(The Three Deaths of Xavier Wolf)
Apr 18, 2021 21:01:27 GMT -5
lajohnnystylez, ☠ VooDoo ☠, and 4 more like this
Post by somethingwicked on Apr 18, 2021 21:01:27 GMT -5
The colonial house sits in the dark of night, only illuminated by exterior lights driven into the ground along the edge of the house. It’s bright white paint and dark green shutters display the excellent taste of the person who lived there, or of the person they paid to select the colors for them. Of course, moral uncertainty does not ban one for having good taste, but it does permit the mind to wonder. Does a man with terrible decision making skills have the ability to match colors correctly? And if so, is the intelligence this man capable of dedicated only to the use of color matching, and not at all in the ability to choose the right and wrong family for which to fuck with? This was a question Xavier had been asking himself since the moment he saw the house, and was now intent on asking the homeowner themselves. He stepped out of his car, and left the piece of paper he had written a few instructions on next to a bag of supplies. Vin was a fast driver, and the helicopter pilot would make short work of the great distance between where the car Vin was in could reach and the area he needed to be in. But Xavier was impatient on a good day. And today was not a good day.
A few minutes after Xavier decided to wait no more. Dr. Jorge Emepha was roused out of slumber by the beeping of his burglar alarm. It was an advanced system, one of the best the experts at SafeTech could design. Digital displays of all secure points, timers on certain aspects to allow the owner to open these areas for small periods of time in order to let in or out a pet. It was highly advanced and very expensive. And for those who knew how the system worked, and those who had the ability to override the codes, it was incredibly easy to fake. Choosing a simple ‘priority zone impact alarm’, Xavier woke the doctor and sent him to the kitchen of his home in a hurry, to ward off any criminal that may be trying to break in with his trusty golf club, complete with furry cover in the shape of a dog. Of course, there was no impact, and there was no thief. But there was an intruder, and unless the golf club also shot .45 calibur bullets, Dr. Jorge Emepha was greatly outgunned, and he realized the exact moment he entered the kitchen.
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ wh..who are you? What are you doing in here? “
Xavier Wolf
Xavier smiled, and tapped the barrel of his 1911 on the kitchen table, silently requesting the doc to sit down. When the doc hesitated, Xavier did what most people with guns do when they aren’t being listened to. They cock the hammer, and aim at a part no one wants to be shot in. The doctor complies, and goes to speak again, but Xavier cuts him off the way you want a person with a loaded gun to cut you off. By yelling. “ DO NOT. You know who I am and why I’m here. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ I just did what I was told. “
Xavier Wolf
“ You think that makes it better? That you’re not...you think...You have to forgive me doc, I’m a little, off center. You see I had this plan. It was a good plan. I was going to come in as a new patient. I was going to tell you a very long story about myself, really get you to understand me, and then I’d reveal that someone I love very much had been committed to an insane asylum by a doctor my father paid to do so. And in that asylum, he not only tortured her, but killed her. And I was going to wait for your reaction. But you’d have known who I was the second I walked in. And that wouldn’t do. So I had to go to plan B. Which is, I tell you about me, you realize that I’m no one to fuck with, and you either agree to help take down the man who paid you to be the fucking mosnter you are, or you walk out of this house, and you are never seen again. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ So...you’re not going to kill me? “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...Not in plan B. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ ...ok. So all I have to do is adm- “
Xavier Wolf
Xavier slams the gun on the table, shaking with rage. “ NO. I’ve told you what you have to do. First, you have to listen. Can you listen? “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ ...what do you want me to listen to? “
Xavier Wolf
“ To me. Because one of the options other than helping me, is death. And I don’t want you to feel like you should only help me because death is soOoOo scary. So I’m going to tell you about my life, and the three times in which I’ve died. “
“ The first time I died was when I was 20 years old. I was two years out of high school, one year out of college, and 5 minutes out of the military. I had been given an honorary discharge and not because I earned it. Because someone had paid for it. See that’s the thing about growing up the way I did. No one ever said no because I didn’t ask for permission, I only asked ‘how much?’ Everything was reasonable as long as the price was and everything I wanted was in reach because cash doesn’t have a limit. I remember sitting in my room, which was more like a wing of the house than a single room, when my mother came back after a long time away. 2 years, maybe. She came to see me and to her surprise I had decorated my room with photos of this local fighter I had become obsessed with. He had come from Japan but was a native new yorker. I mean, I never cared for new york back then. I was West Coast for life. So I thought. Well as luck would have it, the man I was obsessed with wasn’t just a fighter. He was her son. And my brother. And I can’t imagine walking into a room and seeing my youngest son surrounded by photos of my oldest son, but the look on her face told me most of what I needed to know. That day on, I wasn’t a Marke anymore. The world I had grown up in was a lie. I was a lie. And I needed to seek out the truth. And the truth killed most of who I had been. But it helped me become who I would be. “
“ The second death I suffered, was years later. I had won my first world title. And had done so at an age that very few others had. I was one of, if not the youngest world champion ever. I was on top of the world. And then one day, someone came along and knocked me off. And hard. At the time, it destroyed me. Being the world champion wasn’t just an accolade to me. It was my entire identity. Leaving my world behind to embark on this career, this proved I was right to do it. That I was meant for it. I had tried to be so many other things, and none of it came as naturally or as easily as this did. I was a success. A massive one. And then suddenly, poof. I wasn’t. It led me down a path that could have killed me. But thankfully, I was able to look at the man I was, the weakness I had, and was able to turn myself over. I was able to kill the man I’d been, and once again, change into the man I’d become. “
“ And then there was the third death. The one that happened just a few days ago. You see, this entire time I’ve been playing by a set of rules that only I cared about. I figured if I took my father down the way he took others down, I’d be karma incarnate, and not evil personified. But I was wrong. Because for the last few months, I’ve felt like I’ve only ever been on the ropes. Now as I’ve explained I’ve spent my entire life on my back foot. This is nothing new to me. What is new, is knowing that I could’ve ended this sooner, had I not been blinded by the false reality I was obsessed with willing into existence. In a world full of bad, and evil men, being good is not a choice. It’s a surrender. I’ve spent the last few years of my life doing everything I could to be the good guy. Granted, it’s only in this one way. No more. Now, I am who I am in every aspect. And you’re the person who gets to deal with that first. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ what is it that you expect me to tell you? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I want to know who else was involved. I want to know which of the authorities he paid off to make this happen. I want to know it all. And if you fucking lie to me I promise it’ll be the last one you tell with breath behind it. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ IF I do, will you give me your word you won’t hurt me? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I give you my word, I will not lay a single finger on you. I will do no harm. “
The doctor looked at Xavier, and all the years of being a therapist came to use in the largest way possible. Xavier was not lying, nor was he being deceptive. He meant precisely what he had said, so with a nervous breath, the doctor spoke. He spoke about the conversion therapy he had taken part in, and how he’d become one of the leading therapists to support it. He talked about how Thomas Marke appreciated his work and used him to recruit others. He spoke about the small asylums and the like that they had purchased and use for their secret testing of individuals they felt required conversion. At first it was trial and error, with success becoming more and more likely as the years went on. It was Emepha that figured out having them declared insane was the easiest way to go about it. All you had to do was drug them, pay off the labs, and the prosecutor, and you had yourself a test subject that the court system would forget the second they were out of sight. When he was done speaking, Xavier regretted making such a promise, as he had never wanted to hurt a person as much as he did in that moment.
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ You know all I know. Can this be over? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Yes. But there is a choice to make. You can testify against my father, prove that you’re truly sorry. Or you can walk out of this house and never be seen again. You will take nothing, you will have nothing. You will vanish from my sight, and be mindful, my sight is vast. IF you testify, you will earn jail time. But at the end of that jail time, there is freedom. Should you choose to run, there is no freedom. There is no peace. For every day you are out there, I will be looking for you. And if I find you, that promise you made me make will mean as much as the oath you took in medical school. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ I can’t testify. Your fath-...Thomas Marke. He’ll kill me. “
Xavier Wolf
“ We all have to die of something, doctor. Make yours worthwhile. “
The doctor stood up, and walked toward the door. He reached out for the doorknob, and Xavier shook his head. He mouthed the words ‘im sorry, i can’t’ and grabbed the doorknob. His back stiffen and his jaw went tight. His head shook as his toes curled and his fist on his free hand shook erratically. He finally let go of the doorknob and fell to the floor, shaking randomly with drool building in his mouth. The kitchen door then opened, and Vincent Black walked in, dressed in an orange latex dress, and a cattle prod in hand, still producing the crackling electricity.
Xavier Wolf
“ I promised not to hurt you. “
Vincent Black
“ But I did not. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Welcome to plan X. “
Vincent Black
“ ...V? “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...you didn’t come up with this plan? “
Vincent Black
“ But I’m the one who’s going to electrocute him by shoving this prod up his asshole? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Because I told you to? “
Vincent Black
“ You told me to? “
Xavier Wolf
“ What is with the dresses? “
Vincent Black
“ You don’t like it? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I didn’t say th-...Actually that goes really well with your complexion. Like it really pops. I think this is a good color on you. “
Vincent Black
“ Yea? Do they make clothes in this color for men? “
Xavier Wolf
“ For men? You’re wearing a pussy belt right now, dickhead. You’re literally in a fucking loin cloth right now. You need to feel masculine all of a sudden? “
Vincent Black
“ How about you get out of here and let me work? “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ I’ll talk...please. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Silly doctor. “
Vincent Black
“ ...you already have. “
The doctor's eyes go wide and the crackling of electricity being produced from the prod echoes throughout the kitchen. Xavier steps over the doctor, and leaves the home, shutting the door behind him on his way. He hangs outside the door for a moment and enjoys the screams from the doctor as Vincent does his magic. Xavier leaves soon though, as the screams of agony from the doctor and the belly laughs from Vincent begin to become indistinguishable from each other, ruining the entire thing.
Miles away, Arnez ‘Nez’ Montoya and Eugene ‘Spatz’ Spaznolli laid in bed. The two of them make up the most absurd couple anyone had ever heard of or ever imagined. Her, a lesbian from the bronx who had somehow discovered she was a bisexual of New Jersey, and he, a former meth head from the bible belt who had become a sober and upstanding man. They had just finished making love, when she rolled over and looked at him. He wasn’t pretty. He was barely attractive. He was covered in terrible tattoos, and his teeth were mostly removable, but he made her laugh. And he gave a damn. Even about the shit he shouldn’t. Plus his penis was small so it was almost like a large clit. They’d been discussing baby names all day and only giving the worst ones they could. As the laughed at the idea of combining their names into Eunez or Argene, they were interrupted by the ringing of Spatz cellphone.
Spatz
“ Heylo? “
Xavier Wolf
“ It’s happening tonight. They’re going to pick you up, you’re going to tell them what you know, and you’re going to be given a very good deal to testify. “
Spatz
“ ...jesus. I haven’t told her yet. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Don’t. Just take care of her for me. She deserves this, you both do. “
Spatz
“ I’m sorry about all of this. I wish it could be different. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Don’t be sorry. You’re a good man, Spatz. Better than I thought you could be. Listen, They’re going to keep you safe until the trial. They’re going to pay you until the trial. But that trial, it’s never going to happen. You understand? “
Spatz
“ She’s gonna wanna say goodbye, bro. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’m not good at those. “
Xavier hung up the phone, and looked out the helicopter window. Distant lights flew by and he imagined there were people occupying those places that didn’t have the problems he did. That the things he suffered they would never know. And for a moment he was jealous of them, and the peace they must know. The helicopter landed on top of a skyscraper, and no sooner than he stepped out of it, it took off. And no sooner than it took off, did a woman walk toward him, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two glasses in the other. As she stepped into the ring of lights that made up the helipad, we see that it is none other than Anicka Swan.
Xavier Wolf
“ Hey Champ. “
Anicka Swan
“ Not yet. “ she said, popping the cork off the bottle. She handed Xavier a glass, and filled it to the brim, before doing the same with her glass. They took a quiet, reflective moment, and clinked their glasses in a silent toast. Each taking a large drink, they then turned and looked at the city beneath them, and all of its aesthetic glory.
Xavier Wolf
“ Are you ready for this? “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani is. The shareholders that Ani bonded with are loyal. The ones you’ve agreed to buy out are glad to be done with all of this. And the one Vin has scared to death, well. They’re scared properly. All that is left is to reveal. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’ve got it all in place. The shipping container has been in place for weeks. He believes there was a sewage issue. The yacht was always in his name, the FBI just couldn’t afford to raise it to prove it. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani heard a concerned citizen volunteered to pay for it. “
Xavier Wolf
“ You heard correctly. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani will be glad when this is all over. The secrets, the lies. While i am sure we agree they were for good reasons, it’ll be nice to be done with them. “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...why didn’t you tell me... “
Anicka Swan
“ Because you would’ve fucked this up. I love you. Ani has loved you forever. And Ani will always. But this. This was too big. You wouldn’t have been able to play it. He needed to keep watching you. “
Xavier Wolf
“ She’s safe, then? “
Anicka Swan
“ She has been for months. Xavier. What he did to her, prison won’t make up for. Ani can’t see him in a country club. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Ani... “ Xavier took the rest of his champagne down his gullet, and looked at her. He was angry with her. He was infuriated. But he also knew she was right. She had did what needed to be done and did it without waiting. “ No one is ever going to see him again. “
Anicka Swan
“ Good. “
As if on cue, the two of them walked to the edge of the pad, and sat down. Their legs hanging over the edge. Each of them slipped their shoes off, and placed them next to them. Ani rested her head on X’s shoulder, and X rested his head on hers.
Anicka Swan
“ Ani is sorry for lying to you. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’m sorry that you had to. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani is also sorry that you have to fight your own wife. Le-Le is the best thing that ever happened to you. Besides Ani. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Obviously. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani hopes you guys are together forever. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Know what I just realized? At the end of all this, we’re gonna have most of the stock of this company. “
Anicka Swan
“ X Imports? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Nah. “
Anicka Swan
“ Wolf Imports! “
Xavier Wolf
“ No. Swan Imports. “
Anicka Swan
“ ..but Ani lied..she doesn’t deserve it. “
Xavier Wolf
“ There is not a thing in this world that I can give my best friend, that she does not deserve. “
Anicka Swan
“ Thank you for loving Ani. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Thank you for saving my sister. “
Anicka Swan
“ Our sister. “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...no, the things we’ve done, that’s gross. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani likes gross. “
Xavier Wolf
“ So..the people that had her... “
Anicka Swan
“ Silly X. Like you said earlier. “ Ani raised her head. Her brow furrowed and her eyes as intense as he had ever seen them. She stared into his eyes unblinking, unflinching. And she spoke in a tone that not many have heard. “ They’ll never be seen again. “
Xavier smiled, and the two watched as the sun began to rise in the distance. Both aware of the days to come being filled with actions they could never take back. Hearts they could never unbreak. Xavier, ready to fight his wife, and perhaps his brother, for the right to be called what he has always been. And Ani, having sold her soul to Xavier over a decade ago, ready to let him collect for a payment she could have never expected. And in the silence of the dawn, they mourned the world they’d known, the friends they were set to lose, and the minds they were about to distort. Xavier suddenly remembers something, and turns to Ani with a painful expression.
Xavier Wolf
“ ...can I please tell Murphy? “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani did that hours ago. We’re close enough. “
Xavier smiled, and went back to enjoying the view. He was not concerned with fighting his wife, as that was nothing more than foreplay. He was not concerned with fighting his brother, as he was sure Apathy would do that job for him. He was not concerned with Apathy, as he’s fought her a hundred times already, and beating her ins’t something he needs to prove able of. Instead, he thinks of Johnny Stylez. His friend, his business partner and his boss. And he smiles. Not because of what they’ve done together, but because what they’ve done to each other. And the score that has been between them for years has been anything but equal. And that is about to change.
“ I do not think about the beginning of my career often. As far as I am concerned that man is gone, and was only ever seen once. Each massive mistake does not change a person but create a new one. One that is better prepared for the challenges to come, and the victories of tomorrow, thankful for the losses of yesterday. Apathy, Le’. Vin. I am not here to defeat any of you. I am here to show you what it is like to lose, without being beaten. To fall, without breaking. I know all of you know this, and are capable of it yourself, but I find it important to remind others that you are also capable, and are mostly better at it than they are. “
“ Former tag team champion. Former Immortal Champion. But current warrior of the rarest kind. One that does not stop, pause, halt, hesitate or recess. One that gets up, each and every day, and sets out to be the best there is. I do not weigh myself against others. I do not look at what others do and try to compare what they do to what I do. I only ever compare to myself. I get up, and I get at it, with the single purpose of being better this time than I was last time. Whether it’s for all the glory in the world or for nothing important at all. I am always here to prove I belong. Not at the top, not in a single bracket, but in the light that only I deserve. The light that has my name on it. “
“ The light I’ve spent my entire career earning to keep burning. Through loss and pain and agony and suffering I have proved time and time again that while there are many deserving of attention, I am the one who is most. That of all the faces that can be celebrated, mine is the one with the largest parade. Funny thing about parades though. Not everyone gets to ride on the float. Some people have to clean up after it. “
“ Do not look upon what I do as a sign of how I think of you. Le’, you know you are my soul mate and the love of my life. Vin, you’re my brother and my partner in crime, quite literally. And Apathy, you are in your own way the future of this business, regardless of how you are currently. I do not intend to end you, or cripple you, or punish you for daring to stand against me. I simply wish to show how to get better. To force you down so that you may rise up stronger. You all shall fall, but you shall not break. You shall lose but you will never be beaten. And to remind you that while luck turns bad at the drop of a dime, that you are all equal to stand in the light should you choose, and that the only mistake you made was wandering into mine. “
Xavier and Ani pour themselves another glass of champagne, as the sun rises, they toast to the day ahead, and the culmination of their battle against the one demon that was never an angel.
The following morning came faster than they were ready for, and after a quick breakfast, the two of them reconvened on the helicopter pad, both dressed to the nines and ready for war.
The floating house of Thomas Marke was state of the art in every way. From it’s automatic docking Cigarette AMG, to it’s multidirectional engine that put the Galeocerdo to shame. Thomas Marke had made this place his home as of late, staying to international waters for not one reason, but many. He had been woken from his slumber by the sound of a helicopter approaching. He grabbed a pair of binoculars and smiled upon seeing the gold ‘x’ on the nose of the vehicle as it approached. Grabbing his robe and slippers, he shuffled over to the intercom, and request a cup of coffee be brought up to the lounge.
As the chopper touched down, Thomas stepped off the stairs that lead up to it, and placed his hands into the pockets of his robe. Xavier stepped out of the chopper, and held his hand out for Anicka to join him. As they took their 3rd step away from him, the chopper took off, and vanished in the distance.
Thomas Marke
“ This business or personal? For you. Obviously it’s neither for me. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Thomas. We need to talk. “
Thomas Marke
“ Do we? “
Xavier Wolf
“ You overstepped. You know that, right? “
Thomas Marke
“ I don’t step over. I step through. “
Xavier Wolf
“ You’ve said. Many times. “
Thomas Marke
“ Yes, well when I say things, I mean them. “
Xavier Wolf
“ That’s one way we are alike, Thomas. Because I do, too. “
Thomas Marke
“ ...where is my coffee.. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Thomas. You came for me. You took someone I cared very deeply for. And you thought that what, I’d roll over and die? That i’d behave in some sort of respectful manner? You thought for even a second that I wouldn’t come for you? “
Thomas Marke
“ Trying to ruin my business? Xavier, you have to know that it won’t work. I can buy and sell the board a hundred times over. Granted, you’ve done good in your efforts. But they aren’t enough. I’m still going to win. “
Anicka Swan
“ Do you, though? Ani believes you may have lost more than you realize. Especially with all of those authorities on the way. “
Thomas Marke
“ We’re in international waters, slut. They aren’t com- “
Xavier Wolf
“ Know why you don’t have that coffee? “
Anicka Swan
“ Because your crew left hours ago. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Right after they dropped this bad ass house off into domestic waters. “
As Thomas begins to speak, the sound of sirens begins to build from the distance. Xavier and Ani step aside and reveal a fleet of boats charging toward their location, with at least 3 helicopters in tow. Xavier and Ani smile, as Thomas does his best to hide his anger behind his large eyebrows.
Thomas Marke
“ You think you’ve got something on me? What is it that you think I can’t get away with? Do you know who I am? “
Anicka Swan
“ Al Capone went down for tax evasion, and now, so will you. “
Thomas Marke
“ Tax evasion? Do me a favor, Miss Swan, if you’re not going to put a cock in it, keep your mouth shut. The IRS is nothing. You both are nothing. I will be back on the streets within 24 hours, and if you believe for even a second that this changes how I feel about you and your ilk, you are correct. Because the first chance I get, I am going to make sure that sister of yours loses what little life I left her with. “
Anicka Swan
“ I guess that’s a chance we have to take. “
The helicopter of the FBI helicopter touches down on the helipad at the same time that the boats reach the dock of the houseboat. Storming from every direction with guns drawn, they demand that Thomas put his hands on his head. He complies, and kneels when told, as Agent Rancor steps up and begins to read his rights. Rancor, just as pudgy and old as Xavier had recalled, was wearing a brown suit with tan shoes and looked like a rug salesmen from the 1970’s woke up from a coma and just put on the clothes from his hospital room.
Thomas Marke
“ Agent, I am guilty. I did it. But don’t worry, even with a confession, you still won’t have anything on me. Now shut up with the rights and take me to jail so I can make my one phone call. “
Agent Rancor makes the call to have Thomas taken away by helicopter, but stays behind to talk to Xavier, as the rest of the men search the house for any evidence they can use in the case against him. Anicka decides to wave to Thomas as he leaves, while Xavier talks to Rancor about the rest of the plan.
Xavier Wolf
“ You ready for the rest of this? “
Agent Rancor
“ No. But I’m in way too deep. I’ve got men picking up your couple, the lesbian and the meth head. They’ll be in Wit-sec by tonight. I’ve put them someplace very nice, as you asked. God knows why. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Just remember, you’re going to get a much bigger promotion for this bust, than arresting a couple of fucking wrestlers. Book deals. Movie deals. You’re gonna be bigger than the beatles. “
Agent Rancor
“ Keep in mind, this is a one time thing. I find you on the wrong side of the law again, and all bets are off. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Funny, considering you never caught me this time. “
Rancor stayed silent, and walked away. Well aware that without Xavier’s help, he’d have no case against Marke, or anyone for that matter. He’d stay a low level idiot with the alphabet assholes and never know what success was like firsthand. But now, he was going to be a legend. Xavier waited a moment, and then suddenly, something came over him. He rushed over to the helipad, where Thomas and two other agents waited for the chopper to land. Grabbing Thomas by the shoulder, he spun him around hugged him. The agents looked onward, and tried to listen to what was being said, but the approaching helicopter made it impossible. Xavier let go, and looked into the now horrified eyes of Thomas Marke, who was shaken to his core by what ever Xavier just said. As they loaded him on the helicopter, and slammed the door, the two agents stepped back, and Thomas Marke vanished into the air, his eyes never leaving Xavier until he was well out of sight.
Walking back to Anicka, Xavier pulls a cigar from his pocket, and bites the end off, spitting it onto the ground. He reaches for a lighter and finds he doesn’t actually have one, but his smile is not affected.
Anicka Swan
“ Ani needs to know, why the hug? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Wasn’t just a hug. “
Anicka Swan
“ Sure seemed like one. So glad this is over. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’d like to go see my sister now. “
As Ani calls for the chopper to return, Xavier looks at his friend, and he smiles. Anicka Swan was a lost soul, who had been found by chance, accepted despite herself, and beloved by force of her actions. She had always been his friend, but today, she was his hero.
The chopper lowers just enough for the both to get in, and just as fast as it lowered, it took off into the distant sky, which is the bluest either have seen in forever. The ocean beneath them glistens from the sunlight, and Xavier and Anicka smile at the view, despite the hellish journey it took to get them there.
Anicka Swan
“ Ani has to know...What’d you tell him? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I predicted his future. “
Anicka shakes her head, and returns to the view, as Xavier looks out and takes a deep breath as his own words and the reaction of Thomas Marke replay in his head.
“ You aren’t going to jail. There will be no trial, no bail. You will be found guilty of child porn, drug dealing, and gun running. But as far as the law is concerned, you are going to flee, and spend the rest of your life in the wind. But the rest of your life won’t even last as long as this helicopter ride. Goodbye, Thomas. For good. “
A few minutes after Xavier decided to wait no more. Dr. Jorge Emepha was roused out of slumber by the beeping of his burglar alarm. It was an advanced system, one of the best the experts at SafeTech could design. Digital displays of all secure points, timers on certain aspects to allow the owner to open these areas for small periods of time in order to let in or out a pet. It was highly advanced and very expensive. And for those who knew how the system worked, and those who had the ability to override the codes, it was incredibly easy to fake. Choosing a simple ‘priority zone impact alarm’, Xavier woke the doctor and sent him to the kitchen of his home in a hurry, to ward off any criminal that may be trying to break in with his trusty golf club, complete with furry cover in the shape of a dog. Of course, there was no impact, and there was no thief. But there was an intruder, and unless the golf club also shot .45 calibur bullets, Dr. Jorge Emepha was greatly outgunned, and he realized the exact moment he entered the kitchen.
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ wh..who are you? What are you doing in here? “
Xavier Wolf
Xavier smiled, and tapped the barrel of his 1911 on the kitchen table, silently requesting the doc to sit down. When the doc hesitated, Xavier did what most people with guns do when they aren’t being listened to. They cock the hammer, and aim at a part no one wants to be shot in. The doctor complies, and goes to speak again, but Xavier cuts him off the way you want a person with a loaded gun to cut you off. By yelling. “ DO NOT. You know who I am and why I’m here. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ I just did what I was told. “
Xavier Wolf
“ You think that makes it better? That you’re not...you think...You have to forgive me doc, I’m a little, off center. You see I had this plan. It was a good plan. I was going to come in as a new patient. I was going to tell you a very long story about myself, really get you to understand me, and then I’d reveal that someone I love very much had been committed to an insane asylum by a doctor my father paid to do so. And in that asylum, he not only tortured her, but killed her. And I was going to wait for your reaction. But you’d have known who I was the second I walked in. And that wouldn’t do. So I had to go to plan B. Which is, I tell you about me, you realize that I’m no one to fuck with, and you either agree to help take down the man who paid you to be the fucking mosnter you are, or you walk out of this house, and you are never seen again. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ So...you’re not going to kill me? “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...Not in plan B. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ ...ok. So all I have to do is adm- “
Xavier Wolf
Xavier slams the gun on the table, shaking with rage. “ NO. I’ve told you what you have to do. First, you have to listen. Can you listen? “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ ...what do you want me to listen to? “
Xavier Wolf
“ To me. Because one of the options other than helping me, is death. And I don’t want you to feel like you should only help me because death is soOoOo scary. So I’m going to tell you about my life, and the three times in which I’ve died. “
“ The first time I died was when I was 20 years old. I was two years out of high school, one year out of college, and 5 minutes out of the military. I had been given an honorary discharge and not because I earned it. Because someone had paid for it. See that’s the thing about growing up the way I did. No one ever said no because I didn’t ask for permission, I only asked ‘how much?’ Everything was reasonable as long as the price was and everything I wanted was in reach because cash doesn’t have a limit. I remember sitting in my room, which was more like a wing of the house than a single room, when my mother came back after a long time away. 2 years, maybe. She came to see me and to her surprise I had decorated my room with photos of this local fighter I had become obsessed with. He had come from Japan but was a native new yorker. I mean, I never cared for new york back then. I was West Coast for life. So I thought. Well as luck would have it, the man I was obsessed with wasn’t just a fighter. He was her son. And my brother. And I can’t imagine walking into a room and seeing my youngest son surrounded by photos of my oldest son, but the look on her face told me most of what I needed to know. That day on, I wasn’t a Marke anymore. The world I had grown up in was a lie. I was a lie. And I needed to seek out the truth. And the truth killed most of who I had been. But it helped me become who I would be. “
“ The second death I suffered, was years later. I had won my first world title. And had done so at an age that very few others had. I was one of, if not the youngest world champion ever. I was on top of the world. And then one day, someone came along and knocked me off. And hard. At the time, it destroyed me. Being the world champion wasn’t just an accolade to me. It was my entire identity. Leaving my world behind to embark on this career, this proved I was right to do it. That I was meant for it. I had tried to be so many other things, and none of it came as naturally or as easily as this did. I was a success. A massive one. And then suddenly, poof. I wasn’t. It led me down a path that could have killed me. But thankfully, I was able to look at the man I was, the weakness I had, and was able to turn myself over. I was able to kill the man I’d been, and once again, change into the man I’d become. “
“ And then there was the third death. The one that happened just a few days ago. You see, this entire time I’ve been playing by a set of rules that only I cared about. I figured if I took my father down the way he took others down, I’d be karma incarnate, and not evil personified. But I was wrong. Because for the last few months, I’ve felt like I’ve only ever been on the ropes. Now as I’ve explained I’ve spent my entire life on my back foot. This is nothing new to me. What is new, is knowing that I could’ve ended this sooner, had I not been blinded by the false reality I was obsessed with willing into existence. In a world full of bad, and evil men, being good is not a choice. It’s a surrender. I’ve spent the last few years of my life doing everything I could to be the good guy. Granted, it’s only in this one way. No more. Now, I am who I am in every aspect. And you’re the person who gets to deal with that first. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ what is it that you expect me to tell you? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I want to know who else was involved. I want to know which of the authorities he paid off to make this happen. I want to know it all. And if you fucking lie to me I promise it’ll be the last one you tell with breath behind it. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ IF I do, will you give me your word you won’t hurt me? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I give you my word, I will not lay a single finger on you. I will do no harm. “
The doctor looked at Xavier, and all the years of being a therapist came to use in the largest way possible. Xavier was not lying, nor was he being deceptive. He meant precisely what he had said, so with a nervous breath, the doctor spoke. He spoke about the conversion therapy he had taken part in, and how he’d become one of the leading therapists to support it. He talked about how Thomas Marke appreciated his work and used him to recruit others. He spoke about the small asylums and the like that they had purchased and use for their secret testing of individuals they felt required conversion. At first it was trial and error, with success becoming more and more likely as the years went on. It was Emepha that figured out having them declared insane was the easiest way to go about it. All you had to do was drug them, pay off the labs, and the prosecutor, and you had yourself a test subject that the court system would forget the second they were out of sight. When he was done speaking, Xavier regretted making such a promise, as he had never wanted to hurt a person as much as he did in that moment.
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ You know all I know. Can this be over? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Yes. But there is a choice to make. You can testify against my father, prove that you’re truly sorry. Or you can walk out of this house and never be seen again. You will take nothing, you will have nothing. You will vanish from my sight, and be mindful, my sight is vast. IF you testify, you will earn jail time. But at the end of that jail time, there is freedom. Should you choose to run, there is no freedom. There is no peace. For every day you are out there, I will be looking for you. And if I find you, that promise you made me make will mean as much as the oath you took in medical school. “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ I can’t testify. Your fath-...Thomas Marke. He’ll kill me. “
Xavier Wolf
“ We all have to die of something, doctor. Make yours worthwhile. “
The doctor stood up, and walked toward the door. He reached out for the doorknob, and Xavier shook his head. He mouthed the words ‘im sorry, i can’t’ and grabbed the doorknob. His back stiffen and his jaw went tight. His head shook as his toes curled and his fist on his free hand shook erratically. He finally let go of the doorknob and fell to the floor, shaking randomly with drool building in his mouth. The kitchen door then opened, and Vincent Black walked in, dressed in an orange latex dress, and a cattle prod in hand, still producing the crackling electricity.
Xavier Wolf
“ I promised not to hurt you. “
Vincent Black
“ But I did not. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Welcome to plan X. “
Vincent Black
“ ...V? “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...you didn’t come up with this plan? “
Vincent Black
“ But I’m the one who’s going to electrocute him by shoving this prod up his asshole? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Because I told you to? “
Vincent Black
“ You told me to? “
Xavier Wolf
“ What is with the dresses? “
Vincent Black
“ You don’t like it? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I didn’t say th-...Actually that goes really well with your complexion. Like it really pops. I think this is a good color on you. “
Vincent Black
“ Yea? Do they make clothes in this color for men? “
Xavier Wolf
“ For men? You’re wearing a pussy belt right now, dickhead. You’re literally in a fucking loin cloth right now. You need to feel masculine all of a sudden? “
Vincent Black
“ How about you get out of here and let me work? “
Dr. Jorge Emepha
“ I’ll talk...please. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Silly doctor. “
Vincent Black
“ ...you already have. “
The doctor's eyes go wide and the crackling of electricity being produced from the prod echoes throughout the kitchen. Xavier steps over the doctor, and leaves the home, shutting the door behind him on his way. He hangs outside the door for a moment and enjoys the screams from the doctor as Vincent does his magic. Xavier leaves soon though, as the screams of agony from the doctor and the belly laughs from Vincent begin to become indistinguishable from each other, ruining the entire thing.
Miles away, Arnez ‘Nez’ Montoya and Eugene ‘Spatz’ Spaznolli laid in bed. The two of them make up the most absurd couple anyone had ever heard of or ever imagined. Her, a lesbian from the bronx who had somehow discovered she was a bisexual of New Jersey, and he, a former meth head from the bible belt who had become a sober and upstanding man. They had just finished making love, when she rolled over and looked at him. He wasn’t pretty. He was barely attractive. He was covered in terrible tattoos, and his teeth were mostly removable, but he made her laugh. And he gave a damn. Even about the shit he shouldn’t. Plus his penis was small so it was almost like a large clit. They’d been discussing baby names all day and only giving the worst ones they could. As the laughed at the idea of combining their names into Eunez or Argene, they were interrupted by the ringing of Spatz cellphone.
Spatz
“ Heylo? “
Xavier Wolf
“ It’s happening tonight. They’re going to pick you up, you’re going to tell them what you know, and you’re going to be given a very good deal to testify. “
Spatz
“ ...jesus. I haven’t told her yet. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Don’t. Just take care of her for me. She deserves this, you both do. “
Spatz
“ I’m sorry about all of this. I wish it could be different. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Don’t be sorry. You’re a good man, Spatz. Better than I thought you could be. Listen, They’re going to keep you safe until the trial. They’re going to pay you until the trial. But that trial, it’s never going to happen. You understand? “
Spatz
“ She’s gonna wanna say goodbye, bro. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’m not good at those. “
Xavier hung up the phone, and looked out the helicopter window. Distant lights flew by and he imagined there were people occupying those places that didn’t have the problems he did. That the things he suffered they would never know. And for a moment he was jealous of them, and the peace they must know. The helicopter landed on top of a skyscraper, and no sooner than he stepped out of it, it took off. And no sooner than it took off, did a woman walk toward him, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two glasses in the other. As she stepped into the ring of lights that made up the helipad, we see that it is none other than Anicka Swan.
Xavier Wolf
“ Hey Champ. “
Anicka Swan
“ Not yet. “ she said, popping the cork off the bottle. She handed Xavier a glass, and filled it to the brim, before doing the same with her glass. They took a quiet, reflective moment, and clinked their glasses in a silent toast. Each taking a large drink, they then turned and looked at the city beneath them, and all of its aesthetic glory.
Xavier Wolf
“ Are you ready for this? “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani is. The shareholders that Ani bonded with are loyal. The ones you’ve agreed to buy out are glad to be done with all of this. And the one Vin has scared to death, well. They’re scared properly. All that is left is to reveal. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’ve got it all in place. The shipping container has been in place for weeks. He believes there was a sewage issue. The yacht was always in his name, the FBI just couldn’t afford to raise it to prove it. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani heard a concerned citizen volunteered to pay for it. “
Xavier Wolf
“ You heard correctly. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani will be glad when this is all over. The secrets, the lies. While i am sure we agree they were for good reasons, it’ll be nice to be done with them. “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...why didn’t you tell me... “
Anicka Swan
“ Because you would’ve fucked this up. I love you. Ani has loved you forever. And Ani will always. But this. This was too big. You wouldn’t have been able to play it. He needed to keep watching you. “
Xavier Wolf
“ She’s safe, then? “
Anicka Swan
“ She has been for months. Xavier. What he did to her, prison won’t make up for. Ani can’t see him in a country club. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Ani... “ Xavier took the rest of his champagne down his gullet, and looked at her. He was angry with her. He was infuriated. But he also knew she was right. She had did what needed to be done and did it without waiting. “ No one is ever going to see him again. “
Anicka Swan
“ Good. “
As if on cue, the two of them walked to the edge of the pad, and sat down. Their legs hanging over the edge. Each of them slipped their shoes off, and placed them next to them. Ani rested her head on X’s shoulder, and X rested his head on hers.
Anicka Swan
“ Ani is sorry for lying to you. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’m sorry that you had to. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani is also sorry that you have to fight your own wife. Le-Le is the best thing that ever happened to you. Besides Ani. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Obviously. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani hopes you guys are together forever. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Know what I just realized? At the end of all this, we’re gonna have most of the stock of this company. “
Anicka Swan
“ X Imports? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Nah. “
Anicka Swan
“ Wolf Imports! “
Xavier Wolf
“ No. Swan Imports. “
Anicka Swan
“ ..but Ani lied..she doesn’t deserve it. “
Xavier Wolf
“ There is not a thing in this world that I can give my best friend, that she does not deserve. “
Anicka Swan
“ Thank you for loving Ani. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Thank you for saving my sister. “
Anicka Swan
“ Our sister. “
Xavier Wolf
“ ...no, the things we’ve done, that’s gross. “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani likes gross. “
Xavier Wolf
“ So..the people that had her... “
Anicka Swan
“ Silly X. Like you said earlier. “ Ani raised her head. Her brow furrowed and her eyes as intense as he had ever seen them. She stared into his eyes unblinking, unflinching. And she spoke in a tone that not many have heard. “ They’ll never be seen again. “
Xavier smiled, and the two watched as the sun began to rise in the distance. Both aware of the days to come being filled with actions they could never take back. Hearts they could never unbreak. Xavier, ready to fight his wife, and perhaps his brother, for the right to be called what he has always been. And Ani, having sold her soul to Xavier over a decade ago, ready to let him collect for a payment she could have never expected. And in the silence of the dawn, they mourned the world they’d known, the friends they were set to lose, and the minds they were about to distort. Xavier suddenly remembers something, and turns to Ani with a painful expression.
Xavier Wolf
“ ...can I please tell Murphy? “
Anicka Swan
“ Ani did that hours ago. We’re close enough. “
Xavier smiled, and went back to enjoying the view. He was not concerned with fighting his wife, as that was nothing more than foreplay. He was not concerned with fighting his brother, as he was sure Apathy would do that job for him. He was not concerned with Apathy, as he’s fought her a hundred times already, and beating her ins’t something he needs to prove able of. Instead, he thinks of Johnny Stylez. His friend, his business partner and his boss. And he smiles. Not because of what they’ve done together, but because what they’ve done to each other. And the score that has been between them for years has been anything but equal. And that is about to change.
“ I do not think about the beginning of my career often. As far as I am concerned that man is gone, and was only ever seen once. Each massive mistake does not change a person but create a new one. One that is better prepared for the challenges to come, and the victories of tomorrow, thankful for the losses of yesterday. Apathy, Le’. Vin. I am not here to defeat any of you. I am here to show you what it is like to lose, without being beaten. To fall, without breaking. I know all of you know this, and are capable of it yourself, but I find it important to remind others that you are also capable, and are mostly better at it than they are. “
“ Former tag team champion. Former Immortal Champion. But current warrior of the rarest kind. One that does not stop, pause, halt, hesitate or recess. One that gets up, each and every day, and sets out to be the best there is. I do not weigh myself against others. I do not look at what others do and try to compare what they do to what I do. I only ever compare to myself. I get up, and I get at it, with the single purpose of being better this time than I was last time. Whether it’s for all the glory in the world or for nothing important at all. I am always here to prove I belong. Not at the top, not in a single bracket, but in the light that only I deserve. The light that has my name on it. “
“ The light I’ve spent my entire career earning to keep burning. Through loss and pain and agony and suffering I have proved time and time again that while there are many deserving of attention, I am the one who is most. That of all the faces that can be celebrated, mine is the one with the largest parade. Funny thing about parades though. Not everyone gets to ride on the float. Some people have to clean up after it. “
“ Do not look upon what I do as a sign of how I think of you. Le’, you know you are my soul mate and the love of my life. Vin, you’re my brother and my partner in crime, quite literally. And Apathy, you are in your own way the future of this business, regardless of how you are currently. I do not intend to end you, or cripple you, or punish you for daring to stand against me. I simply wish to show how to get better. To force you down so that you may rise up stronger. You all shall fall, but you shall not break. You shall lose but you will never be beaten. And to remind you that while luck turns bad at the drop of a dime, that you are all equal to stand in the light should you choose, and that the only mistake you made was wandering into mine. “
Xavier and Ani pour themselves another glass of champagne, as the sun rises, they toast to the day ahead, and the culmination of their battle against the one demon that was never an angel.
The following morning came faster than they were ready for, and after a quick breakfast, the two of them reconvened on the helicopter pad, both dressed to the nines and ready for war.
The floating house of Thomas Marke was state of the art in every way. From it’s automatic docking Cigarette AMG, to it’s multidirectional engine that put the Galeocerdo to shame. Thomas Marke had made this place his home as of late, staying to international waters for not one reason, but many. He had been woken from his slumber by the sound of a helicopter approaching. He grabbed a pair of binoculars and smiled upon seeing the gold ‘x’ on the nose of the vehicle as it approached. Grabbing his robe and slippers, he shuffled over to the intercom, and request a cup of coffee be brought up to the lounge.
As the chopper touched down, Thomas stepped off the stairs that lead up to it, and placed his hands into the pockets of his robe. Xavier stepped out of the chopper, and held his hand out for Anicka to join him. As they took their 3rd step away from him, the chopper took off, and vanished in the distance.
Thomas Marke
“ This business or personal? For you. Obviously it’s neither for me. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Thomas. We need to talk. “
Thomas Marke
“ Do we? “
Xavier Wolf
“ You overstepped. You know that, right? “
Thomas Marke
“ I don’t step over. I step through. “
Xavier Wolf
“ You’ve said. Many times. “
Thomas Marke
“ Yes, well when I say things, I mean them. “
Xavier Wolf
“ That’s one way we are alike, Thomas. Because I do, too. “
Thomas Marke
“ ...where is my coffee.. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Thomas. You came for me. You took someone I cared very deeply for. And you thought that what, I’d roll over and die? That i’d behave in some sort of respectful manner? You thought for even a second that I wouldn’t come for you? “
Thomas Marke
“ Trying to ruin my business? Xavier, you have to know that it won’t work. I can buy and sell the board a hundred times over. Granted, you’ve done good in your efforts. But they aren’t enough. I’m still going to win. “
Anicka Swan
“ Do you, though? Ani believes you may have lost more than you realize. Especially with all of those authorities on the way. “
Thomas Marke
“ We’re in international waters, slut. They aren’t com- “
Xavier Wolf
“ Know why you don’t have that coffee? “
Anicka Swan
“ Because your crew left hours ago. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Right after they dropped this bad ass house off into domestic waters. “
As Thomas begins to speak, the sound of sirens begins to build from the distance. Xavier and Ani step aside and reveal a fleet of boats charging toward their location, with at least 3 helicopters in tow. Xavier and Ani smile, as Thomas does his best to hide his anger behind his large eyebrows.
Thomas Marke
“ You think you’ve got something on me? What is it that you think I can’t get away with? Do you know who I am? “
Anicka Swan
“ Al Capone went down for tax evasion, and now, so will you. “
Thomas Marke
“ Tax evasion? Do me a favor, Miss Swan, if you’re not going to put a cock in it, keep your mouth shut. The IRS is nothing. You both are nothing. I will be back on the streets within 24 hours, and if you believe for even a second that this changes how I feel about you and your ilk, you are correct. Because the first chance I get, I am going to make sure that sister of yours loses what little life I left her with. “
Anicka Swan
“ I guess that’s a chance we have to take. “
The helicopter of the FBI helicopter touches down on the helipad at the same time that the boats reach the dock of the houseboat. Storming from every direction with guns drawn, they demand that Thomas put his hands on his head. He complies, and kneels when told, as Agent Rancor steps up and begins to read his rights. Rancor, just as pudgy and old as Xavier had recalled, was wearing a brown suit with tan shoes and looked like a rug salesmen from the 1970’s woke up from a coma and just put on the clothes from his hospital room.
Thomas Marke
“ Agent, I am guilty. I did it. But don’t worry, even with a confession, you still won’t have anything on me. Now shut up with the rights and take me to jail so I can make my one phone call. “
Agent Rancor makes the call to have Thomas taken away by helicopter, but stays behind to talk to Xavier, as the rest of the men search the house for any evidence they can use in the case against him. Anicka decides to wave to Thomas as he leaves, while Xavier talks to Rancor about the rest of the plan.
Xavier Wolf
“ You ready for the rest of this? “
Agent Rancor
“ No. But I’m in way too deep. I’ve got men picking up your couple, the lesbian and the meth head. They’ll be in Wit-sec by tonight. I’ve put them someplace very nice, as you asked. God knows why. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Just remember, you’re going to get a much bigger promotion for this bust, than arresting a couple of fucking wrestlers. Book deals. Movie deals. You’re gonna be bigger than the beatles. “
Agent Rancor
“ Keep in mind, this is a one time thing. I find you on the wrong side of the law again, and all bets are off. “
Xavier Wolf
“ Funny, considering you never caught me this time. “
Rancor stayed silent, and walked away. Well aware that without Xavier’s help, he’d have no case against Marke, or anyone for that matter. He’d stay a low level idiot with the alphabet assholes and never know what success was like firsthand. But now, he was going to be a legend. Xavier waited a moment, and then suddenly, something came over him. He rushed over to the helipad, where Thomas and two other agents waited for the chopper to land. Grabbing Thomas by the shoulder, he spun him around hugged him. The agents looked onward, and tried to listen to what was being said, but the approaching helicopter made it impossible. Xavier let go, and looked into the now horrified eyes of Thomas Marke, who was shaken to his core by what ever Xavier just said. As they loaded him on the helicopter, and slammed the door, the two agents stepped back, and Thomas Marke vanished into the air, his eyes never leaving Xavier until he was well out of sight.
Walking back to Anicka, Xavier pulls a cigar from his pocket, and bites the end off, spitting it onto the ground. He reaches for a lighter and finds he doesn’t actually have one, but his smile is not affected.
Anicka Swan
“ Ani needs to know, why the hug? “
Xavier Wolf
“ Wasn’t just a hug. “
Anicka Swan
“ Sure seemed like one. So glad this is over. “
Xavier Wolf
“ I’d like to go see my sister now. “
As Ani calls for the chopper to return, Xavier looks at his friend, and he smiles. Anicka Swan was a lost soul, who had been found by chance, accepted despite herself, and beloved by force of her actions. She had always been his friend, but today, she was his hero.
The chopper lowers just enough for the both to get in, and just as fast as it lowered, it took off into the distant sky, which is the bluest either have seen in forever. The ocean beneath them glistens from the sunlight, and Xavier and Anicka smile at the view, despite the hellish journey it took to get them there.
Anicka Swan
“ Ani has to know...What’d you tell him? “
Xavier Wolf
“ I predicted his future. “
Anicka shakes her head, and returns to the view, as Xavier looks out and takes a deep breath as his own words and the reaction of Thomas Marke replay in his head.
“ You aren’t going to jail. There will be no trial, no bail. You will be found guilty of child porn, drug dealing, and gun running. But as far as the law is concerned, you are going to flee, and spend the rest of your life in the wind. But the rest of your life won’t even last as long as this helicopter ride. Goodbye, Thomas. For good. “