by Paul O'Brien
“What’s the matter with you?” Kid asked.
“And, of course, the Comeback is when the baby-face decides that he’s not having any more. He finds a reserve of strength, tenacity, and passion to lift himself off the ground, and fucking fight like a man. This should drive the crowd wild. It should lift them to somewhere higher—to some kind of belief that we can all do that, if we’re pushed hard enough.”
The shadowy mentor dropped his cigarette on the floor, and stomped it out with his foot.
“I’m going to start letting these people in, now,” shouted the front-of-house manager from the opening door.
“The hero can never give up during the Comeback phase.”
With that sentence, the man in the stands walked into the overhead lighting. It was Ricky Plick, sore, beaten up, and severely weakened.
“What happened to you?” Kid asked, as he slid under the bottom rope and hopped the railing.
“The Finish can happen out of anywhere. Our finish is happening now.”
Ricky could see that Kid was preoccupied by his frail condition, and that he wasn’t really listening to what Ricky was trying to tell him.
“I’m fine, Kid. Someone nearly got me, is all. Now, I want you to listen to me. The Finish can happen suddenly, or it can be seen from a mile away. Whatever finish you have lined up for tonight, change the fucking thing back.”
“What?”
Ricky and Kid could hear the stampede of excitement enter the arena.
“You change the finish back to what you and your father discussed, and then you keep yourself one hundred fucking miles away from Ade. You hear me?”
Kid wanted to make his own mind up. He knew what he wanted to do—he knew what was right for business.
Jimmy dialed, let the phone ring twice, and hung up. Then he called again.
“Jimmy?” Lenny asked.
“Pop?” Jimmy said.
“Jimmy, what’s wrong?”
Lenny could tell straight away that his boy sounded scared.
“I need your help,” Jimmy said.
Lenny Long was standing in Babu’s hallway, just about ready to go to Madison Square Garden. He was dressed in a tuxedo with bow tie and nice leather shoes.
Jimmy Long was standing in Pizza Pizza, just about ready to get out of there—except he couldn’t. He was dressed in black, and wearing a ski mask.
“I’m in big trouble, Pop.” Jimmy said.
Lenny looked at his watch as he closed Babu’s door. He was going to be late. He had to somehow get to Long Island City, and back to the Garden again in time for the match. He began to run, until he saw Tad Stolliday parked up ahead.
“What is it, Tad?” Lenny asked, as he walked up to his window.
“Do you want me to conduct a...” Tad replied.
“No,” Lenny said, with a little more softness in his voice. “I’m sorry.”
Tad leaned over, and looked Lenny up and down. “You going somewhere nice?”
Lenny could see that Tad was willing to wait all night. He had some sandwiches packed, and a tall flask to match.
“You know where I’m going. I even called your office today to make sure that it was cool.”
“Oh, the wrestling match in the Garden?”
Lenny was losing time and patience. “Yes.”
“Oh,” Tad said, leaving a huge pause. “Okay, then.” Lenny wasn’t sure if that was his cue to leave. “Why don’t you hop in, and I’ll drive you there?” Tad said.
“Eh... I have to go to... my old man’s house, first. I want to walk into the Garden with him.”
Tad opened his passenger door. “Jump in. You can have a sandwich, and some peach tea.”
Lenny couldn’t believe his fucking luck. He got in, and watched as Tad drove precisely the speed limit to his father’s house.
Time was ticking. His son was in real trouble, and the biggest match of his life wasn’t going to wait.
Kid opened his gear bag slowly. Usually there was a human shit at the top waiting for him, but not tonight. Tonight, it seemed that he had earned enough respect from the returning roster to at least have his gear shit-free.
As he stripped down and took out his boots, Kid ran through all the scenarios in his head. He knew that Ricky was out there, and so was Ade. Lenny promised him that he’d be in the crowd, too.
What would make the most impact, and the most money?
Kid knew that he could go with the script, and become the undisputed champion: King of the business, and the face of wrestling. But was that what he wanted? He could also call an audible in the ring, and change the script. He could lose, slink away from the business, and live his life. He was sure that he’d be well compensated for doing so from the other side.
As Ade said, did Kid think that Lenny had it in him to run the play all the way to the finish?
Lenny knew that as soon as he was dropped off at his father’s place, Tad would simply follow him. They were getting close, and Lenny needed to get his boy out of trouble, and speed his way to the Garden.
The card had already started.
They pulled onto Edgar’s street; Lenny was holding Tad’s peach tea and an uneaten sandwich, at Tad’s insistence.
“Did you try it?”
Lenny wasn’t listening; he was too busy planning for how he was going to get out of there.
“Did you try my hospitality?” Tad asked again, elbowing Lenny back to the present.
Lenny looked at Tad. His mouth was full: bits of bread were in his teeth, and there was some half-chewed meat rolling around in there, too. It didn’t stop Tad from talking.
“Eat,” Tad said. “Drink something.”
Lenny was more than a little wary of what was even in anything that Tad might serve. Regardless, he unscrewed the flask, and watched whatever was in there slosh around as they came closer to Lenny’s father’s house.
Lenny dropped the flask into Tad’s lap; the car swerved all over the place. Lenny was hoping for a tree or another car to crash into, but, after a few near misses, Tad managed to park perfectly outside Edgar’s house.
“What the... hell?” Tad said.
“I’m sorry; butter fingers,” Lenny said, trying to explain.
Tad’s crotch and torso were soaked: a perfect reason for Tad to go home, Lenny thought.
“Is your father in there?” Tad asked.
Lenny nodded. “Yeah.”
“He won’t mind if I...” Tad got out of his car, and went for the door.
“Hey,” Lenny said as he followed him. “I have to get... to the Garden.”
“We’ve got time,” Tad said.
We? Lenny thought.
Tad opened the front door, like he lived there, and Lenny wanted to crack his fucking head open right there and then. He looked back to where Jimmy probably was. The young guy must have been frozen in fear, by now, or worse: he might have gotten caught.
Tad waddled down the hallway. “Is the bathroom this way?”
Lenny could only nod, and come into the house, himself. He entered the sitting room to look for Edgar, as Tad took his pants off in the bathroom.
Edgar entered his kitchen from the back door, visibly a little shaken up.
“What’s the matter, Pop?” Lenny asked.
“I... Jimmy is... I can’t find him,” Edgar said. “He was right here about an hour or so ago. Then he said that he was going down to Mrs. Cullimore’s house to clean her windows. He’s been doing that—for pocket money.”
“Dad,” Lenny said, “I know where he is.”
“He’s with you?” Edgar asked.
“Not exactly.”
Edgar heard a noise coming from his bathroom. “Is that him?”
Lenny shook his head. “You have to help me.”
Edgar’s fear turned to anger. “What did you do?”
“I need your help,” Lenny said, as he back-pedaled. “Jimmy is in trouble.”
Edgar stopped, and so did Lenny.
“What did yo
u do?” Edgar asked.
“He did this all by himself. But I’m going to get him out of it. Now, listen to me: the fucking pariah parole officer of mine is following me everywhere. He can’t see where I’m about to go, or what I’m about to do.”
Edgar looked weak as he heard more.
“Pop, Jimmy is fine. I just need to help him now. Can you contain this asshole?”
Edgar needed a second to think.
“I don’t know who’s in my house,” Edgar said.
“It’s...”
Edgar stopped Lenny. “I don’t know who’s in my house.”
Lenny thought for a second, until it hit him. “Perfect,” he said, with a big grin on his face.
“Lenny,” Edgar added, “Our family can’t take anymore...”
Edgar didn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t need to. Lenny gave his father an assuring nod, as he raced out of his house. Jimmy was only a couple of blocks away; it would be faster to run.
Edgar took his shotgun out of his cupboard. He would use it to contain his home invader. After all, Edgar hadn’t given anyone permission to enter his house.
It would at least take a while to clean up any confusion.
Lenny ran around the block in his new tuxedo and leather shoes. He kept to the shadows, as he didn’t want anyone to explain to the cops that they saw a man in a suit right in front of the crime scene.
When he came face to face with Pizza Pizza, he slowed down, and composed himself. Looking like he did, on foot, and at night, Lenny couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to be mugged, on top of everything else.
He had less than an hour until the main event.
Lenny walked up to the large Pizza Pizza store front, and could see what he presumed was his son, still wearing a ski-mask, crouched down under a table.
Jimmy could hardly contain his joy at seeing his father. Lenny took a quick look around before pointing to the door, and shrugging.
Jimmy had no clue what Lenny was doing.
“Where?” Lenny mouthed.
Jimmy cupped his ear; Lenny knew that this was a bad idea. If he was even caught looking in the window of a place that had been broken into, he knew that he would be heading back inside.
“Fucking, where?” Lenny mouthed a little more clearly this time.
Jimmy put up his hands in question.
“Where!” Lenny shouted.
Jimmy pointed up, and Lenny pointed up, to make sure. Jimmy nodded.
Lenny put up one finger, and disappeared from the window. His ears were listening carefully for any squad cars or beat cops that might have been approaching.
He ran down the side alley, and could see the ladder that Jimmy was “cleaning windows” with perched against the wall. He used it to climb up, onto the flat roof. He stooped low, and ran toward the skylight, which was smashed through with a brick.
Down below on the restaurant floor, Lenny could see Jimmy’s eyes through the ski-mask looking back at him.
“Pop!” Jimmy shouted.
Lenny shushed him. “I’m going to get you out,” he whispered.
Jimmy froze, and looked to his left, toward the main window where Lenny had just been.
“Pop?”
“What is it?” Lenny asked.
Jimmy paused. “A cop.”
“What?”
“There’s a cop looking at me through the window.”
Lenny ran to the roof’s edge and back again, unsure of what to do.
“Has he seen you?”
Lenny spoke just as Jimmy became illuminated head to toe by the cop’s flashlight.
“Yeah, he’s seen me,” said the boy.
Lenny could then hear the rattle of the front door, as the officer tried to gain access to the restaurant.
“Police! Stay where you are,” the cop shouted.
Lenny ran, grabbed the ladder, and pulled it up onto the roof. He marched the head of the ladder over the broken skylight with him.
“I don’t want to go to away,” Jimmy’s voice broke.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Lenny said. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you see him outside?”
“No.”
Lenny needed to know for sure before he dropped the ladder into the building. He carefully went to the edge that overlooked the alleyway at the side of the building. Without looking over, he could hear the nasally sound of a police radio just below him.
“I need backup, over,” the cop said below.
They had no more time to fuck around. Lenny sprinted back to the skylight, and slid the ladder down into the establishment below.
“Go! Now, now, now,” Lenny said.
There was nothing below; no eyes looking back at him. All Lenny could hear was the crying sounds of a trapped boy.
“Jimmy?” Lenny called.
“Just go.”
“Jimmy, I will whoop you for the first time in your life, if I have to call you again.”
“I’m too scared.”
Lenny again wasn’t sure where the cop was. He couldn’t have been quick enough to leave the alley, yet. Time was also running out for him to make it to the biggest match of his life.
“Fuck it,” Lenny said to himself, as he took the ladder down into the building.
Lenny pulled his tux jacket over his head, as his expensive new shoes touched down on the floor below. He waved Jimmy out from under the table that he was crouched under.
He hugged his father, and began the silent climb to the roof. Lenny’s heart was thumping, and his hands were sweating. He had so much to lose, and this had come too close for comfort.
As he put his own foot on the bottom rung, the cop from outside began to bang on the glass.
“Hey,” he shouted, “Police!”
Jimmy wasn’t up and out yet, but Lenny had to start climbing, anyway. The cop kicked the glass door a couple of times before firing a shot through the glass that actually made Jimmy scream.
“Hurry!” Lenny shouted, as Jimmy threw himself up the last few rungs. Lenny then climbed five or six rungs before the cop grabbed his foot. His shoe popped off, but Lenny made another three or four rungs before the tenacious cop grabbed his other ankle. Lenny looked down, across his own armpit, and tried to cover his face with his arm: he needed to see the officer to land a good, stiff kick.
Both men’s eyes locked, and the cop, himself, began taking the rungs one by one. He was not giving up.
Lenny looked up, and saw the terror in Jimmy’s eyes. When he looked down, he saw a sure-fire return to prison.
So he kicked. His shoeless foot slid off the mark a couple of times, before Lenny landed a good solid shot to the police officer’s face. This knocked him flat to the ground.
Lenny powered to the roof, and hoisted the ladder up with him in record time. He wanted to make sure that the cop was all right, so he allowed himself a second to look down.
The policeman looked badly winded, but that was it. Lenny wondered how much of his face he had seen, and if they could get anything on him from the shoe. He carried the ladder on his shoulder, as he and his son moved across the neighborhood by rooftop.
Lenny was now pretty sure that he had been seen, but he wasn’t one hundred percent sure. He was wrapped up in his own thoughts when his son suddenly stopped, and hugged him tighter than he’d ever been hugged before.
“I’m sorry,” Jimmy said.
“It’s okay, son,” Lenny replied.
“I’ve messed everything up. I was trying to make some money, too, like you and Kid are doing. I was trying to get him back, and make out good. I jumped down and hurt myself, and I couldn’t find anything to get back up. I thought I was going to jail. I don’t want to go to jail.”
Lenny looked back to make sure that no one was coming up on them.
“It’s okay, Jimmy,” Lenny said. He kissed his son’s head.
He had just enough time to get to the city, and take his place in the front row at
the Garden. Lenny had come a long way since he’d started in the wrestling business as a green kid selling programs.
Lenny and Jimmy stepped down the ladder, and made it back to the street. Lenny took off his other shoe, and carried it. When the time was right, he’d fire it away, out of sight.
They both made the short journey back to Edgar’s house, paying special attention to be sure that they would not be seen. Lenny took the ladder around the side of his father’s house; he knew that any found fingerprints would mean nothing, there.
They could both hear the sounds of patrol cars in the distance, as Lenny looked once more at his watch.
He ditched the ladder over a hedge, took his son by the hand, and hailed a cab.
“What are you doing?” Jimmy asked.
“You should go home,” Lenny said, as the cab pulled up. “We can share this one.”
Lenny took everything that he had in his pockets, and handed it over to the driver. Jimmy did the same. Between them, they had enough money to go wherever they wanted. Jimmy wanted to go home, and Lenny wanted to see his match.
“Madison Square Garden, please.”
On the sixth floor, at the end of the corridor, Babu was ready to go through the door again, if he had to. Joe must have known that, too, because the newly fitted door had been left open.
“Come in,” Joe said.
Babu walked into the room where Joe was sitting in silence in a plush chair.
On his way to the building, Babu had imagined choking Joe until he found out what happened to Ricky. Now that he was face to face with his answer, he didn’t want to ask the question.
“You owe me for the door,” Joe said. “And for the fucking territory, too.”
“Where is he?” Babu asked.
“Who?”
“Your little servant, who has been following my wife.”
Babu grabbed Joe by his collar, and hoisted him out of his chair. The pain from doing so stunned Babu, for a second. The giant didn’t have the patience for a cat and mouse scenario. “Are you trying to send me a message, Joe?”
“I didn’t send him to do any such thing.”
Babu sensed immediately that he was telling the truth. He loosened his hold.
