Chapter 11
Madeline stood at the edge of the cove, toes curling into the warm sand.
The air carried the scent of salt and hibiscus, mingling with the faint tang of sunscreen and the metallic whir of gear being assembled nearby.
She had woken before sunrise, restless with nerves and hope.
The jeep ride across the island was thankfully uneventful.
Now, as the day stretched ahead, every sense felt heightened.
The light shimmered on the water, catching the white curve of the breaking surf, and the sweep of palm shadows across the set.
She watched the crew move with practiced efficiency while Kel hovered nearby, clipboard in hand.
Although it wasn’t technically her role, she was double-checking settings with the sound tech, her eyes flicking to Madeline every few minutes.
When their gazes met, Kel gave her a small, reassuring smile.
It helped. Madeline’s pulse still raced, but it steadied under Kel’s attention.
Already in her element, Ruthi stalked the perimeter with a focus that made everyone straighten their spines.
She barked an order to the gaffer, snapped her fingers for a new angle, then finally turned to Madeline with a critical eye.
“Mark is here,” Ruthi said, pointing to a patch of sand where a small piece of driftwood sat.
“Don’t move off it. When I call action, you start. Look at the camera, not the crew.”
Nodding, Madeline swallowed hard. She smoothed a hand over her dress, feeling the heat prickle at the back of her neck. This is it, she thought. My chance to impress Ruthi Shay. She took her place and tried to steady her breathing.
Kel drifted closer, a little out of frame. “You’ve got this,” she whispered. Madeline nodded and let the words settle inside her chest.
The camera team finished setting up, the lens gleaming in the morning sun.
The boom mic hovered overhead. Ruthi lifted her hand.
“Quiet on set.” A hush fell. Madeline let her gaze drift to the horizon, searching for calm.
She thought of every audition, every live taping, every moment she’d stood in the wings wishing for a shot at something more. She was ready. She knew it.
“Roll sound,” called the first assistant director. The camera operator gave a thumbs-up.
“Action,” Ruthi said.
Madeline opened her mouth, the first lines forming on her tongue.
A sharp crack split the air. The operator cursed, hands flying over the controls.
A thin wisp of smoke curled from the camera’s side panel.
Crew members rushed in, voices rising, confusion spreading like a ripple.
Ruthi strode over, jaw clenched, rattling off questions. “What happened? Can you fix it?”
The camera assistant shook his head, already pulling out his phone. “It’s the gimbal. Fried the board. We don’t have a spare.”
Ruthi’s face tightened. “How long?”
The operator grimaced. “Ninety-nine percent sure that part isn’t on the island,” he said. “We’ll have to fly one in. Earliest is tomorrow, maybe later.”
The energy drained from the set. Crew members murmured, gathering equipment and pulling cases back into the shade. Madeline stood forgotten in the sun, arms wrapped around herself, the adrenaline in her veins replaced by a cold ache. She felt exposed, foolish, as if she’d been caught pretending.
Kel appeared at her side. “It’s not your fault,” she said quietly. “No one could have seen this coming.”
Madeline tried to smile, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. “I just… I was ready. For once, I was actually ready.”
Kel’s hand found hers. “You still are,” she said. “We’ll get another shot. This isn’t over.”
Ruthi took control, her expression unreadable.
She addressed the crew first, issuing orders to shoot B-roll and scout alternate angles, her voice brisk but not biting.
Then she turned to Madeline and Kel. For a moment, Ruthi’s gaze softened, the steel in her posture easing.
“It happens,” she said, quieter than normal.
“You prep, you plan, sometimes it falls apart anyway. You’ll get another chance. Be ready for it.”
Without waiting for a reply, Ruthi walked away, calling for the AD.
Madeline watched her go, then looked down at her hand still clasped in Kel’s.
The disappointment in her chest shifted, replaced by something steadier.
She squeezed Kel’s fingers, letting herself lean into the touch.
The cove was quiet again, the crew dispersing.
Madeline looked out over the water. She felt the sting of the setback, but under it, a stubborn spark.
She would not let this stop her. When the camera rolled again, she would be ready.
“It was sabotage,” Ruthi said, her face tight as she paced the length of Ms. Leighton’s office.
“The sensor control board of a gimbal won’t up and bite the dust like that one did, out of the blue.
The board is more likely to sustain damage during a drone crash or if the gimbal has been used for aerial cinematography.
Neither scenario was the case here. The camera equipment was also thoroughly checked during the test shots, and it functioned with no issue.
Which leads me to wonder… who doesn’t want this shoot to be successful?
” She turned her sharp gaze on the two women.
Thinking through the new information, Ms. Leighton was quiet for a beat, the peaceful sunlight flooding through the windows at odds with the ugliness of their speculation.
“That is the question. Do you have any suspicions on whom it might have been?” she finally asked.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Antonia’s face was sharp and assessing.
Ruthi shook her head. “No clue. But, if you ask me, someone or something on the Isle of Dreams is a target, for reasons yet unknown. Clearly, a discreet inquiry needs to be made and the occupants of the island investigated. The guests, the staff, the crew, everyone.” Pausing, Ruthi put her hands on her hips.
“Since the clock is running, my priority at the moment is to move forward with shooting B-roll footage, which is supplemental film,” she continued briskly.
“While experimenting with different shot angles.
There are cinematic alternatives the crew can use to stabilize those shots without a gimbal.
“Neither will I need Madeline since she’s the principal subject and belongs to the A-roll shoot, which we can resume when the gimbal replacement arrives.
In the meantime,” Ruthi’s gray eyes narrowed as she turned away, “you have a rat to catch.” A fleeting thunder crossed her face.
“This may not be a shoot I was particularly eager to direct, which has certainly not been a secret. However, I take my work very seriously. I’ll be damned if I’ll allow some disrespectful piece of crap to ruin a project that, while perhaps not my cup of tea, will benefit a noble, worthy cause.
” Without a backward glance, Ruthi walked out the door.
“And there’s our Ruthi,” Ms. Leighton said softly. “The old Ruthi Shay still lives under that hard, brittle exterior, Antonia. Perhaps Eve is already having a positive effect in bringing her out into the light of day. We shall see.”
Antonia cleared her throat. “What shall we do about the other problem?” she asked.
Ms. Leighton puffed out a breath, her white-blonde hair catching the rays of the sun.
“We do precisely what Ruthi told us to do, Antonia,” she said, the tones of her voice filled with steely determination as she steepled her fingers.
“She told us in no uncertain terms we have a rat to catch. Therefore, I do believe there’s no time like the present to start investigating. Don’t you agree?”
Kel let the afternoon sun warm her shoulders as she and Madeline walked the winding path away from the jeeps.
After the chaos of the morning, it felt good to be back on the more occupied part of the island.
“How about we go for a walk on the beach?” she asked Madeline, knowing the best thing to do would be to distract her from the disappointment of the day.
Before Madeline answered, Kel’s phone buzzed.
Looking at it, Kel saw it was a message from the main house.
“Please come to Ms. Leighton’s office immediately,” the text read.
“Both of you.” She met Madeline’s eyes, any hope of fun draining from the moment.
“Guess that walk will have to wait,” Kel said, trying to keep her tone light.
Madeline nodded, pulling her hair into a messy knot.
They walked toward the main house together, and Kel’s heart felt uneasy.
When they reached it and went inside, the place felt different.
It was quieter, the usual warmth replaced by a thread of tension Kel couldn’t quite place.
Antonia was waiting outside the office, arms folded, and her gaze steady. “Come in,” she said, holding the door open.
Ms. Leighton sat behind her desk, sunlight spilling across the polished wood.
She didn’t rise, but her attention sharpened as soon as they entered.
Antonia closed the door behind them and took up a post by the window.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Ms. Leighton said, her voice calm but edged with gravity. “Please, sit.”
Kel perched on the edge of the sofa, Madeline beside her.
The room felt suddenly smaller. Ms. Leighton folded her hands, considering them both.
“I want to be transparent about what happened this morning,” she began.
“The equipment failure on set was not accidental. Our technician found evidence that the gimbal’s wiring had been deliberately damaged. ”
Madeline’s eyes widened. “Sabotage?” she whispered.
Antonia nodded, expression unreadable. “We’re investigating,” she said. “So far, only a handful of people had access to the gear. We’re interviewing everyone, but I wanted to ask you both if you noticed anything unusual. Anyone on the crew behaving oddly. Any strangers near the equipment.”
Taking a deep breath, Kel replayed the morning in her mind.
She’d been focused on Madeline, on the sound-check, on the way Ruthi barked orders.
She tried to recall every face. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” she said slowly.
“Everyone seemed busy. There was a new grip, but he stuck with the main crew. I didn’t see anyone near the camera who shouldn’t have been. ”
She glanced at Madeline, who shook her head. “I was too nervous to notice much,” Madeline admitted. “Ruthi was… intense. I was only trying to stay out of the way.”
Antonia’s gaze lingered on both of them, as if she were searching for cracks, but then she nodded.
“If you remember anything, even if it feels insignificant, let me know,” she said.
“Until we get to the bottom of this, I’d like you both to be watchful.
If you see anything strange, report it immediately. ”
Nodding, Kel felt unease prickling down her spine. “Do you think we’re the target? Or Ruthi? Or—”
“We don’t know yet,” Ms. Leighton said with a thin smile. “It might be someone trying to disrupt the shoot, or something more personal. Until we have answers, I want everyone on alert.”
Madeline’s hands twisted in her lap. “Does this kind of thing happen often?”
“No,” Antonia answered. “Security here is tight. That’s why this stands out.” She paused, then softened. “Don’t let it ruin your stay. We’ll handle it.”
Ms. Leighton leaned back in her chair. “The part will arrive tomorrow, but not until late,” she said, her tone shifting, lighter but still deliberate.
“That means you have a day off. I suggest you take advantage of it. There’s a cove on the north side of the island.
The snorkeling is superb, and the staff will pack you a lunch.
Consider it a gift. Sometimes, a little distance gives us the clarity we need. ”
Out of the corner of her eye, Kel saw Madeline’s shoulders relax a fraction, though her eyes still held worry. “Thank you,” Madeline said. “That sounds perfect, actually.”
Kel met Ms. Leighton’s gaze. “We’ll let you know if we remember anything.”
“Good,” Antonia said, opening the door for them. “Enjoy your afternoon. Let us worry about the rest.”
Back in the corridor, Madeline let out a shaky breath. “That was… a lot.”
Wrapping an arm around Madeline, Kel drew her close as they walked. “We’re okay. We stick together, right?”
Nodding, Madeline leaned in. “Right.” Kel pressed a kiss to Madeline’s hair, her own nerves rattling beneath her calm. “Whatever is happening on the island, I won’t let anything come between us.”