Paradise Thriller

Welcome To The Island

"All right, if there are no questions," Brogan paused and looked around the group.

"I have a question." Alison hadn't noticed him at first, a tall man standing a little apart from the circle around the campfire, leaning against a tree. He was wearing jeans faded to a soft blue and a white polo shirt, and was easily over six feet tall, stretched on a lankly frame. His hair was a soft brown, and fell untidily over his forehead. His skin was pale and there was an odd look in his eyes, Alison thought, as if they weren't quite focused on his surroundings.

"Your question, Luke?" Brogan prompted when the man hesitated.

"Is there any reason my vitamins were confiscated?" He spoke slowly, almost without expression.

"No reason at all." Brogan reached into his pocket and tossed a pill bottle to him. Luke examined it for a second, opened the top and looked inside, seemed satisfied, and stowed it in his pocket.

"Anyone else?"

"I suppose my phone and my cosmetic bag are out of the question?" It was the executive-looking woman in the linen suit. Clarice. Alison had spoken with her briefly when they got on the boat, but the noise of the engine and the choppy ride had made conversation impractical.

"This isn't about checking in with your office for messages." Brogan looked around the group, meeting their eyes one by one. "If any you are not 100% committed to this project, then speak up now, and we'll have you back on the boat tonight."

He turned back to Clarice. "As far as your cosmetic bag is concerned, you'll find that and any other personal care items you brought along waiting for you in your cabins. But you won't need smartphones, iPads, or other electronic devices here. For the next six weeks, this island is your world, and your lifestyle will be a bit more primitive than you may be accustomed to. Understood?"

She nodded and went back to staring intently into the fire.

"All right then. I'd like everyone to introduce themselves. When you've finished, follow that trail. You'll find several clearings where your cabins are." Brogan turned to walk away.

A heavy-set man who looked like he was pushing fifty spoke up. "What about food?"

Alison wondered what criteria had been used to choose him as a contestant. He looked like he stepped out of the backwoods of Mississippi - about thirty years ago. His face was slightly flushed, and his shirt strained a bit over his protruding stomach and low-belted pants. The term "good ol' boy" might have been invented for him, Alison thought.

"For tonight, we've left a box meal in your cabins. I expect you'll all want to turn in early. As for the rest of your stay, there's a shed right over there." Brogan pointed to a small building almost concealed by the foliage. "There's a camp stove and basic utensils in there, and we've set up a picnic table about 50 feet that way," he said, gesturing to a point beyond the campfire. "You'll find a good supply of nonperishables in the shed, and a cooler that will be restocked from time to time. Nothing fancy, but it will keep you alive. You want something more than that, you'll have to catch it, kill it or pick it off a tree."

"I don't have my gun," the middle-aged man said. "How's a man supposed to hunt without a gun?"

"Well, that would be your problem, now wouldn't it?" And with that, Brogan walked away.

They all stared at each other for a moment. Finally a woman in a short, red leather skirt and halter-top spoke up. Her voice had a sexy twang, and there was a predatory look in her eye as she checked out the men in the group.

"Well, I guess maybe we should do what Brogan asked us. I mean, I'm not gonna' be the first one to have points deducted for not following the rules." She looked around and, when no one disagreed with her, began.