Date: April 17th, 20XX
Location: Interstate 10 somewhere in Texas
0910 Hours
Life on the run was becoming the norm for the two individuals currently driving along Interstate 10 within the vast state of Texas. The drive from Baton Rouge had gone off without a hitch, which sadly had the man on high alert despite the fact. Samantha had been sleeping for the better part of the last eight hours. The two of them have been trading shifts for driving, that way at least one of them wouldn’t be caught off guard if shit hits the fan. The Division’s influence ran throughout the entire country, infiltrating every form of law enforcement and government agency that dominates the United States of America. Along with this, Matthew had been having a nagging feeling in the back of his mind ever since the two of them left Louisiana after meeting with Anthony.
With the Audi in crew control, Matthew takes a moment to produce a simple flip-phone from his pocket to see if there were any messages being displayed upon the screen. Anthony hadn’t gotten in contact with them regarding the information that was locked within the mysterious USB Device that Samantha had acquired back in Russia. That fact alone had the man wondering if Anthony had been compromised due to the two of them. The man was smart and knew how to cover his tracks when it came to the ether of the Internet. Despite that fact, it felt as if the entire collective force of the Division was coming down onto the two of them. Replacing his phone back into his left pocket, he notices Samantha stirring out of the corner of his peripheral vision. The woman sits up in the passenger’s seat and looks over to Matthew with a faint smile upon her pale lips.
“So, where are we now, about?” Samantha asks as her hands run up through her crimson locks which had been trimmed short so that her locks barely caress her shoulders. Prince had buzzed all the hair off his head and was now sporting a black baseball cap and requisite Ray Ban sunglasses. Fresh attire had been purchased back in Louisiana with a dummy credit card that could be traced back to ten separate fake accounts sprawled across the entire globe. The two of them knew that they needed to continue to blend in. Cars were purchased from rental companies with fake credentials and then properly disposed of when the two of them felt they had been driving it past the point of remaining safely off the radar. Everything they carried was disposable, even their weapons that they currently had strapped to their bodies and placed in the backseat and trunk of the Audi.
“We’re on Interstate 10 and we just crossed into Texas. I figure we can pull over at the next Rest Stop and book ourselves a hotel room for the night. We’ll rest until Sunday and then continue our journey to San Antonio” Matthew speaks to Samantha. “Have you heard anything from Anthony regarding the USB Device?” Samantha asks. “I haven’t received a phone call or a text message regarding his progress with the device” he replies. The look on Samantha’s face mimics the feelings that Prince has in regards to that fact. “Maybe he’s just been really swamped with trying to get the encryption program opened” Samantha states. Prince takes a long breath and exhales slowly “Or maybe he’s been compromised..”
Just as Matthew finishes that statement his eyes move to the Rear View Window placed in the middle of the windshield. He notices a black Navigator approaching their vehicle at a rather accelerated clip. With driving this early in the morning the man was expecting maniac drivers trying to get to work on time. Yet, something didn’t feel right. “Samantha” he goes to speak to the woman just as the Navigator re-ends the Audi. Matthew immediately fights with the wheel to keep the car from spinning out into the opposing lanes of traffic on the opposite side of the highway. “Shit! Samantha, get the G36 from the backseat” Prince orders as he steps on the accelerator and begins to dart in and out of traffic. A chorus of vehicle horns and insults from drivers and passengers alike follow as the Audi and Navigator begin a deadly dance through rush-hour traffic.
“Keep the vehicle as still as possible!” Samantha commands as she moves around the passenger seat and slips into the back seat of the car. Pulling back on the seats, she opens up the wall separating the backseat of the car and the trunk. As she reaches for a rectangular black case bullets collide into the rear window of the Audi. The bulletproof glass spiders with cracks across the entire window but doesn’t shatter for the time being. “Matthew, evade!” the woman barks from the backseat. “You told me to keep the car as still as possible!” Matthew snaps back. “That was before they started shooting at us. The glass can only take so many more hits before it shatters!” Matthew rips off a string of profanity as he hits the gas pedal and flies into the opposing lane of traffic. Driving head-on into traffic, his senses are in overdrive as he darts in and out of lanes, narrowly avoiding traffic going in the opposite direction and avoiding a major accident for the time being.
The Lincoln Navigator pulls up parallel to them in the westbound lane while the Audi is plowing through the eastbound lane and causing civilians in their vehicles to pile up in minor accidents. A flash of light escapes from the passenger window on the driver’s side as a volley of bullets crash into the passenger’s side door and windows of the Audi. The armor built into the doors stops the bullets from entering the vehicle while the glass splitters, holding back the assault for the time being. Meanwhile Samantha has managed to produce the G36 from the rectangular case in the trunk of the Audi. Assembling the weapon with precision and blinding speed, she nods over to Matthew as her fingers eagerly grip the stock and trigger of the weapon. Matthew hits the button for the window and causes it to slide down into the door. Snapping into a firing position, Samantha unleashes several three round bursts from the weapon. The 5.56x45mm casings from the chamber fall onto the floorboard of the Audi. Every shot crashes into the body of the Navigator from the driver’s side window and door down to the gas cap cover of the Navigator. One of the bursts finds its home into the open window where the Navigator’s gunfire was originating from.
“I think I got them to question their intentions with us!” Samantha replies while Matthew nods. He resumes dipping in and out of traffic and then jumps across the grass median back into the same lanes with the Navigator. “Grab the Emergency Hammer and smash out the back window. I’m going to give you a firing lane so we can put that Navigator to rest before this turns into a bloodbath” Matthew explains as almost all the civilian traffic has pulled off to the side in hopes of not getting caught within this violent exchange. Samantha grabs the hammer from the floorboard and swings it, driving the point designed to break glass already into the fragile rear view window. The glass shatters and sprays out onto the road and into the backseat of the vehicle. The Navigator has closed the distance with the two of them once more in hopes of now ramming the Audi off the road completely.
“You only have one grenade in the launcher, so make it count!” Matthew explains as the Navigator is only five car lengths behind them now and picking up in acceleration. Samantha nods as she grabs the launcher from the same rectangular box and attaches it to the G36. Making sure the round is live and the launcher is properly attached, she draws a long breath to calm her senses. Matthew intentionally lifts off the gas pedal to cause the Audi to slow. Samantha sits up and levels the G36 with the Navigator. Squeezing back in a single fluid motion on the trigger, the 40mm grenade launches out of the tube with a burp and strikes directly in the middle of the hood of the Navigator. The entire front of the SUV is shredded into twisted metal which blasts back through the glass windshield of the vehicle. Their pursuers are instantly shredded into pieces as the Navigator veers off the side of the interstate and flies off into an embankment. A massive plume of fire follows as an explosion rips through the remnants of the Navigator. Samantha falls slack back into the passenger seats of the Audi.
“Well, there is no way in hell we’re going to be able to rent a hotel for the night with the car in this kind of condition. We need to find a safe place to disappear for the night and figure out how the hell they managed to find us again” Prince barks as he steps on the gas and speeds down the Interstate with the sounds of approaching sirens behind them. Samantha sits up, her eyes moving around as the woman gathers her thoughts. “Get on the closest road or highway that will take us to Fort Worth” Samantha speaks to Prince. Prince looks over his shoulder for a moment to her. “I have an old friend that fled to America after the fall of the Soviet Union. He worked on the Oil Rigs in the gulf for years but is retired now. He never turns away an old friend” Samantha explains to Matthew. Prince nods and glances to the GPS which managed to survive the assault. “Fort Worth, Texas” he speaks to the device as it chirps back to him with a female voice proclaiming the quickest route to their new destination. The scene fades to darkness as the mangled Audi takes the nearest exit that will send the two of their way to Fort Worth, speeding away rather quickly as emergency vehicles surround the scene of the incinerated Lincoln Navigator.
April 18th, 20XX
Location: Classified
Time: Classified
As the scene comes into fruition from the darkest voids of all known space and subspace, we are shown a plainly fashioned room of white walls and white tiles. A form is seen in the corner of the room shrouded in a veil of darkness. Resting upon a simple plastic table in the middle of the room is a worn and faded black leather jacket. Near the pocket on the right side of the jacket is a frayed hole the size of a quarter with a matching hole on the back of the jacket. For several minutes the view is of this jacket until finally the camera pans back to show a rather belligerent looking Matthew Prince. He is adorned in a simple attire of jeans, combat boots and a black t-shirt. A bandage is wrapped around his left arm which serves as a constant reminder to the man about his failure at securing the Hybrid Title.
“Defeat. Defeat is a lesson few people are willing to learn from. While everyone wishes to drink and sup from the cup of victory, very few relish the opportunity at learning from their own mistakes. Most people choose to wallow in the darkness that shrouds most forms of defeat. Others seek to run away from defeat and simply act as if it never happened. This sorry lot is the most pathetic of all…for they honestly convince themselves that defeat never occurred in the first place. These weaklings find any escape or crutch in handling their defeat, but they are only poorer for doing such a thing. I, on the other hand, choose to embrace defeat” Matthew Prince expounds as he emerges from the corner of the white room and approaches the table that had been placed within the middle of the room.
“This jacket right here serves as a reminder to myself what happens when one chooses to make a mistake. I was young, brash and thought myself to be invincible. It was my first real test, a simple hit on a pair of Mob Goons whose mouths had gotten far too big in regards to their gainful employment. I rush in head-long looking to both prove and make a name for myself. I got the two goons, but failed to notice their bodyguards. One of them managed to put a nine millimeter slug into my side. It damn near lacerated my liver and ended me on my very first assignment. Needless to say a former Navy Corpsman attached to my training unit was able to save my arrogant ass. Three days later I was back to work, honing my skills” Matthew explains as his hands come to take hold of the leather jacket. Nimble fingertips brush against the scarred leather where the bullet had broken through and entered the man’s body. After several moments, Matthew places the jacket back down on the table and brings his attention back to the camera.
“TJ Codair, you proved to be the better man and retained the Hybrid Title. Yet, you didn’t secure the victory by a pinfall, or a submission, or a disqualification…..no, the referee decided that the match needed to end due to the injury I had sustained to my left arm” Prince begins to speak as he shifts to lean against an adjacent wall. His eyes shift to focus upon the bandage wrapped around his left arm. “The referee made the decision, not me, Codair. Sure, I was losing blood, but I’m sure I could have ended you before bleeding out in the middle of the ring. And shit….had I actually bled out in the middle of the ring after kicking your ass around it, I would look back and say “Shit, that’s one of the single-greatest ways to go out his bitch”” Prince begins, as his right hand comes to brush against the bandage covering the wound. “I will cherish this pain and the scar you have given me, Codair. This will serve as a constant reminder, and my motivation from this point forward. Do not think that our war is finished, TJ. Adrenaline was just a single battle, and you managed to walk away from it the victor” Matthew states, as his eyes take on life once more. Shifting from pools of disconnect, his eyes narrow as his face undergoes a horrid transformation. Never before had the man donned such a mask of discord, distaste and pure, unadulterated hatred.
“YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT CALL WAS BULLSHIT, CODAIR!!!!!” Matthew explodes away from the wall, slamming his right fist back into one of the tiles. The ceramic shatters into pieces from the impact of his fist. His entire body is trembling from his ankles towards his face, causing his right eyes to occasionally twitch as if the anger was a volcano that finally erupted. “We both know that end was a fluke, Codair. The referee was worried for my safety? THAT WAS A DAMN SCRATCH!” Matthew screams as the veins in his neck have now become quite pronounced. “I’ve been shot and stabbed more times than I care to count for, but a scratch like that is going to bring an end to my existence? TJ, sooner or later the company will grant me a rematch. I don’t care if I have to personally put every person in contention for the Hybrid Title into the hospital….I will see that the two of us have our rematch. And when I get that chance, there is going to be an “Anything Goes” clause. This will insure that the referee can only end the match if one of us submits, is pinned, or dies in the middle of the ring in front of hundreds and thousands across the entire globe on live television. I’ve walked into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Codair, and I have survived up to this point only because I’ve always been one of the baddest motherfuckers in the valley” Prince finally calms down, catching his breath as he leans into one of the corners of the room. The scene begins to slowly fade into darkness.
“Choke on that, cockbreath”
April 19th, 20XX
Location: Within five miles of Fort Worth, Texas
1600 Hours
Getting off the Interstate and towards Fort Worth with the Audi in its current condition had taken much longer than either of them wanted. Word about the firefight on Interstate 10 had traveled across the radio, television like wildfire and within an hour images of both vehicles were spreading like a virus across the entire country. Samantha and Matthew both knew that they needed to get rid of the Audi before local law enforcement or Division spies and agents-in-place spotted them. Back-roads were the only way they could travel to their destination in Fort Worth, even if that meant that the travel time was going to be easily doubled. Samantha was able to use her smartphone to locate a Used Car Dealership in one of the small towns that could be found in any suburb of a major city across the entire United States. The description on the dealerships website made her think that cash up-front would allow them to dump the Audi without any questions asked.
Ten thousand dollars later the Audi was dumped off at the Dealership and exchanged for a Nissan Rogue. The owners of the dealership were both former military and knew of Matthew through his work with the Third SOG. After they explained their situation while keeping the most important facets back, the owners gave them the vehicle with a full tank of gas and wished them luck in their journey. The two of them then resumed their drive to Fort Worth. About an hour after trading vehicles, Samantha’s phone chirped.
“I just received a message from our contact. He wants us to head towards Edwards Ranch Road which is next to the Clear Fork Trinity River. He lives in a log cabin right by the river deep in the woods on top of over ten acres of land” Samantha explains to Matthew as the two of them appear exhausted and in need of a shower. “Sounds like the kind of place I would like to retire to..” Matthew speaks as he makes the appropriate course correction to take them to the destination Samantha just spoke. The two of them remain in silence for the most part as Prince seems content to continue driving until the two of them are safely at their destination.
As the GPS finally brings them to Edwards Ranch Road, Matthew eases the Rogue onto the pavement and rolls slowly down the road. “There should be a dirt road about a mile up this road that should lead us to his log cabin” Samantha speaks and Prince nods in understanding. Upon noticing the dirt road, Matthew turns the car onto the uneven earth. “He is expecting us, so you don’t need to be on high alert” Samantha says to the man as she looks over to him. She knew it was hard for Matthew not to be on high alert, the two of them had been spending the last month on the run from the Division and fighting for their lives.
“I understand that you know this man, but right now I’m not too willing to give my trust out to anyone. For all we know, Anthony reported our location to the Division. He could have been working for them the entire time and only offered us assistance to stall us and allow for the Division to catch back up with us” Matthew explains to Samantha as the log cabin comes into full view. The cabin is spacious and Matthew can only guess that there is five bedrooms between two floors. Whatever the man did in his past life, he was certainly able to afford the creature comforts that most people want to enjoy into their elderly years. “Let me talk to him first and explain everything that is going on…” Samantha says to Matthew as she adjusts her boots, yoga pants and black hooded Timberland hoodie. Stepping out of the Rogue, a man with a rather pronounced waistline, thinning gray hair and a scarred, leathery face emerges from the cabin. As he sees Samantha approaching the cabin, joy erupts across the man’s face. Samantha and the old soldier embrace for a few seconds before he steps back and soaks in the woman’s features.
“My, my, my little bunny has grown up overnight, it seems. It has been far too long, Little One” the old soldier speaks to Samantha with a voice that resonates deeply with wisdom and long buried but never forgotten pain. “Yes, Uncle Mikail, it has been far too long since I last visited….but I remember you always said if things got bad….I would always be welcomed here” Samantha replies as the man she addresses as Mikail is beaming with a smile from ear to ear. Glancing over her shoulder, he takes notice of Prince. Charcoal hues as dark as midnight narrow into suspicious pools as his attention returns to the woman. “What is he doing here? Please….does this mean you two are both involved in this mess with the Division?” Mikail asks in a pleading voice. Hesitantly Samantha nods, affirming the man’s worries. Mikail places Samantha back onto her feet. “Of all the Americans you could have gotten burned with, it had to be Sokaris….”
The Russian sidesteps Samantha and approaches Prince with the same look of burning judgment within his eyes. Feeling the gaze upon him, Prince allows all of his focus to come upon the rotund Russian who seemed to already have problems with him. As he comes to stand in front of Matthew, the young of the two towers over the elder by almost half a foot. Yet, Prince knows that this grisly old fuck could take him to the mat. On top of that, he noticed the old soldier was also glancing towards his left arm. How did he know about the injury when he had managed to keep it a secret from Samantha? Something told Prince that the man just knew how to measure up someone standing directly in front of him. “Well, if this is the case, then I will cook us up a couple of venison steaks and you two can catch me up on everything over a bottle of Vodka that was shipped to me from the homeland not two weeks ago” Mikail speaks with the tone and inflection of an authoritative grandfather. Motioning for the two to follow him into the cabin, Samantha glances back to Prince. Noticing his apprehension, Samantha closes the distance between their two bodies.
“Matthew, I know that we can trust this man, for he is the Father I never had, growing up. Mikail worked with my Father as a liaison to the State Department during the waning years of the Cold War. When my Mother and Father were killed in that attack on the embassy, which is still classified, by the way….I was left with no family to raise me. Mikail swore to my Father before I was even born that he would be there to make sure I was protected and looked after, no matter what happened. He’s from the Old Days, when loyalty and a man’s word actually meant something. I know that we can tell him everything that has happened up until this point. So, will you just trust me on this one?” Samantha asks the man. For several seconds Prince weights all of their options. Finally with a sigh, he knows that arguing with the woman would be pointless. Samantha nods and steps forward, placing her hand upon the man’s damaged arm. She offers a gentle squeeze. “And, don’t think I don’t know about your arm, Matthew. We’ll talk about that, later” Samantha cuts to the chase with a tone bordering between frigid bitch and seductive temptress. Turning on the balls of her feet, she moves into the cabin, leaving Prince in her wake.
“Son of a bitch….”
April 20th, 20XX
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
1600 Hours
As the scene manifests itself, we come to see Matthew Prince sitting Indian Style in a clearing deep within the woods next to Mikail’s house. Far into the afternoon and approaching the evening, the man had been using his time away in nature to work on healing his wounds. The wounds on the outside and the wounds within were both being addressed. It could be difficult for any person in his situation to just give up and bring an end to everything. Yet, Prince chose to continue to persevere, no matter the challenge, and no matter the cost. Dressed in a simple pair of black basketball shorts, his upper body his bare, spare for the ace bandage in place of where bandages had once been.
“So, as my body continues to heal it appears that I have been given someone’s leftovers. This individual goes by the name of Nikki Blade. I’ve had some time to devote to research, so I decided to see what this woman is all about. Apparently she has been spending the last several weeks having her ass handed to her by Alexander Atwater. So, what is the malfunction, Nikki? One would think you would need to step down your game after having Atwater break his foot off in your ass. I myself would know better, but I can respect someone who never backs down no matter what result befalls them” Prince states as he opens his eyes and draws in a slow breath. Exhaling slowly, he looks to the tree canopy around him.
“I can also respect someone who runs afoul of the law in this day and age. It’s plain to see that the government, from Federal all the way on down to Local, has attained far too much power and control over us all. How could a seemingly sane individual not question and eventually rebel, no matter the punishment or the cause? That is where I can respect you, Nikki, and I’ve already learned a painful lesson when it comes to underestimating my opponent” Matthew continues, as his eyes look over to his arm and then back towards the forest canopy and sky above. “No, such weakness has been purged from my body thanks to TJ Codair. I simply refuse to allow another mistake like that to happen. So, I must focus every ounce of my force upon you, Nikki Blade” Prince speaks, as the man moves to stand back up to his feet. Approaching the tree line, he enters the forest and immediately blends in with his surroundings.
“I understand that I came into this situation far too arrogant and looking to make a brash name for myself. The company fed me a morsel to simply assess my skills and I was begging for a steak after a single serving. It seems that I had bitten off more than I could chew and I found myself choking on my own insults and predictions. I can’t afford to make another mistake of that magnitude. I could choose the low road and seek to build my case for victory on childish insults and bountiful vernacular. No, instead I will keep things short and to the point” says Matthew as the man comes towards a small fire that had been burning deep within the forest. “The first step in erasing the mistakes of the past is putting to close this nagging injury of mine.” Prince looks to the bandage on his left arm and removes it, revealing the long gash which had been stitched shut at one point after his bout with TJ Codair.
“This pathetic wound cost me everything last week and I am not going to allow it to further hinder me in my goals” Prince speaks as he reaches into a backpack that had been placed upon the forest floor adjacent to the fire. He produces a plastic container that has been hermetically sealed shut. Breaking the seal he opens the container and produces a medically sterile Ka-Bar. Prince tosses the packaging aside and then kneels down next to the fire. He allows the flame to lick the blade before he plunges it up to the hilt into the fire. Allowing the metal to heat to the point where it is glowing, he draws the blade out of the fire and sits back. Taking several deep, slow breaths, Prince allows his heart rate to slow down to the point where an EKG would say that he was dead. Without hesitation he presses the blade into his arm, using the heat of the metal to cauterize the wound. His entire body trembles as pain courses through every inch and fiber of his body. As the blade cools, he repeats the process over several times until finally the wound has been burned closed. Covered from head to toe in thick perspiration, Prince detaches himself from the pain in order to gaze forward once more.
“This is what separates me from people like you, Nikki Blade. I’ve spent my entire life destroying my limits and redefining them. The law means nothing to me, only survival of the fittest. Will you do what it takes in order to win? I have to right my ship and continue the course…one defeat is not going to keep me down. As I mentioned previously….the war is far from over. Learning how to rise out of the ashes of defeat to pursue victory for another day is one of the most important lessons an individual can take to their grave. Most sheeple would choose to give up and go back to their mundane existence. I, on the other hand, choose to continue to push against the current, and I will continue to make waves within the halls and walls of PWX. Nikki Blade, you’re the next obstacle standing in my way and I’m coming at you like Puff the Magic Dragon during the Vietnam War” Prince concludes, standing up to his feet as the sun begins to set on the scene.
“And yes, I did just end this with a vague historical reference. Ya’ll need to read more fucking books!”
The scene fades into darkness.
