by Simon Archer
The room was silent for a fraction of a second, and then a small woman, dressed in jeans instead of a fancy dress, stood up and screamed, “YEAH! LOCK OMNICORP OUT!” It was Sally, and her cheer was all that was needed to get the entire stadium’s audience on their feet, screaming in agreement.
The noise lasted a full two minutes before it died down enough for us to continue. Charlie handed me the mic.
“The Platform is finished, ladies and gentlemen,” I said. There was a wave of boos from the crowd that came and went quickly, but I had anticipated that. I moved my arms up and down to get the audience to quiet before I continued. “I know you love your gambling. I also know that you would love to keep your financial affairs safe, so we have an option for you,” I said. I paused to let the crowd quiet even further. “Mr. Charlie Lindy and I would like to invite you to our CG Gala, to be hosted at his Red Lion Casino, tomorrow night. There you will be able to enjoy private VIP gaming tables and also have the opportunity to remove the vice grip from around your cat girl, before we make the service available to the public,” I finished.
The stadium remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity. Then, all at once, it erupted. The crowd was on its feet, cheering and clapping and holding drinks up to us. I looked at Charlie, who had gone to stand with Leah. He nodded his head in satisfaction at how our plan had worked to expose Omnicorp, turn the crowd against the company, and launch VGS Inc.
I suddenly remembered that both the announcer and my would-be competitor were still standing on the Platform with us. When I turned and gave them a smile, both looked relieved. I walked over and gave the microphone back to the announcer and addressed them both.
“We appreciate you giving up the stage, gentlemen. Seth, you will find your winnings at the booth. Since I did not fight, you win by default. You are the last Platform champion,” I told him. Seth and the announcer both turned and hurried away.
I turned my attention to Kennedi and Ellie, who were both still restraining Alan and Henry. I walked to them and looked from one to the other. Then the three of us busted up laughing just as Theo and Bev made their way to join us through the throngs of people who’d started pouring out of the stadium.
“You going to toss those two into the pit?” Theo joked and shook my hand. His joke wasn’t taken as funny by Alan, who started thrashing around, trying to break Kennedi’s grip.
“Actually, I have one more thing to talk to Alan about,” I said to Theo and then looked at Kennedi. “I need you to stand him up for me, please.” Kennedi couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face at letting Alan out of his incredibly humiliating position. She dropped his legs and waited until he got them under him before twisting his arms behind his back. She held him from moving in case he thought he’d make a run for it.
I stepped in front of Alan and pulled a piece of paper out of the pocket of my cargo shorts. “Do you know what this is?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know what that is?” Alan spat out. “I really don’t give a fuck.”
“Oh, good. I’m happy you don’t give a fuck,” I barked at him. “And since you don’t give a fuck, then you won’t mind signing this.” I waved the paper in his face.
“No way I’m signing a damn thing from you!” Alan yelled at me. I took a step closer until I wasn’t more than an inch away from his face.
“You WILL sign this paper, and we will be taking Krysta home with us.” I had dropped my voice to a growl that shocked Alan. He blinked a few times to regain his composure.
“You want my cat girl?” he asked as though he’d heard me wrong.
“I want her, and I’m going to get her.” I stared straight into Alan’s eyes and saw the confidence in them start to fade.
“What in hell makes you think I’d sign my CG over to you degenerate assholes?” Alan yelled, sounding more confident than he looked.
“You have a choice to make, Alan,” I started. “You can sign this paper right now, or you can go to Federal prison for operating an underground fighting organization. You see, I haven’t notified the higher authorities of your little show here, yet. The choice is yours. Although, if you go to prison, your CG will just be sold at auction anyway, so either way, she’ll be mine. I’m just giving you the option to be reported to the Feds or not.” I pulled a pen and a penny out that I had in my other pocket and held the pen out to him. Alan looked at me, then at Kennedi, and back at me.
“I can’t fucking believe this,” he snapped at me. “Fine. You can have the damn wretched cat girl. She’s a pile of trash anyway. Now, let me go, and I’ll sign your shitty little paper.”
I nodded at Kennedi, and she released Alan’s hands. He reached forward and snatched the paper and pen from me. He glared coldly at me until he looked down, adjusted the paper in his hand, and signed it. The second he finished, I grabbed the bill of sale and threw a penny at him.
“What the fuck is the damn penny for?” Alan spat out. I gave him my most sarcastic smile.
“Well, you know Omnicorp rules,” I said slowly so as to emphasize what a freaking idiot he was. “A CG has to be gifted or purchased, and I just bought yours for a penny, you miserable bastard.” Alan’s face turned an even brighter shade of red, and he started to lunge at me. Kennedi had him restrained with his hands behind his back again before he made it even two steps.
“Get your hands off me, you filthy defect!” he screamed at Kennedi.
I reached forward with my left hand, pulled his head sideways by the hair, pulled my right arm back, and let loose. My fist smashed against his face, making his head bob from side-to-side until it finally drooped forward. His body went limp, and I knew I’d knocked him out cold.
“If I’d known that is all I’d have to do to get that pompous ass to shut the fuck up, I would’ve done it long before now,” I said to Theo, causing us both to laugh. Kennedi tossed Alan’s limp body aside and threw her arms around my neck.
“You were magnificent!” she squealed in my ear. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to do that?”
I smiled at her. “Because I wanted it to be a surprise!”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! It’s the best surprise EVER!” She quickly kissed my cheek and then darted off to the Omnicorp skybox to get Krysta.
I turned back to Theo and Bev. Bev was smiling from ear-to-ear and turned to point toward the stadium entrance. Two uniformed police officers were on their way toward the Platform.
“I took the liberty of calling a few friends for you,” Bev told me. “I’ve known them for years through the Downed Officers charity. They are going to get these two wastes of skin out of here for you.”
“I appreciate you, Bev,” I told her as I bowed in mock worship.
“Oh, stop it before I slap you,” Bev said, rolling her eyes. A moment later, Kennedi walked up with Krysta at her side. The four of us turned to watch Alan and Henry be handcuffed and shoved repeatedly towards the exit. Once they were out of sight, I turned, found Ellie, and waved her over.
“Kennedi, Ellie,” I started when Ellie reached us. “I have something I want to ask you.”
Both of them had curious looks on their faces.
“Yes?” they asked in unison.
“How would the two of you feel about staying here in Elko, for good?” I asked, unable to keep a smile off my face.
The two girls looked at each other, looked back at me, then at each other again. Then they started squealing like I’d come to expect when they learned about anything exciting.
“We would love to!” they both yelled excitedly.
“Well, good! We are staying. I can’t wait to show the two of you our new home,” I started, “once it’s built, that is.” I laughed as they squealed, and Ellie threw her arms around my neck. They had no idea what I was talking about, but there would be plenty of time for details after we got out of this underground stadium dump.
It was another thirty minutes before the nine of us, now that Krysta had joined us, were able to get out of t
he stadium. When we exited the elevator to the main floor, the biggest after-party I’d seen yet was in full swing. Apparently, there didn’t need to be a fight in order to celebrate. We passed through the party as quickly as possible and made our exit.
The drive back to Theo and Bev’s house seemed to go a lot faster than it had before. When we all pulled in, Theo, Bev, the girls, and I parked and got out. The Lindys car came to a stop, and Charlie and Leah stepped out long enough to say ‘goodnight’ before they headed home. When they were gone, the five of us still wore triumphant smiles. We were all more exhausted than we realized, but this was a different kind of tired.
This was the tired that only comes after a huge victory that not only wins the battle but also puts an end to the war.
40
Omnicorp
I looked down at my briefcase while I waited for the officer to open the gate. The place smelled like hungover breath and sweat. The police station was the last place I wanted to be. This situation called for a swift, fierce solution and that is always when I get called. I had no intention of dragging the visit out and was tapping my foot impatiently until I heard the buzzer sound, and the gate started to open. The cop on the other side of the gate escorted me down the long, green hallway.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a meeting room?” the cop asked nervously. He was a short young man that reminded me of a new pledge at a frat house that was there solely to be hazed. I would’ve felt sorry for him but he was an adult. He should’ve had his own worth worked out by now.
“No.” He didn’t rate a more detailed response from me. I wasn’t here to waste my time speaking to the help. We walked to the end of the hallway. There was another hall going off to the left.
“Alright, then.” The cop stood at the corner of the two halls and pointed down the one heading left. “They are all the way down at the end, on the left.”
“Mmmhmm.” I left the cop there and started walking down the new hallway. This hall was lined with holding cells. A few were empty and a few had drunks detoxing in them. I walked past all of them until I reached the last cell on the left. When I stepped in front of the bars, the two men inside hopped to their feet like they’d just been busted smoking. They both hurried over to the front of the cell until they were just on the other side of the bars from me.
“We are so happy you are here,” the short, fat one said. “I’m Alan Graves, and this here is Henry Blackwell.” He slapped the taller one on the back during his introduction.
“Yes, we can’t wait to get this ugliness put behind us,” Henry said eagerly. I looked them both over. Disgusting lackeys who thought they were the shit because they had the Omnicorp name behind them. That’s all they were.
“It is most certainly ugly,” I said. “I have something for you.” I balanced my briefcase on my arm and opened it. I pulled out two folders, one for each of them. I closed my case and handed the folders through the bars and stepped back. Henry and Alan each opened their folder and started reading the papers inside. I couldn’t hold back a tiny grin from the pleasure I got seeing their eyes grow wider and their brows furrow more with each line they read.
“But...but...there’s no…” Alan tried to get some erroneous thought out of his red-faced head to no avail. He looked at Henry who was just staring at his folder. Then he looked up at me.
“You know none of this is true,” Henry hissed slowly. “We never embezzled company funds or extorted Platform participants. The data mining and betting both were set up on company orders. There is a minimum of twenty years of prison time for the charges on these papers. Crimes that we never took part in! You’ll never get this to stick!” His voice raised steadily as the seriousness of his plight sank in. Alan just stared at Henry as though he had no idea what he was talking about.
“Twenty years?” Alan said in disbelief. “This is total fucking bullshit!” His voice was also rising with each word. Both of their whiny, insignificant voices grated on my nerves.
“Shut your fat hole, Alan,” I growled at him. Then I turned to Henry and smiled sarcastically. “As far as Omnicorp is concerned, the two of you are degenerate mistakes to be discarded. As far as I’m concerned, you are both sad wastes of skin. Now, enjoy your stay.”
I turned and took a few steps down the hall but paused. I walked back and whispered vehemently, “Just to be perfectly clear, if Omnicorp, or I, ever catch sight of you two again, you’ll wish you were still in prison.” I turned and walked away again.
“But you CAN’T!” Alan screamed, cramming his face onto the bars so he could still see me. “THIS ISN’T FAIR! AFTER ALL WE DID FOR YOU!”
“YOU’LL NEVER GET THIS TO STICK!” Henry screamed after Alan right as I reached the cellblock end where the young cop was waiting to escort me back.
I stopped and balanced my briefcase on my arm again and removed a thick folder full of documents. I closed my case and handed the folder to the cop. Then I stepped back, looked down the hallway where Alan and Henry were.
I raised my voice so they could clearly hear me say, “HERE, MISTER OFFICER. PLEASE MAKE SURE THESE DOCUMENTS GET ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE. YOU’LL FIND EVERY SHRED OF PROOF YOU NEED TO LOCK THEM UP SOLID.” The hallway went silent after that.
The cop walked me back through the first hallway and out the gate. I strolled out of the building with a grin on my face. I do forget how satisfying throwing out the trash is, I thought. My grin disappeared as I walked to my Jag and opened the door.
Those two degenerates had created a mess that needed to be wiped clean. A mess that threatened to spread and not only stain Omnicorps’ good name the world over, but maybe even bring down the entire corporation and everything we had worked so hard to build.
There was still time, though, time to wipe that mess out of existence before it did irreparable damage. And the name of that mess?
Clark Watkins.
A Note from the Author
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