Chapter Twenty-Seven Hell Is Reuniting with Your Ex to Go Rock Climbing
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hell Is Reuniting with Your Ex to Go Rock Climbing
I’d hoped to find a chance to hand Anton’s key off to Lex, but we’re told by the producers that instead of filming some extra footage of the final two couples, we’re going to start shooting the finale immediately.
“There’s a break in the storm and this could be our last chance for hours,” Leah informs us.
She takes us through the jungle outside the villa and then down a side path.
Chase holds my hand as we walk together. The camera crew has gone ahead to set up for the big finale, and it’s just the two of us, trailing a distance behind Leah.
“Chase,” I say quietly, “can we take this slowly? I mean, I want to work together for this final challenge, but after this, I’m not sure.”
“Of course,” Chase says, squeezing my hand. “We’re doing this for your mom, right? So let’s get this bread!” He drops my hand to pump his fist in the air.
I laugh. Because even in these circumstances, Chase can make me feel like we’re in a comedy and not a horror movie. Maybe we are. Maybe everything is going to be just fine.
And then our final challenge comes into view.
Holy hell, it’s a volcano. A huge, four-story-tall volcano rises in front of us. There’s smoke and lava pouring out of the top.
I know it’s all fake, but it doesn’t lessen my sense of dread. There’s probably a million ways they can make someone die on this kind of set and have it look like an accident. At least Daniel isn’t here to say “I told you so” about this whole thing being dangerous.
Ava and Noah are already at the base of the volcano when Chase and I get there.
“Man, you’re like a cat with nine lives, aren’t you?” Noah says, high-fiving Chase. “You just keep coming back.”
“You know it!” Chase laughs. I don’t join in. I’m too busy staring up at this giant volcano, trying to figure out how I can possibly strategize a win for a challenge that involves an entire volcano.
One of the cameras pushes in on me and Chase. From the sidelines, I see Leah gesturing for us to kiss.
Chase takes the hint and sweeps me into a kiss. I kiss him back, aware of the cameras on us, but I feel nothing as I press my lips to his. Even though I’m furious with Daniel right now, all I can think about is the last time I kissed him, how good it felt to let go of all my worries and just sink into the feeling of his mouth on mine.
I break away from Chase just as a rumbling sound fills the air and the ground beneath us starts to shake.
Bright red and orange lava erupts from the volcano. Dawn Taylor emerges from the back of the volcano’s rim. Her hair and makeup are perfect, and her floor-length, skintight red gown is gorgeous.
“Welcome to the final circle of hell, babes. It’s the Treachery Challenge, and we’ve saved the best for last!” Dawn Taylor flashes a dazzling smile at the nearest camera.
If I hadn’t been watching Dawn Taylor so closely for the last week, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but her smile seems a little stiff. Is it just nerves over the finale? Or does she know something bad’s about to happen because she’s planning to kill us off in the finale?
“First, you’ll race to the top of this volcano. The first couple that makes it to the summit will get the chance to make one final choice to determine the winner. Whoever completes the challenge first wins one million dollars !”
Leah comes over to talk to us while we’re each fitted with a safety harness intended for rock climbing.
“If you end up falling into the volcano during the challenge, just hold your breath while you’re in the lava,” she instructs, tightening my harness. “There’s a chute in there that goes down and out of the volcano. So, yeah, it’ll be messy. When you reach the bottom of the chute, one of the PAs will be there to help you out and escort you through an underground tunnel and back to the beach for final filming.”
“Got it,” I say.
Leah gets someone to inspect my equipment, then fastens my helmet for me. When she’s done, she pulls me into a tight hug. “Good luck, Alice,” she says. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she’s a little misty-eyed. “I’m rooting for you.”
The producers give us a few minutes to stretch and say some last words before the challenge. I leave Chase to give the soundbites and sidle up to Lex.
“Psst, Lex,” I hiss, switching off my mic pack.
Lex says quietly, “What now? I can’t believe you’re still here after what happened during the Fraud Challenge. You should’ve left with Daniel.”
“And leave you to fend for yourself? Never,” I say, and Lex rolls their eyes. “Anyway, check this out. I found the key to Anton’s crew locker!” I palm the key into Lex’s hand.
“Where did you find it?” Lex frowns, examining the key. “Never mind. Not important. I’ve got a moment, so I’ll head there right now. Just stay safe, okay?”
“I will. You stay safe, too,” I say.
“I’m not the one with a target on my back,” Lex says. “See you at the finish line. Good luck.” They make a subtle shooing motion at me, then slip back to join the small army of camera crew filming B-roll. I switch my mic on and make my way over to Chase.
“There you are,” he says, squeezing my hand. “One of the PAs was asking for you. I told her you were probably peeing in the woods.”
“Yep,” I say distractedly. “Just answering nature’s call.” I’ve wasted precious time handing off the key to Lex, and now I’ve got barely any time at all to study the Treachery Challenge course.
The crew has outfitted this giant fake volcano with a rock-climbing wall. All the way up the volcano face are handholds and footholds in red, blue, and green at varying heights. About one-third and two-thirds of the way up, there are narrow platforms that it looks like we’re meant to climb onto. Each of the platforms has a console with levers, buttons, and a wheel.
That’s all I manage to gather before Leah signals us to face Dawn Taylor. The cameras sweep across us, and then we’re filming one last time.
“Get ready. Get set. Get the hell up there!” Dawn Taylor cheers, and we’re off.
Ava and Noah rocket forward, their legs pumping in tandem. I’m still studying the wall, trying to figure out what’s the best route for us.
“Come on, babe! Don’t get left in the dust!” Chase yells. He’s picked a handhold at random and is hoisting himself up easily. Damn it. I have no choice but to follow Chase’s ascent.
About two feet up, I glimpse a small warning label on the wall with a red radioactive symbol. It makes the volcano look like it’s a toy made for kids and not a Godzilla-sized TV set.
I test my weight on the next toehold. When I go to reach for the corresponding handhold, I notice that it’s bright red, just like the warning label. At the last second, I swerve for a blue handhold instead, straining my arm to grab it.
“Chase!” I yell up at him. “I think something bad happens if you touch the red handholds!”
“What?” Chase yells down at me—just as he steps on a red foothold. Gooey lava explodes out of a nearby vent. Chase yelps as his foot slips, but he manages to use his weight to swing onto another foothold. It looks like his climbing harness holds, and I pray that mine will, too, if I slip.
I try to dodge, but a shower of lava—which is really just gelatinous red glop—hits me in the face with a horrible splat. Ugh. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat Jell-O ever again.
“Sorry, babe!” Chase shouts. “Don’t touch the red handholds!”
We continue to make slow progress upward. My muscles are screaming at me, but I ignore the pain and focus on pushing myself to keep going.
Ava and Noah are just above us, and before long, they reach a narrow platform jutting out from the volcano, marked by a colorful green flag. As soon as both Ava and Noah set foot on the platform, a confetti cannon goes off.
“Ava and Noah have reached the first milestone!” Dawn Taylor’s voice rings out from speakers somewhere nearby. “For those following along at home, that means Chase and Alice need to watch out! Every milestone gives our intrepid couples a chance to make it harder for their competition to keep climbing.”
On the platform, Ava and Noah have taken hold of what looks the wheel of a ship, and they’re turning it counterclockwise.
A rumble reverberates through the volcano. Oh, shit.
The green handholds on our route retract, disappearing into the wall. I scramble to push off of the green ledge I’m on and just barely manage to clamber up onto our own platform. There’s no confetti for us, and when I try our wheel, it does nothing.
I look up to chart our next move and my stomach sinks. With the green handholds gone, it’s going to be that much harder to scale the volcano.
“Ready to keep going?” Chase asks. “Or do you need a break?” I’m hunched over, trying to catch my breath as I assess the situation.
“No time,” I say, squaring my shoulders.
We continue climbing, but it’s slow going, at least for me. Chase loves hitting the climbing gym with his friends, so of course he’s scaling the wall easily, even now. But without the green handholds, I’m struggling to keep up. We’re falling farther and farther behind, and if Ava and Noah beat us to the next milestone, we’re toast.
“Chase!” I shout. “Stop waiting for me! You need to get to the next milestone before Ava and Noah!”
Chase hangs off the wall to throw me a quick salute, then starts scrambling up. He’s fast, even faster than Ava and Noah, and with a strategic jump, he’s able to get to the second milestone just seconds before Noah. Chase spins the wheel, and their blue handholds disappear into the wall—and more handholds appear on our route.
“Did it, babe!”
“Nice work,” I call up. “Keep going!”
It’s taking all my concentration to continue scaling the wall. I force myself up, willing my hands to keep grabbing each ledge and pulling myself up, pushing with my legs. My arms are shaking now, and I can feel the harness digging painfully into me.
“Babe! Need help?” Chase calls down. He’s clinging to the side of the volcano, perfectly at home dangling high above the ground. For a second, I consider letting him come back down to give me a hand. But it’s too risky and our strategy is working. I don’t need help. I just have to push through.
“I’m good,” I yell, despite being the furthest thing from good. For the millionth time in this competition, I wish I’d taken up weightlifting, or done push-ups in the teacher’s lounge, or something. I force myself to think of my mother. Of that fucking olive oil. Climb, Alice, climb.
Noah and Ava are right behind me, and I can’t slow down for even a single second.
Every one of my muscles is screaming, but I grit my teeth and heave myself up. But I don’t have it in me to go any farther. I tell myself to move, but I just can’t. It’s like my body’s stopped taking directions.
If I want to win, I have to do what I hate most. I have to rely on someone else.
“Chase!” I yell. “Help me up!”
“I got you,” Chase calls, and he reaches out a hand. I take it, and he hoists me up that one last stretch.
Together, we stand up straight. The summit is actually a huge platform that rings the glowing mouth of the volcano. I didn’t realize this space was so big from down below. It’s easily thirty feet wide, which is just enough space to accommodate all the production crew, the cameras and dollies, and the climbing equipment. A giant crane towers over us, and we’re surrounded by fake foliage. There’s even a very fake-looking rock formation behind us forming the backdrop for this scene. Lit tiki torches ring the area, their fire giving everything an ethereal glow.
This is it. We’re at the top. We did it.
Confetti cannons blast all around us. We’re showered with colorful, glittering confetti.
“We won!” Chase yells, slinging an arm around my neck.
It doesn’t feel real.
I can hardly believe that I’m seconds away from winning the money and figuring out what happened. My mind flashes to my mom, and I can just see the shock and then relief and pride on her face when I tell her the news. I imagine going out with Cindy and Tara for hotpot to celebrate and taking a hiatus from my job so that I can spend the whole year taking care of my mom. And neither of us will have to worry about money as we binge K-dramas and chug down expensive bone-broth soup.
Chase keeps yelling “We won!” over and over until I hug him back, and then we’re jumping up and down, shouting and cheering and laughing. Leah flashes me a thumbs-up from the sidelines. I look around for Lex. I know they’re on the job right now, but I want to share this moment with them.
But Lex is nowhere to be seen.
Lex should’ve been back by now. They said they’d see me at the finish line. As I scan the faces of the crew, more carefully this time, I still don’t see them. If they’re not here, then something must be wrong. What if something bad happened to Lex on their way to open Anton’s locker?
Is this how Daniel felt when my bungee cord stopped working on the bridge? It was easy to brush off the danger when it was just me, but being on the other side, knowing that someone I care about might be hurt—it’s a terrible feeling. I search the crowd of crew members again, desperate to see Lex’s sardonic smile. I need to make sure Lex is okay.
I’m going into full panic mode over Lex’s disappearance when Dawn Taylor starts clapping.
“Congratulations, Alice and Chase. The two of you have been through hell to get here,” Dawn Taylor says, sweeping a hand over the volcano. “But I’m afraid your trials aren’t over yet.”
Of course. Things just can’t be easy.
“As you know, the theme of this finale is Treachery.” Dawn Taylor waves a hand over the bubbling volcano. “And I’ve decided that there can only be one winner in my inferno. The first person to throw their partner into the volcano wins…and gets one million dollars!”
They can’t change the rules on us now, can they? Did the fine print ever guarantee two winners? This has to be a test. We’re being tested on our loyalty to each other.
I glance at Chase, who’s looking at Dawn Taylor with a puzzled expression. I can practically see the gears turning in his head as he makes sense of what she’s saying. Then he breaks into a smile.
“Oh, I get it,” Chase says cheerfully. He takes both of my hands, looking me in the eye. The cameras focus on him as he speaks. “Alice, I love you. I really screwed up with you, and I told myself that I’d make it up to you someday. It looks like that day has come. The money’s all yours, babe.”
“I—” I gape at Chase. “What?”
Chase spreads his arms and tosses back his head. “I’m ready! Push me in!”
It would be so easy to throw Chase into the lava. But once again, Daniel’s right. Trying to win is a fool’s errand. Dawn Taylor can change the rules as much as she wants. The producers can manipulate how I feel and what I do. The editors can give me the hero edit or the villain edit.
I’ve been trying to play their game this whole time—say the right words, wear the right clothes, kiss at the right cue. But I have no power here. And what’s worse, someone on this island wants me dead. I’m completely at the mercy of not only the show, but also Anton’s killer. And I’m not Michelle Yeoh. I’m not some action hero who can keep getting lucky and surviving. I’m just Alice Chen.
The only way to win is to stop trying to win at all. Leah said that the volcano lets out into an underground tunnel, which is where the crew lockers are. Lex is missing, there’s a murderer among us, and time is running out. I know what I have to do.
I take a deep breath and jump.
—
For a split second, it feels like jumping into a pool on a hot summer’s day. But then the fake lava swallows me, and it’s surprisingly cold and sort of gloppy. Some of the lava gets in my mouth. It tastes like feet.
I flail for a moment in the lava, but then as I sink, I make contact with a solid, smooth surface, and then I’m speeding down an enclosed slide. I’m going fast, too fast, and suddenly I’m afraid that I’m about to die a very, very stupid death.
Then I crash out of the slide and land in a huge pool of more lava. I’m sinking like a rock, and I struggle to swim upward, still holding my breath. But the pool is deep, and my clothes are dragging me down, making it hard to move through the lava. I’m running out of air, and my movements grow more frantic as I try to break the surface. No PA comes to pull me out.
I’m going to die. I’m going to die on a reality TV show, covered in bright red goo, inside a fake volcano.
Oh, god, Cindy’s going to have to explain to my mom what happened to me. I’ll never talk to them again, or find out the truth behind Anton’s murder. Another thought bubbles up: I’ll never get to see Daniel again. I’ll never get to kiss him, or tease him, or find out what life might be like with him.
I’m going to die, and my last thought is of Daniel? This really is hell.
Then a strong hand grabs mine, and I hold on for dear life as I’m hauled out of the pool. I wipe the glop from my eyes and look up at—
“Daniel?” I whisper, shocked.
He hasn’t let go of me, and when I say his name, he pulls me into a tight hug. I’m covered in fake lava, but he doesn’t seem to care. I feel him take a deep breath, and then he releases me.
“I couldn’t leave you,” Daniel says, cupping my face. “When I found out that you weren’t getting eliminated with me, I snuck away to come back for you. But you were already climbing the volcano. I was too late.”
“No, you were just in time,” I tell him. I’m not sure it was an accident that no one was around to get me out of the pool. Daniel saved my life. Again. “You saved me.”
He laughs. “Validation from Alice Chen. I can die happy now,” he says, pulling me close.
“As sweet as this is, can we move things along?” says another voice, one I’m immensely relieved to hear.
“Lex!” I say, peering around Daniel. Lex limps up to us, waving to me before promptly sitting down on the floor. Their hair is a mess, and their shirt is ripped. “Oh, god, what happened to you?”
“You explain your part first,” Lex says, gesturing to Daniel. They lean back against the wall again, looking exhausted.
Daniel says, “Alice, when I realized that you weren’t leaving set with me, I escaped from production and ran back. By the time I got to the villa, everyone had left. But then I overheard Freya talking to Bryan on her walkie-talkie. He was telling her to make sure you went into the volcano, no matter what.”
“He was trying to kill me,” I say, realization dawning on me. “Leah said one of the PAs would be here to help me out of the pool, but there was no one there.”
Daniel nods, his mouth a grim line. “I booked it to the volcano, and when I saw one of the crew members open up a trapdoor to go underground, I put two and two together. I went into the tunnels, hoping to head Bryan off…but I was too late. I found a PA knocked out in the hallway.”
“The PA who was supposed to come get me,” I surmise.
“I think so,” Daniel agrees. “And then I ran into Bryan and Lex. They were fighting.”
All along, I’d thought Bryan was just a dick, but it turns out he was dangerous, too.
“Bryan caught me on my way to the crew lockers. He knew I was supposed to be with the crew,” Lex says, their voice raspy. “Next thing I know, he’s shoving me against the wall like he’s some high school bully. Sprained my ankle trying to get away. Then Superman over here swoops in and kicks the crap out of Bryan.”
“He got away,” Daniel says. “But I didn’t want to risk going after him, especially with you possibly going into the volcano. I’m glad I made it just in time.”
“Thank you, really,” I say. “But are you okay? Did Bryan hurt you?”
“Alice,” Daniel says, taking hold of my shoulders. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I say stubbornly. I crane my neck, trying to check Daniel over for any injuries.
“Fine, then about how about this,” Daniel says, taking my hands. “You can worry about me, and I’ll worry about you. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Again, this is very cute and all, but we’re on a deadline,” Lex says. They reach into their utility jacket breast pocket and produce Anton’s key. They toss it to me. “You need to get to the crew lockers. Find out what’s going on.”
“What about you? We need to get you looked at,” I say.
“I’ll be fine,” Lex says. “You’ll have to go without me. With my ankle like this, I’m only going to slow you down.”
“But Bryan—”
“I’m tougher than I look. The only reason Bryan had me on the ropes was because I didn’t see him coming. And he’s needed on set, so he won’t be coming back anytime soon,” Lex says. “Just head back down the tunnel and you’ll find the locker room. Now go!”
Daniel and I sprint off. The fluorescent lights flicker overhead as we hurry through the tunnel, casting a sickly glow on our surroundings. We pass countless closed doors and a handful of dark rooms that look like they haven’t been aired out in decades. Eventually, we spot a piece of paper taped to the wall with the words EMPLOYEE CHANGING ROOM printed in black Sharpie. We take a left and step inside.
There are rows and rows of faded blue lockers. A few have stickers or writing on them, and each one has a little silver plaque with a number and a letter. The key has 398 written on it, but the numbers here only go up to fifty.
“There’s always trial and error,” Daniel says as he kneels and starts with the first locker, labeled 1A.
I study the key. “Each locker has two sides,” I point out. “Try 39B.” In addition to his many other sins, like having a taste for blackmail, Anton had sloppy handwriting.
Daniel moves over to 39B and tries the lock. The door creaks open, revealing a hoodie that says Amiri on it, a small wireless camera, a sheaf of notebook pages, and—as we clear aside the papers—a laptop.
“Yes!” I pull out the laptop and power it on.
“Do you know his password?” Daniel says. We’ve sat down on the locker room bench, and he’s perusing the notebook pages while looking over my shoulder at the screen.
“No, but I can guess,” I say. I type in a few different passwords, and on the third try, we’re in.
“Wait, what was it?”
“It was ‘admin.’ I figured Anton wouldn’t have bothered to change his password from the default.”
“Wow. At least his laziness is working in our favor,” Daniel says. He holds up the notebook pages. “I’m assuming these are Anton’s notes. This page has a list of timestamps correlating to dates that go back to the first day of filming.” Daniel shuffles through the papers. “And this page looks like he was brainstorming ways to blackmail people. Dawn Taylor’s on here, too. Something about a stalker?”
I ponder that. “This is proof that Anton was planning on blackmailing her, too. But I’m not sure what the timestamps and dates are for.”
“They look like video timestamps. Check the files on the laptop.”
Anton’s desktop is a mess. Just looking at it stresses me out. There are countless docs and folders, along with several SpongeBob memes, for some reason.
“Try that one,” Daniels says, pointing at a folder labeled nothing to see here.
Inside the folder are video clips, dozens of them. I click on one, and it starts playing. The video starts off with a partial view of one of the party rooms. The camera angle is not great; the view is from a low point, and a curtain covers the top third and side of the screen. Daniel holds up the notebook page, and we match the date with a timestamp. When I scrub through to the timestamp, Anton walks into view, followed by Peter Dixon.
“—that’s your plan to get rid of Dawn? Seriously?” Anton is saying.
“Keep it down,” Peter Dixon says quietly.
“Relax, man. No one comes over here. I scoped it out, remember?” Anton says, and then, of course, winks directly at the camera. Luckily for Anton, Peter Dixon doesn’t notice. “So you want me to sabotage the fireworks? Like set them off in the wrong place, or what?”
“I don’t care how you do it. Just scare Dawn,” Peter Dixon says. “I want her shaking in her four-inch heels. By the time filming’s done, renewing for season two will be the last thing on her mind.”
The clip ends there.
“Blackmail videos.” Daniel squints at the papers in his hands. “And blackmail notes.”
I glance at the locker, where the wireless camera is sitting. “Anton must have stolen one of the on-set cameras and placed it strategically to get blackmail footage.”
We click on another video. In this one, there’s another camera shot of the floor, but the voices are unmistakable.
“No, not those. They have to be madeleines,” Peter Dixon says, sounding irritated.
“And how am I supposed to get madeleines in the middle of a storm?” Anton demands.
“Bake them if you have to. She needs to think that her stalker is here and he’s found her again. If that doesn’t convince her to quit, I don’t know what will.”
“Ohmygod.” I turn to Daniel. “Peter Dixon wasn’t trying to make up with Dawn. He was trying to scare her.”
I click on yet another video. This one is partially obscured by a spider plant. Bryan walks into frame, talking to Freya.
“—Peter said to hide them,” Bryan says. “Anton says she’s on a walk right now, so just go into Brittany’s room when she’s not there and take her meds. It’s not that hard.”
“Are you sure this is legal?” Freya asks.
Bryan snorts. “Of course it’s not legal, but Peter wants us to do it. Are you going to tell him no? Besides, we’ll give them back. It’s just for the week. She’s not going to die. Look, if you don’t want to do it, I’ll send Anton.”
I can’t stop watching. I click on the most recent video, and a clip opens of an overhead view of Peter and Anton at the back of the villa.
“—a stubborn old bitch, I’ll give her that,” Peter is saying quietly. “But she’s still got to go. I don’t care what we have to do.”
“What if we can’t scare her off?” Anton asks.
“If she doesn’t back down by the finale, then we’ll have another fireworks accident on set. A fatal one.” Peter Dixon chuckles. “And since you did such a good job with the fireworks last time, I’ll leave it to you.”
“What?” Anton looks around. “Jesus, you can’t be serious. I’m not committing murder. I am not being paid enough to do that.”
“The time for backing out was a long time ago.”
“Hey. I’ve done enough of your dirty work that I could make things very difficult for you, if I had to,” Anton says. “I don’t want to, of course. I just want a little extra cash. Come on, you’ve got money to burn. I’m tired of living in a two-bedroom apartment with three roommates. After everything I’ve done for you, I should be renting beachfront in Malibu.”
“I’ve sunk everything I have into this show. And I didn’t get where I am by letting idiots like you blackmail me,” Peter Dixon snaps. Then his voice takes on a more menacing tone. “You’d better drop this line of thinking if you know what’s good for you.”
“Look, I’m just saying that this is escalating way beyond anything you’ve told me to do before. It’s impossible,” Anton says.
“All you have to do is make sure the fireworks are in place by the time Dawn Taylor announces the season winner, and Bryan will make sure it goes kaboom, got it?” Peter says. “If we pull this off, the ratings will be off the charts, and maybe there’ll be something extra in it for you. Are you with me?”
“Sure, fine,” Anton says. He cuts a look at the camera, and this time, Peter Dixon follows his gaze. But Peter Dixon doesn’t show any sign that he’s noticed something’s amiss. He’s smiling the same affable smile I’ve seen him wear when dealing with Dawn Taylor.
He slaps Anton’s shoulder. “Come on. Play your cards right, and we’ll have an explosive finale.”
I hit pause. Daniel and I exchange a look.
And then we run.
RAW FOOTAGE: “DAWN TAY’S INFERNO: LOVE IS HELL,” SEASON 1, FINALE (UNEDITED)
[Footage: Dawn Taylor and contestants Chase and Alice are at the volcano’s edge.]
DAWN TAYLOR: The first person to throw their partner into the volcano wins…and gets one million dollars!
CHASE DE LANCEY: Alice, I love you. I really screwed up with you, and I told myself that I’d make it up to you someday. It looks like that day has come. The money’s all yours, babe.
[Footage: Alice dives into the volcano.]
CHASE DE LANCEY: Alice? Alice!
DAWN TAYLOR: What the hell was that? Why did she jump in?
CHASE DE LANCEY: Uh…does this mean I win?
LEAH GLEESON [OFF-CAMERA]: Peter’s saying that it doesn’t count. It was a test. You’re both supposed to jump in together, or not jump in at all.
CHASE DE LANCEY: Oh. Should I jump now?
LEAH GLEESON [OFF-CAMERA]: If you want to. Wait, actually, hang on—
[Footage: Ava pulls herself to the top of the volcano and hoists Noah up behind her.]
AVA DAWSON: Hey, is there going to be a consolation prize? That’s standard for finalists, and I think it’s only fair—wait, where’s Alice?
DAWN TAYLOR: Should I just—? The whole thing? Again?
LEAH GLEESON [OFF-CAMERA]: Yeah, I think so. Anyone got eyes on Lex? Lava’s messing with our sound—
[Footage: Dawn Taylor turns around to greet Ava and Noah.]
DAWN TAYLOR: Congratulations, Ava and Noah. You made it to the summit first. Now I know the two of you have been through hell to get here. But I’m afraid your trials aren’t over yet. The theme of this challenge is, as you know, treachery. And I have decided that there can only be one winner in my inferno. The first person to toss their partner into the volcano wins…and gets one million dollars!
AVA DAWSON: And if we don’t, we get nothing?
DAWN TAYLOR: That’s right, babes. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
[Footage: Close-up of Ava and Noah whispering to each other.]
NOAH WATSON: Ava, we worked so hard for this. Just do it. Throw me in. Take the money.
AVA DAWSON: No, you dork. It’s clearly a test. We’re supposed to say we don’t want the money, or whatever.
[Footage: Pan of the volcano as Ava takes Noah’s hand.]
AVA DAWSON: Noah, we did this together. I don’t want the money if it means I have to betray you. All the riches in the world aren’t worth anything without you.
NOAH WATSON: I…I love you, Ava. You’re my whole world. If it means having to betray you, then I don’t want the money either.
AVA DAWSON: Is that it? Do we win?
DAWN TAYLOR: You won! Congrats.
DAWN TAYLOR: Bryan, where the fuck have you been, and why do you look like roadkill? Hurry up and set me up for the season finale!