Destiny is Served

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

-Win, Place or Show I

The buzzer sounds for the teams to get ready.  There are thirty-six couples, twelve teams competing.  The challenges seem simple, they are spread out around the grounds of a large hotel resort rented for the weekend.  The beach is their backdrop, the water looks serene a few yachts dot the horizon.  

Braylin glances at the viewing area catching the smug expression of Mellie (Amelia) watching him.  She called him early this morning issuing a demand that he meet with her alone after today’s events. The hold she has on him shames him.  Finding out that Kara is her daughter has left him in a quandary.  He should have known, the similarities between mother and daughter now seem obvious and yet he loathes one but can’t control the growing feelings he has for the other.  

Kara is looking around at the different events trying to figure out how she and Braylin are going to manage this. The scowl on his face doesn’t bode well for their partnership.  If they continue to treat each other the way they did last night it’s going to confirm they aren’t a real couple.    

“What the fuc…..”  Braylin lets the words rip from his mouth as he realizes what they have to do in each event.  Kara holds her hand over his mouth knowing their competition is closely watching them.  Many of the other players know they have never done this before.     

They have to run a quarter of a mile, then climb across an extra wide ladder that hangs over a four foot deep pool of water.  If one of them falls they both go in the water.   Kara worries she might not be able to hold onto the rungs or keep up with him.  He’s in top shape to do this, she  isn’t so sure she’s fit enough until she looks around at some of the other women with their made up faces, cutsied short outfits and manicured nails.  Many of the men are full of adrenaline and bluster. 

Kara is stressed she thought they would have a chance to talk or plan some sort of strategy.  He’s so distant toward her.  The starting bell sounds the event has started.  She runs as fast as she can to keep up with him, he slows his pace down to match her shorter strides. 

At the ladder Braylin grabs her leg surprising her.  He lifts her so she can grab ahold of one of the rungs.  She hangs there about to freak out, she can’t hold on long, he jumps on the one in front of her. 

“Wrap your legs around my waist.  Move when I move, got it.”   He yells at her.  

There is no time for discussion.  She does what he says, it makes it easier for her to hang on each rung.  They make it across quickly without incident.  Cameron and Michelle have already made it across.  Kevin gets Amanda to do it but they are slower and the last team members to cross over.  Their team is spread out as they run to the next challenge. 

It’s the dreaded tires. They have been painted white. They are pushed together but not in sets of twos like normal. The pattern is a wide group of zigzagged tires all the way down the field for about twenty five feet.    

Each couple has five minutes to run through the tires accumulating points for their team.   Inside the hole of each tire is a colored pouch they must step on.  The pouches release a colored powder like substance over the white tires when opened.    

All of the tires are labeled with five, ten, fifteen or twenty points.  The course is designed for all of the couples to go through the tires at the same time looking for their team colored pouches. If a couple is knocked down with time left on the clock they can go back to the beginning to start their run over or give up taking any points they have accumulated.