"I have your strategy figured out. Let me tell you now that this is far from a team game."
"But doesn't everyone win and lose as a team?"
"You're right. But if you lose on your turn in the vault, you'll lose your money. If your team loses but you get your $3 million during the game, you have nothing to worry about."
"Who would screw their team over for money?"
"You'd be surprised at the answer to that question."
"Round 3 of 40 will begin shortly, please select two to play."
"Good luck to you two." Sylvie and Grace left for the vault a second time. I walked to a drawer and opened it.
"Dana, what're you doing?" I took a pen and a pad of paper from the drawer and turned to Chris.
"I'm winning, what does it look like to you?" I tried to think of a contract that would lock this game and have everyone win. But how could it be done? In the time it took to play this round, I was only able to create a foundation for this contract.
"We will now reveal the players' actions for this round."
Sylvie Montaigne:
Grace Black:
Daniel Schwarz: Attack Schilling
Wilma Schilling: Defend
"Ms. Montaigne, Miss Black and Miss Schilling have each won $200,000." Soon, Grace and Sylvie returned to our team's HQ. Sylvie eyed the pad of paper I was drafting the contract on.
"What are you writing, Dana?"
"I'm finding a way to win this game. For now, I won't play this round."
"Round 4 of 40 will begin in a few moments."
"Guess I'm going back into the vault." Grace happily embraced this additional chance to earn money. She and Chris left the room to play the round. Sylvie pulled up a chair next to me and sat down.
"I know what you want to talk about. It's about Wilma. What do you have against her?"
"I guess it's time to tell you why I'm here. About three years ago, I took down a large company because they swindled my brother Morgan out of his life. Wilma happens to be one of those people who had a hand in that charade. I think they told you that so you would come back and try to get me out of this twisted stunt. But I've already resolved myself to finding out who had this idea in the first place."
"If that's what you want, then I'll get as far as I can with you. But right now, we have a game to win. I'll have finished writing these contracts by the end of the next round." Our conversation was cut short by the end of this round.
"We will now reveal the players' actions in this round.
Grace Black: Attack Floyd
Christopher White: Attack Lewis
Lee Floyd: Defend
Karen Lewis: Attack Black
"Mr. White and Ms. Floyd have survived the round and will win $300,000 each." Moments later, Grace and Chris returned to the team room.
"This sucks!"
"Yeah! 300-k!"
"You guys have another chance. Apparently our friend Dana has a plan and I want to hear more of it."