My next project is ready. This story is based on the fifth season of The Mole and features characters from the Phoenix Wright series that I think would definitely fit in the shoes of the contestants. Those readers who have seen the show and can make the necessary comparisons, please do not spoil anything for those that haven't. And no watching the show itself to sneak a peek either, that's cheating. See, part of the joy of this story is that it's semi-interactive. The quizzes that are so important to the game will be displayed for the readers. If you wish to play along and try to find out who The Phantom is, leave your answers in a review, then I'll pm you with the amount of questions you answered correctly (for obvious reasons you will not know which ones). In addition, this story will be written alongside the final case in "Rise of the Ace Attorney", usually within a day of each other. Each chapter in that final case will hold a clue to The Phantom's identity somewhere within, always pertaining to the chapter of this story posted alongside it. Also, this story is a direct sequel to "A Few Simple Changes" and takes place in the year 2030. Disclaimer: I don't Ace Attonery or The Mole. And with that...

Chapter 1: The Hunt Begins

In Los Angeles, Chile, Prosecutor Simon Blackquill stood near a cliff overlooking the Laja Falls. In about an hour the contestants for this new game would arrive, twelve people from the world of law enforcement. Detectives, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and forensic scientists. From these four critical aspects of the criminal justice system, twelve individuals were chosen to take part in an interesting hunt. Soon enough, the two vans drove up to the viewing area where the first mission would take place.

First came Kay Faraday, a 29-year-old prosecutor following in the footsteps of her father Byrne. Second was Phoenix Wright, a 38-year-old defense attorney who was famous for helping a number of high-profile clients, including Simon himself. Third was Larry Butz, a 37-year-old security guard who, despite his impressive record, had something of a lazy reputation. Fourth out was Franziska von Karma, a 31-year-old prosecutor eagerly following in the path of her father Manfred.

After that came Ema Skye, a 30-year-old forensic scientist said to have science coming out of her every pore. Next came Apollo Justice, a 26-year-old defense attorney working under Phoenix, who was well known for his strange ability to perceive small twitches within witnesses to discern the truth. Up next was Klavier Gavin, a 28-year-old prosecutor known just as much for his rock band, the Gavinners, as he was for his skill in the courtroom. Next came Wendy Oldbag, a 72-year-old security guard infamous for her hair-trigger temper.

Next was Angel Starr, a 44-year-old detective well known as the "Cough-Up Queen". After her came Diego Armando, a 45-year-old prosecutor who happened to be a former defense attorney. The next person to step out was Dick Gumshoe, a 43-year-old detective well known for his jovial nature and big heart. Lastly came Adrian Andrews, a 36-year-old security chief known to have a serious nature while on the job, but to be quite friendly otherwise.

Simon smiled as the twelve contestants grouped together. "Greetings all of you," Simon said, "My name is Simon Blackquill. Let me start with a little exposition. As you know, ten years ago an elite international spy known officially as 'The Phantom' attacked the GYAXA space center intent on sabotaging the HAT-1 project. In the process he also took the life of one the center's key scientists. Thankfully that man is now in custody. But it gave the police department an excellent idea for an interesting game."

The twelve people listened intently as Simon continued. "All twelve of you received a phone call prior to this meeting. In eleven of those cases the phone call was identical, a simple invitation to partake in this adventure. However, the twelfth person received a different phone call." He paused. "That person is the mysterious 'Phantom' of this game. And like The Phantom who attacked the GYAXA center, this Phantom will be doing his or her best to sabotage the missions you will be receiving during this adventure." He chuckled at the suspicious stares the contestants subtly gave each other.

"Here's how the game plays out," Simon said, "At certain times over the course of the next ten weeks, you will receive various missions for cash that will be deposited in an overall bank account. Sometimes the cash will be earned by you individually, sometimes it will be a lump sum. In every mission there is a chance The Phantom will try to sabotage the mission, but keep in mind he or she will not sabotage every mission, only the ones they are told to. However, you will not be made aware of what was sabotaged until the very end."

He placed an hawk feather between his teeth. "After two missions, there will be a quiz. This quiz will consist of ten questions regarding The Phantom's identity. Following that will be the elimination ceremony. During this ceremony, the person who scored the lowest on the quiz will be eliminated from the game. If there is a tie, whoever was slowest will be eliminated. So answer quickly, but accurately. Also, during a random elimination round, there will be a bribe offer. A small lump sum will be offered to whoever wants to leave during that ceremony. This will only be offered once during the game."

There was a general sign of interest among the group. "When the game reaches it's final missions," Simon continued, "There will be only three people left, two contestant and The Phantom. All three of them will participate during the final quiz, which will have twenty questions. The only other difference with this final quiz is that the previous quizzes will only be in regards to the two missions that preceded it, and the events that surrounded it. The final quiz however, will be in regards to the entire game, so pay attention to each others' actions at all times. Whichever of the final two contestants scores highest on the final quiz will win all the money added to the account. Any questions?"

Hearing nothing but silence, Simon nodded. "Good, now as you'll notice we are standing over the Salto de Laja waterfall." (Larry: This adventure is basically just one big mindgame. You really need your A-game from the first second to avoid falling behind.) "I'm certain you've had time to get to know each other before coming here," Simon said, "And so, before we begin, I'd like to start with a secret ballet." He handed out twelve cards with the suspects pictures on them. "On these cards, secretly mark the person you believe to be The Phantom, just off first impressions alone." The suspects each took a card, circled the picture of the person they believed The Phantom was, then folded the card and handed it back to Simon.

"Alright then," Simon said once he had all the cards, "According to the ballet, the person most of you think is The Phantom is..." He paused to build suspense, then said, "Franziska." He motioned for Franziska to stand next to him. "Well now," Simon said, "Seems everyone already thinks you're The Phantom." Franziska smirked. "That's fine I suppose." (Franziska: I'm certain that it's because of my father's sordid past, but it doesn't bother me at all. In this sort of game, you want people to think you are The Phantom, because it throws suspicion off the real Phantom while you try to seek them out.) "So," Simon said with a grin, "Since you all think that Franziska is The Phantom, let's put that suspicion to the test. I'll give Franziska an advantage over the rest of you by letting her make all the decision for the group for the next twenty-four hours. And that includes our first mission, which I call 'Over the Falls'."

The others grew shocked to hear Franziska would be making all those important decisions. (Klavier: I definitely think Franziska could be The Phantom, which made the upcoming mission very scary. Since she was in charge of all our decision making, she was in a prime position to sabotage.) Simon motioned over to the Laja Falls. "South America is famous for its many waterfalls, including this one. Many a tour guide has carefully paddled eager tourists as close to the edge as they could without going over to give them a breath-taking view. But in 1938 one clumsy guide took it a little too close... Sending him and his raftful of German tourists kaput over the side." This earned him looks of shock and disbelief from the suspects.

He smiled and continued, "Tragic... But it gave me a good idea for our first mission." He motioned to eleven rafts near the falls' edge, along with a safety cable. "One at a time, you will each get on one of those rafts and sail over the falls. Don't worry, there will be a safety cable and harness to keep you from plummeting to your deaths." (Angel: I don't care how safe Simon says this is. This sort of stunt is dangerous for a first mission. I could seriously die out there.) Simon held up a burlap sack. "You can see one of these burlap money bags suspended over the falls, which is your target. There's one catch, only six of the bags hold real money, $10,000 each. As for the other five, they hold nothing but worthless paper."

He grinned. "To make things even more interesting, none of you will know what you will be jumping for. Franziska will be deciding the order you jump in, and who will be jumping for money, so you have to count on her to make good decisions. Once all eleven of you have jumped, we'll see who has cash, and who has nothing but paper." As the eleven suspects got ready for their mission, Simon stayed with Franziska as she decided who would jump for cash or paper.

Soon enough, Klavier was ready for his jump. "You got this," Franziska said as Klavier got on the raft. (Klavier: My absolute biggest fear at that point was going over the edge of the waterfall and drowning. Nothing else seemed to matter. Still, I'm good on my feet in most cases, so I felt confident once I got on the raft.) Klavier signaled that he was ready. As the raft traveled up to the falls, Klavier realized it was drifting too far away from the bag. "Damn," Klavier cursed aloud, and he simply let himself drop off the falls as the safety harness caught him, whilst the raft was dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Seeing his half-hearted attempt at a jump, Wendy called out, "Well, that's it he's gotta be The Phantom."

It was meant to be a joke, and she hoped none of the others would take it seriously. (Angel: Klavier looked suspicious at that point because the bag look so far from him and it felt as though he could have given it a lot more effort. He seems very athletic, so his simple leap off the falls seemed suspect.) Klavier was apologizing to the others for his failure as Angel got ready for her jump. (Angel: I had no idea what I was getting into, I was not ready for this sort of thing. At that point I just prayed to God with all my heart asking for the strength to overcome this trial.) Angel waited until her raft came close to the bag, then made a dive for it. Unfortunately, her hands slipped off it and she wound up falling only to be saved by the harness she wore.

The others stared in disbelief at what happened. (Diego: Klavier at least could make the excuse that his raft was drifting too far from the bag, but Angel was able to reach the bag and still couldn't make it. Was I suspicious? Not really. Just... Disappointed.) Diego took his turn next. (Diego: I was a defense attorney before I was a prosecutor, and neither job calls for jumping off waterfalls. Sure, I try to stay in shape, but the most jumping I've ever done was jumping over my kids' toys.) With the world shown in infrared through Diego's visor, he could make out where the bag was clearly. As his raft reached the edge of the waterfall, he leapt for the bag... And managed to grab it close to his chest as he plummeted of the side. He waved the bag in triumph as he dangled from the safety harness.

"Congratulations Diego," Simon said, "You manged to secure the team's first bag. But don't rest on your laurels. We still don't know if there's actual money in that bag." (Franziska: One of the drawbacks to being suspected of being The Phantom was that during the mission I was isolated from the rest of the group. That meant I wasn't able to get to know the rest of these people better.) Franziska and Simon looked on as Adrian took her turn on the raft. (Adrian: I've been a natural athlete since high school. I felt confident I could easily make that grab.) As Adrian approached the bag, she reached to grab it. Leaping off the raft as it plummeted, she succeeded in obtaining her prize, much to delight of the other suspects.

Larry was the next up. (Larry: I gotta admit I was nervous. The team setting up the raft said there was a slim chance I could wind up hanging myself on the safety harness.) Larry waited for his chance, then leapt for the bag. He was able to grab it easily. As Wendy went for her turn, Dick called out, "Wendy, don't get the bag, it'll make the rest of us look bad!" Wendy couldn't help but laugh at that. (Wendy: It's no secret I'm the oldest one here. And I could tell the rest of them were thinking a poor little old lady wouldn't be able to make it.) Even on her knees, Wendy found it pretty easy to grab her bag. (Wendy: I tell ya, it was real satisfying to get out there and show them my stuff.) Wendy beamed as the others cheered for her.

Apollo, a look of determination on his face, got on the raft next. (Apollo: I had to get that bag. Otherwise I was afraid my daughter, when she grows up, would make fun of me not being able to get it when a seventy-year-old lady got it.) Apollo jumped for the bag when he was close enough, but wound up missing it by a narrow margin. "Aw man!," he cried out in frustration, "That's just bull!" (Apollo: So a seventy-year-old lady gets the bag and I do not. Worst fear... Realized.) Kay got ready for her turn next. (Kay: When Simon told me we were going over the falls, I nearly fainted. I mean seriously, this is just crazy! Still, I was a pretty athletic girl in college and I still am now, so I thought I could get it easily.) Kay wound up sitting on the raft and barely made a single effort to grab the bag, missing it entirely.

"Man," Kay said, "I hope there wasn't real money in there." "Whatever, Phantom," Dick said as he took his turn. (Dick: When I saw the rope suspended over the falls, I just thought to myself that there was no way it hold my weight. I'm easily the biggest guy here, so I was afraid the rope would snap and leave me plummeting to my death.) Dick waited until the last minute to dive for the bag, but it seemed to slip from his grip as he plummeted over the falls.

When the rest of the group looked over the cliff to see what had happened, they saw Dick barely keeping the harness from choking him. It was clear he didn't get the bag. (Dick: All I remember was seeing the bag in front of me and jumping for it. Next thing I know the line pulls taught and I'm strung up like a hanged man.) Despite not getting the bag, everyone else simple cheered for him just for the effort. Meanwhile, Simon and Franziska watched as Ema took her turn. (Ema: I have a severe fear of heights. So when I got on that raft, I was determined to conquer my fears.) Even taking a seated position, Ema was able to reach up and grab the bag with little effort.

Phoenix was the last to take his turn. (Phoenix: Back in high school I was really competitive. Granted winning was less important to me when I became a lawyer, but in this game that same spirit is rising up inside me again. And when that happens, I start to see losing as failure.) Phoenix took a diving leap for the bag, grabbing almost effortlessly as the raft crashed on the rocks. Once he was back on the cliff, he said, "There had better be money in this bag!" Simon smiled. "I must say I'm impressed. Each of you went and took the jump, and you came away with six bags. Though this does leave no room for error as far as getting the full mission total is concerned."

Ema opened her bag first. Unfortunately, it only had fake money inside it. Adrian opened her bag next, but it too had nothing but worthless paper. "Oh... Franziska," Wendy said. Simon chuckled. "You're 0 for 2 so far." (Angel: I was surprised she didn't pick Adrian to jump for the money, since she seems so athletic. Her height would also give her an advantage. That seemed a little suspicious to me.) "Alright Larry," Simon said, "Let's see what's in your bag."

"I'm feeling good about this," Larry said as he opened his bag. But his confidence soon turned to disappointment as he only pulled out more worthless paper. (Larry: I was livid when I pulled out that wad of fake bills. And to be honest I was also a little suspicious. All the athletic people aren't getting money? What does that say about Franziska?) "Okay Phoenix," Simon said, "Let's see if Franziska trusted you." Phoenix reached into his bag, and was pleased when he pulled a stack of real $100 bills. "Well done," Simon said, "You've banked your first $10,000 dollars. Wendy, you're up next." "Well Franziska," Wendy said, "Do you believe in little old ladies?"

When Wendy pulled out another stack of worthless paper, the others all groaned. "That just leaves Diego," Simon said with grin. Diego had a grin of his own when he pulled out another stack or real $100 bills. "Alright then," Simon said, "Not bad for a start. Your current account is now at $20,000. (Diego: When I found out we had only made $20,000, I was really disappointed. We have to perform better if we're going to up the account.) (Adrian: This mission was worth a total of $60,000, and we only made a third of that. I truly thought I was jumping for money.)

Simon got out twelve black, leather-bound notebooks with a green thumbprint on the front cover. "These are your journals for this adventure. They are the only things you are allowed to write on while the game is active. You can use them to keep notes on your observations throughout the adventure, and they can easily help you determine The Phantom's identity." (Kay: The journal seems crucial even at this point. With it I can keep tabs on everything and everyone. What's suspect, what's not... That sort of thing.) "Now when I said that Franziska would be making all the decisions for the group," Simon said, "That includes where you will sleep tonight."

The other suspects all gasped. "As it happens," Simon said, "I have a little cabin not far from here, but it's kinda small. Only eight of you can fit inside, which means four of you will have to sleep outside. So Franziska, who will it be?" Franziska thought for a bit, then said, "Let's go with Ema, Wendy, Dick, and... Larry." Simon smiled. "Keep in mind the rules are you have to sleep where you're assigned. I'll see all of you tomorrow for your next mission." Ema angrily shook her head at this. "It's forty freakin' degrees outside. There's no way I'm sleeping outside. I'm coming in, even if I have to stay awake all night."

Sure enough, once everyone got settled in the cabin, they saw Ema sitting defiantly in a corner. (Ema: I'm miffed that Franziska would pick me to sleep outside.) "Weren't you one of the people picked to stay outside?," Phoenix asked. "No," Ema said, "The rules say I have to sleep outside. So if I stay awake, I'm technically not breaking any rules. And I can easily stay awake all night too." (Ema: The rule is that we have to sleep outside, nothing about only being allowed outside. So as long as I don't fall asleep, I haven't broken any rules.) "So what is this," Apollo said, "Just a whining thing?"

Ema looked miffed. "It's called circumvention," she said, "I would have thought a lawyer would be familiar with the term." That only got her a glare from Apollo. (Apollo: Ema's coming inside saying she knows how to circumvent the rules. Clearly she was expecting five-star hotels and fancy resorts. Well Ema, maybe you shoulnd't even have come here in the first place.) The suspects all began writing in their journals about their thoughts and feelings regarding events so far. (Franziska: As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I can be a little forgetful. So it's really helpful having this journal to remind of everything.) Meanwhile the players who were told to sleep outside in for a cold night. Jokingly, Dick said, "So, wanna tell ghost stories?"

The next morning, none of the suspects seemed bright-eyed and bushy tailed. "Man," Apollo said, "Ema staying up all night actually kept me up all night." (Ema: I did actually pull off staying up all night. All I had to do was keep myself company until dawn.) As Ema complained about needing a few haircare products and Dick wound up breaking his chair that he had been sleeping in, Apollo and Franziska started speaking about forming a coalition within the group. (Apollo: You'd think being able to pick up the smallest tell that a person is lying would give me an advantage. You'd be wrong. After all, there are a few people in this group that want you to think they're The Phantom without actually being The Phantom. Still, I felt confident I could trust Franziska as my coalition partner.) Franziska considered Apollo's offer and said, "You good?"

Apollo nodded. "I'm good, but this has to be 'til the end." (Franziska: As a prosecutor I feel I'm a good judge of character. And I had a feeling Apollo was the one to trust. I can look at a person's face and just tell sometimes.) Inside the cabin, Klavier spotted a video file. "Hey guys, looks like we have a mission from Simon." 'Good morning mi amigos,' Simon said over the video, 'It's time for your next mission. Take the vans and meet me at Buda Beach, and be sure to dress appropriately.' "Awesome," Apollo said, "That means beachwear. I'm driving." (Apollo: Klavier and I are known rivals in the courtroom, and I decided to use him for a bit by having him drive the second van.) Apollo walked out of the cabin saying, "Okay guys, I'll be driving one van and Klavier has the other.

Some of the others looked at Apollo with suspicious glances. (Larry: I think it's clear that Apollo and Klavier are in a coalition together. But that's kinda dumb since everyone knows about it.) The group soon reached the beach where Simon was. They were all wearing clothes for warmer weather, with Apollo, Wendy, and Dick wearing baseball caps. "Greetings players," Simon said, "Today I'd like to start with a question. Who do you think is the group's biggest whiner?" Pretty the entire group agreed... It had to be Ema.

"Well then," Simon said, "Ema, would you step over here please?" (Ema: I don't whine, I just voice my opinions. I mean, what's wrong with being both smart and beautiful.) (Apollo: I'd have to say that Ema is that sort of person you'd love to hate.) Simon stuck a hawk's feather in his mouth. "Now then, I'd imagine a lot of people here remember the story of Robinson Crusoe, correct." The entire group nodded. "Here's something you may not know," Simon said, "The story was based on the real life tale of Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk was sailor who had been stranded off the coast of Chile in 1704. And let me tell you... This guy was a real whiner."

The others laughed when they heard that. Simon continued, "Selkirk eventually made so much noise that his captain got fed up and dumped him on the nearest deserted island, on a beach very similar to this one. This gave me the idea for a mission called, as you'd expect, 'Robinson Crusoe'. To start with, our whiner..." He turned to Ema. "Do you mind if I call you whiner?" Ema thought about it. "Dr. Whiner, if you please," she said with a smirk. Simon laughed. "Dr. Whiner it is. Dr. Whiner here is going to be your 'Selkirk' for this mission. So Dr. Whiner, your first task is to appoint six scavenger's, three appraiser, and two timekeepers."

Ema gave it some thought. "For scavengers, let's have Dick, Franziska, Klavier, Larry, Kay, and Diego. For appraisers... Let's have Adrian, Wendy, and Phoenix." "That leaves Apollo and Angel as the timekeepers," Simon said, "Now for the mission itself. There are a total of 45 items scattered across this beach. Your mission is to find the five items Selkirk had with him in the year 1704. The scavengers will need to scoop up all the items they can find and deliver them to the appraisers. The appraisers must then use their knowledge and logic to determine which of the items Selkirk had with him."

He motioned over to the table. "Bring the items to this table and ring this bell to single you've made your choices. You only get three tries. But you'll have to hurry." He pointed out a half-hourglass filled with sand. "When that special hourglass runs out of sand, the game is over. On it's own, it will only last around ten minutes. That's where the timekeepers come in. They will have to take the buckets provided and keep running up and down the stairs to refill the hourglass. Every correctly guessed item will add $5,000 to your overall account."

The scavengers readied themselves as Simon ran over to the hourglass to start the timer. "The mission begins now!," he called out as he pulled the pin. Apollo and Angel followed him and quickly started filling the buckets as the scavengers began combing the beach, with the appraisers calling out suggestions based on what they could see with a cursory view. As Apollo began filling the hourglass, he called down to Angel, "Leave the other bucket on that first rung." Once he finished filling it, he carefully tossed the bucket down to Angel.

As the appraisers looked on, trying to guess from their vantage point which items were likely options, it was clear to them that some of the scavengers were struggling to run across the beach. (Wendy: I noticed that the girls in the group were doing most of the running, while the guys were just sauntering across the beach.) (Dick: I was selected as a scavenger, but that seemed kinda stupid. Sure I can sprint for a short period, but long-term running ain't my forte.) (Diego: For a while, I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but then I just decided to get what I could find and let the appraisers parse it all out.) The appraisers kept cheering the scavengers on to find all they could.

Not far off the beach, Franziska was trying to lead a goat to the table. (Franziska: I was trying to lead this goat to where the appraisers were, but it either kept pulling me back or trying to headbutt me.) Phoenix humorously said, "How do you propose we get this goat on the table? Maybe we should just tie it to one of the legs." He then checked some of the other items. "Did he have a sewing machine? Or a hat?" (Ema: I had picked Phoenix deliberately since he had a history background in high school, but he seemed lost with the items. Maybe he's The Phantom.) Phoenix was shaking his head.

Meanwhile Klavier came in saying, "We got a hairdryer." (Phoenix: It seemed to me that the scavengers were wasting too much time and energy bringing things that clearly couldn't have been around in the 1700s, like a vacuum cleaner and an electric fan. Heck, at one point Dick even brought in a sign from The Phantom... That's not funny.) Larry was standing around the beach gasping for air. "Jeez, it's feels like my heart's gonna stop." (Diego: I saw Larry standing around grabbing his chest like he's an eighty-year-old war vet. Considering he bragged about his athletic skills before we began this game, that seems a little suspicious.) Larry kept trying to walk, but didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

Meanwhile the appraisers were making their first decisions. They finally settled on an antique battery, a bowler hat, a bunsen burner, a victrola, and a goat. Phoenix rang the bell and Simon looked over their choices. "You have one item correct so far." That got a few gasps of surprise from the appraisers. (Wendy: I was sure Selkirk had a victrola... Although now that I think about it I probably had Swiss Family Robinson in mind rather than Robinson Crusoe.) Back near the hourglass, Apollo called out, "I no longer need dinner, I've just had a sand-which! I really don't like Ema now!" Ema just rolled her eyes.

As Apollo and Angel struggled to keep sand in the hourglass, Phoenix moaned, "We need to hurry, but we only two more tries." (Phoenix: I see Dick struggling to keep pace, Larry barely being able to move his skinny legs, Apollo busting it trying to keep time on the clock. This is just a train wreck of a mission.) Phoenix sighed.

"Guys," Simon said, "Polly over there's dying, you'd better get a move on." As the scavengers came in with more items, Phoenix said, "Let's just throw something up there that we haven't yet." The appraisers soon decided on a camera, a bible, a mason jar, a musket, and a goat. Wendy rang the bell for Simon to check their answers. "This time," Simon said, "You have three correct items." Phoenix quickly took the camera and the mason jar off the table. Back at the hourglass, Angel called out, "Apollo, look at low it is." Apollo gasped out, "I can't move anymore."

The scavengers had only found 28 out of the 45 items as the appraisers made their final decision. Phoenix tried a pair of blue jeans thinking, "He had to have pants, right?" As the sand began to run out, Apollo, out of breath, took a seat near the bottom of the stairs. The appraisers tossed a revolver on the table and rang the bell just as the sand ran out. As all the suspects came back in, Simon looked over the items that were selected. "Okay, let's start with the revolver. That's wrong. The revolver was first invented in 1835. Next is the musket, that's correct. The bible... Also correct. As for the jeans... A little late. They weren't around until 1873."

"Jeez," Apollo said, obviously peeved, "I coughed up a lung for blue jeans?" Simon chuckled. "Anyway, the last item, the goat, is correct. So you're 3 for 5 giving you a total of $15,000 for the account, brining it up to $35,000." (Kay: How do I feel about $35,000? Let me put it this way, we've had the potential to put a total of $85,000 in the account so far, and we haven't even made half that. Either we're not very good as a group or The Phantom is just that good.) "As for the last two items," Simon said, "There was a tobacco tin, as well as a copper teakettle. I don't see either of these among the items you've retrieved, so you obviously haven't found those."

There were a few shrugs and dejected looks among the group. "One final thing," Simon said with a smirk, "I'm sure when you heard me mention Crusoe that someone was going to get left behind on the beach. Well, you were right. The person getting left behind... Is Dr. Whiner." There were cheers and applause from the group as Ema looked exasperated. (Ema: When the group started laughing at my being stranded, I gotta say I was a little bit hurt.) "Well then," Simon said, "What's say the rest of us go enjoy something nice and warm?" The other suspects followed Simon as Ema was left on the beach.

As Ema got herself comfortable on the beach by making a nice fire to keep warm, the other suspects talked amongst themselves about the mission. "Larry was out there about to drop several times," Kay said to Franziska and Wendy, "He said he wasn't very athletic, but that contradicts his earlier boasting at the start of the game." (Franziska: Larry could easily be The Phantom.) "You guys see Apollo and Klavier together," Kay said, "I think it's obvious they have a coalition together."

Back in the boys room, Apollo and Klavier were talking about the other suspects. "Whose your top three?," Apollo said. Klavier thought about it. "Well, first one is Franziska." Apollo nodded. "That's a good choice." (Klavier: Franziska is definitely my first choice for The Phantom. She can easily flip her switch and suddenly have her game on.) "I'm pretty much head and tails with Franziska," Apollo said. (Apollo: Franziska is my major coalition partner. I don't believe she's The Phantom. But I'm also using Klavier, so I want to him think that Franziska IS The Phantom. Also, it means everyone else thinks I'm in a coalition with Klavier, which is just what I want them to think.) Apollo and Klavier shook hands.

Later that night, the suspects, minus Ema, joined Simon for dinner, dressed in their Sunday finest. "Buenos noches. Welcome to your first quiz and elimination. I invite you all to eat, drink, and be merry. The state is footing the bill for these dinners, so treat it like it's you last meal." "Oh," Apollo said, "In that case I'll have the lobster." That got him a few laughs from the others. "As we know," Simon said, "There are only eleven of you here, since Ema is stranded back on the beach. So, anyone missing her?" Nothing but silence. Dick finally broke the silence by saying, "Well, I was hoping she'd stick around she we could get more information from her. If the questions are all about her, well then we're outta luck."

"Well," Apollo said, "That would happen if you thought she was The Phantom, right?" Dick nodded. "That would be the perfect cover." (Apollo: Out of all the others, Dick is my leading suspect. He's the sort of person you just love to love. All the others are acting conniving, backstabbing, or threatening to make the others focus on them. Dick is different. And that makes me suspicious.) "Well," Simon said, "Now that you're all in this game, what's it truly like?"

"It's kind of hard," Franziska said, "Because you're used to having the trust of those around you. And then you're thrust into a situation where you can't really trust anyone." (Franziska: Going into the first quiz, I'm admittedly nervous. I hope I've played the game good so far. It would be truly disappointing to be sent home this early.) Simon looked over the group. "Right now, by show of hands. How many of you think they have a decent lead on who The Phantom is?" None of the suspects raised their hands. "At this point," Apollo said, "The mole would be stupid to reveal himself." "I suppose so," Simon said with a chuckle, "So, you guys must be nervous going into your first quiz."

There was a general nodding among the group. "Going into it," Phoenix said, "I'd say everyone except The Phantom would think it was nerve-wracking. Leading up to it, I'd say everyone's gonna feel miserable." Simon chuckled. "That's music to The Phantom's ears." (Phoenix: I feel like I rushed too fast into this thing, so I hope I get a second chance tonight to just start over. The main reason I got into this, is because of my wife. Even being a defense attorney, it's hard for me to make any real money, leaving Iris to work two jobs just to help us make ends meet, all while raising three children. I just hope to make enough money so that she doesn't have to work anymore, and she can spend more time with our kids. After all, they won't be kids for much longer.) The waiters brought in the suspects food, and the group dug in.

After the meal, Simon stood and raised his goblet. "I'd like to make a toast before our first quiz. They say these pisco sours are the national drink of Chile. I will admit they can be a bit habit forming." The group raised their glasses as Simon said, "May The Phantom be merciful."

The suspects are now ready to take their first quiz. The questions are all laid here for you to answer on your own. How well do you think you'll do. Just to remind you, the players names will be beside the answers that relate to them.

1. Is The Phantom male or female?

A. Male (Phoenix, Larry, Apollo, Klavier, Diego, Dick)

B. Female (Kay, Franziska, Ema, Wendy, Angel, Adrian)

2. When did The Phantom jump in the "Over the Falls" mission?

A. First (Klavier)

B. Second (Angel)

C. Third (Diego)

D. Fourth (Adrian)

E. Fifth (Larry)

F. Sixth (Wendy)

G. Seventh (Apollo)

H. Eighth (Kay)

I. Ninth (Dick)

J. Tenth (Ema)

K. Eleventh (Phoenix)

L. The Phantom did not jump (Franziska)

(Dick: Franziska's choices didn't make sense to me. She seemed to make all the shortest people jump for the cash.)

3. During the "Crusoe" mission, which group was The Phantom assigned to?

A. Scavenger (Kay, Larry, Franziska, Klavier, Diego, Dick)

B. Timer (Apollo, Angel)

C. Appraiser (Phoenix, Wendy, Adrian)

D. Whiner (Ema)

(Wendy: The two items that weren't found would be very easy for The Phantom to hide without it being obvious to anyone else.)

4. On the first night, where was The Phantom assigned to sleep?

A. Inside (Kay, Phoenix, Franziska, Apollo, Klavier, Angel, Diego, Adrian)

B. Outside (Larry, Ema, Wendy, Dick)

(Larry: Adrian is on my radar. She seems like the sort of smart, athletic individual who could easily mess up what she wanted and accel at everything else.)

5. As it's written on The Phantom's bag, does The Phantom have an even or odd number of letters in their name?

A. Odd (Kay, Phoenix, Larry, Franziska, Ema, Klavier, Wendy, Angel, Diego)

B. Even (Apollo, Dick, Adrian)

6. What is The Phantom's age?

A. 26 (Apollo)

B. 28 (Klavier)

C. 29 (Kay)

D. 30 (Ema)

E. 31 (Franziska)

F. 36 (Adrian)

G. 37 (Larry)

H. 38 (Phoenix)

I. 43 (Dick)

J. 44 (Angel)

K. 45 (Diego)

L. 72 (Wendy)

(Franziska: Ema could be The Phantom. After all, she's questionable with certain things that she's done.)

7. In "Over the Falls," what was the outcome of The Phantom's jump?

A. Successfully grabbed a bag with money (Phoenix, Diego)

B. Successfully grabbed a bag without money (Larry, Ema, Wendy, Adrian)

C. Tried but did not grab a bag (Kay, Apollo, Klavier, Angel, Dick)

D. Did not go over the falls (Franziska)

(Phoenix: Dick is the sort of person that everyone is routing for. No one expected him to make that jump, and when he didn't get the bag, everyone just cheered for him. That's a perfect cover, that you can blow things and people will actually be happy for you.)

8. Did The Phantom drive one of the vans to the beach?

A. Yes (Apollo, Klavier)

B. No (Kay, Phoenix, Larry, Fraziska, Ema, Wendy, Angel, Diego, Dick, Adrian)

9. At the start of the "Crusoe" mission, was The Phantom wearing a hat?

A. Yes (Apollo, Wendy, Dick)

B. No (Kay, Phoenix, Larry, Franziska, Ema, Klavier, Angel, Diego, Adrian)

(Kay: Larry could be The Phantom. Me and Franziska were running about five different trips while Larry was just struggling to breathe. That is a bit suspect.)

10. Who is The Phantom?

A. Angel

B. Klavier

C. Larry

D. Diego

E. Dick

F. Adrian

G. Wendy

H. Franziska

I. Phoenix

J. Ema

K. Apollo

L. Kay

Feel free to peruse the chapter if you need a refresher on any of the questions. After all, the suspects won't have that luxury.

The eleven suspects all walked out near the gazebo where Simon was standing near a giant-screen TV with all their faces on it. Not far from the chairs where they say were their bags. "Good evening players," Simon said, "Tonight is your first execution. As you know, Ema is not with us here this evening. Though I sure she'd want to at least say hi." He switched the screen to a camera on the beach where Ema was. "Hey guys," Ema said, smiling over the fire she had going. "Hey there Ema," Simon said, "We're about to start our first elimination. Wanna know why that's good for you?" Ema nodded in confusion. Simon smirked and said, "You are not here, which means you cannot be eliminated."

"Excellent!," Ema said with a wide smile, "Well then, I guess I should thank you guys. Good night folks. I look forward to hearing to gets eliminated in my place." With a smile, Simon switched the screen back to the faces. "By naming Ema as the one to stay behind on the beach," Simon explained, "You have inadvertently given her the game's first exemption. You should keep an eye out for more, as you will be notified of the rest ahead of time." The others were a little stunned to learn they had accidentally given Ema a free ride to the next round.

"Now then," Simon said, "Let's get down to business. I'll access your quiz results one at a time. If you're name comes up green, you're safe and may continue playing the game. But if it comes up red, then you've been eliminated and must leave immediately." He brought up the results one-by-one.

Angel... Safe

Kay... Safe

Apollo... Safe

Larry... Safe

Phoenix... Safe

Franziska... Eliminated

Franziska hung her head in defeat. "Curses..." Simon led Franziska, who grabbed her bag, to a waiting limo that would take her to the final location to wait for the endgame.

Franziska: I'm a little sorry to be going home so soon. I would have like to have played longer. This was a great challenge for me, both mentally and physically.

Angel: I really liked Franziska from the start. Considering her family's notoriety I really felt like she was down-to-earth.

Apollo: She really is a good girl. I think everyone's gonna hate to see her go.

Dick: I feel like the wrong person went home tonight. That it should have been Ema instead.

Diego: While I am sad to see Franziska go, at the same time it means the rest of us get another chance. I can honestly say I will enjoy every moment of this game.

To be continued...

Keep your eyes peeled, we've only just started. Leave your quiz answers in the form of a review if you want to play along. I'll send you a message back telling you how well you did. See ya later.