“We can’t get a lock.”
“What do you mean, you can’t get a lock? That transmitter is the most powerful one we have! Keep trying!”
Rapid clattering at a keyboard followed by a gulping sound.
“The signal just vanished.”
“What!?”
A headset being taken off and set on the desk near the keyboard that had just been making a racket.
“I lost the signal. One second it was there and the next it wasn’t.”
A long pause, followed by a loud exhalation.
“This won’t sit well with Command. Can any of you find any debris in the area where we lost the signal?”
Fingers clattering on keyboards followed by an excited yelp.
“Commander! The signal’s back!”
A trembling hand pointing shakily at a steady blip on the radar screen. The coordinates match the transmitter’s last known location.
“Christ! Contact that pilot and find out what the hell happened!”
“Right away, Commander!”
The sounds of communication rising before stopping abruptly.
“I’m not getting a response. I’ve tried all known frequencies and nothing.”
“Have you tried using the code phrase?”
“Yes. They’re still not responding.”
“Keep trying. It could be an equipment malfunction. It’s happened before.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Several tense minutes going by before something changes.
“Commander...”
“Anything?”
“I finally got a response. It’s their automated beacon.”
“What’s it broadcasting?”
A soft sigh.
“SOS. Pilot RIP.”
A stunned silence falling over the command center.
“Say again?”
“SOS. Pilot RIP.”
The beacon telling them the pilot is dead and the plane is verging on being out of control.
“Did he engage the auto-pilot first?”
Tapping at the keyboard before an answer.
“Negative. The plane is on a collision course with the nearest object.”
That being the side of a mountain. A sigh followed by a command he’ll regret for the rest of his life.
“Shoot it down before it hits the mountain. I don’t want the debris in hostile territory.”
“Yes, Commander. Bringing long-range cannons to bear.”
Waiting tensely and sighing gustily.
“Cannons on target.”
A sigh full of defeat.
“Fire.”
A few buttons being lightly pressed on the keyboard.
“Cannons firing, Commander.”
Followed immediately by something unexpected.
“Commander! Our shots are being deflected!”
“What!?”
The commander rushing over to see for themselves.
“That shouldn’t be possible!”
The pilotless plane continuing on its path to colliding with the side of a mountain in hostile territory.
“What do we do, Commander!?”
One hand balling into a fist.
“Launch the jets! That plane can NOT get into hostile territory!”
“Yes, Commander! Launching the jets!”
Six jets taking off to intercept and redirect the plane before it can crash into the mountain. A tense silence falling in the command center.
“Commander, the lead jet pilot is requesting permission to use a dulling shot on the plane’s engine to disrupt its fuel supply and turn it off.”
“Have they intercepted it yet?”
“Yes, Commander. They’ve begun the redirection sequence.”
“Are the other jets in position?”
Three of the jets flying directly below with a heavy cargo net connecting them.
“Yes, Commander.”
“Permission granted.”
“Jet commander, you have authorization to proceed with disabling the plane’s engine.”
The jet commander’s response a welcome sound after a few minutes of heightened tension.
“Engine disabled, plane safely in the cargo net. We’re bringing him home.”
“Copy that, jet commander. We’ll be waiting for you.”
Sounds of relief echoing gently in the command center.
“This still isn’t going to go over well with Command... But we didn’t let him fall in enemy territory. With any luck that won’t cost me my post.”
- - -
Chance Owens sits up in bed with a gasp stuck in his throat. He reaches out and turns on the light on his nightstand. The alarm clock’s green digital display reads “4:23”.
“What the hell was that?”
He checks his alarm to see when it’s set to go off. “7:00”. He sighs and turns it off before getting out of bed. It’s going to be a long day... He has to fly up to Toronto today.
“Better keep it down, poor Leo had a busy shift.”
One of the other chefs had called off out of the blue and left them short-handed in the kitchen. Chance grabs his communicator off the nightstand and waits until he’s at the top of the stairs before he uses it.
“Jericho, it’s Chance. I’m sorry to wake you but I think I’ve had a vision of the future.”
Jericho’s voice comes through and he doesn’t sound tired at all.
“I don’t need much sleep these days. Go ahead and have a shower. I’ll meet you in your kitchen.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“You bet. Oh and Chance.”
“Yes?”
“Never apologize for calling me. I will always make time for you.”
The channel closes before he can respond. He smiles ruefully and goes to take a shower, hoping he doesn’t wake Leo up in the process. He doesn’t have to worry; Leo’s sleeping like the dead. When he comes down the stairs and turns to go into the kitchen, an amber portal starts opening. Jericho steps out into the kitchen just as Chance reaches it.
“Perfect timing, hey kid?”
Chance grins and shakes his head.
“Yup. Thankfully Leo’s still asleep.”
Chance’s suitcase and gear bag are sitting by his desk. He packed last night because he knew he’d be too addled in the brain to do it today.
“Rough shift?”
“Yeah. One of the other chefs called in yesterday right before shift started and said they weren’t coming in because of a family emergency. They’ve always been on time and given plenty of notice if they couldn’t make it in to work, so they’re getting a pass.”
“They weren’t lying. It really is a family emergency.”
“Thought as much.”
Chance looks at the coffeemaker and checks to see if it’s been programmed. It hasn’t, so he preps it and programs it for 10:30. That way Leo can have fresh coffee when he gets up. Jericho notes the bags by Chance’s desk.
“Got your passport?”
“Yes sir. It’s in my carry-on.”
Said carry-on is a small grey duffel bag with an ID tag on it that’s sitting on his desk. It has his wallet, passport, a few books, his e-reader, a notebook, a few pens, a pocket pack of tissue and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
“Good. When’s your flight?”
“Eleven. It’s gonna be a long day, what with Adam being in Philly and all.”
“Now that he knows the city is clear he’ll be visiting a lot more until he feels safe going back for good.”
Chance exhales softly.
“I’ve kinda gotten used to having him here in Denver, but I know I can’t force him to stay here.”
Jericho rests a hand on Chance’s shoulder with a soft smile.
“He might surprise you. Now what woke you up more than two and a half hours before your alarm went off?”
Chance sighs and rubs his face with both hands, the green communicator on his right arm flashing briefly in the light of the kitchen.
“It’s in the forefront of my mind.”
Jericho finds it with no problem at all and makes a copy for himself as he watches it.
“Now I know why you think it might be a vision of things yet to come. I’ll see what I can find out, but it definitely has a military feel to it.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Go sit at your desk. I’ll wake you up at seven.”
Chance goes to his desk and sits down.
“I don’t know if I’ll fall asleep, Jericho... I’m always wide awake after I get one of those.”
“We’ll see how it goes.”
Chance nods a little and sits back to look at the ceiling. Jericho knows Chance’s plan was to get up and head right for the airport. Denver International Airport has passengers arriving three hours ahead of time for international flights. Under his quiet gaze, the younger man drifts off to sleep. Jericho touches Chance’s arm exactly at seven and Chance’s eyes open immediately.
“I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
“Looks like it. So how are you getting to the airport?”
“Plan was to call a taxi at seven fifteen. I was going to grab something to eat at the airport after check-in.”
“Not a bad plan, actually.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Chance gets up and goes to put his boots on at the door, frowning when he hears something outside. He dismisses it with a shake of his head and bends over to tie his bootlaces. At precisely seven fifteen, a vehicle pulls up at the curb right as Chance goes to call for a taxi. Jericho guides him to the door instead and opens it before going back to get Chance’s bags. Chance looks outside and sees a bright red Dodge Viper... With a blue lion’s head painted on the hood!
“No way.”
Jericho puts Chance’s phone and charge cord in the carry-on bag and zips it up as he brings the younger man’s bags over.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Your ride’s here.”
Chance snaps out of it and takes the bags.
“I thought he was flying to Toronto from Philly.”
“I told you he might surprise you. Now get going.”
Chance steps out of the house and turns to see Jericho standing there.
“I’ll lock up and make my own way home.”
Chance can’t help smiling.
“Thanks, Jericho.”
“Any time. Knock ‘em dead.”
Chance grins as he starts down the sidewalk to where the car is waiting.
“They won’t know what hit them!”
“Good!”
Chance gets to the car and isn’t surprised when the trunk pops open for him. He laughs and puts the suitcase and gear bag in the trunk beside the other bags already in there, then closes the trunk and pats it twice.
“Next stop, Denver International.”
Then he opens the passenger door and gets in. The driver grins and waits for Chance to put on his seatbelt before signaling and moving out into the road.
“I had a feeling I’d catch you, kid.”
There you are, Adam! Chance laughs again and shakes his head.
“What happened to flying from Philly?”
“I booked my ticket for a flight out of Denver weeks ago. Besides. I like traveling with you.”
And Chance knows Adam is on the same flight to Toronto as he is. He has his digital ticket on his phone, which he knows is in his carry-on bag.
“Thanks.”
“Any time, kid.”
The drive to the airport is blessedly light on traffic, so they make it there in less than half an hour. Adam parks in the short-term parking lot and puts a stub in the windshield.
“Here we go. You got everything?”
“Yes. I packed last night because I knew I’d be too out of it to do it today.”
“Good thinking.”
“Thank you.”
They claim their bags from the trunk of Adam’s car and Adam closes it with a soft thump.
“This three hours before boarding for international flights is for the birds.”
Chance shoulders his gear bag and grabs the handle of his suitcase.
“You ain’t kiddin’, buddy!”
Adam smiles as they enter the airport and get their tickets scanned. They already have ID tags on their bags and suitcases, thank goodness. Adam’s gear bag is an unusual shade of reddish-orange.
“Where do you put your gear bag when you fly, kid?”
“I put it in the overhead compartment as my second carry-on. It doesn’t take as much space as people think it does because it’s canvas.”
Adam shakes his head as they start the trek to find their gate.
“People sure like to bitch about anything and everything, don’t they?”
“They sure do!”
They pass through the necessary gates and terminals before reaching their gate. Their carry-on bags have been logged and their suitcases are on their way to the plane. Passports valid and verified, they take their seats in the waiting area and Chance rotates his head to pop his neck.
“Gaming chairs aren’t meant for sleeping in.”
“Does Jericho know what you saw?”
“Yes. He’s going to look into it.”
“That’s all I need to know.”
Chance has only dozed off in his gaming chair after his power flares twice before today and Adam knows it. They both get comfortable and wait for the pre-boarding call.
- - -
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Flight 6228 direct from Denver sits at the gate it was directed to and its tired passengers make their way off the plane into the airport. Two of those passengers are carrying very distinct carry-on bags and one of them is rubbing their left elbow. Chance Owens grumbles as he looks at his arm.
“Dumbass deciding my elbow was an armrest... My hand’s still asleep!”
Adam Brock shakes his head and sends the end of his ponytail swishing across his back.
“Karma will get him, kid.”
“Good.”
They make their way through the metal detector without any issues, though Adam’s gear bag gets no shortage of raised eyebrows and blatantly open stares.
“Maybe find a gear bag that isn’t so vibrant?”
“Nothing doing. Kimmy found it for me and she’d be heartbroken if I didn’t use it.”
Kimmy is one of Adam’s twin nieces. Chance smiles fondly because he knows that.
“Never mind, then.”
Adam grins and musses Chance’s overly long hair.
“You need another haircut.”
“After Sunday. I don’t have time right now.”
“Make sure you do.”
“I will.”
They’re both severely out of sorts after they make it through Customs and find the baggage carousel for their plane. Chance has his duffel bag and gear bag in his right hand because he still can’t use his left. Adam snags their suitcases when they emerge from the bowels of the plane.
“I gotcha, kid.”
“Thanks. Any idea how we’re getting to our hotel from here?”
“You should know me by now, Chance. I always have a plan.”
Adam leads Chance out the door to a spot that has a good view of the parking lot.
“Now if I timed this right, he should be... Ha! There he is!”
“There who is?”
“Our ride to the hotel. Come on.”
And Adam leads Chance to a gleaming white limousine with a man standing beside it. Chance perks a brow.
“A limo?”
“Being me has its perks.”
The limo driver loads their bags into the trunk before holding the door open for them. Chance gets in first, albeit rather awkwardly because his left arm still isn’t fully functional. Adam waits for him to get settled before getting in and sitting beside him. He notices how Chance is holding his arm and shakes his head.
“It should settle down soon.”
“I hope so because I’m almost useless with my right hand.”
The limo pulls out and smoothly merges with traffic. Adam is calm while Chance is watching the passing scenery with awe.
“This won’t be your first trip out of the US, kid. I wish I had your wide-eyed wonder.”
Chance looks at Adam.
“What do you mean by that?”
Adam answers with an easy smile.
“I’ve been so many places that I’m afraid the joy of traveling no longer exists.”
“World-weary traveler? You? Surely you jest.”
“I don’t jest, and don’t call me Shirley.”
Chance laughs as Adam was expecting him to and Adam grins.
“Now the limo driver is a friend of mine, his name is Stuart. I’m the only one who calls him Stu.”
“Is that because he only lets you call him that or is it because everyone else calls him Stuart?”
“Nobody else calls him Stu except his family, and they live in Quebec.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Yup. You can go back to being a wide-eyed tourist now.”
Chance laughs at him before doing just that. Their communicators are in Chance’s carry-on duffel bag. The limo pulls up in front of their hotel and Stuart opens the door for them after retrieving their luggage from the trunk. Adam gets out first.
“Thanks, Stu. You can send the bill to SCW here in Toronto.”
Stuart laughs quietly.
“Business expense?”
“Of course! If they have any questions about it, just have them call me. I’m on the roster, after all.”
Stuart laughs again.
“They can also put it under your companion’s account.”
He looks at Chance.
“You’ve caused quite a sensation here in Toronto, young Mr. Owens.”
Chance can’t help ducking his head to hide his blush.
“You can call me Chance if you want.”
Stuart holds out his hand.
“And you can call me Stu if you so desire. Adam here’s the only one who does.”
Chance shakes Stu’s hand with a smile.
“Stu it is, then. Thank you for letting me know you were okay with it.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Did you want me to help you with your bags? I noticed you’re still favoring your left arm.”
Adam grins as he shoulders both gear bags and Chance’s carry-on duffel.
“We’re good, Stu, but thanks.”
Stuart laughs and tips his hand to his head in a salute.
“You two have a good stay here in Toronto and let me know if you need a tour guide.”
“We will. Mind the traffic going back, there’s a tie-up near Yonge Street.”
“I did see that on our way here. Thank you for the reminder.”
“Any time.”
Chance claims his suitcase with his right hand and follows Adam into the hotel. Adam takes his place in line at the desk and Chance stands behind him. When it’s their turn, Adam moves so the clerk can see both of them.
“Checking in, two separate parties.”
The clerk smiles.
“Can I get your last names, please?”
“Brock and Owens.”
“And your first names?”
“Adam and Chance.”
The clerk taps a few keys on the keyboard then nods to herself and brings out their room passkeys.
“Mr. Brock, you’re in 305 and Mr. Owens, you’re in 502. I’m sorry we couldn’t put you both on the same floor but we had a surge in room bookings.”
Adam smiles as he takes the passkeys.
“That’s okay. Come on, Chance, let’s get settled in.”
The clerk watches them go the elevator and sees Chance shake his left arm a little. That explains why Adam took both sets of passkeys. She shakes her head a little and turns to her co-worker.
“Send the bills for their rooms to the SCW office here in Toronto.”
Her co-worker laughs and opens the right programs to do that.
“It’s about time Adam went back to wrestling.”
“Amen.”
Adam and Chance take the elevator up to the fifth floor so Adam can help Chance get into his hotel room. One of the passkeys for 502 gets swiped and the door clicks. Chance opens it with his right hand and Adam uses his body to open it all the way.
“Get in here, kid, this is kind of awkward for me.”
“It wouldn’t be like this if that asshole hadn’t put his full weight on my arm!”
Chance goes into the hotel room and Adam moves out of the way of the door so it can close. The room has one large bed and Chance puts his suitcase beside it. Adam brings over Chance’s gear bag and carry-on duffel before putting the passkeys for 502 on the nightstand beside the bed.
“There you go. I’ll go put my bags in my room then we can handle what I know you’ve forgotten.”
Chance grins at him.
“I have a camera crew waiting for me at Rogers Center. I told them when I’d be there today.”
“Good to know. I’ll be back here in a few minutes, then we can get going.”
“Why don’t I just come with you?”
He uses his right hand to put his carry-on duffel on his left shoulder before pocketing the passkeys for his room. Adam laughs.
“Come on, then.”
Chance opens the door with his right hand and holds it so Adam can go first. Adam waits in the hall with his suitcase and gear bag and only heads for the elevator when Chance closes the door.
“Let’s go.”
“Stay close, kid.”
“Gotcha.”
Adam’s stop at his room is brief as he steps inside to drop off his bags. He puts his passkeys in the inside pocket of his jacket before stepping back into the hallway and closing the door. The first thing he notices is the strap of Chance’s carry-on duffel is now resting against the right side of his neck.
“Good thinking. Let’s go.”
Adam’s jacket has multiple inside pockets to hold everything so he doesn’t really need a carry-on bag. His last girlfriend had given it to him and he had vowed to wear it until he couldn’t anymore after she’d been killed in a senseless drive-by shooting a few months before he’d wound up moving back to Philadelphia. It has sentimental value. He and Chance go back down to the lobby and stop on the sidewalk outside the hotel.
“I’ll front for a taxi.”
Chance grins and lifts his right hand in a wave.
“No need. Like you, I have a plan.”
A maroon GMC Sierra quad cab pulls up to the curb in front of them and the passenger window lowers to reveal a face Adam recognizes with a start.
“Shawn!”
Shawn Grey is a local who helped Adam when he needed it the most. He grins when he hears Adam’s voice.
“Well, well! If it isn’t the Wolfsbane! Get in!”
He unlocks the doors and his passengers get in after Adam takes Chance’s carry-on duffel. Shawn sees the tremor in Chance’s left arm as he buckles his seatbelt.
“What happened?”
Chance grumbles a little before responding.
“Four hundred pound jackass put all his weight on my elbow and kept it there for the second half of the flight!”
Adam pipes up from the back seat.
“He mistook Chance’s elbow for an armrest.”
“He kept ignoring me when I asked him to please take his weight off my arm.”
Shawn shakes his head as he merges into traffic with the skill of a veteran driver.
“I hate assholes like that... So what brings you to Toronto, Adam?”
Adam grins.
“Chance and I are here with SCW. I’m a wrestler too.”
Shawn can’t help a shout of excitement.
“YES! I’m glad you are!”
“Thanks, Shawn.”
Chance grins even as the pins and needles start trickling down past his elbow.
“He got a contract from Mr. D on the last episode of Breakdown.”
Adam laughs.
“I got booked on Rise To Greatness not even five minutes after that.”
Shawn slaps the steering wheel with a grin as he navigates the city streets to reach Rogers Center.
“Hot damn!”
He eventually pulls up at the curb near the arena.
“I’ll be in the parking lot nearby when you’re done, Chance.”
“Thanks, Shawn. I’ll try to be back as fast as I can.”
Shawn waves it off with a smile.
“Take your time and do it right the first time.”
Chance laughs as he and Adam get out, Adam bringing the carry-on duffel with him.
“We’ll knock on the window when we come back.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The passenger doors close and the two wrestlers make their way to where the camera crew is waiting. One of them sees Chance and Adam heading toward them.
“Look alive, you guys. Here comes Chance.”
Another one looks at his watch and grins.
“Yep... Right on time.”
Chance and Adam stop just inside the shaded area the crew was waiting in.
“Thanks for agreeing to this, guys.”
The camera operator smiles.
“We’re happy to help.”
Then he sees who’s standing beside Chance.
“Well, well! Long time no see, Mr. Brock!”
Adam laughs and shakes his head.
“Come on now, Will, I told you a long time ago to call me Adam.”
Will laughs out loud.
“Gotcha!”
Chance smiles and enjoys the easy camaraderie between Adam and the camera crew while they set up. Adam moves out of camera range.
“I’ll stay here with the camera crew while you work your magic.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
He’s been thinking about the two teams he and Kelsai will be facing at Rise To Greatness since Adam picked him up in Denver. He finds a good place to stand near the arena so he can see the camera. His left arm is nearly awake now except for his hand. He’s watching the camera crew so he sees when one of them silently counts down from three and points at him.
“Here I am in beautiful Toronto standing outside the fabled Rogers Center less than twenty-four hours before the SCW’s annual PPV extravaganza known as Rise To Greatness is scheduled to start. I’ve had a lot on my mind since Breakdown and this is the first moment I’ve gotten to address the matter at hand.”
He puts his hands in his pockets so the camera won’t notice the twitching and trembling in his left one as the pins and needles sensation works itself out.
“My tag team partner Kelsai Adamson and I have a triple threat tag team match against two other notable teams, the Happy Farmstead Friends and the Playgirls. They’re both notable because all they’ve seemed to do lately is come up short. Some would say Kelsai and I have been coming up short on a regular basis, so who am I to talk?”
Chance’s shrug looks casual but it’s not.
“Things don’t always go the way we want them to. It’s how we handle the fallout that counts. Happy Farmstead Friends under the guidance of Lexy Chapel. Guidance, she says. Ineptitude, you mean! Hairless Penguin was on his way to winning the SCW World title last year at the End of the Year Special and you had to go and stick your nose in where it didn’t belong, you harebrained twit! YOU cost Penguin the title! All you had to do was stand back and let him shine, but no! You and your obsession with a non-existent conspiracy left him with nothing to show for his efforts!”
He pauses a moment to catch his breath before he continues.
“And where the hell has Dancing Bear been since you got that stupid idea to make him think he was Cocaine Bear!? Rehab!?”
Forgive me, Adam.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to think because you have the worst ideas I’ve ever heard, Lexy! Happy Farmstead Friends went from being at the top of the mountain to a couple of laughingstocks because you couldn’t leave well enough alone and meddled and schemed them right into being former SCW tag team champions! Every insult they get is your fault!”
He turns to face the arena and his face settles into a mask of calmness.
“If this building could talk, I wonder what it would tell us. Think of all the spectacles and talented athletes who have been hosted here.”
His right hand comes up to gently rest on the side of the building.
“Think of the memories made inside these walls. And this weekend we of the SCW will become part of its hallowed history. Rise To Greatness. An opportunity for friend and foe alike to set their name in the stars.”
He smiles as he lowers his hand.
“So many talented athletes will be vying for the chance to make a name for themselves at the unfortunate expense of their own co-workers. But c’est la guerre, as the saying goes. There are always casualties in any kind of battle, and in this particular fight, friendships and partnerships are in the line of fire.”
He turns around and puts his back against the side of the building.
“And in one case, someone’s career is on the line.”
A soft sigh escapes him without warning.
“So you see... Something like Rise To Greatness isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes a lot to step up and put yourself and your way of life at risk. We’re not playing around here.”
He tilts his head so he’s looking at the sky.
“That brings me to the other team in this match. The Playgirls. Colleen and Aisling.”
Something passes through him and makes him shudder a little.
“As I said a few seconds ago, we’re not playing around. That means you two are going to have to be serious. I know, that’s a foreign concept, but it’s the only way you two have a chance of surviving. Oh, actually, I misspoke a little. Colleen knows when to be serious. I’ve seen her wrestle. Aisling is the one who may have a problem putting aside her desire to have fun and focusing on the matter at hand. Maybe Colleen can give you a few suggestions, Aisling. I almost said something else but you would have taken it way out of context.”
He smirks a little as he turns back to the camera.
“It’s time to buckle down and be serious, ladies. Kelsai and I know what we’re going to do in that ring... Do you? I don’t think you do. No, I don’t think you or the Farmstead Friends have a battle plan at all. Colleen, Aisling, you’re going to have to do this with or without Polly. I want you to show me you’ve been paying attention when she’s been wrestling. Show me you have what it takes to hang with the rest of the SCW’s tag team division.”
The smirk widens just a little and something appears in his eyes.
“Hairless Penguin, Dancing Bear, I’m begging you. Stop letting Lexy Chapel derail your careers and bring the fight with you to the ring! Show us why you’re former tag team champions! Wrestle like your lives depend on it because they just might. Remind us why you won the tag team titles in the first place! That is... If your win wasn’t a fluke and you’re just a couple of one-shot wonders.”
That smirk is starting to look downright evil.
“Happy Farmstead Friends, Playgirls, in the end it doesn’t matter how good you think you are. When you step in the ring with me and Kelsai, you’re going to be exposed as the frauds you really are! Kelsai and I are going to rip you apart and leave you wondering how you could have underestimated us!”
The smirk disappears and a snarl appears in its place.
“The four of you are in for a rude awakening... If either of you two teams want to go anywhere, you have to go through us.”
He turns his back to the camera and it stops recording. Will gives a soundless whistle.
“Got it, Chance. We’ll get this on air as soon as we can.”
Chance turns back around and he’s smiling even as he leans against the arena.
“Thanks, Will. If there’s a bill to pay, send it to the SCW office here in Toronto.”
“I doubt there will be, but if there is we’ll send it there.”
Will tips Chance a salute and gets a raised hand in return.
“You might wanna get back to your hotel and get some rest. You look like you’re about ready to fall over.”
Chance gives him a rather weary smile.
“I think I will go back to the hotel. Thanks again, you guys.”
“Any time.”
Adam darts over and puts his arm around Chance’s shoulders.
“Lean on me. I’ll get you to Shawn’s truck.”
“Okay.”
The quiet voice gets Chance a worried look before he and Adam start walking toward the parking lot where Shawn said he’d be waiting. The familiar rumble of the engine tells Adam he was paying attention and he saw them start walking toward him. Adam loads Chance into the front passenger seat and buckles the seatbelt for him before closing the door and getting in behind him.
“Get us back to the hotel, would you please?”
Shawn keeps the worry out of his voice.
“Sure thing, Adam.”
Shawn’s truck pulls out of the Rogers Center parking lot and turns to go back to the hotel he picked Chance and Adam up at. Farmstead Friends, Playgirls, Chance wants you to bring everything you have to the ring for your match. Please don’t disappoint him.