Finding Real Magic

by Shawn Keys

  Kaylee let out a sigh. “The price of fame. Why do you think I spend so much time abroad on remote movie sets? I have no idea how you live in LA, Angie.”

  “I hired a really large, intimidating Frenchman to scare people off, remember?”

  Zahn scrubbed at his stubble. He needed a shave. He loved the banter between his two lovers, but he had to keep focused on the problem. “So, we need to find a spot where you two have no connections and where there is little to no chance you will be recognized. As well, it needs to be a place where we can control access, but can’t spend enough money to buy that sort of security.” He rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. “That’s a fairly tall order, isn’t it?”

  Silence descended over them as they shuffled solutions around in their minds. Zahn discarded one after another.

  Kaylee’s face brightened. “What about The Dame?”

  The strange name scratched at Zahn’s memory. H had heard it before somewhere. “Who?”

  Angelica leaned forward, seizing on the idea. “Dame Heather Augustinia.”

  Wait a second… “Isn’t she dead?”

  Angelica smiled as if that was the point. “Precisely. She isn’t dead, but most people think she is. Who would guess we’d be consorting with a dead woman?”

  Zahn smirked. “I take it you have information that is somewhat more accurate?”

  Angelica nodded. “She did have a medical issue. Naturally, the media published everything from it being a heart attack to a stroke to something more exotic. The real issue was never released in public. Two rumors persisted though: first, that her doctors were giving her one chance in a thousand to make it through; and second, that the stress of her lifestyle was helping kill her. Whatever the truth, it was a miracle she survived. She quit the movie business to increase the odds of surviving.”

  Kaylee added mournfully, “And those vultures surrounding her Earhart’s Journey project only made it worse.”

  Zahn quirked an eyebrow to question that, and Angelica continued, “She had a ferocious legal battle regarding her last picture. She was campaigning and self-funding a project about Amelia Earhart based on a new set of personal documents uncovered about her. Far Reach Studios had the same thing in mind, though they wanted a blockbuster action film which barely resembled the real history. Dame Augustinia wanted a heart-warming biopic. Both could have existed, but Far Reach was determined to squash hers to avoid competition. The fight crushed her faith in the system. When her sickness happened, she’d have all the reason in the world to disappear forever. ”

  Kaylee growled in disapproval. “After which a bunch of her naysayers slandered her, calling her disappearance to be the last desperate acts of insanity by a dying woman. They turned her honest effort to represent a hero of hers on screen into what looked like a pure vanity project. Even if she didn’t die, the film certainly did. She hasn’t been in the public eye ever since.”

  Zahn pressed them, “But you two know where she is?”

  Kaylee pointed at Angelica, “She found out, though she shared it with me.”

  Angelica added, “It’s a bit of a guarded secret that I’ve always felt compelled to uphold.”

  Zahn grew worried, “I have to ask how you found out. If you had some sort of personal connection to her, that’s a link that can be followed. They’ll be expecting us to lay low, so they’ll tug on every string they can find.”

  Angelica eased his fears, “That’s the best part. Her son, Phillipe, was on the set of Until the Dawn Breaks with me. That was only my third major picture, but he was even younger. He wasn’t ready at all for the lime light. The producers and directors were trying to make a name for themselves by using his connection to Dame Heather. They were awful to him; they assumed he already knew the game as well as his mother, fed him lies and abused his good will. Ran him ragged with photo shoots and interviews where they asked the most insensitive questions. I did what I could, and used my agent to protect him from the worst of their legal tricks. Guess I took him under my wing a little. Felt like having a little brother for a few months. In return, he told me that if I ever needed a little help from a fairy godmother type, I could call his mother. I was stunned to find out she was even alive.”

  Reminded of the history, Kaylee’s face fell as they came to the next dark chapter. “He overdosed…what…two months later?”

  Sorrow clung to Angelica as well. “I was crushed. It was the only time I ever went to Dame Augustinia’s retreat. I felt I needed to personally deliver my regrets. That, and I gave her all the deleted scenes the studio had cut from their movie. They practically cut Phillipe right out of it, which didn’t help his depression at all.”

  “So you met her?”

  Angelica shook her head. “Not really. I went into a meeting room of sorts, and spoke to her via an intercom. She expressed her appreciation and I left my gifts on the table. She was graceful about it, but I could tell she was grieving. Nothing I could do but leave.”

  Zahn took the time to check the airspace before returning to the conversation. His thoughts were churning. On the surface, it sounded like a safe haven. But there was one huge question. He asked it aloud, “Will she even open the door, then? We can’t hang out on her porch.”

  Angelica shook her head uncertainly. “I don’t know. But there is nowhere more reclusive and exclusive in the world, shy of becoming a monk in Tibet. And you said you wanted to stay near enough to return to LA easily. This could work. If it doesn’t, what have we lost except a little time?”

  Zahn frowned. “Time is the most precious commodity we have right now. Once we land, they’ll track down the plane fast. One we land, we should consider it lost. This is a huge advantage to give up, so we can’t waste it. Hmmm…” He debated with himself, we need to take some risks, or we won’t get anywhere. “Alright, you’ve convinced me. Where are we headed?”

  “Let’s re-route the flight plan to Salt Lake City. Then, we’ll buy another car to take us the rest of the way. If they trace a withdrawal there, it won’t matter since they’ll trace the plane anyway. We could have driven to anywhere by the time they sort it out.”

  “Sounds good. What’s our goal after that?”

  “Denver.”

  * * *

  Zahn touched down the plane on a small runway at Salt Lake City International. He taxied into the private offloading terminal and killed the engines. By the time he ran through the shut-down checklist and returned to the passenger cabin, his two lovers had organized the packs and were ready to strike out.

  Deplaning and crossing the tarmac, they were about to jog out from behind a warehouse and head for the main terminal’s taxi stand when Zahn stopped them short. Darting back behind the corner of the building, he cursed.

  Angelica peered out. “What?”

  “See the pair of burly men in black sunglasses? ”

  Angelica checked again, then let Kaylee have her look. She guessed, “You mean the ones looking like failed FBI agents who don’t know how to look covert at all?”

  “Those are the ones. Look at them move.” Zahn checked again. The two men ran a few dozen steps, checked behind a baggage train, scanned the area, then moved on in haste. “They aren’t even trying to stay hidden. That means they think they could be too late.”

  Angelica gasped. “They’re here for us?”

  “Possibly not, but the timing is too convenient. I’d wager they found our flight plan and were waiting for the change we registered. Ash couldn’t get here ahead of us. We only gave them a few minutes warning. But whoever hired her and these goons, they must have resources everywhere. They whistled up this team to catch us coming off the plane.”

  Kaylee frowned. “Let me guess, the odds are not good that it is just these two guys.”

  Angelica tucked herself behind a stack of oil cartons and peered out. “Pretty much zero. Look over there.”

  Zahn checked what Angelica was pointing at. Two more suited goons were making their way toward the office that
supervised the private hangar complex. “Shit. They’re going to know we landed within a couple minutes.”

  He tugged his invisibility cloak out of the bag. He didn’t like that they were already digging into his bag of tricks. Sweeping the cloak over his head, he gestured the women to get nearer. “Tuck in close, ladies. There isn’t much room under here, and it’s made for one. The more the fabric rustles about, the more the invisibility effect is ruined.” Even one person running in the cloak was enough to break the illusion. Three people creeping along together was going to be just as bad.

  Fortunately, the two women weren’t strangers, nor were they shy. They didn’t just get close. They melded their sexy bodies against him like another set of skin. That made walking both difficult and extremely pleasant at the same time. Soft flesh covered in feminine clothing hugged him from every angle. They were taking his warning to heart.

  A combined shuffling got them to the main tower. By staying near the walls of the various buildings, they only had to cross one large open area. They timed that for when none of the goons were in sight. The three had just reached the entrance when three more came charging out of the automatic glass doors. Several groups converged on each other, and soon ten of the mercenaries were holding an impromptu meeting in the early afternoon sunshine.

  An intense looking man who might be their leader demanded, “Anything?”

  “The private office claims their plane landed less than fifteen minutes ago. When I asked him why he didn’t go inspect them or anything, he laughed and said he wasn’t about to go messing around with Miss Valemount’s plane. I pushed him a little, but he threatened to call the cops.”

  The leader scowled. “Our employer bought us access to the airfield, but I guess there are limits. Damn. They may be through the perimeter. You three, go comb the warehouses and hangars again. They might be hiding out waiting for us to leave. You three, check the luggage racks. They might be lingering with the crowd. We’ll head for the street and see if they are going for transportation.”

  They split up and jogged off on their various assignments.

  Zahn stayed crouched down by the wall of the terminal, hugging the two women tight so they could whisper to each other. He said, “Once we’re in the terminal, the cloak isn’t going to work. Too many people. If a random person uncovers us, they’ll scream in fear. Call us a ghost or something. We might as well announce our presence.”

  Kaylee offered, “Maybe we can steal their idea. Stay here and wait for them to get sick of waiting.”

  “Could work, but I hate the idea of surrendering the initiative. Not to mention that it could take a long time. They might get lucky and stumble over us.”

  Angelica’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “We’re the good guys here. There has to be a way to turn the tables on these jerks.” She fiddled with her necklace. “I’m not seeing any animals that could do more than annoy them right now.”

  Zahn liked the way she was thinking. “Maybe it’s time I listened to an old idea of yours. You heard them. Their boss bribed an airport official to get access, but that doesn’t mean they’re running around legally. Remember I said that the police never helped anything when it came to magic affairs? I stand corrected. Care to do the honors and summon the Crew in Blue?”

  With a mischievous grin, Kaylee turned on her phone for the first time on their trip and dialed the emergency response line. Zahn heard the operator connect, and then Kaylee spoke with a splendid blend of fear and annoyance. “I’m at the International Airport, and there are a bunch of really creepy men running around and hassling the passengers. I have no idea why airport security isn’t helping, but my daughter is terrified! I swear I saw one of them with a gun under his jacket! This is crazy! Please, send someone to look into it!” The operator fired off a few more questions, and Kaylee handled them as well. She sounded exactly like a tourist about to set off a massive panic at an international airport.

  Ten minutes later, they had results. Four police cruisers were parked outside, and a half-dozen uniformed officers were having words with the airport security teams. Both sides were keeping it professional, but the security teams didn’t have a real argument. Within seconds, the police had spotted the goons running around and knew this wasn’t a prank call. The security teams paid off to look the other way were suddenly turning on the goons, helping the police hunt them down over the grounds.

  Ten more minutes, and the mercenaries had either fled or been tossed into police cruisers to sort out at the station. A few more brief arguments were settled between the security and the proper police, and the atmosphere started to settle down.

  Finally, the trio swept off the cloak and joined the swirl of passengers. They made a quick line toward the taxi stand. A few people blinked in surprise as they recognized the movie stars. Fortunately, the random people doubted themselves long enough for the trio to get through without being mobbed.

  Zahn held the door to the taxi, ushering the two women inside. They were the ones that would be noticed. He took care loading the bags into the trunk, then claimed the front seat next to the driver. “Know a used car dealer you trust?”

  The driver shrugged, “What kind?”

  “Wouldn’t mind getting a good deal, but need something with enough quality to make it to Florida if we had to.”

  “Sure, I know a place like that. Buckle up. Have you there in five minutes.” He clicked the car into gear and they set off. The driver glanced in the mirror, checking traffic. He couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous women trying their best to look normal.

  It wasn’t working. The driver looked ahead, and then into the mirror again. Ahead, then into the mirror with a little more intensity. “You know, apologize for saying it, but you are the spitting image of that movie star. You know, Angela Lavolette?”

  Zahn smirked. The charm of having recognized her was spoiled by the butchering of her name. “Except my girl is even more beautiful, I’d say.” He reached around the outside of the seat and stroked her leg, hidden from the driver’s sight.

  She pressed her leg against his touch. Aloud, she answered with a deliberately, overly cute giggle, “Oh, that’s sweet of you, Sir! And stop it, Doug. You know I can’t hold a candle to her!”

  The driver gave a gap-toothed smile, crude but honest. “Nonsense. You’re her spitting image, I swear. You all in town for the week? Could suggest a couple places to hang out.”

  Zahn admired the driver’s cunning. Whether the girls were just beautiful look-alikes or the real actresses trying to lay low, he would be able to sell the knowledge for a pretty penny. Tabloids would eat up that kind of lead.

  Kaylee jumped all over it. “Sure! We’re here for at least four nights. Could have time to take in a few sights.”

  Zahn chuckled. Ash’s crew already knew they were in town. This would help muddy the waters. His mention of Florida would only make it worse. They could make the trail of clues go cold right here and now.

  They spent the rest of the ride listening to the driver sell them on a few dance clubs and restaurants. Kaylee seized on a place to eat while Angelica gushed over the description of a specific posh club. By the time they were getting out of the car, even Zahn was starting to think they’d be staying in the area long enough to visit them. As they arrived, Zahn paid the guy in cash, not wanting to actually confirm it was Angelica or Kaylee in the backseat.

  Once they were out of the car, Kaylee pointed to the bank across the street. “I’m going to drain an account of mine and give us a little spending money.”

  Angelica added, “No sense worrying about paying for the car in cash, either. We’ve left breadcrumbs to this point.”

  Zahn nodded. “This is where the trail has to die.” He realized what the women were suggesting. “Have to say thanks for paying for this.”

  Angelica smiled. “Recklessly large amounts of money have to be good for something. We’ll handle the expenses for the moment. You just keep us alive when the bullets start flying at us. Deal?
”

  Kaylee grinned in anticipation. “At least until you teach us how to get our hands on a few more relics of our own. I’m not going to be the only one without one for long!”

  Zahn nodded, “Deal. I’ll hunt down a car that works for us. Angelica, if you can summon a salesperson with the right vibe? Kaylee, however much you are comfortable getting out of the machine, that would be great. No telling what expenses we’ll need, and it’s cash only from here on out.”

  They split out into their various tasks.

  None of them took long. The saleswoman Angelica selected had probably never had such easy-to-please customers. Fortunately, she wasn’t a ‘film buff’ sort, so she didn’t fall into gushing over Angelica for her celebrity. The power of Angelica’s charm couldn’t be denied, so the salewoman spent a lot of time babbling and blushing and totally off-balance – the exact opposite of where she wanted to be with customers. They didn’t haggle very hard, and Angelica was soon the proud owner of a late model BMW with a little power, a dark green color, and not too many miles on the odometer.

  Piling into the car, they peeled out of the lot well before any mercenaries could track them down.

  Zahn allowed himself a satisfied smile. They had just chopped off their tails. “Settle in, ladies. Time to vanish into the sunset.”

  * * *

  A little under eight hours later, Zahn drove under the street lights of Denver. Kaylee was curled up into the arms of Angelica in the back seat, making for a romantically appealing sight for him to enjoy in the rear-view mirror.

  He considered the hour; the clock was just ticking over to three in the morning. Too late to start a visit with one of the most distinguished stars of the silver screen? Probably, especially since they were arriving like beggars.