Evangeline patted the white tiger's head. It obediently walked to Dexter and lay down. "Come on up," Evangeline said, reaching out to him. Dexter took her hand, stood, and sat behind her.
The white tiger stood and continued walking, its pace unhurried even with two passengers. Evangeline and Dexter rode comfortably, the tiger seemingly in good spirits. Suddenly, however, the tiger felt a sharp pain in its rump, roared in irritation, and instinctively shook its hindquarters. Evangeline felt Dexter begin to fall and quickly caught him, steadying him.
"Thank you, Evangeline," Dexter said softly.
"You can hold onto me," she replied. "You'll get hurt if you fall."
"I won't fall," Dexter retorted. "I'm just still recovering. I'll be stronger soon."
Evangeline nodded perfunctorily. "Okay, okay. My Dexter is the strongest. He wouldn't get hurt even if he fell."
Dexter was speechless, pulling back angrily. Evangeline laughed. "I'm just teasing. Why are you so easily angered? Hold on tight. Don't fall." She placed his hand on her waist.
Dexter readily wrapped his other arm around her waist, leaning against her and resting his head on her shoulder. Evangeline reached out and touched his head, as she had done when he was a child.
"I've grown up," Dexter mumbled. "Don't treat me like a child."
Evangeline shuddered. Touching her ear, she said seriously, "Turn your head when you talk to me. Your breath is tickling my ear."
Dexter snorted and turned his face away. Evangeline pushed him gently. "Don't get so close. Your hair is poking my neck."
Dexter remained silent, straightening his head and resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Did Mom and Dad approve of you coming with me?" Evangeline suddenly asked.
"They…" Dexter began, but Evangeline flinched as she heard his teeth click together.
"Did you bite your tongue?" she laughed.
"Evangeline, you're so childish," Dexter said.
"And you're childish to say so," she retorted.
After about half an hour, the white tiger reached their destination: a spacious, cleared area atop which sat a small football field. A large group of people knelt on the field, bound and gagged. Numerous bodyguards stood guard. Chad and Chester waited, respectfully greeting them.
"We've captured everyone, including the masterminds, and their relatives are in the audience," Chad reported. "If this arrangement is unsuitable, we can adjust it."
Evangeline dismounted, helping Dexter down. Looking at him sideways, she asked, "What do you want to do?"
Dexter smiled. "You'll see."
Two armchairs and a table, set with coffee, snacks, and fruit, were placed in the spectator area. Dexter seated Evangeline, then had someone remove the gags from the prisoners. They immediately began to cry and kowtow, begging for mercy.
Evangeline, not multilingual, couldn't understand them until Scott provided her with simultaneous interpretation headphones. She heard their pleas for mercy. One man shouted, "Evangeline, please let me go! I've lost everything! Spare my life! I'll be a good person and won't hurt anyone!"
Evangeline recognized John from Atharia, Xtreme Survival's largest shareholder, the mastermind behind the live-streaming model and its lucrative rewards system. His understanding of the wealthy's thrill-seeking psychology had made him incredibly rich, only to have it all vanish overnight, jeopardizing his family's lives as well. His high social status hadn't protected him; his agreements with the brokerage bank, thought foolproof, had backfired spectacularly. He and his family had intended to flee to Clusia, but were apprehended before they could escape. Their only hope was mercy.
Presley from Kepraria and Hasan from Japrium echoed similar pleas, blaming John and proclaiming their innocence. The others followed suit, their former flattery replaced by self-preservation. John, enraged by their betrayal, was overwhelmed and further incriminated. Further revelations exposed John's other illicit activities on a private island, including cruel treatment and illegal imprisonment of wealthy and influential individuals.
Evangeline, however, remained unmoved. She knew all this already, courtesy of Dexter's investigation. The crimes warranted the harshest punishment. She wouldn't let them go. John initiated it, but their greed and cruelty allowed them to participate. Millions went missing each year, many victims of the wealthy elite.
Calming herself, Evangeline looked at the crowd impassively. Dexter stepped forward. "Let's play some games. If you survive, you'll be released."
Hope and suspicion flickered in their eyes. Dexter's gentle smile offered a glimmer of hope. John, recognizing Dexter's voice as the Clusian merchant who sold him the tiger, realized he'd been trapped.
Dexter proposed a soccer match, instructing his men to divide the prisoners into teams. The winning team would be rewarded; the losers punished. He added, somewhat ironically, "Oh, I forgot to bring a soccer ball. Find one from the audience." Bodyguards then unbound the prisoners, selecting twenty-two men, dressing them in uniforms, and handing each a machete. The prisoners' faces paled; the implication of the machetes was chilling.