Don't Look Down

The sign behind Fi

Lucy got out of the car and went toward him.

"You're even more beautiful than your picture," Fi

Lucy did not take his hand. "You wanted to meet me?"

"Ah, Lucy, my darlin'," Fi

"You've been threatening me for two days," Lucy said. "Don't call me darling."

Wilder sca

"Oh, darlin', that's how business is." Fi

"My friend," Lucy said. "Captain Wilder."

"Captain Wilder." Fi

" This isn't civilized," Lucy said, her eyes steady on him.

"Your 'friend,' eh?" Fi

"No." Lucy looked a

"Unfortunate," Fi

Lucy drew in her breath, and Wilder knew she was going to blow. He walked past Fi

"You admire a fine automobile, Captain Wilder?" Fi

"No. But since you want to talk bullshit, I thought I'd join in."

Fi

Lucy shook her head. "Oh, no. You-"

Wilder moved next to her, trying to draw Fi

"I want to see my name on a movie screen." Fi

"No," Lucy said.

Women. Wilder kept his face impassive.

"Lass-"

Lucy rolled over him. "The last time we did a stunt, we had injuries. We almost lost our lead actor. And now somebody's in the hospital."

Fi

"Not to people on my crew. Not like this. Nor do I have meetings in swamps every day." She shook her head, furious. "This is ridiculous. I-"

"We'd like a guarantee," Wilder said, his hand in his pocket, palming the bug Crawford had given him. "Nobody else gets hurt. Whatever it is that you're doing, you do away from the cast and crew."

He smiled, which made Fi

Fi

While you're flying away? Wilder glanced at Lucy, hoping she kept her cool.

She looked enraged. "You think I'll risk my people for money?"

She was practically spitting, so Wilder figured it was time for a little interference for his wingwoman. "You keep the action away from the civilians, and the movie will be done tonight."

"The hell it will," Lucy said, turning on him. "I decide-"

Fi

Wilder noticed that the brogue faded with the rise in anger.

"Then you film it tonight," Lucy said.

Fi

Thank you. Wilder snatched the cane, palmed the end of it, and then twirled it and put the point on Fi

Fi

Wilder nodded. Then he reversed the cane and offered the handle to Fi

"I'm still here," Lucy said, her eyes flat on Fi

Then do what we talked about and agree to finish the damn movie, Wilder thought as Fi

"The movie will be done tonight," Wilder said once more, with a glance at Lucy. Her face was flushed with anger.

Lucy looked furious. "I do n-"

Wilder put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "Lucy knows I'll be keeping an eye on everybody's safety, and now with your guarantee, she'll finish the shoot. Right, Lucy?"

The silence stretched out, and then she nodded once, sharply.

"So there is no problem," Wilder said. Except that I have to face this woman alone in a minute.

Fi

Wilder stepped away from Lucy. "Time to go."

When she didn't move, he tapped her arm, and she pivoted and stalked back to the Jeep. Fortunately, it didn't have a door for her to slam. Wilder nodded at Fi

"What part of 'follow my lead' didn't you get?" Wilder asked Lucy.

Lucy turned eyes like razors on him. "The part where you suck up to the bad guy, boss me around, and put my team in danger.' She was so mad, she practically bounced in the seat. "You saw him, J.T. He doesn't give a damn about anybody; he'd blow up the whole set if it'd get him what he wanted. That son of a bitch is a lying, thieving bastard, and you're flipping his cane around like a majorette on speed and then giving it back to him like-"

"Hey." Wilder held up the small tracker Crawford had given him.

"What's that?"

"A tracker. Homes in on a small transmitter-a bug. That I just planted on Fi

Lucy blinked. "When did you do that?

"Just now. On his cane. Under the horse's head."

"Oh." Lucy's face eased. "Oh. That was pretty good." She looked over at him. "You think he's going to keep his word?"

"I think so," Wilder said. "It gets him nowhere to hurt people on the movie, Lucy. He just wants his helicopter so he can do what he needs to do."

"Which is?" Lucy said.

"Meet Letsky somewhere with the damn art."

Lucy took a deep breath. "All right. All right then."

"Plus, LaFavre will back me up if I need him."

"That hound?"

"He's the best at what he does," Wilder said. "We've been in some rough places together and we're both still breathing and have all our working parts because we have each other's backs."

Lucy considered that. "Okay. So now you tell me what the plan is for tonight. You do have a plan, right?"