“Being in his life isn’t the same as being in his heart, sis. He’s always loved you, and while we look alike, I’ll never be you. He wants you. I don’t know if it’s the hero or the man that loves you, but you’re the only woman he’s ever been interested in having. He’s never given me any hope he’ll change his mind.” She cleared her throat. Dina wondered if Ella was crying, but couldn’t make herself ask. “So that’s why you left? Achilles heel? You’re such an idiot.” Ella’s words were harsh, but her tone was sad. Dina felt more anger over the pity than the insult.
“You know my non-abilities put him at risk. I’d be a pawn for the bad guys if they ever found out about me.” She dropped her voice to the softest whisper. “I don’t have any abilities.” She paused. An idea hit her hard. The jolt of inspiration left butterflies in her stomach. “Come on the show as Rain. Be one of his dates and go out with him, force him to see that you’re a better match for him then any of us mere mortals. It’ll make fantastic television, and he’ll be forced to confront your feelings for him.” Ella and Zane together was the last thing she honestly wanted to happen, but it made sense. If he was happy, maybe then she could get on with her life.
Ella was quiet for a long time.
“Did you hang up? Hello, are you still there?”
“I’m still here. I’ll do the show. I hope to God I don’t regret this.” The weak reply on the other end sounded strange to Dina’s ears. She could hear terror mingling with joy. Her heart ached. She loved her sister and she loved Zane. If they were happy, she could find peace. The ugly past reared up, taking over her mind.
Dina was in the cage. It was always cold. The dungeon was clean, in a sterile way, but dank and dark. She could hear something dripping somewhere. She shivered. They’d been tortured daily for three years. Ella was so weak. Dina feared she was going to die. They’d brought her sister back this time, but the next time could be a different story.
She looked at Zane. He’d come to mean so much to her. They were fourteen. The other survivors were around their same age, except Ian. He was the only little kid that had survived. He was only eleven now. The six of them looked out for each other as best as they could, but most of the time they lived in their cages. They’d made up little games and tried to keep track of the months, but lately she couldn’t remember what the sky looked like. She was going to die in the pit.
Ella lay limply. One of the doctors—monsters—rushed in with his machine. He started taking her vitals. His assistant held a tape recorder out so that the doctor could dictate as he worked.
“Female subject B has developed ability. Remarkably, she was able to change the molecules in her body. Astounding. Female subject A has been unresponsive. We will intensify our focus and duplicate the experiments as both subjects share the same genetic abnormality our research is focusing on. We hypothesize that both girls will develop similar abilities. So far none of the other subjects have displayed any changes.”
Dina felt ill. She was female subject A. She didn’t know what they’d done to her sister, or what was abnormal about her, but she didn’t like the sound of the doctor’s frantic dictation.
He turned to look at her. For a moment, she made eye contact with the evil man. He regarded her with curiosity, but she detected no trace of empathy. He turned to his scrawny male assistant. “Prepare female subject A.”
Then he continued to monitor her sister. He’d scribble notes into her chart, but he showed her no courtesy or comfort, just clinical appraisal. Ella moaned and cried out as he turned her. Dina could see terrible bruises on her sister’s body.
The nerdy little man put down the tape recorder, gave her a strange smile, and approached her cage. Dina tried to move away, but she had little room to maneuver. He took out his keys and the lock clicked. She tried to kick him as he opened the door, but his cold hands grabbed her ankles and he pulled her out. She was so weak that she was no match for even such a slight man as he.
Zane rattled his door. She glanced at him, and the panic on his face only added to her fear. She was going to die this time. She was too weak to fight anymore.
They pulled her out. She heard Ella whimper. Two scientists flanked her and she shuffled along with them. She’d figured out long ago that they worked for the government, but the reason for the torment was still unclear. Her eyes went in and out of focus and the sound of their voices seemed to be coming from a long tunnel, even though they stood next to her.
The doors to their laboratory opened and she blinked against the light. It hurt her eyes. The bright, busy laboratory always surprised her because it was such a contrast to the room of cages where she spent most of her time recovering from the experiments.
They strapped her down. The tall man with salt and pepper hair that she feared most approached her with a needle. She flinched, but there was no escape. The injection stung, but only a little. Then fire burned in her veins. She thrashed and threw back her head, screaming. The man smiled.
“Are you there?” Ella sounded angry.
“Sorry, I spaced for a minute. I’m here.”
“What do I do about the audition?”
“I don’t think you’ll need an audition. We’ll mix it up around the sixth episode by adding another superhero. Congratulations, you made the cut.”
“Um, thanks?”
Ella didn’t sound sure, and that made Dina chuckle nervously. She needed the stress relief. She’d missed talking to her sister. “I’ll be in touch with the details.”
Mixed feelings overcame her. She’d be the station’s employee of the month for this turn of events, but she might be destroying a crime fighting team the city needed.
She cleared her throat. “I’ll do all I can to make sure you don’t regret this. I have final say on the editing. I think this’ll work out. You’ll be his last solo date. No one, not even Zane, will have any idea you’re coming on as a date. It’ll give you the element of surprise to tell him how you feel. As much as I care for him, I know you’re the one he should be with.”
They hung up. The strange truce she’d made with Ella felt good. Maybe this show would save them all. Someday she hoped the two people she loved most in the world would thank her for this.
Dina yawned, dreading the odious task awaiting her in the morning.
Chapter 4
Mobs of women blocked Dina’s way to the studio. Two guards worked together to clear a path for her car. Panic made her gasp and grip the wheel tightly as the car actually rocked due to the fervor of the multitude of women.
When she made it into the studio and got out of her car, women stood by the gate screaming. They held signs with crazy pleas to be on the show and adoration for the hero. None of these women had any clue a real man lurked behind the legend. She shuddered. Oh Zane, please forgive me.
“Pick me.” Seeing something coming toward her in the dawn light, Dina ducked. A red lacy bra sailed over her head. She’d never thought anyone would toss undergarments at her.
“I love Mind Man.”
“I want to have his babies.” Another woman threw a shoe. The pump hit the side of the guardhouse with a loud thud. Dina lifted her briefcase to cover her face, using it as a pathetic shield.
They must have seen her on the celebrity news. TMZ did a quick spot on her because she was the only person ever to get Mind Man on camera voluntarily. Speculation about what she’d done to get his attention made her media fodder. This was worse than she’d suspected.
She looked up at the night guard, Hank, who’d stayed late trying to assist the day guards with the uncontrolled mob.
“How long have they been here? We just posted the casting call at midnight. I know, because I did it myself,” Dina yelled over the women’s crazed screams.
“They started to show up around one. It was only a handful, and I wasn’t nervous until about five this morning. I’d lost count of them by then. More and more kept coming. I tried to keep it orderly, but look at my shirt. Those wild she-bitches tried to eat me
, I swear. Christ Almighty, Dina, I’d think you were casting a show about zombies. Just look at what showed up.”
Dina hid her smile behind a delicate cough. Hank was in his fifties and adorably portly. Imagining his consumption by a hoard of rabid twenty-somethings was disturbing, yet hilarious. She could just see him sinking under the mass of wild women, his hand reaching up, the last thing anyone saw before he proudly took one for the team.
She surveyed the crowd. He was right, many of the women looked strung out. She didn’t know if it was from lack of sleep or drugs, but she knew those girls weren’t making it to the final ten. They’d be filming the interviews, and airing the best and the worst of these women. She almost felt sorry for them, but they’d come here of their own free will.
She managed not to laugh when she noticed Hank’s horrified expression. “Thank you, Hank. I’m sorry they attacked you. You should really get some antiseptic on those scratches. They do look deep. Did many of them rip your shirt off or just one? If it’s just one, I can get her number for you.”
He gave her a scathing look. “No thanks. The last time I had a woman that excited, she took my house and car in the divorce.”
Hank always made Dina smile. Even if it was amusing to think of young women pawing the guy, it wasn’t funny they’d damaged him. This was just one more thing for Dina to feel guilty about.
It was only eight in the morning, but the circus was ready to begin. She’d thought only young, sexy ladies would show up. Older women and even men arrived begging for a date with Zane. He’d never speak to me again. Dina suppressed a chuckle. She had nothing against two males in a relationship, but Zane definitely didn’t swing that way.
It took three hours to select the first girl. Amber Adam was perfect for the show. She walked in confidently and was comfortable with the camera, which was a big plus. The girl had long, blonde hair.
“So why do you want to date a superhero, Amber?” Dina asked in her most professional tone.
Her pair of obvious implants almost put Dina’s eye out as she bounced joyfully closer to where she and Ervin sat giving the interviews. “I’ve always believed any man who could save the world is a man who needs a good woman to keep him warm at night.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “A hero needs a supportive girlfriend.”
The woman was gorgeous, but no great thinker. She was everything completely wrong for Zane, but perfect for television. “How would you support your man, if he were a superhero?” Ervin asked. He gazed at the girl, who was young enough to be his granddaughter, lecherously.
Amber gave the infatuated studio executive a dazzling smile.
“Mind Man never talks to the media. He seems very shy. I’d hate to tell you anything he’ll know firsthand if he picks me to be his date,” she purred out the words seductively.
Ervin cleared his throat.
“Please hold out your hand, Amber,” Dina said.
The girl opened her palm and Ervin reached over, handing the woman a feminine version of Zane’s mask. It was pink with gold trim. The word contestant stood out embroidered across it, swirling under one eyehole and over the other, in ornamental gold lettering.
Amber’s eyes grew wide. “Oh. My. God. Oh. God. Yes!” The girl bounced up and down, her boobs flopping dangerously. Dina wondered if she should dive under the table for safety sake. Ervin’s head bobbed in time with Amber’s “twins”. Dina scowled and put her hand carefully on his arm. He took the hint and his head stopped moving.
“Congratulations, Amber,” Dina said with false warmth.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” she cried as she turned and rushed from the room. When she got to the door, she held up the mask and there was a chorus of squeals from the other women awaiting their interviews. The cameraman was catching the whole thing, he gave Dina a thumbs up. She let go of a small, almost unperceivable, sigh of relief. One down, nine to go. She so wanted this day to end.
Dina couldn’t hide her scowl as she watched Amber leave. She tried not to think of Zane getting up close and personal with the woman and her giant boobs. They went on to the next want-to-be contestant. When Dina looked at the paperwork, she snorted. Ervin sat beside her and she pointed out the age. Eighty, she’d never expected a number like that. It didn’t take long to interview the woman and send her on her way. The next woman was the right age, but she listed her occupation as actress. Dina wanted contestants that were genuinely interested, not starlets trying to get into Hollywood. How she’d ever thought she could pimp out the man she loved amazed her. Stupid…stupid…stupid. Before this was over, she’d be certifiably insane. Ervin would probably turn her padded room into some sort of new show for the fall lineup.
Time passed, but Dina ignored her hunger and exhaustion. She just wanting to get this nightmare casting call finished. She picked several more women before taking a break. Her favorite was the one she knew she’d be the most jealous over. The woman was a beautiful, African-American nurse named Susan Rice. Susan volunteered helping starving children all over the world and even started a charity to stop inner-city domestic violence. She was definitely someone Zane would like. He might even fall in love with her. Dina pushed the dark thought out of her mind as she thought about the other two women she’d picked, sisters—twin sisters—ironically.
Nelly and Virginia Wright had names that sounded like old-fashioned values, but they’d come dressed in clothing that would make any prostitute jealous as hell. The blonde beauties left old Ervin crossing his legs to hide just how much he liked them. Sister drama was something she knew all too well, and she knew it was going to make fabulous television. Dina wondered how she was going to work a mud pit into the show. A mud fight, busty blondes, and a few bitch slaps sounded like a recipe to clean up during sweeps week. Ratings would be shooting up so quickly Ervin would commission a statue of Dina for the lobby, but she’d really need a grave marker for her pride. She should be wearing a giant, purple-feathered fedora. She couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror anymore without feeling sick. I’m a slimy, TV executive pimp—yay me.
She stood and stretched. Four down, only six to go. Dina went to the lounge to hide, but it was full of overflow contestants. She’d tried to use the women’s bathroom, but the line was so long she ended up leaving the studio to find a gas station. She was glad the congestion at the gate had cleared. She breathed the perfume of free air. The amount of body glitter in the building couldn’t be good for her lungs. She was glad to be away, but why hadn’t she thought to order porta-potties? Hundreds of women and only two tiny bathrooms wasn’t a good combination. All of her female coworkers had given her dirty looks on her way out of the building.
When she returned to the studio, she sat for a moment in her car, seriously terrified. The idea of enduring more wacky auditions made her want to cry.
She went back into the office and took her seat. Even Ervin looked grumpy, and he loved sexy, young women. “We’re halfway home,” Dina whispered.
“After today, I’m getting all-the-way drunk.”
Dina grinned. “I think I might even join you. This is crazy. Didn’t you tell Ana to prescreen these women?”
“Yeah, these are the ones that passed.”
Dina bit her lip. She’d buy Ana flowers. She couldn’t imagine what the intern had been dealing with all day if these were the best choices.
Dina motioned to roll the camera. The woman who came through the door stumbled. She giggled nervously. Dina exchanged a look with Ervin, but she remained professional and fought the urge to roll her eyes. She glanced at her tablet to see the information Ana had just sent her about the new arrival.
“Please come in, Paulette. Tell us why you’d like to date a superhero.”
The woman giggled again. She said nothing. Her deep blush annoyed Dina. It had been a long day. She wished they’d thought to install a trap door. If she had one, she’d pull the handle and remove Paulette from the contest.
“I…I…” the woman stuttered before she let go of
an ear-piercing twitter of laughter.
“Thank you, Paulette. I’m afraid you aren’t right for the show.”
The woman glared at her. “Hey, I didn’t get a chance to audition.” Paulette had found her voice, and the sudden shift from giddy-want-to-be reality star into angry outcast was a surprise.
“I’m sorry, Paulette. We’re looking for someone a little more articulate for this show.”
“Bitch,” the woman grumbled.
Fred, the security guard, stood ready to bounce the angry ones. He rushed forward and indicated the woman should follow him with a quick gesture. Paulette gave him the finger, but left without a fight. Dina exhaled the breath she’d been holding.
The next three contestants were just what she was looking for. Lacy Blake, Alexi Jordan, and a woman who proudly declared her name was “only Candy, just like Cher” were on Dina’s list of keepers. Candy explained she was a dancer to pay for school. All three were beautiful. They also had the right attitudes. The combination would make for some interesting TV. Lacy had long, straight black hair and intelligent brown eyes. Alexi was tall and thin with long blonde hair. Both women had brains behind all their glamour. Zane would honestly find them attractive, which meant Dina truly hated them. It was going to be a long six weeks of filming.
Dina selected a single mother to give the cast someone the audience could connect with. Sally Kane stood out from all the glam and glitter. The responsible, cash poor, girl was plain. Her short brown hair wasn’t styled, and she only wore minimal makeup. She was someone the average woman watching would root for. Sally went on the keeper list.
Reality Hero Page 5
