Archive of Our Own

It doesn't take long for things to gain traction. The post about Ryland's disappearance that Alma helped Tom draft explodes. There's the usual stuff. Condolences for him. Well wishes. Some people are straight up rude and insensitive. Saying good riddance or asking if he's back on the market. He's glad he has Alma to help reel him back in from his indignant anger. Those comments get deleted and accounts get blocked. After a couple days media outlets start reaching out. 

Tom informs Colt to be prepared for the same. If they get this to really take off, hopefully it'll put some pressure on whoever took Ryland. Tom assumes Eva Stratt, but that's not a certainty. He ends up doing a couple interviews about the post, including one with himself and Colt together on a call. The longer they can keep Ryland’s name in the media the better. He knows that it’ll fade eventually.

He’s glad that he has Colt on this with him. Colt gives him both a confidant and a distraction that he desperately needs. Tom starts texting him almost daily, between calls with his manager and Alma. He’s trying to clear out his schedule a bit just in case. It’s far from ideal, but luckily he didn’t have a lot of active contracts coming up. The only one he is convinced to keep is the closest one, as that one is just a simple ad campaign and very short notice to cancel on. Colt texts him back with apprehension at first before he starts matching Tom’s energy. It feels like their friendship is starting to heal. Like how they were in the earliest parts of their careers together. Except now Tom can ask and learn more about Ryland. He also doesn’t mind how well Colt doesn’t take crap from him. Returning it with the same vigor that Tom sends it. Tom doesn’t actually mean most of the insults, at least not seriously. Colt returning them reassures him that the feeling is mutual. They’ve apparently come to some kind of understanding.

Almost two weeks after the post he receives a message.

(555)132-6785: Be prepared to receive a call at 5pm your time.

Tom: who is this

what is this call for

(555)132-6785: This call will be in relation to Ryland Grace

Tom: do you know where he is

(555)132-6785: That is irrelevant. Just answer the call at 5pm

Tom stares at the series of messages for a while. It’s evident he’s not going to get any answers from whoever this is. Regardless, a lack of information is still something. They refused to tell him if they knew where Ryland was. That isn't a confession by any means, but it is suspicious.

Throughout his day he keeps going back to the messages and finds himself slowly growing more furious. He's all but convinced that not only does this person know where Ryland is, but also is likely the person who took him. By the time his phone rings he's practically seething. He holds his phone in a deathgrip as he answers the call.

He doesn't even bother with a greeting, “Where is he?” He demands. Tom wants it to sound like a threat. Like he has every intent to cause the person on the other side of this call harm.

The quiet voice that answers Tom back shocks him, almost making him regret his tone. He's overtaken with something that feels like relief, initially, before worry fills him. Ryland is physically okay, but Tom can hear even through the phone how wrecked he is. Tom softens his voice, tries to provide comfort in the only way he can. It doesn’t feel like enough. It will never be enough.

Ryland starts talking before Tom can say much else. He isn't willing or able to share a lot but it becomes apparent that Ryland hadn't had much, if any, choice in this. Ryland tries to assure Tom he is safe. It sounds scripted. Tom doesn't think that really matters as much in this context. Tom trusts Ryland. He doesn't trust other people. Tom tries to understand what kind of work could possibly be important enough for Ryland to accept being abducted.

Ryland picks up the pace, like he's being rushed. Tom responds quickly when Ryland says he loves him. There's a bit of shuffling, but the call doesn't end.

“Hello, Mr. Ryder,” an accented voice says. “This is Eva Stratt.”

“What do you want, Stratt?” Tom bites back, venomously.

“It is not what I want but what you want,” Stratt returns, dryly. “We have little time to waste on frivolity, Mr. Ryder. There is much at stake. Fortunately, Dr. Grace has proven to be most helpful. I can admit I made a miscalculation in regards to you, however your relationship with Dr. Grace does not outweigh the needs of the entire world.”

“Ryland is my world,” Tom asserts. “I’m not going to stop until I see him with my own eyes.”

“The sentiment is superfluous. I cannot do that,” she replies. There seems to be little room for argument with her. “We are in too early of a stage to allow that. This phone call was more than I can offer to most on this project right now. I implore you to back down. You will be receiving a statement to release. It is in not only your best interest, but also his, that you follow through with it.”

Stratt hangs up before Tom even has an opportunity to respond. If given the time he would’ve tried to make demands in exchange for his cooperation. Maybe that’s the reason for the abrupt end to the call. Take away any opportunity for him to try it.  He pulls his phone away from his ear and grips it tightly. A growl of frustration and anger escapes him. 

Stratt is powerful, that much is obvious. At the same time, she had, presumably unintentionally, given Tom some information if he read between the lines a bit. Something he is more than capable of doing. Another miscalculation on her part. She probably just saw what a lot did based on social media and roles in films. A stupid, blonde actor. Not knowing or caring that being able to read people and find meaning in the spaces between words is literally part of his job.

Threatening Tom is one thing. It’s not something that’s necessarily new to him. It is an unfortunate side-effect of his career. Tom feels very differently when it’s done toward Ryland, even if it's likely just a coercion tactic. Tom suspects the threat towards Ryland is a bluff. If Ryland is so important, there would be no reason to do him harm. At least none that could jeopardize his ability to produce results. It’s of little comfort to Tom to think that. Even if Stratt was lying, Tom can’t let himself intentionally be the cause for Ryland to get hurt. Ryland has obviously been struggling already. The tremble of his voice, evidence of that. The weary yet panicked sound as he hurriedly tried to explain to Tom. Ryland may be physically safe, whole and unharmed, but Tom can't help but wonder about his emotional well-being. Stratt seems to be results focused, with little care in any other direction except when it becomes a wider issue. Whatever project they are working on must resonate somehow with Ryland. Tom doubts that it holds any selfish value for Ryland. Whatever this is must be something that affects someone he cares about. Apparently that could be as broad as the entire world. Ryland isn’t doing this for himself. Ryland wouldn’t push himself so hard if there wasn’t a reason driving him. Even if it seems that Ryland hadn’t been given much choice in the course of whatever mess he’s found himself in.

Stratt also made the slip that this project is at too early of a stage right now, implying that it might evolve to a point where it becomes public knowledge. She hadn’t given any semblance of a timeline for that. Tom doesn’t plan on waiting to find out if he can do something about it.

He’ll release whatever statement Stratt sends, that’s fine. Doesn’t mean he’s going to stop trying. Tom has at least one connection he can reach out to. Even if he is reluctant to do so.

He picks up his phone, apprehensively. This move could come back to bite him in the ass. It might not even be worth it. He can’t avoid it. Doing nothing when the option is right there, no matter how uncomfortable, isn’t something he can allow himself. Not when Ryland’s welfare is on the line. He calls Gail.

As expected Gail isn’t super receptive to helping. Especially not for free. The only hitch is that it also involves Colt. Along with no guarantee of any results, even if Tom gets her what she wants.

Metalstorm has apparently been hellish to work on. It took them forever to get out of development hell. Once they did, they had a director drop. Jody’s on now, but still another time sink. The current issue is the loss of one of their stunt drivers. Some new, but skilled hotshot that got mixed up in a bad crowd and ghosted. That’s where Colt comes into play. Gail needs a stunt driver. Tom needs her connections. Tom convinces Colt to get behind the wheel again. Gail will make some calls.

If Tom can pull it off, the arrangement plays in Gail’s favor no matter what. She will get her blockbuster. Tom may not get results at all. It’s all up in the air. Continuously moving variables with little chance of predictability. It’s hardly a fair deal, but it’s the best he can get right now. He has little to offer Gail himself that she could want.

He doesn’t accept immediately. It's not his decision to make for Colt. In the past he would've probably tried to manipulate Colt into doing it for selfish reasons. He would’ve blindly agreed with Gail’s terms and figured out the Colt issue separately. Now, Tom not only knows he probably won't have to, considering the stakes, but also feels a bit disgusted at the prospect of doing so. Tom agrees to call her back and hangs up.

Tom tries Colt and ends up having to leave a voicemail, “Hey jackass, call me back as soon as you get this. It’s about Ryland.” The insult lacks bite, intended to be more like a friendly jab. He and Colt seem to have figured out their baggage. In some ways it feels like old times. When they first met. Even so, Tom feels impatient, he hangs up quickly.

As he tries to figure out what to do with himself, he receives a message with the statement Stratt wants him to release. He's definitely going to have to doctor it a bit. The tone is all wrong. Stratt has already taken care to eliminate the police report according to her message. Her power is astonishing and terrifying. The fact that she can essentially make someone disappear with no consequences is alarming. It’s a rare instance where the following Tom has accrued feels like a boon instead of a burden. If not for them his search for Ryland would’ve been dead in the water much quicker.

The message is simple and impersonal. Ryland has been located and is safe. Along with a request for privacy at this “tumultuous” time. Tom reworks it a bit, but the core message stays the same. Hopefully Alma won’t be too pissed that he made a post without passing it by her.

Finally, Colt calls him back.

Colt skips any kind of greeting and gets straight to the point, “What have you found out?”

Tom considers his words carefully, “Ryland was allowed to call me.” He wants to convey the exact situation. He doesn’t want to lead Colt on or into a whole tangent. This situation is already messy enough.

“Allowed?” Colt asks, trying to understand the implication of the word.

“Yes, allowed. A small concession to get us to back off,” Tom lets himself express his frustration as openly as he can through the phone. He’s certain they both feel very similarly. 

“Do you know where he is?” Colt sounds both determined and concerned.

He doesn’t want to give Colt any false hope at this point either, “No. Neither he nor his…” Tom struggles to find the right word, “Captor? Whatever you’d call Stratt.” Not that it truly matters what he would call her. “Gave a location or any details beyond the fact that he is safe and doing some crazy important work.”

“Okay, so what's the plan?” Colt jumps in ready to help in any way possible. It's reassuring to Tom in more ways than one. He can rely upon Colt. It also makes the next part easier. “You have a plan, right?”

“I called Gail,” Tom tries to sound confident, but he knows Colt will catch on to his hesitance. 

“What, now?” Colt sounds shocked. Perplexed. It makes sense. Tom hasn’t given Colt many of the details regarding the falling out he had with Gail, but it’s not a difficult puzzle to put together.

“She has connections,” he reasons. "But…”

Colt doesn’t let Tom linger in the uncertainty, “But?”

“She won’t help unless we, or rather you, do something in exchange,” Tom emphasizes the point that Colt is the contingency for all this working. “She needs a stunt driver for Metalstorm.”

Colt balks at the request, stammering at first, “What? No way,” the refusal is expected.  “I’m out of the game. I can’t do that.”

Tom can’t deny that he understands. After an incident like Colt’s it’s reasonable that he would feel worried or even afraid to approach any kind of stunt again.

“Colt, you’re the best stunt driver I’ve ever seen,” it’s a fact as far as Tom is concerned. Colt has skills in spades, but his driving is next level. He stopped getting as much work driving before his fall. A lot of their films didn’t involve a lot of work in that regard. Even if he is rusty after months off Tom knows Colt can pull some crazy maneuvers.

Colt takes a couple deep breaths as the silence stretches. Tom holds himself back from interrupting. Worried that doing so would derail Colt from truly considering it. Colt sighs, “How do you know this will actually work?”

“I don’t,” Tom admits reluctantly. In an ideal world he could tell Colt with confidence, but it’s just not true. It does nothing to lie about it to Colt. “It’s for Ryland. You didn’t hear him on the phone, Colt. He sounded awful. He may be physically safe, if I’m to take his word for it, but he seemed so miserable.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Colt concedes, resigning himself to going through with this in spite of the possibility of failure. “How soon do I leave?”

“I’ll call Gail back but probably in the next couple of days,” a short turn around sure, but preferable to just waiting around.

“I have to quit my job. I just got it,” Colt groans.

“Oh no… not your sweet valet gig,” Tom smirks. He wonders if Colt can hear it through the line. "Whatever will you do?”

Colt scoffs and feigns offense, “Fuck you, dude.”

“Whatever, bitch,” Tom hangs up on him. One more step in the right direction. 

Colt had originally expected that Tom would be joining him in Sydney. To his own surprise, he’s disappointed to find out that isn’t the case. At least not immediately. Tom has one commitment he couldn’t cancel on. As such he will be staying behind in L.A. for a few more days at minimum if not longer. Colt exits Tom’s car at the airport with a middle finger as he says goodbye.

A little over 16 hours later, physically because time zones are a whole thing, Colt arrives on site for Metalstorm. He needs a coffee or maybe a nap. Desperately. Instead he gets a whirlwind of meeting people, before he encounters a friendly face. Dan greets him with excitement, before walking him to the shoreline. Colt knew he was coming here to do some driving, he didn’t expect the first thing to be a canon roll. He’s barely passed the threshold of recovery to be working at all and they want him to roll a car. Not only that but the conditions are hardly ideal. Loose sand. No grip.

As Dan tries to hype him up, reassure him and calm him down all at once he hears a voice through Dan's walkie that sounds startlingly familiar. Colt tries to write it off initially. Dan puts a helmet on his head, before he sees her.

Jody.

Colt tunes out Dan at the site of her. She looks so amazing. She looks busy. Watching her get into the truck with the camera rig is when he realizes it. She’s directing.

While Colt was wallowing, she was achieving her dream.

Did Tom know about this and not tell him? Probably. Douche. That’s a problem for later.

Right now Colt needs to roll a car and not destroy his spine a second time.

Jody is livid. Pissed. Colt managed the roll. A new record for the amount of times he flipped. He’d feel accomplished if not for the fact that he smashed a camera AND had to face Jody’s wrath and disappointment.  The one shining spot of positivity is that his back only twinges a little.

Colt knows why he is here. His primary objective is to do a good job, so Gail will hopefully help him and Tom out by using whatever connections she has. He can’t help that he also has suddenly added a second objective. Fix things with Jody. He doesn’t necessarily expect her to want to be together again. He’s aware he fucked up. It’d be nice if they could at least be friends again. Hell he’d be happy if they could just be friendly. It’d be way better than hearing her scathing remarks or seeing the fiery glares she sends his direction.

He was told he was just going to be doing driving maneuvers, but somehow he has been set ablaze and thrown at a rock four times already. It doesn’t seem like this fifth take is going to be the last time either. He’s surprised the rest of the cast and crew are just letting this happen. Must be entertaining. Colt decides to take it as punishment for how awful he had been. Not just to Jody, but everyone else too. Maybe if he hadn’t been such an ass, Ryland wouldn’t even be missing right now. Yeah the speculation and guilty feelings aren’t going to help, but he can’t help himself. If it's not one thing it's another. In the end it all goes back to Colt pushing everyone away.

If he can even in some small way fix things with Jody, it's one less thing weighing on his conscience. As selfish as that makes him feel.

At the end of a long day, Jody takes a moment to come sit with him in a borrowed truck. After poking a bit of fun at him for crying to a Taylor Swift song, of course.

“So, how’ve you been?” An impersonal start to what will prove to be an uncomfortable conversation. Even so, she’s making an opening for him. He’s going to take it.

“Oh you know,” Colt throws a thumb up without really thinking about it.

“Yeah, thumbs up?” Jody looks at him unimpressed, before tilting her head with thinly veiled contempt. “God I hate that. Why are you even here, Colt?”

Colt decides to keep the full truth close to his chest, “Gail asked for me.” He doesn’t need to distract Jody with all the drama of the current situation with Ryland. She might know about it. If she calls it out, maybe he will tell her. For now she has plenty on her plate without having to worry about that. He also doesn’t want her pity. Doesn’t want to feel like he is coercing her into caring about him again.

“Gail asked for you?” she raises a brow at him.

“Yeah, she needed a stunt driver and you know Gail, she’s very convincing,” Colt waves a hand with little care, trying to appear relaxed. Casual.

“Okay yeah keep your secrets,” Jody seems to have realized there is more going on here. The lack of straightforward questions makes Colt believe that she doesn’t have enough details to tell what secrets he’s hiding from her. It’s helpful that what little he told her was technically true, just not all of it.  “Boundaries are good, boundaries are great. We gotta keep it super profesh.”

“Profesh is my middle name,” he tries to keep it light. Colt can tell he’s certainly not achieving that.

Jody doesn’t look exceptionally pleased with him, but she doesn’t seem quite as put out either. Colt wants to think he’s at least broken the barrier between them a little. Like maybe they are on track to something better. They joke, a bit awkwardly, for a moment longer, before Jody looks at him seriously. She reveals her concerns with the heavy burden this film has placed on her shoulders with a warning that he better not derail this for her. 

Colt has no plans to do so. He wants everything to go just as well. Not just for her, but for Ryland, too. It has to, there’s no other option.

Tom cackles over the phone later when Colt calls him out for not telling him about Jody. He’s laughing so hard he almost cries, ending his fit with an airy exhale. At Colt’s insistence, Tom reveals to him he just didn’t tell him, because he thought it'd be funny. It’s only half of the truth, but Colt seems to accept it. He sounds annoyed, but not angry or upset. The day must’ve gone alright then.

The full truth is that he hadn’t told Colt about Jody, because he was concerned. Worried that Colt would decline going if he knew. Tom didn’t want to risk it. Tom hoped that Colt would go forth with the deal regardless. He would already be there anyway. What would be the point of backing out? Tom also knew that with the well-being of Ryland hanging over him Colt would have a difficult time not following through. As it turns out it was a risky but worth it play. 

Colt receives a message from Gail after his call with Tom. He wasn’t originally called for the next morning, but now she wants him in at 6am. He isn’t about to argue. Still, it's strange. He somehow got roped into doing the fire stunt. That was Jody’s doing. To some degree he understood why. He hopes that it isn’t turning into a pattern.

Colt starts the morning with Dan. Just shooting the shit a bit as he moves mats and pads with him. Dan is going off about Jody planning to do a single long shot for an action sequence. It sounds complicated. Colt is confused why he was called for today, if there isn’t any driving to be done. He finds out when Gail approaches him a half hour into the day.

“We need you on this oner for some line work,” Gail has her phone grasped loosely in one hand and a diet coke balanced in the other while a packet of papers is tucked into her side with her elbow.

“I thought I was coming here just to drive?” Colt argues, brows furrowing.

“Now you’re doing this too. Unless you want to end our deal?” Gail levels him with an uncaring look.  “I can send you home right now.”

She’s got him there. He really doesn’t have anything to barter with. It’ll be okay. A little wire work won’t hurt. At least not anymore than it did yesterday, “Fine, fine.”

“Head over to wardrobe, you’re a star soldier today,” she stalks off, not waiting for a response. Her phone meets her ear a second later as he watches her go. Busy, busy. 

He is given a costume with a full helmet that covers even his face. The mirrored star panel on the front is difficult to see through, especially with the rain that’s being simulated. They attempt the oner a couple times before Colt takes a look at Jody. She’s frustrated. Whatever she’s hoping to get from this sequence isn’t working out. It's a nice change of pace to work with an actor who is willing to do his own action sequences as fully as possible. Tom was a great actor and would’ve done the speaking parts and maybe some light action, but the guy playing Space Cowboy is a new up and comer that has something to prove. Colt tries to recall his name, it might be Tyler or Taylor or something. He’s doing alright all things considered. Colt doesn’t think the shot is falling apart because of him, at least not entirely.

Everyone is given a brief 15 minute break announced through the bullhorn in Nigel’s hand. Colt waits to be unhooked from his wires while ripping off his helmet. As soon as he is free he grabs a Pb&J. Jody walks up to him with a sigh. 

Colt glances at her, “Something… wrong?”

“It’s just not working,” Jody sighs.

“What’s not working?” he looks around trying to find the issue.

“The studio wants this to all end rosy and happy, but that’s just not realistic,” she confides. Colt can understand where she’s coming from. He recognizes what she’s trying to say. The comparison she’s making. “A realistic love story wouldn’t end with Alieana and Space Cowboy together.”

He still wants to try to convince her otherwise. Maybe if they can turn around this film, hash it out, she will see that they can also work. It’s self serving, but Jody also needs the push. Her film depends on it, “Why would you say that?”

“Well you haven’t read the script, so I understand you wouldn’t know, but her people came and ravaged earth,” she explains while also calling him out. He wasn’t ever supposed to be on this project. He never received a script. He accepts the jab anyway.

“That seems like a totally manageable problem to me,” he tries to lighten the mood with that. He knows he’s about to sound really corny, but he can’t bring himself to care. Jody should be used to it, probably, “Listen you’re the director, you’ll make the right choice, but love is a great motivator and right now Space Cowboy and Alieana look like they aren’t motivated. It doesn’t have to be love conquers all, for love to still win.”

Jody hums and nods with a thoughtful look. She turns away going over to Tyler/Taylor whatever his name is. They have a brief discussion, before Nigel calls everyone to return to places. The next two takes go remarkably better. By the third one it feels like everything has come together and just needs some tweaks. Space Cowboy and Alieana are interacting much more fluidly and almost dancing on the battlefield. Colt is actually excited to get flipped in the air on a wire this time. Jody calls for one more shot. It’s almost perfect. 

The invite to karaoke with the crew at the end of the day makes it actually perfect.

Karaoke goes fantastically. It feels like he and Dan didn’t miss a beat. Colt feels so incredibly thankful that Dan is here and didn’t write him off after losing contact from his accident. Jody too seems to be on the way to warming back up to him. Colt feels hope blossom in his chest. He doesn’t want to read too much into things, but it feels like there’s a chance that maybe, possibly, they could figure things out.

They have a brief amount of time during the walk back to the hotel, before Jody has to go back to work on the movie. Colt can’t help locking onto her. She’s so pretty and amazing. It's difficult to look away.

Jody breaks off a conversation with Nigel turning her attention to Colt once they have a little more privacy, “I know you aren’t necessarily called in tomorrow, but If you want to put on a star soldier suit and do some more work tomorrow, you could?”

“Yeah?” Colt tries not to let the excitement that has made its home in his chest show.

“Gail said you were up for it and you did great today,” she compliments. Of course Gail is pulling strings behind the scenes. Colt isn’t sure if he minds. In a way she has become an accidental wingman for him.

“Did she, now?” he grins. “Alright. 6am again?”

“Yeah, yeah. See you then,” Jody turns away to leave with Nigel.

Colt pumps his fist in triumph. Sure Gail is muddying things, but Jody clearly wants him around. Tomorrow marks him being over halfway done with his part of the deal with Gail. Tom will be showing up around midday tomorrow. Colt is going to help Jody make her epic space love story and they will finally be able to see Ryland if all goes to plan.

Jody departs to go grab her things before she has a long night parsing through footage.

Tom arrives at the Metalstorm set around 3pm. He doesn’t bother with any pleasantries on the way in, just walks like he knows exactly where he is going. He’s not supposed to be here. That doesn’t matter. No one bothers to even check if he’s allowed here. Even if he hears whispers from all sides as he walks between equipment, canopies and trailers.

He hangs back as they film a sequence near the canyon. Jody is sitting behind the monitor with Gail right next to her. He tries to spot Colt amongst the crew. This scene doesn’t involve any driving, there’s no reason he should be involved. As they wrap up the shot he is surprised to see a familiar head of messy, bleached hair make an appearance from under a helmet. Colt let himself be roped in to additional work as a background character. Tom doesn’t know if this is Gail’s doing or Jody’s, but it can’t hurt, he supposes. Extra leverage to use if Gail tries to back out on them.

A short break is called for the cast as they need to reset for the next shot. Excellent timing on Tom’s part. He strides up to stand between Gail and Jody at the same pace with which Colt makes his way over to Jody’s other side. Colt is so predictable. Like a lovesick puppy. His expression changes as soon as he notices Tom. The grin on his face slips into something much more serious. At the change, Jody turns around and spots him. Without much warning she pulls Tom into a light hug from the side. The spike of envy that crosses Colt’s face has Tom smirking. Sure, Tom hadn’t stayed super connected with Jody after everything either, but they had stayed friendly enough. Especially considering Ryland being at his side. Colt had really been the pin holding them all together, but an occasional text wasn’t uncommon.

“What are you doing here?” Jody’s eyebrows scrunch with confusion. “I’ve been following your posts. Is Ryland here too?”

Tom decides to only answer the initial question, “I have some business with Gail.”  He doesn’t know why he wants to hide this from Jody. It feels too soon to drop this on her on top of everything else she has going on. She glances at Gail. Gail fully paying attention to them at the mention of her name.

“Oh, um, yeah. Sure,” Jody squints slightly with suspicion obvious on her face.

Tom pushes forward anyway, “You mind if I borrow Colt as well?”

“Hmm,” Jody takes a moment to consider it. Probably trying to determine if he’s necessary for any shots coming up. “Shouldn’t be a problem, go ahead.”

“Let’s go to my trailer, for a bit more privacy,” Gail strides ahead of them with her normal no-nonsense demeanor.

The walk is mostly silent. If Gail wasn’t right there, he’d be asking Colt for a bunch of details. As it is, it seems that they, or rather Colt, has held up their end of the deal and then some. Gail unlocks her trailer door and leads them both inside. She takes a seat at the desk and Colt takes the couch. Tom feels exhausted from the last couple days and the flight here, but chooses to lean against the wall. If he sits he might take a nap at this point. Gail’s trailer no longer features wall to wall decor with his face on it. Instead, other than a couple posters of the new lead she’s working with, the walls are pretty bare.

“How are things, Tom?” Gail eyes him with barely hidden antagonistic mirth. “You enjoying the change in pace?”

Tom isn’t going to let that fly. He’s already bone-tired and weary. Under that the continuous current of anxiety and misery he’s been unable to eliminate since that day at the airport has made him more impatient than usual. “Let’s cut the small talk, Gail,” he stares her down, tilting his head slightly.  “It's time for you to uphold your end of this deal.”

“I’ve actually already started,” she reveals, motioning to Colt with her left hand. “Colt’s been a great help to getting this movie out of the gutter. I sent out some messages and made some calls yesterday.”

“And? Anything?” Colt leans forward with a small bit of hope in his eyes.

“Nothing concrete. My connections for this kind of thing aren’t that amazing. There’s a lot of red tape on top of that,” Gail looks back at Tom when he scoffs.  “I have a couple friends of friends and a cousin who has an in-law that is in the federal government. Still it’s better than anything you’ve got.”

She is right, of course. It doesn’t make Tom feel any better. He knew that the results may vary from what he hoped. Still he had thought he’d come out with something of significance. This feels like it was a waste of time. For him. Colt still got something out of it. He and Colt respond in tandem. Tom doesn’t bother to cover up how he truly feels. Colt on the other hand is much more understanding. Maybe he is just more capable at being diplomatic.

“Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”

“That’s disappointing.”

“I did find out more about this Eva Stratt, though,” Gail reveals while pulling out her phone looking at a message.  “The project she’s heading is called Project Hail Mary. It has something to do with the Petrova line that the news was talking about a while back,” she looks up at Tom. Tom doesn’t know if it's sympathy or pity. He doesn’t like either option very much. “I know you’re hoping for more than that. I’ll keep trying. You, well Colt, really saved this movie for us.”

“Thanks,” Colt grins and gives her that damned thumbs-up.

“Tomorrow will be the last day we need him, before we start doing a few final easy shots and move into our next phase of production. I’ll keep you two updated if I hear anything, but this might not work out,” the reminder feels unnecessary considering how little she has been able to provide. “You already knew that.”

“Sure, whatever, thanks anyway,” Tom waves her off leaving the trailer without a farewell. He hears Colt come up right behind him.

It's dissatisfying to say the least. Not much more than what they already had. Tom adds those two terms into his phone to search for later. He tries not to let himself feel too hopeful about if this will truly turn anything up.

Colt follows him out. Colt expresses his own disappointment in the situation, but doesn't seem as torn up about it. Tom gets it. Colt is finally getting his life back. At least a little. Tom can't help the sharp stab of jealousy he feels. His own life feels like it’s falling apart, without Ryland in it. He's been doing his best not to spiral. The temptation has been there. It's easy to access his vices if he wants them. He just keeps reminding himself that he can't. He needs to keep a clear head. He can’t lose focus. He can't let himself medicate like that while Ryland could be in danger. 

Before they split paths near the filming site, Tom lets his gaze shift over to Colt. Colt waves at Jody with a lovesick look. Tom tries not to look bothered. Colt naturally gravitates over to Dan as Jody is visibly preoccupied. Tom finds a secluded spot near a panel van to hang out. It looks to be sound equipment inside. It's a perfect spot to not be bothered. He leans against it and pulls his phone out. His earlier assumption was partially correct. Project Hail Mary doesn’t turn up any relevant results. Likewise Petrova Task Force is somewhat of a dead end . It does lead him into reading about the Petrova line. Some of it goes over his head, but the information available on it is somewhat limited. An interstellar phenomenon causing a line between the Sun and Venus with unclear implications. Recently a probe had been sent and returned with samples from the line. The timing of the return of those samples lines up suspiciously with Ryland’s disappearance. That can’t be a coincidence. Tom is still missing pieces. It doesn’t explain why Ryland was necessary. He’s a middle school science teacher for fucks sake. Yeah he’s got a doctorate in molecular biology and he’s crazy smart, but there had to be other options.

Tom sends the information off to Alma. He asks her to keep tabs on it as much as possible. She’s his best bet for this kind of thing. Pocketing his phone, he decides that’s more than enough time spent here. At the set for a movie he chose to abandon. He’s not upset about it. Not really. The most recent film he’d worked on, before Ryland had gone missing, had been a smaller indie production. It had been more fun and more collaborative than any of the recent action films he had done with Gail. He had gotten to explore some different sides to himself as an actor. It had been challenging, but also felt incredibly worthwhile. If he were to place the bitterness he feels right now on anything it is the familiar faces around him. He knows that the change in his career doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll never see any of these familiar faces again, but he can’t avoid the emptiness he feels. He’s never had a lot of true friends, but a handful of people here, felt like they could’ve truly been that for him. Maybe if he had been a better person. He’s trying now, that’s got to count for something. He’s got Colt and Jody. Alma too he supposes. Iggy is wishy-washy at best, but has always been cool with him. And, of course, Ryland.

His stomach twists painfully.

God, he misses Ryland.

Tom leaves Metalstorm behind for a second time in less than a year. A quick text to Colt sent on his way to see about meeting up.

Colt is dog tired, but Jody and Dan want to hang out tonight. They are obviously curious about why Tom showed up today. Colt had managed to deflect questions during the rest of shooting. It helped that they were all so busy with various tasks. Once they wrap, they try once more to question him. He knows it can’t hurt to tell them, but deflects again anyway. Tom should really be here for the conversation. They agree to meet in the lobby of the hotel in an hour. Colt immediately texts Tom telling him to come over. Tom doesn’t even complain, agreeing right away.

Jody is already present when he walks down. Freshly washed up and dressed in a new outfit. Something not covered in dust or sweat. She changed as well. She looks amazing. She always does. He appreciates her for not asking after Tom or Ryland right away. Instead she brings up the crazy jump that he is apparently going to be doing tomorrow. He puts on a brave face, but inside he is nervous. Jody’s excitement helps him compartmentalize. He can push his nerves aside for her. It's going to be the new key shot for the Comic-Con trailer. Hall H. It’s a big deal. It’s also incredibly dangerous. One small mistake might put him back in the hospital. Nope, no, can’t think like that. It’s going to be fine. It’s going to be better than fine. It’s going to be epic and cool and definitely get him a date with Jody.

Tom comes in the front almost in tandem to Dan coming from the elevators. At this time of day the lobby is usually pretty deserted. They pick a couple chairs that are set up in a rough circle. The silence hangs in a way that’s almost suffocating. Everyone seems to be waiting for someone else to start talking.

“Where’s Ryland? Is he here with you?” Jody gives Tom a discerning look. She had already admitted that she had been keeping up with Tom’s posts online. The most recent of which had been vague, but had to some degree implied that Ryland was safe and sound. It’s not a stretch to assume that it meant Ryland had been found or returned home. She had also probably noticed that Tom had avoided answering before. 

“He’s not here,” Tom responds. He looks down to his hands, intertwined in his lap. “That most recent post wasn’t my idea”

At Jody’s insistent look, Tom glances over to Colt. Colt doesn’t exactly know what Tom expects of him. To some extent it feels like he is asking for help. Tom has never found it easy to turn someone away, even Tom.

“We don’t know where Ryland is,” Colt continues, meeting Jody’s eyes.

“What do you mean by that?” Dan looks between them perturbed.

“Exactly as he said. Ryland was supposed to come here to stay almost a month ago after his apartment got broken into,” Tom reveals. Colt can see more questions forming between Jody and Dan. Before they can even ask them Tom continues, “He never got on the plane.”

Tom continues to outline everything until he showed up on Colt’s doorstep, letting Colt take over for a little bit there. They alternate a couple more times. Colt feels a little lighter getting the weight of all this off his shoulders. Jody may not have much to offer for solutions, but she has always been empathetic. Her support is invaluable to him, especially after being without it for so long. He can’t say the same is true for Tom. The guy looks troubled with a deep rooted emptiness.

Looking at Tom he can see that he looks tired and worn down. Not that it’s obvious without really observing him. Colt knows him much too well. Tom always looks effortlessly put together. It’s not just in the way he looks, but the way he carries himself. Sure, he has been able to bring out the confidence, he is an actor after all. It’s the quiet moments where that image dissolves to show just how weary Tom is. He looks like he is running on fumes. It feels like having Colt in his corner is the one thing holding him together. The need to find Ryland spurring him to keep pushing forward.

He won’t begrudge Tom for accepting a little comfort from Jody in the form of a kind hand holding his own.

“That’s why we’re here. Tom reached out to Gail to see if she could pull any connections to get more information. All we’ve really got is the name Eva Stratt, the Petrova Taskforce and Project Hail Mary,” Colt is surprised to see Dan suddenly pull out his phone, rapidly sending off a text, “What are you doing?”

“Oh, texting my aunt,” Dan remarks. That doesn’t really answer Colt’s question. “This whole thing sounds like a government conspiracy. My aunt is an admin assistant for a U.S. Senator. She might be able to dig.”

“I didn’t know that,” Colt looks over to Tom. He has a hopeful look. This feels like something way better than what Gail had to offer.

“Not really a typical conversation starter,” Dan chuckles, “‘Hi, I’m Dan. My aunt works for the federal government.’ Anyway I’ll let you know if she finds anything.” Dan puts his phone away with one final glance. “We should probably wrap this up, it’s getting late. We have an early call and I haven’t had dinner yet.”

“I don’t think any of us have,” Jody looks around to each of them.

Tom stands smoothing out his shirt as he does, “Let’s go, I’ll buy. One of you pick a place.”

No one here is going to argue with that. Dan and Tom walk ahead while Jody comes along beside him. Colt doesn’t know if Tom feels the same, but the weight of everything feels a little lighter with Jody and Dan involved.

Tom tries to stay hopeful as a month passes. His agent and his manager are getting impatient, but he still keeps pushing them off. He accepts some short notice cameo work for an animated series and an interview with a magazine to appease them. He knows eventually he’s got to get back on some bigger projects, but he doesn’t want to be locked in if he receives any updates about Ryland. He tries to explain that the best he can. As it is he does sign up for one new film. It's far enough into the future and so early in the process that it won’t start filming for at least a year if not longer. They haven’t even found a director yet or finished the script. If need be he can probably still get out of it. He made sure to have the contracts written with a couple outs if he needed them. As well as roping Colt back in as his go-to stunt double.

The worst part of all this waiting is the void in his life. He and Ryland weren’t living together. Not yet, anyway. That milestone was ripped from them by all this. Still they spent time together. Stayed with each other occasionally. Slept over. He misses that the most. The proximity. His bed feels colder. He hadn’t even realized he had started sleeping on one side more often, subconsciously leaving room until recently. He had reached over in his sleep to find the spot next to him empty more than it ever had been. At least before he had the comfort of knowing that it wasn’t going to stay that way. It didn’t really hit him till recently. He had kept himself distracted and busy. He doesn’t have that anymore.

Dan calls him, finally with something positive. Eva Stratt is being sued for copyright infringement and patent violations. The trial is going to be held at a federal level court in Washington state. Dan sends him an address. It’ll be going public in the news in a couple days before the trial is scheduled in about a week. Not only is this potentially going to bring Project Hail Mary out into the open, but it means that Eva Stratt might be accessible. Dan's aunt had felt safer leaking it, but was adamant about the importance of discretion. Tom calls Colt as soon as he hangs up.

News cycles pick it up just like Dan said. Project Hail Mary is revealed. The sun is dimming, slowly, but it's concerning. The culprits are the tiny space dots found in the Petrova Line. The Hail Mary is a space craft being built to investigate a way to stop it. The details are sparse still. It’s easy to see that they are trying to control the flow of information. It wouldn’t do to have people freak out just yet. Not at this early of a stage.

Tom understands a little more now what Ryland had tried to impress upon him. This work is important. Regardless, it doesn't justify kidnapping. Tom doesn't care if it makes him selfish. He wants to steal Ryland back. He just doesn’t know if that is even an option. For all he knows Ryland won’t even be there. The most he might get is an altercation with Eva Stratt. If he doesn’t get arrested, tased or shot. Hopefully none of those happen.

With Dan’s help, they figure out the date of the trial. Tom books tickets and reserves a rental car based on what Colt requests. Colt is the more skilled driver between them. If things get dicey for any reason he can out maneuver almost anyone. Not that they are hoping for anything of the sort. They don’t really have any kind of plan. It’s too vague of a situation for them to even loosely think of one. Google map is really the only tool they have at their disposal for figuring out anything. Still Tom is convinced it's worth a shot. Colt is right there with him.

The courthouse is a modern building with a large concrete set of stairs leading up to it and wide expansive windows on all sides. Next to it is a small strip of what some cities might call a park, but is more or less just a few rows of trees. Small in their young age. Not great for offering any kind of coverage. Something that would be appreciated right now. Their vehicle, a small, inconspicuous, sedan is parked in a surface lot down the block. The courthouse is visible diagonally across the closest intersection from the car, but it’s a poor view of the front. It’s preferable compared to the parking garage across the street. Easier to get in and out of. 

Tom dresses as plainly as he possibly can, avoiding his usually vibrant colors. A hat covers his hair and sun glasses cover his eyes. He takes a seat at a park bench near a fountain. There’s nowhere super effective to hide. Plain sight is the best he can do. Colt is in his ear on a headset, still in the car. It feels eerily like an action film. Except the stakes are very real. Tom can feel his heart racing underneath the calm he is trying to maintain.

“There’s two identical vehicles about to pull up,” Colt says through the headset. “Could be Stratt.”

“I see them,” Tom looks through his periphery. 

Two black cars pull up, turning on their flashers. Out of one steps a well-dressed and serious looking man. He scans the area and apparently finding no threats, opens the door behind him. Stratt steps out, a couple folders in her hand and a messenger bag crossing her torso. She is exactly as no-nonsense as any picture of her has seen has implied. The voice he’s heard over the phone matches her perfectly. There is no evidence that she is at all worried that she’s getting sued in federal court. In fact she looks bored and impatient. On the driver’s side an additional security agent steps out to flank her.

The second car empties in a similar fashion. A security agent exits from the front passenger seat. He’s carrying himself in a much more relaxed manner than the other two. A little more slouched, even if he is quite tall. He definitely has a few inches on Tom and Ryland. Robustly built. He doesn’t come across as particularly intimidating at first glance. Tom knows better than to assume. He’s just as observant and aware as his counterparts. His expression is what really shows it. Stern and somewhat hostile to the world around him. An air that very clearly sets a boundary. There’s a second where Tom worries he has been caught out when his eyes pause briefly on him. Tom tries not to make any sudden moves. Pretends to be looking at something on his phone. His attention is ripped away when Ryland steps out of the back seat.

He resists the urge to move. Tries to keep himself from staring. Ryland and his assigned security agent trail behind Stratt and her own two agents. He finally chances it. Ryland looks… okay? Kind of, but not really.  Compared to the rest of the crew he is dressed much more casually. His shoulders sag a little with obvious fatigue. His hair, usually a mess, looks a little flat. Tom can’t tell if he has lost weight from the way his fox cardigan hides his figure. He suspects that Ryland has. Even with all that, Tom still thinks he looks amazing. If Tom could, he'd capture him for a kiss right now. 

Ryland trips on one of the many steps leading up from the street. The man next to him catches him before he faceplants or bashes his knee into the following concrete step. Ryland turns and smiles at him. Says something that Tom can't hear with a barely audible laugh. A steadying hand stays at his back.

Tom feels jealousy spike. A possessiveness that he has never felt takes over him.

That should be him. It’s his duty to protect Ryland.

He wants nothing more than to go over there. Grab Ryland and give this guy a piece of his mind. He takes a couple breaths to calm himself. He can’t let anger take over. He can’t act hastily. This is delicate enough. By the end of the day, he and Ryland will be back together. That bit of reassurance is all he needs.

The underlying current of failure makes his stomach turn uncomfortably. That's the hardest part. The need to protect while knowing that he had been unable to do so more than once already. He's always coming in to fix it after the damage has been done. Never there to prevent it in time. Feelings of guilt consume everything else.

Tom relays the situation to Colt. They don’t have any good plans. Too many variables. Not enough resources. Tom just wants to get out of this as unscathed as possible. They don’t know how much time they have. This trial could go all day. Tom settles in for what could be a long wait.