LITMIR.BIZ

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Konrad asked with unusual servility. “You know, to build up the suspense and all?”

      “I don’t mind going last,” said Jed. “Although I can’t guarantee suspense, because the outcome will never be in doubt. I’m going to win.”

      “Yeah?” With mercurial speed, Konrad’s expression turned to disgust, and he suddenly picked up the can of fish guts and tossed it at Bobby.

      But Bobby was on the alert, thanks to Jed, and deftly jumped aside. “That was uncalled for, Konrad!” Bobby was peeved. His clothes, however, remained pristine, as if he’d just picked them up from the dry cleaner’s. “You could be disciplined for—”

      “Disciplined for a little food-fight fun?” Shannen cut in. “Where’s your sense of humor, Slick B? Anyway, this isn’t high school, and you can’t ‘discipline’ anybody.”

      The crew snickered. Bobby Dixon’s off-camera behavior as a prima donna had earned him no friends among them.

      “That chick has a righteous attitude,” said Heidi. “She doesn’t put up with anything from anybody.”

      “She never has,” murmured Ty wryly. “Since she arrived on the island,” he was quick to add.

      Ty and two others remained on the beach filming, while cameramen Reggie and Paul were stationed on the crew boat, to film the contestants racing to it. Bobby Dixon was also on the boat with a large stopwatch to record the times. The production assistants were scattered in both locations.

      Cortnee went first and threw herself down on the sand on her return. “I’m so tired I could faint. That awful rowing took more energy than playing the lead in my senior-class musical.” She wiped away tears with the back of her hand.

      Rico went next, then Lauren and then Shannen.

      “Well, that was hellacious,” Shannen groaned, sitting down between Lauren and Rico after her own long row. “My arms feel like they’re going to fall off, my hands are getting blistered and I’m exhausted. Not to mention hungrier than ever.”

      She looked into the camera and met Tynan’s eyes. “I’m going to bed right after the council meeting, no matter what.”

      Slowly Ty turned his head from one side to the other. He mouthed the word “tonight” and watched her jaw drop. Clearly, she was not expecting such obvious interaction with him.

      But nobody noticed except her. The others were ignoring the camera and cameraman to watch Konrad push the rowboat into the water.

      “I said I’m going straight to bed tonight,” Shannen repeated, giving Ty her most forbidding grimace. “Nowhere but my own bed.”

      “You girls should’ve done what Konrad is doing,” said Jed, who was standing nearby, watching Konrad in the rowboat heading out to sea. “You should’ve saved your strength and taken your own sweet time, like him. He knows I’m going to win, and since every other score is irrelevant, why wear yourself out?”

      He swaggered off toward the water to wait for Konrad to return with the rowboat.

      “I hate Jed,” Cortnee said fiercely, watching him walk off. “He thinks he’s so hot. Did you know he slept with both Keri and Lucy? They each tried to get him to switch his alliance from us to them, and he let them think he would. I wanted to tell you all, but I didn’t think the time was right. Till now.”

      “He slept with both of them?” Lauren gasped. “Cortnee, are you sure?”

      “I heard them, I heard everything.” Cortnee shuddered. “They were right outside the tent on my side and I’m a light sleeper. I wake up at the slightest noise.”

      “Do you hear people get up during the night to, um, well—you know?” Shannen was not her usual frank self.

      “Uh-huh. I heard you or your sister get up last night to—” Cortnee laughed. “No need to be shy, we’re among friends—to use the facilities.”

      “I can’t believe Jed would use Keri and Lucy for sex,” said Lauren. “If he did, he would’ve switched his allegiance from us to them, and he didn’t. He was loyal and he stuck with us all this time. You…you must’ve misinterpreted what you were hearing, Cortnee.”

      “I know exactly what I heard,” insisted Cortnee. “Believe me, I didn’t misinterpret a thing.”

      “The man is slime.” Shannen scowled.

      “And the reason why Jed didn’t switch from us to them is because we five were the stronger choice,” Rico pointed out. “Loyalty had nothing to do with it. Too bad we’re stuck with him now. He’ll keep winning every contest for immunity, and we’ll get kicked off, one by one.”

      “We made our version of a deal with the devil. Now it’s time to pay.” Shannen looked over at Ty. “Gramma always says, ‘If you let the devil into the cart, you’ll have to drive him home.’ And she wasn’t talking about hitchhiking in biblical times.”

      Ty grinned broadly. Shannen lifted her chin and turned away.

      Konrad joined the group after his long, slow turn in the boat race. He looked downright cheerful. “So, tonight we vote out Jed. Everybody cool with that?”

      “If only!” Shannen gingerly moved her aching arms and flexed her fingers again. “But Jed’ll have the fastest time and win immunity so we can’t vote against him. We five will have to vote out one of us. Jed is going to be the winner in this game, I think that’s screamingly obvious.”

      “Speaking of screaming.” Konrad cocked his head. “Do I hear some?”

      “I don’t hear anything.” Lauren looked around. “Even those screeching monkeys are quiet for a change.”

      Seconds after she’d uttered that declaration, a scream pierced the tranquil air. All heads turned in the direction of the ocean.

      Jed was standing in the boat, yelling at the top of his lungs.

      “That was definitely a scream,” Shannen said dryly, turning toward Konrad. “A primal one. Is there a scorpion in the boat with Jed or something?”

      “It looks like Jed is trying to throw handfuls of water out of the boat.” Cortnee looked confused. “Why isn’t he rowing?”

      “Too bad he doesn’t have a bucket,” said Konrad. “Lots easier to bail with a bucket than with your hands.” He surprised everybody by roaring with laughter.

      “The boat’s sinking!” exclaimed Rico. “Look, it really is! In another couple minutes, Jed is going to be in the ocean.”

      “Oh, poor Jed!” cried Lauren.

      “Yeah, poor poor Jed.” Konrad laughed harder. “Good thing Mister Wilderness Guide is such a strong swimmer, huh?”

      “Good thing,” agreed Shannen. “Because the rowboat is history. All that’s left is an oar. Well, Konrad did say it was a leaky old tub.” She shot a quizzical glance at him.

      They all stared out at the lone floating oar and at Jed, two far-off blurs in the sea.

      “Everybody!” Cortnee cried. “I just thought of something. Since the rowboat sank, Jed won’t be able to complete the contest. He won’t get immunity. One of us will have the fastest time and one of us will win immunity!”

      “It won’t be me,” predicted Konrad. “I was really slow out there.”

      “We noticed.” Shannen said dryly. “There were times when we couldn’t see you at all, you were slouched down so far in the boat. You have an interesting way of rowing, Konrad. And you’re good at predictions, too, it seems,” she added, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

      “Thank you, ma’am.” Konrad bowed from the waist.

      For a few more minutes they all watched Jed swimming

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