They were meeting Susan for Saturday brunch at Amigo's, a small bistro on Third. It served Californian food: bright fruit plates, eggs and bacon, cottage cheese and bagels. The food was wonderful, the clientele amazing and the ambiance was incredibly breathtaking. Light cloth walls surrounded you in hues of beige and orange, reds
and browns. The ceiling was inlaid with soft light and music played softly in the background. And it was always busy. There would be little chance they would be overheard.
Susan was already in a booth when they got there. Naomi smiled and they headed towards her, as Susan stood to greet them.
Sanding at a petite five eight, Susan was an exotic beauty. Dark brown curls tumbled in cork screws to her shoulders, framing an oval face and large brown eyes. Her lips were pouty and she had curves to spare. Her mouth widened in a huge smile when she saw Naomi.
"Naomi!" she gushed happily at seeing her friend, "long time no see!"
"It has been too long," Naomi agreed, kissing Susan on both
cheeks.
"Yeah, well, let's not let that happen again." Susan said smiling. She turned to Miriam. "I know who you are, of course. I love your work, Miriam." She hugged Miriam softly.
Miriam tensed slightly, taken aback by Susan's kindness. She softened a little and hugged her back. "Happy to meet you."
Miriam said. "You're such a good addition to Passions."
Susan smiled. "Juliet Mills is getting pissed that I'm stealing all her good scenes, but hey, what can you do? That's showbiz."
They sat down in the booth, a deep seated affair with soft benches covered in plush green fabric. The booth was a dark wood affair with gold brass finishing’s.
The waiter came and took their drink orders. "I want a Mai Tai," Susan said. "Nothing beats a good Mai Tai."
Naomi ordered coffee. Miriam ordered a mimosa. When the waiter came with their drinks and they ordered brunch (lox and bagels for all of them, plus a side of potato wedges, juice, sides of bacon and toast) Susan turned to Naomi and smiled. "So," she said. "How about you tell me what's going on?"
"What makes you think anything's going on?" Naomi asked.
"Because, I know you. I know when something is bothering you. Look," she pointed to Naomi's left eye. "Your left eye is twitching again."
Naomi touched a hand to her face. "Is not!"
"Is so!" Susan shot back. "Come on, out with it. Whatever it is, it can't be any worse than some of the storylines on Passions…"
Naomi looked at Miriam. "Did you want to tell it or should I?"
"I will." Miriam said. "It helps…" For the next half hour, while they dined, Miriam filled Susan in on what was going on the sets of Hope Falls. To her credit, Susan didn't interrupt once. She just ate and listened and sipped her Mai Tai. Miriam left out the deaths of Ronald, Jack and Toby. She could not bear to recount their ends yet. Besides, they would meet her in her dreams.
When she was done, Susan smiled wryly. "Well, I was wrong. It's worse than a storyline on Passions."
"But you believe us?" Naomi asked.
"You would never lie to me, I know that."
"Than you'll help me?" Miriam asked. She pleaded with her eyes.
"Yes, I will. But after that, I need another Mai Tai. Then we're going shopping." Susan signaled the waiter to bring them all another round of drinks. This time around, Naomi ordered a screwdriver.
TWENTY THREE
the girls get hit by a car
"What do you mean we're going shopping?" Miriam asked.
They were speeding along the expressway in Susan's BMW Beamer. "Shopping, you know, clothes and jewelry and what not? Every woman knows how to shop."
"Don't be so sure." Naomi said from the back seat.
"I hate shopping. It unnerves me, all those people."
Susan looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure you're not ill?" At Naomi's socked looked, Susan laughed heartily. "I'm sorry dear, just kidding. I love to shop. If shopping was an Olympic sport, I'd win hands down."
The sun was bright this morning as they sped along their way. Miriam, lost in thought, watched the other cars pass her in flashes of metal and chrome. They reminded her of children running, horses galloping. "So why are we going shopping?" she asked finally.
"I thought you would never ask." Susan said. "We gotta get you new clothes."
"But I thought Naomi said you were a wiz with make up."
"I am, but darlin', even I can't sew you a new wardrobe."
Their plan was simple. They had talked it out over more drinks and some chocolate cake for dessert at Amigo's. Miriam had to become someone else in order to sneak around the studio. She needed to find out who was involved in the Lifetime Contracts so that she knew who she was dealing with. The only way to become someone else was to disguise herself.
"I don't know if this is going to work." Miriam said sadly.
"But we're going to try it anyway." Naomi said. "What else have you got to lose? You have nothing to go on, your life is at stake and there is nothing you can do. You have to find out who is involved, Miriam. Otherwise, there is no hope of fighting this thing."
"But you both believe me? God, it helps just knowing that someone
doesn't think I'm crazy."
"It's too crazy not to believe." Susan said. "Hell, it's better than any damn soap opera that I've ever heard of. I just can't believe that they've been filming real deaths and
passing them off as television…to think that we have all watched someone really, really die on screen." She shivered. "It's horrible."
"But WHY are they killing people off?" Naomi asked. "I mean, there has to be more to it than keeping their actors on board so they don't jump ship, there just has to be. Why not just fire someone with a Lifetime Contract, rather than kill them off on
screen? I just don't understand."
"But that's why we have to get in there." Susan said. "Why Miriam has to get in there. Maybe the answers will be in Howard's office."
"Miriam won't be going in there." Miriam said. "Someone else will."
So now they were on the way to the mall to buy her new clothes. She couldn't dress like herself, or even Sylvia Stevens; that would give her away. She would have to choose a new name.. She brought it up to Naomi and Susan.
"I heard that if someone wants to be a porn star, their first name is an old pets name and their last name is on old street name they used to live on." Susan said.
Miriam made a face. "I am not having a porn name. This isn't acting, you know."
"That's EXACTLY what it is." Naomi said, looking briefly over at Miriam in the passenger's seat. "Think about it: you're playing a role to save your life. Sounds like acting to me."
"Why not pick something you'll actually respond to?" Susan asked. She thought for a moment. "What's your mothers name?"
"My mothers dead." Miriam said.
Naomi reached back and took Miriam's hand. "Your mother was a good woman, Miriam. She raised a good daughter. She'd be proud to have you use her name to save your life."
"My mothers name was Sabrina White." Miriam whispered.
"Then that will be your name when you're in disguise." Susan said from the drivers seat. "That way, your mother will be with you. She'll give you strength."
"I need a drink." Miriam said.
"What you need," Susan replied, "is a good pair of shoes."
They rode in silence for a while, each content be quiet with their own thoughts. But the quiet wasn't to last very long. Silence never does.
It was Susan who noticed the black car first. "Gals, I think we got trouble." The other two turned and looked at the black car.
"It just wants to pass." Naomi said.
"I don't think so." Susan said.
They watched as the car kept swerving to stay in behind them. The windows were tinted black and there was no license plate. It reminded Miriam of a car of death, Death's car, stalking the highways for fresh prey.
"Now I really need that drink." Mi
riam said.
"They probably want directions." Naomi said.
Miriam looked at her in disgust. "Um, hello? We were shot at during lunch? If they could shoot at us, don't you think they could ram us with a car?"
Susan shrugged. "She has a good point."
They knew they were in trouble when they felt the car bump the back of Susan's BMW. At first, the bump was soft, playful. But they all jumped when the car sped up and rammed right into the back of the BMW, making the women shake in their seats.
The car came at them again, delivering another whiplash inducing bang to the small car. This time, the entire car shuddered when it was hit. "Oh, God!" Naomi cried. "What are they trying to do!?"
"It's because I've talked." Miriam said. "I was warned not to speak to anyone about this, they're after me!"
"How could they know you talked to either of us?" Susan said, swerving right and left, trying to lose their tail. "How could they have possibly known?"
There was another bang as the car hit them again. "Oh god," Naomi said, "They're trying to kill us, aren't they? They're trying to run us off the road."
"Hang on girls!" Susan said, "It's going to be a bumpy ride!"
TWENTY FOUR
Naomi becomes hysterical
The black car continued to ram them hard from behind as they barreled down the expressway. Cars sped by on their right and left like ribbons of color outside their windows. Susan was driving the car over a hundred miles per hour. Miriam could hear the wind whistling outside.
"What are you planning on doing, Susan?" Naomi's voice was reaching a high pitch. She never did well under stress.
"I don't know yet."
"I don't know how they could have known you talked to us, Miriam." Naomi said. "I don't know how they figured it out."
"It's because they watch everything." Miriam whispered as the car hit them again. All three woman were jostled in their seats.
"This is an operation." Susan said. "Think about it; they're executing people for the sake of film. There have to be tons of people involved, maybe the president of the network. Someone has to know what is going on for it to continue. Hell, they can't
kill people in a TV studio and not have anyone know about it."
The black car hit them again from behind, harder this time. As they gathered up speed, so did Death's car. It rammed them again and Naomi whimpered in the back as the back windshield cracked. The crack snuck its way like a snake across the glass.
"You okay back there Nai?" Susan said.
"What are you going to do?" Miriam asked. Concern was evident in her voice.
"I haven't figured that part out yet." Susan said. She was gripping the wheel so hard, her knuckles were turning white.
"Let me out here." Miriam said. "They want me, it's me they want, I'll jump from the car, I will throw myself in the road, I will lead them on a chase!"
"Don't be stupid," Susan said. "We're not in a soap opera right now, this is our lives honey."
"Besides," Naomi said quietly from the back seat. "They know you've talked to us; they've seen you with us. We're marked now too."
"So we're in this together?" Miriam said.
"It would seem so." Susan said. "We can't go back to our homes, to our families. Not that I have one." She laughed. "Husband left me years ago, said my life wasn't
exciting enough. Well, look at me now!" she laughed again. "I shouldn't be laughing at a time like this."
"I, for one, do not find anything funny in the situation." Miriam said.
"Please don't joke, Okay?" Naomi said. She looked out the back window. "It's gaining speed." She swallowed hard, her nervousness showing. "What are we going to do?"
"Out run him." Susan screamed. "Hold on."
She swerved the car sharply to the right, horns blaring around them in protest. The black car stayed with them on their tail. Susan swerved the car sharply to the left again and then quickly to the right in front of a large truck. The black car tried to pass, but was stuck behind the truck.
"As long as that truck stays there," Susan said, speeding the car up even more. "We're home free."
They watched in horror as the ten wheeler turned right onto an exit and the black car sped up to ram them in behind again.
"Damn, damn, damn!" Miriam said.
"I'm not done yet." Susan said through gritted teeth.
She sped forward even further and than, quick as a flash hit the breaks. The car squealed in protest.
"What are you doing?!" Miriam shouted. She put a hand to her neck and one on the panic bar above her head. "You're going to kill us!" She sighed, her heart racing.
"Not if I kill him first."
The black car had not anticipated their move. It had to hit the breaks and swirl to its left to avoid hitting any of the other cars. Miriam blanched. She had been right. They wanted them, only them. She watched as the car was able to right itself several cars behind them. They wanted her. "Do you have a gun?" Miriam asked.
"Of course I have a gun." Susan said. "But there is no way in hell I'm letting you fire it out my window. I'm not having you hit anyone, okay?"
"Than what else can we do?!" Naomi said. Her voice had reached the screech level.
"Naomi." Susan's voice was harsh. "I have valium in my purse. Calm down or I'll make you swallow half the bottle. Do you understand?"
She nodded meekly in the back seat, tears streaming down her cheeks.
They watched the black car swerve to the left of them, tires squealing, leaving long black marks like mascara on the road.
"What is the car doing?" Miriam asked. "What is it doing?"
"How the hell should I know?" Susan said.
The car was gaining speed fast and soon it was riding beside them on the left, on the driver's side. Their windows were even with each other, but Susan could not look inside the other car. "The damn windows are tinted!" she yelled.
They screamed when the black car rammed them on the left side. The car shook and vibrated. "What are they DOING?!" Miriam screamed.
"They're trying to run us off the road!" Susan said.
The car hit them in the left again, hard. It sent them skidding. The car came at them again and again, each time making them skid a little further to the right. Susan could see the railing of the expressway getting closer and closer.
Finally, the black car rammed them really hard, the sounds of crushing metal high and painful in the air. The cars seemed to cry as sparks leapt from them. The black car pushed the BMW until it was right up against the railing and then they were over the railing, tumbling.
The car rolled down a steep cliff covered in sand and rock. The water
loomed up at them and Miriam could see the water each time the car flipped over, a line of black blue water that seemed to call to them, call to her as if it longed to close over them and fill their lungs with liquid.
"I can't die like this," Miriam said. "Not like this, Oh, please!"
She was sobbing now, holding on to the panic bar. She could hear Naomi screaming in the back seat, her screams reaching fever pitch, making her voice raw. Susan held onto the wheel, her face like stone and her eyes looking straight ahead. She was not afraid to meet death, it seemed.
Miriam found Toby's chain under her shirt and pinched it between her fingers. She couldn't die like this, they couldn't die like this. She closed her eyes and prayed.
She felt the car tumble a few more times, the rocks breaking the glass, cracking the windshield further. Metal screeched under them, they could feel the car shaking with each new turn.
Miriam decided at that moment to pray. She hadn't prayed in a long time, but now seemed like a good time to do it. "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!"
"I don't think he's listening." Susan rasped.
Suddenly, they stopped. The car was upside down. They were held into their seats by their seatbelts, their breathing loud in the car. Naomi still screamed in the back seat, but as the car continued to rock back and forth on its top, sl
owing it's rocking slowly and
finally standing still, Naomi finally quieted. Miriam looked out the window. The water was a few paces from the front of the car. Another foot and they would have been in the water, they would have drowned.
Hope Falls Page 6