Page 7 of Captive Hearts
Four
Gina got out of the van and went around to the side door, opening it up and grabbing her stuff. She took out her Canon XF300, popped in a freshly charged battery, and began to do an equipment check. A siren sounded in the distance. Gina only noticed it because it was the second time in a couple of minutes. But she quickly forgot about it.
Ashley came back out, her face set as ever in that bullish determination. ‘Right, the vicar’s prepped, so just follow me, and I’ll tell you where to point…’ Ashley’s voice faded away at the sound of another siren. ‘That’s two,’ she muttered to herself.
‘Two what?’ Gina asked distractedly, still fiddling with her lens.
Ashley seemed like she might not answer, but then said, ‘Police sirens. I’ve heard two.’
‘Three actually,’ Gina noted, screwing a directional mic onto the camera.
‘Three?’ Ashley asked, an odd urgency about her tone.
Gina glanced up. ‘Yeah, there was one when you went in. Why?’
‘No, nothing.’ She had an expression on her face that took Gina a moment to place. When she did, she didn’t understand it. Excitement. Tamped quickly down, but definitely present. ‘I think I just… I left something in the van,’ she said and ran off. Gina was left at the back of the van, baffled.
Curious, she walked around to the cab to see Ashley sitting in the passenger seat, holding something. It looked like a walkie-talkie. She was listening to it, fiddling with a nob on the side.
Gina walked up to her window and tapped on it. Ashley jumped. ‘What are you doing?’ Gina asked. ‘I thought we were going into the church to talk to the vicar about selling crap?’
‘Shhh!’ Ashley urged and put her ear back to her walkie. Muffled voices began to burble out. ‘Ten-twenty-three, over,’ said a man’s voice.
‘Is that a police scanner?’ Gina asked, mildly scandalised.
‘I’m trying to listen. Shush,’ Ashley demanded.
Gina went around to the back of the van to wait with the equipment. She wondered if this was normal, the scanner and everything. Probably not. It was local news, for crying out loud. Ashley was clearly a bit of a live one.
The vicar appeared at the church doors. ‘Are you coming in soon?’ he called to Gina. ‘I’ve got the raffle in ten minutes, and Mrs Simpkins is chomping at the bit to see if she’s won the luxury hamper.’
‘Hold on, Padre, I’ll just go and check in with the boss.’ Gina turned to go back around the front of the van and nearly jumped out of her skin when she found Ashley right in front of her. ‘Change of plan,’ Ashley said, a wild look in her eye.
‘But the vicar…’ Gina said, gesturing to the church steps. The vicar was coming down them, straightening his dog collar. ‘Are you ready for me?’ he asked.
‘Oh, err… I might have to come back to you later, Father,’ Ashley said with total disinterest.
‘What?’ he asked, arriving at the van.
‘Yeah, what?’ Gina repeated.
‘I’ve got, we’ve got… Something’s come up,’ Ashley said to the vicar. She turned back to Gina. ‘Get your stuff back in the van. Quickly.’
‘Oh, err, alright,’ Gina said uncertainly, trying to roll with the changes. After all, she didn’t really know how this industry worked, she was a total newb. She began to pack up her stuff.
But the vicar wasn’t quite as compliant. ‘Look, we’re finished at three, I thought you wanted to get some footage of the event?’
‘I’ll get it, I’ll be back really soon. Probably,’ Ashley said.
‘Probably?’ the vicar said, getting pissy. ‘Your station said you’d come and give our church some coverage, lord knows we need it. Now you’re just going to leave without-’
‘Look, Father, I really don’t have time for this!’ Ashley said. ‘I need to get to arealstory, alright?’
‘Wearea real story! Our main prize is a day at a spa!’
‘Jesus fucking Christ!’ Ashley tutted. ‘Will you please just get off my back! I’ll get to you, alright?!’ She turned back to Gina. ‘You ready?’
Gina was just about repacked. ‘I guess...’
