She hopped off the table and walked toward him. She could tell by the way he watched her that he was anxious to see what she’d do. She got close to him and started to un-tuck his T-shirt while kissing his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and grabbed her ass. She pressed herself against him and could feel how aroused he already was.
They made love right there on the massage table. It was the best sex she’d ever had. He knew exactly what to do to her body.
There was no talking, no cuddling, just raw sex. That was just fine with her. She didn’t want all that emotional crap that came with sex, and it didn’t look like Ricky wanted it either.
After that, she started getting massages more often. First it was twice a week and soon three times. She just couldn’t get enough of him.
Brittany had found a new hobby. Soon, it was more than Ricky. She found other guys easily and never felt the slightest bit of guilt. If Fernando wanted to sulk and drink beer and piss his life away, that was his choice, not hers.
One day, Brittany was surfing the Internet. She found an ad for a new reality TV show called Scavenger Hunt. It sounded a bit like The Amazing Race from what she could see, but the prize was $10 million.
Oh my God… what I could do with that money…
She knew she could dump Fernando forever and never have to rely on any man as long as she lived.
She had to convince Fernando to go on the show. They’d need a third person, though. Hmm.
“We have no chance of getting on a show like that,” he said. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m old.”
“You want to just pack it in, then? Cause if you do, just let me know. I want to fucking do something with my life, and if you don’t want to go on the show with me, I’ll fucking well find somebody who will.”
Maybe Ricky.
Fernando stared at her, seeing the truth in her eyes. If he didn’t agree to try out for the show, she’d be gone forever. Even though he couldn’t give her a baby, he still loved her and he couldn’t chase her away.
“I want Carlos to be the third team member,” he said.
She stood, mouth open, not knowing how she could argue against him. Jesus.
Fernando - New Zealand
They’d walked three hours since Steve had shown Fernando the producers’ interview with Brittany where she admitted she’d never wanted a baby with him and kept taking birth control pills for their entire marriage.
He’d been rocked to his very soul by that. It seemed impossible.
Bitch.
Anger grew inside him, mirroring the slowly mounting rumbles of the volcano beneath their feet. Steve and Brittany kept walking ahead, usually holding hands. They didn’t give a fuck that he was just ten feet behind him.
He thought back to all the times that Carlos had tried to tell him that she was no good. Although Carlos had never suggested she hadn’t really wanted a child, he kept saying there was something not right about her, that she was only after him for his money.
He was right from day one. The worst part was that even though Fernando knew that now, there was nothing he could do to stop her from taking half his money.
Now that he knew who she really was, he could never enjoy retirement with her. In fact he’d never be able to retire at all. He’d need to keep working because the goddamn bitch would be taking his lifelong earnings. He wasn’t a lawyer, and maybe he was wrong, but he had this sinking feeling that she’d been playing a game of chess with him that he wasn’t even aware was in progress, and she’d just hopped her knight over to checkmate him.
Their path took them through thick trees and bushes. They hadn’t thought to bring a machete, so they pushed their bodies through the foliage as best they could. Branches scratched Fernando’s face, because he wasn’t bothering to pay attention. He could see the other two using their hands to clear their way, but he just walked straight ahead. He didn’t care about the scratches. Part of him even welcomed them as a symbolic whipping. It was like her treachery was starting to take its first toll on him.
Then, without warning, the wooded area ceased, and they pushed out to a rocky area. They stopped to look ahead and saw the caldera of the volcano about 100 feet ahead.
Steam rose with a hissing sound. It wasn’t what Fernando had expected at all. It reminded him of some kind of geyser, but it came from a circle that was large enough he couldn’t see the other side.
“Look at that,” said Steve. He stood still and panned his head from side to side to capture the image in his forecam.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Brittany.
Fernando was in as much awe as the other two but the sound of her voice shocked him back and he glared at her. Again he felt a rush of anger flood through him. All he wanted was to be rid of this bitch.
“Let’s get closer,” said Steve. “It looks safe.”
He took Brittany’s hand and they walked carefully on the rocks toward the volcano’s opening. Fernando followed.
They were able to move right to the edge.
Fernando was only a foot from the cliff. The others were a couple feet back. It was a sight he never imagined. Inside the volcano, he could see a lake made of boiling mud. It was dark and grimy and there were huge scalding bubbles popping all over the surface, which was about thirty feet below them.
The air temperature was well over a hundred degrees, but he kept staring at the volcano, amazed at how big it was. When he squinted, he could see the far side, partly hidden by steam. He guessed it was at least a couple hundred feet away.
“There’s where we have to go,” he said. He pointed over to his left at the far end of the mud lake. “See that jagged outlay?”
Steve and Brittany looked where he pointed, and Fernando didn’t hesitate one second.
He grabbed Brittany’s arm and yanked her to the edge.
“Let the fuck go of me, you animal!” she yelled.
It was the last words she spoke. Fernando couldn’t control the rage inside him. He thought of the terrible treatment she’d shown him, how she’d humiliated him and belittled him, how she let him believe he was incapable of fathering children, how she now was going to take every penny she could and let him rot.
He had nothing to lose, but he was determined she was not going to get away with it.
“Let her go!” commanded Steve.
Fernando ignored him. He stared into Brittany’s eyes and pushed her off the edge of the caldera into the mud below.
Brittany screamed but it was only a fraction of a second before her body splashed into the mud and flash heated to above 200 degrees. She tried to pull herself above the boiling mud and Fernando thought he saw her flesh start to flame before she sank beneath the surface and was silenced forever.
Fernando - New Zealand
Six months earlier, Fernando had stood atop a skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles and felt the wind whip through his hair as he readied himself to step off the edge. He’d pulled back at the last minute, knowing it would be better to die with 30 million viewers watching.
That day seemed like a millennium ago, and that wonderful feeling of release he’d hoped for had died somewhere along the way. Now it was back.
He stared at the spot where Brittany had taken her last breath. There was absolutely no trace of her.
Steve had been struck silent, never looking to see if he could help her. He just crouched down to his knees and stared at Fernando.
Fernando took off his sneakers and peeled off his socks. He again wanted to feel everything about the place he would die.
He undid his shirt and carefully placed it with the shoes and socks nearby him.
Steve called his name but he totally ignored him. It was just nothing noise.
He unzipped his pants and folded them, placing them on top of his shirt. Finally, he added his boxers to the pile of clothes.
Being naked is right, he knew. Somehow, it let his soul feel the freedom it craved. Freedom from her, freedom from nature, freedom to do what he wanted to
.
He felt déjà vu strike him, knowing he was repeating the exact symbolism of six months earlier.
He moved closer to the edge and felt the burning spray on his legs. He looked straight ahead and imagined flying from the rocks, soaring over the volcano, perhaps to spiral down to the warmth below.
He took a deep breath and lowered his head, seeing more than feeling that he had an erection. He wondered when the last time that had happened, but the thought quickly left his mind.
Freedom.
He stretched his arms out and leaped and imagined himself doing a swan dive for the cameras, but he wasn’t quite that elegant.
The mud scalded his skin as quickly as it had Brittany’s, and although he hadn’t wanted to scream, the pain was too much to stop himself. Soon, though, he joined his wife in their grave, together forever.
Chapter 27: Team Genius
Samantha - Six Months Earlier
When Nicole was two years old and her younger sister Taylor was ten months old, Samantha was once again pregnant. She was only 27 and wasn’t sure how she felt about having another baby, but she knew better than to say anything to Carl about her feelings.
Their son, Carlson, was a happy baby. Samantha thought it was weird that Carl wanted him basically named after him, “Carl’s Son,” but in the scheme of things, a name wasn’t that important.
Three kids was it, though. Carl wanted no more. He just laughed when Samantha suggested he have a vasectomy, and he convinced her to have her tubes tied. He explained how he’d feel less than a man and it would destroy him, so she agreed. He told her how much he loved her for making such a sacrifice for him.
She’d do anything for him. If he asked her to walk through fire, she’d do it without hesitation. She loved him. She knew he’d do the same for her.
She was home looking after the children one Saturday afternoon. Carl was sleeping. He’d just gotten home from an overnight flight from Rome and was dead tired. The doorbell rang and she rushed to see who it was. She nearly tripped on the area rug, but she had to be fast. Carl got very upset when his sleep was disturbed.
With good reason, she knew. He works hard.
She opened the door and there was a tall man with wavy black hair and a wide smile. He wore a suit and carried a briefcase.
“Hi. Is your mom home?”
Samantha giggled. It’d been a long time since any man flirted with her. They were usually scared off by Carl. If anybody even looked at her the wrong way he would give them a death stare and put a protective arm around her. It was quite sweet, actually.
“Thanks for the compliment, but I’m the lady of the house. Can I help you?”
He feigned shock. “Oh! I’m terribly sorry. You don’t look nearly old enough to own a house.”
She could feel herself blush and smiled shyly. “What can I do for you?”
“Who the fuck is that?”
Samantha spun around and was startled to see Carl standing right behind her, the vein on his temple throbbing. She knew that look. The anger was oozing out of him.
“Sweetheart — ”
“I said who the fuck is that?”
“Sir, my name is Brad Durst — ”
“Get the FUCK out!”
The salesman apologized and turned away, almost running to his car.
Carl slammed the front door and turned to face Samantha. She felt her throat close and stomach churn. She wanted to run but she couldn’t do anything except stand there.
“Sweetie,” she whispered.
“Is this what you do when I’m sleeping upstairs? Flirt with strange men who come to the door?”
“I wasn’t — ”
“I was standing right here! I saw him flirting with you and you encouraged it by giggling like a stupid school girl.”
He grabbed her arms and shoved her against the wall.
“This is how you respect our marriage? For fuck’s sake, if you pull this kind of shit when I’m just upstairs, what the hell do you do when I’m at work? You probably fuck them while our kids are napping.”
“Carl, you’re hurting me.” She started to cry.
“Oh, you want to feel hurt? I’ll give you hurt. If I ever catch you pulling this shit again I’ll give you something to cry about.”
What that, he pushed her harder against the wall and stormed back upstairs. She fell to the floor and sobbed.
Samantha couldn’t believe it. How could he do this to her? The last time he’d slapped her, but it was out of concern. This time it was just plain jealousy, and she hadn’t done a damned thing wrong.
She sat slumped on the floor and thought back to all the times he’d flirted with other women. She used to get upset about it and confront him but he’d always somehow make it her fault. Like the time at a Japanese restaurant. He was flirting with the waitress. On the way home, she told him that it had upset her and he just turned it right back on her. He told her that on the way to the restaurant she’d laughed when he made that wrong turn and made him feel stupid. He felt she needed to be punished for that. So he flirted with that Japanese waitress to show her that if she didn’t watch it, he could easily replace her. She’d ended up apologizing to him.
After a few more incidents like that, she learned to keep her mouth shut. It was just harmless flirting anyhow. Nothing would come of it. She did everything he asked her to do, after all, she looked after her appearance, just like he liked, and she worked tirelessly at keeping up their home.
But…
She finally admitted to herself that things just weren’t right, and they hadn’t been for a long time.
This time, he’d gone too far and she was genuinely afraid of him. She hadn’t done a thing wrong. What about when the kids got older? What would he do to them if they crossed him? She was suddenly full of fear for her children as well as herself. They were safe now only because they were young, and even their crying bouts didn’t seem to bother him. What about when they started school and began to talk back to him, like any other kid would? Would he hit them, too?
Samantha had to do something. This couldn’t continue.
She wanted to leave him, but she had no clue how she could even begin to think about that. She had no income of her own, and the house was in his name only.
She was a prisoner.
Two weeks later, Jonathan called and told her about the new reality show, Scavenger Hunt, that was looking for contestants. He wanted her and Pietre to join him.
“We need an adventure, Sammie!” he said. She loved hearing him call her that.
That night she told Carl, and he freaked out just like she expected. He’d never been jealous of Jonathan or Pietre, so that was good, but he wouldn’t have her to rely on for the two months the show taped.
He ranted for at least a half hour, not letting her talk. When he finally stopped, she mentioned the winning team would receive ten million dollars.
He stared at her and she could see him planning ways to spend the money already.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t say anything.
“You know, sweetie, Jonathan and Pietre will take good care of me. You know they’re like brothers to me. And everything will be filmed so you’ll see everything we’re doing.”
He still didn’t reply.
“So, you’re okay with it?”
He just looked at her like a father staring at a child before scolding her. “I want you to phone me every single day.”
Samantha had no way to know if that was permissible in the show, but she agreed without hesitation.
She could see a glimpse of her freedom ahead.
Samantha - Pitcairn Island
Jackie Orazek stood beside Samantha. They were alone, waiting for Jonathan and Pietre to return with the photograph of the oldest and youngest people on the island.
“What’s the scoop, Jackie?”
They were looking out from a viewpoint overlooking the water. Seagulls squawked as they fl
ew down and tried to catch small fish in the water. The sun shone brightly but it was cool due to a breeze coming off the Pacific.
She’d been surprised earlier when Jackie told her that she had to stay behind while the picture was being taken. That was direct from Rick Sanderson. The rules of the game didn’t stop the producers from interfering, so even though the team was ready to complete their task, Jackie told them that the guys had to go on their own.
Nobody argued. The team knew better than to go against the wishes of Cynthia and Rick. They controlled every step of the game, and anybody who imagined anything differently didn’t know what they were talking about.
“Just doing my job,” said Jackie. She was frowning, and Samantha could tell she wasn’t happy with how things were unfolding.
“They’ll be back soon,” said Samantha.
“You have to watch a video clip.”
“That’s it? I couldn’t be there when we finished the task to watch a video? Couldn’t you have shown it to me after?”
Jackie shrugged. “Only following orders, Sam.” She put a hand on Samantha’s shoulder. “Sorry.”
Samantha stared at her, not knowing what to say. “What is it?”
Jackie held her tablet in front of them and pressed the Play button.
On screen was the inside of a room. Samantha didn’t recognize it, but a caption at the bottom identified it as the Park Station hotel in New York. The date stamp showed it to be three weeks earlier.
The door opened and a tall man walked inside, followed by a blonde woman.
“Carl?”
Of course she knew him. She just was shocked and checked the date stamp again to be sure it really was recent. December 23. Carl’s last flight before Samantha headed out for the show.
Almost Christmas Eve.
She wanted to stop watching, but she couldn’t. Carl ripped off the woman’s clothes and then his own. It was only a minute before they were in bed and Carl was kissing her and caressing her body everywhere.
Scavenger Hunt Page 23
