It Wasn't In the Script©
BY Pamela Garza

"Clem? It's Ryder."

"What happened to you? You get back here, now, or I'll--."

Ryder Morgan clapped his cell phone shut. It was no use talking to her when she was in a mood. Instead, he stopped at the jewelry counter, and allowed the clerk to show him the most expensive piece of silver jewelry on display. Clem always responded well to a bribe.

He didn't see the woman at first; he didn't want to see anyone. But she caught his attention by shaking her head at the piece of jewelry the clerk was holding, and then, by tapping her finger on the glass. He followed her silent advice, and selected the necklace set with moonstones.

The smile she gave him before she turned away, as brief as it was, reached down into his heart, did something to him that he had given up as long gone. Could what he searched for be here at a shopping mall? He had to find out, or everything that he had done that day would be for nothing.

As he followed her with his eyes, Morgan noticed a man with the aggressiveness of a predator following her. He didn't like it. So, as long as he had the anonymity in College Station, Texas, he was going to find out what was going on. The woman lead the predator to the Food Court. She sat with her back to a large palm along the perimeter of tables.

Another man, a different one, dropped to the chair in front of her. His presence startled her, but she seemed to welcome him. He started talking immediately, but for every question she asked, he kept denying her without a thought. When she realized that the interview was pointless, she dismissed him with a gesture.

The predator also saw the exchange, and Morgan took it upon himself to warn her about him. He didn't know why. Maybe because it just wasn't in the script. After buying two cups of coffee, he approached her and sat down at the table. It was easy for him. After all, he was an actor, and proficient at playing any part.

"Not knowing what kind of coffee you drink, I bought one black and one with everything. Which one would you like?" Relief followed fear as she looked up at him.

"Black, please."

"I wanted to thank you for your advice back at the jewelry counter. I was ready to take her word for it that any elegant woman would love to own a hundred, jeweled studded sticks on a chain."

She smiled. "Pity for the woman about to receive that thing made me intervene."

She swallowed hard on a gulp of hot coffee, and rose to leave. He put his hand on her arm to detain her.

"Please don't go. I think you're being followed."

Her eyes quivered for a moment, and unmasked the fear in her voice. "R... really, Mr. Morgan, if this is a line, it's a new one."

He couldn't blame her for believing that, not with his well-publicized, manufactured reputation.

"He's sitting over there, reading a newspaper."

"I've got to go." She was gone before he knew she was walking out of his life.

Again, the predator followed. Morgan moved to fall in step next to her. Maybe his presence could deter the predator until she got to her car.

"You know who I am, then?"

"Yes, I know. You've always been one of my favorite actors. I don't like your movies, but I love your work."

"Maybe I could do something about that. Can I walk you to your car?"

She stopped and faced him. "Look... you-- you're wasting your time. I can't be what you want me to be."

"I just wanted to--."

Suddenly, a group of girls and women surrounded him.

"I knew you were Ryder Morgan."

"I loved your last movie, 'Cradle Robber'."

"What are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be in New Orleans shooting a movie?"

"When is this next movie coming out?"

He wrenched his neck to see where his lady went. His fans were pawing him, keeping him from where he wanted to go. He had to deal with them first.

"Young ladies, do your parents know you're out past curfew? I won't tell if you don't tell you saw me. I'm here for a little R & R. Can I count on you to keep my secret?"

All of them giggled in a flattered flurry, and off they went. As soon as their backs were turned, he ran to catch up with her. The predator wasn't anywhere around, but a surging sense of urgency made him break into a run.

He ran out to the parking lot. A misty rain fell on the quiet night. He heard the scuffle just ahead. The silent tread of his shoes kept his swift approach from behind a secret. The man was strong, cruel as he twisted the wire around her neck. Rage flamed within the actor as he saw her struggle weaken.

He lunged for the attacker, and crushed his rib cage with a stunning blow. The predator staggered, and let go of the wooden ends of the strangling tool. Morgan jumped to kick the man in the face. Before he could rally, he cradled the man's head in his arms, and twisted his neck.

Morgan had killed men before in the movies. This wasn't like that. He'd killed men in the service. It was more like that. Even dead, laying there on the ground, the man disgusted him.

He turned to her. Tears glazed her eyes. He took out his handkerchief and held it to the bleeding wound. With his large hands around her slender neck, he felt her swallow. Her lips trembled as she looked up at him.

Slowly, he drew her into his arms. Whether she liked it or not, she was what he wanted her to be. She needed him, not as a movie star commodity, but as a man who had done something to save her life. He lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded.

"We need to go somewhere to figure out what to do?"

She handed him the keys to her small Chevy, and directed him to the Hilton Hotel on University Drive. When they entered the room on the fifth floor, she headed for the sink, rinsed out his handkerchief, and gingerly dabbed the tear on her neck.

"Can I call someone to let them know where you are?"

She shook her head. A different kind of pain crossed the lovely plains of her face, added fresh tears to her heartache.

"Did you know that man?"

"No." A sob got past her throat, and she headed for the window seat to stare out into the night of mist.

As Morgan gazed down at her, he felt compelled to find out what was going on, to lend her a hand. He'd have to call in some markers to do it. But he didn't care. This was his chance to feel alive again by doing something worthwhile, something on his own. Reaching for his cell phone, he dialed a number.

"Clem? It's Ryder."

"The last time we talked you hung up on me."

"Because you weren't listening."

"Well, I'm listening now."

"You know how hard they've been pushing me, five movies in two years plus public appearances. I'm tired."

"What does that have to do with what you did to me today?"

"You arranged everything, so don't be stupid."

"So what'd you call for?"

"I want to make a deal."

"Sounds expensive."

"I'll come back, and do a year's worth of whatever you want...."

"When?"

"Tonight. IF you do me a favor."

"Shall I plan on mortgaging my soul to the Devil himself?"

"I want you to find out what happened tonight in the parking lot at the Post Oak Mall in College Station. I want the real scoop, not what the papers'll print. Understand?"

"Are you in trouble?"

"Do you understand, Clementine?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think you can do it?"

"Of course. Give me 4 hours."

"You've got 2."

She was quiet for a moment. "I'll call ya."

He hung up, and turned to the woman sitting on the window seat. She was resting her head on the cool pane of glass. Even in the dark he saw the heartache in her eyes that didn't all come from this night.

He sat down next to her. "I was in New Orleans shooting my new movie, "Bikini Trail'. In the dressing room, I was alone for the first time in months. The walls started closing in. The next thing I knew, I was in a taxi, telling the driver to head west and not to stop until I told him. I ended up here.

"I saw a man follow you, and watched as you argued with another man that stopped at your table. I saw trouble, and I couldn't turn my back. If you knew what I've been doing for the past few years, you'd realize what a milestone it was for me to do something that wasn't written down for me."

"You've just killed a man for me. You'll have to live with that forever."

"Let me worry about that. Mm? Now, tell me what's going on."

She took an unsteady breath. "A little over a year ago, my husband and 2 children went to return some movies. I never saw them again. They'd been killed in a hit-and-run. In a space of a second, I was alone in the world.

"Six months later a reporter called to tell me that my family was murdered. He'd been investigating a series of crimes and stumbled on the truth about the accident. When he hit a snag, he wondered if I would give him $500 to help him continue. The paper he was working for wouldn't give it to him because they thought he was crazy.

"I know. It's sounds like a scam, but I checked him out. He was an investigative reporter for the local paper."

"What did he find?"

"He wouldn't tell me. And tonight he said he was stopping the investigation."

Suddenly, the cell phone rang. Before Ryder had a chance to speak, the voice on the other end shouted, "Get out of there. Leave everything. Meet you at the 6." The line went dead.

Ryder flung the phone to the bed, and grabbed the woman's hand. They ran through the halls, and soared down the stairs. They made it to the car without incident, but when they looked back, they saw 5 men in black trench coats enter the building.

"Clem must have found out that they were coming for us," Ryder said, as he peeled out of the parking lot. "That was her on the phone. She said we were meet her at the 'Six'. Does that mean anything to you?"

"It could be code. Something that only the two of you know."

"Well, I made a movie called 'Six Feet Under' with Johnny Patton. My sixth movie was 'Moonlit Beaches' with Annie Coulter. My sixth in a series was--."

"Coulter. Coulter Field. It's an airport on Highway 21 going East. Could that be it?"

"Let's find out."

He pulled into the airport with the lights off. Just ahead, a flash of headlights caught their attention. Someone got out of the other car and stood in front of the high beams.

"It's Clem."

They met her in the shadows.

"Bring her, Ryder." Clem lead the way down field to where a plane was waiting. "The FBI has agreed to relocate you, M'am."

"FBI? Why?"

"Your family was in the wrong place at the wrong time. They walked into a video store at closing time. A high-profile criminal, wanted by the FBI, was in the store talking with the clerk, his sister. Since his picture had been flashed on TV all week, he couldn't take a chance that they didn't recognize him.

"He followed your family when they left the store, and killed them by running them off the road. The FBI was successful in bringing him to justice, but their investigation is still active. They still have a man undercover, and that's why they couldn't tell you the truth.

"This guy's friends, the Russian Mafia, came after you when they found out that you were looking into the case. They bought off a local reporter, but figured you couldn't be stopped. So they sent in a hit man to terminate you. That's what happened in the parking lot of the Post Oak Shopping Mall.

"To clear the way for the FBI to get back to the business at hand, the papers'll read that it was gang related, and for a concession or two, you will be taken out of harm's way. Do you agree?"

"What are the concessions?"

"I have agreed to make a certain person a star, and to do my best to get a life's story made into a movie."

"Is this alright with you?"

"Yeah, I could use the challenge. Besides Ryder will be at my complete disposal for the next year. But you need to go now, M'am. Once a Russian contract is made, it's in cement. If they catch you here, we're all in trouble."

They stopped at the two-propeller airplane.

"These men are ready to take you to the Houston International Airport. From there, they'll take you anywhere in the world that starts with a H. You will be briefed in route."

"Thank you."

She nodded. "Ryder, you've got 2 minutes." With that, she walked away.

"She's very efficient." There was an awkward moment of silence before her eyes met his. "Thank you, Ryder Morgan."

He drew his hand to her face and smiled. "No need for that. You were everything I wanted you to be."

"Will I ever see you again."

"You'll see me... in the movies." He bent close to her. "And the next name you whisper in the night will be mine. Wait for me."

She gave him a soft smile, and entered the plane.

The wind flapped his trousers as he watched it rumble down the runway. Clem stopped next to him.

"I didn't even know her name."

"It'd be useless now anyway."

"What's her new one?"

"That'll cost you extra."

"Do you like moonstones?"

As the plane climbed above them, they talked deal.