SPOTLIGHT (Colt Seavers) ✔︎

23 | One Take Wonder

While Jody took Ryder over to the car, which was set-up in front of a blue screen, I ran around to the back of it. "You ready?"

Colt grinned at me, reaching up to tip his space cowboy hat at me. "Of course. "I let out a giggle, stopping right in front of him. We were alone back here. A lot of the crew was in on the plan, but we couldn't risk anyone seeing Colt and snitching. It felt oddly calm, despite the mayhem happening on the other side of the screen. "Do I look as good as Ryder in this thing?"

I chuckled, reaching up to adjust the collar of the tattered brown jacket. "Almost." Colt humphed indignantly. "He's way cuter than you... but I guess you're a better kisser."

Colt immediately pulled me in, locking our lips and a spontaneous kiss. I smiled uncontrollably, but pulled away when Jody called "three, two, one... Action!"

I pushed him in the direction of the set. He stumbled back, still grinning. "Wait... you've kissed Ryder?" I shook my head, chuckling under my breath. "Ew. You've probably given me a disease or something." He pretended to gag, while clutching his throat. "Gross."

I pushed him out onto the set, shaking my head in amusement. "Mhm hmm. Break a leg, Colt."

***

I stood by Jody and Gail as Ryder pretended to drive, while aliens attacked him from all angles. My breath caught in my throat when Colt jumped in the car, pulling out a steering wheel and fixing it on the dashboard in front of him. I could hear them arguing, but couldn't make out the words; Jody had a headset on, not me.

"Who is that in the car with him?" Gail leaned forward, grabbing Jody's shoulders in anguish. "Jody?"

I patted Gail's arm and gently pulled her back, trying not to overstep my position. She was still the producer and I was just a camera operator. "It's okay. Don't worry."

"He's just buckling you in. Safety first," Jody told Ryder through the megaphone. "Sell it, Tom. It looks amazing." I slowly moved my hand from Gail's shoulder, catching Jody's eye. She had a mischievous smile on her face. "Take a deep breath."

Suddenly, the blue screens fell backward, revealing the desert behind it, my lips curled up in excitement as Colt let out a faintly audible "yee-haw!" before punching the gas and zooming off into the distance.

Gail looked awestruck, staring motionlessly at the receding vehicle. I leaned over to Jody, exchanging a high-five, while she squealed triumphantly. "Jody!" Gail screamed, starting to freak out. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get something real out of him, Gail." She said it so matter-of-factly, that it almost made this whole situation seem normal. Almost.

"There's no cameras on him!" Gail was standing on her tiptoes, trying to see the car, but it had disappeared over a sand dune. "Jody!"

Jody ignored Gail and tossed me her walkie-talkie. "Talk to Dan."

I caught the device and held it to my lips. "Dan?"

"Skye! What is going on?"

"They're headed towards Ambush Alley!" I shouted, racing after Jody towards a hummer with a camera crane mounted on top. I jumped into the passenger seat, sliding next to Jody, who was in the driver's seat. "Dan, where are they?" There was no response. "Dan, do you have eyes on them?"

"I see them!" Dan's shouted was crackly through the radio. "Everything is going to plan!"

I shot Jody a wide grin which she reciprocated. "Good."

"I'll block the road," Dan continued, his voice still cutting out; he must be driving. "They shall not pass!"

We pulled up alongside the ridge of Ambush Alley and Jody pointed in the direction of an oncoming car. It was Colt and Ryder! They were headed right into the alley. "There they are!" Jody exclaimed. There were two cars behind them, but I lost sight of them, when a huge explosion caused a smoke screen over the alley. "Shit! Where are they?"

I squinted, but to no avail. "Just drive around."

Explosion after explosion. It felt like it was going on eternally, but in reality it only lasted twenty seconds. We skidded to a stop and when the smoke cleared, I realised we were near the landing point for the impossible jump. Both Jody and I leapt out of the car; Jody running over to the camera monitor.

"Roll the cameras!" My stomach lurched when Colt's voice came through the radio. I held it up so Jody could hear. "We're headed for the jump." Jody nodded. "Tom Ryder's doin' his own stunts!"

"Everyone, roll." Jody gestured for the radio and I tossed it to her. "Arm car?"

"Check."

"Heli?" My eyes widened and I glanced up to see a helicopter, taking off in a cloud of dust in the distance.

"Check."

Jody tossed me a pair of headphones and I put them on, moving to stand beside her.

"You're not getting out of this car until you—Tom Ryder—tell me—Colt Seavers—the truth!"

I watched on the monitor as Colt and Ryder began to ascend the ramp to the jump. It was almost time.

"Alright, alright, alright." I shot Jody and excited look and she grinned in return. The plan was working. "It was all Gail." Jody reached over and grabbed my hand, her grip vice-like as we waited in anticipation. "When I killed Henry, she wanted to cover it up, because—to be honest—Space Cowboy's one of my best roles yet, Colt, and I don't want this movie to fail."

"So, you're saying that Gail Meyer was responsible for framing me for your murder of Henry?" I chuckled at the manner with which Colt was talking. He was leaving no information to the imagination. He was making sure Tom laid it all out.

"Yes!"

"But, what's your real name?"

There was a brief pause, almost as if Ryder was catching on; but just as I thought the plan might fail right at the very last moment, he responded. "Tom Ryder."

I screamed in success pulling Jody towards me by the arm and embracing her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around me immediately. "Did you get that, Jody?"

"We got it!" Jody cried into the walkie-talkie, still hugging me. "He confessed!"

I leaned over to the receiver and Jody held it out for me. "Nice job, Colt."

I heard Colt chuckle on the other end. "Hey, Skye..." I looked up as the car crested the ramp. "If you still think this moron is cuter than me—" He was obviously talking about Ryder "—Wait until you see him with no teeth."

The line cut out, but I didn't miss Ryder's shout of confusion at Colt's words. I pulled away from Jody, immediately noticing the smug smile on her face. "What?"

She just shrugged, the smirk not leaving her face. She nodded towards the radio. "What was all that about?"

I just rolled my eyes, the uninvited smile, making it's way onto my face again. "Nothing."

***

Wow... We are almost at the end of this story. I have had so much fun writing this and thank you for all of the support and feedback. You guys are my motivation for writing and I love it so much, so thank you.

Not too much Colt in this chapter, but just wait for the next few, because it will be Ryan Gosling overload. Is anyone really complaining, though? I know I'm not.