Jenna and Special Terrorism Correspondent Chris Randall facing each other with the sliding glass doors to the lobby behind them. Then she told Jenna that they needed a “strong sound bite. That’s not coming from me. That’s coming from New York.”
“This is the run-through, right?” Jenna asked.
Alicia shook her head, as if in disbelief. “Yes, it’s the run-through. Are you ready?”
“Sure,” Jenna said.
“I was talking to the crew,” the producer said frostily.
What a bitch.
“Can I get an answer?” she demanded of the cameraman, who glared at her and nodded. “Let’s go, Chris,” Alicia said to the tall correspondent.
He turned to Jenna. “What did you see here last night?”
“I came around the corner of the hotel in the middle of a powerful thunderstorm and saw a van right here by the entrance. I was rushing to get into the hotel, because I’d just seen a waterspout, when a young man jumped out of the van and we knocked into each other, and then he raced off. But a Maldivian friend of mine thought the driver’s behavior was suspicious, so he opened the door of the van, and that’s when we found the bomb.”
“What did you see first?” Chris asked her.
“About a thousand pounds of explosives. Every inch of the van was packed with it. And then I saw smoke from the burning fuse.”
“What did you do then?” Chris prompted.
“I pulled the fuse out of the bomb.” Jenna raised her bandaged hand. “It wasn’t that big a deal, once I saw it, and this is not as bad as it looks. It’s just a little burn.”
“Hold on,” Alicia said to Chris and the crew. “Don’t eat humble fucking pie,” she scolded Jenna. “You stopped a bombing—”
“No, my friend and I stopped it.”
“You pulled the fuse out.”
“He tried to, too.”
“But you did it. Say it! You stopped a bombing that would have been the 9/11 of this part of the world. And skip the crap about it not being a big deal. It’s a big deal, so just say it.”
“I’m not going to ‘just say it.’ I helped stop a bombing. I didn’t do it all by myself.” Jenna stepped away from the camera. “The only reason I even saw the fuse was my friend thought right away to check the van.”
“What was your friend doing at the hotel at that hour?”
Jenna shrugged, trying to avoid the issue. “That’s personal.”
“Personal? What is he, married?” Alicia’s remark felt sharp as a coral reef.
“I’m not going to get into that.”
“Well, then, go get him. He’s still up in your room, right? We’re going to need him, too, I guess, if you’re not going to say what needs to be said.”
“I am not getting him. There are people around here who want to kill him and he can’t risk being seen publicly.”
“I don’t care if Dr. Evil is about to put him on a rocket and blast his butt into space, we need him since you’re not going to play ball. Persuade him. I’ll bet you’re good at that.”
“Go to hell. That’s an outrageous suggestion.”
“Oh, please. Grow the fuck up.” Alicia spun toward Nicci. “Talk some sense into her. We’re suppose to do this for real,” she glanced at her watch, “in about five minutes.”
The weather producer looked clubbed, eyes shifting between Alicia and Jenna.
Jenna returned her gaze and knew that she’d lost her. To that harridan. But how do you compete with “wonderful” sex? But Nicci didn’t disappoint her.
“What Jenna said was fine, and it’ll be fine when we go live.” Nicci faced Alicia directly. “And I’m sure it was accurate. She says what she sees. But what you said was outrageous. And I think you need to apologize and get a grip.”
“Oh, you do, you little twerp. I’ve got—”
Jenna cut her off: “I’m not taking part in this charade.” She stepped away from the camera. “And I’m talking to Elfren about this.” Jenna started to walk away. Alicia seized her arm. “Don’t you dare touch me,” Jenna said. The producer let go.
“Okay, go,” Alicia said. “I’ll tell New York that you had a hissy fit. I’m sure Elfren will be real impressed when the weather girl says it got a little too stormy for her in the tropics. Me?” Alicia pointed to herself. “I’m talking to Marv right now. I can’t believe he puts you on the air. I wouldn’t trust you to read a thermometer.”
Nicci hooked her arm through Jenna’s and towed her back into the Golden Crescent before she could say another