Post by The Lost One on Mar 19, 2014 17:19:14 GMT -6
Mountain View – In the city – 12:15PM
There was an old saying that perfectly described Broderick Montgomery on that beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Sixty-Six degrees and beautifully sunny in Mountain View and Broderick was taking in the scenery. Dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a black tank top Broderick Montgomery III put that age old saying to the test.
“Why don't you let me be? Leave me alone. You'll start a fire inside that I could never control. You wanna see a reaction?”
One foot in front of the other.
“Come on and cut me down. You've gone as far as I’ll go. Now your crossing the line and I am letting you know....here's your reaction.”
Brody was running. Simply running with a pair of ear buds firmly planted in his ears. The women would turn and look at the way his muscles jumped with each stride and the men couldn't help but look. This was a man who possessed a commanding presence like few in the the world. Even fewer in the profession he had chosen.
“STAND UP! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!”
His breathing was in perfect synch with the rest of his body. Easy breaths as he ran through the streets. He was oblivious to those around him. He didn't see the beautiful blond who smiled at him. He didn't notice the boy in a wrestling T-Shirt tugging on his moms skirt and pointing.
He didn't see the dead eyed six foot three man in a black jumpsuit standing at the mouth of an ally he ran by. He didn't notice the two men exiting the store having just purchased their first television for their new apartment. He was oblivious to all of them.
All he could see was the dead eyes of Sentinel and the mocking laughing face of Aerynn Donnelly and all he could hear was the pounding music in his ears.
“Walk away before I finish what you started. Face to face, I will put you in your place. End this game before I finish what you started. Face to face....everything will change.”
He was running over the things in his mind. The meeting between his only ally, who may as well be an enemy and his rival. The surveillance video from their second meeting, which of course had no audio. He had no idea what was in the package. All of it running through his mind as he ran.
Eyes from all around the city watched him. Men and women in coffee shops, book stores and diners. Though he had no idea they were watching him.
“You planted the seed, how my anger has grown. Got a feeling inside that I cant seem to control. You want to see a reaction?”
Then he wasn't running alone. Another man ran next to him. Stride for stride, which was impressive considering the look of the man. He looked homeless with a long beard and long wavy black hair. He was dressed in dirty rags and mocking mockingly under his breath as he ran stride for stride next to the Playboy.
“Come on and cut me down. You've gone as far as I’ll go. Now your crossing the line and I am letting you know.....here's your reaction.”
Brody slowed down a pace and was about to turn on the bum and demand an answer to why he was following him but when he turned the man was gone. Only the wind and a closing door to a clothing store greeted him. His eyes narrowed on the door and his lips curled faintly, then he could hear it plain as day. A voice over the top of the music.
Voice: “Aren't you tired of being mocked?”
Brody looked ahead at the clothing store and saw a Asian woman standing across the street watching him. Brody whipped around but found nothing across the street but a old man sitting on a bench. He blinked and pinched his fingers on the bridge of his nose.
But her words echoed in his mind. Aren't you tired of being mocked? Spoken over and over and over again by voices that distorted each time they spoke until finally it came over the ear buds.
“Insult....after insult.....after insult....after insult....after insult..............after insult......After insult.....after insult.......after insult........AFTER INSULT!!!!!!!!”
Breathing heavily through his nose with his eyes narrowed Brody scanned the horizon but found nothing out of the ordinary staring back at him. The birds were uninteresting, the people were ever more so. Brody reached up and pulled the buds out of his ears and laid them on his shoulder as he watched. Something was going on.
Woman: “You tired of it yet?”
The words were so faint that he could barely hear them but it made him swing around. He expected to find a woman behind him but saw nothing but the window of the clothing store. Again his eyes narrowed but before he could lift the ear buds back into his ears another voice reached him, this time clearer, closer.
Voice: “You okay son? You don't look well.”
Brody turned to see the homeless man, but he wasn't homeless at second look. Simply shaggy and unshaven. He wore a simple pair of blue jeans and a loose fitting black and silver button up shirt left open with a sleeveless shirt beneath it. His eyes, hidden behind the wealth of black hair were concerned, even soft.
Man: “You look like someone just.....walked over your grave.”
Brody: “I have.....a lot of people after me.”
Man: “Feel like the walls are closing in? Like you have no one to turn to?”
Brody: “....Sometimes.”
Man: “You know, there is someone you can turn to.”
Brody: “God?”
Brody asked with a faint little chuckle but what surprised him was the almost mocking expression on the man's face as he said this. The man looked at him like you looked as a amusing child.
Man: “Not quite, but close.”
Brody: “And who is this person then?”
Man: “All in due time. If you are truly worthy, he will find you. Whether you like it or not or wanted to be found or not.”
Brody: “How will he know who I am?”
Once more the man smiled at him like he was some kind of confused child. Truth be told the looked irritated Brody a little more then he would like to admit. Broderick Montgomery had never in his entire life been treated like a child. He couldn't have allowed it.
Man: “Because he knows all. He stands at the center of creation. The center of true creation. Where dreams, nightmares and life are one. Run along home child. Hide from the horrors of the world while you still can.”
Brody wasn't about to argue with this crazy man so he turned and began to walk. Three steps away he turned and opened his mouth for one final retort but found himself staring at empty air. For a long moment Brody stared at the empty space behind him and gently shook his head. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew he wasn't going crazy.
So without giving it another thought he turned, put the ear buds back in and began to run on. He had things to do, things to prepare for and people who needed his time and attention. Crazy disappearing people would have to wait.
Hotel room – Mountain View – 5:30 PM
The door of the hotel room closed behind him and Brody went straight to the bathroom. A shirt was tossed out the open door and the sound of the sink was heard, followed shortly by the sound of water being splashed over his face and head. When he came back out he caught a towel in midair and looked over toward the brown haired assistant who didn't hide the leering at his chest and flat stomach.
Brody: “Jez here yet?”
Rose: “....Ugh. Not that it really matters, but no. She's not here yet.”
Brody: “....What is taking her so long?”
Rose: “....You okay Mister Montgomery?”
Brody: “....Just a unnerving visit with some ghosts is all.”
Rose: “Ghosts....sir?”
Brody: “You know, people disappearing and reappearing? Creepy cryptic messages. The whole nine yards.”
Rose: “And....your seeing them?”
Rose sounded more then a little put off at that and her head tilted to the side as she regarded her employer in a whole new light. She knew he was power hungry, even cruel at times but now the thought occurred to her. Perhaps he was just crazy?
Brody however looked at her with contempt at her tone then ran the towel over his wet scalp. For now he chose to ignore her question, he had bigger things on his mind then the events of his run, and who knows, perhaps he is simply tired.
Brody: “Have you heard back from Gerald?”
Rose: “Yes. He wasn't able to clean up the audio any better.”
Brody lowered his face to his hand and said something that sounded a lot like 'damnit'
Rose: “The video isn't any better. His guy wasn't able to read much of Aerynn's lips. Something about you, a file and something about hundreds of something.”
Brody: “That's all that could get from that whole conversation?!”
Rose: “She doesn't exactly speak normal English Sir. It's hard to read lips when the words don't mean anything.”
Brody: “.....So hire someone who is Irish?”
Rose: “We never thought of that.....”
A hand once more came over his face in exasperation.
Brody: “I am surrounded by idiots.”
Rose: “Excuse me?”
Brody: “....Get out....”
Rose opened her mouth to retort but the look Brody gave her over the top of his hand said it all and she turned and left the room leaving him alone. Brody stood rooted in place a moment then sighed softly and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Brody: “The Irish Princess and the Silent destroyer. You'd think I would be intimidated.....but not so much. I want to know what Aerynn has. Why she feels she had the clout to suddenly begin to question me. She has information I want and the mere fact that she thinks some back water gash from the badlands of Ireland can outsmart the youngest C.E.O. In American history offends me.
Offended sure. Intimidated.....not even close.
Sentinel should intimidate me right? The massive wall of flesh that had threatened to do everything short of bleach my ass. He has threatened to leave me as a warning for future wrong doers, a message to all those who wrong him in the future. He overlooks WHO I am, WHAT I can do and he does all this with that smug little stare on his face.
Irritating, by gods yes. Intimidating.....not even for a hot second.
Somehow Cameron Worley was left out of their little powwow completely. I operate alone, always have but these two make a sudden....and remarkably unbelievable show of solidarity all the sudden....and forget to included the third musketeer? It's kinda like snickers releasing a commercial and forgetting that....”
Brody takes on a mocking tone.
Brody: “....your not yourself when your hungry.”
A faint little chuckle offered to no one then he waved his hand dismissively.
Brody: “....Amused, hell yes. Intimidated.....less so by the second.”
Brody turned and walked to the dresser on the wall and pulled a single glass off a silver plate and half filled it with a rich amber fluid. After taking a drink and a moment to savor the sweet, rich texture then began again, this time holding the glass up.
Brody: “Aerynn Donnelly. Do you know what is important about this glass? It's kinda like UWA, That World Title you have on your shoulder and whatever you have in that little file you showed the short bus. You can grab it. You can hold it. You can even taste it but when all the cards are on the table, much like this Dalmore 64 Trinitas, it's out of your league.
It's beyond you. You are unworthy of it. This is one of only three bottles ever made and I paid a fortune for it. Whenever I feel down.....or a little uneasy I will have a half a glass and I reminds me that sometimes.....there are things, amazingly wonderful things, that are simply beyond the grasp of the low class. The degenerates. The worthless.
In short Aerynn, people like you.”
Brody smirked a bit and then took another drink and smiled at the texture once again, his eyes now shining maliciously.
Brody: “I would have given you the world, had you but asked. You were the only person I could have ever even remotely considered a friend but since you won that World Title and began to think of yourself as my equal you have done what many of Talon's ex's have done.
Left a bad taste in my mouth.
The truly sad part is there is going to come a time, in the not to distant future if I have to guess, when your going to look around at your so called allies....as they abandon you.
A moment when you are faced with insurmountable odds and you look to your left and.....Sentinel won't be standing there. You look to your right.....and Pauly is gone. You will be all alone and you will look up, seconds from your own destruction and you will see my face.
You will ask yourself, why did I do what I did? Why did I try the underhanded tactics? Why didn't I appreciate what I had while I had it?
And when that moment comes you will hear my voice in your head. A simple little whisper...”
Brody drained the rest of the glass and then whispered.
Brody: “....was it worth it?”
The glass was set back on the platter.
Brody: “Cameron Worley. You allowed a underhanded.....cheating.....waste of space get the best of you and your brother and yet you want to step into the ring with me? You think you stand a chance? Cameron....just stay out of my way. I could use someone like you and your brother, I could teach you things that you never imagined possible....
….And if my thoughts are accurate I will have a spot on my payroll very shortly....though I think you will turn it down on principle alone. But if you and your brother have a brain cell between you I would give it serious thought. This could very well be the opportunity of a lifetime for you two boys.
Think about it boys...”
Brody dropped down to the edge of the bed and placed both his hands over his face and blew out a deep breath. When he looked up he looked resolved.
Brody: “Sentinel....i offer you the same as you offer me. No misguided words of violence. No misquoted snippets. No violence searing diatribes and no venomous quips.
Sentinel, make all the claims of how much your going to end me. How I will never be the same. Do you know how I respond to it? I don't.”
Brody rose once again, reached into his pocket as the phone began to buzz. The phone was flipped open and brought to his ear.
Brody: “One second babe.”
Once more the phone was lowered and Brody smiled. It wasn't mocking this time. This time it was filled with pity.
Brody: “You don't intimidate me. You don't frighten me. You don't make me quiver. Sentinel I offer you the same as you offer the world.
I offer you nothing.
Because quite frankly....you're not even worth of my time.”
Brody turned his back and brought the phone back to his ear as he walked away.
Brody: “Hey Babe. Yea I just got into Mountain View today. When are you getting in?.....Yea i'll meet you at the airport and we'll have dinner. K, sounds good. See you then. I.....Bye....”
Brody gently slid the phone closed and stared down at it. The words on his tongue searing their way through his body and into his mind. His eyes stared with disbelief down at his hands which began to shake and the phone dropped to the floor.
Brody: “....Did I....almost say.....”
Brody: “....Oh god.....i think I did....”
