clear it with Taylor. I’m glad it turned out to be nothing, but when you ran after that guy, I knew exactly what you were thinking, and it scared the shit out of me. I’ve been doing this for almost fifty years, and I never used to have to worry about bombs, crazy gunmen, or shit like that. Now?” He shrugged.
“We’ll make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.” He paused as Poppy and Blake walked up.
“How the hell did he get through security?” Poppy demanded.
“He had a fake pass,” Will said, fanning the plastic holder.
“Where’d he get that?”
“Looks like he made it.”
Poppy and Blake looked at each other. “What are you doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again?” Blake asked.
“Merrick is taking over location security.”
“He was already location security, and he got through,” Poppy sneered. “What if that guy had a gun? You remember what happened a couple years ago when that crazy guy came on set and killed Jade Ning. What about John Hinckley? He shot the fucking President to impress Jodi Foster. People are crazy, and you just let him walk onto the set? Isn’t that twice he slipped past you? And wasn’t he the one who was making all the noise earlier? You must have really impressed him.”
“Poppy, it wasn’t Merrick’s fault. One of our people let him pass. Merrick’s taking that over so it—”
“I don’t care whose fucking fault it is! If you can’t keep the location secure you should shut this production down until you can! I’m not willing to die for your fucking movie!”
“Poppy, calm down. These things happen,” Blake said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Nobody got hurt and Will and Taylor are making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Don’t touch me!” she said, shrugging his hand off. “Things like this shouldn’t happen at all, not with all the crazy people out there. We’re in fucking Texas, for Christ sake, where every kid old enough to walk is carrying a gun! If something like this happens again, I’m outta here!”
Merrick had been standing silently listening to Poppy bluster. “I think you should be thankful even one person wants to be around you,” he said softly.
She stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open with her eyes wide, then drew her hand back to slap him. He caught it before it could reach his face and slowly forced it down as she tried to jerk her hand away.
“That wouldn’t be in your best interest,” he replied just as softly, holding her eyes until she looked away. He released her hand and she jerked it back.
“Don’t you ever touch me again!”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I have no interest in touching you.”
Again she stared, her eyes hard. “You’re horrible!” She turned and stomped away toward the bus.
“You’re welcome!” Merrick called after her. “What a bitch,” he muttered just loud enough for Blake and Will to hear.
Blake began to laugh, Will joining in before Blake slapped Merrick on the shoulder then turned, the two men still laughing as they walked toward the bus.
Chapter Seven
“Pass.” Merrick said as Poppy stepped up.
“You fucking well know who I am!”
“You want in, show me your pass.”
“Fuck you!”
He smiled at her. “I thought you didn’t want me touching you. Either show me your pass or step aside.”
“Just show him your pass,” Paul said stepping up behind her, holding his card so Merrick could see it.
Merrick gave his head a nod, and as Paul stepped around Poppy, she tried to step pass with him, but Merrick took he by the arm. “No pass, no entry. You wanted a secure location, you got it.”
“I’ll have you fired for this!”
“Go ahead, but until you do, you have to show your pass.”
“Poppy, for Christ sake, just show him your pass,” Danielle said holding hers out for him to see. “I’m glad he’s
“We’ll make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.” He paused as Poppy and Blake walked up.
“How the hell did he get through security?” Poppy demanded.
“He had a fake pass,” Will said, fanning the plastic holder.
“Where’d he get that?”
“Looks like he made it.”
Poppy and Blake looked at each other. “What are you doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again?” Blake asked.
“Merrick is taking over location security.”
“He was already location security, and he got through,” Poppy sneered. “What if that guy had a gun? You remember what happened a couple years ago when that crazy guy came on set and killed Jade Ning. What about John Hinckley? He shot the fucking President to impress Jodi Foster. People are crazy, and you just let him walk onto the set? Isn’t that twice he slipped past you? And wasn’t he the one who was making all the noise earlier? You must have really impressed him.”
“Poppy, it wasn’t Merrick’s fault. One of our people let him pass. Merrick’s taking that over so it—”
“I don’t care whose fucking fault it is! If you can’t keep the location secure you should shut this production down until you can! I’m not willing to die for your fucking movie!”
“Poppy, calm down. These things happen,” Blake said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Nobody got hurt and Will and Taylor are making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Don’t touch me!” she said, shrugging his hand off. “Things like this shouldn’t happen at all, not with all the crazy people out there. We’re in fucking Texas, for Christ sake, where every kid old enough to walk is carrying a gun! If something like this happens again, I’m outta here!”
Merrick had been standing silently listening to Poppy bluster. “I think you should be thankful even one person wants to be around you,” he said softly.
She stared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open with her eyes wide, then drew her hand back to slap him. He caught it before it could reach his face and slowly forced it down as she tried to jerk her hand away.
“That wouldn’t be in your best interest,” he replied just as softly, holding her eyes until she looked away. He released her hand and she jerked it back.
“Don’t you ever touch me again!”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I have no interest in touching you.”
Again she stared, her eyes hard. “You’re horrible!” She turned and stomped away toward the bus.
“You’re welcome!” Merrick called after her. “What a bitch,” he muttered just loud enough for Blake and Will to hear.
Blake began to laugh, Will joining in before Blake slapped Merrick on the shoulder then turned, the two men still laughing as they walked toward the bus.
Chapter Seven
“Pass.” Merrick said as Poppy stepped up.
“You fucking well know who I am!”
“You want in, show me your pass.”
“Fuck you!”
He smiled at her. “I thought you didn’t want me touching you. Either show me your pass or step aside.”
“Just show him your pass,” Paul said stepping up behind her, holding his card so Merrick could see it.
Merrick gave his head a nod, and as Paul stepped around Poppy, she tried to step pass with him, but Merrick took he by the arm. “No pass, no entry. You wanted a secure location, you got it.”
“I’ll have you fired for this!”
“Go ahead, but until you do, you have to show your pass.”
“Poppy, for Christ sake, just show him your pass,” Danielle said holding hers out for him to see. “I’m glad he’s
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