The Protector

13

"Bob Bannister." Cavanaugh extended his right hand in greeting.

"Vic McQueen." The instructor put a lot of manly sincerity and strength into his handshake.

Cavanaugh let Vic crush his fingers for a few seconds and then withdrew them. "I write for a new fitness magazine called Our Bodies, Our Health. It's based in Los Angeles, but thanks to E-mail and the Internet, I didn't have to move from around here."

Vic nodded in sympathy with anyone who might have been forced to leave the clean air of the Carmel Valley for the smog of LA.

"My editors are pretty wild about an idea I suggested," Cavanaugh said. "I want to write an article about how quickly people can get into shape if they're really determined."

Vic cocked his head in interest. They sat across from each other in an office, where shelves supported various fitness trophies and the walls had autographed photographs of Vic with other well-built, incredibly healthy-looking people in skimpy T-shirts: presumably celebrities in their field.

"I'm talking about worst cases," Cavanaugh said, "people who huff and puff crossing a room, who're overweight enough that they look like coronaries ready to happen. An article that shows it doesn't matter what kind of wreck a person is. With the proper motivation, diet, and instruction, that person can get in shape, can dramatically change his or her life in a relatively short time. Not the six months or a year you normally read about. For people in really bad shape, six months or a year is an eternity. They don't want to imagine suffering for months and months. They want quicker results. What's that joke? The trouble with instant gratification is, it takes too long.'"

Vic frowned. "How quick are you talking about?"

"A month. I want to know if it's possible to take a guy who's really overweight, put him on a healthy, lean diet, teach him how to work the machines, watch over him, encourage him, get him coming in here several hours each day, start low and build his stamina, vary his exercises-could he lose a lot of pounds in a month and start to look like you?"

"Like me? In a month? Hell no, not like me."

"But could he look dramatically in better shape?"

"It'd be dangerous."

"So is being a physical wreck," Cavanaugh said. "What I want to write is a before and after kind of article. I want to show that a health club like this can work wonders in a very short time. The hook for the piece is: A person doesn't have to be patient to be fit, as long as there's motivation."

Vic debated with himself. "Might work as long as you pointed out the risks of going too fast."

"I'll have you read the article before I send it in. That way, you can make sure I've got it right. Maybe we can get some photographs of you and a couple of the miracle cases you've worked with."

"Photographs of me? Sure."

"And what about your club members? Do any of them fit the profile?"

"Well, we had a guy in here six months ago who-"

"I had in mind somebody who started recently, so I can get pictures of him as he goes through the process."

"Nobody at the moment." Vic looked crestfallen. "Does that mean you won't put me and the club in the article?"