The Hade War

by Luke Carlisle

  “No blood!” yelled the ref to Santos who raised his hands in disbelief. He then jumped on top of the barrier in front of Greyfall who was cheering him on.

  Ronan rolled over onto his front, hiding the fact that he had placed a blood capsule in his mouth. Santos jumped off the barrier onto the side of the ring. Hopping onto the first rope he backflipped of the rope and landed on Ronan on floor level. The crowd was in a frenzy. Jessen and Greyfall were cheering and spilling their beers everywhere.

  The referee got down to Ronan’s level to check him then immediately shot back up and signalled for the bell to ring. The time keeper rang the bell and the crowd erupted in cheers.

  “The winner of this bout and still NCW champion - Santos!” echoed out of the arena’s speaker system.

  “Ah ha!” bellowed Greyfall joyfully. He hit Jessen playfully on the shoulder which knocked him flat on his back.

  “Apologies, Hade!” he exclaimed as he helped Jessen back to his feet.

  “I’m cool, I’m cool,” Jessen said reassuringly as if nothing had happened. “Just lost my balance there; bit too much beer maybe.”

  In front of them Ronan was back to his feet, the blood capsules fluid spilling out of his mouth and all over his chest. Santos celebrated in the ring holding his belt above his head. Elaine ran over to Ronan to help him.

  “Uh, hey…hey you! You’re hot! Do you like… me? Sandwich?” said Jessen in an embarrassingly half drunk mumble.

  Elaine ignored him and put her arm around Ronan.

  “Seriously, you wanna go out?” he continued.

  Elaine and Ronan slowly walked back up the runway and into the backstage area where they were greeted by applause from the rest of the NCW wrestlers and staff. Sol approached Ronan who was now walking perfectly fine.

  “Hey man, great job out there! The crowd nearly blew the roof off!”

  “Thanks Sol.” Ronan appreciated the praise.

  “I thought the match was over so many times! The hits you were taking! I would have preferred a nice head wound but mouth works fine too. The fact that it covered a lot of your chest and face made it a bigger impact.”

  Back in the arena as Santos was finally walking back up the runway, title belt in hand, Jessen and Greyfall started towards the exit.

  “She’s…she’s the most hottest ever…” Jessen attempted a sentence.

  “That has put me in a fine mood Hade! Tomorrow we will begin combat training in addition to charging your force blasts,” said Greyfall happily.

  “Nah…nah man I gotta work tomorrow. Talks are over so… so I can go back into work,” replied Jessen as he stumbled up the steps of the arena.

  “Ah I see. I shall come with you and work. With double money we can find better living quarters.”

  “Nope. Doesn’t work like that dude. Gotta get your own job. Gotta apply, interview n’ shiz. They don’t just let anyone work in the Fordway.”

  The next morning Greyfall stood in uniform beside Jessen in front of Mr Michaels.

  “There isn’t much of a rush right now so take a while and show Dave the ropes,” Mr Michaels instructed Jessen who stared back at him begrudgingly.

  “Yes sir,” said Jessen as Mr Michaels walked away.

  “Well, we’re pretty much joined at the hip then aren’t we? Come on, Dave; I’ll introduce you to Miguel.”

  “Check, check, chickity check, you hear me, nerd?” Manning’s voice came over the in ear communicator.

  “Loud and clear old man. You designed this, that makes you the nerd. Which makes me the jock,” Israel replied from the bathroom of their apartment.

  Israel came out of the bathroom and took the earpiece out, setting it on the desk in front of Manning.

  “The problem is battery life right now. You only get an hour or two,” said Manning. “But I’ll be working on it.”

  “Good start anyway. I’ll take it out tonight.”

  “What’s on for tonight?” Manning asked.

  “I might keep watch on that bar again. There’s a good vantage point from across the street, a pretty sheltered fire escape. Don’t think I should show my face in there again any time soon.”

  “Speaking of which.” Manning walked over to a box on the worktop behind them. He presented it to Israel who looked inside.

  “No. Is that what I think it is?” Israel asked, trying not to show his childish excitement.

  “No need to be showing your face anywhere.”

  “Bad… ASS! This is cool I’ll try it on in a minute.”

  “It should allow you to still be able to move around freely while providing a small amount of protection from flat impacts. It ain’t bullet or blade proof, you hear?”

  “Yeah. Well what are you doing tonight?”

  “Same as before. Staying at home, working on gear for you, keeping in contact with you, waiting for you and inevitably bandaging you up when you crawl home in a pool of blood,” Manning answered.

  “I’ve got a good feeling about tonight, ‘Fall,” Jessen said as he packed up his bag after their shift at the Fordway. Greyfall waited beside him. “Dunno why, just got a feeling.”

  “You have foresight?” Greyfall asked

  “What?… No, just… sometimes you get these feelings, yunno?”

  “No.”

  Jessen slung his bag over his shoulder and signalled to the door.

  “Anyway let’s go. I fancy a beer to help shake this hangover.”

  Outside Jessen and Greyfall walked down the busy evening streets of New Belfast.

  “You actually did alright there today,” said Jessen.

  “I did not find it difficult. People ask for things; you bring it to them.”

  “Give it a couple of years.”

  “What happens after a couple of years?”

  “Nothing. That’s the problem.

  The two continued to walk several blocks until they came to their desired bar. Inside the small bar was crowded, noisy and smelled like sweat. A few men at the far end of the room took notice of the massive Greyfall as he entered.

  “You are here often Hade?” asked Greyfall.

  “Yeah it’s ok,” Jessen replied.

  “It is hostile.”

  “What? Nah man it’s cool. I mean yeah there’s the odd fight. In fact I heard there was a big one a few nights ago. Cops came and everything but it’s ok now.”

  The two made their way to the bar and Jessen ordered them two beers.

  “I have already been targeted,” Greyfall said quietly.

  Jessen looked around the room.

  “What? No, no man you’re fine. It’s just like this. Besides, look at you; who would be dumb enough to try anything with you? Not to mention the fact you have the super-awesome nuclear man by your side.”

  “You still haven’t learned how to fully control it. You could kill someone, including me.”

  “Ok, I hear you. Any trouble and we walk away, ok?” Jessen proposed, taking a sip of his beer.

  Before Greyfall could respond a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him round.

  “You guys! Out now!” a large thug of a man demanded. Behind him stood three others.

  Jessen swallowed his beer and put it down. Greyfall stared at the man.

  “Guys, we’re cool. Just here for a beer after work yeah? No trouble here,” said Jessen cooly.

  “I agree. No trouble here. Not yet. Leave,” said the thug.

  Greyfall looked back at Jessen. Jessen shrugged and stood up.

  “Whatever man,” Jessen said without looking at the thug. He patted Greyfall on the arm and headed for the door. Greyfall stood for a moment then turned and joined Jessen at the door. The two went back out into the night air. The thug turned around to his friends.

  “I thought Jackson was on the door?!”

  Outside Jessen and Greyfall stood looking up and down the street for several moments. There was now a bouncer on the door who was not there before. He was holding a cup of coffee and opening a fresh packe
t of cigarettes. Two men approached the door of the bar from the street. The bouncer stood in front of the door.

  “Private function tonight. Sorry fellas,” he said dismissing them.

  Jessen looked to Greyfall.

  “Private function?” he questioned. “Seemed like a normal night to me. Where did this guy even come from? Was he there when we went in?”

  “No.” answered Greyfall. “He must have left his post.”

  At that moment a large black car with no number plates and tinted windows pulled up outside the bar. Jessen and Greyfall stepped back and waited to see who would get out of such a vehicle. After a few seconds the back door opened and Frank, Vince Kennedy’s right hand man, stepped out of the car. The bouncer moved aside from the doorway and let Frank in without saying a word.

  “What’s going on here?” Jessen asked Greyfall who stood and watched in silence.

  “Come on.” Greyfall gestured down the road and the two men walked away.

  From his position on the fire escape across the road Israel surveyed the scene. Reaching to his ear he communicated to Manning.

  “Manning… you hear me ok?… Something’s up. That guy I helped from the other night is back again…”

  “Angry Mark and the Electric Space Bagels,” informed the bouncer.

  “Come again?” asked Jessen.

  “Angry Mark and the Electric Space Bagels… yeah I know right? Five bucks in each, sorry.”

  One hundred yards down the street from the bar they were ejected from Jessen and Greyfall stood at the door of a music club.

  “Can’t say I’ve heard of them,” said Jessen

  “I wouldn’t recommend it,” the bouncer replied.

  “Screw it I just want a beer and a bit of music.” Jessen handed the bouncer two five dollar bills.

  “Beer yes, music no.” The bouncer stepped aside and let the two men in.

  Inside was an eclectic mix of hipsters, cyber goths and Jessen didn’t even know what else. The club could hold several hundred but Angry Mark and The Electric Space Bagels were performing to around thirty. Jessen and Greyfall walked over to the bar and took two stools, ordering four beers.

  “This is our last song. It is called My Home is My Fortress, Attack It and I Shall Hurt Your Arms,” the lead singer announced to the silent crowd, waiting in anticipation.

  “This man seems to have honour,” Greyfall said to Jessen.

  The song started with Angry Mark repetitively hitting two keys on his keyboard, one semi tone apart, over and over again. The drummer pounded his snare drum out of time with the beat of the keyboard. The bassist repetitively hit the head of his bass guitar with a tuning fork. This went on for several moments, the band staring intently out at the crowd without moving or showing any emotion.

  “I see…” Greyfall said disappointed.

  This went on and on for what felt like an eternity, the crowd watching in silence. Jessen turned back around in his stool to face the bar man who was wearing heavy duty noise cancelling head phones. Jessen waved to get his attention, pointing at the barman's head then holding up two fingers. The barman nodded, reached under the counter and pulled out two more sets of headphones, handing them to Jessen and Greyfall. The three men sat at the bar blissfully unaware of what was going on on the stage.

  After ten minutes Jessen and Greyfall were almost finished their second beers. Jessen glanced over to the stage. Judging from what he could see the band physically doing, he guessed the same song was still going on. Suddenly the band stopped and the crowd could be seen applauding. In disbelief Jessen took of the headphones to confirm what he thought he was seeing. Angry Mark And The Electric Space Bagels were bowing and drinking in the surprisingly loud applause from the small audience.

  “Thank God for that,” Jessen muttered to himself, patting Greyfall on the arm who had his eyes closed. Greyfall took of the headphones.

  “The music of this era is odd to me.”

  “Oh it’s odd to me too,” Jessen replied, signalling to the bartender for two more beers. Jessen suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

  “Dude! How are you? Remember me?”

  Jessen turned to see Daniel, lead singer of Embers Of Earth in front of him.

  “Oh yeah, uh… hey man how are-” Jessen fumbled a response but was stopped short of finishing by the sight of who accompanied Daniel. Elaine, Ronan’s manager, was standing beside Daniel.

  “Uh…hi. Em, Elaine right?”

  “Yeah that’s right!” Elaine replied happily. “NCW Fan?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sorry about last night, yunno, I had some beers and got excited,” Jessen awkwardly apologised. Elaine looked back at Jessen with a confused expression.

  “I’m not sure you have anything to apologise for?” Elaine informed him innocently.

  “No I do, I was at Showdown last night. After Ronan’s match I was shouting stuff at you. I think, uh…sandwiches?”

  “Oh! Yeah I don’t really hear any of that. I get it a lot. It comes with the job and I basically just filter it out. I totally would have been attracted to you just now had you not told me that though.” Elaine joked with him. Daniel laughed. Jessen awkwardly sputtered out an obviously forced laugh.

  “Em, so this is…uh… Leonard.” Jessen gestured to Greyfall who nodded to the couple.

  “So you guys were recording or something?” Jessen asked Daniel.

  “Yeah, a quick session in L.A. there over the last couple of days. Looking forward to hearing the finals.”

  “Cool me too.”

  “What did you think of Angry Steve and The Space Munch Jamboree, or whatever they were called?” Daniel asked.

  “Educational,” Jessen responded.

  “Agreed. I’m thinking of covering that last song.”

  Jessen smirked. “Yeah but it needs to be a bit longer.”

  “Ha! I don’t think much of this place. The floor down at the stage may as well be a paddling pool. My feet are soaking in who knows what.” Daniel lifted his right foot up. Jessen admired the ragged old pair Nike Air Jordans he was wearing. It reminded him or a pair he wore for years as a teenager.

  “Yeah I know what you mean. Well, sorry but we were actually just about to head home. Good to see you again,” Jessen lied. “And good to meet you, Elaine. Tell Ronan I’m a fan,” Jessen lied.

  “I will.” Elaine responded with a smile.

  Inside the first bar Frank stood at the doorway surveying the room. After a few moments he made his way to the back of the room towards the thugs who had evicted Jessen and Greyfall. Without saying a word they went through a door in the back corner of the bar and into a store room. The last thug closed the door behind him and the noise of the bar became a low murmur. From the other side of the door the lock could be heard shifting into place. Each of the men sat on a cheap plastic chair in a circle facing inwards towards each other.

  “I’m surprised you came back,” said Mack, the leader of the thugs.

  “I arranged the meeting idiot and, like I said on the phone, you will be very interested to hear our offer. I trust we have cooled off since last time, yes?” said Frank condescendingly. “I wont waste your time and more importantly I wont waste my own time any longer than necessary. Now, last time we got a little angry, didn’t we? Let’s not let that happen again.”

  Mack and his thugs just stared at him.

  “If it wasn’t for my anonymous knight in shining armour with his wrist rockets or whatever the hell they were… that was weird right?… You might have ended up doing something you regretted,” Frank said condescendingly. “My employer was not best pleased to hear of your lack of hospitality.”

  “You killed the man we wanted! Why you even came down here just to tell us that to our faces is beyond me! What do you want?!” Mack asked impatiently.

  “There has been a change in our arrangement.”

  “That’s what you said last time and if it wasn’t for said random knight in shining armour you would be behind bars
or worse right now. Notice the locked door this time?”

  Frank laughed. “Seriously, cut the tough cop act. My employer knows you didn’t grow up in this hood Mr. Connecticut-private-school-boy. He went to Yale as well…. he also knows your wife Alice is at home with your children, Mark and Sarah, at 1375 North West Avenue, apartment 12.”

  Mack glared at Frank for several minutes fighting the urge to unleash all hell on him. “I’ll ask again, what do you want Frank? Do you have anyone for us or not?”

  “Potentially but not right now. Sorry that’s twice in a row, I know. This one didn’t die on us this time. My employer might have use of him but we are still waiting to find out. If he proves to be useless, we’ll toss you the scraps.”

  “Toss us the scraps? What are you doing to him?! Are you hurting him?! Who is it anyway?”

  Frank smiled. “Ezra Foley.”

  Mack and his men stood in silence, staring at Frank.

  “…You have Deadvolt?” asked Mack.

  “We have Deadvolt,” Frank confirmed.

  The room was silent and motionless.

  “I can tell from your reactions and those dumb looks on your faces that this is interesting news to you.”

  “Deadvolt has killed a lot of our men,” Mack replied coldly. “Give him up Frank. What good is he to you?”

  “You seem to have forgotten how this works. We give you the bad guys in return for… favours.”

  “This is different. This is Ezra Foley. We will do anything we have to to get him into our custody.”

  “Excellent!” said Frank happily. “Then it’s a deal.”

  Frank reached into his inside jacket pocket and revealed an envelope. He handed the envelope to Mack.

  “Here is your list of blind eye assignments. If all of them go off without incident we may deliver Foley to you.”

  “May?!” repeated Mack.

  “Yes, may. Like I said, my employer may have use for him. In the mean time the first blind eye is tomorrow afternoon.”

  Mack stood up, threw the envelope in Frank’s face and grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him up out of his seat.