by Brian Grenda
William and TJ respond over the radio, “You got it. See you soon. Someone is approaching the front door. You got this Ryan. Over.”
BANG! BANG!
Someone bangs on the closed metal front entrance door of the Big Club.
“Hello!” shouts a man outside of the front entrance door.
I gather myself and walk slowly to the front entrance door of the Big Club.
I think to myself, “It’s go time. You aren’t alone with this. Your brothers have you, and Bobby G will be safe.”
I take a deep breath and slowly pull the metal entrance door open.
I’m greeted by a man, who has a huge obnoxious smile on his face.
“Hello! You must be Ryan. I am Jason,” says Jason as he waits outside of the Big Club at the front entrance door.
“Where is Jacob and my father?”
Jason replies, “We will get to that. Don’t you worry about that. They will be here very shortly. May I come in?”
I’m taken back by the sight of Jason, and how Jason is acting. Almost like nothing has happened before, and he’s happy to meet me.
Jason is standing alone at the front entrance doorway, but I know he didn’t come alone.
“Where is my father and Jacob?”
Jason angrily replies, “We will get to that. Can I come in?”
“Look man, I’m tired of this bullshit! This isn’t a game! I don’t like being toyed with! Go get Jacob and my father, and let’s settle this!”
I take out my handgun and point it at Jason’s face.
Jason isn’t scared of the gun that I point in his face.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Ryan. Don’t rush this situation, Ryan. If you rush this, then we might make a rushed decision on what to do with you and your father,” says Jason.
Shaun whispers to Phil, “I don’t like this. I don’t trust this bullshit that this guy is playing.”
Phil says, “It’s all a game to them. Ryan can handle it. Just keep your eyes ready and fingers around the trigger. Don’t get trigger happy. Wait on Ryan’s order to open fire.”
Jason looks right at me and says, “I would lower the gun if I were you. If you kill me, then your father dies.”
I lower the gun as soon as I hear that my father is alive.
“Are you alone in here?” asks Jason.
I don’t answer, as I don’t want to lie to Jason.
I decide to put on a show and play the role of a scared man who is alone and at the mercy of the Conquerors.
“Please, come in Jason. I just want this situation with Jacob and my father settled as peacefully and as admirably as possible.”
Jason goes to step inside the Big Club, but stops himself before doing so.
Jason looks at me as I stand by the front entrance door and asks, “Can my friends come in too?”
Before I can answer. Jason shouts, “Come on in boys! We have business to settle!”
A rush of men come running in from outside of the Big Club and surround me.
I take a step back and find myself in the middle of an open part of the Big Club and next to Joseph’s covered body.
I am completely surrounded as Conquerors form a circle around me as I stand in the middle of the Big Club next to Joseph’s covered body.
I am not sure what to do.
I don’t want to start a gunfight as I would be completely blow away easily by the Conquerors.
Suddenly, a man walks into the Big Club through the front entrance.
He walks in alone and says, “Glad you could make it. I like a person who is early.”
The man looks down at the watch on his left wrist and says, “0900. Now we can talk. Hi, Ryan. I’m Jacob.”
CHAPTER 4
THE MEETING
Someone starts laughing as I’m standing helplessly in the dimly lit Big Club surrounded by Conquerors.
I am not sure what to do in my current situation.
Jacob has me surrounded, and I don’t see my father.
Me being surrounded by armed men was not part of my plan.
I holster my handgun and grab the detonator from my pocket.
I hide the small detonator in my hand as I raise my hands above my head and ask, “Where is my father Jacob?”
The laughter gets louder and louder as the man starts walking towards me now.
“It’s pretty funny seeing you in such a helpless position Ryan,” says a man with a familiar voice.
I can’t see the man as he is standing behind me.
I turn around and immediately get angry at the sight of the man.
It’s Chris.
Chris walks right up to my face and points his handgun on my nose.
“Stop right there Chris!” shouts Jacob.
Jacob walks closer to me and commands Chris to lower his gun.
Chris lowers his gun and takes a step back from me.
I turn to look at Jacob.
Jacob looks me right in the eyes and says, “Your father is alive, or is he? He’s in the car outside in the parking lot, or is he? Will you trust what I say or no?”
“We need to trust each other if we are going to make this work Jacob. You said to be here by 0900 in two days, and I’m here. What does that show you?”
Jacob replies, “It shows me that you can be directed, and you are trustworthy. I’m not sure how much I should trust you though. Trust is earned.”
Chris walks towards me and says, “I use to trust you Ryan, until you threw me out on the street. Out of my home. You chose those Asian chinks over me! Where are your Asian friends now, Ryan?”
I’m holding back my urge to kick Chris right in his face, as it is tough to have to listen to Chris talk. It’s pretty hard for me to just take Chris’ cockiness without smacking him in the face.
“Nice nose ya got there Chris! Still broken?”
Chris goes to smack me in the back of the head with his gun, but I dodge out of the way.
Jacob notices that I’m not taking Chris’ crap, but I’m not attacking him either.
“Get back in line and let the men talk, Chris,” says Jacob.
Chris swings his gun at my face.
I step back as Chris swings at me.
Chris shouts, “Made you flinch!”
Chris then puts his handgun away in his holster as he walks back in line next to his fellow Conquerors.
I can only imagine what Lauren, Shaun, and Phil are thinking as they are watching all this.
I know they want to help me, but I hope that they will trust that I’m okay, and I will let them know if I need their help.
Jacob has a pretentious look on his face as he is staring at me.
“What’s under the sheet?” asks Jacob.
“I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours. Where is my father?”
Jacob shouts, “Fine. Enough of this!”
Jacob whistles, and I hear some noise outside of the Big Club.
A Conqueror brings in a man with a blue pillowcase over his head.
“Dad? Bobby G? Are you alright?”
I step towards the man with the blue pillowcase on his head and Jacob shouts, “That’s far enough!”
Jacob holds up his handgun, and I stop.
“Let me see my father. I need to know he’s alive.”
Jacob steps closer to me and says, “You don’t tell me what to do. I tell you what do.”
Jacob’s tone and disrespect instantly pisses me off.
I decide to keep playing the part of letting Jacob win and say, “I’m sorry Jacob. Just, please let me see that he’s alive.”
“Okay, okay,” says Jacob.
Jacob walks towards the man, goes to grab the blue pillowcase off his head and stops.
Jacob turns towards me and asks, “Why is it so dark in here?”
I continue to get more and more anxious, as Jacob won’t let me see my father, and I don’t know if he’s alive or not.
“We only have so much power here for certain machines. We conserve
the power at times, especially when we don’t need to run things.”
My palms are very sweaty. I don’t want to drop the detonator, so I put my hands together like I’m pleading with Jacob.
Jacob sees that I’m holding my hands together now, and his face perks up like he’s happy that I’m pleading with him.
“You know Ryan, it didn’t have to be like this. I’m really an easy-going guy once you get to know me,” says Jacob.
Jacob points his gun at the blue pillowcase next to the man’s head.
I fear that the man under the pillowcase is my father, and that he’s alive.
I shout, “Please don’t, Jacob!”
“Don’t what? Shoot the person that is being hidden under the pillowcase?” asks Jacob.
“Yes. I don’t want you to shoot the person under the pillowcase.”
“How do you know it’s your father though?” asks Jacob.
Jacob whistles.
I look at the open front entrance to the Big Club and hear a car door slam shut.
A Conqueror brings in another person in the Big Club, with a pillowcase on their head.
This time it’s a red pillowcase.
I start to examine the body types of the two people, and any other markers that may show me which person may be my father.
My heart is racing. I’m trying to focus, but it’s hard to see any differences in the two people.
Both people are wearing long black pants, black long-sleeved shirts, and oversized jackets.
“Which is it gonna be Ryan? Red or Blue?” asks Jacob.
Without hesitation I shout, “Red!”
Jacob goes to respond but watches me before he can.
I arm the detonator, and my chest starts flashing red.
Jacob’s facial expression changes from happy like he was in control to scared shitless.
I undo the straps to body armor, and the armor falls to the floor.
TJ rigged up four high powered remote detonatable explosives on my back and four on my chest.
The Conquerors and Jacob aren’t sure what to do now.
I kick off the sheet covering Joseph’s dead body.
I look down at the body, and I can’t believe what I see.
Someone put Joseph’s head on Joseph’s crouch.
I laugh slightly and say, “Now, this is how things are going to go. You are going to take the pillowcases off those people. You better hope my father is still alive, and you are going to get the hell out of here.”
Jacob goes to reach for the blue pillowcase.
“Hurry it up Jacob!”
Jacob takes off the blue pillowcase, and an unknown white male is revealed, that isn’t my father.
The man has a ball gag in his mouth and can’t speak.
The man looks at me and looks scared out of his mind.
“Take the red one-off Jacob!”
Jacob reaches for the red pillowcase and pulls it off the man’s head.
It’s Bobby G.
He was under the red pillowcase, and he’s still alive.
“Take that thing out of his mouth!”
Jacob takes the ball gag out of Bobby G’s mouth.
“Good! Now untie his hands and let him walk over here!”
Jacob looks at me with disgust but unties Bobby G.
Jacob tries to say something, but I interrupt him.
“You shut your mouth. Don’t say nothing until I ask you to talk. Bob, get over here.”
Bobby G slowly walks towards me, and I notice that he is bruised and swollen in his face.
Bobby G walks over to me and stands next to me.
I look at Bobby G and ask, “You okay? Did they hurt you?”
Bobby G replies, “I’m okay son. Don’t do anything crazy right now.”
“Listen to your father, Ryan!” shouts Jacob.
I turn towards Jacob and give him a glaring stare.
“If I wanted you dead Ryan, you would have already been dead. I would have had my men shoot you as soon as they saw you,” says Jacob.
“If I wanted you dead, I would have done the same.”
I grab the radio and hit the talk button two times.
BEEP! BEEP!
I hand the radio to Bobby G.
Jacob laughs and asks, “What was that? Should I be scared?”
“Up to you!”
All the lights in the Big Club suddenly go out.
The Big Club is completely dark.
Bobby G looks at me and asks, “Did you mean to turn the lights off? Is this your plan, Ry?”
The lights in the Big Club come back on. The Conquerors and Joseph are completely surrounded by William, Bruce, Jeremy, Ricky, Li, TJ, Odin, Janet, Lauren, Shaun, Phil, Matt, and about 50 other Warriors.
Jacob and his Conquerors are outnumbered.
I look at Jacob and ask, “You scared now?”
I disarm the charges on my chest.
I look at Jacob and shout, “Tell your men to drop their guns! Do it now, or you all die!”
Jacob hesitates for a second, but then tells his men to place their guns on the floor.
“We do not want war! We have had enough of that. We want peace and freedom. Joseph is dead. I killed him myself. I did not wish to kill him, but he left me no choice.”
I raise my arms over my head and slowly walk towards Jacob.
“I mean you no harm, but harm you will receive if you cross me again.”
I look at Jacob and wait for his response.
“Are you going to reply Jacob?”
Jacob has a look of displeasure on his face.
“What do you want Ryan?” asks Jacob.
“I want you to leave us alone, but I don’t know if I can trust you to do that. You played games with my father’s life. You shot my father. You beat my father. It’s time to get even.”
I pull my katana out of the red scabbard on my back, and I look at Jacob.
I point my katana at Jacob’s throat, and I pause for a second.
Jeremy shouts, “Do it! He’s dangerous Ryan!”
I look into Jacob’s eyes and want to slide my katana into his throat.
As I have my katana pointed at his neck, I see an orange badge that is laminated and attached to a necklace around Jacob’s neck.
TJ sees the orange badge and says, “Hold on Ryan, don’t kill him yet. How did you get that orange badge Jacob?”
TJ walks over to me and Jacob.
I lower my sword as TJ shows Jacob the orange badge that he got from his father.
“Where did you get your orange badge?” asks TJ.
Jacob replies, “Where did you get yours?”
TJ grabs the necklace that is around Jacob’s neck.
TJ examines Jacob’s badge and sees that it’s the same badge that TJ has.
I am confused why these badges mean anything, and ask, “What’s up with these badges? What do they mean?”
Jacob starts laughing and says, “If you don’t know what they are, then you are out of the loop.”
I point my katana towards Jacob’s groin and shout, “Well, enlighten me before I make you a little lighter!”
Jacob stops laughing and says, “I would really love to tell you, but they are connected with a secret government program that I was sworn to secrecy on.”
Bobby G walks over to Jacob and asks, “Do you have any more of these badges?”
Jacob says, “I do. We have tons of them. We are highly connected around here in this new world.”
TJ looks at me and says, “I have an idea. Put your sword away Ryan.”
I put my sword back into its scabbard on my back and look at TJ.
TJ shouts, “Odin!”
Odin walks over to TJ, sits down in front of him and looks up at TJ.
TJ points to Jacob’s groin and says, “If I give Odin the command, he will latch onto your balls and won’t let go until I tell him to stop.”
Jacob starts to sweat profusely and gets real nervous.
TJ says, “R
yan, now’s the time to get any information out of Jacob. Odin is ready to attack, I give the command, and Jacob will be castrated.”
Jacob says, “Please don’t. I have a wife and son. You already killed my brother, Joseph. He was the one who wanted to attack you, and take over this new world.”
“That’s the easy way out Jacob, blame your dead brother. Of course, it was his fault. He can’t stick up for himself now.”
Odin starts growling and staring at Jacob.
Jacob starts to breakdown as Odin walks closer towards him.
Odin barks.
WOOF! WOOF!
Jacob frantically yells, “Okay! Okay! I am connected with government officials! The government has already started to make their way down here! They have plans for Tampa Bay and other major cities in Florida. You need me alive. I can get you guys connected as well.”
“Keep talking.”
“I can get you all orange government badges, and second level access at the World of Trade,” says Jacob.
“World of Trade?”
Jacob replies, “Man, you guys don’t know anything going on around here.”
“Careful Jacob,” says TJ as he points to Odin.
“Let’s work out a deal and an agreement,” says Jacob.
“I like that. We need an agreement that we will both honor and respect. We need trust. We need to work together. Down Odin!”
Odin sits down and looks up at TJ.
I address the group, “Brotherhood & Warriors take the Conquerors weapons. They are ours now. Leave them their knives, but take their guns.”
William, his Warriors, and my group the Brotherhood, gather up all of the guns that the Conquerors put on the floor.
I address everyone in the room again, “I’m sorry Conquerors, but we will be taking your weapons. I’m sure you have more back home. From this day forward, we all coexist together.”
I grab two chairs and place one next to Jacob.
“Sit Jacob. We need to work out an agreement going forward.”
I look at TJ and ask, “Are those orange badges worth all this trouble?”
TJ replies, “Yes. My father told me about the badges, and that they will be essential once the government starts to come to Tampa Bay.”
Jacob, TJ, William, and I work on an agreement that we all can accept and will obey.
Bruce is picking up the Conqueror weapons and makes his way towards Chris.
