“I’m more of a hands-on learner, to be honest.”
“Choice,” Bella says with a grin and a convincing New Zealand accent. “She’ll be right.” She waves me to follow her through the trailers.
“Actually, I might need a crash course in Kiwi slang from you…”
CHAPTER
FOUR
MYLO
After I dropoff my bag at the stunt team trailer, Bella leads me past the gravel lot and along the bundle of wires that will take us to the current filming location.
“The team’s currently working on one of our bigger rigs. Gabriel, my assistant stunt coordinator, is running things so I could come pick you up.”
“Me?” I can’t help but laugh, incredulous.
“Don’t be modest,” Bella says smoothly, and she means it. Stunt performers are to-the-point people. “You’re the linchpin. Without you, this film’s dead in the water.”
“No pressure.” My grin gives away how much I thrive on that pressure.
“Exactly.” Bella winks knowingly. “I’ll be giving you the crash course for the rest of the day, but I want you to meet the team first.”
My life will literally be in their hands, so I appreciate it. Trust is the most important currency in our industry.
Our path leads us around a low hill, and scattered rocks crunch underfoot.
“My agent said you’ve got a big rig already set up?” It’s one of the precious few facts I have, and my only chance at sounding proactive.
“Yep, crew finished it yesterday. So far the weather forecast is holding, so I convinced the director to push back that shoot to give you as much time as possible to prepare.”
“How long do I have?”
“Three days.” She glances over with a wry smile.
I offer an easy shrug. “No sweat.”
My heart thumps faster. Three days to prep for a major stunt—that I still don’t know anything about, by the way—isinsane. Insane like jumping a hundred feet onto an airbag, or throwing yourself down stairs on purpose, or agreeing to be entirely lit on fire.
My kind of insane. I’m going to learn this stunt and I’m going to nail it; I have no doubt. Ican’thave any doubt. That’s the fastest way to get fired—from this job or from life altogether.
Bella continues, “You’ll love the rig we’re shooting today. Not a blue screen in sight.”
“That’s refreshing.”
“Sure is. We won’t bug the director today, but you’ll get to see her in action. She’s committed to doing it old school. Alright, it’s just around here.”
I understand this as Bella queuing me to stay quiet. It’s a testament to Bella’s reputation and how much they’re prioritizing getting me up to speed that we’re even approaching filming at all.
Bella leads me around the final bend, revealing the familiar topography of a film set. In a clearing at the base of the hill, aluminum scaffolding holds a complex array of cameras and lighting, ready to capture the action. So many pieces ofspecialized equipment whose main job is to make you forget it was ever there. Not unlike a stunt double.
I follow Bella until we’re a few paces off the director’s shoulder. I clock her feminine frame and a messy bun of black hair, but Bella’s pointed finger and whisper draw my attention to the scene itself.
“That’s Haley. She’s really stepped up to do some of these stunts herself. Definitely a team player. She’s getting comfortable with basic wire work, but she’ll be very glad you’re here.”
In the center of the clearing stands a woman who could be my doppelganger, except for the slope of her chest. Our height, build, and olive undertones are nearly identical. She wears a skin-tight green bodysuit styled with armor panels, and her long, dark hair is painstakingly arranged to look windswept and messy.
Everything about the character reads assleek, futuristic ninja type.
