Surprisingly there weren’t any mysterious sniper shots when we drove to the shores. And by the time we arrived, there were five rescue boats placed at the very end, each having two armed guards. And of course, at the very front was the bastard I wanted to see the least - Abel.

He was standing with his arms clasped like a bodyguard, and as our little vehicle emerged out of the forest he gave something like an angry smile.

You weren’t expecting us to survive, I thought, hand on the gun. Well, how’s this, you bastard?

“That’s the fucker,” Alyssa growled. “I wish there was a rule to punch them in the face.”

“Then he would be earning quite a lot of punches,” I said.

There were at least five or six other players gathered on the shore. Most of them were faces I’d never seen before, except for Amy. I didn’t know how she took the quicker route to the shores, but she was there, glaring at Maria while covering her self with a white cloth. A few of the men and woman gathered snickered at her nakedness though, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Are they the last one?” Abel asked as we stopped right near the rest of the survivors.

“There is one more person sir,” one of the guards said after tapping on a large tablet. “Name’s Hal.”

So the bastard is alive.

Abel looked at Alyssa and Maria. “Ah, he survives.”

“Wait,” I said. “What about Marco and Hana?”

“Dead,” Abel said without even looking at me. “Alright everyone, get in.”

“Get in?” one of the survivors - a man in his early thirties with bully muscles and a bleeding hand came to the front, pushing all of us. “You fuckers stand us on an island, set monsters on us, and then say get in?”

“Yes,” Abel stared right at him. “You have a problem, sir?”

He raised his arm, and before Abel could dodge punched his face until the little man fell to the ground. I felt like someone had given me a birthday present. It would have been nice if the punch killed the fucker, but that was too much to ask. And my satisfaction was short-lived. As soon as Abel landed on the ground the bodyguard beside him pulled the gun, and without a word shot the man in the head. He fell down, a clean bullet wound on his forehead.

Behind us, a woman screamed, then fell to the ground sobbing. The others stared in silence.

“Like I said,” Abel spat. He didn’t look so happy about the punch, especially with the large wound on his cheek. “This is a compulsory death game. It comes along with Unet. Anyone else feels like disagreeing you are free to step forward.”

As I expected, no one did. But Maria stepped past me and looked straight at Abel. “I need something to wear.”

Abel looked at her bra, then stared at her. “You are already wearing something Maria. If you want new clothes each of you get a room and a set of clothes once you get to the cruise.”

He turned, and I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “That’s it?”

Both Alyssa and Tara jabbed me at the same time.

Abel turned angrily. “No, Alex. There is more. All you survived was the island and a death game, and all we wanted was to pick out the best of the bunch. So, you’ll have rewards. You can see those when you get to the ship. Now shut the fuck up, and come with us.”

The rescue boats weren’t big enough to fit all of us, so we divided into packs of three with each pack getting a bodyguard. Maria left the three of us easily. She didn’t speak a word to me after the whole scene with Amy, and I didn’t mind. But I was too afraid to get to her bad side, all I wanted was to end whatever relationship I had with her and move on with my own life.

“I’m surprised Abel didn’t mention the Elites or the true purpose of the game,” I said during the boat ride. Tara and I were on one side, and Alyssa on the other. “You know, for the six of you to kill us. Besides…” I recalled what Abel said. “Marco and Hana is dead? Who even killed them? And where is Hal?”

“That’s too many questions Alex,” Alyssa said. Her eyes looked drowsy. “But they’ll probably leave one boat and a bodyguard to get Hal once he reaches the shore. As for Marco and Hana….someone must have killed them.”

“You think Hal did it?” Tara asked. “But I can’t think the bastard would be so quick.”

“Maybe not Hal…” Alyssa said. “Maybe a normal player who came across them.”

“But then Marco’s beast should have stopped attacking us….” I paused. “What the fuck just happened?”

“I don’t know Alex,” Alyssa snapped. “But they’ll probably have a meeting for Elites…which is just me and Maria. And I’m worried about what they’ll say. And now that they know we worked together…”

She was worried. I was glad to see the damn island slowly get little, and Tara, who was huddled close to me looked equally happy, but not my sister.

“But that can wait,” she shrugged her head, then returned a smile. “They probably won’t call me and Maria right after we land. So I have some time to plan. Till then…” her smile became snarky as she looked at me. “I’ll need to borrow you for a couple of hours.”

Tara stared daggers. “Are you sure it’s just him? Not me?”

“It’s a single room Tara, clearly no space for three.”

“And it has space for two? I just spend running around without Alex, then almost got kidnapped, and then finally reunited with him, so I’m sorry, he’s having sex with me until this evening.”

“I think I’ll need a sleep,” I grumbled. Usually, I would never turn down sex, but the effects of running for my life around an island the whole night were slowly starting to appear on me.

“Alright,” Alyssa smiled. “Then I’ll just need help with a thing. That’s all.”

The boat stopped right beside the little hatch on the front that opened up to the water. The familiar people dressed in black and white coats were there to greet us. Each of them had some glass of wine or drinks ready, with the ones at the back holding snacks. I scrambled for a drink, then devoured an entire plate of cookies.

The others were even worse. Some even collected places and started eating from each one while the few ones who felt privileged finished their wine and demanded more.

But I was glad when some maid-like-girl asked me to show me to my room. Alyssa and Tara came behind me, and our rooms were located nearby each other, all in the same corridor.

“You are sleeping in my room Alex,” Tara said, almost like an entitlement. “I’m sleeping naked so you have something good to huddle while asleep.”

She gave me a wink, then went inside the room and shut the door.

Damn, I want to go in…

Perhaps one round of sex would be better before sleep. I needed a way to release all the pressure built up during the night. But before I could, my sister gripped me. She was still limping, but instead, she had a giddy smile. “Just help me out, and then I’ll send you over.”

“For what?”

She grinned. “To change.”