Double Exposure

by Rhonda Laurel

  “Tiny? Are you serious?” Scar whispered to Chris.

  “Can we discuss the unoriginal nickname when we get in the car?” Chris murmured back.

  The ringleader then motioned for another guy with a toothpick in his mouth to go get their hostage. A few minutes later he returned with Darwin. He looked pretty beat up with a busted lip, swollen eye and his wrists were bound together with a zip tie.

  “It’s all there. Turn him loose.” Scar said.

  “Wait a minute. If you can get up sixty grand this easy. Why not a hundred twenty? The price just doubled for his release.”

  “But that’s all he owes you.”

  “Plus interest.”

  “How about you take the money you’re owed and no one gets hurt?” Scar replied.

  “Tiny. Detain our guests.”

  Scar pulled her gun out. “Not one more step. You got your money and the debt is settled. Now I’m going to give you the chance to walk out of here alive.”

  “It’s five on three. Bad odds for you.” Scruffy Tall Dude smirked.

  “I don’t know about that. I’m feeling pretty optimistic,” Chris blurted out, in his toughest voice possible.

  “How about this?” Scar pulled a grenade out of her pocket with her free hand and stuck her finger in the loop holding the pin in place. “I detonate this party favor and we’ll all get a free trip to the morgue.”

  “What the hell!” Tiny moved back. “Are you crazy?”

  Chris glanced at Scar. He knew that look. He’d have liked to pretend she was bluffing, but he’d spent enough time with her to know she wasn’t. He glanced over at Darwin, who looked like he was trying to decide whether to faint or cry.

  “My hand is getting tired,” Scar said.

  “Man, I’d do what she says.” Chris said.

  “OK. We’re cool.” Scruffy Tall Dude held his hands up. “Tiny, get those zip ties off our buddy Darwin.”

  “It was a pleasure doing business with you gentlemen. I hope I won’t have to pay you another visit.” Scar slipped the grenade back in her pocket and motioned for Chris and Darwin to head for the door.

  Outside, Scar continued to survey the area until Chris was able to get Darwin loaded into the SUV. As they drove away, his mind raced at the evening’s events while she seemed untouched by it all. He played a tough guy in movies but this was her reality. He looked his friend over. He didn’t seem to be missing any appendages. Once they were back on the road and racing away, Darwin went nuts.

  “That was intense!” Darwin yelled and banged his hands on Chris’s headrest.

  “You’re welcome,” Chris replied.

  “I know. I know. You pulled my ass out of the fire buddy.” Darwin gave Scar a once-over. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  “I’m the woman you owe sixty grand.”

  “I thought my man Chris—”

  “Would what? Give money to random criminals for the release of his idiotic friend? That would be awesome for his image if someone found out.”

  “I didn’t think they’d recognize him.”

  “Really? Because the guy with the jean jacket had on a shirt that had the Movie Maniac logo on it.”

  “And?” Darwin gave her an incredulous look.

  “It’s a Web site that movie fanatics frequent. The hardcore people buy their merchandise. Hence identifying Chris within three minutes.”

  “Holy shit. You’re right,” Darwin said.

  Chris closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the headrest. She was right. The likelihood that this could become public knowledge had never occurred to him. It all hinged on whether or not Jean Jacket would be dumb enough to post about his kidnapping run-in with Chris Cavanaugh.

  “But I doubt he’d make the correlation. Nice save with the Cage bit.” Scar nudged him. “You didn’t hesitate. It was totally believable. You’re a good wingman, Chris. Maybe I can use your services in the future. Minus the gun.”

  “I’m pretty sure it was the adrenaline that got me through it. I’m crying on the inside.”

  “Still. You were grace under pressure. I’m proud of you. The next movie you’re in, I’ll go see it in the theater instead of downloading it illegally,” Scar replied.

  “Thanks. I think.” Chris turned to Darwin. “You don’t know how close you came tonight.”

  “I know.” Darwin nodded.

  Chris looked out the window and spotted the passing exit sign that led to Darwin’s house.

  “Scar, do you think they’ll take him this late?”

  “Yes. It’s shouldn’t be a problem.” She looked straight ahead.

  “What are you two talking about?”

  “Buddy, we’re taking you to a top-notch rehab facility.”

  “What!”

  Chris gave him a stern look. “I think it’s safe to say you’ve fallen off the sobriety wagon. I risked a lot to help you tonight, not to mention dragging Scar along. It’s time you think about getting clean before you end up in prison…or worse.”

  “I don’t need no rehab.”

  “Hey!” Chris snapped. “It’s not an option. It’s either get clean, or I take you back to your warehouse friends and get a refund. Which is it going to be?”

  “I guess it’s sobriety against my will.”

  Chris let out a sigh of relief. “Good call.”

  A half hour later they’d gotten off the highway and were driving up a long, winding road. The rehab facility was set atop a cliff and looked more like an exclusive resort. Scar got out of the car and began talking to a man who’d been waiting for them. Chris and Darwin got out too and walked over to the railing. The view of the ocean was incredible and the sound of the waves breaking against the rocks below gave the place a gothic feel. Aside from the main gate they’d rode through, there was no escape.

  “Chris, I—”

  “I don’t want to hear any more apologies.”

  “I wasn’t going to offer up any more excuses.” Darwin swiped at his nose and shuffled his feet. “I just wanted to say thank you for being my friend. I don’t know anyone else who would have come to my rescue and brought along a badass chick with an arsenal and a grenade.”

  Chris looked over at Scar. “I’ve got the world’s best bodyguard. But I’ll never tell her that.”

  “I’m glad you have someone looking out for you. Heaven knows I’ve been a crappy friend.”

  “You’ve had your moments. I want you to know I didn’t want to leave you behind. I had to stay away from that lifestyle.”

  “It was for the best. Look at you now. Action star by day, crime fighter by night.”

  Scar came over. “I hate to interrupt the bromantic moment, but they’re ready for you.”

  “You didn’t sign me up for any experimentation or lobotomies?” Darwin asked.

  “No. I didn’t think it would do any good.” Scar raised an eyebrow. “It’s a legitimate and very exclusive clinic. So don’t be surprised if you see a few celebrities in there. They have a strict confidentiality policy. Be mindful of that. It’s an eight-week program, but Chris has agreed to extend your stay if you feel you need more counseling after that time.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll keep an open mind. Whatever happens in there is for you. But I can’t allow you to put Chris’s life at risk again.”

  “About the money—”

  “We’ll square up one of these days,” Chris said. “How about lifetime car and motorcycle repairs?”

  “Fair deal.” Darwin grinned and then turned to Scar. “I owe you too. Maybe one day I could return the favor.”

  “We’ll see,” Scar replied.

  “I hope you get a handle on things in there.” Chris grabbed him and gave him a big bear hug. “Call if you need a ride when they spring you.”

  “I will.” Darwin pulled him in for a tighter hug. “I won’t let you down.”

  “I’ll see you in two months,” Chris assured his friend. He and Scar walked toward t
he SUV as Darwin did a turtle-like walk toward the front door.

  Chris spied Darwin talking to the man who’d been chatting with Scar in the rear view mirror as they drove away. He hoped his friend would come to terms with whatever drove him to do reckless, destructive things.

  Scar noticed him watching. “He’ll be fine. I wouldn’t take him to some random place. I know these people. They can help him if he wants it.”

  “Good,” he said.

  Chris picked up his phone from the cup holder and read his messages. He’d gotten one from Kate that she’d had to spring eccentric director Max Garcia from a sanitarium and was on her way home. He rolled down the window and let the sea air from the nearby beach waft over him. Tonight had been quite an adrenaline rush. He’d come to the rescue in his movies, but this was the real deal. He’d helped save his friend and it felt more authentic and satisfying than pretending to be a hero. But he dreaded telling Kate what happened tonight.

  By the time they returned to the beach house, he was elated they’d made it back before Kate came home. Scar grabbed a few snacks and plopped down on the couch and proceeded to watch her favorite science fiction television show. She was a woman with peculiar habits, like DVRing a mediocre cable show with low- quality CGI. She said she liked the show’s message of a never-ending bond between a crew who’d been thrown together by devastating circumstances. She said it was the humanity and loyalty she loved. Something that was rare in the world around her today.

  He grabbed a beer and sat down too. Despite his critique of their obvious limited special effects budget, he usually watched it with her. And some days they were able to get Kate to watch it too. He liked being a secret fan boy. The episode was almost over when Kate walked into the house and joined them on the couch. She looked as tired as he felt. Chris put her feet on his lap and began massaging them.

  “How was the babysitting assignment?” Scar asked, her eyes still glued to the television. “Did you enjoy springing the crazy director from the nuthouse?”

  “Eventful.” She kicked off her shoes. “Max is beyond eccentric, but Virginia’s convinced he’ll direct the next big thing at the studio. He’s not as out of touch as I thought he would be.” She glanced at Chris. “He said he’d like to work with you in about ten years after your soul has been totally corrupted by Hollywood commercialism and you’re looking for a project to redeem your inner thespian.”

  Chris forced a smile. “That’s great.”

  Kate looked at him then at Scar. “What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?” Chris asked.

  “You two are usually arguing about the plausibility of half the things in the episode by now. But you’re sitting here like you did something and I’m going to be pretty pissed when I find out what happened.”

  “We saved Chris’s druggie friend Darwin from certain demise tonight,” Scar said in a droll tone. “It was all very cloak and dagger. I almost had to use one of my grenades. Then we took him to a rehab facility afterward so he can get clean.”

  Kate’s eye widened and she jumped to her feet. “Are you OK?”

  “I’m fine. You know Scar would never let anything happen to me,” he said.

  “Are you kidding me? You went off to play cops and robbers with Scar to rescue that crazy-ass Darwin? You’re lucky you didn’t get shot.” Kate paced in front of the coffee table.

  “Chris wasn’t in any danger. Although the grenade going off would have been much worse,” Scar replied.

  “Scar, you’re not helping.” Chris made eyes at her.

  “Guess that’s my cue to finish watching in my room.” Scar turned off the television and headed for her bedroom.

  Chris started to speak, but Kate shook her head like she wasn’t ready to listen. She went into the kitchen poured herself a big glass of wine and returned with the stemware and the bottle. Once she’d taken a few more sips, she sat next to him and kissed him on the lips.

  “I can’t leave you two alone for a second.”

  He touched her hand, wanting to reassure her. “I was planning to spend the night pigging out and watching TV, but Darwin called. He was in some serious trouble this time. I couldn’t let anything happen to him, but calling the police would’ve meant prison time for him. He deserved another chance.” He shook his head and sighed. “Scar offered to go get him, but I couldn’t simply dump this on her. So we got him out of there and we put him in a good rehab program. I think we saved him this time, sweetheart. In more ways than one.”

  Kate hugged him. “Promise me you won’t do anything that reckless ever again.”

  “Trust me. That was enough real life excitement for a lifetime.”

  Chris put his arms around Kate and held her close. He’d been foolish tonight, even if he did get a temporary burst of excitement from it. That adrenaline rush had been so different from anything he’d ever experienced while playing movie roles. In a way, he could see how facing real danger could be both terrifying and completely addicting…

  CHAPTER THREE

  Kate plastered on a smile as she listened to the pitch about the umpteenth aspiring edgy pop diva in the making over the speakers in the meeting room. These days talent seemed more repetitive and it was harder than ever to find that diamond in the rough ready for their big break. Today’s music careers were all orchestrated and it was getting harder to find real talent. She missed the days when she’d travel around the country checking out acts in their natural environments. Seeing someone perform in a dive bar or a small venue gave a good picture of what they were made of before the fame.

  She glanced over at her best friend John and he looked equally bored. But the upside was that she got to spend some time with him today. He’d taken the helm of Atlantis Blue, and his relationship with Charlotte was keeping him busy these days. Love had bloomed for the couple when they’d finally admitted their feelings for one another. She was happy that he’d finally found someone who could stand up to him and call him on his bullcrap. Charlotte clearly defined what she’d expected from him, and he’d had to abandon some of those lovable rogue qualities that other women found so intriguing.

  She was happy when the meeting finally wrapped up and the cat-like screeching that was the singer’s trademark no longer played over the sound system. She wished she could have taken a picture of the incredulous look on the manager’s face when she and John both agreed they wanted more time before deciding whether or not to sign her. The manager sternly reminded her of the singer’s massive social media following since she’d produced and marketed her first album on a popular video streaming channel. Kate took a deep breath and said they’d take that into consideration. Sabrina appeared as if she sensed when Kate had reached her limit with meetings and escorted the entire entourage out to the reception area. She hoped Sabrina didn’t have any meetings on the schedule for the afternoon. She could use a break.

  John glanced her way. “Is it me or—”

  “No. It’s not you.” Kate laughed.

  “Are we getting old?”

  “I like to think of it as being more discerning about our business dealings.”

  “You know she’s going to be a hit whether we sign her or not.”

  Kate nodded. “But I can live with the one that got away. Can you?”

  “I think so,” John replied.

  “We got through that pretty quickly. How’s Charlotte? She mentioned you two were going to Carmel for the weekend.”

  “It’s our first weekend away as a couple. I have a few surprises planned.” John grinned.

  Kate sprang out of her seat and walked over to him. “Is one of the surprises an engagement ring?”

  “No. But I intend to give her the hard sell on the benefits of living together.”

  “Word of advice. Less ‘it’ll be green to car pool into the city if we lived together’ and more ‘I’m maturing and I want to open myself up, be vulnerable and invite you into my life without reservation or fear.’”

  “You know me, Ka
te. All that mushy sentiment isn’t me.”

  “But that’s how you feel, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Say it in a way that feels right to you. Chris says some really poetic stuff that, to an untrained ear, would sound like a limerick, but I know him. I speak fluent Cavanaugh, and it sounds beautiful to me.”

  “There was a time when I would have run from all of this. Now I just want to make Charlotte happy.”

  Kate bit back a smile. “This is pretty serious for you. I can’t remember the last relationship you had that lasted longer than two months.”

  “Charlotte is special.”

  “Yes, she is.

  There was a brief knock on the conference room door and then the handle turned. Sabrina came in and grabbed the remote for the flat screen. “Sorry to interrupt, but you need to see this.”

  A breaking news report in progress flashed onto the screen.

  “This shocker just in,” the news anchor said. “Actress Brianna Sage was found dead today in her apartment from what appears to be an overdose of sleeping pills. The actress had been under a lot of stress recently from her custody battle with director Jack Pierce. Sources close to Brianna claim she has been very depressed recently because of the lack of movie roles since she was named as the other woman in the Jack Pierce, Kate Garrison divorce scandal. She publicly blamed both Jack and Kate as puppet masters intent on ruining her career. The actress had been in the business for many years, her most noteworthy role was as Amelia in the urban fantasy trilogy, Endless Tomorrow. She leaves behind a daughter, Zoe Pierce, age two, who was visiting her father Jack during the time of this unfortunate tragedy.”

  “I don’t believe it,” John said.

  “It’s being covered on a few networks and online. I think it’s legit,” Sabrina replied.

  “I can’t believe this…” Kate trailed off as her cell phone rang. It was Chris. “Hello?” Kate gulped.

  “Baby, did you hear the terrible news?”

  “Yes. I’m watching it right now.” She lowered the volume. “We should check on Jack and Zoe.”

  “I’ll be there in thirty. We can go over to his condo.”