The Culprit

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New Orleans, LA

On Camera

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The pier is a thousand hues and shades we call brown, somehow the labelling of the colour subtracting from its beauty and forlorn in the cold waves.  Under the grey sky the water was dark without the speckles of light that come with a sunny day and the wood that jutted out from the beach was closer to black than brown.  Pier strutting across the mud flats on barnacle and muscle encrusted stilts, tide out, warm salty breeze. People sit on benches, gaze out to see, out to the horizon. Children run up and down, some ride bicycles with little stabilizing wheels on each side. Various shapes and sizes of dog trot along on leashes. Wooden rails spattered with bird droppings, crows hop around hoping for tid-bits. Children stand on the lowest rail and lean over the edge. Metal ramps lead down to floating wooden walkways that rise and fall with the tide, perfect for launching a kayak from. Purple starfish lying like a living carpet on the bottom of the thick support beams. Sea gulls mill around the wooden stilts leaving temporary impressions of their webbed feet in the sandy mud flats.

Just then the clacking of heels across the hard wood planks can be heard, which signifies the arrival of someone new.  It isn’t long until “The British Bombshell” and self-proclaimed “Best in the World” steps into the scene from stage left.  The blonde haired Braddock beauty is wearing a little purple dress that hugs her every curve and matching purple high heeled patent leather pumps.  A confident grin is etched across her lovely face as she stares into the camera.

“Welcome to New Orleans, a city located in the Mississippi River Delta, south of Lake Pontchartrain, on the banks of the Mississippi River.” Braddock motions to the waters behind her. “Part of which you can see just behind me.”

Braddock turns towards the Mississippi river and gazes out at the waters.  A sigh escapes her lips as she takes in the view.  The British Bombshell turns back around to face the camera and smirks knowingly. “The Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States at three thousand seven hundred thirty kilometers…” Braddock pauses for a moment before winking at the camera “...or two thousand three hundred and twenty miles for you bloody Americans.”

A chuckle escapes Glory’s lips. “Asher Hayes, you remind me of that great river behind me.  This river, from start to finish, seems to go on forever and ever.  It seems to have no end.  It runs through ten states of this nation.  The Union forces taking control of this river proved pivotal and vital in defeating the Confederacy in the US Civil War.  It is a very important piece of American history.” Braddock points a long slender finger at the camera.

“Just as you have made an impact upon Supreme Championship Wrestling.  Your contribution to this company is quite sparkling indeed and nothing at all to be ashamed of.  You are a former SCW United States, Underground, Adrenaline, Tag Team Champion as well as the only Commonwealth Champion.” Glory chuckles again.

“See?  I always do my homework.” Braddock throws her head back with a nasty snicker.  She returns her gaze back to the camera, looking as confident as ever.

“Also like this river, you go on and on and on and on…and on...and on…” Braddock pauses for a few moments.  The smile that was on her face slowly goes away.  “...see what I’m getting at, Asher?  If not, then allow me to point it out to you.  You do not know when to quit.  You keep going and going.  You were an afterthought in SCW until you made your grand return and look at what you did?  You won two more Adrenaline Championships.  Good for you.” She applauds but it is clear and evident that it is not sincere.

“As great an accomplishment as that was, did SCW really need an Asher return?  Did SCW really need to see Asher holding championship gold in SCW?  Those times you held the gold in this company only served to keep future talent held back while a veteran like yourself refused to step away, you refused to stand back for the future of this business.  Why did you have to come back?  Or better yet, after Jordan beat you at Retribution to take the championship, why did you decide to stick around?  Why not leave while the naive fans still have some fond memories of you?  You could have ridden off into the sunset with at least some pride.  You could have left with your head held high.” Braddock sighs and shakes her head.

“No, you stayed.  You kept going, just like this river seems to go on forever you decided to keep going.  Is it nostalgia, Asher, or do you just need to have your ego fed with more and more accomplishments?  You’ve done more than enough in SCW.  You can just walk away and mercifully end your pathetic comeback.  And that’s fine if that’s what you want to do.  Hell, I have had a star studded career just like you.  Well, maybe not exactly like yours, mine is riddled with far greater accomplishments and on top of it all I have the ability to reinvent myself and I am always relevant because I always have something more to give to this sport.” Glory snarls angrily at the camera.  The British Bombshell shakes her head.

“You do not have anything left to offer or to give to this business, Asher.  That is another thing you and the Mississippi River have in common, Asher.  This river has an end and so does your career.  You are on the verge of your career’s end right now but you do not realize it.  You look at yourself as an ageless, physical superman, but I look at you and see a beaten, worn out, worm of a man who is a mere afterthought in this triple threat match at Cold Blooded.  You look at this match as an opportunity but you’re not getting any opportunities here.  You are a pawn in a much larger game.  Sasha wants to see you and Selena take me out because I happen to disagree with her management style and because I happen to be friends with Sienna.” The confident smirk forms across Glory’s face again.

“Now that reminds me of something you have in common with our mutual opponent, Selena Frost.  You both are egomaniacs.  Both of you may see yourself as a man and woman of the people but you do not give a damn about them.  You only care about the praise and adulation they give you because it feeds your massive egos.  And those massive egos that you both possess will be the best weapon in MY arsenal against you.  So enjoy your time in the limelight, Asher.  Enjoy yet another moment in the sun because as much as you may deny it you have to know that those moments are fleeting, those moments will soon come to an end.  So enjoy this moment you will receive...the honor and privilege and getting beaten by me, Glory Braddock, The Best in the World...and when you are flat on your back staring up at the lights while my music is playing and my arm is raised in victory, I will turn and look down at you and say those two words…”

Glory Braddock pauses dramatically as she smiles smugly.  Finally, after seemingly forever. “...you’re welcome.”

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April 17th, 2020

New Orleans, LA

Off Camera

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The lobby of this hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana is quite exquisite.  The floor was tiled in fine marble, which made every step echo. A chandelier made rainbow colors dance across the luxurious lobby. Embroidered silk sofas surrounded a large, flat-screen television. The twin doors that led into the lobby were a pristine white with golden handles. The desk was made of amber-colored wood and a green granite top. Exquisite paintings hung from the rich, red walls. Even the door hinges were engraved with swirls and elegant designs. Music played in the background, even though the only person around to hear it is the attendant at the desk.  The music is soft, the colors gentle to the eye and the large dining room is set up and ready for dinner tonight.

Silence never lasts forever.  The silence of this hotel lobby ends abruptly when “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock and her husband, Kurt Logan, arrive in the lobby.  Ms. Braddock and her husband are here in this famous city for SCW’s next pay per view offering, Cold Blooded, which will take place on Sunday.  On that night Braddock has to contend with two tough opponents in Selena Frost and Asher Hayes.

Perhaps an even more challenging task for The British Bombshell was getting over the mental issues and paranoia that came with leaving the relative safety of their Miami home.  Just last month in Raleigh, North Carolina Glory, Kurt, and their daughter Melinda were fired upon by gunmen.  Kurt was hurt but Glory and Melinda managed to escape physically unharmed and unscathed.  The mental and emotional scars, however, will remain for quite a long time.

Mentally this has taken The British Bombshell off of her game.  She practically shut down for several weeks and it took some arm twisting from her friend and ally Sienna Swann as well as SCW management for her to return to the road and active competition.  Until recently Glory Braddock has kept her entire family shut up under lock and key in their Miami home.  It has made Melinda Braddock insane with cabin fever but Glory didn’t care.  She just wanted to protect her family and this was the best way she knew how.  Now they are all out in the open again and are again unprotected.  Again they are targets; targets of someone who wants to take out Glory Braddock.  But why?

The answer to that is a mystery to authorities, primarily because Glory Braddock refused to give them any helpful leads.  As far as the authorities know, she has no real enemies.  Braddock knows better.  It isn’t a coincidence that this attack happened around the same time as Glory’s rise in corporate power began.  She also knows of many individuals in the corporate world who would benefit from seeing her taken out.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that someone wants her gone.  Someone wants her out of the picture.

“That was fun.” Kurt says as he leans over and gives his wife a kiss on her cheek.  He has been upgraded from crutches to a walking boot.  He is thankful because he wanted to really enjoy this night on the town with his wife.  It took a lot of convincing to get her out of the hotel room.  If Glory had her way then she and Kurt would have stayed under lock and key protection in their hotel room.  Instead Kurt managed to convince Glory to leave.  After all, you cannot live in fear.

Even if Glory wants to, and to those closest to her...like Kurt Logan and Melinda Braddock...it does appear as if she wants to live in fear.  But in truth Glory is just being precautious.  Overly precautious is a fair accusation but she is definitely being precautious.  She wants to look out for her family’s well being because she knows that they did not ask for this.  They are not even being targeted.  Glory is.  They’re just victims via association.

Knowing this makes Glory feel very guilty.  Everything she has done inside the wrestling ring as a competitor and outside the ring from behind a corporate desk has been for what she feels is the best, the best for wrestling.  Unfortunately her actions have made some powerful enemies, enemies who want to take her out.  Knowing that someone is out there who has the capability to take your life anytime they want and you do not even know who it is is frightening.  Very frightening.

It is easy to see why Glory is paranoid right now.

“I suppose.  The jazz was good...” she pauses to think of good wording.  Braddock finally just shrugs her shoulders. “…it’s good.  It was fun.”

“That’s the best you can come up with?” Kurt says with a chuckle. “You love jazz.  It’s your secret obsession and you know it.”

“mmmhmmm…” Glory rolls her eyes.

“Come on, babe, what’s bothering you?.” Kurt asks as he and his wife bypass the receptionist area and make their way over towards the elevators.  Kurt presses a button to call for the elevator and as they wait he turns to face his lovely English wife.

“Oh don’t play dumb, Kurt.” Glory says in a rather sharp tone, taking offense with her husband. “You know damn well what’s on my mind right now.” The British Bombshell stares a hole through her husband.  Kurt just sighs and nods his head.

“I suppose so. But this was supposed to be a way to help you get your mind off of…” Kurt pauses as he tries to find the proper wording “...you know…”

“Someone trying to kill me?” Glory snaps back immediately.  Kurt sighs and nods his head. “I apologize, love, but my life is rather important and I’d rather not let someone take it.”

The elevator doors open and then Glory Braddock enters the elevator first, followed by her husband Kurt.  Kurt presses the button for the next floor.  The door closes and the elevator begins to rise.  Kurt turns and looks at his wife with sad eyes.

“Look Glory, I know you’re scared.  But you can’t live in fear and paranoia.  You have to live life.  Y’know what I mean?”

“It isn’t as easy as you make it out to be.” The British Bombshell sighs and shakes her head. “I feel guilty because whoever this is wants to take me out; they don’t care about you or Melinda, you’re just caught in the crossfire.”

“In my case, literally.” Kurt says, motioning to his injured leg.

“Exactly.”

“Just know that I stand by you one hundred percent.”

They kiss on the lips. “Thanks, Kurt.  Your support means everything to me, especially right now.  We need to take care of one another and we need to protect Melinda.”

Kurt nods his head in agreement. “I agree.”

As soon as the elevator reaches the second floor it comes to a slow stop.  The doors open and Glory and her husband exit the elevator and then begin to head down the hall.  It isn’t long before they come to a hotel room door, presumably their own. Glory then takes her keycard and inserts it into the door slot and then once she hears it unlock she pushes the door open.  As they walk into the room they find Melinda lying on one of the queen size beds.  Melinda quickly shoots up to a seated position and looks over at her parents walking in.

“You’re late.” Melinda says with a smirk on her face.

“Blame Kurt.” Glory responds dryly.  Kurt chuckles to himself as he hobbles over to a nearby chair and sits down.

“The show ran long.  The crowds kept wanting more and the band kept giving them more.” Kurt smiles over at Glory. “Though you gotta admit, it was good.”

“Sure, of course.”

It is clear that Glory is distracted.  Who can blame her considering everything that she has went through, the fears that she still has going through her mind, and the knowledge that she still has to compete in a few days against two of SCW’s best.  The British Bombshell has a lot on her plate and while her attempts to look strong in front of the public may fool most, it does not fool her daughter.  Melinda gets up and approaches her mother.

“What’s wrong, mom?”

“Do you have to ask?” Glory asks with a sigh of frustration.

“Your mother is still worried.  She’s worried about our safety in light of the shooting last month.”

Kurt’s answer causes Melinda to roll her eyes. “Mom, you really need to try and let go of this fear.”

“How can I let it go, Mel?  You and Kurt are my life.  You are everything to me.  And if I have done anything to put you in danger, anything at all, then I could not live with myself…” Glory pauses as her pain is clear and evident “...I could not live with myself knowing mistakes I made hurt you.”

“You’re losing it, mom.” Melinda remarks as she grasps hold of her mother’s hand and squeezes tightly. “You’ve made mistakes, sure.  Quite frankly I think helping Sienna and Bree is a mistake but is anyone really going to snap and try to kill you over that?  I doubt it, even if they are two big bitches.”

“Melinda!” Glory exclaims.

“Fine, I’m sorry, but the point is that unless there’s something else you’ve done that we don’t know about then you have nothing to fear.  You haven’t done anything else bad to make any enemies, have you?”

Glory considers telling her daughter the truth.  That would be the easiest thing to do.  But her daughter looks up to her.  She can’t bear the thought of Melinda and how she would feel if she knew just what Glory was involved in, the kind of crimes Glory is at least considering committing in order to maintain power in her corporate empire.  These crimes and other dirty corporate deeds is what has made the enemies Glory fears.  But Melinda cannot know about this.  Neither can Kurt.  Thus Braddock shakes her head and denies it.

“No…”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” Melinda insists. “The attacker was probably some random thug.”

“I wish it were that simple…” Glory says quietly.  She sighs as she walks towards the bathroom.  She pushes the door open and shuts it behind her.  She hopes Kurt and Melinda will allow her to have her privacy.  Glory just needs to be alone right now and think about where she is right now.

She is in New Orleans and that means she is in danger.  She is out in the open and her family is in danger.  Whoever is targeting her for extermination surely knows her schedule and knows that she would be here in New Orleans for SCW Cold Blooded and the match against Selena Frost and Asher Hayes.  If another attempt on her life were to be made, now would be the perfect time for that to happen.

Just then her thoughts are interrupted by the vibrations she feels from her phone.  Glory reaches for it and produces the iPhone, and the screen shows that it is a FaceTime request from none other than Meagan Collins.  The British Bombshell accepts and in short order Meagan Collins can be seen on the screen from her home in Palm Beach County, Florida.

“Good evening!  Enjoying New Orleans?”

“You know damn well I’m not enjoying myself.” Glory grows angrily. “And you’d be wise to show a little more respect because I am not in the best of moods right now.”

“Right...my apologies, Ms. Braddock…” Meagan remarks coldly.

“What do you want, Meagan?  And try to keep it down because Melinda and Kurt may hear you.”

“Trouble with the family?” Meagan asks with a sly grin.

“Can it and get to the point.”

“You’re no fun.” Meagan sticks her tongue out at Glory. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I have some information you could find useful.”

“Oh?” Glory’s interest is peaked.  Meagan nods her head.

“I went to visit Matthew Alan the other day in his holding cell...if you can even call it a holding cell.  I swear that guy has some kind of deep connections because he’s being kept up nicer than Capone was when he was first arrested…”

“You’re getting distracted again, Megs.” Glory is sounding more and more agitated. “Quit stalling.  What did Matthew Alan tell you?”

“I wanted to speak to him about the recent attempt on your life.  Turns out not only did he already know about it but he knows who was behind the attempt.”

“So someone did hire those guys to gun me down?” Glory smirks, only because she was right all along when others had doubted her, thinking she was paranoid. “I knew it!”

“Are you interested in knowing who the evil mastermind is?” Meagan asks.

“Of course.”

“He didn’t want to divulge anything at first; I suppose he was saving that to use as an ace up his sleeve to get the federal authorities to at least give him a more lenient sentence if he played ball.  But when he found out that I was on your team now he knew he was sunk worse than the Titanic.”

It makes sense to Braddock.  The federal authorities have an iron clad case against Matthew Alan.  His only friend on the outside who could have helped was Meagan Collins.  Unfortunately that comes with a double edged sword because she also knows everything about him.  And if Meagan is now helping Glory, then Matthew knows that Glory could just as easily destroy him if she wanted to.

“Sooo I convinced him to tell me the identity of the person who hired those guys to take you out.” Meagan states. “It’s all on the assumption that you will leave him alone, that you will leave him out of this, and most importantly that you will leave his family out of this.”

“Fine whatever.  Just tell me...who is it?” Glory demands to know.  She makes no promises to leave his family out of it, though.  She’ll betray him.  Matthew is scum anyway.

“Are you familiar with Joshua Hernandez?”

“Of course.  He is a member of my company’s Board of Directors.”

“He is also the longest serving member of the Board.” Meagan points out. “Hell, he was around when Matthew Alan was still running it.  He is fiercely loyal to Matthew’s family and Matthew in particular.  What makes Joshua so special is that he had just as many criminal connections as Matthew had.  The reason why Matthew is practically untouchable when it comes to the dirtier crimes like murder and the such is because Joshua was the one who arranged for that on Matthew’s behalf.”

“That way Matthew’s hands were kept clean.”

“Precisely.” Meagan nods her head.

“Do you have evidence to prove that he did this?” Glory is hopeful.  This could be over now if she has the evidence to bring him down.  Meagan shakes her head.

“Unfortunately no but I do have plenty of evidence courtesy of my good friend Matthew of Joshua’s criminal involvement.  You could use it to encourage him to confess.”

“What if he doesn’t confess?” Glory asks with an arched brow.

“Who cares?  The information is still valuable.  If he confesses, blackmail him into becoming one of your loyal supporters on the Board.  If he doesn’t confess...blackmail him anyway!”

The blonde haired beauty ponders upon this for a moment.  Meagan does raise a good point.  The information is there regardless and can be used to her advantage.  Ultimately what Glory wants is enough support on the Board of Directors so that any and all decisions she makes are unquestioned and unchallenged.  Glory Braddock wants to render her company’s Board of Directors powerless and if she gets Joshua Hernandez, a Matthew Alan loyalist, on her side...even if it is by blackmail...then she will be one step closer to achieving that goal.  Glory smirks and nods her head.

“I like how you think, Meagan.  Let’s do this.”

==========

New Orleans, LA

On Camera

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Inside the club it was like dancing on the Northern Lights; beneath the dry-ice smoke swirled an array of blues, acid greens, hot pinks and gold. The music played over the dance floor as if it had fused with the bodies.  In the club the good vibes flow like a virus, but a good one. There's love in the air, all hyped up and ready to give the party goers a good time.  Only thing is that there are no party goers, no dancers, no one at all to enjoy the music.  The club is empty, as is the stage where you would typically see someone playing their genre of music or singing some melodic tune.  A few moments later “The British Bombshell” emerges from stage left wearing a black knee length skirt, black sheer stockings, black patent leather high heel pumps, and a long sleeve black sweater.  Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  Sunglasses sit on her face, covering her eyes.  The music slowly dies down as Glory stands upon the stage stares into the camera.  A confident grin is etched across her lovely features.

“Did you like the soothing melodic tone of the jazz music?  I certainly did.  This great city has seen the birth of legends such as Louis Armstrong as well as new groups like The Radiators and Better Than Ezra.  Whether you are a fan of jazz, rock, or classical, any and all genres of music are welcome here in New Orleans.  Many artists make names for themselves in clubs like this one, if they’re lucky they’re good enough to get discovered and become major stars in the country, and then all over the world.  But it all starts right here, locally, in clubs like this one all over the nation.  Louis Armstrong started out in a place like this, making himself famous.  But he never forgot his roots, he never forgot where he came from.”

“Selena Frost…” Glory Braddock chuckles lightly under her breath, clearly she is annoyed with Frost as she shakes her head “...you made your name in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  I guess that’s why you think you can call yourself The Face of SCW?”  The British Bombshell shakes her head.

“You call yourself The Face of SCW and yet look at your career.  Your career includes failed attempts to run roughshod in the Independent Wrestling Cartel and Uprising Wrestling Alliance.  You may be SCW’s biggest cheerleader right now, you may call yourself SCW’s Face and paint yourself as its biggest loyalist, but when you look at your record the world can plainly see that you are selfish, greedy, and are only looking out for yourself.”

“We’re not that different, Snow Queen.  We both worked hard just to get started in this business.  When we did we made names for ourselves...you in SCW and me in Global Division of Wrestling.  Both of us wanted to expand, but you failed miserably in your attempts at expansion.  You failed to plant your little Snow Queen talons into other parts of the wrestling world.  But when you look at me you you see someone who has been a world champion in every company she has ever been in.  Fourteen times, Selena, have I held world championship gold and one day I will be world champion here in Supreme Championship Wrestling.”

A dramatic pause follows as Glory continues to stare intensely at the camera.  The moment seems to go on forever before The British Bombshell shakes her head. “You know why I hate you, Selena?  I mean, I’m certain you’ll try to paint me as Sienna Swann’s lackey, someone just out there doing her bidding to take you out for her.  But that’s not how I play this game.  Everything I do is because I truly believe it is what is best for professional wrestling.  A pathetic tired, washed up, hack like Asher Hayes whose best wrestling move is social media trash talk does not belong in my sport.  He should get out while at least some people still respect him and while he still has some shred of relevancy.  That’s why I want to take out Asher Hayes at Cold Blooded.” Braddock points a long slender finger at the camera.

“As for you, well that’s simple; I just hate hypocrites.” Braddock nods her head. “That’s right, you are a hypocrite, Selena.  You paint yourself as a role model all the while you selfishly try to spread your Snow Queen Brand across the wrestling world in an attempt to make more money.  You paint yourself as SCW’s hero all the while you arrogantly call yourself The Face of SCW.  Everywhere you turn your face is plastered somewhere on some product, all to fill your pockets with cash and feed your ego.  Or answer me this, hero; what kind of message does it send to the fans who look up to you, who worship you, when they see you put someone out of action with a concussion due to moves like Defying Gravity or The Glass Shard?”

The Best in the World chuckles nastily. “See, I do not pretend to be something I’m not.  I am a competitor and I do whatever is necessary to win.  I use every tool in my arsenal in order to achieve victory.  The skills and wrestling knowledge that I have learned over the years have assisted me in defeating some of the best this business has to offer, including former world champions right here in SCW.  I am also the hero that wrestling and its fans need, not the hero that they want or deserve.” Glory points a finger at the camera accusingly, pointing at Selena herself.

“The only reason you are their hero and the only reason you can lay claim to the title of Face of SCW is because you just repeat everything that they want you to say.  You know what the fans want to hear and you say it.  You know what Sasha and SCW management wants you to say and you say it.  You are the fans hero and Sasha and SCW’s perfect little puppet, saying and doing everything that they want you to say.”  Braddock shakes her head.

“That’s also why I am not popular.  I could be the biggest super hero of them all, Selena, and I could be standing in the place you are right now as The Face of SCW.  Trust me, I know because I have been there.  Elsewhere I have competed I was The Face and I received the cheers and adulation of the masses.  Did I enjoy it?  Hell yes, I did.  I can understand how intoxicating it can be to get those cheers.  You want more and more of it.  But unlike you I am not in this business for myself.  I am the role model and hero that they NEED because I have the guts and courage to say what needs to be said even if the fans don’t like hearing it and I certainly don’t give a damn if it pisses off Sasha.  I am a true role model and the real face of SCW because I am willing to say and do what is right regardless of popularity.  And that’s ultimately why I need to take you out at Cold Blooded, Selena.  You are not The Face of SCW, you The Poison of SCW and you need to be eliminated.”

Braddock smirks knowingly. “People like you are a dime a dozen, Snow Queen, but there is only one Glory Bradddock.  There is none like me, Selena, and whether you believe it or not I really and truly am The Best in the World.  Go ahead and scoff and remind me of how others make the same claim, remind me of my...very few...losses, that’s your rebuttal, right?  I’ve heard the same tired old bullshit from others and it has gotten to the point that it bores me.  The fact is that at Cold Blooded I will make a believer out of you and you will recognize me as everything that I say that I am...as The Best in the World...believe that, bitch.”