“Do you see what I’m dealing with?” Bibb said despairingly to the Chief. “I’ve tried to be patient but I don’t think this is working.”

There was a muffled sound over the phone and then a child’s voice. “Daddy, you’re not supposed to be on the phone!”

“Natalie, Bibb says Sonia Barbaro is the big story.” The Chief sounded a little world-weary. “And Bibb is my girl. You must understand that. I need to see loyalty from you. To Bibb, to me, to ATN, and to ASI.”

Stung, it occurred to Natalie that maybe there was no path out of this. If Bibb was always going to be right, that meant she, Natalie, was always going to lose.

There was rustling and then the Chief, sounding like a different person: “Honey, don’t tell Mommy, okay, and I’ll give you a twenty-dollar bill? I’ll be down in a minute.” There was more rustling and then, “Honey, I only have this fifty, so as soon as I break it... What? Okay. Yes, here it is. That’s our little deal. Hurry downstairs. I’ll be there soon.” There was the sound of footsteps and a door closing and the Chief was back on the line. “She’s only seven and already a fierce negotiator.”

After a pause, the Chief continued in a cheerful tone, “Natalie, let’s look at the larger picture. In the future I see you covering the big stories, with the big anchors. Maybe even anchoring on your own someday!” He sounded like a friendly dad. “We’re rebranding. And the new ATN is all about attitude, outrage, and drama. I want you to be a huge part of this. I want to put you in a promo, make you a star.” He paused, and his voice changed again, now almost wheedling. “But I need you to be on the team. And that means playing nicely with Bibb and taking her assignments.”

Friendly dad with a loaded shotgun next to the front door.

His words felt like a cell door slamming shut, leaving Natalie trapped and hopeless. She shuddered as the memory of his finger tracing down her spine came back to her.

At that moment something released in Natalie.

Her qualms and confusion, her frustration at trying to win at a game she didn’t believe in, suddenly vanished. Worry and concern gave way to clarity. It wasn’t her they wanted, it was a Natalie Savage blow-up doll.

Dress her up, pull the cord, check out that smile, watch her do it again. She’s the lass that won’t sass. (As seen on TV.) (Soul not included.)

She looked at Bibb and at the wall of TVs playing the five networks on mute.

All this time she’d convinced herself that becoming a TV personality was the ticket to doing real news. She thought if she became the Chief’s big star, she could do investigations. On-the-ground reporting.