Chapter 2

© Copyright 2008 by Elizabeth Delayne



At precisely six fifty-five, which matched the notation on her schedule, another knock sounded at the door. Her suitcase had been taken by the staff earlier while she’d been interviewed for what would be turned into the personal diaries that would be mixed in with the action part of the show. They had installed her with a wireless mike that she would wear for the duration.

Like every other reality show, it seemed.

With her she had her backpack loaded with a change of clothes, her cell phone, the pager for the show, a Soduku book and various first aid supplies she rarely went anywhere without, she opened the door.

Once again, she was met with a camera, but this time it was on a running. A staff member handed her a large manila envelope.

“Welcome to the show, Number 1.”

Number one, she repeated in her head. Great. This meant she was responsible for starting the chain of meeting her team. It was how it started, every season. Each team had a starting member, who would go to different floors of the hotel, knocking on doors and meeting the team members adding to the group like a train picking up additional cars.

When they were all gathered, they would open the final envelope which would guide them to their leader. Sometimes a B or C list celebrity, sometimes a former member of the crew, once or twice a professional adventurer or philanthropist.

She shouldn’t be so nervous. As a nurse, she was told she had a good bedside manner with her patients. She’d dealt long enough with her grandmother, her grandmother’s friends and her doctors.

And as a nurse, she was used to spur of the moment changes, emergencies and changes in plans.

She glanced down at the large envelope. On the front, it was labeled: the adventure begins.

Here we go, Grams, she said, without even realizing she said it out loud. She opened the envelope. Inside was a stack of bright envelopes. Her name was written on top. She opened it, read the instructions—then with prompting—did it again out loud.

“Here you are at the beginning, so far from winning … but with every step you take, you meet with your fate. Begin at the 4th door on the 17th floor. Room 1709.”

As she headed towards the elevators, Jamie considered all that she knew about the setup of the teams. More than a reality show, it was considered a family show. The contestants were a range of ages from retired to college age. The teams were meant to be diverse, a small community on a tricked out bus. No one was voted off. The team was meant to form and congeal as it neared the finish line.

She’d always thought that was why her grandmother liked the show—well, and because the producer had been a marine buddy of her grandfather’s. She didn’t doubt that influence.

But it didn’t help her to analyze who the envelope belonged to in room 1709.

It didn’t matter that she was supposed to ignore them. It was odd to walk onto an elevator with a group of cameras following her. Did they think she would say anything? Talk to herself.

She nearly laughed—would have, right there, until she remembered it would be recorded.

This was where she wanted to strangle her dear grandmother.

When the elevator opened on the seventeenth floor, Jamie was held back with a gentle hand as the people behind the forth wall checked their watches, aligning themselves, she supposed to the itenerary they had set for the rest of the evening.

As she was motioned on, she walked to the door and took a deep breath. She knocked, trying to get into the mindset she would have meeting a new patient. It was her best, most easy to slip into persona.

The door opened and Jamie smiled at the sprite of a girl, with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes who stood in the threshold. College age, she looked a little bit more like she was about to take a trip to the mall then a summer long journey to who knew where.

Of course, Jamie wasn’t positive her grandmother would have approved of her own simple untucked striped Oxford and jeans, her hair pulled up in a ponytail, but what else was a girl to do? It was an adventure, right?

“Room 1709?” Jamie said needlessly.

The girl smiled, easy and free. “That’s me,” she held out her hand and Jamie shook it with a relaxed grip. “Felicity Simmons.”

“Jamie Malcolm.” She held out the envelope. “I believe this is yours.”

The message read and recorded on film, her wireless mike secure and double checked, Felicity hefted her own bright yellow backpack and fell in step beside Jamie. Or rather Jamie fell in step beside her.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” she confided.

Jamie laughed, “Neither have I.”

“Who do you think’s going to be our leader? The boards are all over the fact that Tyler may not be coming back this season. And ... or maybe we’ll be on the opposing team,” as they stopped in front of the elevator, Felicity sighed. “Of course, my roommate will absolutely die if we’re on Tyler’s team.”

“You’re roommate and my grandmother should get together.”

“You’re grandmother watches the show?”

“Since the beginning.”

“How old is she?”

Jamie laughed again, wondering if this would end up on television. He grandmother would cackle. “Somewhere between seventy-three and sixteen.”

From there on out, they roamed the hotel, meeting their crew and adding on to the human chain they seemed to be making as they snaked their way around to pick up all six of the team members.

There was George, a tall African American, with a shiny bald head. He was a professor. Then they picked up Cameron, a professional skateboarder. Finally, they picked up Thessa, another college age girl, with glowing dark skin. She sported a hefty engagement ring that sparkled when she reached to take her envelope.

The last of the letters and their first real assignment.

Find their leader.


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