The Alias Men by F. T. Bradley

caught a conversation with his assistant director. I think there are some funding issues.”
    So Floyd was broke. This added an interesting angle that might help me with the case. They needed money for this movie. Having the Dangerous Double to steal that drone-system prototype would be like hitting the jackpot.
    Maybe Larry should move to the number one spot as my prime suspect. Or Floyd.
    â€œWe barely shot footage at the theater, and now we’re changing set location in the middle of the day.” Savannah bit her lip. “It’s weird.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œNormally, Floyd does a bunch of different takes—like Chaplin, he’s famous for it. But right now, it’s like he’s not focused.” She shrugged. “Maybe this set will be better.”
    We’d arrived at the parking area near the beach now, and I was sorry I had to get out. It was pretty nice to hang with Savannah, without all the Pandora mission and movie stress, or stupid Ben getting in the way. I lingered, pretending to mess with the straps of my backpack.
    â€œI just want to stay in the car, don’t you?” Savannah said. “See that wind blow? The water has to be freezing.” She rubbed her arms, imagining the chill. “I’m not looking forward to this scene.”
    â€œWait—we have to get into the water?”
    â€œIt’s a vignette featuring Harold Lloyd’s By the Sad Sea Waves —didn’t they tell you?”
    Of course they didn’t. Not that it mattered so much, because I didn’t know what that movie was about anyway.
    Savannah opened the car door, letting in a waft of chilly air. “We don’t just have to get into the water—we have to swim in it.”
    In February, in the freezing Pacific? That was not good.
    â€œAnd with Floyd doing thirty, forty takes . . .” Savannah frowned as she looked at the choppy waves. “That’s a few hours in the water, at least.”
    I groaned and got out of the car. The wind felt even colder than earlier. And I was hungry, too, which made me feel even colder.
    A giant wave crashed on the sand. We would freeze to death out there. And with Melais on my tail, who knew what was going to happen?
    I swallowed as I thought of the cold water.
    I should probably mention that I’m not exactly the world’s best swimmer. I know that sounds kind of weird coming from a California kid, but it’s the truth. I had my swimming lessons and did all right, but I was never the guy to feel like going surfing or anything like that. I’m more of a skateboarder, video gamer—you get the idea.
    So now I had to go wade into the Pacific and do whatever Floyd told me to?
    No thanks.
    It looked like they were already setting up to shoot the movie, with trailers in the familiar U shape.
    To make matters worse, I spotted Ben. He’d caught a ride on the crew bus and was getting off. While I’d be floating in the freezing Pacific, he’d find Ethan Melais and the Dangerous Double.
    I groaned.
    Then I had an idea. What if I was the one chasing down that dangerous Chaplin hat and cuffing Ethan Melais for Agent Stark? What if it wasn’t me, but Ben in the water . . . ?
    â€œLinc Baker!” I heard Floyd call behind me. “Get ready to shoot.”
    I turned and smiled. “Not me, sir. I’m Ben. You want him, over there.”
    Ben looked up, confused. “Me?”
    I said, “He’s the one you want—my brother. Linc Baker.”

18
    FRIDAY, 1:15 P.M.
    BEN PASSED ME AND WHISPERED, “WHAT are you doing, Baker?”
    â€œI can’t swim,” I said. Okay, so maybe that was stretching the truth a little. But if Floyd stuck me in the freezing Pacific for hours, I’d never make it. “Can you just go with it?”
    Ben looked toward the set, and I saw his eyes rest on Savannah, who was waiting for directions. “Okay,” he said. “But