The Deadliest Stunt Chapter 12-Final Chapter!

The Deadliest Stunt
Chapter 12

Matt and I were knocked off our feet and landed on our backs—a powerful whoosh of hot air flew over our heads. A crash nearby as part of the bus frame landed on the pavement only a few meters from my head.

I was dazed but could get to my feet. My back was sore as were my arms.

The whine of fire engines filled the air a few minutes later. I checked on Matt who was unconscious laying on the pavement. He had a nasty welt at the back of his head. I tried to revive him but he was out cold. He had taken the brunt of the explosion. If Xander and the twins were on there—then they were surely dead.

Justin? Are you OK, a voice came out of the thick black smoke that quickly filled the parking lot. It was dark and I could hardly see anything.

Y-yes, I muttered, falling to my knees, overcome with smoke and fuel fumes.

I felt arms pulling me up and a figure hunch over Matt then drag him out of the smoke. Who was my rescuer?

A head with blond spiky hair drifted out of the smoke. Reed!

Where did you—come from? I blurted as we walked to cleaner air.

Never mind that, he grunted. You need the paramedics. They’re taking care of your friend right now.

I nodded and coughed up phlegm. Soon I was seated in the back of an ambulance, three grim faces—two identical—staring back at me.

Rhys, you’re OK? I asked, looking at my new friend. He nodded.

Yeah, he said.

The paramedic checked me over and released me a half an hour later. They had taken Matt to the hospital as he had not regained consciousness yet.

The fire had been put out on the bus and the smoke was clearing. Xander was with the fire marshal and the twins who stared at the ruined shell of his bus.

I thought you guys were aboard, I muttered as I came up to them.

We were, Xander said gravely. Until a little while ago.

What happened?

We managed to escape, Reed said. We overheard Leland’s daughter plotting to bomb the bus—with us aboard. We managed to escape and hide on our bus, Rhys took up the story.

The fire marshal soon found the bomb and commiserated with Officer Denton who took charge of the investigation. Hopefully we will find fingerprints of either Suzanne or Leroy Martinson, he said. But we’re all glad you are safe, he added looking from the Wyatt’s and me. Matt has regained consciousness and is doing OK. They’re keeping him overnight for observation but he should be fine in the morning.

That’s incredible news, I said, with a grin. He wasn’t fine before the explosion, I quipped.

I’ll make sure he knows you said that, Denton said with mock severity as he turned away and headed to his car. He turned back. We’ll meet at police headquarters in half an hour, OK?

I nodded. We’ll be there.

The Wyatt’s followed me to my SUV. Reed and Rhys climbed in the back and Xander was up front with me. We drove to Police Headquarters mostly in silence. The nights events had taken a toll on everyone.

I can’t believe Leland’s daughter was behind it, Rhys muttered as we were seated around the conference table next to Denton’s office. He was seated at the head of the table.

Suzanne was a very disturbed woman, Xander remarked. She and her husband were always jealous of my success, he added. Then when I got the stunt job for the Masked Avenger after Leroy was fired for carelessness, it sent them over the edge.

They found out about your contract with United Pictures? I remarked and Xander nodded.

Yes, the contract hinged on this stunt show. I decided to add the charity angle to help out my sister but Suzanne and Leroy followed Leland here and sent the threatening notes.

They recruited Raina—they had known her from their days of living in Miami—to help with the pyrotechnics and the bombs, I added. They were deadly serious that this show would not go on. Was Leland aware of his daughter’s involvement?

I don’t think so, at least at first, Xander said.

He saw her that day she sabotaged the stunt plane and helped her escape but I don’t think he knew before that, I remarked. He confronted her at the strip mall, I added. To get her to stop. He panicked when he saw me and took off.

She threatened me to keep you away from Reed, Rhys said, looking at his brother. I was to keep you occupied and away from the fairgrounds all night. I didn’t know what she had planned, though. He hung his head sadly.

You drugged my cola?, I said looking at Rhys with a frown.

A very powerful sleeping pill, he said, sheepishly looking up at me. I’m really sorry, Justin, I had to keep you away like she wanted or she would hurt Reed and me. That phone call was to lure you out of the room so I could put the sleeping drug in your drink.

I nodded. I figured that, I said.

So you do care about me?, Reed remarked, looking at his brother.

Of course I do, doofus, Rhys muttered. Without you to torment, life just wouldn’t be worth living.

Reed just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I didn’t know she was going to kidnap Reed, Rhys said. When I found out she had taken Reed and he was aboard the equipment bus,  she clobbered me as well and hid me on our bus, in the storage compartment.

She hoped Reed would end up in L.A with the bus—less people to take care of here in town, I remarked.

Leroy clobbered me, Xander said, scratching the back of his head. He hid us aboard my bus in the storage compartment.

And they took me again as I was leaving the hospital, Reed said. Well, Suzanne did, he added. I really hate that woman! He muttered.

Denton came in the room at that point. Well we’ve been able to nab Leroy Martinson at the hospital. He is with his wife and Raina now being interrogated.

Have they confessed? I asked and Denton nodded. Yes, he remarked. They planned to sabotage the stunt show so Mr. Wyatt would not get the contract. They still feel Leroy’s accident was your fault, Denton said, looking at Xander.

They also confessed to making the false report to the customs to delay your return. They needed time to take Xander and to plant the bomb on the bus.

I wonder how they knew the show wasn’t cancelled? I asked.

Seems Raina overheard your plans. Suzanne wanted her to keep close tabs on you to find out any new developments. So Raina reported back that you were faking the cancellation, Denton remarked.

She was a good little actress, I muttered. Asking you, Xander why the sabotage was still happening even after you cancelled the show. She knew all along!

So they had sent the notes and made the phone calls while you were still in L.A., I remarked. Hoping you wouldn’t even come here at all. Then stepped it up once you did come.

And Leland didn’t know any of this? Xander asked

Not until he saw Suzanne getting out of the stunt plane after she sabotaged the parachute. He helped her escape but tried to stop her. He eventually saw her side of it and tried to stop me—

But Leroy shot him, Denton reported. To shut him up. He thought Leland was confessing to you.

Well they will be behind bars so the stunt show can go on as planned, I remarked. I hope you can pull it off!

Xander just looked at me and scowled. What are you saying Justin? You don’t think I can do it? I have no equipment, no crew and only 5 days. Why do you doubt me?

I don’t doubt you, Xander, I said putting up my hands. You can do it.

Well, I’m going to need some help, I think. What do you say? Would you like to help a famous stuntman put on a killer show?

I would love to help. And so would my friends. Where do we start?

Xander pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. This is the first list of things I need done. Knock yourself out.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. It had rained off and on all week and we were worried that Saturday was going to be rainy as well and that Xander would have to cancel the “Deadliest Stunt”.

Manny had returned to Port Salser with the equipment truck after almost reaching L.A. In fact he had stopped in Phoenix as the equipment truck had needed repairs so he was back in town by Wednesday.

Van and Raj helped get the word out that the show was back on. My girlfriend Melissa and my friend Jenn sold tickets and also put the word out.

Xander practiced—and practiced some more. Reed and Rhys still had issues with each other, but were getting along better. Once I told Rhys that he was going to be my friend—whether he liked it or not, and that he wasn’t in competition with his brother, he seemed to be a lot calmer and didn’t want to punch me out every time he saw me.

Tuesday morning the brothers started at Port Salser Collegiate and fit right in with the rest of my friends. Especially my cousin Alex who looked forward to tormenting the twins.

But Saturday promised to be a great day. The show was scheduled to start at 6 pm and we worked right up until the announcer quieted down the crowd to start the show.

Xander did the motorcycle through the fire ring stunt. He did a stunt where he jumped from one speeding car to another and another where he was suspended from a helicopter on only a thin wire. It was amazing and the crowd went nuts for each one.

But everyone wanted to see the main event. The Deadliest Stunt it was called mainly because no one had ever attempted it and if it failed, it would indeed be very deadly.

The stunt plane took off from the airstrip at the far end of the fairground at 8 pm sharp. Inside Xander was aboard his motorcycle. I was seated in the front row, Reed and Rhys next to me on one side with Ruth beside Rhys, and Melissa, Jenn, Van, Raj, Matt, Mom, Dad and Kimmy on the other. Behind us sat Xander’s sister, Millie Pruitt and her family.

Dad can do it, Reed muttered as the crowd got more and more noisy as the stunt plane rose into the air.

Of course he can, Rhys exclaimed, giving his brother a dark look.

The plane did a few circles around the field. The crowd got more and more excited. A video screen had been set up at the far end of the field with a camera aboard the motorcycle. I looked at the screen and Xander gave a thumbs up to the camera and everyone cheered.

A minute later he was out of the plane, plummeting towards the earth. The crowd quieted as we watched Xander fall—at dizzying speed towards us. I looked up in the sky and saw first a speck against the blue sky. Watch it get larger and larger. Just when we all thought the motorcycle was going to crash to the earth, Xander pulled the parachute cord and he jerked back into the sky.

Moments later he landed smoothly on the highway about 2 km from the fairgrounds, outside the Port Salser Mall.

The crowd cheered as Xander made his way closer to the fairgrounds. Once he entered the stadium the crowd went nuts. Xander did it. He performed the Deadliest Stunt. And survived!

Dad did it! Reed exclaimed, getting to his feet. He did it!

You’re right, bro, Rhys said getting to his feet and grabbing his brother in a big bear hug. I wondered if the brothers could finally put all the bad feelings behind them. Now I knew they would. They might not be the closest twin brothers, but I knew at that moment that they respected each other. I learned earlier that day that Rhys would be taking therapy for his anger issues. They were going to be just fine.

So, you want a career as a stuntman? Xander said later that night as we were seated around a large table at Chez Maurice in downtown Port Salser. Everyone was there, Van, Raj, Matt, Melissa, Jenn, Mom, Dad, Kimmy along with the Wyatt twins and their mom seated next to Xander.

Yeah, Justin, you would make a great stuntman. You face danger every day, Raj spoke up.

I do, I said. Face danger, I mean. But I don’t know if I could do it as a full time job. I think I’ll leave that to the professionals.

Well, if it wasn’t for your quick thinking, Hollywood would be short one stuntman, Xander said with a frown.

And we would be without a dad, Rhys added. Thanks Justin.

We were all silent for a moment. Leave it up to my sister to break the tension with a smart remark.

I don’t want Justin to become a stuntman, she said, taking a sip of her water. Then if I want to play a trick on him, he’ll know all the tricks and be ready for anything I throw at him. I can’t have that. So just stick to being detective, she added, turning to me and winking. The one thing you’re actually good at!

**the end**