Colton's Secret Sabotage
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Deborah Fletcher Mello
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Chapter 1
“I love him. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love Mark. He makes...well...he makes the sun rise for me in the morning. We’re going to be so happy together!”
The petite redhead with the pixie haircut smiled sweetly into the camera. She batted the extensive length of her false eyelashes, the accessories looking like large bugs over her eyes. Her name was Darla Campbell. Darla Campbell of the West Virginia Campbells, as she often proclaimed. This was her last confessional interview before the final champagne ceremony where former pro-football player Mark Hewett would select one of two finalists to be his happily-ever-after.
Darla was a contestant on the television show Lasting Love. And Darla loved to play to the camera. Her on-air antics had brought the drama to the reality TV show, skyrocketing it to first place in its time slot. Darla earnestly believed she was a shoo-in for the top spot, the deal sealed with a bathroom blow job when Mark had been on a dinner date with the other finalist. Heather, a mousy, timid administrative secretary from the Bronx, had not been happy and the confrontation between the two women had been fodder for a really bad B movie.
“I will be a wonderful wife for Mark. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him,” she concluded, even managing to squeeze out a tear or two. The woman smiled as she swiped her fingers against her cheek.
Naomi Colton wanted to gag. Instead, she gave the redhead a bright smile. “One last question, Darla. Have you told Mark about your boyfriend back home?” Naomi flipped through the notes on the clipboard she carried. “I’m told his name is Kramer. Kramer Wingate. Is that correct? Kramer says you two are an item and that you’re three months pregnant with his baby.”
The redhead’s earnest expression dropped, hitting the floor like a ton of bricks. Her tone was no longer sweet and syrupy. Her voice rose an octave and she reminded Naomi of a kid who’d gotten caught with her hands in a cookie jar. She was stunned and not able to think fast on her feet as she stammered. “Kramer? He... Well... No... Kramer and I haven’t been together for weeks. I don’t know why you would even bring this up now!” she said defiantly.
For the briefest second Naomi felt bad for manipulating the storyline. But it was those exploitations that put the reality in unscripted television. It was what she was paid handsomely to do and do well. Besides, something told her that no matter where Darla landed when it was all over, the young woman would be standing tall on her stilettos, still batting her eyelashes for attention some man would gladly lavish on her.
Naomi smiled sweetly. “He’s the one who called the show to tell us you two were together. At this point, since you never mentioned him on your intake interview, we’ll just have to believe he’s an old flame looking for fifteen minutes of fame.”
“That’s it! He’s just sour because I dumped him for bigger and better.”
Naomi forced another grin to her face, and she nodded. She didn’t bother to mention that they planned to bring Kramer on as a surprise guest right before Mark made his final choice. Besides, Heather had become a fan favorite. Heather was the underdog, and the audience was rooting for her. Throwing a wrench in the midst of this love triangle would make for good television. And if it looked like Mark might still be leaning toward Darla, they could bring up the pregnancy question that she had conveniently dodged. Naomi suddenly wondered if they could ask Darla to take a pregnancy test. She made a mental note to call the legal department and ask. Naomi wanted to do something to up ratings even further, and bringing the drama in the final hours was sure to do just that. If the reality dating show was renewed, at least Naomi had made certain the next junior producer who had her job would have an easier go of it.
With a degree in communications from the University of Colorado Boulder, Naomi had initially considered a career in public relations. But sitting behind a desk writing press releases had not been her thing. For a brief minute she’d considered being on-air talent but that had been a total disaster. From that failure Naomi discovered she liked being behind the camera far more than being in front of it. She’d started on the production team for a children’s comedy show, cutting her teeth as a production coordinator. From there she’d steadily moved up the ranks, securing this gig with Lasting Love four seasons ago. The show filmed in a private home in Beverly Hills and afforded her the ability to sleep in her own bed at night. Now, in less than forty-two hours, she’d be adding executive producer to her résumé, sitting at the helm of her own reality show. From development to completion this season was hers and hers alone, and there’d be no relationship drama that she or anyone else would have to manipulate.
She gave Darla another smile, dismissing her with a nod of her head. As the young woman sashayed away in a bikini that was more string than fabric, Naomi blew a loud sigh, thinking her current day job babysitting the talent couldn’t be over soon enough. Tomorrow she’d be in charge on a new show and the talent would be someone else’s problem.
Philip Rees was sound asleep when his cell phone began to buzz for his attention. It was the first day of a much-needed break and despite his curiosity he had no intentions of answering whoever was calling. He rolled to the other side of the king-size bed and pulled a pillow over his head. Just as he was about to doze back off, the house phone rang, sounding like an alarm gone awry. No one ever called him on the house phone. No one but a few close professional friends and his superiors at the Boulder Police Department. He heaved a deep sigh, reaching toward the nightstand for the telephone receiver.
“Hello?” His tone was groggy.
Police Chief Theodore Lawson greeted him warmly. “Good morning, Detective Rees. I didn’t wake you, did I?” Chief Lawson helmed the Blue Larkspur Police Department and Philip had worked with him on a few cases previously.
Philip sat upright in his bed. He swiped the sleep from his eyes and took a deep breath. “No, sir, Chief! Good morning! What can I do for you?”
“I know you’re on holiday, son, but we need you. The state’s cybersecurity office has reached out for our assistance. Their team needs someone to go undercover on a case and you’re the best man for the job.”
“There’s no one else available, Chief?”
“I specifically recommended you, Detective. And I’ve already cleared it with your superiors. They’ve agreed that I will be your point of contact. This one’s a little close to home and not only do I need your discretion, but I trust you’ll get the job done. You’ll be doing me a big favor.”
Philip sighed, just the slightest gust of air blowing past his lips. This would probably go down as the shortest vacation in history. Because there was no turning down a police chief, even if the man wasn’t his own commander, most especially if it was personal and he was asking nicely. Philip had the utmost respect for Lawson. Eighty-one years young, Chief Lawson was a staple in the law enforcement community. He’d been doing his job since forever. He did it well, and the officers who followed him held him in the highest regard. Philip was no exception.
“I can be in your office in an hour, sir.”
“Thank you, Detective. I’ll fill you in on the details when you get here,” the chief said as he disconnected the call.
Philip lay back against the pillows and closed his eyes. He was tired and his body hurt. It had barely been twenty-four hours since he’d come off his last case. He’d successfully halted a trafficking ring that had been terrorizing the local high school. No shots had been fired and he’d gotten a dozen teens out unscathed. Sleep had been the only thing taken from him and he’d been looking forward to simply closing his eyes and shutting the world away for a few good hours.
He sat upright and threw his legs off the side of the mattress. Sleep would have to wait. If he were going to keep his promise and make it to the station within the hour, he needed a hot shower, a steaming cup of coffee and a prayer.
Minutes later, he stood beneath a flow of hot water feeling each sinewy muscle begin to rejuvenate. He knew that once he finished that hot cup of coffee, he’d feel like a new man. He had been doing this for most of his career with the Boulder Police Department. He’d joined the force right out of college. His first assignment had been traffic control, and he didn’t miss those days! The promotions had come swiftly as he proved himself with each case. He kept his head down, played by the rules and got the job accomplished. Believing in the integrity of the law, he held himself and others to a high standard. In the process, he had made quite an impression on his superiors and the other officers, who looked up to him. But it was when he found himself working undercover, as a detective, that he knew he had found his calling.
Most of his assignments had been white-collar crimes. He’d don a silk suit, paisley necktie and show up to work, his fellow officers teasing him about how he looked like a GQ model. There had been the one time he’d gone under for the narcotics division, assuming the identity of a biker on the run from the police. That had almost gotten him killed. Each time, though, he’d taken down the bad guys, prevented civilians from being injured and righted a wrong. He loved what he did and now the chief needed him to mask up like a caped crusader and do it again.
As he lathered himself up for the third—or maybe it was the fourth—time, he made a mental checklist of the things he would have to cancel or reschedule. His dentist was not going to be happy with him. His mother was really going to be pissed!
Naomi was bored to death and not even her collection of Maroon 5’s greatest hits was helping. The drive from her Los Angeles home to Blue Larkspur, Colorado, had already taken nine hours, and depending on traffic, Naomi had at least six more hours to go. She had recently flown home for her brother Caleb’s wedding and back again for work, and she was starting to think she should have flown this time.
The decision to drive had seemed like a good idea when she’d made it, thinking that it would give her time to clear her head before diving right into the production of her new series, In the Saddle. Clearly, she thought as she sat in heavy traffic, she’d been wrong.
It was also meant to give her time to take a breath before returning to family who would surely have something to say about her career choice. Naomi was one of twelve children born to Ben and Isadora Colton. There were the two eldest, twins Caleb and Morgan, and then fraternal triplets Oliver, Ezra and Dominic. Next was her sister Rachel and then brother Gideon, followed by a second set of twins, Jasper and Aubrey. The youngest brother in the family was Gavin and lastly came Naomi and her fraternal twin Alexa. Naomi was the baby by three minutes and twenty-nine seconds.
Their father had been Benjamin Colton, judge for Lark’s County. He had been the love of Isa Colton’s life. They had fallen in love, married young, and had a dozen children during their union. He had been a staple in the community, thought to be fair-minded and generous of spirit. Her mother had been devoted to Ben Colton, and their social and philanthropic ventures had made it possible for them to move in the elite circles of Colorado society. From all Naomi remembered, life had been all cotton candy and sugarplums back then.
Sadly, life turned on a dime for all of the Colton offspring when their father was indicted on a lengthy list of corruption charges. He’d been accused of taking bribes and kickbacks from private prison owners and juvenile detention centers to sentence more kids and adults to their facilities, whether they were guilty or not. He had been removed from the bench and was about to stand trial for his misdeeds when he died in a car accident, not paying attention on an icy road.
Suddenly cotton candy was day-old bread and butter, and life had become dismal at best. Naomi remembered her home being full of life and laughter and then just like that it was all gone. She’d been six years old then and would learn what had happened as she grew older but at the time, she remembered feeling like a cloud of darkness had fallen over them and they couldn’t find their way free. They were ostracized by the community and pitied by their former friends. Isa was forced to rebuild her life and her children’s, and nothing had ever again been easy. But they had each other, and each other had been more than enough. Naomi couldn’t fathom any other family being as close as theirs. Her brothers and sisters were her best friends, even when they were at odds with each other.
Most of her siblings believed Naomi’s foray into television was either a fluke or a phase that she should have gotten over years ago. Not even her own twin, a decorated United States marshal, saw it going anywhere. But Naomi was determined to prove them wrong. What none of them knew was that she wasn’t approaching this haphazardly. She’d done her research. She could tell you everything you needed to know about the demographics of her target audience, what shows were trending successfully and what people wanted to see. She sensed most were tired of relationship drama and woes that mimicked their own failed love lives. They rooted for the underdog, and they loved seeing your average Joe or Joanne accomplish the unfathomable.
She’d been working for months behind the scenes to raise the money and support she needed to make this happen. Convincing a production company to partner with her had taken a round of meetings and a lot of begging. She had immense faith that she had a winning formula with her new series, and she was determined that it would be the first in a long line of number one television shows on her IMDb profile. Her short-term goal after this program’s success was to produce a successful, non-reality production with national distribution. Something along the lines of 60 Minutes or Dateline. And in the long term, she hoped to one day helm her own television station. She had vision and she wasn’t unwilling to work hard for her big dreams. Thinking about it, Naomi started shimmying her shoulders to a Taylor Swift tune.
She considered it a major coup that her siblings Jasper and Aubrey had agreed to let them film on their property. The duo owned and operated Gemini Ranch, a sprawling one-hundred-acre expanse of land in Blue Larkspur. Gemini Ranch boasted stunning open pastures and beautiful wood cabins that surrounded the main lodge. There were barns, outbuildings and staff cabins. From its very popular cattle drive to skiing and snowmobiling in the winter, the ranch hosted activities all year round.
It wasn’t lost on Naomi that she’d probably been given the gig because of her familial ties, the production company willing to give her a chance since her connections meant a reasonable discount in their half of the production budget.
Weary of the stop-and-go, the multitude of cars trying to weave their way around an accident, Naomi eased toward the far-right lane and the next exit that would take her to a line of eateries and filling stations. When she was finally able to turn off, McDonald’s was her first stop. Minutes later, with a bathroom break behind her, and a double fish filet sandwich with fries and a soda settling in her stomach, she took a seat on a rock wall outside the building and stretched her legs. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and depressed the first speed dial number. Isa Colton answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Mom!”
There was the barest hint of urgency in the matriarch’s tone. “Naomi! Where are you? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Mom. And I’m about five, maybe six hours away.”
“So that’s probably six, maybe seven hours away,” her mother said facetiously, knowing Naomi sometimes exaggerated how quickly she’d make it, or underestimated time and distance. “You’ve been driving all day. You should probably stop and get a hotel room for the night.”
“I’m fine. I stopped to rest and get something to eat.”
“I hope you ate something healthy, Naomi.”
“I had fish.”
There was a moment of hesitation and her mother chuckled. “A fast-food sandwich from the Golden Arches is not fish.”
Naomi laughed. “Nothing ever gets past you!”
“I’m the mother of twelve. There’s little you could do that I haven’t seen before or done myself. So, tell me more about this show you’re producing?”
“I’m excited, Mom! If I get it right, it could be the turning point in my career.” Exuberance bubbled up in her tone.
“Naomi, have you thought about what you’ll do if it doesn’t work out? Everyone should have a plan B. Maybe consider coming home and working...”
Naomi interrupted her mother. “Please, don’t start. Just let me have this moment before you all start giving me advice I didn’t ask for.”
“And don’t you be rude, Naomi Colton. That advice may be exactly what you need. It never hurts to have options.”
Naomi rolled her eyes skyward. What she needed was a nap, but she didn’t dare say that to her mother. Instead, she changed the subject. “Maybe I will get a hotel room and hang out for a day. Production doesn’t start until next week and I could use a day or two to clear my head.”
“Well, if you’re tired you should definitely not be driving. And if you need me to, I can send one of your brothers to come get you.”
“Mom, I love you but I’m going to change the topic back to my new show. Because that makes me happy and you worrying about me isn’t any fun.”
“One day I hope you have a daughter just like you, so you’ll know exactly what I go through with you.”
“Is that some sort of curse?” Naomi said with a chuckle.
Her mother laughed with her. “I am just saying! So, tell me, what is it about?”
“It’s kind of a cattle drive with inexperienced city folk, summer-camp-style. We’re bringing contestants who are not familiar with ranch life together and putting them through a series of obstacles. Essentially, we’ll eliminate one person each week and crown a winner at the end.”
“That’s what you wanted to do when you were a little girl!” Isa gushed.
“I did! I can’t believe you remembered that!”
“There’s very little a mother forgets. You had that rocking horse your daddy got for you and your sister. Alexa couldn’t have cared less about hers, but you were always riding yours. You’d turn a jump rope into a lasso, jump on that thing and start screaming about being in the saddle. It used to tickle your father every time you did it.”
The two women laughed heartily at the memory.
“So, what are you calling this show?” her mother questioned.
Naomi grinned into the receiver of her cell phone. “In the Saddle!”
“In the what?” Philip questioned, his entire face dropping into a deep frown.
“In the Saddle. You’ll be part of the production team,” said the chief. “In fact, you’ll be reporting directly to the production manager, I think. I’m not sure where they plan to put you, but just in case, be able to swing a hammer while you keep an eye on your mark and gather any intel on what he might be up to.”
Philip flipped through the manila folder the police chief had passed to him. The “mark” was a man named Brad Clifton. Brad was a technical wizard who owned a large security company. Now, apparently, he was also a contestant on some new reality television show. Brad was suspected of selling company secrets to the Russian mob and Philip was to keep an eye on him. At first glance, the assignment looked easy. But Philip had learned early on in his career that nothing was ever easy, no matter how it looked.
“Where did they get their intel? Can we trust it?”
“His business partner reached out to the police department’s cyber squad and provided them with information that Brad is selling their company’s tech secrets. They believe he’ll be using his role as a contestant on that show to reach his buyers undetected.”
“So, our mark is on a reality show to learn how to ride a horse?”
“It’s a bit more than that,” the police chief responded. “The contestants are going to be put through their paces in a series of Wild West adventures to test their survival skills.”
Philip shook his head slowly. “You mentioned this being personal. Do you know Brad Clifton?”
“I don’t. Are you familiar with the Colton family?”
“I met District Attorney Rachel Colton a few years ago, when I had to testify on a case she was heading. And I know she has family that owns the law firm, Colton and Colton.”
“Yes, her brother and sister are both attorneys, too. Morgan and Caleb also run The Truth Foundation, working to exonerate the wrongfully imprisoned,” Chief Lawson said with a nod. “Well, their mother, Isa Colton, is a dear friend of mine. Her daughter Naomi Colton is producing this television show and they’re filming at Gemini Ranch, which is owned by two of her other children.”
“Keeping things in the family, I see.”
The older man shrugged. “Something like that. Anyway, I need someone I trust to keep an eye on things. We don’t know what this Clifton guy is planning and if he does do something that might put Naomi at risk, I want you there to keep her safe,” the chief said.
“Naomi Colton.” Philip nodded again, then sighed heavily. “So, how long is this assignment?”
“From what I know, and don’t quote me, production is supposed to last about four, maybe five weeks. But you’ll get all the details tomorrow. You report to Marvin Taylor at eight o’clock. Marvin is the production team manager. He’ll give you your assignment and walk you through everything you need to know.”
“Am I working under an alias?”
“No, not necessary. The cyber team has linked you to a whole other profile. If anyone’s looking for you, they’ll find a regular, hardworking guy with a nondescript history. Nothing that will throw up any red flags.”
“Does the man I’m reporting to know I’m undercover?”
“Marvin? No. He doesn’t know anything. No one will know. The guy you’re replacing won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas. He’s being paid nicely to take an extended vacation. It was an opportunity we made sure he couldn’t turn down.”
“I want to go to the Bahamas!” Philip feigned a pout, laughter pulling at the muscles in his face.
Chief Lawson chuckled warmly. “You won’t regret this. How often does anyone get the chance to say they worked on a television set?”
Philip laughed. “I’d still rather be in the Bahamas.”
