9
Three hours so far without incident, and the tension coursing through her body was finally starting to wane.
After makeup and costume did their thing for the next scene, DJ stretched and jumped from foot to foot, trying to keep her muscles limber. They were much stiffer than she’d like, but they’d gone through the choreography several times in the practice run that morning.
Rod was her main opponent in this scene, and since this was a full-face cover, she’d be doing the entire thing on her own without cut scene close-ups to Rebecca. Some of the shots they did the day before would have to be redone to align with Rebecca’s swap out, but at least the main run was perfect.
She inhaled slowly, uncomfortable with the lack of ventilation and limited peripheral vision the modded helmet gave her.
“Cut.” The call jerked her back from striking Rod and they both turned toward the voice. “DJ, get your forearm higher, I need to see more of an impact when he lands a hit.” The fire pots around them flared once and then died down. “Let’s take it again from the top.”
“Got it.” She brought her arm up in the practice move and noticed Rod was less energetic than normal. “Everything okay, man?” She practiced her move, again, and Rod nodded. He shook his head a bit, and she realized he was paler than normal.
“Seriously, Rod. Are you okay?” She put her hand on his arm and he jumped up on the balls of his feet.
“Yeah, right as rain sweet cheeks. Let’s do this.”
“Sweet cheeks? Really?”
He chuckled and moved to position. She readied herself. When they called action, she dove into the choreographed fight scene. Rod gained momentum with each take, and they finally nailed a perfect one after the fourth attempt.
“Cut.”
They stopped, and costumes and makeup rushed forward as they moved to the next shot location. It was the final fight scene with Rod, and they needed to make it a good one. Her lack of sleep and Rod’s distractions were making this into a mess. While the camera crew set up, her and Rod sat on some set pieces while costumes and makeup did a few touchups. She took off her helmet, unzipped her jacket, and let the cool air hit her flushed skin. If they did another movie, she’d ask for vents in the gear to help her body breathe.
Michael came over with the shot list in hand. “Okay, this next scene is the big one. Do you need to rehearse it or are you good to go?”
She shook her head and took the water offered to her by the makeup gal. A quick sniff told her it was safe. She handed it over to Rod and he grinned at her gratefully. “We’re solid on the blocking.” This scene had most of her main team in it. They would be in an all-out brawl and Rod would end up getting knocked back into the fire while the main bad guy stepped up to take her on. There were fifteen cuts and Rod would be dragged back above the flames at least four times. Her goal was to make one take for each shot, but that wasn’t in her direct control.
The harness was brought over, and she started rigging Rodriguez up.
“I didn’t know you liked them so clean cut.”
She tightened the straps and tried to ignore the urge to look toward the wings where he stood with his crew waiting. This time, he was suited up in his fireman uniform. Pants, suspenders, arms crossed, looking forbidden. This was why she refused to date. He was in her head when she should be focused on Rod’s safety. “You want to tell me what’s got you distracted today?”
“Something weird is going on with this movie.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you know how many people have ended up in the hospital or having to quit? It’s weird. And after Mack’s accident yesterday…” his voice trailed off.
DJ scrubbed a hand over her face and stared deep into his eyes. “What happened to Mack won’t happen to you. Whatever it is that you were going to say, stuff it back in that superstitious box you bring out and show off when you’re having a bad day. There’s no curse on the set. We’re going to be fine.”
She checked his harness thoroughly, but could tell Rod wasn’t convinced. Once he got on his tangent, nothing would convince him otherwise. She’d have to hope he stubbed his toe or something equally ridiculous, so he could ensure the pain and recovery without constantly looking over his shoulder. Mack would know what to do with him.
“How is it?”
“Good to go, Hot Rod, now get ready to go flying.”
His grin wasn’t as bright as usual, but there was some life left in him. Costumes came forward and helped her put her gear in order. Makeup did a few touchups on her wounds and dirt patches. She breathed through the helmet once more, ready to get this over with.
She sent a thumbs up to the AD when he checked her position.
“Scene Forty-nine, Take one. Action!”
She dropped immediately into the zone, her body moved like a well-oiled machine. Rod hit all his cues and they fought through the scene with only a tiny bit of flare to their moves. His expression changed to the evil one that often got him hired to play bad guys.
“Come at me, princess. I’ll kill you where you stand.”
His line was slightly ad-libbed, but she kept her body in tune. Her senses expanded, and he threw her into the fire. Two explosions hit, one on either side. Pain exploded across her shoulder and back, and she forced her body forward into a roll that came up into a half crouch.
“Not if I kill you first,” the AD read the line from the sidelines and she drew her weapon from the holster on her side to point at Rod.
He stepped through the fire, his eyes glowing bright and dangerous, and she swore he looked just like a demon at that moment.
“Cut!” the AD shouted and she stayed there for a moment.
“That’s perfect. Don’t move, DJ. We’re going to set up camera four. Standby.”
Her back and shoulder throbbed in agony and she wondered if anyone noticed she’d been hit. A glance to the side saw Ren grab one of the pyro guys by the collar. Yeah, he caught the secondary explosions. The director had his forefinger pressing into his lip, a tick that told her he probably noticed as well. Rod’s fists were pumping beside him, but his eyes were under control. Was he the one trying to hurt her, was it another accident, or was he trying to help her? She fought off a round of dizziness.
They were finally in place and the throbbing in her back beat in time with her pulse. After all this shit, she’d be damned if she let this shot go to waste.
“Okay, you bring the gun up, Mike says the line, and then you fire. Rod flies back from the impact and hits the ground. Got it?”
She nodded, thankful the grimace of pain on her face couldn’t be seen.
“Okay, everyone, quiet on set. Scene fifty, take one. Action!”
She pulled up the pistol and aimed it at Rod’s head. It hurt to hold it up and she felt something liquid slide down her arm. Fuck if she wasn’t bleeding. Rod’s smile was just as eerie as before, but the eyes were normal.
“Not if I kill you first,” the AD yelled.
She tilted her head slightly and pulled the trigger. The weapon fired and hit him in the chest. He was hauled back immediately and hit the ground like they’d planned in rehearsal.
“Cut! That was perfect.”
She breathed again and slowly put the weapon back in its holster. Rod got up and gave her a thumbs up. He was safe, that was good. She gave him the sign that she needed medical. It wasn’t an emergency, but she knew he’d have them waiting for her to make it to their tent. She yanked her helmet off, stood up, and walked to a random box in the set to plop down.
Costumes rushed forward, and she waved them off, not wanting to explain any of the damage that explosion caused. She didn’t feel burns, only tiny spots of pain.
“Break for lunch. Be back in two hours,” Michael called out. The set emptied quickly, but DJ was still being stripped of her costume. After lunch, they’d move to a new location to shoot her final battle with the bad guy. She glanced up and saw Michael approaching while Ren spoke quietly to the director. He nodded and then walked away. The set was suddenly a ghost town.
“That was one helluva recovery, DJ. When you came up from that roll, your jacket was smoking. It looked amazing on screen. Here’s some water.” Michael handed her an open bottle of a too-expensive brand of water and licked his lips. She set her helmet to the side and watched Ren approaching behind him with two very intimidating men in charcoal gray suits.
The look on Ren’s face told her everything she needed to know.
Her heart pounded in her chest and her senses expanded in a sudden rush that left her dizzy.
“We must be living the high life if we can afford this.” She could smell it, then. The same stench as the stuff embedded in Mack, the filter. It was in the water. It took everything she had not to crush the bottle in her hand.
“It’s from my private stash. Don’t tell anyone.” Michael grinned at her. He was the assistant director, the one with the access, the accepted one among them. Why would he do this?
She forced the smile on her face as she put the bottle of water to her lips. Ren reached them, and she handed it over instead of taking a drink. “He said he got it from his private stash.”
The expression on Michael’s face changed immediately, and Ren was between them before the AD could strike her. It took only a second to realize both men had claws and fangs. Ren’s body rumbled with a growl as he pushed back against her, protecting her with his body. She put her hand on his lower back and walked back, letting him know she was out of harm’s way.
Michael launched at her and she yelled in shock, ready to throw him if he landed. The poor bastard never made it that far. Ren grabbed him by the throat and something more beast than man tore out of his throat in a roar.
Her heart slammed in her chest as she watched Michael’s face turn more wolf than human, a mix of sharp teeth and human, something monstrous. The scent coming off him was panic, rage, and something else that made her stomach turn. Hatred poured from him in waves as he glared at the man who’d just saved her life.
Ren slammed him down on the ground and Michael fought like a wild thing, screaming and clawing at Ren. The other two men stepped in and subdued the man with a choke hold that knocked the asshole out. He returned to human form and dropped to the ground. They nodded at Ren and took him off.
Ren still blocked her as he backed toward her. Blood slid from the wounds on his arms and she reached for him.
“What the hell were you thinking, jumping between us like that?”
His half laugh echoed the surprise crossing his expression. “Oh, did you want to handle the man in the middle of his first shapeshift? They want to eat anything with a pulse. If they survive, that is.”
“Sounds horrible.”
“It can be. I’ve helped a lot of people through them. More than I want to remember.”
She didn’t have to ask him if he’d lost any. The weight in his heart was almost palpable. “Let’s go to the first aid tent and get those scratches looked at.”
“Not until they look at you, first.”
“What do you mean?”
He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. The fear she saw there took her breath away. “Do you know how hard it was to keep myself from running into that fire after you got hit with the explosion?”
“We knew the move to each new scene was the only time he could use the silver nitrate mixture. You said that yourself when you came up with this plan.”
“Yeah, well, it was a stupid plan.” He kissed her gently, but she could feel the heat lurking just beneath the surface.
“Definitely a stupid plan.” She kissed him back.
“Next time, you make the plan and I’ll follow it.”
She smiled and pressed her forehead against his. “I like that.”
“Me following your plan?”
“No, the fact that there will be a next time.”
Ren put his arm around her and they both winced at the pain. Neither one of them wanted to break the embrace, as they made their way from the set to the medical tent. “Well, hopefully there won’t be murders, poisoning, or anything else that puts us in danger.”
She chuckled. “That’s a terrible hope. Danger is my job, fireman.”
“Controlled danger, then, is fine. Just no psychos taking down furry people.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” She reached the tent and found the director and Rod both pacing the floor.
Ren moved away reluctantly, and things got really busy. At some point, Ren stole her phone and put his number in it. Then she got a text with an invite to coffee.
She countered back that it was her turn to invite him.
When? And where?
I know the perfect place. But you’re probably not going to like it.
She smiled. Ren was more than she’d ever hoped to find in this insane world of explosions and death-defying stunts.
He was quick to send another text. No coffee until you invite me. How about dinner at my place? I’m a mean cook, but I need a couple of extra hands since I’m injured.
You’re on, fireman. Send me the info and I’ll be there.