Chapter 14

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Sam sat in a makeup room getting touched up for his coming TV appearance. The cadets had been back from Malaysia for three days, and Sam had managed to act somewhat normally since they returned.

A big talk show host was doing a live special for NBC on the cadets. It had been planned for weeks, and Nat was supposed to be the main guest. She’d asked Greg to excuse her and Sam was pretty sure he knew why. So Sam convinced Greg that he would be the best one for the interview and this morning they’d driven to Burbank, to the NBC studios.

The makeup room was bright, and mirrors lined the wall. He’d been at the studios since three in the afternoon, doing screen tests and blocking. Makeup was his last stop before the live interview at six.

“Thank heaven you’re not green,” the makeup lady said to him, “it would’ve taken hours to get you looking right.”

“Is the greenness that bad?” Sam asked.

The makeup lady looked sideways at Melanie and Armen, standing in the hallway. “Not in person, but on TV? The green ones look sick and cold and a little fat. The videos from Malaysia were awful… except for the Asian chick. That’s why Apple requested her. But since she’s injured or something, I guess you got it.”

She went back to powdering his face and neck.

“Apple?” Sam asked.

“Apple Hieman!”

“Okay?”

“Oh, right, you’ve been gone. Well, she and Kurt Hoenal are the biggest names in Hollywood right now. The spooks requested her to produce this.”

She got out a huge compact with squares of brown and pink fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. She took a long brush and started swiping it on his cheeks.

“She must be something else if they noticed her.” Sam eyed the blush. “That’s – no offense – but that’s going to make me look ridiculous.”

She rolled her eyes, “Military guys are always scaredy-cats. You’re way too pale. This’ll make you look tanned and confident. Trust me.”

On stage at last, Sam looked out at the empty seats. “No audience?” he said aloud.

A voice from off stage answered him.

“Absolutely not.”

A small, well-dressed woman came on stage from the shadows. Sam stepped back as she advanced on him. “We’re not fools.” She looked him over critically. “At least you’re not green. That should help the ratings. I’m Apple Hieman.”

“Ratings? You don’t think people will watch?” Sam asked skeptically.

“Of course they’ll watch. But will they throw trash at their screen and curse the aliens or call their mom to make sure she’s watching?”

“Oh. So, no pressure?”

“Sarcasm, that’s good. Very American. Now pay attention. You need to play this a certain way.” Sam took a step back as she leaned toward him. No wonder the spooks liked her, she had the presence of a grizzly bear. A tiny, aggressive grizzly bear.

“I’ll be fine,” Sam said.

“Not if you don’t listen to me. If you mess this up, the riots will get worse. More people will die. Got it?”

She had no idea. Sam stepped into her space. “Are you trying to scare me? I don’t get stage fright anymore. You can just back off.”

No one knew better than he did how many people the spooks might kill.

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