The Danger Club

The lead-in provides fifteen minutes of introductory scenes to the major players; there are two distinct groups and some peripheral characters. These groups are The Danger Club and The Thieves. The character both groups have in common is Gloria Van Alden, Codename Mata Hari, President of The Danger Club and mother of Max Van Alden, head of the thieves. The Danger Club is planning their monthly `prank'; to replace the bust of Bill Gates on display at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa with the Energizer Bunny. The thieves are planning a heist of a valuable Jade Buddha, currently on display in the art gallery of the Arts Center.

As Gloria Van Alden has it planned, the two capers are to take place on different nights. Her son, Max, misunderstands and plans his heist for the same evening as The Danger Club prank, which provides the confusion. The thieves are followed by Kyrie and Inca Chow; Kyrie Chow is married to Kent Lederman, one of the thieves, and she is attempting to determine just what he is doing. They are also followed by Han Sun Lee, a jade designer who has a personal interest in the Buddha, which was originally stolen from his grandfather, the designer.

The Danger Club members are slightly more inept than the thieves (not much, though) and accidentally cut all power to the building when they attempt to take out the alarm system (the thieves had already accomplished that). They all collide in the lobby of the building, Max Van Alden holding the jade Buddha and Jerry Randolph, codename Queen Victoria, with the bronze bust of Bill Gates. They are carrying nearly identical computer bags, which are accidentally switched.

The club members take off in their Wonder Bread truck, chased by the thieves in two cars and their tails. They careen down the freeway and out toward Russian River Road. They arrive in Monte Rio, where they crash a party being given by a friend of Jerry Randolph's. Since this is a masquerade party, they are able to mingle with the crowd. But the thieves locate them, and the party-goers think their black clothing and masks are some kind of elaborate `group' costume.

The club members try to escape again, but the thieves commandeer a stretch limousine from the party and force them inside. After a struggle to obtain possession of the Buddha, it falls onto the floor of the limo and starts to roll around. Meanwhile, Kyrie and Inca, and Han Sun Lee, are still at the gay party and decide to team up ... but they have lost their quarry, so they return to Santa Rosa and an early morning breakfast at a cafe on Courthouse Square, where they discuss the strange events of the night.

The limo has made its' way back to Santa Rosa and off the freeway, but it is stalled under the downtown mall overpass due to a traffic jam caused by people picketing (for access-lanes for in-line rollerbladers). Club members Tess and Brian Blackwood (codenames Tina Turner and Elton John) grab the Buddha, leap out of the car and run through the mall into a group of Rollerblading demonstrators who are marching around the Courthouse Square area. Tess and Brian's son Peter Blackwood and his girlfriend Mina are among the rollerbladers. Somewhat stunned to discover his parents, dressed as Tina Turner and Elton John, carrying a stolen jade artifact and chased by villains in a limousine, Peter and Mina offer Tess and Brian their rollerblades.

Max Van Alden, Kyrie and Inca's father T'see Chow (the only professional thief) and Candi Kisses (an exotic dancer and sometime girlfriend of Max Van Alden) jump out and obtain some rollerblades from other members of the group. Since the group is in `protest mode' they are uncooperative and the three resort to bribery. In Candi's case, it involves a promise for sexual favors. A promise she clearly expects to keep.

The chase is on again and several club members, Ariel and Grant Dannan (Codenames Turkish Delight and Dr. Who) and Jerry Randolph leap from the limo, obtaining skates without paying for them. They follow the thieves who are after Tess and Brian. The man who gets Jerry's expensive, man-sized heels feels the trade is a fair one.

In the limo, Gloria directs Kent to follow the rollerbladers down Fourth Street. Brian and Tess pass the Buddha to Jerry Randolph. Now everyone is chasing Jerry and he makes a run for it, through Barnes and Noble and out the back entrance, chased by everyone including employees of the store. He makes his way back to Courthouse Square and, given his height, youth and long legs, the only person who can keep up with him is Candi Kisses.

The limo is stopped in traffic near the square, but the rollerbladers continue unimpeded up the street. T'see Chow is obviously exhausted and he falls into the lap of a woman in an electric cart. She helps him give chase, and the cart is surprisingly fast.

Kyrie, Inca, and Han Sun Lee spot them going by the cafe where they are sitting at a sidewalk table, and jump up to join the chase. The girls tackle Candi Kisses; they don't approve of her outfit, and Han Sun goes after Jerry. Jerry is running on fear, but he doesn't see any danger in Han Sun and simply picks him up as they careen around the corner and to Han Sun's car. Han Sun and Jerry hurry to get the car, and they switch Buddhas. Jerry is only too willing to believe Han Sun's story.

Back on Fourth Street Jerry jumps out of his car with the cheap copy of the Buddha and Han Sun picks up the girls in front of the cafe. They have been joined by their father, T'see Chow, and he is saying `Thank you' to the woman in the cart. As it happens, Han Sun Lee is now behind the Limo. It stops at the corner and everyone, including Gloria Van Alden, piles out. Kent turns onto a side street and double parks.

Candi is incensed at the treatment she has received at Kyrie and Inca's hands and rushes to tell her boyfriend, Max, all about it. He isn't listening. Instead he rushes at Jerry and yanks the Buddha from him. Then, without another thought, he turns to his mother and gives her the Buddha. Han Sun Lee, Inca, and Kyrie notice this. T'see has been watching his daughters and now decides the heist is a lost cause. When Han Sun, Kyrie and Inca jump back into the car, he joins them.

Han Sun pulls away rapidly and makes for the Santa Rosa airport via the freeway. Meanwhile, Candi is proving herself to be invaluable. She pulls a jeweler's glass from her belly-bag and inspects the jade Buddha that Gloria Van Alden is holding. Gloria and her son are screaming at one another. She doesn't want public possession of the Buddha. Gloria yanks them into the restaurant for a better light, and Candi informs her that she doesn't have the original. The remaining thieves all jump back into the limo, leaving the club members stranded.

Tess and Brian flag down a police car and begin to tell them of the theft. The police have already heard that something happened at the Luther Burbank Center, and are inclined to believe them although they can't help but wonder at the sanity of such a group. This is Northern California, however, so they shrug and take Tess and Brian along as they chase the limo.

At the airport Han Sun and Inca are just boarding their shuttle for San Francisco where they will transfer to a plane for Hong Kong, with Kyrie and T'see waving good-bye.

The thieves are delayed first by the police and then by Customs Officials. Gloria Van Alden watches the storm of conversations and arguments around her, and steps to the window, knowing that her cause is lost. The plane takes off, and the original jade Buddha is on its way home. Gloria is arrested by U.S. Customs Officials.

The last scene is back at the LBC, later that morning, when The Energizer Bunny turns itself on and does its' act for the amusement of people attending the computer show, and the Danger Club members, with Max, Candi, The Chows and Kent in attendance.