James Locker- The Duality of Fate

by Martin Lundqvist

  Thomas Anderson:

  - What the fuck is this? It looks completely retarded, and how does this means you are getting laid tonight?!

  Adam Smith:

  - Well, mate, she is a psychologist, so she listens to people whining about their feelings and stuff all day long. So when the urge comes all she wants is sex; and I am happy to provide.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - That is beyond retarded. Do you...

  Samantha Robinson interrupted Thomas Anderson:

  - Oh god! Thomas, why do you even bother if this woman exists or not? But yeah you can't leave yet, Adam, We'll have to play a final game to determine the winner of tonight, and I am going to show you both some girl power if you are up for it?!

  Adam Smith:

  - Tough words indeed, I accept your challenge!

  They went in, to play a last fifteen minutes round before Adam Smith had to leave to meet his supposed booty call. To his big surprise, he got massively beaten by Samantha Robinson who smashed him big time. Thomas Anderson finished second with a small margin, and Adam Smith got by his standards a humiliating third place.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Ha-ha psyche out. The Great Master of Lasertag beaten big time by a girl. How does it feel?

  Adam Smith who was red in his face both from the physical strain and frustration yelled:

  - Shut up! You suck nine out of ten games, and besides, she beat you too!

  Adam Smith cooled down for a while and then added

  - Anyway, I am leaving now; I am getting laid tonight, good luck with that one.

  After this minor turmoil that caused all the people in the vicinity to look at him; Adam Smith quickly left the venue.

  Thomas Anderson and Samantha Robinson decided to have another drink and went to a couch to have a chat. After a while, she leaned her head towards him and said:

  Samantha Robinson:

  - You know he was right about one thing; you do suck at Lasertag.

  Thomas Anderson looked at her with sad eyes and said nothing.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - But he was also wrong about one thing...

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Okay, and what would that be?

  Samantha Robinson smiled at him and then she said:

  - Well, you are getting laid tonight.

  She pulled the surprised Thomas Anderson towards her, and they kissed passionately.

  3.11 Friday night and insight into the killer's mind.

  THE KILLER WAS LYING in bed looking at the sleeping woman next to him. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. When she touched him all the pain in his mind, all the horrible things he had seen and experienced felt cured, and she made him feel like a whole man. They would be the perfect couple, maybe even start a family someday. But there was a big problem, which was the reason things would probably not end that way. He was not free, he was a slave, and although he tried his best to control his destiny, he just could not. For instance, this was the first time in weeks he had been able to be with her. All because of another man who decided his fate and played with his life like he was a mere puppet. He hated that man above all else, but for now, the man was out of his reach.

  The Killer looked at his watch. He would soon have to leave her. Again! How he dreaded the fact that he could never spend the whole night with her, and wake up to see her smile. She had accepted his explanations for why he could never spend the night with her. It was always work-related, and she said she understood. Which of course she did not at all, as the reason was not work-related. Oh if it only were work-related reasons, he would quit his job tomorrow just to wake up to see her smile.

  The Killer got dressed and contemplated his options. He knew that if he smothered his mistress while she was asleep, he would finally be free of the bondage and the strong connection he felt to her. Who knows, he might even get to come by the following day and see her corpse. She would indeed be the most beautiful corpse he had ever seen. But he struck the thought away, it was not the concept of killing that disgusted him, he was after all getting used to the feeling, but he felt appalled by the thought of never being able to see her wake up with a smile on her face with the morning sun reflecting on her hair. Experiencing this was his biggest dream and the thing that kept him going. Without this dream he might as well put the gun, he had used to kill Miranda DiMaestro to his head and blow his brains out. He smiled when thinking about how shocked everyone would. Sadly he would not be able to see it himself which took most of the fun out of it.

  He decided to neither kill her nor himself tonight and instead he chose to leave her a note to explain why he had to get off this time. It read "Dear Rebecca; it breaks my heart to not being able to see you wake up with the morning sun in your hair today either. Sadly bad things came up; bad things that I don't want to trouble you with. Rest assured that I have a plan for how to sort my fate out so it can be you and I together forever. I love you and hope that you someday will feel the same for me. Your's Forever JP"

  He left the apartment and faced his fate of yet another day of tormenting captivity, unsure of when he would be free to see her again.

  3.12 Boozing at James Lockers house

  IT WAS SATURDAY THE 24th of August 2013 and James Locker decided that it was time to get drunk. He had felt the urge for a drink and the alcohol withdrawal all week, but today he was energised and could not see any reason why he should not drink. He decided to call his friends Thomas and Adam to come over as it felt better to drink in a group, and they had a lot of talking points since their Asian holiday. He started off by calling Thomas Anderson.

  James Locker:

  - Hey, mate, how are you doing? Up for some boozing and hunting tonight?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - I don't know mate; I am seeing this awesome girl, I don't want to go after any other women for the time being...

  James Locker:

  - Seriously? You have been back in Sydney for one week, and you have been working long shifts, how did you manage to meet someone?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Fate has its ways; anyway, I don't want to speak about it at this stage since I don't know where it's going.

  James Locker:

  - Fair enough. So are you seeing this mysterious woman tonight, and if not, does she mind if you go out boozing with your friends?

  Thomas Anderson

  - I am not seeing her tonight, and I don't think she minds if I hang out with you guys.

  James Locker:

  - Ha-ha, that's because she does not know Adam. Oh, anyway my place at 7 PM. I have already bought the drinks and the snacks, a man got to celebrate promotion after all.

  They hung up, and James Locker contacted Adam Smith who did not need any form of persuasion for a Saturday night Boozing and hunting session. Adam Smith and Thomas Anderson arrived at James Locker's place at 7 pm, and they realised that he was already pretty drunk. James drunkenness could hurt their hunting prospects as all the pubs in New South Wales had alcohol restrictions that were just one step lighter than those in Muslim countries. One was allowed to drink, but as soon as the alcohol had its natural effect on the drinker, the person was thrown out from the pub due to being drunk without otherwise misbehaving.

  Adam Smith:

  - Dammit, James! How are you supposed to go out boozing and hunting in this state with the Responsible Service of Alcohol rules being in place?

  James Locker:

  - Well mate, my plans for tonight is a lot more awesome than going to RSA licensed venues. You know exactly what I am talking about.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, that's Adam territory, and since when do you do drugs?

  James Locker:

  - Are you kidding me? I am drinking alcohol which evidently is more dangerous than most illegal drugs you'll find lying around. And besides these antidepressants, I am pushing would be classified as class A narcotics if they were not backed by doctors and wealthy pharmaceutical co
mpanies.

  Adam Smith:

  - That’s my man! Bitter, believing in conspiracies and a party animal at the same time! Can it get better? Pour me a big one!

  With these words said a few hours of excessive drinking commenced. They were playing video games where the loser was forced to drink a double shot of absinthe. Considering the shock the body experiences after consuming 60 ml of a beverage with an alcohol content of 70 % in one gulp Thomas Anderson who was the least alcoholic of the three could not handle his round, so he went to the bathroom where the poison came out the same way it came in. When he returned, James Locker was looking at him with crazy eyes and began to talk.

  James Locker:

  - Hey, Thomas, Have you ever thought about how it would feel to get shot? I have...

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Probably a highly unpleasant experience and possibly lethal, I prefer ignorance.

  James Locker:

  - Well, the pursuit of knowledge and freedom is essential for me, and I only feel free when living on the edge.

  While saying this; James Locker handed the slightly shocked Thomas Anderson a pistol. James Locker continued to speak:

  James Locker

  - You see I have always wondered how it feels to be shot, but I just can’t make myself shot myself and that’s where you come into the picture. You have a gun I want YOU to shoot me.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Are you fucking insane?! I won’t do that; you might die.

  James Locker:

  - I might, but it's not likely since I am wearing body armour. As long as you are relatively steady on your aim, we'll both be fine.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - You are crazy; there is no way I am doing that, no matter what you say.

  James Locker pulled forth a second gun from his pocket and aimed it at Thomas Anderson.

  James Locker

  - Well sadly mate; it's either you or I. Since I am wearing body armour I would prefer to be shot, then shoot you.

  Thomas Anderson was at this stage sweating heavily, and the panic caught a black grip over his mind. He perceived James Locker as deadly serious, and he did not want to risk his life by turning his back to James Locker and disobey his request. Thomas decided to go ahead and shoot. He lifted his gun and focused his aim before firing. The bullet was stopped by James Locker' body armour, but the force was still enough to knock James to the ground for a while. Thomas Anderson's and Adam Smith's eyes met, and they both felt shocked and terrible from the event that had just occurred. Suddenly James Locker jumped up and laughed:

  James Locker

  - Ha-ha fooled you guys! Thomas, you just shot me with a blank bullet; you did not think I was supposed to let you shoot me for real?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - No, I wasn't; look at your body armour there is a hole in it!

  James Locker looked perplexed putting his finger in the hole of his body armour; he grew pale for a while before regaining his composure. Finally, he spoke.

  James Locker:

  - Holy shit! You are right; I better stop drinking! But the night is young and no sense going to bed yet, Adam can you get us some free cocaine, I know you have sources...

  Adam Smith felt very uncomfortable when James Locker brought up the topic. He was not supposed to know about this; as this was a thing between Adam Smith and Thomas Anderson. But it was true however as owning a police ID was a great way of getting an occasional bag of free cocaine, ecstasy, weed or whatever they fancied for the night. It was all about knowing about the environment and not becoming too greedy. He and Adam Smith had settled for asking for freebies once or twice a month. It was the perfect equilibrium between police and drug lord he reckoned. If they asked for too much, they would become a liability and probably have an "accident." If they were strict and did their jobs; they would turn the drug dealers in and maybe get a minor staff appraisal, but that was worth far less to them than having free drugs whenever they liked. Neither Adam Smith nor Thomas Anderson were addicts anyway so an occasional gram of coke every now and was enough to fill their needs. Adam Smith was unsure of how to respond to James Locker. There was a possibility that James Locker was only testing them and knew nothing about their drug habit and how they acquired their drugs. In that case, it would be stupid to expose them. If he, however, knew everything it would just be silly to pretend to be a saint; and if James knew and wanted in on the business why not? Adam Smith decided for an approach and started talking:

  Adam Smith:

  - What you are suggesting is an interesting idea, James. I did not know you were using cocaine but if you could recommend a way for us to get it for free; it would indeed bring an extra dimension to our party tonight?

  James Locker:

  - Oh Adam, please! I am not an expert on how to get free cocaine from drug barons, but I suppose you ask all of them for a small cut to look away. So here is what we do: the principal drug lords in Sydney are Antonio DiMaestro, Salvador Allende, and Miguel Vasquez.

  - I suppose none of you knows where Antonio DiMaestro is since he is wanted for murder and you probably would not be stupid enough to take bribes from him when his operations are in the spotlight.

  - This leaves us with Allende and Vasquez. Who do you think has the best girls and the best cocaine?

  Adam Smith:

  - Well, we have not spoken to Vasquez in months so he would be the one that is most inclined to help without seriously considering hurting us.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well none of them is dealing with prostitution though. I mean why would they? Prostitution is legal and highly regulated in Australia, not exactly what a mobster would aim to work with.

  James Locker:

  - Hey, mates get real! Don't you think any drug baron with self-respect would perform this kind of operation without having an array of girls available? The fact that they are not prostitutes just make them hotter I reckon. Who does not dream about a hot night with a Latin American femme fatale?

  Adam Smith:

  - Woo. It sounds awesome mate! But how would we convince them to let us sully their girls? I mean we don't have that much on them.

  James Locker:

  - Don't worry about that I'll sort it out! Just point me in the direction of their place, and I'll lead the way.

  Adam Smith:

  - Well, I know Vasquez has a place at Potts Point, but we better get a cab there it would be stupid of us going down for drunk driving.

  James Locker

  - Awesome! Let’s go!

  3.13 Corruption at Kings Cross

  THE GANG ARRIVED AT Kings Cross around midnight. It was a chilly and rainy evening not suitable for a real party, but since it was a Saturday night, there was still a lot of action around them. Kings Cross had always been the heart of corruption of Sydney and since humans usually drink or use other drugs to experience the fun and joy corruption could bring this was the number one party spot in the Sydney Metropolitan area. Even though the primary drug of choice for most of the visitors was ethanol, one of the most dangerous drugs ever known to man, most of the people in this area would wake up with a hangover the day after hopefully recapitulating the memories of an excellent night of partying. Some, however, would not wake up either as an effect of the malicious nature of violence that ethanol, induced into some individuals making them commit unforgivable crimes or by the purely toxicological effects of the substance. The three musketeers, however, had already had their fair share of ethanol, and now they wanted something else. Something that according to government propaganda was a lot more dangerous than alcohol but in reality probably was on about the same level, this something was cocaine.

  James Locker sometimes thought about the bizarre realities of the legal system and how the governments of men needed an enemy either real or constructed as a way to legitimate their power. In the specifics of in the war against drugs the government was victimising a group of people because they were committing a victimless crime, the c
rime of using a product that in the long run might be harmful to them and reduce their value as citizens. But the main issue was that for most users the concept of being arrested and getting a criminal record was a far worse liability for his or her future career prospects than the usage itself brought to them. If someone got caught using drugs which in many cases where less harmful than alcohol that individual would get branded by the government to be a scourge on the society respected on the same level as a murderer or a rapist.

  Apparently, James Locker and his friends did not share the legislators' opinions on drugs, but ironically they and the organised crime were the only ones who profited from the current state of affairs. The organised crime earned a lot of tax-free benefits possible only possible due to the legislation, and corrupt police offers were making money as they could have a slice of the pie without upsetting the balance too much.

  After a short walk, they arrived at the Vasquez venue which looked very inconspicuous from the outside. For those who knew about the place, it was the place to go for anyone wanting to buy anything illegal ranging from various drugs, weapons, and chemicals used for bomb making. Adam Smith called on the intercom, and two very rough looking guards came out. One of them was known as Marko, and Adam Smith had been in interacting with him in the past.

  Marko started speaking:

  - Puta de Madre! What are you fuckers doing here, and who is that guy?