continued from Ch.2.

Duncan: What? You lost your girl too?

Cobalt: (shows Duncan a picture of a young lady with hair the color of brown sugar and two true brown eyes like dishes of chocolate pudding) This was my princess. My one and only. Her name was Lily.

Duncan: So…you feel responsible for her death I take it.

Cobalt: No I don't feel responsible for her death Duncan. I am responsible for her death. Much more directly responsible than you were for Courtney's death. I won't go into that just yet though. First I need to tell you a bit about my angel.

Duncan: Hey…you let me cry on your shoulder so to speak. I'd be glad to let you do the same. I owe you that much. Besides…that way I don't have to be the only overly-mushy crybaby up here (chuckles)

Cobalt: (returns a smile) So anyway…Lily was the head cheerleader at our high school. Yeah I know the usual cliché high school romance between the football star and the cheerleader. Don't be fooled by the fact she was a cheerleader. She was a smart and ambitious girl. She, like me, was also a scholar athlete. She also ran track, and played basketball. She's also the one who got me into karate back when we were in the 6th grade. I pretty much had to so she couldn't constantly beat me up (giggles a bit). It wasn't long after the ending of the football season last fall that we both learned we've been accepted to UGA. Everything seemed to be coming together so nicely. I needed such a steady stream of good news. You see, when I began my senior year of high school, my dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. We knew something wasn't quite right for awhile. We didn't fully understand what it was till he had had a massive breakdown. Lily helped me so much. She kept me on track at school despite my anxiety over my dad.

Duncan: How is your dad right now?

Cobalt: He's stable but he's gonna be on medication pretty much the rest of his life but it's helping him live a normal life. My dad's illness I could handle until that horrible evening. (tears start flow down his cheeks) It was a rainy November night. We were in my old F-150 pickup truck. I was taking her to an awards banquet being held for the cheerleaders. We…never made it there. You see, we were late and I was driving real fast. She normally liked it when I would drive fast but with the weather conditions being what they were, she was on edge. She told me I might should slow down a bit or risk losing control. Huh…lose control. I wasn't worried about losing control. Everything in my life seemed so in control at that moment in time. My dad was making progress in his treatment of his mental illness. She and I had both been accepted to the same college, the one we wanted to attend. Everything was going so right…until it all went wrong. I hit a deep puddle and started to hydroplane. I knew what to do. I've gotten myself out of similar situations in the past but with her beside me, my precious passenger, I panic and overcorrected. Can't remember much of the actual accident. All I can recall, the one memory from that night that haunts me to this day, is waking in the truck. My right arm was broken I knew that immediately but it was…the sight of her. We had slid into a massive live oak tree. the passenger side was completely crushed in towards me. Then I looked over and saw… (sobbing now) it was horrible…her body so badly broken and mangled. The E.M.T.s told me she was dead on impact most likely. She didn't suffer. That was of little consolation to me at the time. I had actually turned myself over to the cops. I wanted to be put away for the rest of my life. I felt I deserved to be charged with vehicular homicide. If I had been driving just a little slower…she might still be here today. Her parents were surprisingly forgiving people. They insisted that I not be charged in the death of their daughter. That Lily…would not want me to ruin my life over a guilt-ridden confession.

Duncan: Whoa…that's some seriously heavy stuff dude. How in the world did you keep from going insane?

Cobalt: I was helped by the same thing that helped my family through the tough times with my dad's depression. By the same thing that helped me find Lily in the first place. It was my church and my faith.

Duncan: You know…believe it or not, I used to attend church a lot. Mostly as a kid of course when my parents would force me to go but there were a few times when I willingly went.

Cobalt: Let me guess…Courtney right?

Duncan: You got it. You her folks kinda got out of the whole Sunday morning off to church thing. Courtney didn't though. So when I would visit relatives near her hometown, I'd go to her church on Sunday morning, knowing I wouldn't have to worry bout her parents. Actually caught myself sometimes singing the hymns though way off key as she would always point out with a giggle and a smile.

Cobalt: Yeah…singing was actually how I got more involved with my church. I'm part of the church choir. I have a right decent baritone/bass singing voice.

Duncan: Dude…what haven't you done yet?

Cobalt: Well…skydiving for one thing. That's something I wouldn't mind trying. I might end up getting that wish here. There is another thing I would like to try that I might be able to pull off sooner than expected. Come…let me show you what I mean.

Both Cobalt and Duncan walk over to the edge of the cliff to look out over the lake.

Duncan: So…exactly what is the other thing you would like to do?

Cobalt: I wouldn't mind trying my hand at…cliff diving.

The next thing Duncan knew, both he and Cobalt were plummeting down to the lake below and landed with a big splash. Fortunately a full moon was out so visibility was not an issue.

Duncan: Dude…Are you nuts?! We gotta get to the shore now before we're shark bait.

Cobalt: Relax Duncan. I've done some studying of this lake and the sharks that inhabit it don't feed at night. Still, just in case that info is misleading, we might should get to the shore.

So the two swim to the shoreline and laid on the shore to catch their breaths.

Duncan: So let me get this straight. You knew the sharks would not have come and devoured me.

Cobalt: Yup…if you had cut your wrist and made the jump, you would have bled to death and would have either been discovered by the other campers in the morning or the sharks would come have your corpse for breakfast.

Duncan: So why didn't you just tell me that instead of just having me decide between living and spilling my guts to you or jumping into the lake just to bleed out.

Cobalt: It's quite simple bud. You needed to make that decision. Besides, how else would we have bonded so well?

Duncan: All right. I have to agree it was nice getting to know you Cobalt. You're…you're something else is all I can say. Yes…you also saved my life but I have to ask…was dragging me along on your little cliff dive really necessary.

Cobalt: Maybe not entirely necessary but I thought that, since you came so close to taking your own life, I felt you needed something to happen to make you feel alive again. So my question to you is…do you feel alive?

Duncan: Maybe more than I have in the past few months.

Cobalt: Then my mission was accomplished then.

Both just look up at the sky while they dry out some.

Duncan: Cobalt…do you think Lily and Courtney would have been friends had they met each other?

Cobalt: Oh I think they're friends right now and they are both watching over us. I can always feel Lily's presence when I'm real low. Don't you feel Courtney's too?

Duncan: I think I actually have. I've just never took the time to realize it.

Cobalt: Well you know what we must do for them now right?

Duncan: Oh yeah…we got to get to the final two.

Cobalt: Yes…A most righteous alliance we must form.

Duncan: I'm down with that.

The two get their feet, fistpump, and start back to camp. Meanwhile on the other side of the island at the five-star lakefront resort that to the past TDI contestants was known as Playa de Losers, a man is finishing up a phone conversation in one of the private suites he has set up as an office. The man is the head producer of TDI, Jack Diamond.

Jack: Yes…tomorrow is good. No…there should be a crew on site ready to set up the props. I would like for them to be here and in place before tomorrow evening. Excellent…I'm glad to hear that. Adios amigo (hangs up the phone and then addresses his assistant Vince). You know Vince; I keep being asked why I don't just purchase props locally here in Canada? Why do I have to get them from Mexico instead? (chuckle's in an evil manner) Oh if only they knew the truth. How many pounds of heroin do you think we've smuggled into the country since the beginning of this crazy reality show of ours?

Vince: We are about to surpass the one ton mark sir. Who would have thought this show would be so successfully. It wasn't expect to last a season. Now a third season is under way and…

Jack: And here is where it will end Vince.

Vince: Sir?! I know we've made more than enough off this deal to be set for life but still why stop something that's going so well. Even if we stop smuggling drugs, we'll still make a killing off the proceeds from the show.

Jack: That may be so Vince but you and I both know that we've been very lucky thus far. No one has stumbled onto this operation yet. That luck will run it at some point. Besides this season will not be about money this time around. No Vince…it's time for some revenge.

Vince: You're still planning to avenge you niece's death?

Jack: You bet your life I am. She should have never continued seeing that delinquent. I knew only death could come to her if she kept seeing him and I was right. Duncan will pay the ultimate price for her death.

Vince: You haven't had any connection at all with Courtney in the past sir. What's with all the attention now?

Jack: Don't you see? She could have been famous. She could have been a household name all across the globe. Now that won't come to be because of him.

Vince: Well if we are gonna shut down the operation after this season and you're going to take revenge on Duncan, then why take such a big risk as to allow an American to be selected to compete. We can't risk him finding out and having the U.S. drug enforcement agency all over us.

Jack: This might actually work out to our advantage. If things come down hill, we could always use him as a hostage. The U.S. would do anything to keep their citizens safe. I think I know of the perfect way to play this where we can take down the studio and yet come out smelling like a rose. It'll take some planning but we have plenty of time before the end of the season. For now…there's one task I'd like you to complete before you go.

Vince: What would that be?

Jack: Set up a conference call with the studio board of directors. I'm sure those big wigs are dying for an update on the show. When all is said and done. Their precious studio just may die at the conclusion of this season (laughs menacingly).

Author's note: Ok…with that entire story aside, I promise to have an actual TDI 3 episode next update. Don't be too shocked if it's not done till Monday. I'm lousy at getting much of anything done over the weekends. Take care.