《The Mafia》


 The Mafia - part one

    The forest is dark, and quiet. You dare not leave the small clearing where you have set up camp. You and your six fellow scientists are deep in an unknown country, on a mission to discover the last unicorn and unlock its healing powers for your allies. However, there are some who don¡¯t want the good powers of the unicorn to be unlocked.


    One such organization caught wind of this top secret quest. They sent a traitor into your midst to sabotage you, and to make sure this mission never succeeds. This traitor is their top agent, skilled, elusive, and deadly. Their codename is Mafia.


    However, there is hope. There is a medic among you, one of the very best. They know that there will undoubtedly be an enemy agent in this expedition, so they keep their skills secret. They alone can prevent the damage the Mafia will cause.


    Finally, there is one more member of this expedition with a secret. Another agent- this one on the side of good. The good organization discovered the plot of the Mafia, and put their best detective on the case. Will the Detective and Medic be enough to stop the Mafia? Or will the enemy succeed in their destruction? Well, I suppose that''s up to you.


    Go to sleep.


    Night One


    The Mafia:


    The Mafia stirred. It''s dark. They stepped out of their tent quietly. Flipping their hood up over their head, they surveyed the camp. Everyone was asleep. Who will they choose to kill this night? They¡¯re thinking. What would the most strategic choice be?


    They need to hurry up.


    They smirked. Their decision had been made. They nodded their head and darted over to the tent of their chosen target. As silent as a shadow, they slipped inside. Unsheathing a knife, they stabbed their victim. The scientist¡¯s eyes open wide, and he takes one final gasping breath. The Mafia was already gone.


    The Medic:


    The Medic rose from their sleeping mat. They blinked and looked around. Slowly, silently, they crawled out of their tent. Who are they going to save?


    The Medic looked around quietly. Their eyes rested on each tent, and they pictured the person inside it. This early in the expedition they could not guess who the Mafia would target. So it was up to chance. Instead of choosing someone at random, the Medic chose to help someone they really didn¡¯t want to die.


    Target chosen, they walked over to the right tent. They leaned at the side of their patient. It was too dark to see much, but the medic still had five other senses to use. They didn''t smell any blood, but poison was still an option. They first felt for a pulse. The rhythmic beating of the heart was a sure sign of life. But the patient''s neck was hot. The Medic frowned and felt the patient¡¯s forehead. Fever.


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    Something easily fixed. The Medic slipped a pill into their mouth, and the patient swallowed it in their sleep. The fever would break before the night ended, whether it was natural or caused by poison. Work done, the Medic silently darted back to their tent and quickly fell asleep.


    The Detective:


    The Detective woke up. They rose hesitantly and left their tent. Standing in the middle of the camp, they scratched their chin and wondered who to investigate. They looked around at each tent, carefully determining their options.


    Finally, they decided. They snuck into their target¡¯s tent, checking papers and bags. No evidence. This person was not the Mafia. Just another member of the expedition. Disappointed, the Detective returned to sleep, just before sunrise.


    Morning:


    The sun rose, and everybody crawled out of their tents. Well- almost everybody. A scream rose from Pat¡¯s tent. All the scientists rushed to look. They entered the tent in a flurry, only to see a pale faced Diane standing over a cold, dead body.


    ¡°No!¡± AJ moaned. ¡°Not Pat!¡± They were good friends.


    ¡°This is terrible,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Who do you think did it?¡± said Terry, looking at each of the five other remaining scientists suspiciously. Lucy bit her lip and looked around.


    ¡°Let''s get out of this tent,¡± Diane said. AJ nodded in agreement. Solemnly, they all moved to the center of camp and sat in a circle. Larry, the oldest of them, looked around the group.


    ¡°So now what do we do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Now we try and figure out who killed Pat,¡± Alma said quietly. She ducked her head when everyone looked at her and rubbed her arm. ¡°I have no idea who did it,¡± she added in a small voice. Everyone was quiet.


    ¡°Well I think it was AJ,¡± Terry announced.


    ¡°What?!¡± AJ exclaimed. ¡°Pat was my best friend!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Terry argued. ¡°You would have killed him so he didn¡¯t realize it was you!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Diane, who was AJ¡¯s sister, said. ¡°He would have killed me first. I¡¯m more likely to call him out. Trust me. I know my brother. It isn¡¯t him.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe you don''t know him as well as you think,¡± Terry responded.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Larry said. ¡°Calm down. Getting mad at each other won¡¯t help anyone. And, I¡¯m pretty sure it''s not AJ,¡± he added.


    ¡°Lucy¡¯s being quiet,¡± Diane pointed out. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s her.¡± Lucy shook her head.


    ¡°No way, it¡¯s not me,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alma agreed. ¡°Lucy¡¯s too nice to kill Pat. I don¡¯t think it''s her.¡±


    ¡°Well then who do you think it is?¡± Terry asked. Alma rubbed her cheek and looked at each of the scientists.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said after a moment. Larry crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. A minute passed with no more comments.


    ¡°Well,¡± Diane said. ¡°No offense Lucy, but I vote for you.¡± Lucy shrugged.


    ¡°Non taken,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s not me.¡±


    ¡°I vote with my sister,¡± AJ said.


    ¡°I guess I''ll vote for Lucy too,¡± Larry said. Alma shook her head.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to vote.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m voting for AJ,¡± Terry said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Lucy said after a minute. ¡°Terry has a good point about Pat figuring out AJ¡¯s secret identity.¡± It was quiet for a moment. Lucy had three votes, and AJ only had two.


    ¡°Sorry Lucy,¡± Larry said. An hour later she was tied to a tree log that was floating down a river. The river eventually led to the waterfall. The group watched as Lucy disappeared over the edge.


    ¡°How do we know if she was the Mafia?¡± Larry asked as they walked back to camp.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know tonight,¡± Diane responded.

 The Mafia - part two

    Night Two


    The Mafia:


    The Mafia woke up. Sneaking out of their tent, they didn¡¯t pause or hesitate as they headed to their victim¡¯s tent. Their decision had been made at the gathering yesterday morning. This- their mission- was nothing more than a game to them. A competition of cunning and strategy, where it was them against the rest of the expedition. It was a game they fully intended to win.


    They slipped into their victim¡¯s tent. Unsheathing their machete, the Mafia cut off the victim¡¯s head in one smooth, dooming motion. Then they silently returned to their tent and went back to sleep.


    The Medic:


    The Medic rolled out of their sleeping mat and crept out of their tent. They debated for a moment before making their decision. A decision that would hopefully both save a life and determine who the Mafia wasn¡¯t. Hopefully.


    They crept to the back of their chosen patient¡¯s tent and settled in to wait. And wait. They waited for an hour, then two, without hearing a single sound. Eventually they peeked into their patient¡¯s tent. Still sleeping soundly. Disappointment befell their heart. The Mafia would have already made their move. The Medic had chosen wrong.


    The Detective:


    The Detective woke up with an excited smile on their face. It was time to investigate another person, and hopefully find the Mafia. They emerged from their tent before stopping abruptly. They needed to think of who would be the best to investigate.


    They started walking to several tents before stopping and shaking their head. They crossed their arms and thought. Finally they decided on who to investigate. They snuck over to their target''s tent and entered silently. The target was sleeping with a troubled look on her face.


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    The Detective pursed their lips in sympathy and went to work. They shuffled through papers, looked through bags, and searched for hidden compartments. They found nothing. The Detective sighed silently and returned to bed.


    Morning:


    Scientists rose from their sleeping mats nervously. They left their tents and gathered in the center of camp. Terry looked around suspiciously. ¡°Where¡¯s Diane?¡± said Alma. The expression on her face said that she knew exactly where she was. AJ¡¯s face fell.


    Silent with trepidation, they filed towards Diane¡¯s tent. Alma led the way, but stopped before entering. She stood there, unmoving, with her hand on the closed tent curtain. Terry pushed past her and entered the tent. The rest followed after him.


    ¡°Oh, gross,¡± said AJ, making a face at the sight of Diane¡¯s severed head. Larry looked concerned.


    ¡°Does the Mafia really have to be so graphic?¡± he asked. Terry shrugged.


    ¡°That''s just the way the game goes,¡± Alma murmured, looking away.


    The four remaining members of the expedition returned to the center of camp. ¡°Just us now, eh?¡± said AJ.


    ¡°AJ¡¯s the Mafia,¡± Terry said in a flat voice.


    ¡°No,¡± said Larry, in a hard voice. ¡°It isn¡¯t AJ.¡±


    ¡°But he killed Pat and then Diane!¡± Terry insisted. ¡°The two people most likely to read his face!¡± AJ scoffed.


    ¡°Only an idiot would do that,¡± he said. ¡°Especially after you suggested it yesterday!¡±


    ¡°I vote for AJ,¡± Terry snarled. ¡°It''s obviously him!¡±


    ¡°Well then maybe I¡¯ll vote for you!¡± retorted AJ. ¡°You¡¯ve insisted that it¡¯s me from the beginning, and maybe you killed Diane to frame me!¡± The two boys glared at each other. Larry turned to Alma.


    ¡°Who are you going to vote for?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alma said. ¡°Both of them have convincing arguments.¡±


    ¡°I really think it¡¯s Terry,¡± said Larry. ¡°I trust you and AJ. And myself, of course.¡± Alma tilted her head.


    ¡°Well then why don¡¯t you vote for Terry?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because you can¡¯t doom Terry with the Mafia¡¯s fate quite yet. Whether or not I vote, the outcome will be the same. A tie.¡± Alma nodded, but said nothing. Larry stood.


    ¡°Come on everyone,¡± he said. ¡°Mafia or not, we have work we need to get done before tonight.¡±

 The Mafia - part three

    Night Three


    The Mafia:


    The Mafia exited their tent. There was a small frown on their face as they debated who to kill. Then they sighed. There was really only one option. Anyone else, and it would reveal their true identity. It was a shame. They were the only one who would have voted with the Mafia.


    The Mafia entered their target¡¯s tent, quickly stabbed them in the stomach with a poisoned blade, and left, all in the span of less than a minute.


    The Medic:


    The Medic awoke with a gasp. Blood was pouring out of their stomach. It would have had the Medic screaming with pain, except their whole body felt strangely numb. The spot where the Mafia had stabbed them felt like an icy wind. It tingled like the brush of a long feather.


    The medic stared in shock for a moment before jolting into action. They tried to jump up but doubled back over. They sat crouched for a moment. Shivers began racking their body, and they crawled over to where their medical bag was hidden. They pulled out what they needed, and began treating and bandaging the wound.


    An hour later, they fell back onto their sleeping mat, hand over their bandaged stomach. It had been difficult to get the poison out, but eventually they had done it. Their last thought before falling into an exhausted slumber was what motivation the Mafia might have had for murdering them.


    The Detective:


    The Detective left their tent with a determined expression. There was only one person left alive that they hadn¡¯t investigated, and though they already knew who the Mafia was due to the process of elimination, it was good to be certain.


    They entered their target¡¯s tent in silence. Now used to investigating people, the Detective went straight to work searching for evidence. In the end, they found two things proving this person to be the Mafia. A small piece of paper with orders to sabotage the expedition¡­


    And a bloody knife.


    Morning:


    The next morning, the four scientists exited their tents, walking straight to the center of camp. They all seemed surprised to see all four of them still alive, though some hid- or faked- their surprise better than others. Without a word, each took a seat on the ground, forming a small circle.


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    ¡°I know Terry is the Mafia,¡± AJ said vehemently. ¡°I just know it.¡± Larry nodded.


    ¡°I am certain as well,¡± he said. AJ looked relieved to have someone backing him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Terry insisted. AJ crossed his arms and Larry raised an eyebrow. Terry saw that he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince either one, so he turned to Alma. ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°You have to vote with me against AJ.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Larry said. ¡°Look, it was pure luck that the Medic saved whoever was targeted by Terry last night, but we might not be that lucky tonight. If we¡¯re going to defeat the Mafia, it has to be right here, right now.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Alma,¡± AJ said. ¡°The Mafia killed my best friend, and then my sister! You have to vote with us.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Terry said. ¡°Don¡¯t vote with them. Larry is wrong, AJ is the Mafia.¡± Larry opened his mouth to protest, but Alma interrupted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Terry have tried to target AJ if he was the Mafia?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Larry said. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be strategically sound. He wouldn¡¯t reveal his role like that.¡± Alma tilted her head, conceding the point to him. Terry frowned.


    ¡°Well!¡± he said, ¡°How do we know Larry¡¯s not the Mafia!¡± Alma looked up.


    ¡°You guys are right, Terry¡¯s the Mafia,¡± she said quickly. AJ was taken aback, but quickly pointed to Terry.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I vote for Terry too.¡± Larry nodded and pointed to Terry as well. Terry was frozen.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Larry asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the detective,¡± she said. ¡°Look, there were three possibilities for each of you. Innocent, Detective, and Mafia.¡± She glanced at AJ. ¡°I was pretty sure that AJ wasn¡¯t the Detective. He¡¯s not very¡­subtle. That left you or Terry. When Terry accused you of being Mafia, I knew you had to be Detective, because the Detective wouldn¡¯t change his vote. That meant AJ was the innocent, because as the Detective you would know whether AJ was the Mafia or not before voting with him. That left Mafia, and the only person left for it is Terry.¡±


    ¡°But wait,¡± AJ said. ¡°What about the Medic?¡± Alma gave him a flat look. He stared at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Medic,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Ohhhh,¡± said AJ. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Terry stood up and started backing away.


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t,¡± said Larry. ¡°Where¡¯s that river again?¡±


    And so Larry, Alma, and AJ tied Terry up and dragged him to the river. They tied him to the log, and watched as he floated down the river and fell down the waterfall. Silently, they returned to camp, the sweet taste of victory marred only by the memories of the lives lost.


    Epilogue


    ¡°Wow,¡± said Larry, our youth camp counselor. ¡°You guys were right. That was fun.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Terry. ¡°Man, I was so close to winning.¡±


    ¡°Oh please,¡± scoffed AJ. The rest of us laughed.


    ¡°Alma is the best Medic,¡± Lucy said. Alma smiled and blushed. I grinned as I collected the game cards from each person.


    ¡°You make the best story-teller,¡± Alma said to me.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I like seeing who everyone is from the very beginning. And coming up with a good story.¡±


    ¡°Can we play again?¡± Pat asked.


    I don¡¯t know¡­¡± said Larry. ¡°We¡¯ve got devotions pretty early tomorrow.¡± He looked at his watch.


    ¡°Pleaseeee?¡± said Diane. He bit his lip.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°One more game.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± cheered Lucy. She turned to me. ¡°Will you be story-teller again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± I said, and shuffled the cards. ¡°Everyone get into a circle.¡± I thought of a story as I passed out the cards. ¡°Alright,¡± I said once everyone had their role. ¡°It was a dark and stormy night. You and six other sailors were navigating the atlantic¡­¡±