Together can be an adverb or an adjective. It just depends on how you use it. Take for example: Danny Boy Vegas, Vincent Kane, and Shane Donovan. They joined together (adverb) to become productive members of Society. On the other hand, take Kyphael and myself. We are together (adjective) people. Okay, I lied. Kyphael may not be right in the head. As for me, I’ve never felt better in my entire life. Okay, that’s lie number two. I better quit while I’m ahead. I feel bad. Sure, I have to pay one million dollars to the person who takes out Trenton Pierce. Sure, I have to go through two more bastards before I can rightfully say I’m the Television champion. With Trenton possibly being the last one I face. Sure, I admit that going up against Kypahel at Eternity will be a challenge. So what? None of those above are the reasons I feel bad. I think I’m feeling like this because I’m addicted to You Tube just like the rest of the world. Well, don’t laugh at me yet. You haven’t even found out why though. Wait for it! Slice! Ahahahahah! No matter how many times I see it, it’s still that damn funny. Someone uploaded a video of Nikita getting her fingers cut off by Tony Millennia onto the website. Who was capable of such a horrible thing? I only needed one guess. Brett Cordova.
When I first met him, it was at a bar in Tijuana. Cordova (proclaimed the toughest bastard in all of Mexico) and I (the rich kid living the fast life) continued to knock back drinks just as fast the bartender could throw them at us. Neither one of us were thinking about stopping. Not with a bar full of locals cheering us on and my half-naked girlfriend waiting to walk out with whoever prevailed. There was no way in hell this asshole was going to win. I remember Theresa focusing on me most of the time and not so much on Cordova. Everyone else in the room loved him. No matter how many shots I threw down, he doubled it. That didn’t stop me. I threw down more, enduring the burning sensation at the pit of my throat, and sure enough Cordova reached his limit. Finally, I did the same. A few whistles echoed throughout the bar and Cordova turned to look at me.
“Let me just start off by apologizing. I thought I had you figured out, but I was wrong about you. You’re not like the others. You’ve got balls kid.”
I didn’t know what to say. I stared into his cold green eyes and he caught me off guard with a hard slap to the back. All the alcohol within my stomach rushed up my esophagus and splattered over the bar’s countertop. Everyone in the bar began howling. Cordova shrugged it off, while Theresa jumped into my lap and French kissed me.
“You definitely have a fine taste in women as well. I don’t know too many who’d do what she just did. Don’t worry about the mess either. It has happened to the best of us. Everyone in here was a lightweight until I showed up. You can at least take pride in knowing that you beat me.”
Theresa slowly grinded up against my package and then slid out of my lap. She ordered a few drinks for herself and that alone made more nausea set in again. I ran for the bathroom and almost knocked the entrance doors off its hinges. I literally kicked in one of the doors to the stalls. I dropped to my knees and let it all come up and out again. Someone in the next stall heard me and started to snicker. I swear no one followed me in here and no one was in here before I arrived. I did what anyone would do.
“Hello?”
Nothing. No one answered me back. I stood to my feet and walked over to the sink. I turned both water knobs on, lathered up my hands, and began washing them. I splashed my face a couple of times and finished up by pulling a few paper towels from the dispenser. I looked up into the broken mirror to wipe my face and there he stood. My body shoved forward over the sink and I lost my balance. I fell head first onto the jagged edge of the sink. My body hit the floor and I could feel a warm liquid running down the side of my head. The next second, blood stained my vision.
The taste of steel brushed across my tongue, and I recognized right away what was pressing up against the wall of my mouth. Speechless and frightened, I made no sudden moves. I assumed if the person holding the gun in my mouth wanted me dead, they would’ve pulled the trigger already. Click! A laugh followed the squeeze of the trigger. I was dead wrong. Whoever this person was, they wanted me dead. Sweat began to form on my brow and it trickled into the blood already pouring down the side of my face.
“You don’t know me really, but I know you very well Mister Hayden. And tonight is the night, I teach you about just how fast your life can be taken away by some complete stranger. Even if you don’t believe what I’m saying now, I promise you soon will. But we can stop all of that before it ever happens. All you have to do is make a choice. Yes or no? Whichever you choose will ultimately affect whether or not you leave this bathroom tonight Mister Hayden. Tijuana isn’t exactly a place I could see myself dying so young. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Without a thought, I shook my head yes.
“Good. Now you must make a choice. It’s either yes you’ll help me or no I’ll blow your fucking brains out all over the fucking tile. I’ll give you the count of three clicks to give me an answer. Just to let you know, there is one bullet loaded in one of the six chambers. Go!”
Click! Click! I screamed yes before the third click could ring in my ears. The gun was quickly taken from my mouth and the person began to laugh once more.
“Good choice. I’ll be watching and waiting. When the time comes, I will call on you. My friend, this is only the beginning to a beautiful relationship. I’ll see you sooner rather than later.”
Arran Hayden sat at a computer terminal in the public Pittsburgh library. He was on You Tube still amused by the Nikita video. He continued to press F7 every time the clip ended. Before he could watch it once more, a man seated himself next to Hayden. The man eyed Hayden over and then peaked at what he was viewing. He smiled and after he saw the footage laughed as well. Arran took notice and realized the man was none other than Brett Cordova.
Brett Cordova: Sorry about last week. I had some business to take care of so a phone call is all I could muster. Just to repay you what I owe I decided to buy tickets for this week’s Eternity. I have a front row seat to be exact. I had trouble finding some, but lucky I found a scalper. I want to see someone take out Pierce just as much as you do. He ruined my career in the NLR.
Arran Hayden: And yet you still walk. What are you doing in Pittsburgh anyway? I hope you’re not here to fuck things up. I don’t need help with Trenton or Kyphael if that’s what you’re thinking. I have everything under control. All you have to do is sit back and watch the show. But I know you, so I don’t want you anywhere near that arena.
Brett Cordova: Last time I checked, I owed you a favor. I may not be under contract with Sin, but outside of it all, I still have the freedom to do whatever the hell I please.
Arran Hayden: You’ve already repaid me. I don’t need you in my life anymore. I can’t forgive you for what you did, but I’m still trying to put it behind me. My career as a wrestler is finally starting to take off again. I am focused and ready for my match this week. I don’t need you around screwing things up. You already did that once and I had the chance to stop you, but I didn’t. To this day, I can’t figure out why.
Brett Cordova: You did it out of respect. If it wasn’t for me, you would’ve never gotten to this point in your life. You’d be the same man you were in Tijuana that night I stuck that revolver into your mouth. Sorry to tell you, but that gun didn’t have one bullet in it. I lied so I could make you stronger than any human being alive. I wanted you to be just like me and in ways you have become me.
Arran Hayden: What in the hell are you talking about. I’m not a fucking murderer like you. I wasn’t the one who told you to go and kill someone’s…
Brett Cordova: No! But you were there when it happened. Do I need to remind you that you were the one holding the steering wheel? I only showed you the way, you did everything else by yourself.
Arran Hayden: You son of a bitch!
Brett Cordova: You really ought to do something about your anger problem. And here you sit telling me you’re focused. The man you’re showing me right now is weak and vulnerable. Kyphael would rip through you like cheap paper.
Arran Hayden: Kyphael stands between a man and vengeance. Do you really think he has what it takes to stop me? I’ve been pushed to my limit and here I stay. Ready and willing to destroy anyone who gets in my way. Kyphael will be just another example. I will show the world my pain once again. I will let Kyphael feel it. Nothing will stand in my way. No one in Sin will. Hayden has spoken and is done speaking with you!
Librarian: Excuse me sir, but could you keep it down? You’re scaring the other visitors.
Arran Hayden: Sorry, this gentleman and I were discussing our differences.
Librarian: What gentleman? You’re the only one here sir.
Arran looked away from librarian and to the terminal next to him. No one sat in the chair. Angered, he jumped up and left the library.
What in the hell? Where did he go? Were the questions he was asking himself.