It’s a long night. Everyone struggles to remain awake, but there is very little in the temporary baggage you were carrying that might help keep you alert.
You fall asleep briefly, but whatever rest you might have gotten out of it is stolen by nightmares of black shapes rising up from Superior’s depths.
Finally, however, dawn comes, and it seems as if everyone may have just survived.
Milling, the group rises from its dozing and begins to stretch. The sun is coming up over the water, and the rain has stopped – it looks like it’s going to be a scorcher.
At the back of the bus, where several of you had sheltered from the damp, you realize Martin is still asleep, a book on Aramaic laid across his face.
When you nudge him, however, you find the tome falls to the floor, but he is pinned in place.
Someone has used a fine wire, now wrapped about the headrest, to first strangle the professor, and then to hold him upright so his death would go unnoticed.
He must have struggled for his last breath even as you were snoring nearby.
You have until 5PM to vote.
Eddie frowns as he peers at the late professor’s neck. “So much for us hearing anything. Maybe if we stay awake in shifts? Or would they just risk cranking it up to three against two, then? Might as well have everyone turn out their pockets, too, as if that would work either.”
“This is starting to feel like that old TV show, like tomorrow they’ll tell us that there is no Jackie, there is no FEF, and we’re the real monsters. I mean, I never thought to take another man’s life in my hands, but we’re talking about self-defense here, right?”
Anya picks the book up from the floor and begins to quietly weep. “Poor Martin. He didn’t deserve this.” She clutches the book to her chest and looks at the rest of the group.
“We have to stop this. We have to find the FEEFs and Hinge and stop this.”
Anya begins to cry harder now, almost growing hysterical, “Martin was growing suspicious of Elenore and Thomas and look what they did to him! Elenore is probably the ringleader. I’m going to vote for her tonight!”
With that, she flees the bus, book clutched tightly to her chest, and drops heavily on a log, sobbing.
“I think the shift thing is a good idea. But it needs to be done in pairs at least. If only one person is awake, they’re alone to do….whatever they might want to do. And yea, I’m starting to feel like a monster too. Both my action and inaction seem to not accomplish anything.”
It takes a lot to shake Elenore, but a mix of fear, anger and disgust is apparent on her face “There has been too much time, whoever is killing us off has had the time to hide things. I don’t understand, whoever you are Hinge you have caused too many innocent people to die already, just come forward please I beg you.”
“The only other way is to try and find holes in eachothers stories of their lives. You all better start speaking up and giving us an idea of who you are so we can figure out who is lying here.”
Tim retrieves his notepad from the dash and goes over his notes again.
“Well, it’s too late to save Martin, but maybe we can at least learn something from his death.” He circles a section and holds it up to the group to see.
“We didn’t know a lot about him, but we know Martin was suspicious of Elenore and Thomas.”
Tim looks darkly at Elenore. “Can you explain why it is that people seem to end up dead when they question your motives?”
“I agree with Tim, it Elenore seems to know too much about what’s going on to just be a bystander. I’d bet that she’s one of them, the FEF, if not Jackie herself. Not sure what else we have to go on here, I never wanted to be part of this”
“I have no idea why, I’ve tried to be as honest as possible with you all. Maybe someone is trying to frame me to keep their identity secret longer? If I were a killer, and I’m not saying that I am, I wouldn’t blatantly kill the people who are suspicious of me, it’s too obvious.” Elenore pauses and looks at everyone. “Why aren’t you asking Elwood, Martin, Thomas or Rick, or what about Eddie there? We seem to know next to nothing about them, what are they hiding? Even you Tim, all we know is that you’re bus driver and like keeping tabs on all of us!” the frustration is clear in her voice
“I don’t know this woman at all, I just didn’t want to let just one person go check the body.” “ I suspicious of bother Eleanor and you Tim…. you did drive us all here….” “However, Eleanor seems shadier than you, so I’m pointing my finger at Eleanor.” “If I’m wrong, I’m sure Tim will kill me tonight.”
I’m seeing two votes for Elenore.
Thomas & Anya
“That’s it, I can’t hold my tongue anymore! Eleanor knows too much, talks too much, she’s the one the needs to go.”
“I understand your suspicions, Thomas. None of us have anyone to vouch for our honesty. All I can do is show you my ID badge and tell you I’ve been running this bus for 15 years now and I’ve never seen something this crazy before.” Tim unclasps his badge and passes it over to Thomas.
We’re almost out of time. Elenore, who would YOU choose to sacrifice?”
“I can’t beleive any of you are willing to condemn a person to death, I had better faith in society than this”
“Nina, you have slipped under everyone’s radar. You seem to be a little too skilled at fitting in, if I absolutely had to choose I think it would be you Nina”
“Even though you brought up my name, Eleanore, I think you’re absolutely right. We just don’t know enough. I vote for no one.”
The trio of accusers, each with a finger raised in Elenore’s direction, almost seem to have forgotten the helicopter until – above their right shoulders – a familiar hum sounds.
Thunder follows, and then the headless body of the accused collapses. Thomas, Anya, and Nina have accomplished what multiple tours in Iraq could not: The death of Elenore Brill.
The black dot in the sky stays close for a moment, then a voice booms.
“This is not Hinge. None of these are Hinge.”
It retreats, and the sky again falls silent.
Day 4 begins at 11AM EST
Tim frowns.
“I don’t know what that tells us, exactly. She wasn’t Hinge….but was she in league with the FEF?”
Horrified by what her actions have lead to, Anya slides off the log to the ground and clutches Martin’s book closer to her chest. She wraps around the book and rests her head on her knees, crying quietly.
“Did we get one? I’m so confused”
Tim refers to his notes. “Let’s consider who voted for
who and who abstained.”
“Thomas, Anya and Nina voted for Elenore.
Billy and Eddie decidedly chose not to vote.
Both Elwood and I questioned Elenore up to the end, but never cast our votes.
And Rick, although he agreed with me that Elenore was suspicous, still did not vote.”
He scratches his head. “What does this tell us? Does anyone see a pattern here?”
“Tim, are you pointing at me?? I only voted because you sounded so sure….. I see a pattern alright, but it’s pointing at you.”