Post by Tommy Knox on Jun 9, 2013 16:28:40 GMT -4
(Minor edit June 16th, 2013. Had the chapter numbered wrong.)
The sky is grey, filled with clouds from the overcast. The wind blows from the east constantly. The effects of the first tropical storm of the season can be felt slightly as it heads north along the east coast. The rain hasn't came yet, hopefully it doesn't. This is perfect weather for a long drive on the open highway.
Outside of a rundown motel, seven black motorcycles belonging to members of the Nomads, rest as they sit in line along the edge of the parking lot. A couple of them have bags strapped to the back of the seat while others have bags sitting on the ground beside them. It's time to get out of Dodge of move to the next city on the list. A road trip is upon us.
Knox walks out from one of the motel doors with a duffle bag in hand. He walks towards his motorcycle, which sits in the back of the line, custom 1968 Harley Davidson Shovelhead. Tossing his bag on the seat, he pulls out a small strap and secures it to the motorcycle. Scanning the parking lot, Knox looks around as he pulls out a cigarette and places it between his lips. Like clockwork, he pulls out his lighter and strikes and burns the tip.
With that first drag, Knox leans on his motorcycle and relaxes as he looks into the grey sky. Thinking to himself for a moment, he slowly exhales and pulls his head out of the clouds. As he takes another drag, his cell phone begins to ring, catching his attention and yanking him back into reality. He looks down at the screen before answering as a smile comes across his face.
"Hey baby." Knox says as a peaceful feeling overcomes him. He hasn't spoken to Niobe in a couple of days. There's nothing more soothing than the sound of one's old lady while out living on the road.
Knox takes another drag as he sits on his motorcycle with the phone held up to his ear. "I'm just gettin' everything packed right now. We should be on the road within the next twenty or thirty minutes."
He exhales as he listens to Niobe on the other end. As that last bit of smoke exits through his nostrils, he clears his throat before getting another word in. "I'm comin' straight there. The Houston boys are headin' back home once we leave here. It's just me and the LBC boys. I'll pick you up once we get into town."
As he listens to Niobe on the other end, you can just tell that nothing else matters while he's listening to her voice. With everything that he's been through lately, dodging death and raising hell, everything ceases to exist as she leaves him hanging with every word that comes off of those sweet, soft lips. Knox has had his fair share of women but in the end, none of them has touched him like Niobe.
Knox takes another slow drag from his cigarette before speaking. "Baby, it's only you that I care about, you know that. Look it, once I pull into town I'm goin' to come by and pick you up. Then we'll head over to the Vegas charter and party our asses off. After we make our appearance, it's me and you on the city."
He listens to Niobe as she speaks to him from the other end of the telephone. Knox nods his head as he takes another drag. "It's Friday, babe. We can go out tomorrow night or Sunday and paint the town red. Whatever you want to do. You already know what I want to do once we get some time to ourselves. It drives me crazy bein' on the road without you by my side."
Exhaling, Knox tosses the cigarette butt aside and exhales once more. In the corner of his eye, he see's Wallace and Lenny walking out around the corner. As they approach, the other members of the MC follow behind. Knox notices and interrupts Niobe as she speaks from the other end.
"Baby, we're about to hit the road. I'll call you whenever we stop along the way. You never know, something may come up that requires our attention along the way." Knox says as he rubs his cheek. As he listens for another brief moment, he speaks up with a sound of sadness in his voice. "I'll see you soon... baby."
As Knox hangs up and places his phone in his pocket, Wallace comes up from behind and pats him on the back. "You ready to hit the road?" Wallace asks.
Lenny comes around the other side with a cocky look on his face as he looks at Knox. "You better be, kid. It's been nice partying with you."
"You too, bro." Knox says as him and Lenny shake hands.
Wallace looks on with satisfaction from the brotherhood. He walks over to his motorcycle, at the front of the line, and digs through his bag. He then pulls out a cigar and puts it in his mouth. Wallace continues to search for a moment only to come up empty handed. "Let me borrow a lighter, anyone."
Knox tosses him his lighter. Wallace snatches it in mid air and quickly lights the tip of his cigar. He then tosses the lighter back to Knox. "Thanks." Wallace then looks over at Lenny as he takes a puff from the cigar and the smoke engulfs him. "Well, this looks like the end of the road for us. This is where we part ways."
Lenny nods at Wallace and then looks back at his two charter members behind him. "Yes it is. It's been fun."
"Oh yes it has." Wallace says.
"We'll meet again, soon. I have to run these plans with Knox's product by the boys in Houston. I also have some digging to do into that whole mess the other week in New Mexico." Lenny says as he places his bog on the back of his iron horse.
"What do you mean?" Wallace asks.
"Yea..." Knox mumbles.
Lenny looks at both him and Wallace before answering. He thinks to himself for a brief moment. "My guys are going to dig into whitey. Knox said it himself, they knew that we were coming."
Knox chimes in with a pissed off look on his face. "They knew I was coming, me specifically. That piece of shit called me out by name."
"For all we know, these guys could know who you are by seeing your face all over the television. Afterall, everyone seems to watch wrestling." Wallace says as he takes a puff from his cigar.
Knox shakes his head in disagreement before responding. "I don't think so. He said that he had been expecting me and then said my name. Something doesn't sound right."
"So, what? Are you saying that we have a traitor within the MC? You've got balls, bro. You're not even a full patch member and you want to point the finger at other members." Wallace says as the tension begins to build.
"Calm down, both of you! This is exactly what we don't need. We don't need fighting from within the MC, that's what tears a club apart. We're going to get to the bottom of this, one way or the other." Lenny says.
"What does Jared have to say about any of this? He is the one who set the job up to begin with." Knox says with a cocky look on his face.
Wallace shakes his head back and forth as silence consumes the air for a moment. After taking another puff from his cigar, Wallace looks over at Knox. "Jared knows about as much as we do, nothing at all. He brings contracts to the table for us all the time, this one was no different."
"Maybe one of his guys saw us as we were pulling into town. They could have called him and gave him a heads up." Lenny says.
Knox laughs to himself before answering. "Really? If one of his guys saw us rollin' into town don't you think that they would come to help fight us off? None of us would just give a courtesy call to a fellow brother without comin' to fight by their side. It couldn't have been one of his boys."
Wallace takes one last puff from his cigar before putting it out on the bottom of his boot. He then places his hand on Knox's shoulder and looks him in the eyes. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. If someone put a target over your head then they're going to pay dearly, with their life. No one fucks with the Nomads."
"You goddamn right! Not in LBC, not in Houston or not even in Vegas. Shit, it doesn't matter what charter you're at, whether it be on the west or east coast, no one fucks with us!" Lenny yells as the adrenaline begins to flow through his veins.
"So just relax, Tommy. We're riding back to Cali but making a stop in Vegas to see our brothers. You have business to attend to there with APW so handle your shit. After that, you're headed down to... New Orleans?" Wallace asks with a slightly confused look on his face.
"Yea, Wednesday mornin' I'm flyin' out there for Overdrive. Oh yea, I've been meanin' to ask you. Do you think it would be possible to get the Vegas charter to get my bike from there to our clubhouse in Cali?" Knox questions as he pulls out another cigarette and places it between his lips.
"Yea, shouldn't be a problem." Wallace answers.
"Good, I've been meanin' to ask you earlier but I guess it just slipped my mind." Knox says as he pulls his lighter out and lights the cigarette.
Wallace smiles and looks at Knox as he says. "Anything for a brother. Those guys will get your motorcycle back to the clubhouse in one piece. Hell, they won't even put the miles on it. You'll get taken care of."
Lenny then interrupts as he pulls out his tobacco pipe and begins packing it. "So, who's the unlucky prick getting in the ring with you next week?"
Knox takes a drag from his cigarette before answering. "Nathaniel Havok."
"I feel sorry for that asshole, especially after that beat down you put on Jake. One thing I have noticed brother, being put in situations like last week, it fuels you and takes your game to a whole new level." Wallace says as he begins to chuckle.
"Yea, one minute you're looking down the barrel of a loaded gun and the next you're kicking someone's ass from corner to corner." Lenny says as he finishes strapping his duffle bag to his motorcycle.
"It's goin' to be an interestin' match. This will be another one for Test for the Best, officially the first round. I guess I was just wastin' my time the other week with Jake when Test for the Best was supposed to be on the line. Hell, everyone who lost the first week had a chance to redeem themselves and get another shot. I just have to keep my head above water and win week after week. If I lose, I doubt I'll get a second chance to make it to the fuckin' show." Knox says as he takes a drag from his cigarette and slowly inhales.
Lenny then clears his throat as he butts in with a look on his face as if he discovered something for the very first time. 'Wait a second... isn't he teamed up with your boy, Gooch?"
Knox laughs to himself before answering. "Yea, he is. It doesn't matter to me though. Me and Gooch will get in the ring eventually. Until then, I guess I'll just have to settle for beatin' on his friends and climbin' the ladder of success. I know a lot of people want to see us settle our differences in that ring. They're just goin' to have to wait until I'm finished winnin' this tournament. Gooch isn't goin' anywhere, he'll still be around after I win Test for the Best."
"Don't get sidetracked with everything else, brother. That's when your enemies find the best opportunities to attack." Wallace says.
Knox thinks about what he says before replying. "I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it. I can't look to you guys for backup anymore. Hell, you guys aren't even allowed in an APW arena after Meltdown the other day."
"You need to make some friends on the inside, within the ranks of APW." Lenny suggests.
"Everywhere you look now, a new faction is poppin' up within APW. Gooch is aligned with Havok, Delikado and Envi. Then you have that joke of a group, the New Sindicate. Lets not forget about the original, Syndicate. Teams are aligning and the numbers are stackin' in others favor. There's only so much I can do. I can't go out and join with another group as long as I'm with you guys. I'm sure you guys don't want me flyin' someone else's flags." Knox says as he takes a slow drag from the cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Wallace takes a moment to think before answering. "Well, the MC can't watch your back if we're not allowed in the buildings. I don't see any problems with you teaming with others as long as the MC always comes first, always."
"Yea brother, the MC above all else. I'm involved in charitable events down in Houston with other allied MC's. It can work, you just have to remember to put your colors, the Nomad colors, above everything else." Lenny says as he raises his lighter to the tobacco pipe hanging from his mouth.
"I understand that, you don't even have to tell me. The Nomads will always be put before anything else I have workin'. I guess I need to start talkin' to people..." Knox says just before he gets interrupted by Wallace.
"Hold on a second, don't do anything just yet. This is going to be a club decision on whether or not reaching outside of the club is the best option for you in APW. Once me and the guys get back to Long Beach, we'll bring it to the table and vote on it." Wallace says.
"I appreciate that, Wallace." Knox says as he takes a drag from his cigarette and slowly inhales.
"So, until then you just need to focus on kicking Havok's ass next week at Overdrive." Wallace says.
"There's no need to worry about that, bro. I've wanted to get in the ring with Havok since I was on Meltdown. Lucky for him, he managed to get drafted onto Overdrive before the match ever came to be. Now he gets to climb in the ring with me for somethin' far more important on the line. There's only room for one alpha male on Overdrive and I'm goin' to prove to the world that it's me and only me. I don't care if you're Level One, C.J. Gates, Evan Envi or Nathaniel Havok himself, if you get in my way you're goin' to end up on your back, knocked the fuck out." Knox says as he takes another drag from the almost burnt out cigarette.
"And what about Gooch or that other kid you picked on, Jace?" Lenny asks.
Knox laughs before answering with a smirk on his face. "What about them? Jace couldn't handle me in a match when we had our street fight. I beat the livin' hell out of that guy. I just used him as bait last week to attract an even larger animal to the ring, Buckson Gooch himself. The time will come when those two get a piece of me again. When it does, I'll do what I do best and get my hand raised in victory over those chumps. Until then, I'm focused on kickin' Havok's ass in the ring and settin' an example for the entire League to witness."
"You show those sons of bitches that their strength in numbers don't scare you one bit. The League isn't anything to be worried about, at least not in my opinion." Wallace says as his demeanor changes.
"You can say that again. I know for a fact that I'm on their radar now, first with Gooch and now with Havok. I'm willin' to bet that they're probably sittin' around a table themselves tryin' to come up with a way to stop me from gettin' closer to the prize at the end of the road for Test for the Best. One thing they don't know about me but soon will, I love to derail peoples plans off course when the chips are stacked against me. It's what I do best. The League is lookin' for total domination of Overdrive and right now, I'm standin' in between their goal and Havok."
Lenny steps in closer as the words roll from his tongue. "Don't just stand there brother, do something!"
Knox laughs as he takes one last drag from the cigarette and tosses it aside. "I will, you can bet on that. Havok may have avoided me on Meltdown but he..." Cutting Knox off, his cell phone begins to ring and interrupts in the middle of his sentence. A smile comes over his face as he looks up at Wallace. "Give me a moment, I'll be right back."
Knox walks away from the group and grabs the phone out of his pocket and raises up to his ear without paying attention to the caller ID. Assuming it's Niobe on the other end, he changes his tone to a sexual manner and answers. "Hey baby, I see that you couldn't wait any longer to hear my voice."
Quickly after, Knox's face changes to more of a serious look as he listens to the other end. It's apparent that Niobe isn't the one talking to him when he holds the phone up and looks at the caller ID.
"Sorry, I thought it was Niobe calling. What did you find out for me?" Knox asks.
He listens for a moment as his eyes widen slightly and seriousness overtakes his face. Knox pulls out another cigarette, just after putting out one, and puts it in his mouth. As he listens to the other end, he fumbles in his pocket searching for his lighter. After finding it, he holds it to his mouth and lights the cigarette as his hand trembles.
"Are you sure?... Do you have any idea who she is?... Jennifer Hargrave?" The conversation goes back and forth as Lenny and Wallace watch from a distance talking amongst themselves.
"So, he gave her a bag, looked like a payoff? Are you sure that it was Jared?" Knox asks as he listens to the other end. The anger builds and begins to show in his eyes as he listens to whatever poison is on the other end. "His wife?" Knox questions as it appears that his heart has dropped and vengeance overcomes him.
Knox then hangs up the phone and gets ahold of himself. He then walks back towards the Nomads with the cigarette hanging from his mouth, smoke dwindling into his eyes. He places the phone in his pocket and walks to his iron horse. Looking over at Wallace, he grabs his helmet and takes a drag from his cigarette. "Are you ready to ride?"
Wallace takes a moment before answering as he looks at Lenny and shakes his hand. "Lets roll." Wallace says as he gives the Houston charter members hugs.
Knox climbs onto his motorcycle and cranks the motor as the roar rumbles throughout the parking lot. The other MC members all climb on their motorcycles and start them. The engines all roar in synchronization, it's quite beautiful to say the least. Wallace then takes the lead and pulls out as the other Long Beach members and Knox trail behind.
As for the Houston members, Lenny pulls out and drives in the opposite direction as they follow in order. As the two charters go their separate ways the scene slowly fades to black.
"So, you and your friends are set on a path to save the world. Let me ask you a simple question. What exactly are you set on savin' the world from? Is it people like me? Are you fightin' for the everyday loser that gets knocked down in the dirt? Are you fightin' for the average Joe who gets held down by his boss everyday, the man? You and your buddies want to be super heroes, to me, you're nothin' but jokes. The world needs people like me just as we need somethin' to laugh at with the likes of you."
"With every super hero, there must be a villain. At least to make the story interestin' in my opinion. I'll be your villain, Havok. Not just this week but the followin' and the many after that. You're just a pawn in my game of chess to climb to the top and claim what's mine at Test for the Best. This week it's you. Next week it's Gooch. The week after, I think you get the drift. I'm no more of a villain than you are a hero. If anything, I'm the anti-hero in this epic battle and fight for what's right and wrong."
"If we have to look at things from a perspective of good and evil, then I'll play the part of evil himself. You can sit there on your pedestal and act all high and mighty. I'll play along, at least. When you meet me in the ring Thursday night in New Orleans, at Overdrive, this won't be a fight that good wins for the sake of overcomin' evil. In my book, in my world, evil wins this battle and eventually the war. You can fight if you dare, it just pushes me to bury you even deeper in a bottomless pit of shame that you and your played out antics have created for yourself. Heroes to the wrestlin' world, we've never seen that before!"
"Let me tell you a little bit about myself, Havok. I don't live by the rules that APW or this society set before me. I live by my own rules, I play by my own desires. I didn't get to where I am, the most hated man on the Overdrive roster, by conformin' to the rules that you lamb have. I don't take the path of least resistance like you do. I take the total opposite. I take the path of most resistance and spit in the face of the man. You can be a lamb all you wish, I'll be the big bad wolf waitin' for the slaughter to begin."
"I've made a lot of enemies on my rise as of late. Go ask your good friend, Mr. Gooch. I'm sure that he'll be at ringside Thursday night watching me break you in the middle of that ring. He'll sit back and watch a mere glimpse of what's waitin' for him the moment he decides to quit runnin' and meet me in the ring one on one. Will he come to help you and save the day? That's a decision that you must make. Last time I checked, super heroes played by the rules and set examples to those watchin'. He's more than welcome to get involved, I don't care, but what will the kids think?"
"I don't have that problem. I don't have to worry with what others think about me. I could care less about what anyone thinks of me. I break the rules and I don't fight fair, it's what I do. I just simply don't give a fuck. You and your buddies on the other hand, you guys have a reputation to uphold. Reputation or not, I'm comin' for one thing and one thing only. I'm comin' to that ring Thursday night with beatin' the hell out of you runnin' through my mind. You see, it's time for a change in APW. It's time for a new face to run the fuckin' show and you're standin' in my way. Test for the Best is my opportunity to step my game up and believe me, I have."
"We still have a few more days before we meet each other in the ring. You've been silent lately and honestly, I don't blame you for keepin' to yourself and not makin' the situation worse. Havok, I'm comin' to destroy you and rip the League to shreds. If you don't believe me, ask those punks in NBK. I'm sure Jake can tell you first hand that I mean business in the ring. To be honest with you, I do give you a little more respect and credit than NBK but not by much. After Thursday night, we'll see just how much respect I have after I see how you handle yourself in the ring. I've been lookin' forward to this match since Meltdown and somehow, you managed to slip through the system and make your way to Overdrive. Well, I'm here now and there's nowhere left to run. The road ends Thursday night in New Orleans with Test for the Best on the line. I'm ready, are you? Do me a favor and don't let your mouth write checks that your ass can't cash. I'll let you get with Gooch or Titan to clarify that one for you as retaliation has cast its shadow upon them."
///Retaliation\\\
Chapter XXIX, Part II
Chapter XXIX, Part II
"...if you get in my way you're goin' to end up on your back..."
- Knox -
- Knox -
Friday 9:21 AM [June 7th, 2013]
Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
The sky is grey, filled with clouds from the overcast. The wind blows from the east constantly. The effects of the first tropical storm of the season can be felt slightly as it heads north along the east coast. The rain hasn't came yet, hopefully it doesn't. This is perfect weather for a long drive on the open highway.
Outside of a rundown motel, seven black motorcycles belonging to members of the Nomads, rest as they sit in line along the edge of the parking lot. A couple of them have bags strapped to the back of the seat while others have bags sitting on the ground beside them. It's time to get out of Dodge of move to the next city on the list. A road trip is upon us.
Knox walks out from one of the motel doors with a duffle bag in hand. He walks towards his motorcycle, which sits in the back of the line, custom 1968 Harley Davidson Shovelhead. Tossing his bag on the seat, he pulls out a small strap and secures it to the motorcycle. Scanning the parking lot, Knox looks around as he pulls out a cigarette and places it between his lips. Like clockwork, he pulls out his lighter and strikes and burns the tip.
With that first drag, Knox leans on his motorcycle and relaxes as he looks into the grey sky. Thinking to himself for a moment, he slowly exhales and pulls his head out of the clouds. As he takes another drag, his cell phone begins to ring, catching his attention and yanking him back into reality. He looks down at the screen before answering as a smile comes across his face.
"Hey baby." Knox says as a peaceful feeling overcomes him. He hasn't spoken to Niobe in a couple of days. There's nothing more soothing than the sound of one's old lady while out living on the road.
Knox takes another drag as he sits on his motorcycle with the phone held up to his ear. "I'm just gettin' everything packed right now. We should be on the road within the next twenty or thirty minutes."
He exhales as he listens to Niobe on the other end. As that last bit of smoke exits through his nostrils, he clears his throat before getting another word in. "I'm comin' straight there. The Houston boys are headin' back home once we leave here. It's just me and the LBC boys. I'll pick you up once we get into town."
As he listens to Niobe on the other end, you can just tell that nothing else matters while he's listening to her voice. With everything that he's been through lately, dodging death and raising hell, everything ceases to exist as she leaves him hanging with every word that comes off of those sweet, soft lips. Knox has had his fair share of women but in the end, none of them has touched him like Niobe.
Knox takes another slow drag from his cigarette before speaking. "Baby, it's only you that I care about, you know that. Look it, once I pull into town I'm goin' to come by and pick you up. Then we'll head over to the Vegas charter and party our asses off. After we make our appearance, it's me and you on the city."
He listens to Niobe as she speaks to him from the other end of the telephone. Knox nods his head as he takes another drag. "It's Friday, babe. We can go out tomorrow night or Sunday and paint the town red. Whatever you want to do. You already know what I want to do once we get some time to ourselves. It drives me crazy bein' on the road without you by my side."
Exhaling, Knox tosses the cigarette butt aside and exhales once more. In the corner of his eye, he see's Wallace and Lenny walking out around the corner. As they approach, the other members of the MC follow behind. Knox notices and interrupts Niobe as she speaks from the other end.
"Baby, we're about to hit the road. I'll call you whenever we stop along the way. You never know, something may come up that requires our attention along the way." Knox says as he rubs his cheek. As he listens for another brief moment, he speaks up with a sound of sadness in his voice. "I'll see you soon... baby."
As Knox hangs up and places his phone in his pocket, Wallace comes up from behind and pats him on the back. "You ready to hit the road?" Wallace asks.
Lenny comes around the other side with a cocky look on his face as he looks at Knox. "You better be, kid. It's been nice partying with you."
"You too, bro." Knox says as him and Lenny shake hands.
Wallace looks on with satisfaction from the brotherhood. He walks over to his motorcycle, at the front of the line, and digs through his bag. He then pulls out a cigar and puts it in his mouth. Wallace continues to search for a moment only to come up empty handed. "Let me borrow a lighter, anyone."
Knox tosses him his lighter. Wallace snatches it in mid air and quickly lights the tip of his cigar. He then tosses the lighter back to Knox. "Thanks." Wallace then looks over at Lenny as he takes a puff from the cigar and the smoke engulfs him. "Well, this looks like the end of the road for us. This is where we part ways."
Lenny nods at Wallace and then looks back at his two charter members behind him. "Yes it is. It's been fun."
"Oh yes it has." Wallace says.
"We'll meet again, soon. I have to run these plans with Knox's product by the boys in Houston. I also have some digging to do into that whole mess the other week in New Mexico." Lenny says as he places his bog on the back of his iron horse.
"What do you mean?" Wallace asks.
"Yea..." Knox mumbles.
Lenny looks at both him and Wallace before answering. He thinks to himself for a brief moment. "My guys are going to dig into whitey. Knox said it himself, they knew that we were coming."
Knox chimes in with a pissed off look on his face. "They knew I was coming, me specifically. That piece of shit called me out by name."
"For all we know, these guys could know who you are by seeing your face all over the television. Afterall, everyone seems to watch wrestling." Wallace says as he takes a puff from his cigar.
Knox shakes his head in disagreement before responding. "I don't think so. He said that he had been expecting me and then said my name. Something doesn't sound right."
"So, what? Are you saying that we have a traitor within the MC? You've got balls, bro. You're not even a full patch member and you want to point the finger at other members." Wallace says as the tension begins to build.
"Calm down, both of you! This is exactly what we don't need. We don't need fighting from within the MC, that's what tears a club apart. We're going to get to the bottom of this, one way or the other." Lenny says.
"What does Jared have to say about any of this? He is the one who set the job up to begin with." Knox says with a cocky look on his face.
Wallace shakes his head back and forth as silence consumes the air for a moment. After taking another puff from his cigar, Wallace looks over at Knox. "Jared knows about as much as we do, nothing at all. He brings contracts to the table for us all the time, this one was no different."
"Maybe one of his guys saw us as we were pulling into town. They could have called him and gave him a heads up." Lenny says.
Knox laughs to himself before answering. "Really? If one of his guys saw us rollin' into town don't you think that they would come to help fight us off? None of us would just give a courtesy call to a fellow brother without comin' to fight by their side. It couldn't have been one of his boys."
Wallace takes one last puff from his cigar before putting it out on the bottom of his boot. He then places his hand on Knox's shoulder and looks him in the eyes. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. If someone put a target over your head then they're going to pay dearly, with their life. No one fucks with the Nomads."
"You goddamn right! Not in LBC, not in Houston or not even in Vegas. Shit, it doesn't matter what charter you're at, whether it be on the west or east coast, no one fucks with us!" Lenny yells as the adrenaline begins to flow through his veins.
"So just relax, Tommy. We're riding back to Cali but making a stop in Vegas to see our brothers. You have business to attend to there with APW so handle your shit. After that, you're headed down to... New Orleans?" Wallace asks with a slightly confused look on his face.
"Yea, Wednesday mornin' I'm flyin' out there for Overdrive. Oh yea, I've been meanin' to ask you. Do you think it would be possible to get the Vegas charter to get my bike from there to our clubhouse in Cali?" Knox questions as he pulls out another cigarette and places it between his lips.
"Yea, shouldn't be a problem." Wallace answers.
"Good, I've been meanin' to ask you earlier but I guess it just slipped my mind." Knox says as he pulls his lighter out and lights the cigarette.
Wallace smiles and looks at Knox as he says. "Anything for a brother. Those guys will get your motorcycle back to the clubhouse in one piece. Hell, they won't even put the miles on it. You'll get taken care of."
Lenny then interrupts as he pulls out his tobacco pipe and begins packing it. "So, who's the unlucky prick getting in the ring with you next week?"
Knox takes a drag from his cigarette before answering. "Nathaniel Havok."
"I feel sorry for that asshole, especially after that beat down you put on Jake. One thing I have noticed brother, being put in situations like last week, it fuels you and takes your game to a whole new level." Wallace says as he begins to chuckle.
"Yea, one minute you're looking down the barrel of a loaded gun and the next you're kicking someone's ass from corner to corner." Lenny says as he finishes strapping his duffle bag to his motorcycle.
"It's goin' to be an interestin' match. This will be another one for Test for the Best, officially the first round. I guess I was just wastin' my time the other week with Jake when Test for the Best was supposed to be on the line. Hell, everyone who lost the first week had a chance to redeem themselves and get another shot. I just have to keep my head above water and win week after week. If I lose, I doubt I'll get a second chance to make it to the fuckin' show." Knox says as he takes a drag from his cigarette and slowly inhales.
Lenny then clears his throat as he butts in with a look on his face as if he discovered something for the very first time. 'Wait a second... isn't he teamed up with your boy, Gooch?"
Knox laughs to himself before answering. "Yea, he is. It doesn't matter to me though. Me and Gooch will get in the ring eventually. Until then, I guess I'll just have to settle for beatin' on his friends and climbin' the ladder of success. I know a lot of people want to see us settle our differences in that ring. They're just goin' to have to wait until I'm finished winnin' this tournament. Gooch isn't goin' anywhere, he'll still be around after I win Test for the Best."
"Don't get sidetracked with everything else, brother. That's when your enemies find the best opportunities to attack." Wallace says.
Knox thinks about what he says before replying. "I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it. I can't look to you guys for backup anymore. Hell, you guys aren't even allowed in an APW arena after Meltdown the other day."
"You need to make some friends on the inside, within the ranks of APW." Lenny suggests.
"Everywhere you look now, a new faction is poppin' up within APW. Gooch is aligned with Havok, Delikado and Envi. Then you have that joke of a group, the New Sindicate. Lets not forget about the original, Syndicate. Teams are aligning and the numbers are stackin' in others favor. There's only so much I can do. I can't go out and join with another group as long as I'm with you guys. I'm sure you guys don't want me flyin' someone else's flags." Knox says as he takes a slow drag from the cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Wallace takes a moment to think before answering. "Well, the MC can't watch your back if we're not allowed in the buildings. I don't see any problems with you teaming with others as long as the MC always comes first, always."
"Yea brother, the MC above all else. I'm involved in charitable events down in Houston with other allied MC's. It can work, you just have to remember to put your colors, the Nomad colors, above everything else." Lenny says as he raises his lighter to the tobacco pipe hanging from his mouth.
"I understand that, you don't even have to tell me. The Nomads will always be put before anything else I have workin'. I guess I need to start talkin' to people..." Knox says just before he gets interrupted by Wallace.
"Hold on a second, don't do anything just yet. This is going to be a club decision on whether or not reaching outside of the club is the best option for you in APW. Once me and the guys get back to Long Beach, we'll bring it to the table and vote on it." Wallace says.
"I appreciate that, Wallace." Knox says as he takes a drag from his cigarette and slowly inhales.
"So, until then you just need to focus on kicking Havok's ass next week at Overdrive." Wallace says.
"There's no need to worry about that, bro. I've wanted to get in the ring with Havok since I was on Meltdown. Lucky for him, he managed to get drafted onto Overdrive before the match ever came to be. Now he gets to climb in the ring with me for somethin' far more important on the line. There's only room for one alpha male on Overdrive and I'm goin' to prove to the world that it's me and only me. I don't care if you're Level One, C.J. Gates, Evan Envi or Nathaniel Havok himself, if you get in my way you're goin' to end up on your back, knocked the fuck out." Knox says as he takes another drag from the almost burnt out cigarette.
"And what about Gooch or that other kid you picked on, Jace?" Lenny asks.
Knox laughs before answering with a smirk on his face. "What about them? Jace couldn't handle me in a match when we had our street fight. I beat the livin' hell out of that guy. I just used him as bait last week to attract an even larger animal to the ring, Buckson Gooch himself. The time will come when those two get a piece of me again. When it does, I'll do what I do best and get my hand raised in victory over those chumps. Until then, I'm focused on kickin' Havok's ass in the ring and settin' an example for the entire League to witness."
"You show those sons of bitches that their strength in numbers don't scare you one bit. The League isn't anything to be worried about, at least not in my opinion." Wallace says as his demeanor changes.
"You can say that again. I know for a fact that I'm on their radar now, first with Gooch and now with Havok. I'm willin' to bet that they're probably sittin' around a table themselves tryin' to come up with a way to stop me from gettin' closer to the prize at the end of the road for Test for the Best. One thing they don't know about me but soon will, I love to derail peoples plans off course when the chips are stacked against me. It's what I do best. The League is lookin' for total domination of Overdrive and right now, I'm standin' in between their goal and Havok."
Lenny steps in closer as the words roll from his tongue. "Don't just stand there brother, do something!"
Knox laughs as he takes one last drag from the cigarette and tosses it aside. "I will, you can bet on that. Havok may have avoided me on Meltdown but he..." Cutting Knox off, his cell phone begins to ring and interrupts in the middle of his sentence. A smile comes over his face as he looks up at Wallace. "Give me a moment, I'll be right back."
Knox walks away from the group and grabs the phone out of his pocket and raises up to his ear without paying attention to the caller ID. Assuming it's Niobe on the other end, he changes his tone to a sexual manner and answers. "Hey baby, I see that you couldn't wait any longer to hear my voice."
Quickly after, Knox's face changes to more of a serious look as he listens to the other end. It's apparent that Niobe isn't the one talking to him when he holds the phone up and looks at the caller ID.
"Sorry, I thought it was Niobe calling. What did you find out for me?" Knox asks.
He listens for a moment as his eyes widen slightly and seriousness overtakes his face. Knox pulls out another cigarette, just after putting out one, and puts it in his mouth. As he listens to the other end, he fumbles in his pocket searching for his lighter. After finding it, he holds it to his mouth and lights the cigarette as his hand trembles.
"Are you sure?... Do you have any idea who she is?... Jennifer Hargrave?" The conversation goes back and forth as Lenny and Wallace watch from a distance talking amongst themselves.
"So, he gave her a bag, looked like a payoff? Are you sure that it was Jared?" Knox asks as he listens to the other end. The anger builds and begins to show in his eyes as he listens to whatever poison is on the other end. "His wife?" Knox questions as it appears that his heart has dropped and vengeance overcomes him.
Knox then hangs up the phone and gets ahold of himself. He then walks back towards the Nomads with the cigarette hanging from his mouth, smoke dwindling into his eyes. He places the phone in his pocket and walks to his iron horse. Looking over at Wallace, he grabs his helmet and takes a drag from his cigarette. "Are you ready to ride?"
Wallace takes a moment before answering as he looks at Lenny and shakes his hand. "Lets roll." Wallace says as he gives the Houston charter members hugs.
Knox climbs onto his motorcycle and cranks the motor as the roar rumbles throughout the parking lot. The other MC members all climb on their motorcycles and start them. The engines all roar in synchronization, it's quite beautiful to say the least. Wallace then takes the lead and pulls out as the other Long Beach members and Knox trail behind.
As for the Houston members, Lenny pulls out and drives in the opposite direction as they follow in order. As the two charters go their separate ways the scene slowly fades to black.
AMERICAN HIGHLIFE
June 9th, 2013 [•REC]
June 9th, 2013 [•REC]
"So, you and your friends are set on a path to save the world. Let me ask you a simple question. What exactly are you set on savin' the world from? Is it people like me? Are you fightin' for the everyday loser that gets knocked down in the dirt? Are you fightin' for the average Joe who gets held down by his boss everyday, the man? You and your buddies want to be super heroes, to me, you're nothin' but jokes. The world needs people like me just as we need somethin' to laugh at with the likes of you."
"With every super hero, there must be a villain. At least to make the story interestin' in my opinion. I'll be your villain, Havok. Not just this week but the followin' and the many after that. You're just a pawn in my game of chess to climb to the top and claim what's mine at Test for the Best. This week it's you. Next week it's Gooch. The week after, I think you get the drift. I'm no more of a villain than you are a hero. If anything, I'm the anti-hero in this epic battle and fight for what's right and wrong."
"If we have to look at things from a perspective of good and evil, then I'll play the part of evil himself. You can sit there on your pedestal and act all high and mighty. I'll play along, at least. When you meet me in the ring Thursday night in New Orleans, at Overdrive, this won't be a fight that good wins for the sake of overcomin' evil. In my book, in my world, evil wins this battle and eventually the war. You can fight if you dare, it just pushes me to bury you even deeper in a bottomless pit of shame that you and your played out antics have created for yourself. Heroes to the wrestlin' world, we've never seen that before!"
"Let me tell you a little bit about myself, Havok. I don't live by the rules that APW or this society set before me. I live by my own rules, I play by my own desires. I didn't get to where I am, the most hated man on the Overdrive roster, by conformin' to the rules that you lamb have. I don't take the path of least resistance like you do. I take the total opposite. I take the path of most resistance and spit in the face of the man. You can be a lamb all you wish, I'll be the big bad wolf waitin' for the slaughter to begin."
"I've made a lot of enemies on my rise as of late. Go ask your good friend, Mr. Gooch. I'm sure that he'll be at ringside Thursday night watching me break you in the middle of that ring. He'll sit back and watch a mere glimpse of what's waitin' for him the moment he decides to quit runnin' and meet me in the ring one on one. Will he come to help you and save the day? That's a decision that you must make. Last time I checked, super heroes played by the rules and set examples to those watchin'. He's more than welcome to get involved, I don't care, but what will the kids think?"
"I don't have that problem. I don't have to worry with what others think about me. I could care less about what anyone thinks of me. I break the rules and I don't fight fair, it's what I do. I just simply don't give a fuck. You and your buddies on the other hand, you guys have a reputation to uphold. Reputation or not, I'm comin' for one thing and one thing only. I'm comin' to that ring Thursday night with beatin' the hell out of you runnin' through my mind. You see, it's time for a change in APW. It's time for a new face to run the fuckin' show and you're standin' in my way. Test for the Best is my opportunity to step my game up and believe me, I have."
"We still have a few more days before we meet each other in the ring. You've been silent lately and honestly, I don't blame you for keepin' to yourself and not makin' the situation worse. Havok, I'm comin' to destroy you and rip the League to shreds. If you don't believe me, ask those punks in NBK. I'm sure Jake can tell you first hand that I mean business in the ring. To be honest with you, I do give you a little more respect and credit than NBK but not by much. After Thursday night, we'll see just how much respect I have after I see how you handle yourself in the ring. I've been lookin' forward to this match since Meltdown and somehow, you managed to slip through the system and make your way to Overdrive. Well, I'm here now and there's nowhere left to run. The road ends Thursday night in New Orleans with Test for the Best on the line. I'm ready, are you? Do me a favor and don't let your mouth write checks that your ass can't cash. I'll let you get with Gooch or Titan to clarify that one for you as retaliation has cast its shadow upon them."
