We booked our tickets – in separate rows, because the flight was pretty full – and headed off to the airport. “Man, I’m so bummed that our lead is disappearing,” Georgie said.
“Me too.”
She snorted. “Girl, please. I thought you were going to jump out of your chair with excitement when you heard we were all going to be on the same flight. I’m your twin. You can’t lie to me.”
I could feel a hot blush on my cheeks. “Um, well, there are worse things?”
“Yeah, like potentially being stuck on a fifteen hour flight seated next to Drew or Foster?”
There was that.
~~ * * * ~~
Team by team, people trickled in to the Agadir airport, and we compared seats on the final leg for when we’d arrive in Huangshan. Well, that is, we compared seats with the Black team and the Orange team. Jendan and Annabelle were at the very back of the flight, which was depressing. I was near the front and Georgie was somewhere in the middle. Plate was also in the middle, in the front half and Swift in the back half.
The Green Machine and the Red Hat ladies deliberately sat away from us at the gate, their heads down and talking amongst themselves. No doubt they were strategizing against us.
I sat between Swift and Georgie on a row of seats, and I nudged both of them when the Green Team leaned in to whisper at the Red Hat ladies again. “Should we be talking strategy too?”
Georgie glanced over at me. She was drawing another penis on Plate’s fluorescent cast. “About what?”
“About the penalty task that’s going to be on this next leg?”
Swift’s arm was over the back of my chair, and he toyed with one of my braids. “Do you have a strategy to share?”
“Well…no.”
“Yo, how are we gonna talk strategy if we don’t know who gets the penalty? I mean, do we vote on it? Is it for the team that comes in last?”
“Well, penalizing the team in last doesn’t really make much sense,” I commented, tapping on my lip with my forefinger. “So it’s either got to be random or a vote.”
“It’ll be whatever creates the most drama,” Annabelle said with a knowing nod. She was stretched out on the floor, her head resting on Jendan’s thigh as we waited for our plane to arrive. “You mark my words. If they could have us hop around on one leg, naked, and it would increase ratings? They’d do it.”
I was horrified at the thought. She was probably right, though. They’d made everyone play Endurance Island naked on her season. “God, I really hope not.”
“Me too,” said Plate. “I’m behind on my manscaping.”
Swift snorted. A giggle escaped me.
“It’ll be fine, Tiny,” Swift said, leaning in and whispering in my ear. “You worry too much.”
Of course I worried. Only three teams out of the five left were going to move forward. Things were getting awfully close. And Annabelle’s comment made me wonder at the penalty. Ideally, I was hoping for a Red Hat and Green Machine fourth and fifth place finish…but that wouldn’t be good for ratings, would it? It was in the producers best interest to keep at least one of those teams around to be the villain.
Which meant someone in our small circle was going to go home. And if I had to pick, I’d pick Jendan and Annabelle…but they were under the radar and more efficient at being a team than anyone realized. They never got to the front of the pack, just sort of motored along right behind the leaders. I wasn’t sure that Georgie and I would beat them if it came down to us versus them.
So yeah, I worried.
~~ * * * ~~
The flight to Paris was relatively short. From there, we shared cabs over to Charles De Gaulle, and then waited for our next flight. I was dismayed to find that, although I had a window seat, the man seated next to me with the aisle seat was ancient and smelled like Ben Gay. The moment the plane got in the air, he took his shoes off and kicked them under the seat in front of me.
This was going to be a long, long flight. I practiced breathing through my mouth and leaned against the window to try and give him room. I sat up in my chair and glanced backward, scanning the heads in the plane for my twin. She was back there in the center, and one seat separated her and Plate. Lucky. At least they could talk through the flight. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they switched seats the moment the fasten seatbelts sign went off.
With a resolute sigh, I settled back into my chair. Maybe I’d catch up on my sleep. Maybe I’d come up with a good strategy for what to do when the penalty situation arose.
Maybe I’d figure out what to do if it came down to the Black team versus us in the final two. The possibility was very real, and I worried about it. If Swift’s dad was really sick and needed the money for medical bills, I’d feel awful if Georgie and I won. Georgie didn’t need money. She had millions invested and socked away from her modeling career. And me, well, I didn’t, but I could always sponge off my twin. I didn’t get the impression that Swift had a ton of money. He said he worked in a garage.
Then again, Swift also tended to clam up whenever I asked him personal questions. He hadn’t told me if he really was in a biker gang – or club, or whatever they were called. And when Jendan and Annabelle had mentioned spending the prize money, he hadn’t brought up his dad. That might have been because it was personal…
But it also might have been a lie. And that worried me. What if he wasn’t telling the truth and I let him win? Was I just blinded by really hot kisses and an incredible pair of shoulders?
And okay, maybe a bit of spectacular oral?
It was sad, but I didn’t trust my own judgment anymore. Not when it came to a hot guy paying attention to me.
I stared morosely out the window. When had the race become so very complicated? I should be ecstatic that there were only five teams left. Instead, I was stressing….and half of my stress wasn’t even race related.
“Hey, man,” a familiar voice said. I turned and was surprised to see Swift kneeling in the aisle. He gave the guy in the seat next to me a grin. “I’m about ten rows back, aisle seat. Can I switch with you so I can sit next to my girl?”
The old man looked over at me, wrinkling his nose. I did my best to give him a bright, unassuming smile.
He shook his head. “I’m comfortable where I am.”
Swift shot me an are you kidding me look. He dug into his pocket. “I’ll give you twenty dollars.”
The man sighed. “Fine.” He stood up and collected his shoes, and Swift flashed me a grin and a thumbs up. He led the man to his seat, and I bit my lip.
Okay, worst case scenario had just changed to something a lot more fun.
A moment later, Swift slid in next to me. “Hey, Tiny.”
“Hi,” I croaked. God, at some point I was going to stop being so awkward around him.
He reached into the seat pocket in front of us and pulled out one of the flight blankets and unwrapped it. “Mind if we snuggle? It’s a long flight and I’d rather get comfy with you.”
Would I mind? Was he crazy? A high pitched giggle escaped my throat. “No.”
“No?”
“No, I mean, I don’t mind,” I stammered.
He winked at me and spread the blanket over both of our laps, then moved the armrest up. His arm went around my shoulders and he tucked me against him. “This is better, isn’t it?”
“Much,” I said, relaxing against him. He smelled so good compared to the other guy. I didn’t even mind the faint hint of sweat and camel that clung to him. “I’m glad we’re all on a flight together.”
“Me too. Though I’m annoyed to see Green Machine here.”
I laughed. “You’re annoyed? Me and Georgie have more reason to be annoyed than anyone else.”
Swift frowned and I felt his body stiffen against me. “Why?”
Oh dear. I didn’t know how Swift would react if he found out the guys had stolen our money. “Because they’ve been trying to get everyone to kick us off, remember?”
He chuckled, relaxing
against me. “I guess that’s true. But they’ve been gunning for us, too.”
“Good point,” I said, and decided to leave it at that. “I hope they get booted out in the next round.”
“You and me both. I don’t want to have to race against them at the end.”
“Me either. I’d rather it be the three of us – you and Plate, me and Georgie, and Jendan and Annabelle – at the end.”
Swift only said, “Mmmm.”
That small sound…bothered me. I sat up. “Don’t you want to have all the good guys left?”
“Well, only one team can win. I’d rather it be a non-competitor like the Red Hat ladies than Jendan and Annabelle. I know I can beat those two old ladies in a footrace.” He squeezed my shoulders.
That…didn’t make me feel better. What about me and Georgie? He could beat us in a footrace, too, right?
I was starting to get a sinking suspicion that ‘beating Georgie and I’ was part of the plan.
And I didn’t know how I felt about that.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“We’re getting down to the wire here. Something big’s going to happen soon. I know it.” – Swift, Team One Percent, The World Races
We got off the bus at the base of Huangshan and looked around.
“Where now?” Plate asked, looking over at me and Georgie.
“A spring, right?” Swift asked, handing me my backpack. He’d carried it for me on the bus ride, which made me feel like a jerk for doubting him. I was such a worry wart over nothing. Swift was a good guy and it was clear he liked me. He’d held my hand and snuggled with me on the long flight, and when we’d gotten into the airport at Tunxi, he and Plate had immediately waited for us to disembark the plane so we could all share a ride over to the mountain. The Green Machine and Red Hat ladies had immediately split off from the group, and we’d lost Jendan and Annabelle in the crowds at the airport, so we assumed they’d taken a different route to Huangshan. You could get to the mountain by bus, train, or taxi. We’d elected bus.
As we walked through the entry gate, my twin read the disk. “Hot Springs in Yellow Mountain Tourist Area,” Georgie repeated. “Do we see one anywhere?”
“It’s hard to tell,” I said, shouldering my bag as we stared at the floods of tourists around us. “Everything’s so…pretty.”
It really was. Huangshan was like something out of a movie. It was early, so there were thick layers of misty fog amongst the hills. Pretty green trees were everywhere, and dotting the pathways and lower tree branches were red ribbons and locks of all kinds. It was a bit like a fairy tale, and in my sleep-deprived, travel-weary state, it was soothing to look upon.
“Maybe we should just follow the other tourists and ask questions?” Georgie said. She approached a nearby man with a guide. “Ni hao,” she greeted him with a wave. “We’re looking for the Hot Springs?”
The man didn’t know, but two other tourists had a map, and we studied it for a bit before heading off with them to the Tourist Pavilion.
We passed another tree covered in red ribbons. “I wonder what they mean?” I asked. They had Chinese words written on them, but I couldn’t read a lick of it.
“I borrowed some guy’s phone on the plane and read that they symbolize the deaths of people that fall from the paths here.” Plate sounded unconcerned. “Kinda cool, huh?”
I shot Swift an alarmed look. “Not cool. Not cool at all.” I was already a bit worried. It seemed that Huangshan was a tourism hotspot because of its steep mountain paths. There was supposed to be an incredible view at the summit.
I did not plan on making it to the summit, because I did not like heights. So I prayed that everything we’d be doing was at the base of the mountain. I had my doubts, but I hoped.
After walking up a tree-lined path, we spotted the tourist area. “This is so pretty!” I exclaimed as we approached. Steaming pools of water surrounded a small yellow building with a bright red, squarish roof. Trees dotted the path and mist curled around the building. It was like nothing back in the United States, and I loved the sight of it. I kept holding my monocle up to my eye so I could see more of the wonders that Huangshan had to offer.
“We’re not here for pretty,” Swift reminded me.
Right. We were here for the race.
Off to one side was a stand with the World Races logo. Standing next to a stack of disks was a woman in a bright red gown with huge sleeves and a high mandarin-style collar. She had a bright blue ornate headdress that was spiky with flowers and beads.
“Over there!” Georgie cried, racing for the mat.
We all piled onto it at the same time, startling the woman. “Ni hao,” she told us in greeting, holding out two disks.
“Xiexie,” Georgie said. Thank you. We repeated her, all thanking the woman and then racing off with our disks so we could read them in private.
“Man, I hope there’s some serious Chinese food challenge up in here,” Plate said. “I’m fuckin’ starving.”
“Shhh,” Georgie said, and began to read.
Welcome to Huangshan! The Yellow Mountain is one of the most scenic places in all of China, and is a mountain sacred to the Tao religion. You will need to get to the top of the mountain for your next challenge, and to do so you must climb the many steps of Huangshan. There are two paths – the Eastern Steps, and the Western Steps. You must decide which one you will take and purchase tickets. One is short but not scenic, and one is scenic but much longer. All told, there are over sixty thousand steps on the mountain.
Look for your next clue at the summit of the North Peak.
Please note that the cable cars are off limits to racers.
I groaned. “We can’t take the cable cars?” I watched one cross overhead. It looked scary, but a lot safer than going up the mountain ourselves. “Sixty thousand steps? Are they kidding me?”
“It’ll be fine,” Georgie said quickly. “We’ll take the shorter path and go slow if we have to. No worries. You guys ready?” She looked at the two men.
Plate rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving.”
“We’ll eat on the way up,” Swift said. “I’ve got some protein bars. We need to get going. This place is crowded and is only going to get more crowded, and we don’t want to get stuck with the other teams.” He turned to me and squeezed my hand. “You going to be okay with climbing?”
“Do I have a choice?” My voice was wobbly.
He gave me an apologetic grin. “No?”
Yeah, that was kinda what I figured.
~~ * * * ~~
We asked around (and took photos with a few tourists, because they recognized Georgie) and found out that the Eastern Steps were the much shorter trail. It was less than five miles, whereas the Western Steps – the one with the beautiful, scenic routes that everyone raved about – was over nine miles.
Nine miles of climbing stairs? No thank you. I didn’t care how good the view was. Swift and Plate were in agreement – the shorter path was the way to go.
We bought our tickets and started climbing.
At first, it wasn’t so bad. There were lots of tourists and the stairs were gradual, and the trees lined every path. It was pretty, and the early morning weather was cool. But as the day wore on and the stairs got even steeper, the sun got higher in the sky and things grew warmer. The crowds were noisy and stifling, and people jostled each other, pausing to take pictures of a particularly pretty rock formation or a tree. Red ribbons were everywhere, and I remembered what Plate had said – that they stood for each person that had died. Surely that couldn’t be right, could it? There was no way.
But the thought of it still made me antsy.
A food porter walked up one side of the narrow path with two bags hanging from a pole across his shoulders, and as he walked, people purchased water and snacks from him. We did, too, because we were starving.
“Is it a bad sign if they’re selling food along the climb?” Georgie asked me.
“Yes,” I said flatly. Yes, it
was.
We continued climbing. The stairs grew steeper, at one point carved into an almost sheer cliff with nothing but chains to hold onto as a railing. I whimpered, closed my eyes, and clung to the rock. Swift moved to the outside and encouraged me as I climbed, but it was rough, especially knowing that we had impatient tourists waiting behind us.
I thought we’d never make it to the top. After about three and a half hours, countless stairs, and my legs wanting to fall off out of sheer pain, we reached the summit.
I collapsed on the cobbled pavilion and stretched out under a tree. “Can’t…walk…another…step,” I moaned, my legs cramping. “Leave me behind.”
Swift chuckled and extended a hand down to me. “Come on. We’re almost there.”
Yeah, we were almost to our next challenge. Whoopee. With a groan, I let him help me up and didn’t protest when he swung my bag onto his shoulder again. I was being a bit of a baby this round, but I didn’t care. I was a scholar. I had no leg muscles, damn it. The elevation this high up made sucking in deep lungfuls of air difficult. I leaned down and rubbed one aching calf before falling in step with the others.
We hunted around, looking for the World Races clue-stop amidst the throngs of tourists. There were, strangely enough, hotels atop the mountain and lots of scenic places to take pictures. Of course, the ever-present red ribbons were covering the trees and handrails as well, which wigged me out.
I spotted something bright blue and peered around a backpacker. “Over there!” I said, pointing. “I think that’s another girl like below!”
Our group of four charged forward and nearly crashed into the mat where the costumed woman was waiting. She gave us a nervous smile and gestured at an ornate box on a table next to her. The top of the box read: Choose one. To the side of the box, there was a tiny arrow pointing off to the west that said “Penalty Challenge”.