I smell a rat
Have you ever had a sick feeling in your stomach that refuses to go away? A sinking queasy spot that keeps going deeper down into the pit of your gut?. Imagine that feeling there because you have guilt and sadness constantly on your mind. Because you believe you are doing the right thing but there is still a small nugget of doubt that over the days has grown. That is where we find Johanna Krieger. A few days after meeting her father and taking the information against the leader of her own taskforce she was standing in her apartment. Her arms crossed over her chest as her eyes darted back and forth across a corkboard. Pictures had been pinned there, various sticky notes and pieces of string to tie it all together.
There were pictures of Gustav, of a mysterious man, and other members of the task force. Johanna closed her eyes and shook her head bringing a cup of coffee to her lips.
The last few days had been a mess. She had tried to act natural, to just go about her business as she had been for the year prior. But she had avoided Gustav. Anytime he asked to talk to her she thought up an excuse. Most of them poorly worded. She stumbled and stuttered forcing smiles with the same sick feeling behind them. And today was no different, a text message lighting up her phone as soon as she woke up. She told him she was ill, she would not be in today.
It took Agent Gustav half an hour to get back to her. To hope that she felt better and other empty general platitudes. In truth, she needed the day away. She needed to gather herself and her thoughts. To try and make sense of the evidence she had been given from her father, the evidence she had collected herself. So many questions. The what, where, why, who and hows. She took another sip of her coffee, her eyes darting back and forth before she leaned in closer, noticing something in Gustavs' hand on one of the pictures in his meeting with the mystery man. His cell phone.
Was he...recording his conversation?
Johanna grabbed a magnifying glass, looking closer and going up Gustav's arm to his open jacket, the handle of a standard-issue semi-automatic nine millimeter hung out ever so slightly. He was armed, recording the conversation. Her mind started going deeper down the rabbit hole before the buzzing sound of her apartment's intercom startled her out of it. She moved towards it and reached forward pressing the button. ”Hello?”.
”Johanna? It’s Gustav...can I come up?” She swallowed hard, fear coming over her, washing like a wave. She stuttered for a moment and stayed silent.
She realized it would seem suspicious before pressing the button again. ”Yes come on up I’ll buzz you in” She pressed her thumb on the unlock button allowing Gustav to walk through, the second she heard the door close she turned and moved fast, she pulled the corkboard forward and flipped it over to the opposite side showing the other half of her work, the hunt for the “mole” in the taskforce. She looked around for anything else that might betray her work and position but before she could do a proper sweep there was a knock at the door.
She took a few more deep breaths before walking over and undoing the chain and the lock opening the door, Agent Gustav on the other side, his brown hair slicked back, he wore a suit and a large black overcoat. ”Come on in…” Johanna moved to the side, Gustav gave a small nod stepping through into her apartment, he moved his hand up to his forehead rubbing it slowly. ”What can I do for you?” Johanna tried not to seem nervous, she tried to act as naturally as possible.
Gustav looked around, the corkboard catching his eye making Johanna swallow hard and sweat a little, he turned to her and gave a nod. ”I came to check on you, how are you feeling?”
It hit her, she was meant to be ill, she sighed and raised her eyebrows. ”I am just exhausted, I needed a day to decompress, high pressure, I’m sure you understand.” She shot a small smile at him, he gave her an understanding nod in return moving to her kitchen bench sitting on one of the stools next to the bench.
His demeanor changed, from a small understanding grin to a serious look as his eyes trailed down. ”Johanna...we have another spy….but this time it’s from our own side...people I thought trusted us.” Her heart started to race, she held her breath and folded her arms over her chest as Gustav continued. ”I have a friend, he transferred from special tactics to the federal administration. He came across some paperwork regarding an informant in our task force.”
Fuck Dad really?
Gustav slowly got to his feet with a sigh stepping forward, he looked up at Johanna, she thought maybe Gustavb noticed something was off. He gave a nod again and slowly opened his coat, a shock of fear went right up Joahnnas spine as she remembered the picture, the gun, and what Gustav was capable of. He pulled out a manilla envelope, her heart released and she could breathe again, he stepped forward handing her the envelope with a shake of his head. ”Those are names, people I have narrowed down for the first case, but….the other one, the informant sent to watch me, I don’t want you interfering with their work if you find them.”
What the fuck?”
Her eyes shot up to Gustav as he stood near the corkboard looking over the information on who Johanna believed was working for the criminal element. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned with a smile looking at Jo, right in her bright blue eyes. ”I have nothing to hide, so whoever is working for the national group...they can do their job….but, I have kept you long enough.” He moved forward and passed her to the door grabbing the handle and opening it. ”Keep up the good work Officer Krieger, and please….feel better yeah?”
She smiled warmly and gave a nod. ”I will see you tomorrow Agent Gustav.”
He couldn’t help but laugh as he started to close the door. ”I think it’s about time you called me Frederick, Jo.”
She smiled again and gave a nod motioning to say goodbye as he shut the door, a huge sigh of relief escaping her lips as she collapsed on the couch. But now she was more confused than ever. Did he know? Was he playing with her? Or was that a direct order?. So many questions. Johanna felt lost. Now more than ever.
A legendary scalp
”Have you noticed that I have made a habit of collecting former Bombshells champions?”
Johanna’s voice rings out through the silence, her face slowly blurring into view. A Completely black background behind her as her face seems to light up. Her long blonde hair tied back up and high, a few black strands intertwined with the blonde as it hung down. Her accent shining through but still speaking perfect English.
”Last time you all saw me, I defended this….against Samantha Marlowe.”
Johanna slowly lifts the SCW Roulette title up to see, she smiles showing her pearly white teeth made even whiter by her black lipstick. Her eyes were made to shine with black eyeliner and her black warpaint across her nose. She positions the title belt over her shoulder and holds it close with a smirk.
”A woman who has held the SCW bombshells title before, along with Seleana and Roxi, two other names that I added to my list. But, more than that, Samantha Marlowe is, without a doubt the greatest Bombshells roulette champion this company has ever seen. Beating her validates my reign, it validates everything I have been saying. Yet still, I struggle to get any respect in this company. Or maybe, I’m overthinking things and peoples silence is a respect all its own. See, I look at all the other Bombshells in this company, including my own stablemate Alicia Lukas, and you are all loudmouthed squabbling children. Calling each other out and running your mouths trying to get a step up with mind games.”
“But, me?. The only person to come after me was Jesse Salco. And aside from her fluking a win over me she has been my bitch. She took the roulette title from me, I won it right back and then after she ran her mouth I told her she could have another shot and she promptly fell silent.”
“Do you people know why? Does my opponent this week, Mikah know or care?”
“Let me enlighten you people to a few facts that may have escaped you. It’s something I already mentioned on Twitter just to use social media for my own promotional work. But, I’ll repeat it here. I have been in Sin City Wrestling for a year. Before that I had been to Union Battleground and NFW. Both places I found success, I was one half of the NFW tag team champions and I won Union Battlegrounds Warhorse medallion. Since joining Wolfslair, since coming to America I have been dominant. Quietly destroying people in different companies before landing here.”
“And it hasn’t changed…”
She can’t help but snarl, her nose turning up as Johanna takes a deep breath clutching the Bombshells roulette title over her black leather jacket and Children of Bodom t-shirt(RIP Alexi Laiho).
”In the year that I have been in Sin City Wrestling I have been a mixed tag team champion, I have beaten former Bombshells champions like it’s going out of fashion and I am a two time Roulette champion. I have one of the best winning percentages in this company and I have been quietly carving a path towards glory. And because I have not been as vocal about my success as some others I haven’t been taken seriously. Roxi Johnson didn’t take me seriously, I beat her and yet, she was able to challenge her wife for the Bombshells title. Jesse Salco and Char Kwan didn’t take me seriously. And I kicked Char back into obscurity and beat Jesse Salco back to being a laughable curtain jerker. So, the question I have to ask...is Mikah going to take me seriously?”
“All evidence points to no…”
“And hey, why should she right? This is the GREAT MIKAH. Longest total days as Bombshells champion, she beat everyone when she was destroying the division. She made her return to SCW with Kris Ryans by her side and won the mixed tag titles and was undefeated all year. She has one of the best records of all time and is a bonafide hall of fame star. So why should this legend of the SCW ring worry about little ol me eh?. Why should this returning goddess of the Bombshells division look at Johanna Krieger with any type of fear and trepidation?”
“Well, it’s simple. Mikah has never faced someone like me.”
She can’t help but laugh again under her breath, Johanna paces back and forth holding the title on her shoulder before taking it off and looking at it. She sighs and shakes her head.
”It’s a shame the title isn’t on the line and we aren’t in a roulette rules match. See, I thrive on mayhem, and that is what this title represents. You never know what kind of carnage you are about to go into. But, with that being said, in just a one on one wrestling match, I’m just as dangerous. See Miks, and I can call you Miks right?, I am a rare mix of power, speed and skill. No one hits like me, no one can break you down like I can. And the truth is going into this match against someone like you, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
“And you doing your usual spiel will just help me out in that regard. See, I lose to you and I have just lost to an undefeated former bombshells champion and one of the most dominant wrestlers this company has ever seen. No shame in it, I will nod, shrug and go on to face whoever wins that number one contenders match earlier in the night.”
“But...what happens if I beat you Mikah?”
“See, I know your type, you are someone incapable of showing respect to anyone because you think yourself so above everyone. I have respect for anyone willing to step in the ring, even more for anyone willing to do it against me, and that includes you, for all your accomplishments and coming back to SCW in the way you have. Hell I won’t even go the route others have and say Kris has carried you, because I had heard the same bullshit about Alex apparently carrying me. But, as I said...I get your usual spiel…”
“Your nose in the air arrogance that many say you've earned…”
“You and Kris are the power couple of SCW and you both have earned everything you have, but the fact is that you are going to dig yourself into a hole and there’s no way you can escape it, cause if you were to look at what I have done in this company and look into why the company itself calls me a “force of nature” then you will have to show me some respect and that is so off-brand for an arrogant bitch like you that it will be viewed as a weakness...whereas with me? I might be tough, dangerous and cocky...but I’m also a warrior, not a wannabe royal who expects everyone to kiss her ass.”
She sneers again and moves around before placing the bombshell's roulette title down and placing her hand on it with a sense of pride.
”Hell, I saw it against Seleana, that woman has been winning titles in your absence and has had to put up with her wifes stupidity, she deserves respect but instead of giving her that you had to tear her apart and put her down. You treated her like I treat Jesse and Char, and that speaks volumes about where your mind is at and what kind of person you truly are. So if you can’t do that for Sel, what hope does little old me have?. So you’ll go through your regular “I’m better than you” crap we’ve heard for the last five or six years, and if you beat me I can shrug it off...but...I beat you, end your little 2020 undefeated streak...which...is only the second worst thing about 2020…”
“Then what Mikah?”
“What will you do? What will you say? How will you react?. There needs to be a passing of the torch and the bombshells division needs more of the newer names to stand up to the “old guard:” and that is what I plan to do. I plan on walking down to that ring and beating the hell out of you until you give up. And I mean that...with all the respect in the world…”
