by Wendy Wax
“I’m not going anywhere. I told you that.” Her lips quirked. “Besides, most of these people have been on the road for a long time. They have deep-rooted problems and issues that they’re eager to discuss with pretty much anyone who’s willing to listen. We’re in the home stretch. No one’s working through all that before the tour ends.”
“Well, thank God for that,” he teased as he slipped an arm around her shoulders and led her past the crowd that surrounded the buffet and bar.
Maddie looked up and saw the PR girl working her way toward them. She had a photographer in tow. “Vicki’s headed this way. Aren’t you supposed to stay and mingle?”
“Not tonight. Robert, Kyle, and Dean can handle it. Now that Dean’s wife’s on tour he can’t seem to wipe that sloppy grin off his face.”
“They do look happy, don’t they?” Maddie said, feeling happy herself as they exited the building.
“They do.” In the backseat of the limo, he pulled her close and she felt even happier. “Maybe when you’ve had a chance to decompress after the tour, you could go back to school for an advanced degree. Study psychology or social work or . . . maybe mediation?”
Maddie’s smile slipped. Was she willing to go back to school, commit to building something? Open an office? “I don’t know. I think I’m looking for more freedom not less.” She’d barely thought about the future over the last weeks. She’d been too busy trying to be useful, something more than a hanger-on, to seriously think about what she would do next.
“You’re wired to help people. And you are one of the best listeners I’ve ever known. You need to find a way to use that.” Will grinned. “You’d be an excellent bartender. I’d invest in a bar for you, but I suspect there’s something deeply wrong with a recovering alcoholic owning one. Although Sam Malone was a former alcoholic and he owned Cheers.”
“He was a fictional character.” She laughed. “And you’re not buying me anything.”
She kept her tone light as he continued to throw out wackier and wackier career suggestions, but her earlier good mood had begun to evaporate. No matter how much she loved being with Will, she couldn’t see herself living full-time on Mermaid Point away from her friends and family. Nor could she see herself in school, or going to an office every day. She’d spent the last three weeks trying to make the most of being on tour with Will. And while she’d enjoyed being with him, and found ways to feel at least somewhat useful, she had no better idea of what she wanted to do with her life than she had when the tour began.
* * *
• • •
“Don’t wanna go to sleep! Is too dark in here!” Dustin stood beside his bed, his feet rooted to the floor. Tears glittered in his eyes.
“But the night-light’s on,” Kyra said gently. “And Max is here. And I’m just in the next room.”
“Don’t care. Don’t wanna get in this bed. And Max doesn’t, either.”
Kyra picked him up and held him. “Can you tell me why?”
“Is too dark.” He buried his face in her neck and she breathed in his little-boy scent. “Wanna sleep with you!”
Last night he’d thrashed and cried out in his sleep, bits of dialogue escaping as he clearly relived the scene they’d shot that day in which Christian Sommersby’s character had abducted him and closed him in the trunk of his beat-up car. The cast and crew, his father, and even Tonja, who’d given Kyra a wide berth since finding her in Daniel’s arms, had applauded the scene and congratulated him on his acting. But Kyra had heard real panic in his voice. After each take she’d insisted on having time alone with him. Each time he’d vowed he was okay and was ready to do it again.
Today Dustin’s character, Tyler, had been carried kicking and screaming into a dark and dingy cabin where he was tied to a rickety chair. Again Kyra had been on the edge of her seat ready to jump up at each cry of alarm. And again Dustin had claimed that he was okay and wanted to keep going as Daniel did take after take until Dustin’s sobs turned so heartrending that Kyra, with Tonja’s support, had forced Daniel to stop.
Tomorrow afternoon they would shoot a pivotal scene in which Dustin would escape from the cottage. While running from Sommersby he would burst out of the citrus grove where his father and Derek Hanson, who played the amusement park security guard, were tracking him to the kidnapper’s remote hiding place. Just when Tyler and his father thought he was safe, the security guard would reveal himself as one of the kidnappers.
Dread and guilt pooled in Kyra’s stomach as she looked down into Dustin’s tear-streaked face. She should never have let him do this film. Should have trusted her instincts and even gone to court if she’d had to, to prevent this from happening.
“Okay, let’s go.” She carried Dustin into her room and onto her bed, where he curled up against her. Max settled at the foot of the bed, his head on Dustin’s leg. Kyra lay still until Dustin’s breathing grew regular. When she was certain he was asleep, she eased out of bed and padded into the living room debating whom to call.
Her mother would come if she asked, but she’d vowed not to ask, and by the time she got here there would be nothing left to do. She’d heard from Troy a couple of times since the night he’d spent on the couch, but he’d kept the conversation impersonal and she sensed he’d decided to keep his distance. But she needed someone to talk to, someone who could understand what a film set was, and what they’d be facing.
“Hi,” she said when Troy answered.
“Hello.” There was a beat of silence and then, “How’s the shoot going?”
“Well, I’d say we were okay except that Dustin’s been having nightmares since we started the kidnapping scenes. And tomorrow we shoot his attempted escape and rescue. It’s getting to him. Tonight he cried and begged to sleep with me. He and Max are in my bed right now.”
She half expected some smartass comment about how he’d had to sleep on the couch, but he’d seen the script and said only, “He should be able to shoot that with a double and do a few cutaway close-ups with Dustin. If there’s a problem or something doesn’t feel right, it sounds like Tonja’s the person to take it to.”
“Yeah.” Kyra sighed. “She is. Except . . .” She winced and would have given anything to take the word back.
“Except what?”
Kyra closed her eyes but she was too tired and too freaked out to come up with an alternative scenario. “Except . . . that she walked into the trailer and saw Daniel hitting on me and told me I could have him.” She still couldn’t believe that this could have happened in the moment when she’d finally seen Daniel for who and what he was. Nor could she believe how coolly Tonja had responded. And she really couldn’t believe that she’d just told Troy.
“Wow, how convenient. Having the wife’s permission and all.” Troy’s tone was as dry as the Sahara with an undercurrent of anger.
“I don’t want him,” she said, and for the first time it wasn’t an idle protest. “I really don’t.”
“Could have fooled me,” Troy said. “It’s only been about ten days since you were kissing me and wishing I was him.”
“It’s true,” she protested, shocked by how much she now cared what Troy thought after all the years of not caring at all. “I have seen the light and I am over him. I just need to get Dustin through this last week of filming.”
“Look. I’m not a Daniel Deranian fan, but I don’t think the man would be coming on to you if he didn’t think you’d respond.”
“And I’m telling you it’s not like that,” she argued. “He’s not thinking at all. He’s all knee jerk and neediness and . . . Oh, never mind! I must have been crazy to think you’d understand.”
“Oh, I understand,” Troy said with a weary certainty. “Way more than I’d like to.”
“Frankly, I don’t think you understand shit,” Kyra countered. And then, because really that covered it, she hung up.
* * *<
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• • •
The next morning was spent out on the dock and playing corn hole and anything else Kyra could think of to distract Dustin and allow him to decompress enough to survive whatever came next. A car picked them up at two that afternoon and drove them out to location on the edge of the citrus grove to the sagging cabin where Dustin’s character was imprisoned.
The scene called for Dustin to make a break for it when he was momentarily untied. After leaving the cabin he had to zigzag through rows of citrus trees with Sommersby on his heels. When he came out the other side of the grove, he’d run into his father and Derek Hanson, who was supposed to be helping hunt for Dustin.
The location was humming with activity when they arrived. Brandon and Daniel were in a heated discussion. Kyra had never seen the First Assistant Director, who was known for his calm, unflappable manner, so worked up.
“No. Sorry. I can’t sign off on that.” Brandon held up his hands, palm out.
“You don’t need to sign off on anything, damn it,” Daniel insisted.
“Yes, I do,” Brandon replied, not backing off. “First Assistant Director is the chief safety representative on set. And I say we aren’t switching the car you and Derek arrive in to a boat. I will not allow a four-year-old to swim to it when we don’t have the appropriate safety personnel on set.”
“We are losing light here, Brandon. And we had already decided to shoot a one-er with the Steadicam and capture the whole attempted escape in one take. The only change will be Dustin racing for the boat and swimming a couple of strokes until I pull him in.” Daniel got in Brandon’s face, but the volume was loud enough for everyone to hear him. “You can’t possibly think I would put my own child at risk? He swims like a fish. He lives on the water for chrissakes. And we need those shots of his face while he’s escaping and trying to reach the boat and safety, so I can’t put someone else in his place.”
“And he will have just run through the grove, shrieking and crying, before he hurls himself into the water,” Brandon snapped back. “There’s too much room for error. And we don’t have a water safety specialist here.” He nodded angrily to the medic who was always on-site for liability purposes. Brandon had always been firm but calm. But his fury was full-blown. “Surely you and your investors know about the verdict in the Sarah Jones case in Georgia. The jury handed down a 13.9-million-dollar award to the family of the camera assistant who died on set. And the First AD was deemed liable for eighteen percent of that amount and he will never work in the business again.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Daniel shouted. “Because if you don’t shut your mouth and do your job right now, you won’t be working in this business again anyway.”
Brandon nodded curtly. “I can’t shut my mouth, because I am the ‘safety officer’ here. It is my job to make sure cast and crew are not put in danger without proper safeguards in place.” He exhaled loudly and tried another tack. “I can have an aquatics person here tomorrow and we can shoot it then.” He shook his head. “You can’t do this today.”
“Your job is not to tell me what I can and can’t do!” Daniel’s face was red with anger.
“What’s going on?” Kyra asked. She’d looked for Tonja, but hadn’t seen her. No one within shouting range was even pretending to work.
Daniel turned his back on Brandon to address her. “We’re losing light and we need this shot. It’ll make the scene. It’s one take with Dustin running from the cabin through the trees over there and into the lake where he swims a couple of strokes to the boat that Derek and I come in on.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You do know I’d never put Dustin at risk, right?”
She knew he was waiting for her “yes.” It was also clear he didn’t really think he needed it. She tried to sort through the decision. She’d never seen the First AD so adamant, but was he genuinely worried about Dustin’s safety or had it simply spiraled into a pissing match?
Daniel crouched down so that he could look Dustin in the eye. “You’re a top-notch swimmer, right?”
Dustin nodded.
“Do you think you can run through the trees and then swim that couple of strokes to the boat?” He pointed to where the speedboat was moving into position not far offshore. The lake was smooth as glass.
Dustin nodded again.
She looked into her son’s eyes and saw no fear, only his desire to please. He was comfortable in the water and had practically learned to swim before he could walk.
“Let’s do a rehearsal with the Steadicam, but without the water,” Daniel said. “Do you understand, Dustin? We start right when you burst out of the cabin and run through the trees with Christian chasing after you. When you get to the water, you stop. We’re going to save the swim to the boat for the real take. Got it?”
Dustin nodded again, but his thumb stole into his mouth.
“Brandon?” Daniel stared him down.
“This is a mistake, and I can’t sign off on it.” Brandon called the Second AD over, said something to him, then handed him his clipboard before leaving.
Kyra watched the first rehearsal still uncertain, the pit of unease in her stomach growing as she waffled. She trusted Brandon, he was a total professional, but the action seemed straightforward. Even the swim to the boat was in shallow water and the boat was anchored. If she were going to refuse to let Dustin do this, it would have to be now. She glanced around, but there was still no sign of Tonja.
She watched the rehearsal on the monitor and saw the heaving chest and the believable terror mixed with determination on Dustin’s face as he ran the jagged line that had been laid out through the trees and to the edge of the lake with Christian gaining on him from behind.
Afterward, she sat with Dustin while he caught his breath. “No one is going to make you do this. If we say no, it’s no.” She smoothed a lock of dark hair off his forehead. “Tell me what you think.”
“My Dandiel wants me to do this. And I’m a good swimmer. And you’ll be here, right, Mommy?”
She nodded numbly, knowing deep in her heart that she should just say no and live with the fallout.
With a last look in her direction Daniel shouted, “We’re burning light. We’ve got to roll. Everybody in position.”
Her nod was small and reluctant, but it was apparently enough for Daniel to put himself in the boat with Derek. Christian and Dustin stood just inside the cabin. On cue Dustin would burst out and begin to run. When he spotted the boat and saw his father, he would run flat out, throw himself into the water, and swim to the boat, where his father would pluck him out of the water only to have Derek pull out a gun and reveal himself as part of the kidnap plan.
“And action!”
Kyra barely breathed as the scene unfolded. Dustin ran as if his life depended on it, his breathing heavy, his small bare feet pounding on the ground, looking over his shoulder fearfully twice at the kidnapper who ran after him. As he ran toward the lake the sun slipped lower and the light turned golden, casting long shadows over the still water, the boat, and the figures in it.
“Hurry! Don’t look back! Swim!” Daniel shouted his line.
With the Steadicam still in motion, Dustin ran a few steps into the water then threw himself forward. Kyra stopped breathing altogether as he frantically dog-paddled and swam toward the boat. When he drew near, Daniel shouted encouragement then leaned over to grasp his hand. Somehow he missed. Dustin went under. A ring of bubbles broke the surface and then disappeared. The lake went still and silent. Dustin didn’t come back up.
Thirty-three
Out of the corner of her eye Kyra saw a streak of movement near the edge of the lake. Someone began to scream. As she raced toward the water, her eyes pinned to the spot where Dustin had slipped beneath the surface, Kyra realized that it was her.
Heart pounding, she looked for Daniel, who would be close enough to get to him. Her heart pounded hard
er when she saw him standing frozen in the bow of the boat, his face etched with shock.
Kyra ran on, her eyes scanning the water where Dustin had gone under, praying for Dustin’s head to break the surface, only to get caught in the crush of crew also surging chaotically toward the lake.
“Oh, my God! Move!” She pushed and pivoted, straining to see any movement. Her feet went out from under her and she went down. Raw panic spiraled through her. She’d never get there in time, she’d never . . . She struggled to her feet and took staggering steps. Saw a splash of arms not far from the boat, and got a brief glimpse of an adult head—then a flutter kick as someone went back under. Kyra broke out of the crowd and ran faster, but what should have been a sprint was a soul-numbing marathon.
The boat rocked and she saw Derek Hanson slip into the water to help whoever was already there searching. Near the water’s edge the medic and Brandon’s replacement shouted for people to get out of the way. “No one else goes in! We don’t want to stir up the bottom.”
Somewhere along the way she’d kicked off her shoes. Her bare feet slapped into the water. The soft bottom sucked at her toes. The medic made a grab for her, but she shrugged him off and took another step. When he managed to wrap his hands around her arm, she turned and clawed at him like the desperate animal she’d turned into, until he let go.
She was knee-deep, cold water swirling around her calves, when a blond head broke the surface a few yards off the bow. Tonja Kay emerged, her clothes clinging to her body, water sluicing off her, like some Amazonian warrior. But the limp body she carried in her arms as she staggered through the shallow water toward land was all Kyra could see.
She and the medic reached Tonja at the same time. The medic drew Dustin out of Tonja’s arms and laid him on the grass. Kyra fell down on her knees, her eyes on her child’s slack face and closed eyes as the medic tilted Dustin’s head back and leaned his head over Dustin’s open mouth. Tonja sank down beside her.
