok with her mind. From the time she had left Kamiya... to the time she had arrived at Sato... something had been bothering her. Something had been nagging at her brain.

And then she finally realized what it was. She just didn't trust anybody on Kamiya.

And though she'd had problems with Mike and Ryan at times... today had been the first time she had actively seen them trying to mess with her. Today had been the first day that she really realized that Mike and Ryan might be trouble. And when she got back to Kamiya, she fully expected to find bad news waiting for her. In Michelle's mind, it had probably already happened.

So "help me" was the message she had wanted to impart to Chris. -Throw the immunity challenge,- she was hoping to say. -Don't let Kamiya go to Tribal Council before the merge. I don't trust any of them, they're too sneaky! Emma's the only one I trust and she's too stupid to back me up. Please help me out here!-

And she could see in Chris' eyes that he got it. Michelle and Chris had always had that special bond, where similar minds think alike. So he didn't know the details, he didn't care, and he didn't ask. He just knew his friend was in trouble. And now he nodded.

Got it.

"Well," said Jeff, "I'm sorry Michelle, but we need to get you back to camp. We still have an immunity challenge tonight."

"No problem," she smiled.

And with that, she said her goodbyes. She hugged first Joni, then Amy, then Lance and then the oddly-charismatic Hogan. And then she finished by hugging Chris. Her friend. And no words were passed this time, only a hug. But she could feel in his grip that he was going to save her.

Her best friend Chris was going to help her out.


^^


The walk back to camp was uneventful for Michelle for most of the way. And this was fortunate, since she had incredibly mixed emotions running through her head right now. The trip to Sato had been a whirlwind of emotion.

She had been scared to be away from Kamiya for so long.

She had been worried that Chris and Joni were going to be gone when she arrived.

She had been thrilled to see her Angels waiting for her, both safe and sound.

She had been frustrated when Amy wouldn't allow her to get any alone time with Chris.

But most of all, she had been overjoyed when Joni and Chris had returned her "Angels" comments. They were all in this. The Angels were still all in this thing to the end!

And as Michelle walked, suddenly she noticed something about her gift. Suddenly she noticed a small crinkly area in the pillow. She suddenly realized that someone had placed something inside.

Grinning, she reached into the pillowcase and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper. Scripture paper. It was from Joni! Joni had passed her a message!

Grinning from ear to ear, Michelle sat down and read the note out loud.

"Michelle," she read, "It was -so- good to see you again! I wish we could have talked for hours because I miss you tons!"

Michelle started to tear up at the sight of Joni's large flowing handwriting. She couldn't believe someone so young had come up with this idea.

"Don't worry," continued the letter, "Because we're both still with you. Chris and I are holding out for the Angels, so -stay strong!- Do anything you can to make the merge!"

Michelle reached up to wipe a tear from her eye. She could already tell she was about to start crying. And she didn't want to. Not here! Not on TV!

"Should another twist come," Joni wrote, "You can trust Amy and Hogan. The two of them have saved our butts many times so far, so keep them in mind. And they -don't- know about the Angels, that is just for us! But We can keep them with us come merge time, so everything should be good."

Michelle looked at the bottom, where Joni had finally signed off.

"Angels all the way! Love always, Joni."

And next to it, she had drawn a heart.

Michelle looked up, happily. This letter had been music to her ears. Joni's thoughtful note had alleviated any doubts she had in this game... had assured her that the Angels would be getting back together... and that one of them would be winning this game.

And then, despite all her best efforts, Michelle started to cry. In the middle of the dark Okinawan forest, Michelle Kin-Fraley was so happy that she started to bawl like a little girl.


^^


"When Michelle didn't hit our shelter," Lance would later admit, "That was -huge.- The simple fact that she spared us, when she could have taken us out of the game... well that pretty much changed everything. Because she gave us a chance to get back in the game. What she did, more than anything else, was gave us hope."

Sure enough, the Satos were overjoyed that their rickety little shelter had been spared. Because they had been expecting the worst. They had expected to be sleeping out in the rain tonight.

"Plus Michelle was great," Amy admitted, as she spoke to Lance by the fire. "I couldn't believe it. I thought she'd be a bit of a... you know."

"Yeah," nodded Lance. "I was a little surprised too." He then gave her a pensive look. "So why do you think she elected not to hit? Do you think that was planned?"

"I don't know," shrugged Amy. "Could be."

"It didn't seem spontaneous to me," noted Lance. "I mean she brought the deer jerky along. She obviously knew she was here to make friends."

"Well what I think," said Amy, "Is that Michelle is in a very secure position. She knew she wouldn't get any fallout from her tribe for sparing us. So that leads me to believe she's in a pretty good spot over there."

"Yeah."

"But honestly," smiled Amy, "I don't really care. Right now I'm just thrilled that we're still in this game. She could have decimated us."

"No kidding."

"But do you believe what she said?" Amy asked, lowering her voice. "About David playing dirty and Matt aligning with Mike?"

"I could see it from David," nodded Lance. "But not Matt."

Amy pondered this. Because she hadn't really considered what to do if Matt had flipped sides. How well did she know the kid, anyway?

"What was more worrisome to me," said Lance, "Was all the whispering at the end. I didn't like that."

"No kidding," agreed Amy. "I wish Chris hadn't done that. He made me nervous."

"I didn't like it," said Lance. "Especially after all the Dave stuff. I don't really trust Chris at all. I don't trust -any- of the Kamiyans. I hope you realize that."

"I do. And I respect your opinion."

"Well," sighed Lance, "We have a reward challenge tonight, right?"

"Yeah," said Amy. "Hogan said he was checking treemail." She grinned. "I hope he doesn't get lost."

She looked off towards the ocean-- and then she saw something that caught her eye. She saw Joni and Christopher, talking alone. And suddenly Amy's paranoia started to take over.

"Hang on," she said, quickly standing up.

"What?"

"Chris and Joni are up to something," she said. "Hang on, be right back."


^^


"Amy's coming," said Joni, as she saw the young woman approaching, "Act natural."

And in a moment, the discussion turned from reuniting with Michelle-- to Sato tasks. Christopher and Joni changed their conversation in an instant, just in time to catch Amy come within hearing range,

"Amy," smiled Chris, "Wasn't that great? Wasn't Mich awesome?"

"I adore her," grinned Amy, "I wish she'd started over here. We could have used her."

And though the conversation appeared to be perfectly normal, deep down Amy knew that something was up. Something wasn't right, she could just feel it. But she couldn't quite place her finger on what exactly was wrong.

"Do you guys think it was true?" she asked, "About Matt and Mike being together? And Matt wanting to rip down the shelter?"

"I've never known Michelle to lie," said Chris, "She's not that kind of person."

"It's true," nodded Joni. "She's got a big thing about honesty."

"Well crap," said Amy, now getting a bit worried. "Damn him."

"It doesn't mean that Matt flipped sides for sure," said Chris. "Just because Michelle said it doesn't mean it's the truth. Maybe someone -wants- her to think that." He shrugged. "Maybe somebody led her to believe it."

"Like who?"

"Ryan," said Chris. "And trust me when I say this, Ryan's behind everything over there. He always has been."

"Well it still makes me worry," said Amy. "Because David and Matt are suddenly being portrayed as people I don't even know. And to tell you the truth, it makes me very uneasy. It's a little hard to handle."

"Don't worry about it," said Chris. "Remember that Michelle is good people. We can trust her to stick with us after the merge. I -know- she's had issues with Ryan and Mike, she won't want to have anything to do with them!" He smiled. "Trust me on this. You may have lost Matt, but you've got other allies now."

"Well you better be right," Amy smiled, still feeling a bit uneasy about all this, "Because I think we're going to need her."

"I -promise- you that Michelle will be with us," said Joni. "I guarantee it. And if I'm wrong then I'll vote myself off. Honestly Amy, you can rely on her. Mich is good."

"Okay," nodded Amy. "I trust your guys' judgement."

"And I would bet money," said Joni, "That Matt has hooked up with Mike." She looked sad. "Sorry Amy, but Mich isn't the type to make something like that up."

"Well that just makes me sick," said Amy. And she meant it too.

But then she smiled. Just like before-- with Murtz-- she had something she had to ask.

"By the way," she purred, "What did Michelle whisper to you, Chris? At the end?"

"Oh," lied Chris, "She just said she was glad Dave was gone. She congratulated us on helping get rid of him."

"Yeah," said Amy, "I knew it was something like that."

But she knew he was lying. She knew something was up. There was something in that whisper that had been important... she was sure of it. She had seen it in Michelle's eyes. Something important had been said...

... And Amy was already on a mission to find out what it was.


^^


As Sato got ready for the immunity challenge, Joni and Christopher had slipped away to discuss things. It was dinnertime, and they had -finally- managed to escape the prying eyes of Amy. For the first time all day... the two Angels finally had a chance to celebrate.

"Did you hear all the Angels references she made?!" Chris said, excitedly, "She's with us! The Angels are still together!!!"

"I know," said a beaming Joni, "We did it! We're gonna pull it off."

"Oh this is so cool," gushed Chris, happily. "I think I might cry!"

"Don't," joked Joni, "Or else I might too."

But right now the two friends were on cloud nine. Seeing Michelle had more or less solidified their places in the game. For Joni and Chris weren't Satos. Never had been. They were Angels and they always would be. And seeing Michelle again had pretty much just driven that point home.

"We are in," said Chris, as he hugged her for at least the tenth time. "We are -so- in."

Joni smiled, happily. Because she could see how happy this was making him. Christopher simply wasn't acting... he really -was- this happy right now, and it was nice to see. After Christopher's blue mood from the past few days, it was refreshing to finally see him smile again.

"But I'm afraid that Amy's a bit jealous," he finally said. "Did you notice that too?"

"Yeah. I don't think she liked Michelle much."

"She's been acting weird ever since," nodded Chris. "I think she's turning into Dave. Have you noticed the way she watches when we talk now?"

"Yeah," agreed Joni. "She's nervous."

"Well we need to be careful," said Chris. "Watch out, because she's an intense player. Watch out how you talk around her, because I don't want her to flip out on us. We've worked -too- hard for that to happen."

Joni nodded.

"Besides," smiled Chris, "She could still very well throw the next challenge and try to vote one of us out."

"No way. She wouldn't do that."

"You never know," shrugged Chris. "She plays scared. Just be careful."

"Well I wouldn't play like that," glared Joni. "She better not either. That's not cool."

But Chris could see that Joni already mistrusted Amy a bit. And that was good. That could very well come in handy tomorrow... should it need to.

"You know what Hogan told me today," he said.

"What?"

"He told me not to listen to Amy. Said he didn't like her."

"Yeah," nodded Joni, "I know. He's said that before. He thinks she's sneaky. Plus he doesn't like her friends. He knows it's a deathtrap to stick with her too much longer."

"Well..." paused Chris, "I think she's basically a nice person."

"So do I," nodded Joni. "She's a nice girl. But she'll do whatever it takes to win."

"I agree," said Chris. "And she's ruthless."

"Totally."

And at this point, Chris could already see the plan in his mind. He could see it as clear as crystal-- it was suddenly all coming together.

"By the way," he asked, "Did Michelle whisper anything to you?"

"Nothing much," she shrugged. "She just said she'd see me soon."

"Nothing else?"

"Nope." Joni looked at him now. "You?"

"Same here," he said, lying. Because he wasn't ready to tell her yet. He didn't want Joni to panic. He didn't want her to know yet that Michelle was in danger over at Kamiya. "So Joni," he said, as he finally started to mull over the idea to throw the immunity challenge, "If Hogan had to pick right now, who would he side with? Would he go with you or would he go with Amy?"

"He would pick me over Amy," she smiled. "Definitely."

"That's what I thought."

"Why?"

"Oh," he shrugged. "No reason. I was just curious, that's all. Just in case Amy decides to throw the challenge tomorrow."

"If Amy throws the challenge," Joni glared, "Hogan would -definitely- vote against her. He would be furious."

And this answer finally made Chris smile. That was the answer he had been waiting to hear.

-Perfect.-


^^


Over at Kamiya, Michelle had finally been able spill her guts. She had come back and told her tribemates everything she had seen at Sato, and then some. And most of it had even been true!

"Dave got himself voted off," she lied, as she relayed the story to her fascinated tribe. "He tried to turn against Chris, too. It sounded like he went crazy his last night. He killed the turtle, he ripped up Joni's scriptures and then he said his mom wasn't really sick."

"What?" said a shocked Isabella.

"He killed the turtle?" gaped Beth.

"And that wasn't the worst of it," reported Michelle. "It turns out his name wasn't Dave at all. It was -Muntz!-"

"What?" asked a confused Ryan.

"Muntz! His name was Muntz!"

"Muntz?"

"Something like that, anyway," said Michelle. "But yeah he apparently just went crazy and tried to vote Chris out. Chris had to save himself and voting Muntz out was the only way he could do it."

"So Chris didn't turn on us?" asked a relieved Mike.

"No way," she shook her head, "I got to talk to Chris for a while and he told me that he was perfectly safe. He's in good with Amy and Hogan for now and so is Joni. Both of them are perfectly safe until the merge."

"Awesome," smiled Mike. "Hey good job, Mich."

He reached over to pat her on the back and she smiled. Mike had bought it. Mike now blamed Dave Roth for all that had happened.

"His mom wasn't really sick?" asked a disgusted Isabella. And this aspect of the story really had rankled her. Dave made up the story about his mom dying of cancer? Well that pretty much just fit right in with the ethics of Kamiya. -Good riddance-, she thought.

But as the tribe went back to their daily tasks, Isabella was not surprised to find that Michelle wanted to talk to her alone. Isabella went off to gather mussels and soon there was Michelle, ready to talk.

"What I didn't say earlier," smiled Michelle, "Was that Joni wrote me a letter. She smuggled it to me in a pillowcase."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And she basically said that she and Chris were still with us and the Angels are going to go to the end." She smiled. "Emma, we're gonna pull this thing off!"

"That's great!"

Michelle and Isabella exchanged a hug, and Isabella could tell this was going to be a big moment. She sensed that something big was about to happen. Michelle wasn't here just to chit-chat. She seldom was. The girl usually had an agenda when she was chatty like this.

"I wish I'd saved the letter," added Michelle, "But I didn't want the guys to see it. So I burned it in the fire when I got back."

"Good idea."

"But you should have heard them," smiled Michelle. "Chris kept talking about his halo and how Joni was angelic. They were totally trying to send me a message!"

"Ha!" smiled Isabella.

"But I wanted to ask you something," said Michelle, suddenly switching gears. "And I know we should have done this sooner, but I was thinking you and I should make some sort of a deal. You know, just in case Mike and Ryan try something tomorrow."

"Deal? Like what?" Isabella loved to play dumb.

"Like a final two deal," Michelle added, conspiratorially. "I think you and I should vow to stick together through this. Just kind of make it official."

"Oh, that's a great idea!"

"And I know I've been watching your back so far," said Michelle, "And you've been watching mine. But I want you to know I'm serious about this."

"I'm serious too," said Isabella, as she happily shook hands with her older tribesmate. "Let's do this." Then she giggled. "I can't believe the Angels are all gonna make the merge, Mich. This is so great!"

And as Michelle and Isabella hugged, the pact was now sealed. For the first time in the game-- the two of them finally had a deal. And while Michelle was exuberant over the latest turn of events in the game, Isabella was rather nonchalant about it all. As Michelle left, Isabella simply turned to the cameras and smiled.

"Well, she finally caved in and offered me a deal. I figured she would eventually."

She then went back to gathering mussels, happily humming to herself as she worked.

"But it certainly took her long enough. I mean really, how long does she expect a girl to wait?"


^^


And as Michelle went off to go check the evening's treemail, she happily recapped the day's events as she walked. For this was a good time in the game. This was a -great- time to be an Angel in Okinawa. Michelle was practically floating on air.

"This morning was wonderful," she beamed as she walked, "I absolutely -loved- my trip to Sato. And I thought I was going to hate it at first!"

She laughed now, appearing to have done a 180 from her paranoid doldrums of this morning. It was like she was a whole different person right now.

"The look on Chris' and Joni's faces when I showed up was awesome! I can't even -begin- to describe how great it felt to talk to them... and to see them. I just wanted to hug them and not ever let go!" She now got a more serious look on her face. "Because I -do- worry about them being over at Sato. I don't want anything to happen to them, especially since I like them and I need them for my game."

Michelle was nearing the treemail box, and she could see that it was full. Apparently Ryan's hunch had been right. Looks like they would be having a reward challenge tonight.

"But all that matters to me," she finished, "Was that I didn't give up on the Angels and they didn't give up on me. They are my true alliance and I won't ever turn my back on them. And I mean it."

She reached into the treemail container and pulled out a small metal box. Hmm... interesting.

"Oh," she said, as she shook the box to see what was inside, "And that final two pact with Emma is for necessity, that's it. My real final two pact is with Chris. But if I get to the final three... I want to make sure I have two people who will take me to the final two. Emma and Chris." She smiled. "So it was pretty much a safe move to make. Plus it reassures Emma that I'm with her to the end."

She laughed now.

"Not to mention that was the first time I've -ever- gotten her to talk strategy. I was surprised, because usually she's so damn vague. But she finally admitted that the two of us have a deal. That was huge!"

^^



Michelle brought the treemail box back to camp, where Beth took a moment to read the writing inscribed on it out loud.

"-To break and to enter--
It's the name of the game.
The first team to do so will eat.
With will and some muscle,
And crowbars to spare.
Inside will be lots of fresh meat.-"

"Alright," smiled Mike, "That's what I'm talking about. A feast!"

"Hang on," said Beth, "There's more on the back."

She turned the box over and read the postscript out loud.

"Kamiya... since you have an extra member, one of you will be sitting out. But the catch is that this person will not get to go to the challenge at -all-. They will stay back here at camp and, should you win, they will not be able to partake in the feast. So choose wisely."

"Man," said Matt, "That's harsh."

"So does anyone volunteer?" asked Ryan.

"Yeah," sighed Michelle. "I hate to do it but I already got to visit Sato today. I'll sit out. I'll wait back here at camp."

"Thanks Mich," smiled Mike, as he nudged her with his elbow.

And then that was that. With Michelle remaining back here at camp, it was time for the two tribes to meet for the reward challenge.


^^


Thirty minutes later, both tribes stood on challenge beach. Five Satos on the left, five Kamiyas on the right. And Jeff explained the rules as the players stood and listened.

"The name of the game today," he smiled, "Is Breaking and Entering."

He turned to point behind him, and the two tribes saw a pair of metal structures. They appeared to be low-- about two feet off the ground-- and were very heavily armored.

"You all know by now," continued Jeff, "That Okinawa was a hotbed of activity during World War II. Some of the -MOST- intensive battles of the war were fought here... in fact some of them right on this very beach. So for our reward challenge today we'll be paying a little homage to the warlike history of Okinawa-- because we're going to set you up with a couple of pillboxes."

He walked over to the metal structure on the left.

"During the fighting, snipers and riflemen would be stationed inside pillboxes like these, especially around the shore areas. And basically what you see is what you get... a metal fortress, designed to protect the people inside."

He smiled.

"One member of your team will be inside a pillbox. And it is the goal of the rest of your tribe to free your soldier. Simple as that."

He smiled as he walked over to a table. On it rested several tools, among them a large hammer, a chisel, a crowbar, and a few screwdrivers.

"Everything you need to win is right here. And the name of the game today will be teamwork. You guys -need- to work together to win this. Because the reward is gonna be something special."

He smiled again.

"Wanna know what you're playing for?"

The ten players all nodded their assent as Jeff walked over to another table. He whipped off the tablecloth and the sweet smell of meat filled the air.

"You guys are playing for a barbecue feast. Everything you want is right here. Steaks... hamburgers... hot dogs... honey-glazed ribs... -everything-. And the winning team will be sent off for a feast to end all feasts tomorrow."

He grinned.

"-PLUS-... the winning tribe will also get to invite one member of the losing team to join you. You will have a new face to sit around and chat with, or perhaps talk strategy. But no matter who you choose, tomorrow morning the winning tribe will be eating like kings. So, are you guys ready to start?"



^^



The Kamiyas, minus Michelle, were now ready to begin. And they felt a small pang of guilt at the fact that she was going to miss this-- but that didn't mean they weren't here to win. Kamiya wanted that food. They wanted that food badly.

Both tribes had chosen a prisoner to be sealed inside their pillbox. Matt had been selected for Sato and Lance for Kamiya. Within minutes, the two prisoners were now sealed in their metal fortresses, staring out at the world through a thin turret strip. And Matt's eyes were clearly visible right now, as he stared out from inside the Sato pillbox.

"I say we just leave him down there," Mike joked to Ryan. "We should just let him sweat it out."

"Nice," said Ryan, "But I want that food. Sorry but I'd rather eat."

"This is for reward!" announced Jeff. "First one to release your soldier from inside will win the barbecue."

He looked over at the Kamiyas. The four of them surrounded their pillbox, as Mike held a big iron hammer in his hands. The Kamiyas were ready to go.

Jeff looked over at the Satos. They also surrounded their pillbox, with young Hogan on hammer patrol for his team. They looked pumped and ready.

"Survivors ready... -GO-!"

"Give me a screwdriver!" came a muffled voice from inside the Kamiya pillbox. It was Matt, and he had already seen several struts holding the roof in place from the inside. His keen eyes had already spotted the best way to tear this thing open, as his hand reached out through the small turret hole in front. Isabella reached down to hand him a screwdriver and now Matt was gone, bending down to start unscrewing things.

"Unscrew it from inside!" yelled Amy from the other side. She had heard Matt's request and immediately knew what he was up to. She saw Joni hand a screwdriver to Lance and now the game was on. Now Lance was unscrewing bolts from the inside. And as he and Matt worked... both teams started to pry at the metal covering on the outside of their pillbox... trying to see how much they could force the metal.

"We have to pop open that plate," said Mike, as he pointed out a thin strip of metal to the Kamiyas. "That holds the whole bottom part shut."

Mike's sharp eye for mechanics had already found the pillbox weakness, and he watched as Beth and Ryan started working to pry apart the baseplate. And at that moment-- from inside the Kamiya pillbox-- Matt let out an excited cry.

"I got one of the struts off! There's only three more! The roof is probably loose!"

"Okay, hang on," said Mike. "Stand back, I'm gonna pop it."

The Kamiyas all stepped back as their big man took the large iron hammer in his hands. He smiled as he brought it up above his head... and then straight down like a circus strongman.

-CLANG-!

The head of the hammer rammed into the metal roof of the pillbox with a loud crash. It made a small dent... and the roof shuddered... but nothing moved.

"Gotta pry it apart more first," said Jeff, "But Kamiya making good progress."

He went over to check the Sato pillbox.

Hogan appeared to be calling the shots for the green side. He wasn't as vocal as Mike, but appeared to be the most mechanically inclined one of the bunch. He was helping Joni to pry open some rivets on the left side, as the two teenagers struggled with a ferocious determination to get this thing open.

"I can't see very well in here!" said Lance, from the inside. "What am I supposed to be opening?"

"Look for one of the struts!" said Amy, "Matt was opening a strut!"

And as the Satos struggled, a second -CLANG- came from the Kamiya side. Mike had brought the hammer down a second time, and had left an impressive dent in the roof of the Kamiya pillbox. His team cheered as Mike brought the hammer up for a third time, ready to strike.

"We got the rivets off!" said Hogan, as he pointed out the spot that Joni needed to open next. She scrambled to the right side as Christopher moved to help her. The Satos were actually ahead at the moment, due mainly to Hogan and Joni, but they were clearly less mechanically inclined than their Kamiya opponents. It was obvious in the way Amy kept listening to hear what Matt was yelling... or the confusing instructions Lance was yelling out from the inside.

"Unscrew the bolts over here!"

"Over where??" asked Christopher. "We can't see you!"

"Just hit it with the hammer! Try to dent it!"

Amy heard this and tried to lift the hammer. She tried, and did pretty well, but she just wasn't cut out for the strongman duty. Hogan reached over and snatched it out of her hands, and then went to stand next to the pillbox.

"Lance, get back, I'm gonna hit it!"

Hogan raised the hammer over his head, his arms and face reddening with the effort.

-CLANG!-

Mike's hammer blow came just before Hogan's, as the two musclemen paired off yet again. And as with challenges past, this one was going to come down to the two of them. And Mike was making an impressive dent in the roof of the Kamiya fortress by now. His team cheered him on with each hit, as the big guy smashed his hammer down again and again, with seemingly more effort each time. Hogan was doing his best to keep up... but Mike simply appeared to just want it more. Mike just didn't seem to get tired.

"Mike, stop!"

It was Matt, from inside the Kamiya pillbox.

"I got the second strut loosened! Just hit it on the right side, there's nothing supporting it anymore!"

The Satos looked on in dismay as Mike had reduced the roof of the Kamiya pillbox pretty much to scrap metal. And while Hogan had made several medium sized dents in Sato's, he just wasn't getting much help from Lance on the inside... or from any of his teammates for that matter. The Satos seemed to have given up, although Joni was frantically trying to loosen as many rivets as she could by herself.

"Kamiya," said Jeff, "Getting close. We could be all done in a matter of seconds."

Beth came over to help Mike with the final hammer blow, and the two of them smashed it down onto the right side of the pillbox. The metal of the roof crumpled instantly, with an agonizing squeal, and suddenly sunlight poured into the Kamiya pillbox. Isabella and Ryan hugged one another happily as Beth moved over with a crowbar to pry the rest of the hole apart.

And just like that, it was over.

A sizeable hole was now punched in the roof and Matt's smiling face finally appeared. He grinned as Mike and Beth helped him up and out... and now he was free. Kamiya had won yet again.

"Kamiya! Wins reward!"

Matt and Mike exchanged a hug and a high five as Jeff went over to congratulate them. And as with the fishing challenge, Mike had again been the man of the hour. The big man was mobbed by his happy tribe.

"Nice job, guys," said Jeff. "You guys will be having a barbecue tomorrow. And you get to invite one member of the Satos to spend the day with you. So take a minute and pick."

"Can Michelle come too?" asked Beth.

"No, I'm sorry. Michelle will stay at camp by herself. You can only pick a Sato."

And with that, Jeff went over to free Lance from the Sato pillbox. The pre-school teacher came out, dejectedly, as his tribe stood around and looked embarrassed. They had put on a miserable showing, and they knew it. This challenge had simply been a mismatch.

"Sorry guys," said Jeff, "But the -good- news is... one of you will be eating with the Kamiyas tomorrow. One of you will be spending the whole day with Kamiya."

"Really?" asked Lance. "Who?"

"It's their choice," shrugged Jeff.

And deep down, all the Satos knew it was going to be Christopher. This much wasn't even in question-- three Kamiyas were going to vote for Christopher and that would be that.

But as Mike stepped forward to deliver the tribe's choice, everybody was stunned at the words that came out of his mouth. Even Mike appeared to be a bit stunned by this selection.

"Amy," he said. "Amy will be eating with us tomorrow."

"Really?" asked a delighted Amy. And she looked genuinely surprised. -Why me?-

"Alright," smiled Jeff. "I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow. Kamiya, Amy, you guys will meet here first thing in the morning for the big feast. And it will last -all- day, so be prepared to be away from camp all day."

"So Michelle will be stuck at Kamiya all alone?" asked a surprised Beth.

"That's correct," grinned Jeff. "I hope she can find something to do, cause she'll be there by herself all day."






DAY 17




The barbecue feast took place on the island of Tomi, a small strip of land off the eastern coast of Okinawa. And it began at dawn, so the Kamiyas hadn't had much of a chance to update Michelle before they left. They simply said their goodbyes, trudged off towards a waiting boat, and now they were here.

Though some of them were annoyed about the fact that Amy would be the one joining them.

"I'm a bit upset right now," confessed Mike, as he walked along the beach. He was scanning the horizon was he walked, watching for Amy's approaching boat. "And it's mostly because Ryan kind of railroaded us into choosing Amy. I didn't like the way he did it and I don't think it was a smart move at all. It's -way- too much of a risk to let Beth and Matt hook up with her again." And now he looked anguished. "Ryan, what were you thinking?"

The vote to bring Amy here had gone almost exactly as everyone expected. Mike had voted to bring Christopher... simply because Chris was a Kamiyan. Isabella had voted Christopher, for the same reasons. And Matt and Beth, of course, had voted for Amy. That was pretty much a no-brainer.

And then came Ryan.

"You know guys," Ryan had smiled, as he put his arms around the shoulders of Matt and Mike, "I think I like the idea of meeting one of the Satos. Let's be wild and go for Amy. My vote is for her."

And as a shocked Mike looked on, that had been that. The final vote had been 3 to 2... and Amy Twieg was now on her way to share their feast.

"This was a mistake," Mike shook his head now. And he meant it too. He felt an ominous sense of dread about today's barbecue. He knew only bad things could come from this. Amy, with 24 hours of free access to the Kamiyan prisoners? Not good. Not good at -all-.

"If we had to take a Sato," Mike added, "We should have picked Lance the outsider or Hogan the puppy." And he sighed. "And at the very least we should have all voted the same way. Ryan made us look like fools."

But Ryan, of course, pretty much had his own agenda at all times... and this choice had been no different. In his mind, it was -obvious- why they wanted Amy here today.

"The strategy behind the Amy pick," he smiled in a confessional, "Was pretty much based on Sun Tzu's "know your enemy" policy. Because we -know- Chris. Besides, we wouldn't be able to get much information out of him anyway... not with Beth and Matt here. So bringing him here would have been a waste." He shrugged. "So why not invite someone useful instead? After all, Amy's the biggest threat over there, that much is obvious. So let's bring her over... and watch Beth and Matt fall over themselves trying to keep all their stories straight. Personally, I think that would be a lot of fun."

And then he grinned.

"And of course I could -always- cash in a favor down the road with Beth or Matt should I need it. After all, I voted to bring their best friend along. I'm just a nice guy! You'd think they would -love- to repay the favor later on down the road."

And the final Kamiyan to comment on the choice was Isabella, who stood on the southern shore of Tomi, alone. She stared out at sea, the wind whipping through her blonde hair, as she watched for signs of an approaching boat. And truth be told, she was excited to meet somebody new. She was thrilled about meeting the competition. She was very much looking forward to being face to face with the oft-discussed Amy.

Finally, it was time for the two females to meet.

"Ryan is up to something," she smiled, "But you know that's pretty much a given. He wouldn't be Ryan if he wasn't trying to pull something sneaky," She stood with arms crossed now, feeling the cool ocean breeze caress her face. And she loved it out here. As with in Tonga, she had truly made this her place now. Okinawa and the Pacific Ocean had already made themselves her home.

"My first choice for the barbecue was Chris. And not because I like him, but because he just made the most sense." She smirked. "But then Ryan decided he wanted to play mister nice guy and vote with the Satos." She paused now, finally letting out a short laugh. "It doesn't surprise me, because he likes to think of himself as their benevolent protector. So of course he would do something like this, just to gain brownie points with them. That's just the way Ryan plays."

And now she saw the boat. She was the first one to see a speedboat approaching Tomi from the south. Amy was just about here. So Isabella raised her hand, waving happily.

"So Amy's coming now. And on some level, you do have to hand it to Ryan. He definitely -thinks- he knows what he's doing, and I admire his attempts to win the Satos over."

She paused, then slowly grinned.

"But what he doesn't realize is that -I'm- the benevolent protector around here, not him. There can only be one of us, and he'll never be more than a little weasel. And whatever the reason he gives us, I just know he's up to something... and I don't like it."

She saw Amy now and called out, waving happily. Amy saw her and smiled and waved as well. It looked like the introductions were about to begin.

"I think Amy coming here," Isabella added, softly, "Was nothing more than Ryan's selfish desire to try and weasel his way in with her. And it's somehow managed to outweigh his "that would be a dumbass move" common sense." She shrugged. "Oh well. What's done is done, and now I'll just make the best of it." Then she added happily, "Besides, if I wanted to use this against him later, it certainly wouldn't be that hard. The Kamiyans are already looking for a reason to hate him."

She giggled to herself, softly.

"So thank you, Weasel. You just made my job a heck of a lot easier."


^^


And though Amy would be having the time of her life hanging out with Kamiya, she was blissfully unaware that strange things were afoot back at camp Sato. She had no idea that Christopher had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a few days now.

And Amy was completely unaware this had been a -bad- day to leave home.

"What I found out this morning," Chris smiled, as he sat under a tree, "Was that Amy's been a -little- more sneaky than she likes to let on. And I suspected it all along, but Hogan today confirmed it. Finally, I got the proof I was looking for."

The conversation Chris was referring to had happened just after breakfast, as he and Hogan had gone for a walk. Because Chris had been getting closer and closer to the earnest young Eagle Scout lately, for strategic reasons. He knew that Hogan would be an important swing vote down the road... and he had wanted to gain his trust. And even though Joni could guarantee that Hogan would be on board, Chris had wanted to make sure. For himself.

"I just wanted to tell you something," Chris had said, as he walked alone with Hogan, "And it's that Amy has made me -very- nervous lately. She's acting weird."

"Yeah," nodded Hogan. "I noticed."

"Ever since she saw Michelle whisper to me," Chris added, "She's gotten all panicky, and I don't like it." He looked over at Hogan. "And you know... the thought of her spending all day with Kamiya scares the hell out of me."

"Well you know I've never trusted her much," said Hogan. "She's sneaky."

"She'll do -anything- to stay in this game," added Chris.

And that was when Hogan had finally confirmed his suspicions. That was when Hogan dropped the bombshell.

"You know," smiled Hogan, "That Amy made a final three deal with me and Lance. Just a few days ago. Did you know that?"

"What??" Chris feigned surprise.

"Yeah," nodded Hogan. "She was worried that you and Joni couldn't be trusted so she went with me and Lance instead. She's not planning on sticking with the Core."

"That's terrible," Chris said, acting hurt. "Why would she do that?"

Hogan shrugged.

"Well I hate to tell you this..." Chris added, with a slight grin on his face, "But Amy has a final three deal with me and Joni too. She's already told me she'll ditch you and Lance at the merge,"

"What?" Now it was Hogan's turn to look surprised. And Chris knew he had him. As with so many times before, Christopher Collins was about to work his magic.

"I swear to God," Chris said. "Amy's trying to play both sides. She's got a deal with us and she's got a deal with you. Hell she's probably got a deal with Beth and Matt! And she could be making a deal with Ryan or Mike today. She makes deals with everyone!"

And he could see from the look on Hogan's face that the kid was upset. Hogan didn't like hearing this.

"Tell me something," said Chris, as he stopped walking, "How close are you to Sato?" He scanned the kid's face. "How close are you to them, really? Would you stick with Sato all the way to the end?"

"The only one I like is Lance," said Hogan. "He's the only person I've ever trusted here... well besides you and Joni. Lance is the only Sato I really care about."

"What about Beth or Matt?"

"I hate Matt," glared Hogan. "He was always an ass around camp and he wouldn't even talk to me. I hope Kamiya votes him off."

"And Beth?"

"Beth is just a weird old hag."

Chris laughed, in spite of himself. Hogan just had an interesting way of phrasing things sometimes.

"Well those are Amy's closest allies," Chris said. "Her two best friends in the game have no use for you and you know it. If you stick with Sato, those three will get rid of you as soon as they can. You're too strong, you'll be too much of a threat!"

"So what do you want me to do?" asked a suspicious Hogan.

"I think we need to get rid of Amy," said Chris. "And I know she's probably our most valuable member but we're getting to the point in the game now where we need to get rid of the schemers."

"Yeah."

"And I've given you my word, Hogan. You, me and Joni stick together and I think we can all make the final three." But he saw the look of wariness in the kid's eyes, and he knew Hogan was worried. "Hogan, look. If you come with me and Joni, I can guarantee Kamiya won't vote you out after the merge. I will do everything in my power to help you out."

"Lance too?"

"Yeah," smiled Chris, "Lance too. If you and Lance help us out, I can promise you protection for you both. I have some sway over Emma and Michelle, I know I can get them on our side."

"Well, let me think about it."

"No problem," smiled Chris. Then he shook his head again. "But I'm just so disappointed in Amy right now. I hate to bring it up... but I am. I really expected more from her, especially with her being religious and all. I didn't expect her to play like this."

"Yeah I know," nodded Hogan, "She's a bad egg."

And that was the point when Chris finally suggested the plan. This was where he would be making or breaking this game for the Angels. This was where he would be getting rid of Amy, and sparing Michelle. All in one fell swoop.

"Oh!" he said, appearing surprised, "I just realized something. Hogan, we need to lose this next challenge! We need to throw it!"

So that had been that. The conversation with Hogan had happened two hours ago, followed by a similar conversation with Joni. And like with Hogan, Chris had managed to change -some- of the details for Joni's ears... just as a little extra insurance.

"Amy wants to throw the challenge tomorrow," he explained to Joni, "And get rid of one of us. Hogan just told me. She plans to hook up with Beth and Matt after the merge and this is the only way to save them. Joni, we have to do something!"

And Joni, of course, had been shocked. She hadn't expected this kind of behavior from Amy. But then again, she didn't doubt it was true. Chris never lied to her. She knew he wouldn't be making something like this up.

"We need to throw this challenge!" Chris implored. "And I know I said I would never do something like that, but we need to do it. We don't have any other choice!"

"That sucks," sighed Joni. "I don't want to throw anything!"

"Nor do I," he said, looking pained. "But just trust me on this one. We -need- to lose tomorrow. And we -need- to get rid of Amy. Who knows how many side deals she's making today with the Kamiyans? For all we know she could be hooking up with Ryan and Mike!"

So of course Joni had been on board too. Begrudgingly, against every instinct in her body, she agreed to throw the challenge. And now Christopher was set. He had Hogan mad at Amy. He had Joni mad at Amy. And he had the majority of Sato votes ready for tomorrow's vote. He didn't yet know -why- Michelle had asked him to save her, but he knew he was now in a position to do it.

He was going to save his best friend in the game, and he was going to do it in style.

And as Chris sat under the tree, he smiled happily. Things were going perfectly well in Okinawa, and seeing Michelle yesterday had given him the boost he needed to get his head back into the game. That had been the extra incentive he had needed to take this thing to the end.

"Seeing Michelle yesterday," he grinned, "Was without a doubt my absolute -HAPPIEST- moment in this game. The only other moment that even came -close- was booting Henry. And I’ve hated being apart from her so much. We bonded on day one and she is still my partner to the end. We created the Angels’ Alliance, managed to outwit the boys... and Mich is my girl! Naughty Hotties Forever!"

He beamed now, happily. He was still so very proud of his Angels.

"When Michelle looked in my eyes and made the Charlie’s Angels reference, it was pure euphoria. I was ecstatic that she missed us just as much– I could just see it in her eyes. And since she always covers my back, I've vowed to cover hers. When she asked me to save her... well by God I intend to do it. So don't take it personally Amy, but this is between you and Mich... and you simply have to go."

Chris laughed now.

"You should have seen Joni and me sneaking off after Michelle's visit. We had our own little private celebration in the woods, where we just hugged each other and jumped up and down. We couldn't stop yelling, we were so excited!"

Chris frowned slightly now, thinking forward to what still had to be done.

"So when Amy gets back tomorrow, she's going to be in for a hell of a surprise. But it's her own damn fault because she's been acting so squirrelly lately. She's been acting weird ever since Michelle's visit." He started naming off points on his fingers. "She didn't like Michelle's whispers. She didn't like hearing that David acted like an asshole on Kamiya. She didn't like hearing that Matt and Mike had hooked up. And she doesn't like that Joni and Hogan are so close." He grinned. "Well too damn bad! I've worked -hard- to lay the groundwork for a Kamiya win – one of the Angels- and I’m not going to cry over anyone’s departure, unless it’s one of my girls. And don’t get me wrong – I like Amy... but seeing Michelle's happy face just served to remind me where my real allegiances lie in this game... and they are -NOT- with Sato!"

And though Chris was euphoric, he was still a bit guilty about one aspect of this plan. Despite the fact that it was all to save Michelle... there was one person he felt bad about deceiving. Because deep down, Chris -did- have a heart. And he knew that in the long run, Hogan was likely to get hurt.

No matter what, Hogan was somehow going to be hurt.

"The funniest thing about this game," he said, "Is that it deposits you in the middle of nowhere, with limited supplies, no food... and people you would likely -NEVER- talk to in real life: Republicans, computer nerds, Mormons, homophobes..." He nodded. "Take Hogan, for example. Hogan is someone I would -never- talk to in real life. I mean, the kid's a fucking young republican from Kansas. He's probably never seen a gay person in his life! Nor do I think he even realizes I'm gay."

Chris smiled.

"But deep down, I kind of like the kid. He's great if you really get to know him. Plus he always makes me laugh... once you get used to the way he talks."

Chris laughed again, almost giggly. Because Hogan's vocabulary really did crack him up sometimes.

"Hogan loves to call people "ho." That's his favorite word. And Henry, of course, was the biggest ho-- at least until Murtz came along. I think Murtz is currently the biggest ho, although after today I imagine Amy will be a big ho as well." He shrugged. "Hogan used to call people douches, but he seems to have moved past that. Maybe War and Peace is expanding his vocabulary a little." Chris grinned. "He's on page 440, you know, did you hear? But yeah, if Hogan calls you a ho, it's over."

Chris smiled.

"And Hogan, I hate to do this to you buddy. I know you trust me and I know you've got the hots for Joni, but please realize that this can't possibly end well for you down the road. You're being played and I hate to do it, but just realize it was only to save the Angels."

He then paused.

"And at the reunion show, feel free to call me a ho. I know I've earned it."


^^


As her destruction was being planned behind her back, Amy truly was having a wonderful time at the barbecue. In this case, ignorance truly -was- bliss, and she was loving every minute of it.

"This has been a blast," she said, as she finally pulled away for her first confessional, "I've been like a kid in a candy store today, I don't know who to talk to first!"

Amy's first mission upon arrival had been to say hello to Isabella. The two women had greeted each other with a hug, both of them sizing up the competition at first glance. The two of them talked for a long while and-- true to form-- both had been exceedingly friendly to one another. Amy had been -so- cheery, in fact, that Isabella didn't much care for it. She knew right away that Amy was not to be trusted.

"Amy's as nice as Beth and Matt described her," she would later say, "But I'm very cautious of her. When she talks she'll prod you ever so delicately for information. And I have to say I admire how she does it, but I just don't like her personally. She's got a hidden agenda... and she's going to be trouble."

But for appearance sake, Isabella was all smiles for now. Because-- as Emma-- she was -more- than happy to see someone new around camp.

"Well I'll show you around," she said, taking Amy's hand. "And you'll love the Kamiyas. Everybody's real nice! They've all been dying to meet you!"

So Amy had made her introductions and met them all. Mike, Ryan and-- of course-- her old buddies Matt and Beth. And she could see that Beth was practically floating on air right now, she was so excited. Beth and Amy exchanged knowing smiles-- as they hadn't been allowed to speak privately yet. But that would come, Amy would make sure of it.

"On behalf of all the Kamiyans," Mike greeted her, "Welcome to the feast, Amy. We've heard a lot about you."

He smiled, though Amy groaned.

"Oh crap," she laughed.

"No, no," smiled Mike, "It's been all good from Beth and Matt, though I personally heard a few... not so nice... things from Henry."

Amy rolled her eyes. Uh oh.

"So are you really the Anti-Christ?" asked Mike. "Because Henry seemed very insistent about it."

"Let's just say..." started Amy, "...That Henry and I had very different career paths in this game. And that we butted heads a few times. And we'll leave it at that."

"Plus Henry wanted to get in her pants," added Matt, "And she said no."

"Ah," smiled Ryan. And at that the young man with the aqua eyes extended his hand. "Any enemy of Henry is a friend of mine." And his eyes gleamed with delight at the prospect of having yet another puppet. "I'm Ryan."

"Hi Ryan," she smiled, shaking his hand. "I've heard a lot about you too!"

And she met his smile with one of her own. It was a simple one, one that said "I don't trust you at all, buddy. Don't even start with me, 'cause I've been warned."

And with that, the mindgames were about to begin.


^^


Most of the conversations for the day were pretty standard stuff-- people just making small talk over platters and platters of roasted pork and barbecued burgers. It was clear that everyone was trying to milk Amy for info-- as she was trying to do to them-- but for the most part it was a pretty mundane event.

Until, of course-- Beth and Matt excused themselves to step away.

"Excuse me, guys," said Amy, as she politely walked away from the group as well. She started trailing after Matt and Beth.

"Should we let her?" asked Ryan. He looked at Isabella and Mike.

"Eh," shrugged Mike. "Let 'em talk. We'll be here all day, it'll happen eventually." He grinned. "Besides, they're just gonna squeal to Amy that you and I are enemies. Let them do the dirty work, spare us the effort."

So Amy and the Satos finally got their reunion.

"I missed you -sooo- much," said Beth, as she hugged Amy happily. "I never want you to go away again!"

The three Satos had wandered off to the southern end of the island and here they stood, all alone.

"I missed you guys too," said Amy, tears in her eyes. "How have you been?"

"Not bad, Mrs. R," said a somewhat teary Matt. Even the goofy teenager was a bit moved by the moment, and that didn't happen much. He was really happy to see Amy again.

"You know Matt," smiled Amy, "I -even- missed that name. I never thought I'd say it, but I missed you calling me Mrs. Robinson!"

"How are things at Sato?" whispered Beth. "Is everything still cool?" She looked concerned. "Are you safe?"

"Yeah," nodded Amy. "Don't worry about it. I've got things under control." And she smiled as she detailed her plan. "I've got a final three deal with Lance and Hogan-- I'm actually tighter with those two than you'd think. And Joni and Chris think I'm with them, plus they're antsy to get rid of Lance anyway. So I'm not really a target right now."

"What are the two of them like?" asked Matt. "Are they cool?"

"Chris is fantastic," grinned Amy. "He's a lot of fun. And Joni's really sharp. She's a big threat, mostly because nobody sees her as one."

"So what happens if Sato goes to Tribal Council?"

"We can't," smiled Amy. "Or all my plans will fall apart. We have to win tomorrow, because I don't want to have to choose."

"Wow, look at that," smiled an impressed Matt, "Amy in charge of her own little queendom."

"Not a queendom, per se..." grinned Amy, "We'll just call it an insurance policy. I'm safe right now and that's -huge.-"

"But if you have to vote?" prodded Beth, "Who would it be? Which side would you pick?"

"I'd vote for Chris. I don't want it to come to that though. I'd rather have us all make the merge."

Beth nodded, satisfied.

"You should have seen Matt celebrate when Henry was voted out," she said. "He was so happy. We were -both- happy."

"I danced," deadpanned Matt, "Wildly."

Amy laughed.

"Well how about you guys?" she asked. "How are things at Kamiya?" She bit her lip. "I heard David was acting weird before he left. That sounded horrible."

"Yeah," nodded Beth. "It was weird. He started acting like a jerk, an absolute, total jerk. Right before the vote, he totally made himself a target and got Mike to flip on him. I'm still a little upset about it. I don't know what he was thinking."

"That stinks," sighed Amy. "Poor David. And what -is- Mike like, anyway? He's a hard one to get a read on."

"Mike's a kissass," said Matt, "He'll kiss your ass to be your friend. But if you cross him, he'll kick your ass instead. He's been after me for a few days now."

"Why?"

"He thinks I attacked his gnome."

Amy giggled, but quickly shut up. Because she could see that Matt wasn't kidding. Matt was being completely serious.

"Mike is the next target," said Beth. "The Kamiyas all want him gone, so I think we're safe for now. He and Ryan have never gotten along."

"For real?"

"I think," said Beth. "It could be an act, but it would have to be a pretty good one. I've never seen any reason to think otherwise." She then smiled. "Ryan all but promised me yesterday that Mike would go before me. He said he'd never write down my name on a ballot."

"Do you trust him?"

"Of course not!"

"Good," smiled Amy. "That's my Beffy!" Beth beamed. "You know," Amy continued, "Ryan tried to make a deal with me too, not more than an hour ago. He said the two of us should cover each other's backs after the merge."

"He's a little shit," said Matt, "Don't believe him."

"Oh I won't," smiled Amy. "Besides, Chris already warned me about him. So I was prepared." She then paused. "But is it true he was the one who voted for me to come here?"

"Yup."

"Strange," mused Amy. But then she realized she had forgotten somebody. "So what's Emma like, guys? Is she really as meek and friendly as she comes off?"

"Emma's really sweet," said Beth. "If the Kamiyas are acting like jerks she'll come up later and apologize. I think she feels bad for us. She doesn't seem to like them much."

"Do you think she'd ever vote against them?"

"Doubtful," said Matt. "She's nice but she's not very strategic. She's just kind of there. Kind of like Vecepia."

"I call her Amber," smiled Beth. "Because Vecepia won, and Emma isn't going to. Amber fits her better."

Amy laughed.

"Well I hate to go back," she said, "But I don't think we should hang out here too long. I don't want them to get suspicious."

And so with one final group hug, the Satos left to go back to the group. But this had been nice. It had been something all three of them had been needing-- just a little reconnection to their early alliance. And they expected to all meet up again after the merge. After all, that had always been the plan. Beth, Matt and Amy-- together to the end.

But the three of them didn't count on one thing.

They had no idea this was the last time they would ever be together in this game.


^^


The barbecue lasted for the rest of the day, until Amy had to leave around sunset. And as she said her goodbyes, Amy felt Beth clinging to her in a hug. Beth simply didn't want to let go. It was as if she knew something bad was about to happen.

"Don't go back," said Beth, "Just stay with us. Come to Kamiya!"

"I can't," joked Amy. "And I love you too Beth, but I need to get going. I'll be fine and so will you. I'll see you in two days."

She hugged Matt goodbye and she was struck by how quiet the kid was being. Usually Matt couldn't shut up. But today he was unnaturally silent.

"I'll see you soon," she whispered, "Stick with Emma and Michelle, don't trust the guys."

"You be safe," said Matt, and he definitely looked sad to see her go.

Then Amy moved on to Isabella, who stood watching with a big smile on her face.

"I enjoyed meeting you, Emma," smiled Amy. And the two women exchanged a hug.

"It's been great!" lied Isabella. "Tell everyone hi for me. Tell Lance and Hogan I wish I could have met them too!"

"Will do!"

Amy said her goodbyes to Mike, who picked her up in a big bearhug. And she could see for herself how strong the guy was. Up close, the guy was simply enormous.

"Henry's full of crap," said Mike. "I think you're alright. Have a good trip back."

"Well thank you Mike," said Amy, genuinely touched.

And then she moved on to Ryan. The charming young man from Canada smiled and took her hand in his. Then he leaned down and kissed it, as a medieval knight would.

"Travel safe, m'lady," he mock-bowed. "For we have enjoyed your company immensely. Please do come again."

"Why thank you," Amy mock-curtseyed. "And does his nobleness have any messages for me to bring to Sato?"

"Yeah," grinned Ryan. "Give Hogan a hug for me. Tell him I say thanks and then wink... then refuse to elaborate further. It'll drive him nuts."

Amy laughed.

"Okay, okay. Well thanks everyone. Thanks for all the food, I'll see you at the challenge! Thank you so much for inviting me!"

And as she stepped aboard a waiting speedboat, she turned back to wave. And the last thing she saw as she pulled away from shore was Beth, waving sadly and looking very sad. But then she was off to sea. Amy's boat sped across the water, taking her back to Sato. Her pack was empty, as she had not been allowed to take back any food, but she was happy. Because today had been a great day. Today had been one of the best days of her life, and she was smiling from ear to ear.

Especially because she had -no- idea what was waiting for her back at camp.


^^


The two tribes got ready to turn in for the night, with Kamiya coming home to finally see their lonely tribesmate back at camp. And the tribe in yellow had come back to greet an angry and -very- restless Michelle. Because she had -hated- being stuck here alone. It had affected her much more than she had expected... being stuck here with the gnome as her only companion. As with her fateful walk through the jungle yesterday, Michelle didn't handle being alone very well. And if anything... today's isolation had just managed to make her -more- paranoid that Kamiya would somehow turn on her... if that was even possible.

"This is the last fucking time," she stated, only half-joking, "That I volunteer to sit out a challenge. I mean it. I was so freaking bored here!! And this was supposed to be a reward??"

But despite it all, she was greatly thrilled to see her tribe back. All of them, even Matt. Though she wasn't thrilled when she found out that Amy had been their dinner guest.

"What??" she hissed.

"I'm serious," Mike said. "Ryan voted to bring Amy along. And then he was flirting with her the whole time too. It made me nervous."

And Isabella, of course, was only happen to fan this fire.

"I was scared too," she said, looking concerned. "Ryan acted like he was her best friend the whole time. It worried me, he wouldn't even talk to me."

"Goddamnit," seethed Michelle, and Isabella could see she had pushed the right buttons. Michelle was already looking for a reason to fear Ryan... and now she suddenly had it.

"I hope that he wasn't making a deal with Amy," worried Isabella, "Because he knows everything about us. He could have told her everything!"

And on that note, Kamiya turned in for the night.


^^


Over at Sato, Amy had more or less come back to a silent treatment-- though she didn't even realize it. She was so blissfully happy over seeing Beth and Matt that her head was a bit in the clouds. She hadn't even realized that nobody was really talking to her.

She didn't realize that Hogan hated her guts right about now.

She didn't realize that Christopher and Joni were preparing to throw tomorrow morning's immunity challenge.

And she especially didn't realize that Lance was now in on it as well. She didn't notice that he was staring at her from across the camp, a look of utter shame in his eyes. Because he was disappointed in her. He was so very -very- disappointed that Amy had tried to double cross him. Not Amy! Anyone but Amy!

"Hogan," he had asked, just before Amy returned, "Chris told me that Amy's been making side deals with everyone. That she had a final three deal with Chris and Joni as well as with us. Is this true?"

"Yeah," nodded Hogan. "It's true. Joni confirmed it."

"Well that saddens me," said a morose-looking Lance, "I expected more from her, you know? She's the last person I thought would do this."

"We just have to vote her out," shrugged Hogan. "We'll probably lose tomorrow anyway. No big loss."

"Well it is to -me-," sighed Lance. "It seems like every day, I learn something new. Something I thought was real turns out to be fake." He sighed again. "Like Amy. I thought she was someone special."

"Well she's a ho too," spat Hogan. "They all are. Nobody's any different. Everybody's a liar."

And as Lance stared at the smiling face of Amy Twieg, he suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He just couldn't stand it. He had to get away. So he slunk off down to the beach, looking miserable. Lance looked like his world had fallen apart-- and in a certain sense, it had. Out of all the people in the game, he hadn't expected to be lied to by Amy. He hadn't seen this one coming at all. Why did it always have to be like this?

"Right now," he admitted, as he sat alone, "I'm a little depressed. It turns out one of my closest friends in this game has lied to me and used me, just like everyone else. And it's getting to the point now where I'm really just kind of tired of it all."

He sighed.

"And the problem is that my team wants to throw the challenge tomorrow. They want to throw it and toss Amy... and I don't really think I can do that." He glared at the ocean as he spoke. "Because no matter what Amy has done to us, or said about us, I'm not prepared to send Sato to Tribal Council again. I'm sorry but this team isn't going to lose any more challenges. Not on my watch. You don't win a game by losing, that may be just me, but I don't throw challenges. If you're gonna win a game, you win it on the field of battle. You win it with -honor-."

He looked up to the sky,

"Because no matter what Amy might have done... I can't forget all the crushing blows that Kamiya has delivered to us. Murtz barely nudging me out with the puzzle in the first challenge. Ryan beating Henry by seven seconds in the first reward challenge. Michelle delivering the final, crushing blow to my armor in Kendo Wars. And finally-- Kamiya fishing out less statues than us, but having the four to start with, and thus prevailing."

He clutched his green buff in his hand as he spoke now. Because he wasn't going to lose tomorrow. No way, Lance wasn't going to let Sato lose again. Not to Kamiya. Never.

"It seems like -every- time that we need to win a challenge, we can't pull it out. But now, it all comes down to this one challenge. The last challenge before the merge."

He finally smiled now, faintly.

"When I was a kid, a buddy of mine would race me down Blueberry Street every day after school. He beat me -every- time. Except...this one day...I put everything I had into racing, and I finally beat him. I never beat him again, and I had never beaten him before. But there was always...that one time. No one can ever take that away from me, that one shining moment in the sun."

He paused, before finally speaking again.

"Sato needs to win this challenge, and we need to do it as a team. And I don't care what Amy's been up to, that doesn't matter. As of right now, she's a Sato, and Sato is going to win. We -need- to come together and prevail for the betterment of all on our tribe. Because even Amy deserves a chance."

He frowned, still saddened by it all.
"Even a liar deserves a chance to prove herself."




DAY 18




"The plan is still to throw it, right?"

Ryan Rebez asked the question as he and Mike walked to check treemail. But the answer shouldn't have been in doubt-- Kamiya had -always- planned to throw this challenge. The last challenge before the merge, one last chance to get rid of a Sato, a chance to ensure Kamiya would have the numbers advantage going into a merge... of -course- they were going to throw this challenge.

"Damn right," nodded Mike, "I don't see any reason why we'd want to win. It just doesn't make sense."

"I agree," nodded Ryan. "Good, so nothing's changed."

And as the two men continued their walk, they finally came to the treemail box. Mike reached inside and pulled out a delicate looking piece of wood. It was thin, almost like a strip of balsa wood. Mike then read the inscription out loud.

"-Build up to the skies...
But don't lose your cool.
It's harder than it might seem.

With steady hands and minds...
And nimble fingers to spare.
Work well...

... And you'll keep your whole team.-"

"What if we don't -want- to keep our whole team?" grinned Ryan.

Mike laughed.

"Have you talked to them lately?" asked Ryan, as he started the long walk back. "Beth and Matt I mean? What do they think?"

"They think that I'm trying to be their friend again. I think I've suckered them in... again."

"Do they know we're going to throw the challenge?" asked Ryan, quite interested in Mike's answer. Because this was the big one. A simple yes or no here was going to determine Ryan's next move.

"No," said Mike. "Well I told them you guys might, but I said I wouldn't. That seemed to ease their fears a bit."

"Good," smiled Ryan, "Very good."

And in Ryan's mind... the plan was now set. Mike had just told him what he needed to hear.

Operation "Frame Mike and Gain Favor with Sato" was just about ready to begin.

^^


"Kamiya is talking about throwing the challenge," Ryan panted, breathlessly, as he pulled Matt aside. And he looked like he had been running. Ryan was putting on a good show.

"Mike promised us it wouldn't be thrown," Matt said, suspiciously. "So did Emma." And he looked mad. "And if you guys are fucking with us again..."

"I swear I'm not!" gasped Ryan. "You have to believe me, Matt-- Mike is out of control. He's never been your friend, it's been an act since day one. He and I have always been enemies but you've picked the wrong side to ally with-- -He's- the bad guy! Not me!"

Matt still looked dubious.

"Look," said Ryan, "Didn't I promise Beth I wouldn't vote for her? Didn't I say I wanted Mike gone before either of you?"

"Yeah."

"Well trust me on this. Just -trust- me. I don't know how I can make you do it, but you'll see it's true. Just look for it at the challenge. -Mike is going to try to throw it!-"

Matt just glowered at him, not believing this at all. He had never trusted Ryan. No one did.

"I promise," said Ryan, raising his hand in a scout salute, "I promise Mike is gonna try to throw it and I know he's gonna try to get you guys out. But I won't let him. I'm not gonna throw the challenge... I'm not gonna vote for Beth... and I sure as hell won't vote for -you-." He paused again, catching his breath. "Mike is the asshole. You gotta believe me."

And as Matt weighed the options in his head, Ryan smiled inwardly. Because he knew what was going to happen now. Kamiya was going to throw the challenge today-- all of them except for Ryan, anyway. Because Ryan was telling the truth, of course. Ryan was just the messenger here! Don't shoot the messenger! And then suddenly Mike would look like crap. Oh... the Satos were going to -hate- Mike for this.

And with this, of course, would come the fallout. Ryan would suddenly gain a -lot- of favor with whichever Sato survived the vote. Or both of them... should Mike somehow get himself voted out.

"And even better," he would confess later, "I managed to get in good with Amy at the barbecue yesterday. So no matter who ends up making this merge... I'm gonna have a lot of friends out there."

He would smile.

"They may not know it yet, but pretty soon the Satos may very well be my -best- friends."


^^


And as Kamiya made their last-minute challenge preparations-- across the island things were a bit different. Over at Sato, Amy was still aglow over her big reunion at the feast last night. She was still floating on air.

She hadn't noticed that nobody had really talked to her yet. She attributed that to early morning grogginess.

She hadn't noticed that Lance wouldn't even look at her. He was too ashamed of her right now, so he had decided to go get treemail instead... just to avoid her.

She hadn't noticed the glum face on Joni all morning-- the telltale face of guilt. The face of someone already regretting what was about to happen. The face of regret.

And she hadn't noticed that Christopher seemed extra jovial and bouncy today. Later on, she would remember that he seemed particularly happy for some reason-- but for now she was pretty much lost in her thoughts. Lost in the clouds.

"Wow," she smiled, as she sat down next to a stream. And the girl known as "Sunny" -did- look particularly sunny today. She looked like she was on top of the world. "My head is still spinning from yesterday. So much to take in... so much at once!"

She smiled, happily, as she reminisced.

"It was -so- good to see Beth and Matt, and to see that they were okay. We had such an emotional reunion! It was almost sickening." She grinned, sheepishly. "I hope you guys didn't catch all that on camera."

She giggled.

"But they missed me, which was really good to see, and that was all that mattered to me. And it was funny how we picked right back up where we left off. It was like five minutes of uneasiness, and then it was happy times again. I just adore both of them, and I was -so- happy to see they are doing well."

She then darkened a bit.

"But... I was a bit troubled to see that they were making nice with the Kamiyas, especially Ryan. Because he's dangerous, and I'm not sure they really believe that. But all my suspicions of the guy were confirmed in about five minutes. Chris was right-- Ryan is trouble. He's nice... but he's trouble."

Amy shrugged.

"Yesterday was nice, especially because it reminded me where my true loyalties lie. Because while Hogan and Lance are a nice backup plan, that's all they are. Backup. My loyalty has -always- been to Matt and Beth and always will be." She then grinned. "Well okay, it's always been to -me- but we'll work on that part later."

She sighed now.

"But the problem is that I've got a bit of tangled web on my hands, without meaning to. I've got this Core agreement with Joni, Hogan and Chris-- which is nice, but holds no water for anybody. And then I've got my Sato alliance with Lance and Hogan." She sighed again. "But my real alliance is with Matt and Beth... and I don't want anybody to find that out. Because if Lance and Hogan find out, I'm in trouble."

She looked up now, as she saw Lance coming back with treemail. It looked like it was just about time to go.

"Luckily," she smiled, "None of us really has any stake in losing today's challenge. It's in none of our best interest, so I think I should be okay." She now paused... looked up... and said a short prayer. "But please please -please- let us win this one. I don't want to send Chris or Joni packing. I don't want to show that card in my hand just yet."


^^


The immunity challenge began just after breakfast.

"Come on in," said Jeff, as he welcomed the two teams to their mats. Kamiya on the left, Sato on the right. Same as always. Jeff then retrieved the immunity idol from a very cocky-looking Ryan.

"Immunity is once again... back up for grabs."

Jeff smiled at the two tribes, particularly the healthy looking Kamiyans on his left. They all looked fit and happy from the large influx of food yesterday. Well, all of them except Michelle. She just looked pissed. At challenges she -always- looked pissed.

And then Jeff looked at the sickly looking Satos to his right. Because the contrast between the two tribes was always rather startling. Kamiya always looked healthy and Sato always looked hungry. Joni, in particular, looked like a mere wisp of a player by this point.

"Your challenge today," smiled Jeff, "Will be based on concentration and having some -very- nimble fingers. And it's a game I like to call 'Paper Tower.'"

He reached down and picked up a white object. It was framed in a wooden border and looked very, -very- flimsy.

"This is a ricepaper tile. And by now you've probably seen a lot of the old temples and houses here in Okinawa. Well... most of them were constructed out of these things."

A few players nodded at this. They had seen many of the paper-walled houses on their initial trip to the island.

"Now this stuff," said Jeff, "-CAN- be a good all-purpose wall covering. It keeps the wind out, can keep a good deal of the heat in, and is very inexpensive and easy to make."

Then he smiled.

"But it is -NOT- very strong. Ricepaper tears easily, it's notoriously lightweight, and it can be -very- hard to piece together if you don't have careful hands. And that's what we'll be doing today."

Jeff picked up a second paper tile. He rotated it until he found a small notch in the wood, and then linked it to the other tile. The two tiles fit together now, one on top of the other, much like two Lincoln Logs.

"Your job today is to build a temple out of these. Both teams will have thirty-one tiles which, when fastened together, will make a small paper temple. And your temple will have -five- levels. One level made up of sixteen... then eight... then four... then two... then one final tile at the top." He smiled. "Your job today is to build your temple... then -LIFT- it up and carry it over to me. First tribe to bring me a completed temple wins immunity."

Jeff then placed his two-tiled creation down on the ground. He let go of it... and it immediately toppled over and collapsed.

"But be warned that these things are -incredibly- difficult to keep in place. You will have to use a -lot- of focus to keep these things steady, because one wrong move or air current can bring the whole thing tumbling down. And with that in mind..."

He grinned.

"It's time to build some temples."


^^


The two teams were now ready to go. They both surrounded their stacks of tile, as Jeff made sure everybody was in place. Beth stood off to the side, cheering, as she had been selected to sit out by the Kamiyas.

"This is for immunity," said Jeff. He paused. "Survivors ready... GO!"

Both teams dove into their piles, ten pairs of hands eagerly grabbing at the thin white objects as fast as they could. Both teams were frantically trying to fit pieces together, and it was readily clear that a little organization was going to be the key today. Nothing was going to happen with everybody scrambling all at once.

"Emma," said Mike, directing traffic for the Kamiyas, He wanted to make sure this challenge would be thrown, so he made sure two Kamiyans were in charge of building it. He didn't want Matt to have a chance to save himself. "Emma," he shouted, "You work on the base. You and Ryan. I'll take care of the next level."

"I'll help," said Matt, eagerly, as he gathered a few pieces up by himself. As Mike expected, he wasn't about to be pushed aside in this one. So Matt horned in with Ryan and Isabella... as the three of them started constructing the temple's base.

Besides, Matt was an -excellent- builder. This type of challenge was his specialty.

"There's gonna be sixteen tiles in the base!" he yelled, as he pointed out a few notches to Isabella. "Get these together and I'll work on getting it fastened on the ground."

The young redhead quickly moved from player to player, making sure all his teammates were working at full effort, making sure people were stacking their tiles together properly.

And then he saw Mike's pathetic effort.

"Mike!" he suddenly yelled, "That's gonna fall!"

And sure enough, the three pieces Mike were working on all came tumbling down. Mike cursed loudly, but deep down he laughed. -Yeah, good luck winning this thing, firehead. You're the only one here who wants to win. Nice try.-

"Give me those!" said Matt, surprising himself with his directness. Because he now knew Ryan had been right. Mike was trying to sabotage this. And in Matt's mind... that just wasn't cool. So he snatched the tiles from Mike's hands, catching the big man by surprise. And Matt went to work on the second level himself, as Mike stood off to the side, glaring.

"If you're gonna throw it," Matt hissed, quietly, "At least be a little more subtle about it, asshole."

And as Matt was doing his best to make up for Mike's sabotage, the Sato temple was coming along nicely. Amy and Lance already had much of the base, as they worked together like a machine. The two of them were working like an assembly line, Lance fastening the pieces together and Amy making sure everything was straight and steady.

And Amy hovered now over two pieces, her eyes locked in concentration, as she searched the base for any last points of weakness.

"It's good!" she announced, and Hogan gave her a high five. Now Lance moved in to fasten the last few pieces of the base... and within moments the Satos had it done. The sixteen-piece base of the temple was now fastened and secure.

"Sato with their base done!" announced Jeff, "They have the lead! Moving on to the second level!"

"Chris and Joni!" directed Amy, "Get the second level up there! Are you guys ready?"

And as Amy looked over, she was shocked by what she saw. On the ground sat Joni and Chris, both cross-legged. They were both just sitting there... and they had yet to even touch their eight pieces of tile.

"Guys!" Amy screamed, alarmed. But she hadn't yet connected it in her mind. She didn't realize this challenge was being thrown. "Lance," she yelled, "Go help them. We need it done, fast!"

And though Lance knew the challenge was being thrown, he had always vowed never to let his team lose again. The sportsman in him simply wouldn't let him. So though he saw a look of pure hatred on Chris's face... Lance ran over to help out. He would do this section himself if he had to.

And as Lance frantically sorted the second level of tile... the Kamiyas had finally caught up. They finally had their base constructed.

"Kamiya's base is up!" yelled Jeff.

Ryan and Isabella had finished it by themselves, as Mike looked on in horror. "Slow down, guys," he whispered to himself, "We're losing this, remember?" But apparently Ryan and Isabella weren't playing along. The two of them worked together happily, with Matt lending support. And now Matt worked on finishing the second level. He worked alone... as Michelle and Mike stood off to one side... doing little to help out. Suddenly Mike turned to Michelle. Suddenly he was worried.

"They aren't throwing it!" he hissed. "What are they doing??"

But Ryan was the one who troubled Mike the most. Ryan seemed to be doing the most work, as Isabella seemed more or less to be just helping him out. But Ryan... Ryan was the one who angered Mike the most. Ryan wasn't throwing this at all! He was screwing this up!

And now Ryan stood up. He walked over to Matt and clapped him on the back.

"I told you Mike was throwing it," he whispered. "You should believe me next time." He grinned. "And look, we're gonna win. Check it out."

Matt glanced over at the Satos and saw that their effort had fallen into chaos. Despite Lance's help, Joni and Christopher's section had now fallen apart completely. It looked like Christopher had somehow managed to bend one of the tiles. Amy yelled out in frustration, but suddenly the Satos were in trouble. Sato was now falling behind.

"Groovy," said Matt, and he laughed. And together, he and Ryan finished their work on the second level. Isabella did her best to keep the base secure... and soon Michelle begrudgingly came over to help out as well. Mike continued to stand off to one side, just glaring.

"Kamiya taking the lead," said Jeff, "Sato is struggling."

Lance had now taken over construction of the second level by himself. He yanked the paper tiles away from Joni and started fitting them together all by himself. Amy came over to join him and the Sato duo worked feverishly to make up the lost ground.

"Hogan!" yelled Lance, "Keep an eye on that base! Don't let it fall down!" Then he smirked before adding, "And don't let Chris or Joni near it."

"Ya!" yelled Hogan.

Amy and Lance started fitting pieces together now, glancing every so often over at the Kamiya temple. And they were dismayed to see that it kept getting bigger and bigger. Matt and Ryan had already finished the second level.

"Crap!" muttered Amy, as she looked for some help. But Chris and Joni weren't budging. She wasn't going to get any help from them.

And for Sato... time was starting to run out.

"I think the side is slipping," said Mike, over on the Kamiya side.

Matt took a glance, but saw nothing wrong with the structure. And he was already angry at Mike's betrayal, so what came out of his mouth was a little more harsh than he really intended.

"Sit down and shut up if you aren't gonna play," Matt fumed. "Go fuck your gnome."

At that, Matt got back to work. And by now, Kamiya knew they more or less had this in the bag. Ryan and Matt were proving to be expert builders, and they now polished off the third level. The Kamiya temple now stood about four feet high... and Michelle and Emma worked to hold the base in place below.

"Kamiya needs just three more tiles on the top," smiled Jeff. "Now we'll see what kind of concentration they have."

"Can you reach up there?" asked Michelle, and Matt simply nodded. He should be tall enough. So he reached down to pick up the last three tiles. He was going to do this himself. But to Matt's surprise, the tiles were already gone.

Ryan already held them in his hands.

"I got it," said Ryan. "Let me do it. I want to finish this sucker off." He then smiled. "Trust me, I want to win this. I won't let us lose."

Matt nodded nervously, as he stepped back. He didn't entirely trust Ryan yet... but so far Ryan had played nice. But it was a very tense moment as Ryan reached up to balance the final three tiles atop the temple.

Mike held his breath... hoping that Ryan would knock the entire thing to the ground.

Matt stared anxiously... aware that his future in this game probably rested in those three tiles. And in Ryan's hands.

Michelle stared at Ryan, confused. What the hell was he doing? They were supposed to lose this! She simply didn't have a clue what was going through Ryan's head right now. As usual.

And Isabella looked up from down below, as she held the base in place. And she actually smiled, impressed by the set of balls Ryan must have to pull this off. It took guts to do what he was planning, and she actually admired him for it. She still couldn't stand him, but she was impressed at how good he was making himself look right now.

And as Mike feared... Ryan placed all three tiles in their correct slots. Click. Click. Click.

Ryan Rebez had just completed the Kamiya temple.

"Sweet!" said Matt, happily.

"Kamiya has their temple built!" said Jeff. "Now they just have to get it to me!"

Jeff looked over at the Sato temple, and saw that they were still working on their third level. Sato was still way behind. Plus Joni had somehow managed to topple the second level... and things were looking bleak indeed. Amy and Lance worked with a fury... but this was all going to be too little, too late.

"Let's go, Sato, don't give up!"

Jeff looked back at Kamiya, and saw that four of them were now hoisting the temple off the ground. Matt and Isabella handled the front, while Ryan and Michelle lifted the back. Mike stood off to the side, as Matt had politely suggested that he just go away.

"1... 2... 3!"

Matt counted out loud as the Kamiyas delicately lifted their creation by the base. It looked a little unsteady in the wind, but now it was all up off the ground. Now it was just a matter of carrying the whole thing over to Jeff.

Kamiya walked... slowly... as Sato worked to finish their temple. Amy and Lance were making up a lot of ground, but they were still only on their fourth level. This contest wasn't going to be close.

But Jeff smiled as Kamiya walked closer to him, temple still hoisted between them...

The wind blew softly...

And now they were here.

Kamiya arrived safely, with their constructed temple safe and in one piece.

"Kamiya!" shouted Jeff, "Wins immunity!"

The yellow tribe dropped their temple to the ground and celebrated wildly, as Matt and Ryan shared an exuberant hug. Matt was screaming his head off as Beth came over to join them. Mike finally came over to join the celebration, reluctantly. But he didn't like it. He knew something had gone terrible wrong today. Somebody had sabotaged his sabotage.

"Congratulations guys," said Jeff, as he handed Michelle the immunity idol. "You guys are safe for three more days."

Kamiya cheered as Jeff walked over to the defeated Satos. And he knew this loss had caught a few of them by surprise. Amy sat with head down, staring at the ground. She couldn't believe they had lost. And Lance had his eyes closed, sadly ashamed of his team's performance. Even Joni looked a little guilty, already regretting the action she had just taken. She looked like she was already having second thoughts.

And while the challenge loss was bad... there was even worse news attached to this.

"I'm sorry Sato, but I'll see you guys at Tribal Council," said Jeff, somberly. "One of you is going home tonight."


^^


As Ryan had expected... the shit hit the fan the moment Kamiya returned to camp.

"You lied to us!" Beth yelled, as she confronted Mike near the campfire. "You said the challenge wasn't going to be thrown!"

Mike had tried to stay low-key upon his return, but Beth and Matt had pounced upon him almost immediately. And he had no choice now but to take it-- in direct view of the rest of the tribe. Mike simply had to stand here, as the normally mild-mannered Beth let him have it.

"You hurt me Mike," she glared, "I hope you know how much you hurt me today. You lied to my face and you treated me like I was your friend. You treated me and Matt like shit."

"Look," Mike tried to soothe, "I can explain."

"You burned me -twice- now Mike. And this one really hurt." Beth was very upset, and rightfully so. She didn't think she would ever believe a word the guy said again.

"I can defend my actions if you ask," he said softly, "But this isn't the place, Beth. We can talk in private later if you want. But just please know that I am truly sorry. I am really and truly sorry for this." He sighed. "I wasn't trying to hurt you."

Beth couldn't take much of this, so she just turned to walk away. She didn't want to look at the guy anymore.

"Beth..." he started. Then he stopped. This wasn't the right time for this. So instead he just called after her. "Look, if you're mad I won't bother you anymore. If you don't want me to talk to you again, that's fine. I'll probably be gone soon anyway."

"Good!" Beth screamed. "Rot in hell!"

The rest of the tribe watched this all with varying degrees of fascination. On the end-- Ryan watched with delighted glee-- knowing that Mike had pretty much ruined any chances he ever had with the Satos. Mike had officially been set up. The whole plan had turned out -perfectly-.

And then as Mike turned, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He caught an inscription, which had been carved into one of the trees. And it didn't take a genius to figure out who had written the following:

"Jeg anbringet ikke stjernen i hodet av gnome."

"Goddamnit, Matt!" he barked. "What does that say? I know you wrote that."

"Yeah I did," glared Matt, just as angrily as Beth.

"I thought we were done with all this shit."

"We are," Matt smirked. "That has nothing to do with you."

Mike stormed angrily over to the young redhead. Because this was a bad time to be messing with him. Mike was already having a bad day. This was a -not- a good time for Matt to be pulling one of his "Mattisms."

"I thought we patched all this gnome stuff up," Mike explained, trying to remain calm. "But now you're making personal attacks against me? Is that some sort of joke? What does it mean?"

"For one," Matt said, "It's in Norwegian, and two, it is not an attack on you or the gnome. It's a simple message worth ignoring." And deep down Matt was loving this. Suddenly Mike was the one on the defensive... and it was great. "But if you want me to translate it for you, just ask."

"What does it say?"

"It says 'There's no place like Gnome.'" Matt smiled. "It's a tribute."

Matt was lying, of course. The message really read, "I didn't throw a star at your stupid gnome." But Mike didn't have to know that. It was probably best that he didn't.

"Oh," said Mike. And he looked somewhat relieved. He was still quite rattled by the day's events, but for now at least he felt a little better. "That's okay then."


^^


Mike spent the rest of the day trying to piece together what had happened-- trying to figure out why the challenge hadn't been thrown-- and trying to figure out exactly what the hell had gone on in the past twenty-four hours. Why were things going so haywire today?

"I got confused," Ryan had confessing, lying, "I heard first we were gonna throw it-- then that we weren't." He had put on the acting performance of a lifetime, just for Mike's benefit. "Then I kind of got wrapped up in the heat of the moment, seeing Sato so far behind. I'm sorry Mike, it was just confusion on my part. I feel terrible."

But Mike knew that he was suddenly in a very perilous position. He knew that he had officially burned all his bridges with Beth-- and his relationship with Matt had deteriorated almost since day one. And it started to make him worry. Suddenly, he felt like not all was right in his little Kamiyan kingdom. Something fishy was going on-- and he suspected he knew who was behind it.

In fact, Mike already had a -very- good as to who was the real troublemaker around here. And for once, it wasn't a mischievous little gnome named Mario.

"Things are not looking good anymore," he said, as he sat down for a late night confessional. "It's all gone haywire in the past two days and I feel like things are starting to spin out of control." He sighed now, wearily. He suddenly looked a lot older than his 40 years. The game now seemed to be taking a toll on him. "First off... the idea to bring Amy to the feast was a bad idea. Then... we had Ryan's last minute decision not to throw the challenge. And truth be told, I'm starting to think that aligning with Ryan in the first place was a horrible idea."

Mike looked back towards camp, where the rest of his tribe was finishing up their dinner.

"Ryan's antics in the last few days have made me start to question his motives. And I'm not letting on-- nor am I going to do anything outward-- but I do believe Ryan is playing the game for Ryan and Ryan only, and that's a blow that hits me pretty hard. Because deep down I thought he was my best ally here, and I believed in him."

Mike smiled, faintly.

"Well I guess it could be that he's just -much- less intelligent than I thought. Let's see... he invited Amy to our barbecue... he screwed up an easy Pagonging... he made us all look like idiots... he almost got himself voted out against David. So yeah, I'd say there's a chance he could just really be clueless."

Mike frowned now, thinking of the other alternative. That maybe Ryan was just playing him for a fool.

"But at the same time... he has me by the balls right now and I'm virtually helpless to do anything about it. Matt and Beth hate my guts... and I can't go to Emma and Michelle because I'm not sure how they feel about Ryan's antics. So I'm stuck right now. Ryan has essentially backed me into a corner, and I may have to do some regrouping for a while."

But now he paused... and then he grinned. It was the grin that few of them saw. For not even Isabella had really seen Mike's cunning side thus far. So far, he still had them all fooled. So far, they all still thought of him as an overly-sensitive head case. But Mike still had a few tricks up his sleeves. And it was now time to implement one of his favorites.

"The key to this game," he grinned, "Is that when you're under the microscope-- you sure as hell better shift the focus off of you and onto someone else. That's the only way to survive-- by pushing the blame onto someone else."

And now he laughed.

"Which is why the last thing I did before dinner was to go hide my gnome. I went and I hid Mario in the old tomb outside camp-- partly for his own protection, but partly because I want Matt to take the blame for it. I don't want any more heat, sorry. I think it's time we shift the focus right back onto Matt."

He stood up now, smiling.

"So if you'll excuse me... it's time to go get back into character."

And like that, angry Mike emerged out of nowhere.

"WHO THE HELL STOLE MARIO??" he bellowed, as he marched back towards camp. His voice boomed through the night, easily carrying across the southern half of the island, "MATT, DID YOU STEAL MY GNOME??"

And back at camp, Matt heard this. The kid was sitting next to Isabella, eating dinner, and he looked up sharply.

"MATT, WHERE DID YOU PUT MY GNOME??! GODDAMNIT!!"

And Isabella could easily see the fear in Matt's eyes. Suddenly she could see how truly scared he was of the hurricane known as Mike Ruff. And Matt, for his part, could only manage to squeak out two little words.

"Oh... shit..."


^^


Back at Sato, things had happened very fast. The blame game had begun almost immediately upon their return to camp, as Amy had suddenly been aware that something sinister was up. With the blatant way Chris and Joni had thrown today's immunity challenge... she was suddenly all too aware that something big was going on behind her back.

"WHAT?!" she asked, as she sat for a quick confessional upon returning to camp, "We all agree that we need this challenge... we -HAVE- to win this challenge... we -CAN'T- go to Tribal Council again... and Chris and Joni did -WHAT?!-"

Amy was fuming right now. In a million years, she would not have predicted that anyone on Sato would have thrown this challenge today. No way. Why? What on earth could possibly be gained by losing today?

"I'm so angry right now," she seethed. "Because nobody warned me! They just threw it, just like that! And now I'm getting two different stories! Chris is telling me that it was strategic, and Joni says Chris made her do it and she didn't have a choice." Amy rolled her eyes. "Well I'm sorry honey, but this is a game for big girls here and we're -all- accountable for our actions. So what the heck were you doing??"

Amy could barely keep her mind in order right now, this was all so infuriating. Now they were going to force her hand. Joni and Chris had essentially forced her to play her trump card. She was going to have to choose.

"This is the -worst- possible situation for me right now. I spent the entire day away from camp yesterday... and I come back just in time to lose a challenge I've said I -have- to win. So now I'm screwed. Quite simply, I'm screwed." She sighed. "Ugh. And now I have to go hear Chris's side of the story and decide if this is a good enough excuse to get rid of him... and still save face with Joni. Plus I need to figure out what Hogan and Lance are thinking."

She groaned. God, this was going to be a long day. But she was still only vaguely aware that she could actually be in danger herself. As of now, Amy still wasn't aware of the growing sentiment against her.

"Something else I need to do," she said, "Is to go and make sure -I'm- not the target. Since I was away all day, I'm gonna have a lot of catching up to do. So what happened while I was gone? What on Earth have you people been up to without me??"


^^


And though Amy did not know it yet... the vote was currently headed in her direction. There were currently four Sato votes lined up for her tonight, though nobody had yet warned her. And at the moment... the mood around camp was very tense. There was definitely an odd feeling in the air, and a few of the players didn't much like it. A few of them were starting to feel a bit guilty.

"I feel horrible about the challenge," Joni confessed to Chris, "We shouldn't have thrown it. We -really- shouldn't have thrown it, Chris."

"I know," Chris said, "I feel awful too, but Amy lied to us. We had to do it, Joni. We didn't have any other choice. She was already planning on selling us out!"

"I know," she sighed, "But I hate it. I -really- don't want to vote for her, this isn't going to be fun for me at all."

Joni now reached up and pounded her head with one fist. This was something she often did when she was mad at herself, and it always made Chris nervous. He needed Joni to stay with him on this. He needed to make sure she wasn't going to turn on him.

"Joni," he said, taking her by the shoulders. "I -need- you on this. If Amy doesn't go, it will probably be one of us. Just keep that in mind. So we threw it, and so we regret it now. But that doesn't change the fact that it's her or us. And she's the one that lied!"

"I know, I know," said Joni. "I said I'll vote for her and I will. But I don't like it. This isn't the way I wanted to play. I'm -never- throwing a challenge again. It isn't worth it!"

"Just stay strong," he said, hugging her, "Just remember that she brought it all upon herself. Amy did this, not us. We're doing this to save the Angels."

"Is Hogan feeling okay with it?" she asked.

"Yeah," nodded Chris. "I asked him right when we got back and he said he hated Amy. He thought throwing the challenge was stupid, but he said he wants Amy gone. He just said 'I guess karma is a bitch.'"

"That's good," smiled Joni.

"So we're perfectly safe," Chris smiled, "Don't worry about it. Only a miracle can save her now."


^^


But despite Christopher's confidence, there still was one thing that -could- save Amy. There was still one variable that was unaccounted for... and for the past two hours Lance McHale had been sitting down by the beach... just thinking. You see, Lance was greatly troubled by the way tonight's vote was supposed to go down. He didn't like the circumstances surrounding it, he didn't like the speed with which it had happened, and he -really- didn't like the way Chris and Joni had thrown the challenge.

In Lance's mind, that part had just been disgusting. You didn't win by losing. Not this way.

But the more troubling aspect of all this had been that Lance had not yet asked Amy. He had not gone to her yet and asked for her side of the story. She had never had a chance to answer the charges against her... and Lance didn't like it.

"I've realized one thing," he had admitted this morning, "And that is that Amy never had a chance to defend herself against all of this. She never had a chance to save herself. And though I trust Chris' word, it's just not right to hang somebody before they at least have a trial. No team should do that to their own players, especially not -my- team."

He nodded.

"Sato doesn't play like that."

So in the hour or so before Tribal Council, Lance had finally gone to Amy. He put aside all his pre-judged notions about what he thought of her, and he asked her one simple question.

"Amy, do you have a final three alliance with Chris and Joni? Are you planning to go against the Satos?"

And Amy, of course, answered honestly.

"No!"


^^


Suddenly things started to happen very fast. With Amy's vehement denial, suddenly Lance realized that the tribe was about to make a huge mistake. Suddenly he realized what was happening. Amy wasn't at fault here... Amy was about to be railroaded. Christopher was trying to manipulate the vote.

And now it became a race against time. Suddenly time was Lance's greatest enemy. It was suddenly time for him to have one more race down Blueberry Street. It was time for him to once again run the race of his life.

"You need to talk to Hogan," he told her. "And you need to do it fast!"

So Lance sprinted back to camp, with Amy right behind him. The two of them raced up the beach, through the bamboo jungle, and towards the waiting artillery gun that signaled the entrance to camp.

And the first thing Lance saw was Christopher, sitting by the fire, washing his shirt in a bucket of water.

"Where's Hogan?" Lance asked. "Where is he?"

"Why?" Chris looked suspicious.

"Because you don't have a final three deal with Amy!" Lance accused. "You never did. You made it all up, she just told me."

And now Chris jumped to his feet. All of a sudden he knew this was going to be trouble.

"She's lying to save her own skin!" Chris yelled. "Lance, believe me, she has a deal with everybody! She's been lying to you, she's been lying to me. I know she has a final three deal with you and Hogan. Hogan admitted it!"

"I do!" Amy admitted. "But I never had one with you and Joni. Never!"

"Liar!" Chris screamed. "Lance, she's full of it. She's doomed and she knows it."

And now Lance was suddenly caught in the middle. Suddenly he was caught in the middle of a he said/she said.

"Lance," promised Amy, "You know me, you know how I work. I wouldn't turn against Sato, no way. I swear that I never had a deal. Why do you think Chris waited until I was gone to bring it up? Because he knew I couldn't defend myself!"

"Lance," said Chris, "If you listen to her, you'll be her next victim. She's taken out every one of your friends so far and you'll just be next in line. Don't fall for her lines. Don't do it!"

And by now Joni had wandered over. She had heard the screaming and she came over to see what was up. And what she saw... was ugly.

"Chris," said Lance, trying to retain his dignity, "I'm not going to yell." And he glared at the tall actor, sizing him up. "But quite simply I find your conduct out here disgusting. You're a liar and a cheat and you don't deserve to win this game. You have -no- honor whatsoever."

"Well look who's talking," said Chris, suddenly shifting out of "nice guy" mode. "You haven't done shit around here, you haven't played the game, and you have no fucking clue how to play Survivor!" By now Chris was shrieking. "You've been snowed at -every- opportunity and you've had your head up your ass since day one. And now you're going to fall for Amy's "woe is me" act? Well excuse me, but you don't deserve to win shit. You are a -terrible- Survivor player. You're the last person who should -ever- be lecturing someone on how to play. You and your self-righteous crap make me sick. Grow up!"

And the air was still for a moment as Amy suddenly noticed that Hogan was here. Suddenly his presence on the edge of camp caused everybody's heart to skip a beat.

Hogan had been listening to it all.

"Hogan," Amy said quickly, "I never had a deal with Chris and Joni. I was with the Core and then I decided to go with you and Lance instead. I -never- had a deal without you. Never."

Hogan just stared at her. He was emotionless.

"Hogan," Lance added, "Everything Chris has told you is a lie. He's just trying to guarantee himself three more days out here. Don't listen to a word he says." He then looked at Chris. "You know I've never lied to you, Hogan, and I never will. But Chris is nothing more than a liar."

Hogan looked down at the ground, remaining stone-faced.

"Hey," piped up Joni, suddenly realizing where this was going. "Hogan, Chris isn't lying. He's never lied to you, he's always been your friend." Then she smiled. "I've always been your friend."

"Don't listen to her," spat Amy, and the two females exchanged a glare. All of a sudden the friendship was off. Just like that, it was off. Amy and Joni were officially squaring off now... with Hogan caught in the middle. "She doesn't like you Hogan, she'll vote you off in a second. You know she will."

Hogan took all this in as he stood by the shelter, torch in his hand. And quite frankly he didn't know -what- to think. What was going on? All of a sudden his tribe appeared to have fallen apart.

And now the accusations came flying left and right.

"Chris will do -anything- to get to the merge," Lance promised. "And he'll be hooking up with the Kamiyas then and there. If you have a deal with them, it's bogus. Anything Chris tells you is a lie."

"Amy has had a deal with every player in this game," Chris accused, "I can promise you, Hogan, she made a deal with Joni and me the minute we got over here. You've never been more than her little bitch, and she knows it. She calls you a puppy."

Amy winced.

"I promise you, Hogan" she said, "I -promise- you. I never had a deal without you. Hogan, don't ruin Sato's chances tonight. Don't be the one to bring us down." She then matched glares with Joni once more. "And don't listen to Joni's sobbing sweetheart routine, she's the biggest schemer of us all. She's a black widow, don't let her eat you up."

The air was quiet as Hogan turned to look at Joni. His friend, Joni. And she smiled the sweetest smile she could muster... the one she knew would tug right at his heart. Because she knew that one argument was going to work. She knew there was one comment that the Eagle Scout from Kansas wouldn't possibly be able to resist.

"Hogan," she smiled, "You promised."

And though there was more yelling... and more arguing... Hogan certainly wasn't going to be a part of it. He politely excused himself from the ugliness and walked away. He didn't need to see Chris and Lance go at it any more. He didn't need to hear Amy or Joni's pleas any more. He didn't need to see his tribe fall completely apart.

No, he was just going to walk to Tribal Council. By himself.

And he supposed he could decide who to believe when he got there.


^^


Jeff Probst could feel the tension as the Satos filed into the small temple... one by one. Hogan had arrived first, of course. He had walked through the doors nearly twenty minutes ago. But eventually the rest had followed and now they filed into their seats. First came Amy, then Lance, then Joni and finally Christopher. They all took their seats and sat down... though Jeff could detect a noticeable chill in the air tonight.

He knew there was a little tension here he could touch on. And he smiled as he jumped right on into it.

"Joni," he smiled, as he faced the young dancer. "What was going on in the immunity challenge today? Cause it looked to me like you guys were having a whole lot of trouble. Did that surprise you?"

Joni grimaced as Jeff finished the question. Because she didn't like talking about this. No way, this was probably going to be a sore spot for the rest of her life. She wished so badly that she could go back and change what had happened.

"It was mostly my fault," she sighed, "I was told to throw the challenge... and I did. But Jeff, I have to say that I already regret that decision more than almost anything I've ever done in this game."

"So you admit the challenge was thrown?"

"Yes," nodded Joni. "And it was a stupid thing to do. I wish I could take it all back."

"Jeff," piped up Amy, "I was very much under the impression that we -all- wanted to win the challenge. So I was surprised when it happened, and was even more surprised when I discovered the two that had done it."

Jeff turned to Hogan, who was sitting in the corner, looking serious. Hogan clearly had something to say about all this.

"Hogan, what do you say? Was it thrown?"

"Yeah," nodded the Eagle Scout, "And it was a stupid idea."

"Just flat out?" smiled Jeff. "It wasn't a good idea?"

"Hell no," said Hogan, flatly. "It never should have happened."

"Well then tell me," laughed Jeff, "If it wasn't such a good idea, why did it happen?" He turned to Chris. "Any ideas, Chris?"

Chris straightened up. And now he turned to look at Amy. The two of them engaged in a staredown as he spoke.

"This happened," he explained, "Because we were all disappointed with Amy. While she was away, it was discovered that she had made a final three deal with Lance and Hogan, on top of her alliance of four with Hogan, Joni & me. Amy assured me that she only made that second deal to dupe Lance - but she somehow didn't feel like sharing that with Joni or me? Something wasn't quite right there."

"I never said I wanted to dupe Lance," Amy glared.

"We threw the challenge," Chris talked over her, "Because we all wanted to get rid of her. She has multiple alliances, she lies to everybody, and she's been the source of every problem we've had here on Sato thus far."

"That's not true," Amy protested.

"Amy's trouble," Chris said, as much to the rest of the tribe as to Jeff. "Is that she's not only a drama queen, but she's also playing all of us. She's a female version of Henry. And we all agreed that she needs to go."

"Amy," smiled Jeff. "These are some pretty sharp accusations. How do you respond?"

"I don't respond," she stated. "I'm not going to stoop to his level, Jeff. Chris can start all the character assassinations he wants, but I don't play that way."

She then turned to Chris.

"I -never- tried to turn people against you. You did that to me, for no reason at all. And while I think you're one of the best players in the game... I just can't forgive it. I'm sorry, but I'll -never- forgive you for this."

"All she's trying to do," Chris raised his voice, "Is get back with her old alliance mates. She wants to get back with Matt and Beth-- the very people who shunned Hogan and Lance during the days of old Sato. She's playing -everybody-, Jeff!"

"Okay, okay..." implored Jeff, "Enough, you two. Let's move on to someone else." He turned to Lance. "Lance, does any of this surprise you? Has anything surprised you in the last few days?"

"What surprises me the most," Lance started, "Is that people are taking this game -very- seriously, and are resorting to lying and backstabbing to further themselves." He shrugged. "Jeff, I came in here expecting to play an honest, straight-up game-- but it's been a bit of a shell shock."

"So between Chris and Amy, who do you believe?"

"Amy," he nodded. "Chris has no class. I wouldn't believe a word he says. Frankly I'm surprised Joni even gives him the time of day. I think I'd expect a little more from someone like her."

"Hey now," Chris started, but Lance just stared straight ahead. Lance refused to even look at him.

"Well I can see," grinned Jeff, "That we have a lot of tension in the tribe tonight. Amy... does anyone here really get along right now?"

"Sure," she nodded. "We all get along. Unless one of us leaves for the day... and then I guess it's open season." Her words dripped with contempt as she spoke.

"I've got a great bond," Chris smiled, "With both Hogan and Joni. We all confide in one another, and our friendships continue to grow each day." He then glared at Amy. "I couldn't ask for a better group of friends out here."

"Okay," scolded Jeff, "Enough, you two. I mean it."

He then turned to Hogan.

"What about you, Hogan? Cause from where I'm sitting, you look like you might be a swing vote tonight. Does that worry you?"

"Nope."

"Do you think people are honest on this tribe?"

"One person hasn't been."

Jeff sighed. Sometimes talking to Hogan was like pulling teeth.

"So how do you cast a vote tonight? what's your criteria?"

And the other four members of Sato looked on in uneasy anticipation as Hogan spoke. The four of them were very much interested in what he was going to say. Nobody knew what he was planning on doing tonight.

And at the moment, the fate of the game rested very much in Hogan Mueller's young hands.

"I'm casting my vote tonight," he replied, "For the person who has lied to me constantly. This person has created the most drama out of everyone. And while I considered them my friend from day one, it turns out all they want to do is cause drama. And we just don't need that around here."

And now Jeff smiled. Because that was the perfect vague answer to end on. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned to address the rest of the tribe.

"And on that..." he smiled, "It is time to vote. Joni, you're up first."


^^


Joni Newman walked up to the podium sadly. She didn't like this at -all-, but a plan was a plan. The slim dancer daintily uncapped her pen and wrote down the name... as expected... of Amy Twieg. Her face appeared to be devoid of emotion as she spoke.

"Amy," she stated, "I hope you know that I don't want to do this. I don't want to send you home tonight, but the chance that you could have flipped on us... and certain things that you have said about me, are a bit upsetting. I hope we can talk again after the game. You're a great friend, and fun to talk to when you aren't strategizing. Good luck, and I'll miss you."

Joni was followed by Christopher Collins, who shared no such sentiment in his voting comments. He angrily scrawled Amy's name down on the parchment, not taking his usual care to decorate the rest of the ballot. He simply drew a small sun in the corner... covered by rainclouds. Then he held up the ballot.

"Amy, Amy, Amy," he grinned, "Tsk...tsk...tsk." He smiled as he scolded her. "You've been a -VERY- naughty girl during this game, haven't you? Not quite as naughty as me perhaps, but I daresay you are one vile little player. And if I had my druthers, I'd take you over my knee and give you a few slaps on the ass." He chuckled, somewhat sadistically. "Amy, I was told that you were a snake when I got here, and although I had some great times shooting the shit with you, I never fully trusted you. -Nobody- does -- and they shouldn't...you are truly out for yourself and yourself alone. You've flipped from alliance to alliance, and tried to redirect the blame every time."

Now he placed the ballot in the box, but he wasn't quite done. This was always the part of the game that Christopher loved the most. Because he wasn't planning on letting Amy get off the hook. No way. This was -his- moment. He wanted to destroy her.

"Amy," he added, "You are nothing more than a pious hypocrite. And yes, we both lie... but the difference between you and me is that I -admit- to being a liar, deceiver and manipulator. You, on the other hand, try to hide behind your status as a mother, your religion and your smiles. And it is sickening to me. You are a disgrace to Mormons -everywhere-. And thank goodness your church has a fine, upstanding young woman like Joni to represent them on Survivor... to cancel out any damage you might have done."

Now he grinned. Because he knew how much this was going to hurt. When she saw this on TV, she would probably never speak to him again. Not that he cared, anyway. That was just part of the fun.

"If I have bested you tonight," he added, "I will take great joy in watching you walk away a loser. Because, more than anyone out here, you deserve to lose this game. You've already made it further than more deserving players... and that just isn't right. And if my feelings aren't quite clear... I better just sum them up once more. No matter which one of us leaves tonight... I have no plans to -ever- speak to you again."

Christopher walked back to his seat now, still worked up after his little tirade. That had been one of his better ones... though he shuddered to hear what Amy was about to say about him. He feared for the worst. But Amy, for her part, wasn't here to slam anyone. She simply held up a ballot for Christopher, written in her distinct large girlish script.

"I didn't want to do this, Chris," she said, "But you forced my hand. And I'm glad you're a real player-- it at least helps me hold out hope for a friendship later. Because as you said to Lance earlier tonight, this is all just a big game."

Her brow darkened now as she tried to reign in her anger. She was trying hard to keep this civil, no matter how hard it might be.

"I'm disappointed," she added after a long pause, "That you had to make Tribal Council dirty tonight. But all you did was prove to me that -your- loyalty is only to Joni, just as I'd thought. And for whatever reason... you turned on me before you even asked me about the issue." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Chris, but I expected more from you."

She placed her ballot in the box.

"And If I go tonight and you stay, then congratulations. You somehow brainwashed Hogan into voting for me. Well done... your lying worked."

Amy was followed by Lance, who cast a similar vote for Christopher. And much like Amy, he appeared to be deeply disappointed that all this had to happen. He showed this displeasure in the lower right hand corner of the ballot-- under Christopher's name-- where he wrote the word "Lie."

"Chris, you've lied to me this entire game," he said, holding up the ballot. "That's disgraceful, as well as upsetting. But even -more- upsetting is the fact that you lied to Hogan, who has done nothing to harm you in this game. You tried to brainwash a kid, to give yourself three more days, and who knows what you've done to poor Joni. You have -no- morals, -no- code of ethics, nothing of the sort. And my only hope right now is that someone like you does not win this game."

Lance was followed to the podium by Hogan.

And standing at the podium, the athletic young man paused for a moment, pen in hand.

He debated his choices.

And he knew that, no matter which side he chose, he was going to make some enemies.

If he voted for Chris... Joni was probably never going to speak to him again. He would have stabbed her right in the back, and she was going to be livid.

But if he voted for Amy... Lance was probably going to go into depression. Lance would be so disappointed that it was going to hurt to watch. Voting for Amy would essentially be the death of Sato in this game.

And though it was not an easy choice, Hogan had a pretty good instinct of what he wanted to do.

So he uncapped the pen... held it to the paper... and wrote down a name.

And as he held the parchment up to the camera, he had just two words to say.

"Tooooo dramatic."


^^


"I'll go tally the votes."

Jeff smiled as all the ballots had now been cast. Hogan had returned to his seat, and now it was time for the true leader of Sato to emerge. It was time to see who had won tonight's clash of the titans-- Amy or Christopher? Which one of the two Sato leaders would be going home?

Jeff took his place behind the podium, ballot box in hand. He looked very serious.

"When I read the votes," he said, "The decision is final. The player voted out must leave the Tribal Council area immediately."

Jeff nodded, then opened the urn. The air was very tense as he reached in and pulled out the first vote.

"First vote..."

He looked at it for a second, then revealed.

"Christopher."

Christopher nodded to himself in the back row, not surprised. Next to him Joni clutched his hand... worried about her friend's chances. She didn't like this at all. She didn't want Chris to go home.

"Second vote," said Jeff.

He opened it up, turned it around... and revealed.

"Amy."

Amy stared nervously at her name on the parchment. Her body trembled with anticipation as she did her best to stay calm. But like Chris, she didn't want to go home tonight. No way, she didn't want to go out like this.

"Third vote," said Jeff.

He looked at it, paused for a moment... then revealed.

"Chris," it read.

That was Lance's vote. The small word "Lie" was written in the bottom corner and Chris stared at the ground, frightened. That was two votes. One more and he was going home. One more and his plan to save Michelle had backfired.

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

He paused for a long moment, looking at it. Then he turned it around and revealed.

"Amy."

Amy let out a nervous laugh at the small sun Chris had drawn, but otherwise that was it. Now it was all coming down to it. Now it was two to two, and the next vote would be the one that decided the game. The next vote could very well determine the future winner of Survivor: Okinawa.

"Two votes Christopher," said Jeff, "Two votes Amy."

The air was thick with tension as Jeff reached into the ballot box. Joni still clutched Christopher's hand and now Lance reached to hold Amy's hand. Neither side wanted to lose this. They both knew exactly what was at stake here.

"Last vote."

Jeff pulled out the piece of brown parchment.

And paused for a long moment.

"The sixth person voted out of the game..."

Then he revealed.


"-Chris.-"


"No!" whispered Joni, but she felt Christopher's hand tighten in hers. He knew it was over. He now knew it was all over. His plan to save Michelle had backfired. And he leaned over to Joni now and whispered just one thing into her ear.

"Win it for me, Jones. Make sure you make it back to the Angels."

"Christopher," said Jeff, "Please bring me your torch."

The actor from Santa Cruz turned to reach for his torch, but realized that it wasn't even there. Lance had already taken it for him... and he handed it to Chris, with a small nod. And that was that. Chris turned to give Joni a hug, and saw that the young girl was devastated. She knew she was in trouble now. She was in deep trouble without Chris.

But the actor shrugged and walked forward towards Jeff, torch in hand. Amy wouldn't look at him, nor would Hogan. Neither one of them wanted to see him for one more second. But Chris stood before Jeff now, ready to face the music. It was just about time to go.

"Christopher," said the host, slowly snuffing his torch, "The tribe has spoken."

And with that, Christopher was gone. He slowly exited the set and walked down a lonely path to the shore, all alone. Within moments, he was gone.

And now... the Satos were down to four.

"Well," said Jeff, with a relieved sigh, "From what I've heard tonight, it sounds like we've had a -lot- of drama around camp Sato lately. This seems to me, to be very much a tribe divided. So I hope for -YOUR- sakes that you can learn to come together tomorrow."

He clasped his hands behind his back, and smiled.

"Especially because we're not merging tomorrow." He grinned as he saw Joni's face fall. She looked crushed. "You guys are still a team, like it or not. So you better learn to work together again, or I don't think you'll be having much of a chance."

And with that, he sent them out into the night.





Visit the Okinawa Official Homepage for Christopher's final words and all cast bios. Also check out the Official Okinawa Message Board for behind-the-scenes info, cast interaction, and to submit questions for Christopher's Early Show appearance. His post-game interview is already up on the board!

Episode Seven ("The Lion's Den") debuts in about ten days.