Slaying demons, p.28
Slaying Demons, page 28
part #2 of Damsel Series
That got another smile.
“We’ll test you soon. Now, you’re ready to camp out for a few days? That sounds... Fun. Good for you, at least. You’re a bit soft, being small and a girl, like you are.”
Max snorted at the larger guy.
“Soft? I thought that was the case, at first, until I met her. Sure, I’ve worked with physically stronger people, but that doesn’t make her soft. She can do this. Plus, we have to have cameras right there and will be about three hundred feet away, if there’s an emergency. Closer than that at times, since I hear that we have a real team in to investigate that thing we saw, last week? We need to not have you so far away that we can’t keep an eye on you.”
From behind her, a voice came. It was Connie, who sounded oddly forceful. Probably because Carl was there and she didn’t know him.
“We also want to get her in on the investigation. We need to mainly focus on Kate, of course, but you saw that thing and got video of it, so cutting you out for a camping stunt isn’t going to work, for the people at the top. We’ll do both, or at least make it look like that. Let me get... Really, we need to get a meeting going on, showing the experts we have in, and then arranging the crews we have being set up. You met Mr. Linus already, Hannah?”
The director, helpfully, pointed at Carl. Linus wasn’t his real last name, but she was able to nod.
“Sure. I... Know most of the people who came in, since I kind of pulled some strings, behind the scenes. They have the needed skills, for real.”
She got a hard look from the woman, who was a bit plain through the face, without being ugly at all. Older, and wearing makeup, but dressed down, since they were out in the woods, for the week.
Scowling, she closed one eye.
“I thought that Kate pushed for them to come out...”
Hannah nodded.
“Right. Who else can I get with for things like that? She’s my best friend. That isn’t just an on-screen thing, you know that, right?” It made perfect sense to her, even if it wasn’t what had happened. “I’m paying them, so it won’t cost the studio much. Well, unless you want to have them in the show, then you get to do that. I mean, I can pay for my gun coach and all that.” She waved at Carl then, to show who she meant. It wasn’t an issue to her.
The director simply nodded, acting as if Hannah had done something horrible. Even though it wasn’t that odd for the talent to have a personal assistant or even three or four. They were normally friends of the person, too, not real people simply hired to do a job. This, having her pals in, wouldn’t be any different than that. Except that, when the show had her sleeping in a hut in the woods, that she was forced to make with only her bare hands, she strongly doubted that any of her people were going to throw a fit on her behalf.
Kate might, but the rest would probably just assume it was a good experience for her. Being soft, like she was. She wanted to feel pissy about that comment, even if it had come from Carl, but the truth was that she probably did seem that way to the others she knew. They all had powers and were actually tough. She... Well, she was willing to try and defend herself. It wasn’t the same thing, really.
Not that she’d done too poorly that way, when it had been her turn to have magical powers. Which, she had to admit, seemed even further away from her now than it had even an hour before. Like a dream, only not, in some ineffable fashion. A thing hazily recalled, but in calm moments it was powerfully there, inside of her.
Sounding ready to lay down the law, Connie glared, if only at Hannah.
“We kept the shoot small on purpose, this time. How are the others going to react when you get to have personal care and they’re sleeping in a camper?”
It was a good thought, and Hannah had two ways to deal with the issue. The first, which would work, was to throw a fit. It was the kind of thing people expected of her, being raised with money. Even her slightly spoiled friends didn’t really go to that kind of thing first, most of the time.
The other was to be honest. At least a bit. Sighing, she tried that one, since she really could bring out the bratty princess routine later, if it was needed. She could probably convince the others to back her up on it, too. Lara would, for certain and Terry was generally good about that kind of thing, being willing to help a friend out by bitching or moaning at the right time.
Kate couldn’t do much that way, given her persona on the show, but what she could do, not getting in the way, was enough.
Instead, she nodded a few times and looked away, then whispered.
“Connie... They aren’t just people I know. They’re professionals when it comes to handling certain kinds of threats. Spooky things? Physical stuff as well. After last week, I decided we needed a bit more that way, but didn’t want to freak everyone else out. Kate knows, and now you and Max. Should we just tell everyone else?”
That last bit was the key to her plan. If she could get Connie in with her on keeping it secret, then it would, almost instantly, be accepted by the other woman. Plus, it was true and a good idea. She waited, wondering which way the forty-odd year-old woman would jump.
She sized up Carl then, looking up a lot, and noticed his slightly dark and dead seeming eyes.
The woman didn’t seem to buy it.
“One of them is trans. That seems off, for a security team, doesn’t it?”
She shrugged and then rolled her eyes.
“No? Debbie used to be in the military and is an expert at hand to hand, as well as firearms. Also, not too good to help me make breakfast, which is probably going to be more important out here, I bet.”
She seemed to be winning the woman over when Tyler and Veronica both walked into the clearing, along with Kate and Sasha. A person that Hannah had never seen in person without a mask on before. It was incredibly clear that she was Guardia, though. On the nice side, even though she was still hot, she looked a bit less special when she just had a normal face.
The harder sell was going to be the people behind her. One of whom was checking out the woman’s ass way too closely not to be noticed in a place with cameras around.
When she pointed, the finger went, not to Alistair, or even Nate, but to Sasha, then Veronica.
“And these are part of your special protection unit, as well?”
Hannah grinned and then let it become sly.
“Not Veronica. She needs to be on screen, if we can make it happen? Doug, the sound guy? He’s dating her, so got her onto the show. We want to actually put that out there. His last girlfriend broke up with him for not helping her career out enough. So I asked my girlfriend to come and make sure that bitch learns not to screw with our people. Sasha is Lara’s new assistant. Yes, she’s security, too. Nate is my brother, but, well we talked about that? He has super powers? Basically like that Solar Storm guy, but not as powerful. What was your super hero name going to be again, Nate? The Sparkler? The Human Flashlight?” She managed to sound a little mean, as if she were jealous of him for having powers.
She wasn’t, really. That hadn’t worked out too well for him, so far. For either of them, but he’d gotten the worst of it, being kept hostage for years at the hands of a madman who wanted to use him as a weapon.
Instead, picking up on her ploy, a thing they hadn’t spoken of at all, a lot faster than she would have suspected possible, her brother winked.
“Sun Ray? I don’t really have anything good, yet. Then, I’m not doing that hero stuff, so I don’t really need to. Nate de Peyser.” He moved in and shook with the woman, who actually looked him up and down, as if he might be good to eat.
“Oh? Can we get a show, later? For the camera?”
Straight faced, he shook his head.
“I don’t strip anymore. Sorry. Can’t help you there. Something about ruining the family name?”
That seemed to work for her, well enough. At least as a joke.
So she fixed her gaze on Al, who smiled back, charmingly. A bit too much so.
“Alistair Marks. Intern, after a fashion? My parents sent me to stay with Hannah and Nate for a few weeks, while they’re on vacation. This came up and everyone was gone, so being responsible adults, they decided to bring me along. I know it’s an inconvenience. Sorry about that. I can... Get wood and help with the cooking?” He tried to look like he meant it, which was good, since Hannah was going to hold him to his word that way.
Funnily enough, Connie just sighed, and nodded.
“Well, that... Actually does make sense. Things do come up. We don’t even have any producers out here, other than Kate, so they probably won’t try to get you on the casting couch. Not until later, of course. I don’t... I’d tell you to just stay out of the way, but this is turning into a cluster of major proportions. I... Right now, will you work with Darnel, Alistair? He’s on the pickup cam. You can run and get battery packs and cords, if we need them? Do a good job and we’ll give you a credit as a junior production assistant.”
Instead of acting out of place, the boy simply smiled. Again, it was too charming if he didn’t want to end up with a forty-year-old woman in his bed. Which would be bad, since Lewis was sleeping with her. That kind of drama wasn’t a thing they needed, given everything that was going on there.
He turned and looked around, so Hannah pointed at the guy in the tight pink shirt.
“This is Darnel. He, him pronouns. Darnel, this is Al. The same that way, pronoun wise. He’s also on cooking, so keep that in mind. He can’t work a camera during the meal prep. We can make him do that while we eat, as his stomach growls in pain, though, so that will be fun.” She was teasing on that part, which got her laughed at by the boy.
“As if I don’t know how to sneak food while I’m preparing it for others? I can even do that and keep my hands washed. Even out here. Now, Darnel... What’s the plan?”
The second in command looked up at Al and rubbed at his short hair. Flirting a bit. It would have been even if he’d been a girl, or a biological guy. It was cute, but being they were on the set, as it was, it was also ignored. They were working together, after all.
“This way. Let’s grab some cameras and battery packs. We have a vest for that, so you can wear it around for us. I’ll show you what to do, cam wise. It’s a bit more involved than just pointing it at a scene, but nothing you can’t pick up, if you pay attention.”
They walked away, as several other people walked into the clearing. It wasn’t everyone, by any means. They picked up Pleny, Debbie and Lashondra, as well as Terry and Lara. John came from the other direction, already frowning about something. Which was about what he did, half the time, when he wasn’t being just a bit smarmy seeming.
Hannah pointed, rudely, at the important two there.
“John Fawks and Lashondra. Just the one name for her, unless you have something else you want used, Lash?”
That got a head shake at least and a murmured answer.
“That sounds fine.”
So she nodded, looking over at Kate with a wink and a smile.
“These two are experts in the supernatural. The real kind, not just television personalities. Debbie is a friend of mine, which is how I met these others. She’s married to Lash, so you know, keep that in mind if you’re ever trying to get one of them into bed.” She wasn’t being snarky or mean about that, even though she didn’t doubt that it would come across that way. Lewis and Eric had both walked up with cameras, meaning that the show was starting, even if most of the people there weren’t going to be in the thing, properly speaking. Doug was hanging back with a parabolic reflector mic. That meant she introduced Veronica next.
“Veronica Pond. I... She’s in the show now, since Doug got her a part. Nothing too big. She’s going to be driving Terry and Lara around, since she had a license for that. Doug’s new girlfriend? We should talk about her a bit cattily, later. I mean, really, can you believe that her boyfriend has that kind of power, just putting her in the show like this?” She grinned, but Veronica simply waved.
Her voice was accented, but very cute, at the same time.
“Hello, everyone!”
Tiffany and Connie both shot her a dirty look, which was mainly about being too pretty. Terry kind of did that, which was understandable. After all, if Hannah wasn’t going to be around, with no makeup on, that left Terry as the ugly girl in the group. That it wasn’t true and her friend was a solid eight wouldn’t really matter. On the show it would though, since Hannah would, probably, be in it, in enough places that her lack of makeup and the mild rash she was doubtless going to get would indeed show everyone else in a much better light that way.
She was good with that. There had been a time, even a year before, when that wouldn’t have really been the case, but now it made a certain amount of sense to her. Not that she didn’t like to look pretty, too. It was just that her role there, in the show, for the season, was about being the butt of the joke and the one beaten up by nature, not the eye candy.
She waved at the other people then.
“Carl, you can help Max out? He won’t really need it, but you know, I don’t want him to feel like I wasn’t thinking about him. Byron... Honestly, you should get with Doug and see what he needs? He has a degree in virology. A Masters?” That got the sound man to nod, at least, his headphones bobbing a bit. “Byron does some things that might relate, a little. Sasha is your assistant for the week, Lara. Terry... You know my brother, Nate?”
She nodded, blinked and then actually ran forward, no doubt ruining the shot.
“Nate? I haven’t seen you in years!” She hugged him and it seemed genuine enough, if not a thing that Hannah would have expected. They’d met, once or twice, but as far as she knew, Nate hadn’t hit that at all. Then, it was just possible that there was more of a connection that way than she thought.
Her brother probably wouldn’t have bragged to her about getting her friend into bed and her pal might just have not mentioned that kind of thing, since it was a good way to screw up a friendship. After all, Terry had been in bed with her and sharing with her brother would be gross.
Nate seemed a bit baffled, but hid that look almost instantly and accepted his hug.
“Terry! It’s been forever, practically.”
That got a nod, from the dark-haired girl, who looked up at him, almost lovingly.
Then she leaned in, kissed him on the cheek and whispered something very gently. Nate smiled back and nodded.
“I’m not seeing anyone right now, no...”
Hannah let that go, not considering it for the moment. Petty drama was what that kind of show was about, but she wasn’t doing that one, at the moment. Besides, her brother had been through a mountain of shit. If he wanted a date with her friend and Terry was into that, then Hannah wasn’t going to screw things up for him by being a bitch.
That decided, she glanced around, and didn’t see the rest of the crew or Al.
“Alistair is working with Darnel. Intern. Is that everyone?” She noticed that Kate moved closer to her, but her face was fresh seeming and happy looking enough.
“Thank you all for coming. I asked for you all, because...”
Hannah nodded and spoke into the pause.
“Because of the weird things we had going on last week? Can you go over all of that for us, Kate?” It was her show, after all, and while Hannah was laying claim to the people, she needed to make sure her friend was the one on screen, most of the time. It would come out that way, in post-production, but it really was the point of Hannah being there. To make Kate look good. That and to push some food banks and make certain that the people actually paying for it got some good public relations.
A thing that she hadn’t really done that much of yet. A bit, but more was going to have to be shoehorned in, if possible. At least enough to let the people in the studio have a choice as to what to use that way.
Connie, standing, waved at Max, which had the camera and mic turned in his direction.
“Right. This week we have a graduation exercise for Kate and Hannah. You each get to survive on your own, for three days. That will start as soon as we get you to the locations we have picked out. Clearly, you’ll need to carry cameras with you this time. Any questions?”
Kate raised her hand, and Max ignored her. With a grin.
“Good! No questions, as I expected. Hannah, a word?”
She moved over, as did Kate, who looked suspicious. Max didn’t send her away.
“Kate gets to have a knife, basic kit and food. Hannah, you can carry yours, but I want to see what you can do without using a blade. Nothing but the clothing on your back. At least that you use. Clearly, stay armed.”
On camera or not, Carl moved in and sneered. He was good at that kind of thing, after all.
“H... I agree. Carry constantly, and stay ready, but don’t use a blade or any tools you don’t make for yourself for this exercise. Three days without food won’t kill you. There are insects to eat and all that, if nothing else, right? Did you cover all that yet?”
Hannah didn’t love the sound of it, but wasn’t going to whine and cry, either. Even if she felt a bit sick, she nodded.
“A bit. Not that I can identify everything edible out here.”
Carl moved back, seeming fine with that idea. Max laughed and patted her on the shoulder.
“You can do this. You have what you need.”
Then the man waved with both hands, which was a bit overdone. Too big of a movement for a person who wasn’t acting.
“Now, this way. Katie, my girl, grab your gear. Hannah... You have your rules for this. Let’s hike!”
They did that then, actually traveling about ten miles, with a cam in hand, for at least part of it. They stopped, to get shots of them walking down the trail, which meant hiking forward, then setting the camera on a tripod and coming back, as if for the first time.
Finally, having made a complete circle, they were in a new meadow, with knee-high yellow grass and a stream not too far away. Kate was told to set up on the far side, with the campground just out of view, to make it seem like she was off in the wilds.
Hannah, for her part, was a whole hundred and fifty feet away from her. Which was reassuring, after a fashion. She had people, right there, to catch her if she fell too hard. The same was true if demons came after her, as well.
