Back in the Saddle
{Oblivion Ranch - Las Vegas, NV - “The return”}
[On-camera]
[0600 hours]
The silhouette of a large man in the distance is visible until he lights a cigarette, and the fire from his Zippo lighter highlights his face. It reveals a man that the SCW Universe knows well. He smiles as the lights begin to come up around him. He looks directly into the camera, and any sense of amusement is gone.
Mac Bane: By now, everyone knows that I have returned. What may not be clear is why. Some of you will assume that it’s strictly about the world title. Shit, y’all, this is one of the biggest shows of the year, and what better way to make my presence known and felt than to throw 5 other men into the ocean at Summer XXXTreme XIV! This event will always have a special place in my heart. This cruise ship is where I won the first of four world titles in SC-Dub.
I give a brief smirk to the audience.
Mac Bane: That is part of it, but not the only part. My sister is here; a man I consider a brother is here, and in this match. That won’t change my approach in the least. But we’ll get to all of that.
I take a drag off the cigarette and exhale slowly through my nose. The smoke circles around his face before dissipating.
Mac Bane: This company has been asking me to come back for quite some time. Why do you suppose they would want this old Outlaw to come back?
He smiles in response to his own question.
This is so simple even the most basic bitch around here would understand, I think to myself. I rub my index finger and thumb together in the classic “money” symbolism.
Mac Bane: I put asses in seats, it’s as simple as that. The fans know what I’m about, and some have even figured out what I’m up to. As for the World Title, that will take care of itself in time. So, Miles, no worries, chief, you’re safe for now.
The smile disappeared again as quickly as it had appeared, almost suggesting a dual personality; it happened so fast.
Mac Bane: That is not what we are here to talk about, though. This is about the vacated Internet Championship. I’ve held that belt before, but only briefly. It was only a short amount of time because I traded it for a shot at the world title, on this very same cruise ship.
I take another drag from my smoke as I continue on.
Mac Bane: Mark Cross is probably still getting therapy from that match, but as for this match. This is every man for themselves; everyone goes into the ocean until only one remains. I’m that one; it’s not a spoiler per se, it’s just a fact. No, I don’t expect any of you to agree with me, because only a couple of you actually know me and have faced me in a match. For the rest of you, this will be a learning experience.
I glare at the camera as I take that final drag from my cigarette before crushing it out.
Mac Bane: As they say, pain is the best teacher and motivator around.
Fade.
{Downtown Las Vegas - “The Interview”}
The radio station studio smelled like old Doritos and stale beer, which I found amusing because the chump doing the interview did too. This dude was like the Temu version of Bubba “The Love Sponge”. His name was Robert “The Nose” Rose; he was called that because he reportedly had a nose for the truth.
Robert Rose: Mr. Bane, thank you so much for joining us in our studio today. Just a few things to go over before we go live on the air. First, please don’t curse while we are on the air; my show is on probation right now.
I smiled and waved it off. I had heard he was being investigated for various things; I was only doing this as a favor to a friend of mine. He was a friend of Jeff Castello, my old mentor and friend from my military days. Jeff had asked me to do this while he was the one leading the investigation. They should be raiding his Vegas home right about now.
Mac Bane: No problem at all, I can keep it clean.
Robert Rose: Thank you.
I looked up and Rose was going through a couple of index cards.
Robert Rose: And we’re live. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Nose Knows. Our guest today is Mac Bane, a four time world champion in our own Sin City Wrestling and a Hall of Famer in more places than we can count.
I chuckled softly.
Mac Bane: Thank you for that kind welcome, Mr. Rose.
He smiled at my adding a little respect to his name and seemed to relax somewhat.
Robert Rose: A lot has changed for you, especially on a personal level, since the last time you were in an SCW ring. A lot of speculation on what caused the divorce between you and Amber Ryan. Would you care to share your side of that story?
I didn’t hesitate when I responded. I don’t like surprise questions, but I rolled with it.
Mac Bane: Sure.
The look on his face was priceless, and it amused me to no end. He was trying to provoke me with a shock jock question, but I just let it flow down my back.
Mac Bane: Amber and I had reached a point in our relationship where she had stopped making time for me but was making time for old friends at other companies. Simple as that, no one stole her from me.
Robert Rose: That’s not the way that Knox has been selling that.
Mac Bane: That’s because that simpleton doesn’t even know what the truth looks like. He’s an idiot, and what he says is always a lie, and if you treat it that way, it keeps things real. So, if anything, I gave her to him. The other huge problem I had with her was that she constantly attacked my bro, Ken Davison. He’s a part of my family, and she’s still living in the past. He beat her for a world title in a company that doesn’t exist anymore. She couldn’t get past that, so that’s on her.
He looked down at his notes again, a smile coming to his lips. He was obviously pleased to have me talk about it on the air like that, but honestly, this was old news. Amber and I had split over a year ago.
Robert Rose: And what about Kimberly Pain?
There it was; he wanted to stir the pot.
Robert Rose: Aren't the two of you together now, and isn’t she Cyrus Riddle’s ex-wife? Seems like a whole lot of drama you’re inviting into your life.
I smiled in return and then laughed.
Mac Bane: Well, that’s not my story to tell. As far as I know, their split was amicable.
He looked skeptical at first, but then asked the question.
Robert Rose: What about the speculation that you were the reason for their split?
I snorted and shook my head in disgust.
Mac Bane: No truth in that at all.
Robert Rose: Com’on now, she’s effing gorgeous! Who wouldn’t be tempted to try…
I held up my hand, and he stopped.
Mac Bane: You’re getting dangerously close to crossing a line that you should never cross with me.
I watched the color drain from his face as fear set in.
Robert Rose: Are you threatening me? I’m a journalist, and I’m only after the truth.
I barked a laugh in response.
Mac Bane: Ha! A journalist? You’re a slob trying to make money off of someone else. You wouldn’t be qualified to work for CNN, boyo. All you’re doing is digging for something you read on some internet dirt sheet, and you want to believe it’s true.
I was annoyed at this point, almost to the point of anger, I felt the vein in my temple begin to throb. I looked up, and he looked like he was about to throw up out of pure fear, which caused me to smile.
Mac Bane: What many of your listeners don’t know is that the only reason I agreed to do this interview was to keep you distracted long enough for law enforcement to search your home and seize what they needed to complete their case against you. I waved the officers in at that point, and two plainclothes detectives came in and began reading him his rights. I went to the control room to make sure we were still live. The tech backed away from the controls.
Detective Allison: You are being charged with possession of Child Pornography with the intent to distribute.
The detectives went through the list of charges as he hung his head in shame. People like this don’t deserve to breathe the same air as good people. Jeff came up and stood beside me and sighed loudly.
Jeff Castello: It’s always more difficult when it’s a friend.
I felt sorry for Jeff, but it happens to all of us at some point in our lives.
Mac Bane: Yeah, that’s true, I suppose. You could always put him in the general population and save the taxpayers a bunch of money, chief.
Jeff Castello: I could, that’s true, but I’m pretty sure a jury would call that premeditated.
Fade.
{The Landing - Las Vegas, NV - “The Black Wolf Hunts”}
When bounties are your side gig, there’s always an element of risk. Maybe that was one of the reasons I liked it so damn much. Going after people who don’t want to stand trial and face a jury made me happy. When I read in the papers the next day that they had been convicted or exonerated, it also brought me joy. It seemed my life was tied to all these low-life individuals lately, the ones who exploited kids. These are the people that I would love to put down like a rabid dog. Today was a peach of a guy named Russ Ortiz, not someone to mess with, that’s for damn sure. He had ties to the cartels; he handled their human trafficking operation in Nevada. He was always heavily armed and considered a flight risk by local law enforcement. I scanned the parking lot of the strip club; a golden ticket was the only way to get in.
Mac: Well, Jimmy, I guess we’ll find out how good your forgery is.
My son was a pro with digital imaging, and since the introduction of AI, his work has become even better. He had hacked into their website and found what we needed. That boy still makes me proud every day. Wearing my leather duster, black stetson, slacks, and a white shirt and tie, I made my way to the door. I handed my ticket to the door man who barely glanced at it and ushered me in. Once inside I allowed myself a moment to adjust to the dim lighting, there were no dancers out this time of day, only people having brief meetings at tables scattered throughout the place. I walked up to the bar.
Bartender: What’ll it be?
Mac Bane: Johnny Walker Black.
He went on about his business and poured my drink. I handed him a hundred-dollar bill.
Mac Bane: Keep it.
He nodded in appreciation, and I saw as he went to the other end of the bar and said something to a smallish man. I recognized him from the law enforcement folder I had been provided. His name was Chance Manzell, and he was the right-hand man of Ortiz. If he were here, Ortiz likely would be as well. I took my Stetson off and set it next to my drink. It didn’t take long before Manzell approached me.
Chance Manzell: So, what brings you to our fine establishment, sir?
I gave him a Texas sized smile.
Mac Bane: Well, I’m hoping that we might have some business to conduct. I understand that there are some rare commodities that travel through this place.
He frowned openly. That’s when I knew I was on the right track.
Chance Manzell: I think you’re mistaken sir. What we have here is pretty common.
I nodded acceptance of his statement.
Mac Bane: I’ll have to have a word with Johnny about giving me bad information.
He started to walk away but then stopped.
Chance Manzell: You mean Johnny Malice?
I nodded.
Mac Bane: That would be the one and the same, yes. He and I do business on the regular. He brings me things that I like, and I keep him well paid.
He smiled, showing far more teeth than I thought was humanly possible.
Chance Manzell: So, how long have you been out?
Mac Bane: 3 months.
He had taken an experimental nibble of the bait; the real trick was to get him to run with it. If he did that, I could set the hook.
Chance Manzell: What’s your name?
Mac Bane: Alexander McBeal.
His eyes lit up at the name. McBeal was a known billionaire pedophile in the area. It was known that Ortiz had been trying to do business with him for years. As far as we knew, they had never had any interactions and didn’t know what the other looked like. I was wearing what looked like any other Bluetooth earpiece, but it was for communications with my son. Jimmy always helped me with the high profile cases like this. I knew going it alone was a risk even I wouldn’t take.
Jimmy: All clear so far, pops, no one leaving and no new arrivals.
I tapped the earpiece so he would know that I had gotten the info. I wasn’t armed currently, so I knew I was at a disadvantage in this environment. Going in armed, though, if I’d made it this far, would be suicide. Chance returned with two men, and I stood up. They frisked me quickly and told Chance I was clean. I smiled in return.
Mac Bane: I don’t believe in guns if that was what you were checking me for.
Chance Manzell: That’s good to know, Mr. McBeal. Come with me, please.
I followed along as requested, and the two men followed me into a back room. When we entered the room, I saw several boys and girls who might have been 10 or 12 years old. I smiled as we entered the playroom. The children were terrified and malnourished, most of them barely keeping it together without openly crying. Russell Ortiz sat at the table with stacks of cash sitting in front of him.
Mac Bane: Well, it looks like I came to the right place. I’ll have to give Johnny a bonus for putting us in touch.
(In my ear)Jimmy: The boys are on station, going in 3 seconds.
Russell Ortiz: It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. McBeal. I have tried for years to set up a meeting like this.
The air conditioning vent on the far side of the room clattered to the floor, and his men responded as predicted. The door flew off the hinges as the C4 charges went off and Jeff’s men stormed the room. Chance didn’t hesitate; he pulled a firearm and pressed it against my head. The P380 he had was small, almost a holdout pistol. I was quicker, with a flick of my wrist, my throwing knife was in my hand, and I stabbed him just above the femoral artery in his leg. He dropped the pistol with a scream, and before you knew it, they had everyone in cuffs. Russ Ortiz grimaced as they bound his arms behind his back using zip ties.
Russell Ortiz: ¡Pendajo! I’ll kill your entire bloodline!
I squatted down next to him and smiled.
Mac Bane: No Punta, you won’t survive a week in the general population. The inmates hunt pedophiles these days.
I watched as the color drained from his face, but his confidence came back.
Russell Ortiz: My people will protect me!
I shrugged in indifference.
Mac Bane: Maybe, unless I put out word that you are turning state's evidence on them.
Russell Ortiz: They know I would never do that!
Mac Bane: Can you say the same for all of your people?
I meaningfully looked down at Chance, who was handcuffed but still crying quietly as the blood seeped out of his leg.
Mac Bane: Chance, you really got to toughen up, that’s a flesh wound. I intentionally missed your artery by an inch.
He nodded but didn’t say anything. I went out into the main room. Jeff’s people had taken the children out there and had a specialist on hand to treat them. I took the black stetson off and let my hair down. I stood next to Jeff for a few moments before speaking softly.
Mac Bane: How are the kids?
Jeff’s attention came to me after a moment, and he sighed.
Jeff Castello: Traumatized. We’re still in the process of finding out who they are, where they are from, and everything.
I patted him on the shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Mac Bane: You’ll get it sorted, Jeff, you’re better at this than anyone I know.
Fade.
{Oblivion Ranch - Las Vegas, NV - “Travel Day”}
[off-camera - 0600 hours]
My body was always awake long before the alarm went off. Today was no exception to that; the military had cursed me with this. Well, that and the PTSD nightmares, but that’s a story for another time. I could hear the coffee pot chime, letting me know it was ready. So, I pulled on shorts and made my way to the kitchen. As I was pouring my coffee, I saw the voicemail indicator was on with Kat’s name next to it.
Mac Bane: Well, let’s see what little sis has to say, shall we?
“Morning.. I am sending this to both of you at the same time and I do not expect an answer back.. If you call I may not be able to answer because of traveltime.. But I am sending this now ahead of time because I want there to be no misunderstandings between us.. I am so damn proud of you both.. I love you more than I can ever truly say.. I think you already know this.. As much as I am capable of.. My heart has always belonged to the family first above all else.. That is why I had to do it like this.. You both know I hate this.. I hate seeing you face each other for real.. Not in a sparring match but a true match.. I am not going to pick a side.. I refuse to even think about it.. I am not going to travel with either one of you either as you know the vultures will spin this into a she loves him more than the other brother.. I do not have an “other” brother.. You are both my brothers and there is not a favorite among you.. I love you both so much and you know with any other match.. Against any other opponent I would go through hell's fire for you both.. But this one.. I am staying far away from.. Mac.. I am so fucking happy to have you back in SCW with us big man.. Cyrus I am so fucking proud of how far you have come already.. I am going to stop rambling now.. I love you both.. See you on the boat.”
I smiled, and nodded.
Mac Bane: Yep, that’s my Kat. She’s right was well, I would never expect her to pick sides. We are family after all.
Hopefully, we’d all be able to sit down on the boat and have dinner together one night. It had been a while since I’d been able to catch up with Cy. He has always been a good man, and one I’d willingly call brother. He reminded me a lot of Ken.
Fade.
{Princess Cruise Ship - “The Book of Bane - The SCW Chapters Continues”}
A light breeze on the balcony of the ship tousled my hair. The sea air always made me happy. It had always been like a second home to me. The camera was on a tripod nearby, capturing everything.
Mac Bane: I’ve been away for a while, but I paid attention to the climate here in SCW. I almost didn’t answer the phone when it rang. Then again, I’m not someone who throws people away just because we didn’t agree on a few things. So, they sent me the contract, and here I am. My sister in violence likes to refer to us as SCW’s Royal Family. Granted, she can make that argument, and I don’t think she’s wrong.
A drink magically appears in front of my left hand. In other words, Kim had made me a drink and passed it to me off-camera.
Mac Bane: I wanted to make public knowledge of how proud I am of Miles, a great athlete who deserves respect. To my other friends that are still here, I see you, I hear you, and I am proud of what you accomplished while I’ve been gone.
I raise my glass in a toast to them.
Mac Bane: To my opponents who may or may not be wondering which version of me you’re getting for this match?
I smirk at the camera and give it a knowing look.
Mac Bane: The Black Wolf is on the hunt. That feeling you’ll have when you see me standing across from you, that’s normal; that sense of dread that you’ll feel is accurate. Wear your brown trunks, it’ll cause you less humiliation when you shit yourselves.
As quickly as I finish my drink, another appears, and I smile. I light up a cigarette, I exhale forcibly.
Mac Bane: This Gauntlet match is a one-of-a-kind thing. In most places, you have to score a submission or pinfall, but not SCW. Oh, hell no, we yeet people over the railing of a cruise ship and into the ocean while it’s moving.
I chuckle softly as I look down at my hands, and then I clench them into a fist.
Mac Bane: I hope none of you bleed easily, be a damn shame if you never came out of the water because of sharks and such. Don’t anybody get antsy, that’s not a threat or anything. I’m just letting you know, when I fight, I fight. As for me…..Not me, kids, my scar tissue has scar tissue.
I winked at the camera and took another drag from my smoke.
Mac Bane: Take LJ, for example, a fresh-faced young man. This kid has a bright future, according to everyone I’ve talked to. You’ve got that look and a large dose of the “IT” factor. You’re chasing titles just like you should be. Like everyone should be. That doesn’t make you exceptional, kiddo; it makes you normal or average, you could say. In my opinion, what makes you exceptional is your desire and your athleticism. By the way, I don’t do back-handed compliments, I say what I mean and mean what I say.
All sense of amusement is gone now as my brows furrow and the thousand yard stare takes over.
Mac Bane: As much as I respect your body of work, let’s be honest. You’re barely 200 pounds; I work out with more than you weigh; you're fast and a high flyer. Which is great and fun to watch, but so is throwing you overboard. The look on people’s faces when they realized they fucked up is spectacular. The splashing sound at the end is so gratifying.
I move towards the railing. We haven’t left port yet, but I take it all in. The sea air, the sounds of seagulls yelling, begging for food from the people stupid enough to feed them.
Mac Bane: Don’t you think so, Cyrus? The man, the myth, the legend. He’s family as far as I’m concerned. He and I go back quite a ways, but that bond aside, we are both gunning for the same thing. The internet title is very important. When was the last time that anyone here made it feel global? I doubt anyone on this roster has done what I did with it in the short time I had it. Cy is one of the few people on this roster who could even fathom what that looks like.
I shake my head in disgust.
Mac Bane: The ability to take a secondary title and make it mean more than it was intended to be is a gift. I’ve done it countless times in countless places. I’ll do that again, here. As much as I admire you, Cy, you’re not the one.
I admired the view as the Las Vegas sky began to descend into darkness, slowly giving way to the city's lights.
Mac Bane: Brandon Hendrix is an interesting fellow, isn’t he? Supposedly a native Texan, but I suspect it’s more California than Texas, to be honest. He just has a little too much Ferris Bueller in him for my taste. You’re the odd man out in this match, which is really hard to do with an even number of competitors, but you accomplished it in spades. Top of your class.
The smirk that I give is to underscore the sarcasm with which I was speaking.
Mac Bane: Hendrix is one of those people who tries so hard to sound like a badass but no one takes it seriously. Mostly because it’s not believable. So, if none of us believe you, how can you ever expect the crowd or upper management to believe you or believe in you?
I shrug in indifference and frown slightly.
Mac Bane: Well, hello, Billy Boy. It has been a while? Hasn’t it? Have you recovered from all of those ass whippin’s that I used to give you on a regular basis? I sure hope so, judging from your promos, you’re still hopelessly incompetent. That makes me sad, Bulldog. I was really hoping you had grown since I last saw you, but it looks like you’re still the same.
I spread my arms out wide and smile.
Mac Bane: All that being said, I still carry a certain amount of respect for you. No matter how many times I’ve beaten you, big man, you always come right back and do the work to get yourself in line for a shot. Kudos to you Bill, I’ll take no great pleasure in yeeting your ass over the railing. It’ll be a certain sense of satisfaction but not joy.
I chuckle softly.
Mac Bane: Oh, who am I kidding? It’ll bring me way more pleasure than it probably should.
Fade.
