The Big Chance

ROXANNE'S LATEST JOB was on very short notice. Her mother called her school, and made an excuse about Louise being sick. That scared Roxanne half to death, and made her very angry when she found out the truth. But her mother wasn't the least bit contrite. "This is work!" was the closest thing Roxanne got for an apology.

Roxanne's mother was demanding more and more from Mr. Connolly and getting it. She even brought in her friend Mrs. Brunn, as an "assistant manager." Mrs. Brunn made hints about using her influence in Washington if Mr. Connolly did not provide satisfaction. Roxanne was surprised that Mr. Connolly went along with that. Roxanne was a fair judge of character by now, and she saw that Mr. Connolly was a tough, smart man. When he gave in so easily to Mrs. Brunn, Roxanne began to wonder why.

But she did not have that much time to think. Instead of a commercial flight or an old cargo plane, Mr. Connolly took them to a private jet. The plane started moving as soon as they were aboard. And, as soon as they were at altitude, she was given her lines and a tape. It was all in Japanese.

Roxanne's mother, fortified by Mrs. Brunn, tried to find out where they were going. "Perhaps nowhere," said Connolly. "We are trying to take advantage of an opportunity. But we are not sure it will come off. If it doesn't, I'll return you."

"But we still get paid," asserted Mrs. Brunn.

"Oh, yes, you will get your due, regardless." He rose. "I'm going to the crew compartment. You'll find the bar is stocked, if you care to indulge, ladies. None for you, Roxanne."

"I don't drink anyway."

"Good for you," said Connolly, as he left. Roxanne didn't much care for the last look he gave her. But her mother told her to start practicing her lines again. "This is the big chance, Honey. They are spending a lot on this plane. If you do this right, they won't be able to do without you."

"Then we will have them by the balls!" said Mrs. Brunn, as she began to explore the bar. "Champagne cocktails, and they're cold. Want one, Margie?"

A closed van was waiting for the plane, the usual conveyance. Sealed inside the van, again, as usual, they were driven for over an hour. Roxanne had put on her costume on the plane, but the wings had to be put on at the last minute. They were very heavy, and clipped onto the back. There were motors and batteries hidden in the pack at the roots; the wings could fold or unfold.

They parked somewhere for a long time. Roxanne's mother and Mrs. Brunn seemed to have drunk too much--not rare for Mrs. Brunn, but not something Roxanne expected her mother to do. She could only remember her mother having one drink, and yet she was clumsy, and kept nodding off. Maybe she drank more while I was napping, Roxanne thought as they waited.

There was no one to talk to; the lady who always helped her with her costume spoke very bad English.

Finally the van pulled out, moved for awhile, and then parked. After a little more time, the door opened, and Mr. Connolly helped her down from the van, and guided her away from it.

"All right, this is what you are going to do now," said Connolly. "Take out your earphone for a minute. I want you to make sure you understand this."

"Yes, Mr. Connolly."

"You up this ramp, and wait for the the light. Then you run out into it, turn right, and make your speech. After that, you make your gestures, and touch your sleeve here to turn on the light on your headdress. Then you throw this down. Give my your hand." He put a small object in her right hand. It had a loop on it; he put that over her thumb. "This is a smoke bomb. Once you throw it, run back down here."

"Wait, do you have permits for this? We could get in a lot of trouble."

Connolly shoved the earphone back in, hard, so it hurt. He gripped the hand with the smoke bomb inside, and twisted her around to face the van.

The costume lady had climbed down from the van. She was holding Louise in her carrier in one hand. In the other hand, she had a gun, with a silencer on it. She glanced back, raised her gun, and shot first Mrs Brunn, and then Roxanne's mother, through their heads. Then she turned her head back to Roxanne, pointed the gun at Louise's head, and said, "Do exactly as you are told, or I will kill the child."

The "costume lady's" English was perfect now.

Connally jerked Roxanne's arm. "We will be in that limousine. If you are caught, keep quiet, or your kid is dead. Now, do the job." He jerked her forward again, and then released her.

Roxanne staggered up the ramp, terrified beyond reason, and yet in control because if she broke down, the horrible woman would kill Louise. Roxanne Rose didn't think beyond that. She paused just at the entrance, and noticed that the attendent was not visible in the booth. But he was there, she saw when she looked--he was dead, like her mother and Mrs. Brunn.

"Get ready to move out," came Connolly's voice in her earpiece.

Roxanne moved away from the sight of the murdered man, to the darker side of the ramp. Then she got the word to move out.

"We just got the word," the unit director told his crew. "East end of the block, North side. Three, do you have anything?"

"Yes . . . It's an angel girl."

"Get me sound!" If this ain't a hoax, the unit director thought, this could be bigger than Sauvage. "It looks like Sailor R!"

Roxanne ran out as light flooded the area outside the ramp. Turning right, she saw police, and a crowd in front of a building, and some people getting out of limousines. She struck her pose, and recited her memorized speech--actually sang it, because she had memorized the tones on the tape. Then she made her gesture, and pressed the hidden button on her left sleeve. She was half-blinded by the glow from her headdress, and it grew hot.

But that was not the worst of it. Because right after that, flashes of light began appearing amid the limosines, then loud booms, and then people began screaming. And then some of the police began shooting--at Roxanne.

Something hit her very hard in her chest. She fell over, and before she realized, the bomb in her hand fell out. It exploded, and there was smoke everwhere. She could still hear screaming, and firing . . .

She had to get away. Connally had Louise. She crawled onto the ramp, got up, and began running down.

"Come to the Limo! Come to the Limo! Now, or we leave you!" The voice in her earpiece was loud enough to hurt, and yet she barely heard it. The explosions had deafened her. She saw a limousine with an open door, and ran to it. When she reached the door, hands grabbed her and shoved her inside, down. "Stay down! And stay quiet!" Connally shouted. Then she was covered over with something that pressed down on her wings. There were metallic sounds, and she was left in complete darkness.

Roxanne heard more explosions shortly after the limo began moving. She bit down on her tongue to keep from whimpering, and cried in terror and grief.

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