The Takeover

by Oli White

  I looked at my watch: 3 p.m. Lewis was reading Glen’s message over my shoulder.

  ‘Two hours till showtime,’ he said.

  While we waited, I logged on to the GenNext forums and Twitter account to see what the online chat was like about the live broadcast.

  OK, not such a good idea. Seeing all the fans tweeting and commenting about how excited they were just made me feel worse. The fact was, after a week of Emerge episodes there seemed to be a growing fan base for Ethan. He was obviously killing it and I’d had no way of combating that, being totally out of the loop. God, was I too late? Were the fans getting used to GenNext without me? Was GenNext better without me? It was a grim thought, and I chewed on it for a few minutes before eventually pulling myself together and reminding myself that even if Ethan was amassing all this love online, those fans didn’t have a clue what he was really like.

  Still, as the minutes ticked by, my anxiety mounted. There were just too many ways that the plan could go wrong, and I couldn’t stop each and every bad scenario running through my head, one after the other. It wasn’t just my career and reputation at stake either; it was my friendships with Ava, Sai, AJ and Austin. It was everything.

  3.30 p.m. I’d texted Ella twice but hadn’t heard back, and now I was worrying. Maybe the signal wasn’t good in the venue. Maybe they were doing a camera rehearsal. God, maybe Ethan had sussed out what was going on and had Ella tied up in a cupboard somewhere. No, now you’re being ridiculous, Penman.

  By four o’clock, I’d had enough of waiting around. ‘I think we should go; I need to get out of here, Lewis.’

  He was standing by the wardrobe. ‘Yeah, OK. I just need to decide what I’m going to wear to look convincing.’

  ‘Perhaps something smart, dude. The yellow vest isn’t going to cut it today,’ I said with a straight face. ‘Right, I’m going back to my room to grab my stuff. I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re dressed and ready, OK?’

  Lewis nodded solemnly. ‘Let’s do this.’

  THE VENUE

  We met Glen at 5 p.m. as planned. I could tell immediately that the last week had taken its toll on him: he looked thinner and greyer than when I’d last seen him, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Still, he gave both of us massive hugs when he saw us, and was clearly as hopeful – and as nervous – as we were about the prospect of taking Ethan down.

  When we reached the venue, the queue outside was a massive, excited snake of fans, all ready for the show. I hung back with a baseball cap pulled down over my face and Aviators on, just in case anyone from Owl TV was knocking around outside the venue, or in case any of the fans recognised me, which would be a disaster.

  Glen took out his phone. ‘Right, we’ll scoot past the queue and head round to the back of the building,’ he said. ‘Shania should be there by now; I’ll text her.’

  I looked at Lewis, who was pale. ‘Are you OK?’

  He swallowed hard. ‘This isn’t exactly what I’m used to in Cornwall, man. My life’s normally a bit more chilled than this, you know?’

  ‘You’ll be fine,’ I said, trying to be reassuring but not quite believing it myself. ‘I’ve got every faith in you, Lewis.’

  ‘Right!’ He took a deep breath, then stood up straight, squaring his shoulders. He looked pretty impressive, it must be said. The tattoos were hidden by a crisp long-sleeved shirt, the earrings had gone and he’d combed his hair into a neat and professional side parting. It was a million miles away from his usual scruffy surfer vibe.

  When we reached the allocated entrance at the back of the building, Shania, an athletic-looking young black woman with close-cropped hair, was waiting with the door slightly ajar.

  ‘Hey, Glen, how’s it going?’

  ‘OK so far, babes,’ Glen said. ‘Thanks for doing this, Shania. You’re an absolute doll.’

  ‘No sweat!’ She smiled at us, handing Lewis an AAA laminate. ‘This is for you. You need to go back around to the front entrance and get checked in. I’ve added your name to the press list, so if Ethan should happen to check on you, it’ll all look kosher. Mark Knowles, right?’

  ‘That’s it. Mark Knowles from Savage Online,’ Lewis confirmed.

  ‘OK,’ she said. ‘I’ll meet you in the foyer in fifteen minutes, Mr Knowles. There’s a little props room behind the stage; I’ll take you there, then go and fetch Ethan to meet you. I’ll make sure he knows that you’re a VIP.’

  ‘Great,’ I said. ‘Remember, they’re due to meet at six fifteen. No earlier, and no later; it has to be bang-on.’

  ‘OK, Jack.’ Shania saluted.

  Lewis nervously waved goodbye and headed off towards the building’s foyer, with his access-all-areas laminate swinging around his neck. His press pass – obtained after he called in a favour from one of his old hacker friends based in London – was clipped to his front pocket. We’d even created a fake Savage Online ID card for him to flash for extra authenticity, plus we’d set up a news portal featuring some impressive online interviews that ‘Mark Knowles’ had done in the past with the likes of Zayn Malik, Alexa Chung and Selena Gomez. A skilled hacker might recognise that it was fake, but I was counting on the fact that Ethan – despite his ability to meddle with other people’s computers and forge emails – would think it was legit.

  Once Glen and I were inside the venue, we followed Shania stealthily up some stairs and along a warren of corridors. She walked several steps in front of us the whole way, making sure the coast was clear. At every new corner and each new set of stairs, I pictured us running into one of the GenNext gang or Olympia or even Ethan himself, until my stomach had turned over so many times, I felt sick. Finally we reached the props room, which was very close to the stage. So close that we could literally be caught at any second.

  ‘Quick, get inside,’ Shania said, swinging the door open. ‘Olympia and the others are in the dressing rooms just over there, so whatever you do, don’t stick your head out of the door.’

  Inside, there was a shortish ginger-haired guy leaning against a desk. He grinned widely when he saw us.

  ‘All right, Glen?’ he said. ‘How’s it going?’

  ‘Been better, babes.’ Glen rolled his eyes. ‘Looking forward to getting all this espionage out of the way.’

  ‘Jack, this is Pete,’ Shania said, her voice low. ‘He’s going to wire you for sound.’

  ‘Good to meet you, mate,’ I said. Pete grinned again and shook my hand, then got busy pinning a tiny mic on my collar, while Shania kept watch to make sure nobody was heading our way.

  ‘Here’s your mic pack and an in-ear monitor,’ Pete said, handing me a small grey box. ‘I’ve put new batteries in, so it should all be cushty. I’m going out to the sound desk now, but you’ll be able to hear me and talk to me if you need to, OK?’

  ‘Got it,’ I said.

  Pete gave my mic a final tweak and then adjusted my shirt so that it was hidden. ‘Right. There’s a little cupboard over there. You can just about squeeze in, can’t you?’

  ‘Squeeze in?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s where you have to wait,’ he said. ‘If anyone comes near, keep quiet.’

  ‘So I’m hiding in a cupboard?’ I said.

  Pete smiled. ‘That’s right, I’m afraid. He pointed up to a corner of the room. ‘Ella has already been in and set up your camera, and we should be able to record Ethan’s voice on your mic as well as Lewis’s.’

  ‘And then what?’ Glen said. ‘What happens once we’ve got something on him on film? If we get something on film?’

  ‘Ella’s linked the live feed to her iPad,’ I said. ‘As soon as anything happens, she’ll make sure Olympia and the rest of the gang see it.’

  Everyone looked at me like it was the longest shot in the world, and it was. But if we could just surprise Ethan, put him on the spot and get him to reveal his true colours … maybe this would work.

  At that moment my phone pinged with a text from Ella.

  It was short and sweet, but at leas
t I knew she was OK, and that everything was set to go.

  ‘Look, I have to head out now, Jack,’ Shania said. ‘I’ve got to make sure your brother has been cleared by security and then bring him back here.’

  ‘I’ll be fine, Shania,’ I said. ‘Tell Ethan that you recognise Mark Knowles as the hotshot reporter who interviewed Selena Gomez recently, just for extra believability.’

  If that didn’t prick up Ethan’s ears and lure him into our trap, nothing would.

  Pete assured me that he’d be on the other end of a radio headset the whole time should I need him, and then he and Shania wished us good luck and headed out of the room. That left Glen and me.

  ‘Right, darling!’ he said. ‘I’d better make myself scarce. I’m going to hang out at the back of the auditorium and pray nobody from the TV company sees me. The very best of luck.’

  I shook his hand. ‘Thanks for all this, mate. I don’t know how you managed to get so much help on the inside, but I really appreciate it.’

  ‘Don’t mention it, babes,’ he smiled. ‘Shania is like family to me, and Pete and I have worked on tons of shows together; he’s a good guy. I knew they’d help. Anyway, it’s as much for me as it is for you, right?’

  ‘Of course it is,’ I said.

  ‘OK, now get in that bloody cupboard, put your phone on silent and keep your gob shut. And Jack? Please look after yourself. Remember that Ethan isn’t … he isn’t normal. You’re dealing with someone who’s prepared to do absolutely anything to get what he wants.’

  After Glen had delivered those unsettling words and left the props room, I climbed into the cupboard and pulled the door shut behind me, hearing only the sound of my own breathing and feeling the steady thump of my heart. I took out my copy of the show’s running order, shining my phone torch on it so that I could quickly scan through it a final time. Ella and Ethan were due on stage ten minutes before the live broadcast for a camera check, so everything had to be in place at least thirty minutes before that – timing was everything. I shoved the paper back in my pocket and leaned back as far as I could in the cramped space I was set to occupy for the next fifteen minutes or so. Now all I had to do was wait … and hope.

  THE SET-UP

  From my not-so-comfortable position in the cupboard, I could hear the audience packing into the auditorium, chanting and cheering for the start of the show. I looked at my phone – it was just forty-five minutes until the live broadcast, when Ethan and Ella were expected on stage to introduce the three acts that had made the final, before the audience voted for an ultimate champion at the climax of the show. It could all have been so exciting if everything hadn’t gone so horribly wrong, and that made me sad. I pictured Ava getting busy and bossing the camera crew around; Sai switching endlessly between screens and devices to make sure that GenNext got the maximum amount of social media while the broadcast was happening … and then I thought of Austin, and wondered how he was doing in the midst of all this and whether he’d got his confidence back.

  My thoughts were cut short by the creak of an opening door and the sound of Shania’s voice. ‘Here you go, guys; you shouldn’t be disturbed in here. Sorry it’s a bit small, but it’s close enough for me to come grab you if you’re suddenly needed on stage, Ethan.’

  ‘Thank you, Shania,’ I heard Lewis say.

  ‘Got it, Shania, thanks.’ That was Ethan’s voice.

  My heart was thundering away like crazy, the noise of the crowd in the background making me feel even more anxious.

  ‘So, Mr Knowles. It’s very good to meet you.’ That was Ethan again.

  ‘Please, call me Mark,’ Lewis said.

  ‘OK, Mark. I was very impressed with some of the interview you’ve done in the past, I have to say.’

  I heard the sound of chairs being pulled out from under the table. We were on; the interview was getting under way. Out in the auditorium, the crowd were getting more boisterous, so I pushed my ear to the door of the cupboard, straining to hear what Lewis and Ethan were saying, and waiting for just the right moment … and hoping Ella’s clandestine camera would pick up the conversation clearly enough over all the noise.

  ‘So where would you like to start, Mark?’ Ethan asked.

  ‘Actually, I’d be really interested to hear how you managed to land such a prestigious gig in the first place, Ethan – I’m hugely impressed,’ Lewis said, and I found myself grinning at just how convincing a journalist he sounded. ‘I mean, you must be highly thought of by the heads of the production company because GenNext was Jack Penman’s thing, right?’

  ‘It was, yes, but—’

  ‘And he’s a tough act to follow, wouldn’t you say?’ Lewis said, goading him.

  ‘You think so, do you?’ Ethan’s voice sounded thin and clipped.

  ‘Well, everyone loves the guy.’

  ‘Loved,’ Ethan snapped. ‘Past tense, Mark.’

  ‘So what on earth happened?’ Lewis said. ‘Was there a clash of personalities between the two of you? Infighting? Why has Jack Penman decided to step down when everything was going so well?’

  ‘He didn’t have a choice,’ Ethan cut in vehemently, and then I heard a chair scrape against the floor. ‘Look, Mark, I didn’t come here to talk about Jack Penman. This isn’t the interview we agreed to at all, so I suggest we leave it there …’

  ‘Just one more thing,’ I heard Lewis say. ‘What do you have to say about this collection of files? I’d venture that they show an extraordinary … no, an alarming interest in GenNext over the last year. Wouldn’t you agree?’

  There was silence, during which I knew Lewis was scrolling through screenshots of the incriminating GenNext files on Ethan’s hard drive. Then:

  ‘What the hell?!’ Ethan snapped. ‘What is this? I’ve never seen those before in my life.’

  ‘I’m not really buying that, Ethan. They were found on your computer. Pretty incriminating, wouldn’t you say?’

  ‘Listen, I don’t know what you’re playing at,’ Ethan said viciously, ‘but it will take me less than two minutes to have you arrested and thrown out of here. Who the hell are you; are you even a journalist?’

  ‘Well, I’m not a reporter from Savage Online, if that’s what you mean,’ Lewis said. That was my cue to exit my hiding place. Heart hammering away at a million miles an hour, I burst out of the cupboard.

  ‘Hey, Ethan. How’s it going?’

  Ethan’s eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw me, and he took a step back, his gaze flicking between Lewis and me. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’

  I stepped forward, the mere sight of him igniting a ball of fury inside me, but I knew I had to stay calm for this to work. It was vital I didn’t lose it. ‘No joke, Ethan. I’m glad you’re already acquainted with Lewis here; he’s my older brother, by the way.’

  ‘Your brother?’ Ethan’s expression was slowly changing from irritation to cold fury.

  ‘That’s right,’ I said, advancing on him. ‘And it’s time for some home truths. You’re a liar, Ethan. I know you got into my computer, and that’s how you framed Glen and me and how you found out about Austin’s depression. I know everything, and this stops now.’

  Ethan’s mouth curled into a mocking smile. ‘Oh wow! You really are deluded, aren’t you? How did you even get in here? Your tiny brain has grasped the important fact that you could be arrested for even showing up, hasn’t it, Jack?’ He shook his head, and laughed. ‘Just wait until I let Olympia know that you’ve sneaked in. You won’t be allowed within a ten-mile radius of GenNext again, ever. You’re finished.’

  He turned to go, grabbing the door handle. But as per the plan, it had been locked from the outside.

  ‘OK, enough! Let me out of here right now,’ he said, turning to face us, his voice low and dangerous. ‘Don’t make this any worse for yourselves than it already is.’

  ‘Didn’t you hear me, Ethan?’ I said, ignoring him. ‘We know. We know all about you. We’ve seen your files. I even know that you hired
those two guys to beat me up at the festival. And I know what you did to Ella, too. You’re the one who’s finished, mate.’

  Ethan recovered his arrogant grin, but by now he was fraying around the edges; struggling to keep his cool.

  ‘Ella? You don’t know what you’re talking about. You must be having a breakdown, Jack, just like your mate Austin. And do you know what? Whatever you think you’ve seen online, you found it illegally – and given that you already stand accused of a major fraud, that isn’t going to look too good. There’s absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing on my part. So I followed GenNext. So I had ambition. That’s not a crime. Unlike what you did, trying to fool the British public.’

  I looked over at Lewis, who shook his head slightly, looking worried. This wasn’t quite going the way we’d planned. Ethan was just dismissing everything I threw at him, denying it all. We needed something concrete, some real evidence.

  ‘But that’s not the case, is it?’ I said. ‘I’m not the dirty cheat here, am I, Ethan?’

  Ethan’s neck had turned red, his eyes narrowed. ‘The evidence against you is irrefutable. You’re a spoilt little boy throwing your toys out of the pram because you happened to get caught out.’ A manic light flashed in his eyes. ‘You really can’t handle the fact that GenNext is so much better without you in it, can you? That the fans love me more, that your friends – and your girlfriend – are much happier with me around. Well, get used to it, Jack.’

  ‘You’re deluded,’ I said. ‘Do you really think the others are going to stick with you when they hear what I’ve got to say?’

  Ethan shrugged. ‘They aren’t going to care. Olympia wants me at the helm when Emerge transfers to America, and the rest of GenNext think the sun shines out of my backside. As for Ella, she’ll get over this week’s silly tantrum; she’s far too ambitious to throw all this away. The thing is, Ella understands what you’re too stupid to see: that she and I are GenNext. Face it, you were only ever a pointless accessory.’ He turned towards the door again. ‘Now, I’m really sorry, but I’ve got a show to do. It was lovely to meet you’ – he sneered at Lewis – ‘but all this is getting boring. Time to open this door, and for the two of you to be escorted off the premises by security.’