Did you see all that? How crazy was tonight's events. I think I got spoke down to in Swedish, had a little chat with Spike before he became pissed at the Sins, and find out the woman I wanted to work things out with would rather piss off than tak to me. Running from problems has never been a favourite thing of mine to do. Hitting them head on, that's the thing to do. Problems have haunted me lately, heading from one to the other. I now go from defeating my tag team partner, straight up to having to now attempt to defeat my "girlfriend"... well, whatever she is, and the man who has helped put the cracks in things. Misty might be playing this "I control all" bullshit card, but I assure you, she knows nothing. She's like the person that watches a result come up and say "I was gonna pick them." I lay the blame for things not being fixed, solely at the door of Jordan Williams, not Misty. She doesn't pull the strings, it's actually pretty sad that people thinks she does. Jordan Williams is the next problem, the main one that's keeping me from Odette, not Misty. This is a problem at Blaze Of Glory II, will be rectified and taken out of the equasion. I could be a very harsh man, and by the end of this, I probably will be.
Directly after Climax Control. I sit in the dressing room, staring at the floor.
I should be happy, should be estatic, climbing up the walls, jumping around, but I'm really not. I'm happy Roxi and I got to the Blast From The Past tournament. Roxi deserves it. It's not like we hang out much or that I know her pets names or anything of the sort, but I know she deserves it. This woman has a great record in SCW, no unlike someone I know, or knew, however you wanna look at it. Roxi is the next big thing and well, she has a massive chance to step on up quickly by winning this thing. I'm not feeling the pressure, but I will be looking across the ring at love and hate in on one side. I won't let that distract me. I should take a note out of Roxi's book here, fighting evil, for good. Maybe she knows how I can fight this one when good and evil are on the same side. This is gonna be interesting.
"Gabriel?" Synn's voice is heard saying, bringing me around. "What's going on?"
I look up, my eyes blinking rapidly to the lights, the image of Synn's face appearing.
"You got a great win out there tonight." Synn tells me "You are the only man to have pinned Joshua in his career."
"And you don't see that as a problem?" I ask Synn
Synn arches his eyebrow at me, pressing his big hands together.
"If someone was going to do it, I'd rather it was you than some no talent hack who gets lucky." Synn replies in an almost whisper. "How do you feel it would have effected Joshua if some random person from the NWA had pinned him?"
I exhale a long breath.
"Maybe." I start "But maybe we both should have stayed out of the ring and left him with his perfect SCW record."
Synn slowly shakes his head.
"Very unfair to Roxi Johnson, who has been at your side through this all." Synn replies in a serious tone.
"You're right Synn." I reply "Roxi deserves to be where she is."
Synn takes a seat on a bench next to me.
"So how'd it go?" Synn asks, knowing I would instantly know what he's talking about.
"Not as well as I hoped." I reply "I tried to explain it all, I don't think she really heard a word of it. What gets me is the thing you lot didn't see. Man, I'll tell ya, when it all went wrong, it was like crashing from heaven at an alarming rate."
"What do you mean?" Synn asks.
"Outside before the shit hit the fan and I started falling like a bitch, she asked me to marry her." I reply.
Synn leans backwards surprised by this news.
"What did you say?" Synn asks curiously.
"I said no." I reply.
Synn looks more surprised.
"I didn't want it to go down like that." I explain "I wanted it to be a little more romantic than that."
Synn nods in slight agreement.
"I wanted to ask her." I add "I know she's been hinting at it and I got this months ago."
I reach in to my pocket, pulling out the blue velvet box and passing it to Synn. Synn opens it up and looks inside.
"Wow." Synn says "How long..."
"After the first date." I replied "Knew I wouldn't wanna be with anyone else. It all felt right."
Synn nods slowly.
"Maybe you should have just gave her the ring then." Synn says casually.
"And then when that drunk tart came near me, it would have gave her another reason to hate me." I reply.
"I don't think she hates you." Synn replies
"This is the woman who left earlier because she didn't want me to congratulate her." I say looking up. "What am I meant to think Synn? It's Jordan, he's picking on her being in this situation and clouding her mind. As much as she tries to shrug it off, it's plain for everyone to see. Just a matter of time before I get the marching orders and Jordan gets to replace me."
Synn curls the left side of his mouth down.
"Things will work out." Synn says, trying to be reassuring to me.
"I hope you're right." I reply "This has just been one fucked up mess from beginning to end. I swear someone out there is mocking me Synn. I do everything I possibly can, I fight constantly to do what's right by her. Maybe I shot myself in the foot when I left Australia, but never wanted to walk out of her life, but that vulture Jordan has swooped right in and picking the bones. Once again, the good guy, who has busted his nuts trying to be noticed, trying to make things work, loses to an arsehole with a record of treating women like shit. Sad thing is Synn, right now, I think I lost this one. I think I have officially lost the lot. I watched back tonights show a little, she agreed to have dinner with him, when she should be trying to fix things with me. She's give up on me, so I guess I have no choice but to give up myself. I have no choice but to just stop trying now. Just throw my hands up and admit defeat, because it looks like she's gave up on me, why should I even bother?"
Synn rests his hand on my shoulder.
"Never thought I'd hear the day you gave up on things." Synn replies "This is not you."
"I never thought someone would break me the way she has." I reply "Synn, could you get me out of this SCW contract?"
Synn looks shocked at me.
"Is that what you really want?" Synn asks softly
"I think so." I reply "I need some distance. I need to get the hell out of here."
"Means they will take the NWA titles from you." Synn replies
"Well start talking to ACW or something like that, and I'll sign there." I reply "Then when we lose the titles, I'll be done, go back to England, buy a football team, or open a magic store or something."
"Why ACW?" Synn asks.
"Furthest away from Vegas I can be and still hold the belts." I reply.
"Let's not think about this now." Synn replies thoughtfully. "Take some time away. Finish up what you need to do in Vegas and go be on your own for a bit. Then we'll meet you for Wrestleclassic."
"I need to be put out of my misery Synn." I reply "If I was a horse, they would have shot me by now and put me in a burger."
Synn looks confused.
"What?" He says.
"English joke." I reply "Found horse meat in burgers in England."
"Always said you Brits ate odd things." Synn replies with a smirk.
"Not by choice half the time." I reply "Anyway, I will take you up on that offer. I'll deal with what I have to and head off somewhere."
"Where are you going?" Despayre's voice is heard saying.
I look up to see Despayre and Angel moving in the room and sitting next to me. He places Angel on his lap.
"I don't know yet Despy." I reply "But somewhere I can go and sort my head out."
Despayre looks at Angel and smiles.
"You're right Angel." Despayre says gleefully.
"What?" I ask, looking at Despayre.
"Angel says at least your messed up head is taking the focus off your legs." Despayre replies with a smile.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with my legs?!?!" I reply.
"If you don't know by now, Angel's not gonna tell you." Despayre says with a smile "He also says good luck with that stunt."
I look firmly at Despayre.
"How did he know?" I ask.
"Wait." Synn starts "You're planning a stunt?"
"Yes." I reply "It's been way too long."
"You do remember why you stopped doing so many, right?" Synn asks.
"Yes." I reply "But that was just a dream, and it's not like I got that voice there telling me no anymore."
"But you want her there anyway." Synn replies.
"Well, the last few with her there went smoother than before." I start "But the last I tried without her there, didn't go so well."
"This is a bad idea." Synn comments.
"Angel agrees." Despayre adds "But wishes you luck anyway."
"Angel's a sadistic little fella, isn't he?" I say
"He has his moments, but he's so damn cute." Despayre says, placing his finger on the bears nose.
"Just remember that we have that school visit tomorrow." Synn starts "So try not to blow yourself up before than. They'll be many disappointed children if you do."
I nod towards Synn.
"Now who wants to go out for Ice Cream?" Despayre asks "Rage's treat!"
Synn and I look at Despayre.
"Rage is paying?" Synn says slowly.
"Sure." Despayre replies. "He just doesn't know it yet."
I smile at Despayre and stand up as the scene fades.
Remember the other days, I spoke about wrestlers whoring themselves out for the attention? Well this is something you'll never see them do. You'll never see them coming to places like this because well, they don't give a toss about the fans or giving something back, they give a toss about making you buy their cheap shit merchindise and fakeness. That's all they're selling to you and making you buy. All about public image for some. Now while these lot are out flexing muscles or whacking on a thong to show the world their arses, just to get you to part with your hard earned money, we have a different philosphy on how things should be handled. Our philosophy is very, very simple. Respect the business that gives you a chance to breath. Give something back without putting a price tag on it. Loved or hated, you need the fans one way or another but you won't see any cheesy shots of me out there basically begging for your money. All you will see is me treating fans like they should be treated, not looked at as cash cows prime for milking.
Monday Morning - Mark Twain Elementary School. - Giving something back without a price tag
Standing outside, leaning on a car, I look at the main doors. Synn stands to my left hand side, Despayre and Angel to my right. I glance my eyes at Synn and speak.
"So what do we do here again?" I ask
"You meet the kids, you sign some autographs, you talk to people, that kinda thing." Synn replies.
I nod at him, slightly unconvinced, my mind wandering elsewhere. Synn leads us to the doors of the school and leads me inside the hallway, where we are greeted by the head teacher.
"Mr Synn." he starts "And this must be Gabriel and Despayre."
"And Angel." Despayre says, holding up his teddy bear firmly.
I look towards Synn
"Is he ok?" I ask Synn
"He was more disappointed at losing the match last night than we expected." Synn says.
Knew I should have just tanked the match. Saw this one happening a mile off.
"Hi." I say addressing the teacher. "We are who you say we are. Where is everyone?"
"They're in the gym area." He tells us "They're looking forward to your visit very much."
"All we have to do is talk and shake hands, right?" I reply quickly.
"And the talk about being a wrestler." The teacher replies.
I fire a look towards Synn.
"Did I fail to mention that?" Synn says with a wicked smile. "I think maybe you should cover that, being as Joshua is a little under the weather today."
"Thanks Synn." I say satcastically.
"If you'd like to follow me" The teacher says, pointing to a door.
The teacher turns to walk away and Synn follows, pointing at Despayre and I to follow him through the halls and through a door, leading up behind a stage. I step up the few stairs in front of Despayre and Synn.
"I'll just go and introduce you." The teacher says, stepping through a curtain without looking back.
I turn to Synn.
"What the hell am I meant to say here?" I ask.
"Talk about being a wrestler." Synn replies.
"Angel says he wouldn't talk about Odette or Jordan if I was you, it's not cool to swear in front of children." Despayre adds.
I hear our name called and point through the curtain. Synn walks through first to cheers, I quickly follow through the curtain. I look behind me to see Angel's head through the curtain, causing louder cheers.
"Maybe Angel should do this speech." I tell Synn "He's more popular than I am."
Synn smiles and pulls back the curtain to show Despayre behind them. The kids yell and cheer as Despayre steps out, shyly waving at the crowd made up of mostly children. I step up to the microphone, looking around the crowd.
Ok, no swearing here
"How we all doing today?" I stumble out.
An Angel chant starts to roll though the room. Despayre lifts Angel about his head and waves his paw to the crowd.
"Seems like Angel is a popular one today." I say with a smile.
"He gets that chant everywhere he goes." Despayre whispers to me "He's like as popular as The Spice Girls."
I smile back at Despayre and turn back to the microphone.
"Now I'm here to talk to you about being a wrestler." I start "Being a wrestler is cool, cause I get to come out here and talk to you guys, hang out without someone beating me up. Do we have anyone in the room that wants to be a wrestler when they grow up?"
Hands fly in the air.
"So someday, you guys are gonna come beat me, right?" I say with a smile.
A few "yes" and laughs roll up to me.
"Great." I reply "Nothing like good competion. To be a wrestler, or to be anything you really wanna be, like a vet or a doctor, or a racing car driver, you have to work very hard to be there."
I look at Synn, who quickly gives me the thumbs up.
"Did you watch SCW last night?" I ask.
"Yes" flies back at me.
"Did you see that superhero lady?" I ask.
Another "yes" and some cheers fly back at me.
"She became a superhero because she stayed in school, worked really, really hard and now she stops bad guys and naughty wrestlers. She worked hard for that, and that is my message to you guys. There's nothing in the world that you can't be, nothing can stop you from getting out there and getting your dreams. All you have to do is work really hard for them, now I think you can do that and I think that we're sitting in a room full of future champions. I think most of you could beat Synn now."
The kids laugh as Synn shakes his head.
"I worked really hard to be a magician and a wrestler. I worked really hard to be able stand here be able to talk to you." I tell them. "I worked hard to be here and in years to come, you could be telling people the same, about how hard you had to work to be a doctor, or wrestler, or vet. If I become a father in the future, I'd want my kids to be standing here someday telling people how good it is to work hard and wrestling is hard work. You have to put up with all the meanies and the bad people, just to be able to do what you want, but when you work hard, like so hard that it gives you muscles on your muscles, it's worth it."
I look at Synn who mouths the words "You're doing fine"
"So next time you're sitting there with really hard homework and you think you can't do it, just sit back, take a breather, relax and really think about it, and you will be able to do it. Hard work equals dreams. Right, now if you wanna come get some photos taken and some autographs, we'll be wander around." I finish "Thanks for listening."
A clap of appreciation echoes around the room and I look at Synn, Despayre and Angel, who quickly exit down some steps. A crowd move towards them, but Synn stays close to Despayre, offering the fatherly comfort for his usual nervous in crowds son. I sit on the edge of the stage as children move towards me, holding out pieces of paper and books in their hands. I pull a pen out of my pocket, painting a smile on my face and start to sign these books and papers for the smiling children.
"Did I do ok up there?" I ask as I sign around.
"You were awesome." One young man says to me "When I grow up, I wanna do magic."
"That's great." I reply signing the paper he holds out in front of me. "Magic is cool when you learn about it."
"I can be a wizard!" He informs me.
"You can." I quickly reply "But don't grow one of those big beards, they're not very cool and get very itchy."
The young man smiles at me, then quickly looks down at his signed paper, holding it up before his eyes proudly. A young girl steps up to me, holding out a book for me to sign.
"Hey sweetheart." I say with a smile.
"Hi." She replies, turning her head shyly at me.
I write my name on the book and hand it back to her.
"How are you?" I ask her.
"I'm ok" she says quietly "What's it like being around Angel?"
I smile at her.
"He's a joker." I reply "Always playing tricks on people but he's fun to be around."
"Can I meet him?" She asks.
"Sure." I reply "He's right over there. He likes talking to people, more than Synn does."
The girl smiles at me
"Thank you Mister." She says softly.
"You're welcome" I reply
You see, giving back to people isn't taking a photo of yourself, plastering it all over the internet and letting people look at you and thinking you done them some kind of favour. It's about getting in to the crowd and talking to people without asking for money to boost your standard of living. It's about being a good person, inspiring people. Maybe I've been around Roxi too much, but I see her fight against evil in a whole new light. See, she wouldn't be fighting against the bad, if there was no bad to fight against. She would live a much safer life, if people had great role models to look up to. I'm not saying I was perfect, or am a role model to anyone, but if I'm come here today, and just a few of these kids take to heart what I've said about working hard to get your goals and get what you want from life, than I could have saved them from making the wrong choices and going down a bad path, then I'm happy. I might have gave a gift to these kids, no amount of posters and and cheap crappy pics could ever give them. A thing called hope. Yeah, keep posing people, only difference it's making is to your pockets.... and people call me Greedy? At least I work for my money, plastering my face on mugs and such, isn't working for money. If these guys listened to me, that's me giving something back, while keeping my clothes on. People should learn from this. Go make a real difference. When I was here when SCW was doing that #StopCyberBully, that was making a difference. Today has made a difference I hope. Let's hope some others follow my lead here, step out there and do something good for a change.
I mentioned to them about working hard for my dreams. My first dream was magic, I think it's been way too long since I've put myself in danger. I think now's the time to get the blood rushing back through this heart and soul. Don't you? First though, think I need to go get that good luck charm....
Wednesday morning - Honey I'm home....
I stand outside the house I share... well, at this point, shared, with Odette Ryder. I stare up at the front door.
Ok, you can do this. You just need her to be at this stunt. Since she's been going to them, things have gone better than expected, the one time she wasn't, it went downhill. Maybe this will give her what she wants, a chance to see me blow up, so she wins her precious little tournament with her precious little partner, who is clearly making the moves, but she's too blind to see. Then she can run off in to the sunset with him, while worms have a feast on whatever part of me they can scrape off the floors. Maybe I should just go and give her what she wants...
I turn to walk away but the front door opens.
"Gabriel?" Odette's voice calls out. "Why are you standing out there?"
I turn around to see the vision of beauty that used to tell me she loved me. I fire my eyes up and down her quickly, before resting on her face.
"I just needed to speak to you about something." I start "But it's ok, doesn't matter."
I turn around again and start to walk down the path but seconds later, Odette is standing beside me, her hands firmly on my arm.
"For you to come here, it must have been important." She says, her Aussie accent running around my head.
"It doesn't matter." I reply "I'm slowly getting the hints now. You left without a word after the show after agreeing to go out with Jordan. It's clear now."
"I left because I wasn't feeling too well." Odette replies "And Jordan was still there. If you watch closely, he was there for the contract signing, after I left. I went back home for that wedding we was invited to, remember? And not been home long."
Odette pulls me around and looks in my eyes.
"I guess you must have missed the part where I said friendly dinner." She tells me.
"Guess you haven't watched back the part when you left" I quickly snap back.
"I have and it all was, was Jordan looking forward to it for when we win." She says.
"Forgetting I'm still in this, right?" I reply.
Awkward silence fills the air as I look at Odette.
"I should be going." I tell Odette
"Got another blonde to meet, have ya?" Odette asks with a stern look on her face.
I put my hands on her wrists.
"I tried to explain that one. There would never be anyone else for me. Ask Synn, ask Shane. I told you the truth O." I tell her firmly.
"They'll back up whatever you want them to." Odette replies with a voice full of venom.
"Babe..." I start, instantly regretting using that word "I've been honest with you from the start. I've told you how I feel so many times. I bared my soul to you in London, I told you the truth. I've explained it all. If you don't wanna fix this because of a misunderstanding, then I guess there's nothing I can do about it."
I let go of Odette's wrists and turn away, but Odette puts her hand on my shoulder.
"At least come back and see the cats before you go. They haven't seen you in weeks."
Saw them the other day, she don't know that though.
"I..." Odette starts "They miss you."
I softly bite my lip and turn around. Odette puts her arm linked in mine. As we walks towards the house, a toy yorkie runs out of the front door and towards me. I glance at Odette and back at the small dog as it jumps up my leg.
"Explain?" I say.
"This is Alcide" Odette says "Our new addition."
Our?
I pick the dog up and it instantly licks my face.
"Alcide likes you." Odette says tapping it on the head.
I stare at the dog with a smile. Odette puts her hand on my arm.
"I want to believe you, you know." She says as we walk "It's just hard with everything going on."
I nod, but stay silent as we get to the house, walking in the door and through the hall to the living room. I place Alcide on the floor and he moves after Odette as I move towards the sofa. Odette points as if to tell me to sit and I do. As soon as I do, the two kittens, Carrot and Princeton jump on my lap. I run my hands over their head as Odette disappears from the room.
"Now don't you two tell mummy about me being here last week." I wink at the kittens as I talk and look up at Odette as she returns to me, holding a bottle of water and hands it to me. I nod in a thank you kind of way towards Odette.
Odette takes a seat on the sofa at the other end, with Alcide at here feet. Odette lifts Alcide up who runs along to me before, putting her knees on the sofa and half sitting on her legs.
"Like one big happy family." She says with a roll of her eyes.
"Guess so" my unconvincing response returns.
"So as your here now, what was it you needed to ask?" Odette says to me
I take a deep breath as I look up at Odette. Odette reaches along the sofa and puts her fingers on mine, forcing me to look down quickly. Odette spots my glance and pulls her hand away.
"Sorry." She quickly says "It's just it's the first time we've sat down together without being so much tension."
Oh, there's tension because you're arranging dinner dates with other men, but you'll hear so much more about that one later today, so so so much more about that
"I get it." I reply "Feels weird sitting here and not being closer, but we're not there yet, I don't know if we will be again, but we got a lot of stuff to deal with if we're never getting there again."
Odette nods, her eyes closed.
"So, yeah, what did you wanna ask?" She asks me.
"Well you know how I get when I get some pent up feelings and stuff." I start.
Odette closes her eyes.
"You're doing a crazy stunt with some explosives again, aren't you?" Odette says with a sigh.
"You know me so well" I reply.
"Well I am, well was, well could still be, your girlfriend." Odette says "The woman you used to say you loved."
"Just because it doesn't cross my lips as much, doesn't mean I stopped." I say firmly "But we're in a whole lot of shit here and really not pulling our way out of it."
Odette frowns.
"I want you to be there at this stunt." I tell her.
Odette shakes her head slowly.
"I can't be there to watch this." She says "I can't watch you attempt to kill yourself in the name of entertainment."
I put my fingers on Odette's but Odette pulls her hand away.
"You've been my lucky charm every stunt I've done since you've been there." I say quickly "Every single time I've done something extreme, it's been smooth because you've been there O."
"I can't do it." She replies "I just can't watch this one"
The cats jump off of my lap as the new toy yorkie looks up at me. I stand up, looking at Odette.
"Ok." The only thing I could muster through my disappointment.
I walk past Odette but she catches my wrist, pulling herself up and putting her arms around my neck.
"I still..." she says.
"I know...." I say cutting her off "Me too."
"Don't do this one." She pleads with a whisper in my ear "We're not on steady ground, but I don't want bad things to happen to you."
"I need to do this O." I start "I need to blow off some steam and get rid of a few stresses before I become the crazy one of Sinful Obsession. It's completely possible these days."
Odette pulls me tighter against her, squeezing my body against her.
"Where you moved the stars for me." She whispers.
"Yes?" I reply with a raised eyebrow.
"It misses us." Odette replies. "It's gonna miss us today, more tomorrow, but even more the following day."
I nod slowly.
"I should go." I tell Odette.
Odette kisses me on the cheek.
"Please be safe and if something feels off with this stunt, please don't do it." She says quietly.
I nod and kiss Odette on the forehead, moving my hand down her arm and to her fingers as the scene fades out.
Thursday - And boom goes the dynamite.
"Gabriel, are you sure you wanna do this one." My technican Mike, asks me with a strange tone of doubt in his voice. "There's holes in the plan for this everywhere and I do mean everywhere. There's no way you could escape that car. Look at it, it's older than Jesus, there's not a chance you can do it."
A survey the beaten up Ford sitting in the middle of the sand in the Vegas desert.
"It's not worth using a decent car in case I can't do this." I reply quickly "Be a waste of a good car."
"Man..." Mike starts "The locks busted on that thing, if you can't force it open, you'll be doing tricks for God next week."
I smile at Mike but shake my head at him.
"It will be fine." I say as I walk around the car, running my fingers over the rusted formerly blue body work.
My eyes move towards the lock of the boot and I wander round it, lifting the boot up and peering inside at what used to be a carpeted black interior. I put my thumb on the lock and wiggle it, watching the inside of the lock jumping up and down.
"Seems ok." I reply
"I'm not so sure." Mike says "It looks rusted and could break which means you get stuck in that thing. Maybe we should try and do this without the things that make the loud noises first."
I put my hand on Mike's shoulder, trying to reassure him.
"What's the point?" I reply "Might as well just give it a go."
I look around me, looking slightly edgy as I stare around.
"You seem distracted." Mike says "I mean really distracted."
"Well was hoping for a good luck charm but I guess my luck has run out." I reply
"Not something you wanna be saying right before we do this stunt." Mike says to me.
A smile crosses my face as I look at my worried technician.
"Ok, if it makes you feel better, I will get in the boot of that thing, and break out without the fuse lit." I say "Then I will do it, with the explosive jacket and timer"
"Maybe we should practice this more than once G." Mike says rubbing his head
"One will be fine." I reply, sitting on the edge of the cars open boot "Cuff's please."
Mike reaches in to his jacket pocket and pulls out new issue police cuffs. Firm and unbreakable. Mike puts them on me and I sit back in the car. Mike closes the hood on me.
"Timing from..." Mike pauses "Now!"
Thumping sounds are heard coming from the boot of the car, struggling to get out of the cuffs.
Gonna send you to the outside of the car now, because one, it's more interesting and two, I'm not revealing my tricks to you lot.
Mike watches on as thumps are heard in the car. A calm look crosses his face, probably because the lack of explosives in the car, sets his mind at more ease. Mike checks the stop watch showing thirty two seconds and looks up at the car, but I pop up behind him.
"How quick was that?" I ask Mike.
Mike stops the stop watch and looks at me.
"Thirty five seconds or so" Mike says with a nod. "So a two minute timer should be working brilliant."
I scratch my head as I drop the cuffs in to Mike's open palm.
"What's wrong?" Mike asks me
"Two minutes is not spectacular enough." I reply.
"Ninty seconds?" Mike asked with a raised eyebow.
I shake my head again.
"Sixty seconds." Mike says "But that's as low as we should push it."
Once more, I shake my head.
"Not spectacular enough." I reply.
"Be reasonable Gabriel." Mike starts "two minutes was a good time, Ninty seconds was pushing it close, but when you add the fact that you'll be wearing a C4 covered jacket, with a timer to explode. It's gonna take you twenty seconds to get that thing off and toss it. That puts it at fifty five seconds. What if something goes wrong in the car? You're gonna need more than five seconds to fix that. There is no off switch for the jacket once it starts. You'll end up scattered all over the desert or something."
I nod slowly
"Thirty seconds." I say firmly.
"No fucking way!" Mike replies "I can't let you do that! That's suicide even on you best day."
"I don't really care Mike." I reply with a shrug "Going out in a Blaze Of Glory, just like the supercard name, I think it's all good and appropriate."
"No!" Mike says firmly "Your mind is not with it and hasn't been for a while. For the love of God, I can't let you go through with something like this on one of your best days, today is not one of your best days. Hell man, it's been a shit month for you, doing this isn't just a way to kiss it all goodbye is it? Go out remembered."
I'd be lying if the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I mean would I be truly missed? Nah, not really, I'll be forgotten for who I was and remembered as the guy who blew himself up in the desert. He's right, my mind is not with it but the truth is, I'm already dead inside. Odette put the knife in and Jordan Williams twisted that son of a bitch round more times than once. I have felt very little lately. In the ring, I've felt painless. Slams, punches, kicks, any kind of move, not a whole lot of feeling there. Getting pissed on by people removes a lot of emotions. Right now, I do not feel alive at all, this whole thing is to make me feel alive again, to make me feel like I can breathe once more. This is to make me boot myself up the arse and if things go wrong, ah well, been nice knowing most of you. Brings up the thoughts of if there's an afterlife and I can come back and haunt people, who do I haunt first?
"Gabriel?" Mike says waving his hands in front of my face.
There's so many I could haunt that would be great.
"Gabriel?" Mike says again.
I look at Mike in the eyes.
"Look, I can cut off time with the cuffs, they will no longer take me three times to do this time, because I figured them out." I say "Got out of the boot fine and the jacket will only add fithteen seconds on. I can do this in under thirty without a doubt in my mind."
Maybe just a little doubt
Mike looks at me seriously.
"Are you sure?" He asks, running his hand over his head
"Yes" I reply "I am sure."
"Ok." Mike says "But to ease my mind, can we at least put it on forty five seconds? Just in case something goes wrong? In fact, how about we practice one with the jacket on, no timers set?"
"No." I reply thoughtfully "No more practicing, I gotta be able to do this one for real and maybe get a television show of my own, once Synn starts talking to them about cancelling my contract. To me with the jacket on, is practice. But if ya that confortable with forty five seconds, I'll go with forty five seconds, but when this stuff gets recorded and all, I want it cut down further."
Mike reluctantly nods and turns around, reaching in to a metal case and pulling out a black flak jacket, with what looks like two C4 blocks strapped to it.
"Ok." Mike starts as he puts the jacket over my shoulders. "It's the standard C4 covered flak jacket we've used in the past, but instead a remote detonator, you have one strapped to your chest with a timer. We don't use these because there is no stopping the time once it goes down. When it hits zero, it will send an electrical charge to the C4, detonating it. The jacket has some weight sewn in at the bottom, enough for you to get some distance in your throw. Throw it behind the car as far as you can go and get down this side. The car should sheild most of the explosion, but it will kick up a shitload of sand so cover those eyes. Last chance to change your mind Gabriel."
"Let's do it." I say with a nod.
I put my arms through the flak jacket and hold them outside, while Mike zips the jacket up and clips it to my body. I walk back towards the car boot and put my hands out. Mike puts the cuffs on me, fastening them firmly.
"Lay back in the trunk and I'll set the timer. Need to give you as much time to escape as possible" Mike tells me.
I lay back and Mike reaches over, tapping forty five seconds in to the keypad on the front.
"Ready?" He asks.
I nod at him and Mike hits the button on the front, starting the countdown and gently closes the boot on me. The timer lights up the darkness bright as I look around the boot, picking up a discarded thin piece of metal.
40 seconds....
I fiddle with the metal and move it towards the cuff, easily sliding it in to the first cuff and dropping the lock, causing the first cuff to spring open, but the metal slither drops out of my hand, I scramble to look for it with one hand, and open the first clip of three with my free hand.
35 seconds...
Finding the metal slither with my left hand, I pull it to my right wrist cuff and pop it in the lock, easily popping open the second lock and dropping the cuffs from my wrist. I quickly use my free hands to unlock the the next two clips.
30 seconds...
I reach my hand towards the trunk lock from the inside, but the piece of metal snaps off in my hand.
That can't be good
I kick out at the lock, trying to force the trunk open, but to no avail.
Gonna go with this is NOT good
