Post by Thaddeus Duke on Sept 8, 2023 18:30:47 GMT -5
The gun fired and I closed my eyes expecting a searing pain cutting through me. Instead, the rifle falls harmlessly to the floor as the man that had me captive fell through the doorway and into the family room. He yelped in agony as the bullet went through his shoulder. Looking at Georgie for just a moment, he nodded at me before I turned my attention to the man. Standing over him, I felt no remorse for what was about to happen.
“D-d-d-don’t piss around, Talon,” my father said in my ear. “Ju-u-u-st get it over with.”
“Thank you Georgie,” I said over my shoulder. “You could’ve killed me but didn’t.”
“I know what he did to your sister,” Georgie said. I could hear the pain in his voice as he said it. “It was the only option.”
I’d watched videos of my father when he was in the ring. When he took his revenge on someone, he’d always have the Rains of Castamere playing in the arena. It was his… calling card. I hear that song now.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked as I stood over the fallen man.
“Fuck you!” he cried out.
“No, that’s not it,” I replied as I knelt beside him. “Look me in the eyes and tell me my name.”
“I’m bleeding out here man!” he yelled out.
“Yes and that'll stop soon enough on its own,” I said to him. “Tell me my name.”
“Talon James Duke!” he answered in agony. “Heir to the Duke empire your father built! Undesirable! Named for execution!”
“That’s right,” I said. “I just wanted to make sure that you knew who I was. I wanted to be certain you knew why I was killing you.”
In a flash of lightning that lit up the room like the midday sun, I saw something shining from his neck. Reaching toward him, I ripped the necklace from him and looked.
Seven.
Caty’s medallion.
At once my jaw clenched. Everything around me disappeared. Mufasa, Georgie, the dead bodies all fell away and all that was left was me and this man. ‘I know what he did to your sister,’ is what Georgie said a moment ago. Filled with rage I ripped open the mans shirt to bare his chest and I pressed my dagger against his skin.
“Please don’t!” he pleaded.
“How many times did my sister say that to you?” I asked without caring about the answer.
Pressing the blade harder against his skin, I dragged it slowly down his chest toward his waist. His skin parted like the Red Sea. He screamed, and hollered and cried, but I cared not. Blood flowed freely from his open wounds. He tried to swing but I jammed a finger into his open gunshot wound, rendering him defenseless.
“You know, I wondered how difficult this would be for me,” I said to him as I looked at his crotch area briefly. “As it turns out, not very difficult at all. See we Duke’s… it may not happen right away, but we always have our revenge,” I said as I pressed the tip of the blade against his crotch.
Enjoying myself, I pressed the dagger slowly against him. He yelped, cried, and pleaded, but I didn’t stop. The dagger sliced through his denim jeans and into whatever manhood he had hidden beneath. I kept driving the dagger blade inside him until I hit bone.
The man screamed in obvious agony as I slowly removed my blade from his genitals. He was dying faster now as his lifeblood leaked from his numerous wounds. Kneeling beside him, I thought about showing him some mercy and slitting his throat. I also thought about using both hidden blades and plunging them into his chest repeatedly. Instead, I stayed still and watched him as he slowly bled to death.
In just a few minutes, his whimpering stopped and his bleeding slowed to a trickle. The man was dead. When it was over, I backed up and sat against the wall and cried quiet tears. Now I understood what my father meant when he said he loved it and hated it at the same time. Allowing the darkness take over is very dangerous. If you don’t fight it off, it can take over permanently. That’s what my father was always afraid of.
“You did good,” my father said as he stood over me. “But the journey has only just begun.”
He sat beside me and put his arm behind my neck before kissing the side of my head.
“I enjoyed it,” I admitted to him.
“You did,” he agreed. “Because it was necessary.”
“I miss you so much Dad,” I said to him as I burst into sobbing and turned to put my head against his chest. I know he’s not really here… but it… he… felt so real. Warm and receptive, supportive as he ever was.
My back is against the proverbial wall. Marcus Welsh has done absolutely nothing to curtail the conspiracy that has been slowly gaining steam for weeks. Worse yet, he never saw it coming. Even worse still, he hasn’t been seen since we left the carrier nearly three weeks ago.
Stratford was his number one pick. It’s not about the pick but it does beg the question: what does he know? Is he in on that conspiracy too? Truth be told, their plot is too big brained for him, but even still. I have to be sure.
Either he’s a bigger dumbass than I ever gave him credit for, or he’s in on it.
Matt Knox so graciously offered his assistance and maybe I’m a complete moron for turning him down, but it’s too late now. Whatever is gonna happen is just gonna happen. Besides… I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. When I win, it’ll be because I was just too damn good. If I lose? What goes around comes around.
“You two gonna make out?” Izzy joked.
Her emergence startled me. When I opened my eyes, I realized it wasn’t my father that sat beside me for comfort, but Georgie, the fifteen year old boy that I was ready to kill in the stable not even fifteen minutes ago.
“I just thought he needed someone,” Georgie said.
My instinct was to reel away from him, but I lingered for a moment. He was right. I did need someone. I never met the kid before but there was something about him that reminded me of Frankie. He was warm, supremely empathetic. He seemed kind and decent. After all, I could have killed him a while ago and instead, he helped me, then he held me.
“You didn’t kiss me did you?” I asked as I lifted my head from his chest. Just now, I remembered my vision of dad and how he kissed my head.
“...no?” he replied with a puzzled expression.
“It’s just… Well like…” I began but stopped trying. There’s not much sense in saying ‘hey guys, I keep seeing my dad… and also he talks… and sometimes we hug.’
“Your work isn’t finished here,” my father said from behind me. Naturally, he made me jump.
“God!... Dammit!” I blurted out. “Could you start appearing in front of me for hells sake Dad!? Always behind me scaring the piss out of me.”
“Sorry son,” he chuckled. “I’m still learning how to control it.”
“Control what?” I asked.
“Appearances,” he replied. “Did you think to ask Georgie where they took Caitlyn?”
“Can they see me talking to you?” I asked, referring to Izzy and Georgie.
He looks over my shoulder. “What do you think?”
Peering over my shoulder, my companions both have confused expressions.
“Uhhh hey,” I began to explain. “Uhhhh I’m talking to ummm… oh fuck it. Izzy since last night in the alley, I’ve been having visions of my dad.”
“Wish I could see my dad,” Georgie says under his breath.
“Where is he?” asked Izzy.
“He was killed,” Georgie answered after some hesitation. “In a prison riot.”
“Look after that boy,” my father said to me. He placed his hands on my face and turned me to him, then leaned his head against mine.
“Okay,” I said quietly. Longing to see him for real, I placed my hands on his.
“Remember what I taught you of loyalty?” he questioned.
“Yes sir,” I answered.
“He could’ve killed you, instead he helped you,” he reminded me. “When you wanted to curl into a ball and cry, it was he that was there for you. Talon, I don’t know what it is, but you were destined to enter this boys life.”
“Yes sir,” I replied again.
“What do we do for those that are loyal to us?” he asked.
“We protect them with our lives,” I answered him.
“Talon… sir?” Georgie said behind me.
Turning my head, I could feel my fathers presence dissipate. For a moment I was filled with dread and sadness.
“If you follow me upstairs,” he began. “I think there’s something you need to see.”
For the third time in the trials I find myself coming face to face with Cat. I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean I know how good I am. You learned first hand how difficult it is to beat me. You couldn’t do it the first time and I made damn sure you couldn’t win the second time. I apologized for causing you pain but I’ll never apologize for doing what I had to do in order to win.
I’m not a very apologetic person when it comes to this business. So if you thought I’d feel remorse, you thought wrong. So I guess it’s ‘sorry, not sorry.’ But then again, I don’t presume to know what you think. Maybe you took it like a woman and chalked it up to the fact that it just wasn’t your night and I had your number. Which is a lot more than I can say for some that couldn’t beat me in this thing.
I do respect you Cat. You do your own thing and you don’t apologize for any of it. Kinda sounds like a guy I know. About my height, kinda looks like me.
You got the stuff Cat. But do you have enough?
Vodka has enough.
But she chooses not to use it.
I like Vhodka and I always have. But I’ve never sucked on her taint the way the rest of the business has. I know she’s good. She knows she’s good. The world knows she’s good and they all fall for her pretty words soaking up the timeline.
What they never understood and I always have… is that she’s fake. She’ll sing your praises from the top of every mountain until she’s standing across from you. Then she tears you down until you’re nothing.
Unless you’re part of her inner circle.
I have seen Vhodka Black for what she is for as long as I’ve known her. I don’t bemoan her tactics because she very well could be successful without them. We’ll never know though because edgy for the sake of edgy has always been her thing, the ‘it’ thing. Until someone like me comes along spewing truths and being as good and as successful as I am without having to resort to similar tactics.
Sunday night… what will be will be. I won’t use outside influences to protect myself. But you knew that already. Bring everyone you got, because if I go down as a result of the conspiracy… I’m taking some of you with me.
Following Georgie upstairs, my heart started to race. Paradise Ridge might’ve been my family home but it all seemed so foreign to me now. It was only vaguely familiar to me as I followed him down the long rounded hall toward the end. Mom and Dad’s room sat at the end of this hallway as it took up the entire northern facade of the house that looks upon Long Island Sound.
As we neared the door, I noticed it was padlocked four times.
“What are you hiding in there?” I asked.
“I don’t know where they put the keys,” he replied without answering my question. “Let’s look in…”
“Georgie!” I snapped. “What am I gonna find behind that door?”
He answered with a finger point to my chest. It only took a second to realize what he meant and I drove my shoulder into the locked door. Then again and again. With each strike, I could hear the wood cracking and splintering before it finally gave way.
Laying naked and tied by the wrist to my parents bed, was my twin sister.
“Caty!” I shouted as I burst into tears. I hurried over to her side as she awakened. She was a mess, but I didn’t care. Using the blade, I cut the rope and slid my arms beneath her.
“T.J.?” she asked quietly. “Is that you?”
“Yeah,” I answered through sobs. “It’s me. You’re safe now.”
Gently, I lifted her from the bed and carried her to the bathroom. Georgie helped me the whole way and even started running her bath water.
“Your work here is done son,” my father said. “Clean her up and get to the garage. It’s time to go west.”
‘The garage?’ I wondered. I racked my brain but I couldn’t remember. For now, I just focused on Caitlyn with two-thirds of my fathers ‘Triad’ now complete.
“D-d-d-don’t piss around, Talon,” my father said in my ear. “Ju-u-u-st get it over with.”
“Thank you Georgie,” I said over my shoulder. “You could’ve killed me but didn’t.”
“I know what he did to your sister,” Georgie said. I could hear the pain in his voice as he said it. “It was the only option.”
I’d watched videos of my father when he was in the ring. When he took his revenge on someone, he’d always have the Rains of Castamere playing in the arena. It was his… calling card. I hear that song now.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked as I stood over the fallen man.
“Fuck you!” he cried out.
“No, that’s not it,” I replied as I knelt beside him. “Look me in the eyes and tell me my name.”
“I’m bleeding out here man!” he yelled out.
“Yes and that'll stop soon enough on its own,” I said to him. “Tell me my name.”
“Talon James Duke!” he answered in agony. “Heir to the Duke empire your father built! Undesirable! Named for execution!”
“That’s right,” I said. “I just wanted to make sure that you knew who I was. I wanted to be certain you knew why I was killing you.”
In a flash of lightning that lit up the room like the midday sun, I saw something shining from his neck. Reaching toward him, I ripped the necklace from him and looked.
Seven.
Caty’s medallion.
At once my jaw clenched. Everything around me disappeared. Mufasa, Georgie, the dead bodies all fell away and all that was left was me and this man. ‘I know what he did to your sister,’ is what Georgie said a moment ago. Filled with rage I ripped open the mans shirt to bare his chest and I pressed my dagger against his skin.
“Please don’t!” he pleaded.
“How many times did my sister say that to you?” I asked without caring about the answer.
Pressing the blade harder against his skin, I dragged it slowly down his chest toward his waist. His skin parted like the Red Sea. He screamed, and hollered and cried, but I cared not. Blood flowed freely from his open wounds. He tried to swing but I jammed a finger into his open gunshot wound, rendering him defenseless.
“You know, I wondered how difficult this would be for me,” I said to him as I looked at his crotch area briefly. “As it turns out, not very difficult at all. See we Duke’s… it may not happen right away, but we always have our revenge,” I said as I pressed the tip of the blade against his crotch.
Enjoying myself, I pressed the dagger slowly against him. He yelped, cried, and pleaded, but I didn’t stop. The dagger sliced through his denim jeans and into whatever manhood he had hidden beneath. I kept driving the dagger blade inside him until I hit bone.
The man screamed in obvious agony as I slowly removed my blade from his genitals. He was dying faster now as his lifeblood leaked from his numerous wounds. Kneeling beside him, I thought about showing him some mercy and slitting his throat. I also thought about using both hidden blades and plunging them into his chest repeatedly. Instead, I stayed still and watched him as he slowly bled to death.
In just a few minutes, his whimpering stopped and his bleeding slowed to a trickle. The man was dead. When it was over, I backed up and sat against the wall and cried quiet tears. Now I understood what my father meant when he said he loved it and hated it at the same time. Allowing the darkness take over is very dangerous. If you don’t fight it off, it can take over permanently. That’s what my father was always afraid of.
“You did good,” my father said as he stood over me. “But the journey has only just begun.”
He sat beside me and put his arm behind my neck before kissing the side of my head.
“I enjoyed it,” I admitted to him.
“You did,” he agreed. “Because it was necessary.”
“I miss you so much Dad,” I said to him as I burst into sobbing and turned to put my head against his chest. I know he’s not really here… but it… he… felt so real. Warm and receptive, supportive as he ever was.
My back is against the proverbial wall. Marcus Welsh has done absolutely nothing to curtail the conspiracy that has been slowly gaining steam for weeks. Worse yet, he never saw it coming. Even worse still, he hasn’t been seen since we left the carrier nearly three weeks ago.
Stratford was his number one pick. It’s not about the pick but it does beg the question: what does he know? Is he in on that conspiracy too? Truth be told, their plot is too big brained for him, but even still. I have to be sure.
Either he’s a bigger dumbass than I ever gave him credit for, or he’s in on it.
Matt Knox so graciously offered his assistance and maybe I’m a complete moron for turning him down, but it’s too late now. Whatever is gonna happen is just gonna happen. Besides… I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. When I win, it’ll be because I was just too damn good. If I lose? What goes around comes around.
“You two gonna make out?” Izzy joked.
Her emergence startled me. When I opened my eyes, I realized it wasn’t my father that sat beside me for comfort, but Georgie, the fifteen year old boy that I was ready to kill in the stable not even fifteen minutes ago.
“I just thought he needed someone,” Georgie said.
My instinct was to reel away from him, but I lingered for a moment. He was right. I did need someone. I never met the kid before but there was something about him that reminded me of Frankie. He was warm, supremely empathetic. He seemed kind and decent. After all, I could have killed him a while ago and instead, he helped me, then he held me.
“You didn’t kiss me did you?” I asked as I lifted my head from his chest. Just now, I remembered my vision of dad and how he kissed my head.
“...no?” he replied with a puzzled expression.
“It’s just… Well like…” I began but stopped trying. There’s not much sense in saying ‘hey guys, I keep seeing my dad… and also he talks… and sometimes we hug.’
“Your work isn’t finished here,” my father said from behind me. Naturally, he made me jump.
“God!... Dammit!” I blurted out. “Could you start appearing in front of me for hells sake Dad!? Always behind me scaring the piss out of me.”
“Sorry son,” he chuckled. “I’m still learning how to control it.”
“Control what?” I asked.
“Appearances,” he replied. “Did you think to ask Georgie where they took Caitlyn?”
“Can they see me talking to you?” I asked, referring to Izzy and Georgie.
He looks over my shoulder. “What do you think?”
Peering over my shoulder, my companions both have confused expressions.
“Uhhh hey,” I began to explain. “Uhhhh I’m talking to ummm… oh fuck it. Izzy since last night in the alley, I’ve been having visions of my dad.”
“Wish I could see my dad,” Georgie says under his breath.
“Where is he?” asked Izzy.
“He was killed,” Georgie answered after some hesitation. “In a prison riot.”
“Look after that boy,” my father said to me. He placed his hands on my face and turned me to him, then leaned his head against mine.
“Okay,” I said quietly. Longing to see him for real, I placed my hands on his.
“Remember what I taught you of loyalty?” he questioned.
“Yes sir,” I answered.
“He could’ve killed you, instead he helped you,” he reminded me. “When you wanted to curl into a ball and cry, it was he that was there for you. Talon, I don’t know what it is, but you were destined to enter this boys life.”
“Yes sir,” I replied again.
“What do we do for those that are loyal to us?” he asked.
“We protect them with our lives,” I answered him.
“Talon… sir?” Georgie said behind me.
Turning my head, I could feel my fathers presence dissipate. For a moment I was filled with dread and sadness.
“If you follow me upstairs,” he began. “I think there’s something you need to see.”
For the third time in the trials I find myself coming face to face with Cat. I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean I know how good I am. You learned first hand how difficult it is to beat me. You couldn’t do it the first time and I made damn sure you couldn’t win the second time. I apologized for causing you pain but I’ll never apologize for doing what I had to do in order to win.
I’m not a very apologetic person when it comes to this business. So if you thought I’d feel remorse, you thought wrong. So I guess it’s ‘sorry, not sorry.’ But then again, I don’t presume to know what you think. Maybe you took it like a woman and chalked it up to the fact that it just wasn’t your night and I had your number. Which is a lot more than I can say for some that couldn’t beat me in this thing.
I do respect you Cat. You do your own thing and you don’t apologize for any of it. Kinda sounds like a guy I know. About my height, kinda looks like me.
You got the stuff Cat. But do you have enough?
Vodka has enough.
But she chooses not to use it.
I like Vhodka and I always have. But I’ve never sucked on her taint the way the rest of the business has. I know she’s good. She knows she’s good. The world knows she’s good and they all fall for her pretty words soaking up the timeline.
What they never understood and I always have… is that she’s fake. She’ll sing your praises from the top of every mountain until she’s standing across from you. Then she tears you down until you’re nothing.
Unless you’re part of her inner circle.
I have seen Vhodka Black for what she is for as long as I’ve known her. I don’t bemoan her tactics because she very well could be successful without them. We’ll never know though because edgy for the sake of edgy has always been her thing, the ‘it’ thing. Until someone like me comes along spewing truths and being as good and as successful as I am without having to resort to similar tactics.
Sunday night… what will be will be. I won’t use outside influences to protect myself. But you knew that already. Bring everyone you got, because if I go down as a result of the conspiracy… I’m taking some of you with me.
Following Georgie upstairs, my heart started to race. Paradise Ridge might’ve been my family home but it all seemed so foreign to me now. It was only vaguely familiar to me as I followed him down the long rounded hall toward the end. Mom and Dad’s room sat at the end of this hallway as it took up the entire northern facade of the house that looks upon Long Island Sound.
As we neared the door, I noticed it was padlocked four times.
“What are you hiding in there?” I asked.
“I don’t know where they put the keys,” he replied without answering my question. “Let’s look in…”
“Georgie!” I snapped. “What am I gonna find behind that door?”
He answered with a finger point to my chest. It only took a second to realize what he meant and I drove my shoulder into the locked door. Then again and again. With each strike, I could hear the wood cracking and splintering before it finally gave way.
Laying naked and tied by the wrist to my parents bed, was my twin sister.
“Caty!” I shouted as I burst into tears. I hurried over to her side as she awakened. She was a mess, but I didn’t care. Using the blade, I cut the rope and slid my arms beneath her.
“T.J.?” she asked quietly. “Is that you?”
“Yeah,” I answered through sobs. “It’s me. You’re safe now.”
Gently, I lifted her from the bed and carried her to the bathroom. Georgie helped me the whole way and even started running her bath water.
“Your work here is done son,” my father said. “Clean her up and get to the garage. It’s time to go west.”
‘The garage?’ I wondered. I racked my brain but I couldn’t remember. For now, I just focused on Caitlyn with two-thirds of my fathers ‘Triad’ now complete.