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Chapter 6: All's Well
Topic Started: Jun 11 2013, 07:53 PM (174 Views)
Jason Hawk
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"Our top story is the death of Cord Industries CEO, Deacon Cord. Cord Industries released a formal statement this morning, validating rumors that its CEO Deacon Cord was killed in a light aircraft crash yesterday. Company sources indicate that the crash happened in the Mojave Desert region of Nevada at
approximately 7:45 AM Mountain Time. Mr. Cord was forty-seven years old. A lifelong bachelor with no children, Deacon Cord is remembered as a dedicated visionary with a keen business mind and a reputation as one of the world's foremost philanthropists."

"Mr. Cord was flying an experimental ultralight aircraft when he apparently lost control shortly after takeoff. As we've reported in the past, Mr. Cord was an experimental aircraft enthusiast, building and designing many of his own airplanes."

"In other news, Pfizer is the latest pharmaceutical firm to announce its own vaccine to the V-42N virus. Pfizer joins Bayer and Johnson and Johnson as the latest company to develop its own vaccine to the plague that has accounted for the death of over four million people worldwide. Three more pharmaceutical firms are set to announce their own vaccines before the end of the month. This leaves ApostleCorp, the developers of the first V-42n vaccine, without a monopoly on vaccine production."

"ApostleCorp is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cord Industries, which has seen this setback combined with the death of its CEO, send its stock tumbling twenty-percent in early morning trading. Cord Industries, as most of you know, is one of the largest industrial conglomerates on the planet, with holdings in industries such as shipping, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, military contracting, software and aerospace. It has key strategic partnerships with Weyland-Yutani Corporation, Nestlé and News Corp."

"Wolfram and Hart, the law firm representing Cord Industries, offered no comment to the question of whether ApostleCorp would take legal action against firms marketing competing V-42n vaccines."

"Coming up, we interview INFOWARS.com founder and noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. In this interview, Alex Jones offers his opinions on the simultaneous explosions and fires in New York City last week along with the V-42n virus. Here's a sneak peak..."

The screen changed to a video of the Austin-based conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

"Ok, if you read between the lines you'll see that the explosions in New York have the clear markings of a false flag operation. The V-42n virus and the fires in New York are definitely related and clearly support an agenda....an ALIEN agenda! Project Blue Beam, my friends, THAT is what this is all about!"

"Listen to me!" Jones' ranted, sweat profusely dripping from his brow. "NASA, the United Nations, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI, MI6...they're ALL in it with the greys!!!! The elites from the Bilderbergs and the Freemasons met with the Jewish Reptilian Bankers at Coconut Grove to plan the whole thing out!!! Sure, they SAY it was just a gas line explosion, but read between the lines people!!!! They're in contact with inter-dimensional aliens through use of the drug DMT! They're all in it to bring about the New World Order! Next it'll be the weather-control machines! My friends, NOW is the time to wear your tinfoil hats so they can't read your thoughts!"


Hawk casually watched television from the comfort of the king-sized bed that accompanied his luxurious hotel suite.

Hitomi came out of the bathroom wearing a black silk robe that extended to her mid-thigh. Her long black hair was un-dyed and tied up with a pair of traditional Japanese hair sticks. She grabbed the television remote and flicked the set off.

"I'm bored," she exclaimed, crossing her arms and standing between the television and Hawk, holding the remote as if daring him to take it from her. "We've been in Las Vegas for a whole day and I haven't even seen the strip, much less a casino. Don't tell me you're just going to stay in your hotel room the entire time we're here!"

"I'm not much for night life," said Hawk in a bored tone. "I can't remember the last time I went out to a club, much less a casino. Too many people. I prefer solitude."

"Oh, I can see that you might burst into flames if you have to drop the dark, brooding act for one night and have fun, but I'm willing to take that chance," said Hitomi. "As I said, the mission's over, I'm bored and you're taking me out on the town tonight, m'kay?"

"I don't dance," said Hawk.

"You don't smile either, but I'm not saying you have to have fun."

"I thought you didn't want to be seen in public with me."

"Well, my choices aren't exactly coming out of the woodwork tonight, so you'll do. Come on, Hawk, just *one* night. It won't kill you! Besides, our work is done. Arianne is overseeing distribution of the vaccine; through the proper intermediaries, of course. Her people have taken control of the Aquinas Router now that Cord's dead. The charges against us have been dropped."

"The Aquinas Router exists," said Hawk. "That's still a huge problem, no matter who controls it. Do you really believe that another Cord won't come around? That given that kind of power, even Arianne wouldn't be tempted to use it? The world must know what we've done."

"Know what?" said Hitomi. "Only that the long night is over. The riots, the plague, all a horrible nightmare like everything else that happened. In the end, all sins are forgiven, even ours."

"What about Helios? Aquinas?"

"Do you really think the public is ready for that?"

Hawk paused for a long moment. "No," he said, finally. "Not yet."

"Where's Jade?"

"Haven't seen her or Marcus," said Hitomi. "Now, are you going to lay here and brood all night or are you going to come out with me and have a little fun? I've started to grow accustomed to your face, after all. You can even tell them all how I made you do it and how you had a terrible time."

Hawk shrugged and smiled slightly. "Well, since you put it that way, I'll do it. I wouldn't want to let a proper lady go unescorted."

"That's better!" said Hitomi with a grin. "You can even wear that terrible leather duster you insist on wearing everywhere."

"It's comfortable," Hawk said. "You wouldn't understand. It's a part of me."

"It's *summer*!" Hitomi retorted. "I'll put on my dress. You be ready when I come out."

With this, Hitomi retreated back into the bathroom. Her tone made it readily apparent that a negative response was not an option.
Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 11 2013, 11:11 PM.
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Hawk sat alone at a corner table inside of the Tryst dance club on the Las Vegas strip. it was a Friday night and the place was packed. Techno, trance and loud dance beats blasted from the P.A., sending the young clubbers out onto the dance floor.

A pair of young men at the table next to him, doused in too much after shave and hair gel, made bets on which one of them was going to score with the blonde in the white miniskirt at the end of the bar.

Hawk, in the darkened corner, looked hilariously out of place and uncomfortable amid the flashing lights and pulsing beats of the discotheque. He wore his black leather duster, leather pants, a Black Sabbath t-shirt and a pair of Doc Martens.

A young redhead who'd obviously had one too many drinks approached him, clad in a tight pair of leather pants and tiny top, revealing a tribal lower back tattoo.

"Hey there!" she said in a bubbly tone. "You look lonely. Wanna dance?"

Hawk looked out at the dance floor skeptically. He saw Hitomi, her long black hair pulled into pigtails and wearing a tight black minidress with matching pumps. She held a cocktail in one hand and was busy gyrating with a pair of scantily-clad club girls on the dance floor, much to the delight of the male patronage. A young Italian playboy who Hitomi apparently knew from a party in Berlin a couple of years ago was present. She'd quickly worked her way into his group, drinking and laughing and talking as if the past few months had never happened.

He at once admired her ability to make friends when she wanted, cast them off, and weave her way into any social situation. Being a beautiful young Asian girl certainly helped, it would seem.

The Italian playboy was trying unsuccessfully to work his way into the trio of gyrating girls, who appeared more interested in each other than him, much to his chagrin.

Hawk looked back at the redhead and shook his head. "Um, I don't dance."

"Are you sure? You look like you could use a pick me up!"

"No!" Hawk said, a bit more forcefully than he intended. "I'm fine here. Really. Thanks."

He felt at once awkward, lame and annoyed. It was the same feeling he had in sixth grade at the first school sock hop.

The redhead shrugged and moved back into the crowd.

Hitomi finished her dance and came back to the table, sweaty, breathless and with a Cheshire grin on her face.

"Hey," she said, taking a seat and taking a drink from her glass. "That was GREAT! I know Luigi from this one after-concert party when Lords of Acid played in Berlin. You know Lords of Acid?"

Hawk shook his head.

"Well, I was really drunk at the time, and Luigi was being a complete idiot trying to hit on me the entire night. He was three sheets to the wind, too. Well, his father, who by the way is queer, is one of the advisers to the president of Italy. I figured that, even though Luigi's a complete loser, having him as a contact would be useful for my operations in Europe if I want to expand there."

"Hitomi," said Hawk, eyeing the playboy. "Don't tell me you….."

"Luigi?" said Hitomi, with a mocking laugh. "Don't be serious, I have my standards. I let him make out with me in exchange for a few phone numbers."

Hawk nodded, remaining silent.

"Luigi's having a party later tonight in his penthouse."

Hawk's eyes narrowed.

"….but we don't have to go. So, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah," said Hawk, hesitatingly. "This is…."

"…your definition of hell," Hitomi completed for him.

Hawk shrugged. "I think Hell has better music, and I probably actually know more people there."

"We can go somewhere else," she said. "The Starlight down the street has a club over the casino. Relax, it's not this kind of club. The top floor of the building has a wine bar and an outdoor serving area that lets you see the whole city. Come on, I'm buying….unless you want to stay here and watch me drink Appletinis."

Hawk slowly nodded. "Hitomi, I'm not trying to be a buzzkill, it's just that…."

"You hate crowds."

"More specifically, I hate *this* kind of crowd. A bunch of phonies. And the guys at the table next to us keep calling each other bro."

Hitomi laughed. "Sure, they're phonies but sometimes it pays to know how to mingle. And you wonder what drives me to drink. Come on, let's go. Anything's better than having drunk Luigi trying to cop a feel off me all night."

"I could kill him for you," said Hawk, his face brightening considerably.

"It'd rather you not. Come on..."

Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 13 2013, 11:55 PM.
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Whooooooo, We're halfway there!
Whoooooo! Livin' on a prayer!


Hitomi was on stage belting out her most earnest Bon Jovi performance, with a cocktail in one hand and a microphone in the other. Based on the various keys she was attempting, it resembled guerrilla performance art more than an actual true cover rendition.

Hawk sat alone in the corner nursing a glass of wine and cringing. He discovered something new about Hitomi tonight, well two things…..one, she had absolutely no shame, not that he should be surprised, two, she had absolutely no vocal range.

When the song was mercifully over, she came back to the table with a wide smile and a gave him a tight hug.

"Oh my god that was fun!" she sat down next to him and poured her glass full of red wine. "What did you think?"

"That was very….interesting," said Hawk. "Very experimental. I thought you said this place was a wine bar, not a karaoke place."

"Oh, the wine bar is upstairs in the loft. This is one of my guilty pleasures. Since going on our months long adventure, I've missed it. In fact, I haven't really given much thought to getting back to a normal life."

"As normal as our lives get, at any rate."

"True. Hey, why don't we get another bottle and head upstairs? It's quiet up there….I promise!"

"Quiet is good," Hawk agreed. "Let's go before the fat lady from North Dakota gets on stage. I think she's going to do the Titanic song…."

***

Upstairs was a rather comfortable wine bar, in contrast to the karaoke bar downstairs. Plush sofas and chairs, mahogany wood furnishings, low lighting and light jazz music made the place thankfully much more low key than their previous two stops.

Hitomi and Hawk got a table at the outdoor deck. Hitomi ordered a thirty-year old Syrah and a plate of fruit and cheese. Twelve stories up, they had an excellent view of the lights of the downtown Vegas strip.

They sat and sipped wine for a long while, silent aside from the sound of cars and the weekend crowd from far down below.

"So," said Hitomi, breaking the silence. "So this is it. After the past few months, three continents and enough experiences for a hundred lifetimes, here we are sipping wine in solitude in a quiet rooftop bar. Anticlimactic?"

"By all logic, we should have died many times over," Hawk replied, sipping his wine. "I'm not questioning things at this point, I'm just happy to not have to run anymore…at least for a while. I suppose you'll be going back to Japan?"

"You suppose right. I've got an appointment at the Bellagio Spa for a complete pampering tomorrow, then I'm taking the first flight out to Tokyo. I could squeeze you in if you like. They're miracle workers, trust me. There's a reason Cindy Crawford looks fifteen years younger than she actually is. She's one of their regulars."

"That's ok," said Hawk. "It's not really my thing. I'd rather age gracefully."

"I can see that, you still look pretty good for an old man," she said with a sly grin. "You've also changed, I must admit. I haven't seen you light a cigarette tonight and you've been sipping your wine. Midlife crisis?"

"I was down to three cigarettes a day before this started," said Hawk. "Maybe if I'm down to that, I should just go ahead and quit altogether."

Hitomi laughed mockingly. "I'll believe it when I see it. You could give me a run for my money at one time."

Hawk shrugged. "I've also been seeing the doctor. She said I was a prime candidate for liver disease if I didn't change things. I used to live like I didn't care if tomorrow came. Now, I'm at a time in my life when I think I want to live a few more years, maybe enjoy a retirement one of these days. Maybe you should think about that too, Hitomi. You're not getting any younger and you're certainly not immortal."

Hitomi scoffed. "Grow old and lose my looks? Please. I'll flame out young and leave a beautiful corpse. Anyway, don't tell me you're getting out of the game?"

"No, not quite yet. The future's a blank slate. I have to restart somewhere, I'm just not sure where yet."

"Why not come with me to Tokyo? I could use someone with your skills in my organization. Take some time to unwind, then come with me. We could have grand bloody adventures. There are many opportunities in my organization for a man of your skills willing to take risks."

"Be serious, Hitomi. I thought I was…gaijin."

"Please, I didn't get where I am being a traditionalist. Hawk, I'm young and I'm a woman, that's two strikes against me in the Japanese underworld that's dominated by a patriarchy. I've had to work twice as hard to get to the same place a man would with half the effort. And you wonder why I'm such a bitch all the time."

Hawk smiled and looking into his glass. "I don't know if I should try a witty retort or admit that your offer makes a certain degree of sense."

"Think it over," said Hitomi. "That's all I ask."
Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 19 2013, 10:23 PM.
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"Unless you have something else lined up," said Hitomi, sipping her wine.

"Nothing," said Hawk, pausing and adding, "Well, I do have a cousin in Cincinnati I haven't seen in several years. He manages an auto parts store up there. I thought about dropping by and spending some time with him and his family. He's got a daughter who was seven last time I saw them. She must be around fifteen now."

"That's a picture," said Hitomi. "Doesn't it detract from the whole dark, mysterious brooder to have a living family? Much less one working at the most dull job imaginable?"

"I don't know, I'm told Greg's AutoZone is on track to be the third most profitable AutoZone franchise in the state of Ohio."

Hitomi snorted. "Oh, *excuse me*!"

"We're not all soldiers of fortune, Hitomi. Greg has a mortgage and a 401k. Jenny works part-time at the local library. He has a 2008 Honda Civic that's paid off. Oh, and a generous employee discount."

"He's an idiot," Hitomi said flatly. "What does he make in a year? Fifty-thousand dollars US?"

"Forty," said Hawk. "But, hey…401k and 10% employee discount…"

"Oh fuck me," she spat. "I make ten times that smuggling one load of counterfiet panda bear dolls from China. Don't even get into what I pull in a year."

"Panda bear dolls?"

"They have these little backpack attachments. They're popular in Tokyo with schoolgirls, ok? The point is, I see a profit opportunity and I take it. I don't slave my life away sixty hours a week to make someone else rich while they toss me table scraps."

"Greg also gets to sleep in his own bed every night, two days off a week, doesn't have to look over his shoulder, doesn't have to dodge bullets, take antidepressants and become addicted to alcohol to tame the post-traumatic stress issues that come from killing people and having people try to kill him for a living. Would you laugh if I said I envy him in a way?"

"Yes, but I won't mock you. I will say that there's another option. Look at my organization, I've got it running like a well-oiled machine nowadays. Just a few keystrokes on my computer in the morning at it pretty much runs itself. I haven't had to personally shoot anyone's kneecaps off, much less kill someone, in years. Keep the right people greased, the odd bribe here or there, establish a system of trust and a criminal enterprise can be quite autonomous. Politicians discover quickly that it's easier for them to accept silver than lead."
Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 19 2013, 10:35 PM.
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"So you profit off the deaths of others?" said Hawk.

"I do nothing of the sort," said Hitomi. "I pay generously so I don't *have* to kill people. Broken kneecaps don't count, sweetie. Besides, politicians are inherently corrupt, they all take money from someone eventually, it might as well be me. I hope you're not trying to moralize; you're the one who gets paid to murder people, after all."

"Only the bad ones," Hawk said.

"Whatever. You have to understand, this is Japan we're talking about. We're not like you westerners. If I assassinate someone from another clan, I then piss off three dozen of their family members who are honor bound to seek revenge. Then I have to take out their brothers, sons, daughters, cousins, gardeners, cooks. When the clans go to war its bad for everyone's business, so we avoid it whenever possible."

"So killings are rare among the clans?"

"Not common, but it does happen. For instance, to take my position I had to assassinate Tokugawa Ieyasu, a very old and very powerful mob boss. I worked my way into his organization and into his bed."

"I can see where this is going, did you make it a clean kill or did you send a message?"

"A bit of both. I got him with a needle dipped in the venom of a Philippine Cobra. Deadliest snake in Southeast Asia. That same night my men killed his lieutenants. I took control of his entire organization in the space of a few days. Anyone who I didn't feel I could trust was eliminated. Nice and tidy. I paid for the funeral expenses, of course. Our culture values proper etiquette, even when murdering your rivals."

"A regular Night of the Long Knives," said Hawk. "Aren't you afraid someone will try to give you similar treatment one of these days?"

"Oh, I fully expect it. More than one has tried."

"Tried and failed?"

"Tried and died. You know it took me years to put my organization back together after your last trip to Japan. My organization wasn't where it is today back then. I was just a girl, in many ways, screwing up and making the mistakes of youth. I trusted some people I shouldn't have, and then Cain started a mob war that lasted for a year. That was bad for business."

"I hope we weren't those people you regret trusting," said Hawk.

"Nope, but that's another story for another night and another bottle of wine."
Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 20 2013, 07:39 PM.
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"I'll take you up on that sometime," Hawk replied, filling his glass and swirling it. "So after all this, life goes back to normal for you? Sunbathing in the mornings, pedicures in the afternoon, clubbing in the evening?"

"Not quite," said Hitomi. "Well, everything you mentioned sure, but latest reports have it that some of the people I trusted to run things in my absence have done a completely cock up job of things. Head will roll when I'm back, I assure you."

"Are you sure that part of that isn't just Stefan driving your people insane?" Hawk gave her a rare smile as he sipped his wine.

"Ah, Stef," she said wistfully. "I'm going to ply that young man with wine and cheese when I get back. If I have to, I'll have my men kidnap David Bowie to play a private concert for the two of us."

"You love him don't you?"

"Like a brother. Both Stef and Marcus. I wish I could convince them to move to Tokyo."

"I think one of you wouldn't survive," said Hawk. "You know what they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Kind of like me in Paris. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." He looked at Hitomi for a long moment. She was beautiful in the moonlight. "I guess I just don't understand it, after all we've been through you can still be so happy, you three."

"We appreciate the finer things in life," Hitomi explained. "The beauty. We're alive for such a short time, Hawk, why dwell on things in the past we can't change? Live in the moment, live with no regrets. Look at Marcus, he's going to reunite with Stef and be very happy. Can you and Jade say the same thing?"

"We're in the States," Hawk replied. "As a natural born citizen aware of his constitutional rights, I plead the fifth."

Hitomi laughed. "Take some time off, Hawk. Go visit Greg and his family in Ohio. Take that cash you probably have stowed away in a Swiss bank and buy a big plot of land. Build yourself a mansion there with a sign that says, No Trespassing. I'll send a case of the best French wine to your housewarming. Two if I'm invited."

Hawk gave a rare laugh. "Of course you'd be invited. But I know that extra case would be for your personal consumption."

"You found me out."

Hawk looked into his glass, then far off into the desert. After a long moment, he said, "It will be a while before I have that party. I have less in the bank than you think."

"What do you mean?"

Hawk sighed. "When Jade torched our place she really fucked me. I haven't told anyone about this, but insurance denied my claim. They determined the fire was started by a resident and they think it's fraud. I could hire a lawyer and take them to court, but our client died before he could pay us for that last job. I had to empty my accounts to finance our fight with Cord. Truth be told, I'm broke."

"Have you told Jade about this?

"No, she's got problems of her own without me adding to them."

"Do you need a loan?"

"No!" said Hawk, forcefully. "I don't take money from friends. I just need to line up work again before Silhouette decides to move against us."

"So you think they'll be back?" said Hitomi. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"We made an enemy of Marianne back at the Aquinas Base. It was the right call, but I'm not so naive to think there will be no repercussions. I just need to line up a place to stay and some work. Greg will let me sleep on his sofa for a couple of weeks, but he thinks I sell insurance. I have no right to drag his family into what I do for a living."

"So what then? Live on the street? Maybe Greg will give you a job at his AutoZone."

Hawk laughed out loud at her suggestion. "Hitomi I've had one job in my life….when I was seventeen. I worked for one day at a Burger King after my grandfather disowned me. I managed to torch the kitchen…..and that was during training. No, a real job isn't for me. I've got another cousin who says he can pull some strings and get me a deal on a condo in L.A. It's nothing luxurious, but it has a working air conditioner and is cheap. It's near the beach, too. I might take him up on it while I work a few jobs and get some positive cash flow."
Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 22 2013, 12:31 AM.
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"Are you sure you're up to it?" said Hitomi. "I mean, we've all been running on fumes since this whole business with Cord started."

"I admit that a part of me wants to curl up somewhere and sleep for a month. But, there's too much to do. I'm moving back from England, and I've got to take care of some loose ends there…remaining taxes and whatnot, canceling utilities, insurance. Getting money again, a new place to live. I can apply for a VA loan to get me up and running with a place again."

"Now that it's over, reality seems to be hitting you like a ton of bricks," said Hitomi. "Consider my offer. Anyway, at the very least the house fire had at least one upside."

"Which is?"

"You get to buy a completely new wardrobe." Hitomi laughed pleasantly. "Seriously, get Marcus to help you pick some new clothes."

"What's wrong with my old clothes?"

"Sweetie, The Matrix duster is what, twenty years old?"

"It's *not* a Matrix duster!"

"Whatever, Neo. And dude, you have a Three Wolf Moon shirt. Hello? 2009 called, it wants its meme back."

"Can we please talk about something else? I'm not letting Cavanaugh give me a makeover. He'd have me smelling like perfume or whatever Stefan douses himself in."

"Fine." Hitomi paused, thinking of another topic. "Ok, so are you and Jade getting back together?"

"That's a private matter."

"You can't keep it all bottled up," she implored. "Sooner or later you're going to have to confide in someone."

"Maybe, but not tonight. Not here." Hawk remembered what happened the last time he tried to confide in another person about relationship matters.

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Hitomi paused, and lit a cigarette. "So this Greg. He's your cousin, right? Is he also your friend? Does he know you're coming?"

"He's my cousin on my mother's side. He *Likes* things I post on Facebook every now and then. We were a lot closer when we were teenagers. I spent a year at a prep school near Cincinnati. We would hang out, get high, drink, get into trouble."

"You fucking up? I couldn't ever imagine…"

"We made a bong out of a gas mask once," said Hawk wistfully. "We'd buy alcohol with fake IDs. Huff paint, smoke cigarettes, skip school, chase girls. He bought me tickets to see Judas Priest on my sixteenth birthday. We tried to start a band."

Hitomi laughed. "You in a band? What did you play?"

"Bass guitar."

"I didn't know you were a musician," said Hitomi. "So many layers I'm peeling off."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I was a musician. I could *play* bass in the sense that I could pluck bass strings and it would produce a sound. Truthfully, we just did it for the chicks. We never got past the garage."

"What were you called?"

"Electric Funeral….after the Sabbath song. I bought this hugely expensive Fender bass, way beyond my meager abilities. I didn't take it with me when I left. I think he still has it, actually."

"Sounds like the Life of Riley. Maybe you guys can have a reunion tour. So, you and he are going to paint the town red? Steal a car? Get high in his basement?"

"Hardly. Greg cut his hair and drinks light beer last I saw him. He sold his Firebird a long time ago. He likes country music now and quit smoking. He's got a mortgage, a kid, a deck, a grill….he's on his HOA board."

Hitomi laughed. "Sounds like one of you grew up, at least. The only thing, what are you two going to have in common now? Seems like you took different paths."

Hawk shrugged. "I'll get him to try mushrooms, I suppose. Last time I was there we both went out on the town and Jenny had to bail us both out of the drunk tank. She said I was never allowed in the house again after that. I'm sure she's forgotten all about that now…."

"You can only hope. What happened?"

"We got into a fight….at an Applebee's. We were three sheets to the wind at the time, which explains why we wound up at Applebee's at midnight."

"How the fuck do you get into a fight at Applebee's?"

"Greg made an offhand comment about how sex with a woman pregnant with a girl is kind of like having sex with two girls at once. Our waitress heard the remark and was scandalized. I made the mistake of laughing, which made me part of the crime."

"So the manager threw you out?"

"No, there was a group of oil rig workers sitting at the booth next to us. Big, big guys. There were like four or five of them. One of them decided to be chivalrous and try to escort Greg out. Greg hasn't been in a fight since third grade, mind you, so I take it upon myself to intervene. I was just trying to diffuse the situation, but apparently as the police report reads, I made a comment about the oil workers' mothers."

"Oh dear."

"Greg threw the first punch. I didn't think the guy had it in him. So, that earned us a fine, a lifetime ban from Applebee's restaurants worldwide and a night in jail. It was fun as hell."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was. Good luck on Jenny not calling the cops the moment you walk through the door."

"It's ok, I've already apologized. I'll talk to her. I'm sure she can be reasonable. I'll tell her I'm getting into fusion." Hawk paused. "It's a form of music that mixes jazz and rock."

"I know what fusion is," said Hitomi. "Miles Davis' Bitches Brew is basically my White Album."

Hawk looked at her incredulously. "You like Bitches Brew?"

"Of course. Who doesn't? It hit the jazz world like a ton of bricks back in '69, but it would influence so many genres…fusion, acid jazz, prog rock."

"You….like fusion?"

"Oh my god," said Hitomi, becoming animated. "Metheny is like my personal Jesus Christ. 1982's Offramp changed my entire musical outlook. The man's a mad scientist. He's one of my *never miss* artists, along with Lee Ritinour, Bill Frisell and *the man* Scott Henderson."

Hitomi stopped, looking at Hawk with his mouth agape. "What? Did you think I was into Britney?"

"Pat Metheny….is like the John Lennon of fusion," said Hawk. "The fucking Beethoven of fusion!"

"Totally!" said Hitomi with a wide smile. "We should listen to some fusion."

"Absolutely."

"We should listen to some fusion tonight."

"Okay….yeah, I'd like that."

"I have Metheny's concert from his last Tokyo show on my iPhone. I'll plug it into the media system in my hotel suite. We should go back to my room."

"Okay…."

"Come on, let's go," said Hitomi, taking Hawk by the hand, grabbing the bottle of wine and making a hasty exit with him.
Edited by Jason Hawk, Jun 28 2013, 03:28 PM.
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Jade Anderson
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Marcus finished his twentieth lap of the hotel swimming pool. It felt good to move freely through the water. It felt even better to feel somewhat at peace, at least for the moment. He’d booked a flight to Brussels via Amsterdam that left in the morning. He’d already spent too long with Hawk and Jade, and Hitomi seemed too enthralled with Hawk to care about him for the moment. Besides, by the time he got there, Stefan would be home and they could start putting the pieces of their life back together.

Surfacing from the water, he slid out of the pool and walked to a deck chair. He picked up his towel and ran it through his hair. When he finished and looked up, Jade was walking out of the women’s change room. She wore a small black halter-style bikini that somehow managed to accentuate the fact that she was pale and underweight.

She sat in the chair next to Marcus and simply watched him as he sat and folded his towel neatly.

“Jade,” Marcus nodded.

“What?” Jade snapped.

“The pool deck is empty. You could have sat anywhere and you chose to sit next to me. Tell me what’s on your mind.” Marcus wasn’t even sure why he was inviting her in, but it seemed like she wanted company and clearly Hawk wasn’t the one who was going to be providing it.

“You know damned well what’s on my mind,” Jade replied, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t even know why I’m fucking here. I should just go back to London.”

Marcus sighed. He had no idea what to say. Dealing with men was so much simpler.

“He loves you, but sometimes that’s not enough, Jade.” He said quietly.

Jade glared at him. He couldn’t help but notice that her eyes were bloodshot from crying. “He doesn’t even try.”

Marcus sighed. “I don’t think he knows how,” he replied.

“Agreeing to live on the same fucking continent would be a good fucking start,” Jade said.

Marcus laughed softly. “Touché,” he replied.

“You know Hawk’s not the sensitive type. Your sickness has been a lot for him to handle. Maybe he just needs some time… Maybe you both do…”

“He’s been fucking talking to you, hasn’t he?” Jade spat, getting up abruptly and balling her fists up in frustration. “He’s fucking Hitomi, talking to you, I guess he doesn’t need me,” she spat.

“Jade, you’re…” Before he could continue, Jade stormed off, slamming the door to the change room.

Marcus watched her retreating form and shook his head. Men were so much less complicated.


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Jason Hawk
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The morning sun rose over the horizon casting a brilliant reddish hue over the desert. It was just past six forty-five in the morning and the Las Vegas strip was starting to come to life with casino patrons, sightseers and tourists starting another day.

Las Vegas was a city that never truly stopped, as most of the casinos operated throughout the night and morning. Starting the day was a relative term when talking about the denizens of the desert city.

Hawk sat atop the open air rooftop dining area at the Hash House a Go Go café on the strip. He was one of the only patrons upstairs as the main breakfast crowd had not yet arrived. He sat alone at a table nursing a breakfast of three eggs, sunny side up, hash browns and coffee. He'd left Hitomi earlier. No doubt now she was up and annoying the hotel spa staff before her morning salon pampering.

Beside the breakfast was a cardboard box, instruction manual printed in three languages, and pieces of the apparatus Hawk bought yesterday at one of the local humidors.

“Insert the liquid cartridge securely into the fluid cylinder of your MistMaster 3000. Securely twist the fluid cylinder into the electrical connector. Make sure the connection is secure in order to provide proper charging of the heating coil by the battery.” He read the instruction sheet out loud, studying the illustrations and the contraption in his hand.

“LED lights up when inhaled to simulate a lit cigarette. Please allow battery two to four hours to charge before use.”

“All I want is a smoke,” said Hawk, annoyed. “This thing is like a fucking iPhone.”


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Jade Anderson
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“You could just smoke a cigarette,” said a voice from behind Hawk. Marcus extended a packet of cigarettes to him, offering one.

He put a cup of coffee down on the table and sat down uninvited. “We need to talk about your girlfriend,” he said.

Hawk glanced at Marcus, the went back to looking at the sample pack of flavored e-cigarette vapor fluid.

“Cavanaugh, don’t tell me you’re following me,” said Hawk. “I thought you’d be on the first plane back to wherever pool....I mean your boyfriend is. No thanks on the cigarette, by the way. I’ve decided that it’s high time to quit smoking. I bought this yesterday, just trying to figure out how to use the bloody thing. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hitomi told me where to find you,” Marcus admitted. “And I am booked on the first flight out. I’m leaving for the airport shortly. I just thought I should probably tell you that Jade is angry at you again. I’m not even sure why I feel obligated to warn you.”

It suddenly occurred to him what Hawk had mentioned about the cigarette. “You’re seriously quitting smoking... YOU...” He smirked. “What next? Are you giving up drinking, too?”

“Smoking is bad for your health,” said Hawk. “Do I need to justify myself to you? You smoke nearly as much as Hitomi. You know you’re going to look like Mick Jagger in a decade don’t you? Anyway, I have a feeling the Illuminati is going to come after us sooner rather than later. Marianne seemed none too please and I don’t think she’s the type to take being denied lying down.”

“As for Jade being angry with me, it must be a day that ends with the letter Y. How come you know this before I do? Where is she now?”

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Firstly, I smoke maybe three or four cigarettes a day... and even that is mainly when I’m around you. For some strange reason, that causes me stress,” Marcus retorted sarcastically. “And as for Jade, I have no idea where she is now. The last time I saw her I was in the hotel pool. I was swimming laps. She was brooding as per usual. She doesn’t seem to comprehend why you might find it hard to live with her.”

“I haven’t been able to contact her since yesterday,” said Hawk. “She wasn’t picking up her phone when I tried her yesterday evening before Hitomi and I went out. Maybe if Jade wants to understand me she should come talk to me rather than brooding and venting to you.”

Marcus shrugged. “I’m not even sure she knew I’d be there. It’s hard to say with her... Maybe she went there to drown herself.” He shook his head. “I think that’s part of the problem. She’s jealous of you spending time with Hitomi, upset that you don’t want to live with her...” He paused to down a gulp of his coffee. “I can’t blame you on either count, but she’s really not comprehending that she has done anything to warrant this behaviour.”

“Jade won’t kill herself,” said Hawk. “Not without doing it in front of me. She’s single-minded. She wants to move past what happened, but she can’t seem to see that I need to be able to do that as well. By the way, did you know that Hitomi sings karaoke? Badly. I mean, the woman is like strangling a cat.”

Marcus groaned and nodded. “She and Stefan brought this karaoke machine home one night. I wasn’t sure what was worse, her rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody or the headache I had in the morning.”

“I should talk with Jade,” said Hawk with a sigh. “I’m just not sure what we can talk about that hasn’t already been gone through a hundred times. She wants things back to normal, just like nothing ever happened. Without changes, it’s only a matter of time before she burns down our next home with me in it. She’s mentally ill, Cavanaugh. Do you know what it’s like to live with someone like that?”

“I can’t pretend to know what that’s like, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad,” Marcus admitted. “I honestly prefer to live alone, but since I’ve chosen to share my home with someone, I’m glad it’s not someone who might stab me in my sleep. Have you considered just telling her it’s over instead of giving her false hope?”

“I should talk with her, shouldn’t I?” he said.

Marcus sighed. “That question is EXACTLY why you need to talk to her. Make up your mind, Hawk. You’re in or you’re out. If you’re out, don’t talk about breaks or alone time. Just tell her it’s over.”

“You know that Jade won’t survive on her own. She’ll go right back to shooting up. I want her to get better, not wind up in a fucking body bag.”

“She’s not going to get better, Hawk,” Marcus replied. “That’s a simple fact. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true. You either take her as she is or you walk away. You’re not a bad person for walking away, but you’re being unfair to both of you if you stay out of guilt.”

“I’ll take your advice under consideration,” said Hawk, fitting the electronic cigarette together and sucking in a long drag. He exhaled a long stream of vapor mist that smelled not unlike pumpkin spice. “You know, this actually isn’t half bad, Cavanaugh.”
Marcus shook his head. “It’s just another kind of chemical,” he replied. “I’ll assume that by consider, you mean ignore,” he added, smirking. He checked the time on his iPhone and stood, downing the remainder of his coffee. “Good luck, Hawk. I need to go to the airport.”

“So this is it, Cavanaugh? After everything, you’re going back to life as usual. I wish you well, Marcus. I know I’ve been a pain in the ass to you, but I sincerely wish you a full and long life. I hope we don’t meet again, at least like this.”

Marcus nodded. “I’m going to try,” he replied. “I know it will never be the same as it was before all of this started, but I want to try to enjoy some sense of normalcy. I don’t think that I’m asking too much. Good luck, Hawk. I hope that whatever you decide to do, it brings you peace.”

“Peace....I’ve never known anything like it,” said Hawk. “All the same, thanks.”

Hawk watched Cavanaugh leave and sat a few moments in solitude misting with his e-cigarette. It was a feeling that did not replicate the kick he was used to with cigarettes, but he was willing to give it a chance.

He picked up his iPhone and scrolled to Jade’s contact information. It was an older photo of her with a simple black t-shirt that exposed her tattooed arms, a lip ring, and a sullen, brooding expression. A strawberry ice cream cone was in her left hand that looked half-melted.

He took the picture a few years ago one day when he coaxed her out of the house for an hour for a neighborhood Commonwealth Day parade. She complained about the sunlight, the crowd, the noise, the heat, the laughter and the neighborhood children before retreating back inside.

He hesitated a moment, then pressed the call button.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jade asked. She was still in bed in her hotel room, the curtains drawn against the sunlight.

Hawk paused, taken aback by the abrupt greeting. “Good morning to you too, Jade. I was just calling to check up on you. We haven’t talked much since the...operation. I couldn’t find you yesterday. Just wanted to make sure you’re ok.”

“So nice of you,” Jade replied sarcastically. “I’m sure you were terribly worried while you were shacked up with Hitomi last night.”

“I went out on the town with a friend,” he explained. “We went to some douche club where she tried to get me to dance. Then I had to hear her sing karaoke. Then we drank wine. Did you know she likes Pat Metheny? Anyway, would you like to have breakfast? We haven’t talked in a while.”

“If you want to talk, come here,” Jade replied. “I’m done playing nice.”

“What have I done to set you off Jade? You’re in Las Vegas, for fuck’s sake. I’m here, we’re both alive and finally free for the first time in a long time. Do you really want to lock yourself in your hotel room and seeth?”

“Unless you’re going to tell me you’ve changed your mind about staying in America, I’m really not sure what business it is of yours what I do.”

“We’ve talked about this,” said Hawk. “Hold on, don’t leave, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” With this, Hawk rang off. He thought how silly it was to tell a woman who was refusing to leave her room to stay put.

***

Eight minutes later there was a knock at Jade’s hotel room.

“Jade, it’s me,” said Hawk, standing in the hallway and hoping that she would answer and not make him bypass the door’s locking mechanism.

“The sound of a chain being removed could be heard, followed by the locks on the door being opened. Jade opened the door a crack and glared at Hawk, stepping out of the way to let him enter.

She slammed the door behind him and sat heavily on the bed.

“You wanted to talk. Talk.”

Hawk slowly walked to the bed and sat next to her. “Cavanaugh told me you talked to him yesterday. I wasn’t able to find you. After all that’s happened, I wanted to make sure you were safe and still in town. This is the first time we’ve been in the same town and staying in different rooms since the Section 17 days. I know you’re angry with me. I wish I could change that.”

“You say that, and yet you’re not doing anything to change it.” Jade replied. “If you don’t want to be with me, just come out and say it. Be a fucking man, Hawk.”
“I said we needed some time apart,” he said, rubbing his hands against his temples. “You want things to go back to the way they were. I can’t make that happen, not now, not at this stage. I know you wish the whole incident hadn’t happened. I said I loved you, but I didn’t know if I could trust you anymore. Nothing that’s happened has given me cause to change that assessment. Jade, if I let you back into my home how long will it be until you burn it down again, with me in it? Be honest.”

Jade glared at Hawk. “You want honesty? Fine. We’re going in circles, Hawk. You either want to be with me or you don’t. You say you need some time apart? Take it. Just don’t expect me to be there when you change your mind.”

“I owe you as much, don’t I Jade? I’ve been giving you mixed signals and honestly part of it is that I can’t imagine my life without you. We have a bond that goes beyond a man and woman, beyond love. I don’t know what to call it, but I can’t imagine life without you. That’s why this hurts so much.”

“So this is goodbye, then, is it?” Jade asked.

“You’re not giving me much of a choice, Jade.”

“Then get the fuck out, Hawk!” Jade spat, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Just go!”

“Is this what you want, Jade?”

“God, you’re so fucking thick!” Jade spat. “You know what I fucking want and you’re not going to let me have it, so just get the fuck out. NOW!”

Hawk looked at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “I see. Goodbye, Jade.”

Jade didn’t reply. She simply slammed the door behind Hawk and collapsed against it, sobbing.


































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