Everything about her blurred in colors of gray and black, and she watched
with curiosity as the ceiling was pulled farther and farther away. No cry
escaped her lips. Only the sound of air whooshing past her was present,
and she closed her eyes while she welcomed the peace that this freefall
granted her.
Something heavy. Something seemed to grab her. There was a snap, and Sonya
opened her eyes to see Johnny looking at her. She was thrust upward, her
head whipped back, and then she was swaying. The wall of the platform came
closer. There was a burst of white pain that burned in her skull. Things
began to blacken at the corner of her eyes.
"I've got her! Sonya. Shit. Pull me up!" She felt a pain around her
waist. too tight. Somewhere in the distance, people were yelling.
"John-"
"Sonya, wake up. Come on, wake up, I need you to hold onto me." 'Fight
back.' Shaking away her dizziness, Sonya moved her arms and laced them
around Johnny's neck. Her breathing became easier as his grip loosened
around her ribs
"What are you now, Superman?" Johnny chuckled.
"Safety line. All good stunt men keep one with them."
"So why didn't I get one?" Sonya groaned as they were jerked up another
foot and her stomach just wasn't appreciating it.
"I think everyone was so impressed by your good looks, they forgot to
remind you." Sonya smiled as her vision began to blur again. She was
feeling lightheaded, and her thoughts became muddled.
"Is that why you forgot, too?"
"Johnny! Is Maeve all right?!" Horner shouted from above.
"She's conscious, but she's got a pretty bad head wound!"
"Ok, we got a medic waiting!" Sonya began to giggle.
"Oooo, a medic. That sounds nice." Johnny stared at her like she'd lost
her mind.
"Sonya? You ok there?" Her head began to fall back as her eyes slid shut.
Johnny could fell her arms become loose, and he shook her a bit. "Sonya.
Sonya!" Her head tilted to the side, and she peeked at him through one
partly open eye.
"Make sure to call me Maeve when we get up there," she whispered, pretty
close to sounding drunk. "If you blow my cover, I'll kick your ass."
"Your threat has been noted, now stay awake." She giggled and put her head
on his shoulder.
"Johnny, my head really hurts." Then they were at the top. Four people
helped Sonya onto the floor of the scaffolding while a medical examiner
checked for broken bones and bandaged her head where she struck the wall.
Johnny watched a foot away.
"David, Josh! What the fuck was that about?! I hired you to make sure
these sets are safe!! My leads were almost killed!! What the hell
happened?!" Horner was screaming at the top of his lungs at the two men
who cowered before him.
"We checked the cables, Mr. Horner. We checked everything, we swear!
Everything was in place, we have no idea what caused the car to fall!"
Johnny noted the argument and looked up to the top of the shaft. Above
him, he could see the pulleys that held the wires. A few cords hung limply
and swung a bit. They were frayed at the ends, not severed cleanly as he
expected. Slowly, after checking his safety line, he began to climb up the
side of the shaft. Horner noticed and nearly had a coronary.
"CAGE! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW BEFORE YOU KILL YOURSELF!" Johnny kept
climbing.
"Quit screaming like that before you give yourself a heart attack! Relax,
I know what I'm doing." Johnny reached the top and looked over to the
pulleys. He pulled at the cord and it slid off easily.
"Aw, shit." The ends were not only frayed, but they were blackened, like
they were burnt. Sabotage. Johnny's eyes shifted to Sonya who was slowly
climbing down the platform. "She's gonna be thrilled to hear about this,"
he muttered sarcastically.
Johnny knocked on the door, fixed his sunglasses, and fingered the cord
hanging from his hand.
"Who is it?" He grinned.
"Superman." A moment passed before Johnny heard a click and the trailer
door opened part way. Sonya's blonde and bandaged head peeked out, looked
around, and moved so he could enter.
"I told you, I'm fine. I don't need a bodyguard!" Johnny paused as he
entered and shook his head.
"I didn't say you did! Damn, I'm not even in the door and I'm getting
yelled at." Sonya glared at him as he shut the door.
"Not you," she replied, her voice tinting on annoyance. She pointed to the
phone at her ear. "Jaxx, there was an accident. I'm perfectly fine, and I
doubt it'll happen again." Johnny waved at her and pointed to the frayed
cable wire he was holding.
"Don't be so sure." Sonya stared for a moment then reached for the cord.
"Jaxx, I'll call you back." She hung up and looked at the cable. "Oh,
terrific." She delicately fingered the ends. "Blow torch. So it wasn't
an accident." She sighed and sat down on the edge of her small table.
"Shit. Someone's onto me." Her eyes pierced his, and he actually resisted
the urge to shudder.
"What?" She didn't answer. "What?! Quit looking at me like that, all
right! It's your first fucking day, for cryin' out loud, who could I have
possibly told so quickly who you actually were and why you were here? And
why would I do that anyway? I'm part of the good guys, or did your bump on
the head cause you to forget that I was the one who saved your white ass
back there?" Sonya rolled her eyes and pressed her fingers into her
temples.
"Shit, I'm sorry. Goddamn, anything for an excuse." Johnny's shoulders
drooped slightly.
"Ah, forget it. I can understand why you'd be so upset-" A rough pounding
interrupted him.
"Knock, knock! Mind if I barge in?" Balford came strolling through the
door. Sonya groaned inwardly at his quick but undeniably lustful smile
with which he greeted her.
"Oh, hey Rick. Come on in," Johnny spoke as he waved his arm at a seat.
"Thanks. How ya doing there, Maeve? That's a pretty rough fall you took
back there."
"Uh, fine, thanks. I'll be all right."
"Yeah, Maeve here seems to be tough as an ox," Johnny chuckled as he put in
his own two cents; Sonya glared.
"Well great! Glad you'll be all right. Johnny, guess what I just heard?"
Sonya was a bit put off by his abruptness at dismissing her, especially
after his rapid attention when they first met. Johnny, too, noticed this.
"Uh-"
"The deal went through! Wendel and Martin Docking Arena is now under
Balford Shipping Incorporated." Johnny laughed and patted him on the back
before shaking his hand.
"All right, Rick! Congratulations! How long had that deal been giving you
a problem?" Rick laughed.
"Back since Sudden Death 2 was in the making. Man, I'm almost there,
buddy!" Sonya watched curiously as the two chatted, the wheels in her head
already turning at the light of new evidence.
"Rick?" she asked sweetly. "If it's not too much of a bother, what ever
are you talking about? You're into boats?" He stared at her for a moment
before answering.
"Yes, very much so. But I'm also buying the ports for movie locations.
It's very important to me to have these places available for any sudden
ideas I or my fellow scriptwriters come up with." Sonya nodded, feigning
interest.
"Really? Well, I do enjoy a good outing to sea once in a while. Would it
be too much trouble for you to show me about your new properties?" Sonya
put on her sexiest smile in hopes of convincing him that she was actually
interested. He laughed.
"Why, my dear, it would be an honor to take you on the guided tour."
Rick's hair lit up in the slanting sunlight as he stooped before her to
kiss her hand once again. "Perhaps I can take you for lunch on my yacht
that same day. The waves are to be quite beautiful this weekend, if you're
free of course." Chocolate brown eyes that sizzled with a dangerous tinge
pulled a shiver from Sonya's body.
"Um, I'll have to see," Sonya choked out through hesitant breaths as she
pulled her hand away. There was something about this man. something that
really bothered her. Something that was not right. He smirked, his eyes
mocking her like he knew something she didn't.
"Very well." In a swift movement, a card hovered before her. "Call me
when you get a chance. I'll plan around you, as I'm sure you're well worth
the effort." Sonya shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Well," he
suddenly burst with a sigh and punched Johnny in the arm playfully. "We
still up for that game of pool tonight?" The two chatted for a few more
minutes about times and places before Balford made a graceful exit. Sonya
stood up and reached for her bike helmet.
"Going somewhere?"
"Yeah. Taking this," she held up the frayed cable wire, "down to Spekly.
Could be used for evidence later." Johnny nodded. "I should be back
within an hour."
"Don't bother. Horner cancelled the rest of today's filming. He insists
it's for your benefit, but I think the accident bothered him."
"Great. Then I'll hit the gym and train for a while. Do me a favor, and
see if you can get some more info on this docking business when you're with
Balford. See if he slips up in his story anywhere. And watch your back."
Johnny gave a smart salute.
"Sir, yes, sir! I mean Ma'am!" Sonya fought the urge to slap him.
Instead, she rolled her eyes and walked out. Ten minutes later, she was on
her bike and speeding toward the city police station.
"Ha! Eyah! Huph!" Punch, kick, double punch, back fist, split, twist,
handstand, roll, snap kick. Sonya's huffing breaths echoed in the nearly
empty weight room, and she jogged in place a few times before leaping into
a sidekick and landing with a solid smack into the punching bag. It
swayed, and when it came back, she kicked again, and again. She switched
to punches, and back to kicks, until her lungs burned and her muscles ached
for rest. Sighing, she reached for her towel and dabbed at her soaked head
while she sipped some water.
"Oh, that was nice." Turning on her heel, she waved goodnight to three
women who were walking out of the gym, picked up her small gym bag, and
marched to the showers. It was silent in the small room. Silent and
empty, and cold. She shivered. Carelessly she threw her bag into a locker
and pulled her sweat-drenched clothes from her toned body. She shivered
again, but this time, it wasn't from the cold. Something just felt wrong.
"Hello?" Her voice echoed back to her. She shook her head. Nerves. Full-
length towels were stacked on a shelf nearby, and one slipped off as she
yanked it while she walked to the nearest stall. Placing the white cloth
on the wall hook, she turned on the water and let it's therapeutic heat
relax her rigid body. She soaped and shampooed, and stepped out a few
moments later feeling refreshed. When she was dressed, she stepped before
the mirror and combed at her damp locks, growling in frustration when she
got caught on a few tangles. Then the tile on the wall next to her
exploded as the crack of a gun echoed in the room. She tossed herself to
the side and rolled into a stall. Rapid footsteps slapped the floor.
Immediately, she was on her feet and chasing after the person who attempted
to kill her with her bag barely in her hand.
All the way outside into the blackening night she ran, and came to the
parking lot. Down the street was the figure of a cloaked man, so she
jumped onto her bike, revved the engine and tore out of the parking lot.
It didn't take long to spot him turning the corner into an alleyway.
'Gotcha.' She turned sharply and grinned in anticipation of her arrest.
Without warning, she was tossed over her bike when something caught the
front tire and forced it to stop abruptly. In a moment, she was skidding
across the cement. Dizzy and dazed with a terrible burning sensation along
her back, Sonya could barely detect three forms gathering around her.
"We got a message for you, bitch." A heavy foot jammed into her ribs
causing her to gasp and roll on her side. "Drop the case, or we cut you
open and hang you by your intestines."
"And which case might that be?" Sonya coughed out. "The one about the
girl, the one about the drug group." She lifted herself up on her hands,
rolled back into a handstand, and threw herself into a back hand spring
making her feet come in contact with the man's jaw before landing in a
defense pose. "Or the one about the three stupid fucks who thought they
could overcome me?" The man she hit lay sprawled across some garbage bags,
holding his broken jaw.
"Gep 'er!" he commanded. The other two attacked, and Sonya grinned
wickedly as she sized up the opposition. The one on the left was tall and
lanky, while the other was a bit shorter, but wider across. Neither seemed
terribly dangerous. The short one threw a punch at her, which she easily
blocked. Another punch was thrown, and she ducked before countering with a
low uppercut into his stomach. He hunched over, and Sonya's eyes widened
as the tall one flew over his companion's back with a flying sidekick that
connected right with her chest. A grunt escaped her as she toppled, and
suddenly there were fists and feet everywhere. She couldn't block, and her
blood was flowing feely onto the sidewalk.
"Fuck!" she hissed, her anger boiling over. The men were laughing as they
beat down on her, until she found the strength to twist herself around and
sweep them. They landed hard on their backs while she nimbly rose to her
feet, jumped in the air, spun, and thrust her right leg out, landing it
square in the chest of the third who had risen to join the battle. He
stumbled, recovered, and lunged. Sonya spun, using her forearms as a wall
that rammed into his back. His momentum and her added weight caused him to
crash into the building head first, and he crumbled, a thin trail of blood
oozing down the wall. A cry sounded behind her, and she turned to seize
the tall man's outstretched arm with her right hand while her left grabbed
his shirt and she flipped him over her. From the side she spotted the
heavier one also running at her. Turning to face him, she let him run into
her, but she linked her arms around his waist and bent herself backwards,
carrying him with her, and smashing his skull into the cement. A splatter
of blood painted the building, and he didn't move again. She pushed
herself up and quickly blocked the roundhouse kick aimed for her head by
the one who shot at her in the shower room. For countless minutes, they
sparred, blocking here, gaining there, until he caught her with an elbow
jab to her eye. She stumbled back, groaning as blood gushed from her split
eyebrow. The man gave a sharp attack cry, spun in two circles as he
shifted from foot to foot while preparing to unleash a mighty spinning
sidekick to her already bruised ribs. As his foot stretched toward her,
she sidestepped, lifted her knee in the air, and jammed her elbow down onto
his ankle, crushing it between her elbow and knee.
"Agh!" He jumped back on one foot, his facing contorting in pain, before
it met the sidewalk when she ran up to him and threw an uppercut into his
already damaged jaw. Moaning in pain, he struggled to get up, but Sonya
knocked him out with an axe kick. Looking around, she noticed all three
lying still on the cement walkway, the blood still dripping from their
various cuts. In a moment, she was on the phone with Jaxx, reporting her
location.
"Yeah, I've got three of them down. No, I'm fine. They have to be part of
the gang, and someone knows who I a-" Sonya lost her voice when the world
spun and she was on her back. Her head turned, and she watched the tall
attacker slinking away down the street. "SHIT!" Quickly, she rose and
gave chase, unconsciously hanging up the phone while abandoning her gym
back and now damaged bike.
