02-29-2020, 02:47 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-03-2020, 11:19 AM by Fordhammer.)
So I want to preface this by saying I wrote this in the week or two before the S19 NSFL draft. I hadn't gone to OCO yet and I thought that there was a really good shot I got drafted by NOLA at the time due to my close friendship with Isastarcrossed, the fact that they had two of the top three picks and I was the number two earner in my class. I also lived in New Orleans for seven years and I'm half cajun so it is a place very special to me. I stopped working on it after the draft because of draft location and the fact that I took over GM duties at Myrtle Beach and that eats all of my time. But I need money so I am basically releasing this as an alternate timeline piece. I had a great deal more of it planned but I'm not sure it will ever get finished. I would estimate this is about a fifth of what the total text would have been, maybe less. There has been zero editing and Sweet James Jones is mention, this is before he turned out to be, uh, yeah. Gib monies.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]
Chapter 1
The Beating Heart Of The League[/div]
Kacey Dream woke up to the dull light of the sun trying to poke its way through the thick layer of fog? Smog? Smoke? It's honestly hard to tell in the city these days but it was a very dingy sight to behold at the start of the day. When he was younger he never would have thought that light could be grey but the proof is in the pudding. He laid in bed a little longer, contemplating where he was and where he had come from. On the wall at the foot of his bed was framed his Portland jersey and his Palm Beach Jersey. His days as a bright eyed rookie in the DSFL were long behind him, he hadn't worn the yellow and black of the Pythons or the of the Solar Bears in ages. But he would never forget about his time spent with either club, it was part of his journey and had brought him to where he was now. He had a very good memory and a habit of never forgetting where he came from and how he got here. For better or worse.
His stint as the hero of Palm Beach was extremely short but fondly remembered. There were still those who spoke to him of his debut performance with them, especially of the pick six dagger to end the season. His time with Portland was much more substantial however. His official rookie season with them landed him Defensive Rookie of the Year and he helped lead the Pythons to an upset Ultimini victory over Tijuana. He had such high hopes back then, not just for his football career but for his personal life as well. At least the football thing had worked out.
After his rookie year he was drafted into the NSFL with the New Orleans Second Line. His good friend Bjorn Ironside, who originally got him into the league after college, pushed hard for New Orleans to draft Kacey and they successfully acquired him with the second overall pick. However with an already stacked defense they were forced to send Kacey back down to the Pythons for a year to learn and get some more experience. After winning another Ultimini for the Pythons and DPOY he established himself as a Portland legend and his name was emblazoned in their ring of honor. After this he was finally ready to play with the big boys the next season.
His alarm in the apartment started going off so Kacey groaned, discontinued his little trip down memory lane and dragged himself out of bed. He paused in front of his closet, which had a full length mirror attached to it. His five o'clock shadow from the day before had turned itself into more of a grisly half beard so he set himself to shaving. He needed to look presentable today of all days. After he finished shaving he examined himself. He was tall, lithe and straight as a pole, with sapphire blue eyes that cut right to your soul. Once upon a time there had been a twinkle and mirth to those eyes but these days it was rare to see them looking anything but somber. In his 10th season in the NSFL he somehow managed to continue to be a top tier cornerback but he was definitely starting to feel his age. It was the off-season right now but Kacey still needed to stick to his daily workout routine; it's how he had managed to fend off Father Time and avoid regressing too much.
He put the ingredients for his daily berry and banana smoothie in the blender and stared at his clock as it flashed 5:35 am over and over. He had a couple of hours before he needed to meet his trainer, Guillermo, down at the beach, so he sat down with his smoothie and watched the dingy sun rise over the horizon. Pollution levels worldwide were at frightening high, and the New Orleans skyline just wasn't what it used to be. Not that it had ever been an especially clean city. It did help to have a apartment looking towards Lake Pontchartrain like Kacey did though. He was high enough that he could even see the other side of the lake.
After finishing his smoothie and getting dressed in his workout clothes, shorts and a Second Line t-shirt, Kacey made his way to the parking garage and got into his classic navy blue 1967 Corvette Stingray. He was very old school in a lot of ways and didn't go along with a lot of the style choices of the newer players. His car was classic, his dress style old fashioned and even his manner of speaking was considered stiff and too formal by the kids these days. The drive down to the Lake Pontchartrain Beach only took about half an hour so he got there a little early. He sat down on the beach, kicked his shoes off and felt the sand between his toes. The crisp morning breeze ran through his clothes and hair, helping to cut the Louisiana mugginess. He knew that wouldn't last long though. Guillermo pulled up in his new pearl white sedan and Kacey stood up. Even with the smog/fog(he still wasn't sure which it was) he was forced to hold his hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun as he greeted Guillermo. “What's cooking old timer?”, Kacey asked, glancing at Guillermo's grizzled salt and pepper beard and leathery face. “Not us, not yet at least”, the old man replied, glancing up at the sun beating over the horizon. “And you're not so young yourself these days, don't come at me with the old timer talk”, Guillermo retorted as he grinned at Kacey “We better get started already.”
Kacey laid down on the cool sand and Guillermo started the ritual of massaging and warming up Kacey's different muscle groups. The “deep force” treatment and the rest of the routine was an old technique that Guillermo had been using for decades with various hall of fame players. Kacey's joints weren't what they used to be and they were preparing him for any impact his body might suffer. As he laid there he glanced back towards the city. It was hard not to focus on Iron Tower, the pitch black skyscraper that dwarfed the rest of the city and really stood out among the rest of the New Orleans architecture. Kacey pushed the thoughts of Ironside out of his mind for now and refocused on his workout. After the massage warm up he goes through a 40 minute workout using resistance bands. This is also to take it easy on his body. Working out with weights would cause too much damage that would be difficult to recover from and could possibly injure him. He then did 100 squats, lunges, planks and some shoulder exercises.
After all this Guillermo gave him another muscle massage to cool down and eliminate the lactic acid in his muscles. “Well I'll see you tomorrow old man”, he said as they walked up to their cars. Guillermo sighed and nodded before driving away. Kacey got behind the wheel and headed back to his apartment to have the same breakfast he has every day; eggs with avocado. As he was eating he looked out on the city skyline once again and his eyes couldn't help but be drawn back to the Iron Tower. He sighed to himself and looked down at his laptop, still open and running from the night before. He had walked away from it upon seeing the message Ironside had sent to him. He was being summoned to Iron Tower for a lunch meeting with his old friend. The dynamic of their relationship had changed drastically over the years but he still considered Bjorn a friend, even despite... well the morally questionable decisions that Ironside had made over the years. To be sure Ironside had come a long way, but Kacey wasn't sure the methods he used were worth the destination.
After finishing breakfast he checked the news and the stock market. If he were hoping for some sort of change then he was sadly disappointed. The market was still down, and the news was nothing but bad. The government was still shut down and it seemed like corporations were gaining more power every day. There was mass speculation that big business was the actual driving force of the country these days. Kacey had it on good personal authority that this was actually true. Mississippi still hadn't recovered, they weren't sure that it ever would. War against China seemed more and more of a certainty. Kacey stopped looking at the news at this point. He had been looking for something hopeful, some sort of reassurance that maybe things were getting better. Well he wasn't going to find it there. He changed out of his workout clothes and into his business apparel; a navy blue Brioni suit that he had spent an entire bonus to get, but it was worth it. He paired this with a navy blue fedora from Bailey; they went together perfectly. They also matched the shade of his Stingray exactly. Kacey Dream had a specific style that he didn't exactly shy away from.
On his way out he went down to the front desk to see if he had any mail. The usual sack of fan mail was there of course, which he had sent up to his room. Kacey was actually incredibly devoted to his fans. He responded to every letter sent to him by hand and some of the more die hard fans kept up a continual correspondence with him. He went to their weddings and was even godparents to some of their children. He reasoned that they were the reason that he was able to live the life that he did so he might as well give back to them. He also received a few endorsement offers which he would discuss with his agent in their meeting later today. There was also a large mysterious package without a sending address. It had gone through security so it must be safe, Kacey mused. “Send that up to my room with the rest Baxter”, Kacey instructed,”I don't have time to look at it right now so I'll check it out later with the others”. Baxter nodded and replied,”Very well sir”. An old soul, Baxter was half the reason Kacey continued to live in this apartment rather than buy or build a ridiculous house somewhere in the Garden District. The view was the other half. Kacey was convinced he had the second best view in the city. Second only to where he was heading next.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 2
The Cold Brain Of The League
[/div] As he headed uptown to where the Iron Tower was Kacey wondered what Bjorn was up to this time. They still met regularly for lunch as friends but oftentimes there was an ulterior motive there on Ironside's part. Gone were the days of celebrating Ultimus victories together, of making opposing offenses cry, whine and bleed. Never again would a quarterback wake up from a feverish nightmare of having to face the Second Line defense featuring Dream and Ironside. While Kacey still played for New Orleans he knew he only had a couple more years left in the tank. And Bjorn had retired a few years back to pursue a more... powerful role. While many considered Kacey to be a face of the league thanks to his multiple championships, consistent top play and the love of fans, Bjorn was the puppet master, the controlling force of the league behind the scenes.
When Kacey pulled up to the tall tower full of spite and malice he knew what to expect from his many previous visits. As he got out of his car he waited for the automatic valet to scan his license plate and then his face. Greetings Mister Dream, you are expected. If you would hand over your keys I will take your Stingray to the private garage while you are in your meeting with Mister Ironside. “Thanks AVS, best valet in town as usual”, Kacey said as he handed over the keys. AVS stands for Automated Valet Service, a small hovering drone who was somehow able to function as a valet. The programming was so sophisticated that it seemed like the thing was sentient. Bjorn had told him countless times how pointless it was to speak to the automated systems of the Iron Tower but Kacey couldn't help it. When something talked to him, even a machine, he couldn't help but talk back. According to the spreadsheet provided to me by Mister Ironside you should be here no later than 2, I shall park you near the front of the garage and be ready for you at precisely 2. ABS shall be with you shortly. Automatic Butler Services was more of the same. Right this way sir, Mister Ironside shall see you shortly, he is finishing up his last meeting right now. He wanted me to inform you that your lunch has already been taken care of and is waiting for you.
Kacey followed ABS into the slick black elevator and took the long ride to the top of Iron Tower. Kacey knew that Bjorn used these autmoated systems not only to show off his wealth but because he trusted machines more than he could ever trust people. Everything in the tower was black with gold trim, including the bots. The floors and pillars were black marble, and the interior of the elevator was a slick metallic black that seemed to absorb any light that touched it. When Kacey was in this elevator he couldn't help but feel that this is what it felt like to be dead or maybe in space. When they arrived to the top of the tower the elevator opened up into a long hallway that acted as an antechamber for Bjorn's massive office. It was lined with unfinished benches, which Kacey knew better than to sit on. There were no cushions and they were extremely uncomfortable; plus they gave you splinters since they were unfinished. Kacey suspected that Bjorn WANTED anyone he was about to meet with to be nervous and uncomfortable; it gave him the upper hand.
After waiting in the antechamber for a few minutes the giant double doors to Bjorn's office opened and Quindarius Tyerucker stepped out, a player from Kacey's draft class who was now retired. He was a running back known for catching everything that came his way, from pigskins during his football career to Pokemon these days. Tyerucker had transitioned from being one of the greatest running backs of his time to becoming the preeminent Pokemon master of the world. He went by the handle of Zeddez in his Pokemon catching days and his Pokedex was said to be the most complete one ever to have existed. Behind Zeddez came the menacingly large form of Bjorn Ironside, still a terror to behold even past his football days. He still kept his hair cropped short and maintained a neat beard. There was a speckle of grey starting to appear but it manifested itself in a dignified way. His tattoos were now hidden under the impeccably sharp black suit that had become his signature look. It was like an incredibly ferocious silverback had been stuffed into an immaculate suit. A silverback with the cold calculating stare of a genius and the brain to match.
“Now remember Tyerucker, if you want to remain the Pokemon master you will continue to sign the endorsement deals I arrange for you. If you try to say no to me again you will find your belt and pokedex mysteriously empty if you understand me. I put you where you are, I can just as easily find the next Pokemaster,” Bjorn said insidiously, the menace in his voice as thick as the air outside, with the hulking form to match. His face brightened when he spotted Kacey standing in the hallway watching. “Ah Dream, you're early! You know Tyerucker here, I was just finishing some business arrangements with him. I'll send you updated spreadsheets on your next appointments Quin.” “Uh yes, o-of course Mister Ironside. This won't happen again, I p-promise.” Quindarius shook Ironside's hand nervously and then turned towards Kacey looking relieved. “A pleasure as always Dream, glad to see you not coming after me on the gridiron for once,” he said, seeming to have regained his confidence. Kacey got that rare twinkle in his eye and replied with a soft smile, “Same to you, Quin, but when am I going to get that rematch I've been waiting for? We haven't had a race in years!” Quin followed this up with a laugh and said, “Please Kacey, I've been out of the game too long, it would hardly be a race anymore! Now if you want to have a Pokemon catching competition I'm all yours.” With this he glanced back towards Bjorn, gave Kacey a nod and practically ran towards the elevator as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. Kacey tipped his hat to Quin before he scurried off and then turned towards Ironside.
“It still amazes me that you can make grown men shake in their shoes like that. And we're not even on the field anymore!,” Kacey remarked with a chortle as he gave Bjorn a warrior's forearm clasp. “ABS told me you had lunch prepared for me?” Bjorn looked at the state of the art tablet strapped to his left forearm and pulled up his spreadsheet of spreadsheets in order to find his dietary spreadsheet. “Ah yes, last time you had a spinach salad with walnuts and salmon, so this time you're getting red leaf, pistachios, and redfish.” Kacey bellowed laughter at this,”I still don't understand how you can live your whole life dictated by spreadsheets like that.” Bjorn chuckled and retorted,”Well I'm the one the writes the spreadsheets so I'm still the one dictating my own life. It's everyone else who has to have their lives dictated by MY spreadsheets. You should consider yourself lucky, you're the only person in the league who I don't require to follow these by the letter. I kicked Saba out of the league for refusing to follow them and he was a GM.” Bjorn said this as he sat behind his massive desk made of rich mahogany, fabled to be forged 2000 years ago by the blood magic of the Malchior people. His office walls were all windows as he had a 360 degree view of the entire city. To the East you could even see the smoke rising up from what was left of Mississippi. They said that smoke would never die down.
ABS came in and delivered their lunch; Kacey got his salad while Bjorn had an entire rack of ribs with baked beans and potato salad. As they started eating Kacey remarked between bites,”So I get the feeling that you called me here for than just our regular lunch. What's going on?” Bjorn finished chewing and replied with a sly smile,”I was hoping that we could wait until after we were done eating but there you go as usual, rushing right into the action. I'll cut right to it because I know that's what you want Kacey. When are you going to retire and come work for me?” Kacey stopped with his fork about to hit his mouth, “Retire? I know I'm not as spry as I used to be but I've still got some tread on the tires Bjorn. Hell we won the Ultimus again last year, I made the Pro Bowl! I've got a couple of years left in me at least!” With a sigh Bjorn pushed his empty plate aside and placed his elbows on his rich mahogany desk with his hands clasped under his chin. “I know you're still playing well Kacey, but you're pushing your luck. We're not young anymore and every time you step on that field you risk seriously hurting yourself. Plus what happens when you lose a step and you're not playing well anymore? Do you want the fans to remember how great you were or how far you fell at the end? Don't forget how embarrassing the end of Blett Falve's career was, I don't want you to follow in his footsteps. Plus you can't play football forever, you should have a plan for what you want to do once you put your cleats away for good. Retire while you're on top and come work for me! You would be the perfect face of my... organization. The people love you, you would be great for our image!” Bjorn ended this spiel with great enthusiasm, even bringing his fist down emphatically on his desk, causing everything on it to shake, despite how sturdy the desk was.
Kacey looked down at his half eaten salad and contemplated Bjorn's offer for a minute. “I know I can't play forever but I also know I would regret it if I retired now, I need to play for at least one more season. As for working for you... You're a great friend Bjorn, you always have been. I have nothing but love and respect for you as a person. I just don't know if I could ever be the face of an organization that does things that I don't condone, it would really feel like selling out. I mean, look at Mississippi, that's not something I want to be the posterboy for.” At this Bjorn's eyes narrowed and he sneered as he glanced towards the giant wall of smoke to the East. “I believe you are referring to the Great Wasteland of Eastern Louisiana. You know how I feel about the M-word. And those aren't the sort of... projects of which I would have you be the face. I want you to be the model of the new NSFL, the beacon leading my vision of the future of the league!! I know with you backing the changes I'm implementing that the rest of the league will quickly fall in line behind you. I can't think of a more respected player in recent memory. Plus there is nobody else I would rather work with in this capacity. You and I could be kings of the future NSFL!”
Kacey was silent again as his mind was filled with thoughts about what exactly Bjorn had in store for the league. He knew that Ironside was already effectively the controlling force of the league. After the old commissioner had retired Bjorn... influenced the league into installing the new commissioner, Blake Pawn, who was essentially a figurehead entirely controlled by Bjorn. With the commissioner under his thumb and most of the league either coerced into following him or removed from power by him, Ironside was left as the most powerful controlling force the league had ever seen. And the public and ninety nine percent of the league had no idea, which is exactly what Ironside wanted. With this power he had implemented the spreadsheet policy he had spoken of, which dictated that not only did every manager and home office employee of the league had to follow his spreadsheets in their day to day work lives but they even had to use his ridiculous spreadsheet of spreadsheets in order to organize their spreadsheets. On top of this he had established an analyst and scouting company that he forced every team to employ from. He then chose what scouts and analysts went were and what information they gave their respective teams. He used this to basically ensure that the teams he wanted to win or lose did so. He was able to rig everything from the draft to the Ultimus with the power he had acquired. And this didn't even get into the other side of his business, which was even shadier and more mysterious. Mississippi was just the beginning; Kacey only knew about that one because it was obvious. Bjorn had always made his hatred of the state clear to Kacey and had called him to his office at the dreaded hour of his plan being implemented. It's a moment that would be scarred into his brain forever; Ironside had brought salting the Earth to a whole new level.
Bjorn rhythmically tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently, hammering a staccato of sound into the air as he awaited Kacey's answer. “I'm still not sure about this Bjorn. As nice as that sounds and as much as I would enjoy working with you again, I'm not sure I that this is something I can get behind. I don't even know what you have planned for the league and it honestly kind of scares me,” Kacey began, glancing to the East again, “ Besides, I had always kind of thought that I would get into coaching someday. I don't think I can entirely leave the field behind me, surely you understand that right?”
Bjorn steepled his fingers between his eyes and glared around them. “Kacey, you are my oldest and best friend I have left. I want nothing but the best for you and our friendship. But you should know by now how I feel about people saying no to me. Even our friendship will only protect you from that for so long. Remember, I brought you into this league, I can take you out of it again,” he said sinisterly, the implication hanging in the air as silence filled the room for a few fitful seconds. “But let's table this discussion for now, I hate being like this with you. Besides we'll ruin our lunch! I'll send the details of my offer to your agent and we can discuss my proposal more later after you've gotten to look at the details together. Now how have you been otherwise, still living that sad lonely life alone in your loft?”
Glad to have the tension removed from the conversation Kacey tossed back his head and laughed, perhaps a bit too forcefully. “I have never told you it was lonely or sad if I recall! But yes, I do still live alone in my loft and it's not so bad. I have been thinking about getting a dog or something, it would be nice to have a little bit of company.” Bjorn scoffed and practically exploded, “Oh come on, you and I both know you haven't been the same since Eileen! Neither a dog nor all the time you spend with your fans is going to fill the void she left in your heart and your apartment. You know I'm right about this” Despite how cold and calculating he could be at times, Ironside did still have a sentimental good side to him. This is why Kacey remained good friends with him, despite his somewhat tyrannical nature in the league. His tone softened and Bjorn continued, “You need to move on old friend. What you're doing to yourself just isn't healthy. Hell, thank god you're so committed to maintaining your health and fitness, I worry you'd be hitting the bottle otherwise. But this isn't much better.” Kacey groaned at this emotional tirade; he knew that Bjorn had good intentions but this was something he had regularly heard every now and then during these lunch meetings and it was growing a little old. Eileen was Kacey's wife; she had passed away 3 years ago while carrying their child. Kacey pushed the memories to the back of his mind and tried to casually rub his eyes that were starting to tear up. “I know what you're saying here Bjorn, what you've been saying and I appreciate it. But this isn't something I can just make go away. I don't know if it ever will.” Bjorn scoffed again and exclaimed, “Well you could at least try to get over it! It's not too late for you to get back out there man, try to meet someone! We're not as young as we used to be, you don't have that much time left for that sort of thing.” Bjorn paused and lowered his tone to nearly a whisper, “I don't want to see you wasting away alone in that apartment for the rest of your life, you know?” Kacey nodded and stood up, trying not to lose it. This was the only time he saw Bjorn like this. He was usually so cold and analytical, it was a little off putting to see him be so caring.
“I'll think about it, you know I'll get there eventually. I really should be going though, this has lasted longer than I expected it to and I'm supposed to be meeting my agent soon. Plus I still need to do my mental gymnastics,” Kacey blurted out hastily, his words almost incoherent as they clamored to escape from his mouth just as he ached to escape from this situation and this conversation. Bjorn chuckled, “You're still doing those damn things huh? Well I guess they seem to work for you, you're as sharp as ever. Just one more reason to come work for me! Seriously, the paperwork will be with your agent by the time you get there, take a look at it. This is more than just you becoming another puppet to control, I'm looking to make you a partner. You'd be set for life so just do me a favor and think about it.” They warrior clasped again and Kacey nodded, “I will, I just need some time to process everything. I'll catch you next week Ironside.”
As ABS led him out of the office Kacey saw Commissioner Pawn sitting on one of the benches in the antechamber. He was fidgeting as if trying to find a comfortable way to sit, an impossible task if Dream ever saw one. Kacey nodded as he walked past and the commissioner rushed into the office as if he needed to suckle at the teat of Ironside's power. It was quite the establishment that his friend had made for himself in a short time, no doubt extremely impressive. It was just disturbing to Kacey to think about the goals and methods his long time friend had used to get there.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 3
The Working Legs[/div]
Kacey walked out of the Iron Tower and was immediately buffeted by the wall of humidity waiting there to greet him. The sun had finally managed to cut it's way through the smog or fog or smoke... or whatever it was. Kacey had been in the climate controlled confines of Bjorn's office for too long and had to take a second to catch his breath. Sometimes it felt like you could drown in the air on the best Louisiana days. On the worst ones you just didn't go outside. AVS was waiting for him with the Stingray, as expected. Kacey jokingly stuck a 5 dollar bill into one of the clamps that AVS used to operate vehicles. He knew he would hear about it from Ironside later. Kacey drove back to his apartment and had a snack of vegetables and hummus while he did his “mental gymnastics”. They were online exercises that he did every day to keep his brain and eyes sharp. Being able to see and process the field at an extremely high level was an advantage he had always had and he wanted to maintain that. He glanced at the stack of mail he had to go through but decided to wait til tonight to take care of it. He only had an hour before his meeting with his agent and he wanted to relax a little before that.
His apartment was almost bare around him, it contained only what was needed to be functional. There was a bed, a nightstand and a dresser in his bedroom with no decorations or anything else. The nightstand had only a lamp, a novel and occasionally a glass of water on it. There was a recliner and a television in the living room that barely got used. The kitchen had the necessities to maintain his diet; a blender, a few pans and mixing bowls. No microwave or toaster, nothing the average person used every day. The dining room contained a small round table and a single chair. This is where his laptop perched so he got to browse the news and do his mental exercises while he ate. Kacey actually spent little time in his apartment and it showed. As Ironside had astutely pointed out earlier, Kacey tended to fill his life with football, between spending time with fans, meeting with his agent and maintaining a strict workout regimen.
Kacey finished his snack, shut down his laptop and reluctantly made his way down to his vehicle again. He normally looked forward to meeting with his agent, a hardworking man who he had a great deal of respect for. Emile Dalon was as honest a man as Kacey had ever met; he represented a quarter of the players in the league and was one of the few people brave enough to stand up to the powers that be(Bjorn). And he actually got away with it too. He had actually been Ironside's agent when he was still playing and he still possessed some pull over the shadow commissioner. However, Kacey was dreading going over Bjorn's proposal with Emile. He was afraid that Emile might actually push him to accept it.
Emile lived in the Garden District past the Iron Tower, so Kacey got to drive under it's shadow on his way there. It's presence made it feel like Bjorn was always there watching, looking down on you. Upon thinking about it Kacey realized that once again this was probably a desired effect that Bjorn had created on purpose. He pulled up to the wrought iron fence surrounding Emile's estate and hit the buzzer. Emile's house was typical of the houses in the area, closer to mansions then anything else, tucked away amidst the homes of celebrities and politicians. The buzzer went off and the gate opened for him. As he pulled up into the driveway the front door opened and Emile stepped out. A classic Cajun, Emile's family had resided in New Orleans for generations. Many of the old population had moved away years ago after Hurricane Katrina but not Emile. He was one of the few who refused to give up his stake in this great city.
“Well now, how ya doing on this here fine summer day? You living the Dream?,” Emile greeted Kacey unabashedly. His sense of humor was obtuse at the best of times and infuriating at the worst. He had used this joke nearly every time he saw Kacey, it wasn't funny the first time and it wasn't funny now. “Surviving the nightmare more like,” Kacey replied, forcing himself to grin back at the good-natured agent. “How are things going in your neck of the woods Emile?” “Oh you know, business as usual in these parts. Why don't you come on inside, I just made a fresh batch of sweet tea, why don't you come have some? Suhhhhweeeet James Jones was here earlier, I made it especially for him,” Emile said as he chortled to himself. Once again Kacey forced himself to laugh along with the old codger. “You know it has been a minute since I've had some of your sweet tea, I do believe that it would hit the spot in this heat.” Emile guffawed and retorted, “You call this heat young'un? You haven't seen anything yet, NOLA's got a lot more in store for you.” Kacey shook his head and replied, “I have lived in New Orleans for ten years now Emile, I think I know when it's hot at this point.” Emile wagged his finger in Kacey's face and stood his ground. “You've lived a pampered life in Louisiana as a rich boy and you know it. Try slumming it with the common folk and tell me how hot it is out here.” Knowing better than to argue further Kacey followed Emile inside and accepted the glass of sweet tea. It really was some of the best he had ever had, like only a true southerner could make.
“So what do you have for me today Emile? It's been nearly a month since I've seen you, I feel like it's going to be a doozy this time.” “HA! You've got that right, I'm not sure we'll have time for all of it today honestly. Especially with what I got from Mister Ironside earlier...” The goofy facade melted away from Emile and he stared piercingly at Kacey as if to get a sense of how the younger man felt about the offer. Or if he even knew about it. He continued, “But we'll get to that in a bit, for now I want to go over your contract offers and endorsements first. Seeing as you're a free agent this year you've got a lot more to think about than most seasons.” As Emile was about to get into what could only be assumed to be the pitches from all of the teams that wanted to sign him, Kacey spoke up before he could start. “Emile, I've been with the Second Line damn near my whole career, you know I want to retire with them. I don't see much point in entertaining other offers. I've only got a couple of years left in me anyway.” Once again that telltale guffaw escaped from Emile's mouth as he exclaimed, “Well that's exactly my point young man! This is your LAST contract and you need to make it a good one. Even though you know you're going to sign with New Orleans and I know you're going to sign with New Orleans, all those other teams don't know it and neither does New Orleans. And we're going to keep it that way! You need to get as fat a contract as you can from the Second Line so you have a nest egg to live off of.” Kacey rolled his eyes, “That's what all of my endorsements are for Emile. Besides, I want to win another Ultimus and it's going to be a lot harder to do that if I'm sucking my team dry.” With a sigh Emile put his stack of paperwork down and looked intently at Kacey. “You know my man, you're one of the last class acts around here and I really respect that. But this league is all about making money and taking advantage of the little man and the New Orleans management is no exception to that. They're all in Mister Ironside's pockets and trying to squeeze us dry, so we gotta squeeze them right back! That's the only thing keeping me from retiring, somebody has got to be around to fight back.”
“Alright fine, you win, I just don't want to be involved in the process, I leave it to your discretion. Get what you can for me but just make sure I'm playing with the Second Line again next year. Now what about the endorsements?” Emile reached to the side and picked up a hefty folder separate from the rest. “Actually since we're on the subject anyway I want to discuss Mister Ironside's proposal before we talk about your endorsements. I don't know how much of the details you know but I'll tell you right now; I think you should accept it.” Kacey groaned once again and wondered how this day had gone so far off the rails. “I was afraid of that. Alright I heard his pitch earlier, now give me yours.” Emile handed the folder over to Kacey, “Go over this tonight, I want to see you about it tomorrow. Just know that he is offering you a lot of pull in his system. I think this is the best chance we've ever had to make a real difference in this league. As much as he is wanting to use you to change things you can use him to make just as much of a difference. You're the only one that he is really close to, the only one that I think he would actually listen to about certain things. You have a real chance to fix things from the inside, the first real chance we've had since things have gone so sideways.” Hearing this and realizing how much sense it made Kacey sighed, “I'll look at it tonight and I'll think about it but I'm going to tell you what I told Bjorn. I'm a football player, I'm meant to be on that field in one way or another. I have no interest in being a part of league politics and I also don't really like the idea of being the face of his organization. Even if I am changing things it will still feel like I'm endorsing things that I cannot bring myself to be a part.” Emile walked over to refill Kacey's glass and said solemnly, “Sadly son, sometimes you have to get in the muck and the murk and bring yourself down to their level to make a difference. It doesn't make you like them but it does leave a stain that you can't get rid of, I know from experience. I also know from experience that the good work you can do is worth it. Just think about it for me. Now let's get into these endorsements.”
Kacey left the estate having accepted about half the endorsements offered to him, leaving him several million dollars richer. Adidas had a new campaign for his shoe line,”Don't be afraid to chase your Dreams.” Otherwise it was several local businesses, which Kacey always chose to support. A lot of them were the usual suspects such as mattress companies and sleep medication. However he wasn't thinking about his endorsement or new contract as he drove away. He was stuck with a feeling of foreboding about the thick folder sitting in the passenger seat with him.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 4
The Heart's Heart[/div]
Kacey drove back to his apartment and began preparing his usual dinner, roasted vegetables and a chicken breast. As he sat down to eat he looked at the news, procrastinating at examining the proposal from Bjorn. Upon finding the news dissatisfying once again, he closed his computer and decided to go through his mail instead of the proposal. There was the usual amounts of fan mail, some of it his usual correspondence with his die hard fans. He began replying to these one by one with hand written letters. He always wanted to give a personal touch back to those who bothered to write to him. As he got to the end of the pile the last thing that remained was the mysterious package that he had noticed this morning. His fans sent him gifts all the time but it was usual to receive one that was unmarked; most fans wanted him to know who was sending it
For the size of the box it was quite light. He opened it and was surprised to find that it was mostly filled with packing paper. Nestled in the paper was an envelope with his name on it and a single red glove, the deep crimson red of blood. The letter smelled of honeysuckle and was actually sealed with a kiss; the lipstick was the same shade as the glove. I know you have suspicious friends in high places Mister Dream and I know you are unsure how to proceed with them. I have information to discuss with you about your good friend Bjorn Ironside and his little offer. Meet meat 9 tonight at the bar of Pat O' Brien's. I'll be wearing this glove's mate. -Scarlett
Kacey had received a lot of unusual mail in the past but this was up there. Asking to meet was relatively commonplace but this Scarlett seemed to have personal information about him that she shouldn't. Hell he had just received the offer from Bjorn today, how on Earth did she know about it? After some deliberation Kacey decided that it would be best to see what she had to say. Pat O' Brien's was a very public place and it shouldn't be any trouble meeting someone there. Seeing as it was only 6 Kacey had some time to kill so he reluctantly began going through the proposal. He was not surprised to find that it was meticulously detailed and absolutely filled with spreadsheets. At times it was hard to decipher the analytical jargon and tell exactly what Bjorn was trying to say. Kacey suspected that this was intentional. After about an hour of reading though Kacey decided that it felt like Ironside was asking him to be the middleman for his affairs, both the straight and nefarious kind. While Ironside was as crooked as a dowsing rod he did possess a heart under all that cold calculating greed. There was actually some charity work discussed in here and Kacey didn't even think it was a front for anything. There was randomly enough a charity dedicated to saving several different species of penguin in the midst of the severe climate change happening around the world. Some of it involved trying to reduce emissions or reverse climate change and some of it actually dealt with relocating entire populations of penguins to a more suitable environment. It was actually a massive organization and as far as Kacey could tell Bjorn did not profit from it at all. In fact, a good deal of Ironside's private fortune was dedicated to these causes. While Ironside had single handedly destroyed the state of Mississippi and wiped it off the map and public record, he also had numerous charities to provide support and assistance for the families and former residents who were forced out of the state. They were found new homes and jobs, the majority of them actually found themselves in a better situation than they were in the former poverty stricken state. Again, Kacey thought this was on purpose; everything Bjorn did was done with intent.
After going over the proposal for a couple of hours Kacey was even more unsure of what course he wanted to take than before. He was starting to think that maybe Emile was right, maybe it would be in the best interest of EVERYONE if he took this position. He decided to sleep on it and discuss it some more with Emile tomorrow. As he went to his closet to grab his coat and hat he caught the box on the floor of his closet in the corner of his eye. Inside was the last evidence of Eileen ever having been part of his life, outside of his memories of course. He couldn't bare to get rid of the last of her personal effects and photos but he also couldn't stand to look at them on a regular basis. So he tucked them away in here. Once again he blinked the tears away and refocused on the task at hand. He needed to figure out what exactly this mystery woman wanted from him. He took the elevator down to the lobby, bid goodnight to Baxter and hailed a cab down to the French Quarter. He didn't fancy driving down there or trying to find a parking spot, even on a Wednesday night. Plus he didn't exactly feel comfortable leaving his Stingray unattended down there while he was in Pat O'Brien's. Thankfully the cabbie didn't recognize him so he didn't have to deal with signing autographs or anything like that. It was pretty rare to be able to be out in public and actually get some peace and quiet. He wasn't expecting this to last once he got to the bar.
The cab driver dropped him off at the back entrance and Kacey tipped him handsomely. As he stepped out of the cab he popped his collar up and did his best to hide behind it. It was still extremely warm out despite the sun having gone done and the suit and coat were very uncomfortable. But Kacey still wanted to look his best and he also wanted to avoid as much attention from the masses as he could. When he walked into the bar he was hit by a dense wall of smoke. He actually greeted it, it made hiding in public a lot easier, even if it did make it even harder than normal to breathe the New Orleans air. He glanced around the bar didn't see a woman wearing the other half of the glove he carried in his chest pocket so managed to find a couple of of seats at the bar and ordered a drink. Normally on the rare occasion that he drank Kacey would stick to beer but this was Pat O'Briens, so he ordered a hurricane instead. It was only 8:30 so he still had to wait around a bit. He wanted to get here early to get comfortable and gather his thoughts about the situation. From the sounds of the letter, this Scarlett didn't exactly have good intentions towards his friend Bjorn. On the other hand she probably had every right to be upset with Ironside, any malice she possessed was probably entirely deserved. Kacey ached to just be back on the football field where things were easy and made sense. This whole situation with Bjorn was spiraling more and more out of control. He felt like a kid stuck on an out of control carnival ride.
He was about a third of the way through his drink when he noticed someone walk in out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look and her entrance hit him like rain hits a sidewalk on a hot summer day; she left him steaming. With red hair flowing down her back to her waist and a red dress to match her single red glove, she really lived up to her name. It was rare to see this kind of gorgeous walking around on the streets and it took Kacey a minute to recover. She stole his breathe faster than the Louisiana air could at it's muggiest. She noticed him staring at her and saw her gloves partner strick out of his chest pocket, a stark contrast to his navy blue suit. She sashayed over to him, her hips swaying in a way that was mesmerizing to him. He hadn't felt this was in a long time and he knew it was dangerous.
She walked up to him, gently placed her bare hand on his chest and slowly pulled the glove out of his pocket with the other hand. “Well hullo there Mister Dreamy, I wasn't expecting you to live up to your name so well. Is this here seat taken Suga'?” And she gestured to the seat that she must have known he was saving for her. He was not expecting to have gotten this flustered by her and it took him a second to shake it off and respond in a reasonable manner.
“Um, well, no it's not,” he stammered initially before regaining his normally suave demeanor, “ Actually come to think of it, it is taken. I've been saving it for you so I guess you're the one who's taken it.” She smiled slyly, and with a sultry look on her face that made it really hard for Kacey to focus on why they were here in the first place she sat down. She made it a point to sit extremely close to him, about as close as she could sit without actually touching him. She smelled exactly as her letter did, of honeysuckle. The scent cut through the air of smoke and alcohol like a knife through butter. It was the sweetest thing he had ever smelled. “Well aren't you quite the gentleman, I wasn't expecting you to be so smooth either! Aren't you going to ask me what I'm drinking though?” she said in a low purr as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Kacey almost felt like he was having an out of body experience. He could plainly see that he was at her beck and call, that he was putty in her arms and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. It's like she had a spell over him, and knowing how things worked in this parts, he supposed a little bit of hoodoo wasn't exactly out of the question.
Desperately trying to clear his mind and failing, he asked, “Well now, did you want something other than a Hurricane? I mean, I'll get you whatever you like but it's almost a shame to get anything else here.” She giggled surreptitiously, “Nah dawlin', a Hurricane would see me right as rain. Go ahead and order for me and then we can get down to business huh?” As she said this her fingers continued to dance delicately on his shoulder, dragging sensually down his arm when she was done. Every nerve in Kacey's body screamed that this woman was trouble but he just didn't care anymore. He called the bartender over, ordered her a hurricane and once again tipped handsomely when it came.
As she started sipping on her drink he managed to focus enough to ask her, “About that 'business', what exactly do you want from me and Bjorn? And how do you even know the things you know?” She gave him that luscious smile once again and said, “Well now, you aren't exactly one to beat around, the bush huh? That is just a shame, I could have done with some beating around the bush myself.” With this she put her hand on Kacey's knee and he flushed hot, the world seeming to spin around him for a moment. “Well I suppose we can go ahead and get into it if you don't have any more time for me at the moment. I'll just have to come back for some more of you,” she said with a wink. Her tone went from flirtatious to serious in a heartbeat however and her voice dropped to a furtive whisper, “Well as for how I know what I know, I'm part of a... group that has been keeping tabs on Mister Ironside. Despite what he might think, his precious technology can be compromised just as any person can be and we have gained access to some of his plans. Including the proposal that he gave to you. Now that is of extreme interest to us, because as we see it, he would be giving some of his power and authority to somebody else for the first time: you, Mister Dreamy. And we see you being in a unique position to potentially take Mister Ironside down in a way that the NSFL and our poor government have completely failed to do. The man is too smart to be caught, too careful to leave any solid evidence of his misdeeds laying around. Even with you working for him on the inside we don't think you would be able to collect any solid evidence against him. As far as we are concerned, he doesn't allow any such evidence to exist. Therefore, we think it's in everyone's best interest for you to perform a hostile takeover after you have accepted his proposal. With our resources on the outside and your influence on the inside we think that we could finally manage to wrest control of the league and his company from him. With your assistance of course.”
After being bombarded with this deluge of serious implications from Scarlett, Kacey managed to somewhat snap himself out of his torpor. “So why should I accept a job I don't want and betray the best friend I have in this world for a group of people that I don't even know? I realize that Bjorn has his faults and that he has done some things I don't exactly support, but as far as I know you are no better. You won't even tell me who exactly this mysterious 'we' you speak of are! Better to go to bed with the villain that I know than one I don't. Or maybe I could just not go to bed with a villain at all!” He was finally beginning to feel a little more like himself when she squeezed his leg and whispered in his ear, “Now where is the fun in that?” Kacey felt his world spinning again as she continued, “In all seriousness, if you must know, the majority of us consist of displaced residents of Mississippi who resent the fact that he thought he knew what was best for us and forced our 'relocation' on us whether we liked it or not. We wouldn't have needed these charities he has set up for us if he had just left well enough alone. There are also several members of the NSFL who are tired of the stranglehold he has on the league and would like to see some changes in that dynamic. That's where you come in. You can't exactly undo what he did to our home state but maybe you could keep it from happening again and you can definitely help make some changes in the dynamic of the league." Kacey sighed and took a big pull on his drink. "I'm not sure why everyone seems to think I'm the person who can make these changes happen, who can magically make everything better. I'm just a washed up football player who happens to have a slightly evil friend in high places. If you so badly want something done about Bjorn than I suggest you take this to the authorities." Scarlett sneered contemptuously at this,"Really? You know as well as I do that the authorities don't have any authority over themselves, let alone anyone else. The government has been shut down for months and we all know corporate hotshots like Bjorn are the ones funding and controlling the powers that be now. If we were to go to the 'authorities' with this we might as well be going straight to Bjorn with it. And we all know how that would turn out, we would end up just like the state we were forced to evacuate. The sad fact of the matter Mister Dreamy, is that we can only rely on each other in this case and you are the only one with any real power to help our cause. So think about it, would ya? Here is my card, give me a call when you make a decision. Or ya know, if you wanna get another drink and maybe have a good time." She handed him a crimson card with gold calligraphy on it. Scarlett Bronson. And of course it smelled heavily of honeysuckle and magnolia. With that she gave him smile that only left him wanting more and walked out of the bar, her hips swaying back and forth like the deck of a ship on a tumultuous sea. He couldn't help but watch her walk away and just before she walked through the threshold she glanced back at him and smirked, as if she knew the whole time that he was watching her. And just like that she was gone.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 5[/div]
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Idle hands are tied by the devil[/div]
Kacey finished his hurricane and stumbled out of the bar in a daze. He felt a little better once he got out of the hazy environment of the bar, the slightly cleaner air helped clear his head a little as he was walking toward the street to call a cab home he noticed a dark man who had been leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette outside move toward him. The man wore a trench coat and a hat with the brim pulled low so it was hard to make out his features. It definitely seemed like the man was coming Kacey though and he felt a shot of adrenaline flood his system as he was instantly put on edge. He tensed up and prepared to turn on the mysterious man if necessary.
He was somewhat surprised though to hear a gravelly voice come from behind him, "Mister Dream? Could I perhaps have a word in private?" Kacey inwardly sighed and turned around. "I guess that depends on what exactly you want to discuss and where." Kacey eyed the man after saying this. Aside from his attire he was a mostly nondescript man of average height and features. The one thing that stood out about him upon closer inspection was a nasty looking scar across his neck, which probably accounted for the gravel in his voice.
"Well we can speak wherever you feel comfortable and as for the what… I'm sure you have a pretty good guess. Let's just say it's to do with the meetings you've had today." Kacey was silent for a moment as the man stared earnestly at him. He might have been approached under unusual circumstances but this man actually seemed to have a trustworthy nature about him.
"Alright, one more thing before I agree to anything; who the hell are you?" Kacey demanded from this mysterious stranger. Now it was the strange man's turn to pause before he shrugged, "Well I suppose there's no harm in telling. I'm Raymond Amyx and I'm an FBI agent, or I would be if the government were actually worth a damn. We've been shut down for months though so I guess I'm just an average Joe."
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]
Chapter 1
The Beating Heart Of The League[/div]
Kacey Dream woke up to the dull light of the sun trying to poke its way through the thick layer of fog? Smog? Smoke? It's honestly hard to tell in the city these days but it was a very dingy sight to behold at the start of the day. When he was younger he never would have thought that light could be grey but the proof is in the pudding. He laid in bed a little longer, contemplating where he was and where he had come from. On the wall at the foot of his bed was framed his Portland jersey and his Palm Beach Jersey. His days as a bright eyed rookie in the DSFL were long behind him, he hadn't worn the yellow and black of the Pythons or the of the Solar Bears in ages. But he would never forget about his time spent with either club, it was part of his journey and had brought him to where he was now. He had a very good memory and a habit of never forgetting where he came from and how he got here. For better or worse.
His stint as the hero of Palm Beach was extremely short but fondly remembered. There were still those who spoke to him of his debut performance with them, especially of the pick six dagger to end the season. His time with Portland was much more substantial however. His official rookie season with them landed him Defensive Rookie of the Year and he helped lead the Pythons to an upset Ultimini victory over Tijuana. He had such high hopes back then, not just for his football career but for his personal life as well. At least the football thing had worked out.
After his rookie year he was drafted into the NSFL with the New Orleans Second Line. His good friend Bjorn Ironside, who originally got him into the league after college, pushed hard for New Orleans to draft Kacey and they successfully acquired him with the second overall pick. However with an already stacked defense they were forced to send Kacey back down to the Pythons for a year to learn and get some more experience. After winning another Ultimini for the Pythons and DPOY he established himself as a Portland legend and his name was emblazoned in their ring of honor. After this he was finally ready to play with the big boys the next season.
His alarm in the apartment started going off so Kacey groaned, discontinued his little trip down memory lane and dragged himself out of bed. He paused in front of his closet, which had a full length mirror attached to it. His five o'clock shadow from the day before had turned itself into more of a grisly half beard so he set himself to shaving. He needed to look presentable today of all days. After he finished shaving he examined himself. He was tall, lithe and straight as a pole, with sapphire blue eyes that cut right to your soul. Once upon a time there had been a twinkle and mirth to those eyes but these days it was rare to see them looking anything but somber. In his 10th season in the NSFL he somehow managed to continue to be a top tier cornerback but he was definitely starting to feel his age. It was the off-season right now but Kacey still needed to stick to his daily workout routine; it's how he had managed to fend off Father Time and avoid regressing too much.
He put the ingredients for his daily berry and banana smoothie in the blender and stared at his clock as it flashed 5:35 am over and over. He had a couple of hours before he needed to meet his trainer, Guillermo, down at the beach, so he sat down with his smoothie and watched the dingy sun rise over the horizon. Pollution levels worldwide were at frightening high, and the New Orleans skyline just wasn't what it used to be. Not that it had ever been an especially clean city. It did help to have a apartment looking towards Lake Pontchartrain like Kacey did though. He was high enough that he could even see the other side of the lake.
After finishing his smoothie and getting dressed in his workout clothes, shorts and a Second Line t-shirt, Kacey made his way to the parking garage and got into his classic navy blue 1967 Corvette Stingray. He was very old school in a lot of ways and didn't go along with a lot of the style choices of the newer players. His car was classic, his dress style old fashioned and even his manner of speaking was considered stiff and too formal by the kids these days. The drive down to the Lake Pontchartrain Beach only took about half an hour so he got there a little early. He sat down on the beach, kicked his shoes off and felt the sand between his toes. The crisp morning breeze ran through his clothes and hair, helping to cut the Louisiana mugginess. He knew that wouldn't last long though. Guillermo pulled up in his new pearl white sedan and Kacey stood up. Even with the smog/fog(he still wasn't sure which it was) he was forced to hold his hand over his eyes to shade them from the sun as he greeted Guillermo. “What's cooking old timer?”, Kacey asked, glancing at Guillermo's grizzled salt and pepper beard and leathery face. “Not us, not yet at least”, the old man replied, glancing up at the sun beating over the horizon. “And you're not so young yourself these days, don't come at me with the old timer talk”, Guillermo retorted as he grinned at Kacey “We better get started already.”
Kacey laid down on the cool sand and Guillermo started the ritual of massaging and warming up Kacey's different muscle groups. The “deep force” treatment and the rest of the routine was an old technique that Guillermo had been using for decades with various hall of fame players. Kacey's joints weren't what they used to be and they were preparing him for any impact his body might suffer. As he laid there he glanced back towards the city. It was hard not to focus on Iron Tower, the pitch black skyscraper that dwarfed the rest of the city and really stood out among the rest of the New Orleans architecture. Kacey pushed the thoughts of Ironside out of his mind for now and refocused on his workout. After the massage warm up he goes through a 40 minute workout using resistance bands. This is also to take it easy on his body. Working out with weights would cause too much damage that would be difficult to recover from and could possibly injure him. He then did 100 squats, lunges, planks and some shoulder exercises.
After all this Guillermo gave him another muscle massage to cool down and eliminate the lactic acid in his muscles. “Well I'll see you tomorrow old man”, he said as they walked up to their cars. Guillermo sighed and nodded before driving away. Kacey got behind the wheel and headed back to his apartment to have the same breakfast he has every day; eggs with avocado. As he was eating he looked out on the city skyline once again and his eyes couldn't help but be drawn back to the Iron Tower. He sighed to himself and looked down at his laptop, still open and running from the night before. He had walked away from it upon seeing the message Ironside had sent to him. He was being summoned to Iron Tower for a lunch meeting with his old friend. The dynamic of their relationship had changed drastically over the years but he still considered Bjorn a friend, even despite... well the morally questionable decisions that Ironside had made over the years. To be sure Ironside had come a long way, but Kacey wasn't sure the methods he used were worth the destination.
After finishing breakfast he checked the news and the stock market. If he were hoping for some sort of change then he was sadly disappointed. The market was still down, and the news was nothing but bad. The government was still shut down and it seemed like corporations were gaining more power every day. There was mass speculation that big business was the actual driving force of the country these days. Kacey had it on good personal authority that this was actually true. Mississippi still hadn't recovered, they weren't sure that it ever would. War against China seemed more and more of a certainty. Kacey stopped looking at the news at this point. He had been looking for something hopeful, some sort of reassurance that maybe things were getting better. Well he wasn't going to find it there. He changed out of his workout clothes and into his business apparel; a navy blue Brioni suit that he had spent an entire bonus to get, but it was worth it. He paired this with a navy blue fedora from Bailey; they went together perfectly. They also matched the shade of his Stingray exactly. Kacey Dream had a specific style that he didn't exactly shy away from.
On his way out he went down to the front desk to see if he had any mail. The usual sack of fan mail was there of course, which he had sent up to his room. Kacey was actually incredibly devoted to his fans. He responded to every letter sent to him by hand and some of the more die hard fans kept up a continual correspondence with him. He went to their weddings and was even godparents to some of their children. He reasoned that they were the reason that he was able to live the life that he did so he might as well give back to them. He also received a few endorsement offers which he would discuss with his agent in their meeting later today. There was also a large mysterious package without a sending address. It had gone through security so it must be safe, Kacey mused. “Send that up to my room with the rest Baxter”, Kacey instructed,”I don't have time to look at it right now so I'll check it out later with the others”. Baxter nodded and replied,”Very well sir”. An old soul, Baxter was half the reason Kacey continued to live in this apartment rather than buy or build a ridiculous house somewhere in the Garden District. The view was the other half. Kacey was convinced he had the second best view in the city. Second only to where he was heading next.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 2
The Cold Brain Of The League
[/div] As he headed uptown to where the Iron Tower was Kacey wondered what Bjorn was up to this time. They still met regularly for lunch as friends but oftentimes there was an ulterior motive there on Ironside's part. Gone were the days of celebrating Ultimus victories together, of making opposing offenses cry, whine and bleed. Never again would a quarterback wake up from a feverish nightmare of having to face the Second Line defense featuring Dream and Ironside. While Kacey still played for New Orleans he knew he only had a couple more years left in the tank. And Bjorn had retired a few years back to pursue a more... powerful role. While many considered Kacey to be a face of the league thanks to his multiple championships, consistent top play and the love of fans, Bjorn was the puppet master, the controlling force of the league behind the scenes.
When Kacey pulled up to the tall tower full of spite and malice he knew what to expect from his many previous visits. As he got out of his car he waited for the automatic valet to scan his license plate and then his face. Greetings Mister Dream, you are expected. If you would hand over your keys I will take your Stingray to the private garage while you are in your meeting with Mister Ironside. “Thanks AVS, best valet in town as usual”, Kacey said as he handed over the keys. AVS stands for Automated Valet Service, a small hovering drone who was somehow able to function as a valet. The programming was so sophisticated that it seemed like the thing was sentient. Bjorn had told him countless times how pointless it was to speak to the automated systems of the Iron Tower but Kacey couldn't help it. When something talked to him, even a machine, he couldn't help but talk back. According to the spreadsheet provided to me by Mister Ironside you should be here no later than 2, I shall park you near the front of the garage and be ready for you at precisely 2. ABS shall be with you shortly. Automatic Butler Services was more of the same. Right this way sir, Mister Ironside shall see you shortly, he is finishing up his last meeting right now. He wanted me to inform you that your lunch has already been taken care of and is waiting for you.
Kacey followed ABS into the slick black elevator and took the long ride to the top of Iron Tower. Kacey knew that Bjorn used these autmoated systems not only to show off his wealth but because he trusted machines more than he could ever trust people. Everything in the tower was black with gold trim, including the bots. The floors and pillars were black marble, and the interior of the elevator was a slick metallic black that seemed to absorb any light that touched it. When Kacey was in this elevator he couldn't help but feel that this is what it felt like to be dead or maybe in space. When they arrived to the top of the tower the elevator opened up into a long hallway that acted as an antechamber for Bjorn's massive office. It was lined with unfinished benches, which Kacey knew better than to sit on. There were no cushions and they were extremely uncomfortable; plus they gave you splinters since they were unfinished. Kacey suspected that Bjorn WANTED anyone he was about to meet with to be nervous and uncomfortable; it gave him the upper hand.
After waiting in the antechamber for a few minutes the giant double doors to Bjorn's office opened and Quindarius Tyerucker stepped out, a player from Kacey's draft class who was now retired. He was a running back known for catching everything that came his way, from pigskins during his football career to Pokemon these days. Tyerucker had transitioned from being one of the greatest running backs of his time to becoming the preeminent Pokemon master of the world. He went by the handle of Zeddez in his Pokemon catching days and his Pokedex was said to be the most complete one ever to have existed. Behind Zeddez came the menacingly large form of Bjorn Ironside, still a terror to behold even past his football days. He still kept his hair cropped short and maintained a neat beard. There was a speckle of grey starting to appear but it manifested itself in a dignified way. His tattoos were now hidden under the impeccably sharp black suit that had become his signature look. It was like an incredibly ferocious silverback had been stuffed into an immaculate suit. A silverback with the cold calculating stare of a genius and the brain to match.
“Now remember Tyerucker, if you want to remain the Pokemon master you will continue to sign the endorsement deals I arrange for you. If you try to say no to me again you will find your belt and pokedex mysteriously empty if you understand me. I put you where you are, I can just as easily find the next Pokemaster,” Bjorn said insidiously, the menace in his voice as thick as the air outside, with the hulking form to match. His face brightened when he spotted Kacey standing in the hallway watching. “Ah Dream, you're early! You know Tyerucker here, I was just finishing some business arrangements with him. I'll send you updated spreadsheets on your next appointments Quin.” “Uh yes, o-of course Mister Ironside. This won't happen again, I p-promise.” Quindarius shook Ironside's hand nervously and then turned towards Kacey looking relieved. “A pleasure as always Dream, glad to see you not coming after me on the gridiron for once,” he said, seeming to have regained his confidence. Kacey got that rare twinkle in his eye and replied with a soft smile, “Same to you, Quin, but when am I going to get that rematch I've been waiting for? We haven't had a race in years!” Quin followed this up with a laugh and said, “Please Kacey, I've been out of the game too long, it would hardly be a race anymore! Now if you want to have a Pokemon catching competition I'm all yours.” With this he glanced back towards Bjorn, gave Kacey a nod and practically ran towards the elevator as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. Kacey tipped his hat to Quin before he scurried off and then turned towards Ironside.
“It still amazes me that you can make grown men shake in their shoes like that. And we're not even on the field anymore!,” Kacey remarked with a chortle as he gave Bjorn a warrior's forearm clasp. “ABS told me you had lunch prepared for me?” Bjorn looked at the state of the art tablet strapped to his left forearm and pulled up his spreadsheet of spreadsheets in order to find his dietary spreadsheet. “Ah yes, last time you had a spinach salad with walnuts and salmon, so this time you're getting red leaf, pistachios, and redfish.” Kacey bellowed laughter at this,”I still don't understand how you can live your whole life dictated by spreadsheets like that.” Bjorn chuckled and retorted,”Well I'm the one the writes the spreadsheets so I'm still the one dictating my own life. It's everyone else who has to have their lives dictated by MY spreadsheets. You should consider yourself lucky, you're the only person in the league who I don't require to follow these by the letter. I kicked Saba out of the league for refusing to follow them and he was a GM.” Bjorn said this as he sat behind his massive desk made of rich mahogany, fabled to be forged 2000 years ago by the blood magic of the Malchior people. His office walls were all windows as he had a 360 degree view of the entire city. To the East you could even see the smoke rising up from what was left of Mississippi. They said that smoke would never die down.
ABS came in and delivered their lunch; Kacey got his salad while Bjorn had an entire rack of ribs with baked beans and potato salad. As they started eating Kacey remarked between bites,”So I get the feeling that you called me here for than just our regular lunch. What's going on?” Bjorn finished chewing and replied with a sly smile,”I was hoping that we could wait until after we were done eating but there you go as usual, rushing right into the action. I'll cut right to it because I know that's what you want Kacey. When are you going to retire and come work for me?” Kacey stopped with his fork about to hit his mouth, “Retire? I know I'm not as spry as I used to be but I've still got some tread on the tires Bjorn. Hell we won the Ultimus again last year, I made the Pro Bowl! I've got a couple of years left in me at least!” With a sigh Bjorn pushed his empty plate aside and placed his elbows on his rich mahogany desk with his hands clasped under his chin. “I know you're still playing well Kacey, but you're pushing your luck. We're not young anymore and every time you step on that field you risk seriously hurting yourself. Plus what happens when you lose a step and you're not playing well anymore? Do you want the fans to remember how great you were or how far you fell at the end? Don't forget how embarrassing the end of Blett Falve's career was, I don't want you to follow in his footsteps. Plus you can't play football forever, you should have a plan for what you want to do once you put your cleats away for good. Retire while you're on top and come work for me! You would be the perfect face of my... organization. The people love you, you would be great for our image!” Bjorn ended this spiel with great enthusiasm, even bringing his fist down emphatically on his desk, causing everything on it to shake, despite how sturdy the desk was.
Kacey looked down at his half eaten salad and contemplated Bjorn's offer for a minute. “I know I can't play forever but I also know I would regret it if I retired now, I need to play for at least one more season. As for working for you... You're a great friend Bjorn, you always have been. I have nothing but love and respect for you as a person. I just don't know if I could ever be the face of an organization that does things that I don't condone, it would really feel like selling out. I mean, look at Mississippi, that's not something I want to be the posterboy for.” At this Bjorn's eyes narrowed and he sneered as he glanced towards the giant wall of smoke to the East. “I believe you are referring to the Great Wasteland of Eastern Louisiana. You know how I feel about the M-word. And those aren't the sort of... projects of which I would have you be the face. I want you to be the model of the new NSFL, the beacon leading my vision of the future of the league!! I know with you backing the changes I'm implementing that the rest of the league will quickly fall in line behind you. I can't think of a more respected player in recent memory. Plus there is nobody else I would rather work with in this capacity. You and I could be kings of the future NSFL!”
Kacey was silent again as his mind was filled with thoughts about what exactly Bjorn had in store for the league. He knew that Ironside was already effectively the controlling force of the league. After the old commissioner had retired Bjorn... influenced the league into installing the new commissioner, Blake Pawn, who was essentially a figurehead entirely controlled by Bjorn. With the commissioner under his thumb and most of the league either coerced into following him or removed from power by him, Ironside was left as the most powerful controlling force the league had ever seen. And the public and ninety nine percent of the league had no idea, which is exactly what Ironside wanted. With this power he had implemented the spreadsheet policy he had spoken of, which dictated that not only did every manager and home office employee of the league had to follow his spreadsheets in their day to day work lives but they even had to use his ridiculous spreadsheet of spreadsheets in order to organize their spreadsheets. On top of this he had established an analyst and scouting company that he forced every team to employ from. He then chose what scouts and analysts went were and what information they gave their respective teams. He used this to basically ensure that the teams he wanted to win or lose did so. He was able to rig everything from the draft to the Ultimus with the power he had acquired. And this didn't even get into the other side of his business, which was even shadier and more mysterious. Mississippi was just the beginning; Kacey only knew about that one because it was obvious. Bjorn had always made his hatred of the state clear to Kacey and had called him to his office at the dreaded hour of his plan being implemented. It's a moment that would be scarred into his brain forever; Ironside had brought salting the Earth to a whole new level.
Bjorn rhythmically tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently, hammering a staccato of sound into the air as he awaited Kacey's answer. “I'm still not sure about this Bjorn. As nice as that sounds and as much as I would enjoy working with you again, I'm not sure I that this is something I can get behind. I don't even know what you have planned for the league and it honestly kind of scares me,” Kacey began, glancing to the East again, “ Besides, I had always kind of thought that I would get into coaching someday. I don't think I can entirely leave the field behind me, surely you understand that right?”
Bjorn steepled his fingers between his eyes and glared around them. “Kacey, you are my oldest and best friend I have left. I want nothing but the best for you and our friendship. But you should know by now how I feel about people saying no to me. Even our friendship will only protect you from that for so long. Remember, I brought you into this league, I can take you out of it again,” he said sinisterly, the implication hanging in the air as silence filled the room for a few fitful seconds. “But let's table this discussion for now, I hate being like this with you. Besides we'll ruin our lunch! I'll send the details of my offer to your agent and we can discuss my proposal more later after you've gotten to look at the details together. Now how have you been otherwise, still living that sad lonely life alone in your loft?”
Glad to have the tension removed from the conversation Kacey tossed back his head and laughed, perhaps a bit too forcefully. “I have never told you it was lonely or sad if I recall! But yes, I do still live alone in my loft and it's not so bad. I have been thinking about getting a dog or something, it would be nice to have a little bit of company.” Bjorn scoffed and practically exploded, “Oh come on, you and I both know you haven't been the same since Eileen! Neither a dog nor all the time you spend with your fans is going to fill the void she left in your heart and your apartment. You know I'm right about this” Despite how cold and calculating he could be at times, Ironside did still have a sentimental good side to him. This is why Kacey remained good friends with him, despite his somewhat tyrannical nature in the league. His tone softened and Bjorn continued, “You need to move on old friend. What you're doing to yourself just isn't healthy. Hell, thank god you're so committed to maintaining your health and fitness, I worry you'd be hitting the bottle otherwise. But this isn't much better.” Kacey groaned at this emotional tirade; he knew that Bjorn had good intentions but this was something he had regularly heard every now and then during these lunch meetings and it was growing a little old. Eileen was Kacey's wife; she had passed away 3 years ago while carrying their child. Kacey pushed the memories to the back of his mind and tried to casually rub his eyes that were starting to tear up. “I know what you're saying here Bjorn, what you've been saying and I appreciate it. But this isn't something I can just make go away. I don't know if it ever will.” Bjorn scoffed again and exclaimed, “Well you could at least try to get over it! It's not too late for you to get back out there man, try to meet someone! We're not as young as we used to be, you don't have that much time left for that sort of thing.” Bjorn paused and lowered his tone to nearly a whisper, “I don't want to see you wasting away alone in that apartment for the rest of your life, you know?” Kacey nodded and stood up, trying not to lose it. This was the only time he saw Bjorn like this. He was usually so cold and analytical, it was a little off putting to see him be so caring.
“I'll think about it, you know I'll get there eventually. I really should be going though, this has lasted longer than I expected it to and I'm supposed to be meeting my agent soon. Plus I still need to do my mental gymnastics,” Kacey blurted out hastily, his words almost incoherent as they clamored to escape from his mouth just as he ached to escape from this situation and this conversation. Bjorn chuckled, “You're still doing those damn things huh? Well I guess they seem to work for you, you're as sharp as ever. Just one more reason to come work for me! Seriously, the paperwork will be with your agent by the time you get there, take a look at it. This is more than just you becoming another puppet to control, I'm looking to make you a partner. You'd be set for life so just do me a favor and think about it.” They warrior clasped again and Kacey nodded, “I will, I just need some time to process everything. I'll catch you next week Ironside.”
As ABS led him out of the office Kacey saw Commissioner Pawn sitting on one of the benches in the antechamber. He was fidgeting as if trying to find a comfortable way to sit, an impossible task if Dream ever saw one. Kacey nodded as he walked past and the commissioner rushed into the office as if he needed to suckle at the teat of Ironside's power. It was quite the establishment that his friend had made for himself in a short time, no doubt extremely impressive. It was just disturbing to Kacey to think about the goals and methods his long time friend had used to get there.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 3
The Working Legs[/div]
Kacey walked out of the Iron Tower and was immediately buffeted by the wall of humidity waiting there to greet him. The sun had finally managed to cut it's way through the smog or fog or smoke... or whatever it was. Kacey had been in the climate controlled confines of Bjorn's office for too long and had to take a second to catch his breath. Sometimes it felt like you could drown in the air on the best Louisiana days. On the worst ones you just didn't go outside. AVS was waiting for him with the Stingray, as expected. Kacey jokingly stuck a 5 dollar bill into one of the clamps that AVS used to operate vehicles. He knew he would hear about it from Ironside later. Kacey drove back to his apartment and had a snack of vegetables and hummus while he did his “mental gymnastics”. They were online exercises that he did every day to keep his brain and eyes sharp. Being able to see and process the field at an extremely high level was an advantage he had always had and he wanted to maintain that. He glanced at the stack of mail he had to go through but decided to wait til tonight to take care of it. He only had an hour before his meeting with his agent and he wanted to relax a little before that.
His apartment was almost bare around him, it contained only what was needed to be functional. There was a bed, a nightstand and a dresser in his bedroom with no decorations or anything else. The nightstand had only a lamp, a novel and occasionally a glass of water on it. There was a recliner and a television in the living room that barely got used. The kitchen had the necessities to maintain his diet; a blender, a few pans and mixing bowls. No microwave or toaster, nothing the average person used every day. The dining room contained a small round table and a single chair. This is where his laptop perched so he got to browse the news and do his mental exercises while he ate. Kacey actually spent little time in his apartment and it showed. As Ironside had astutely pointed out earlier, Kacey tended to fill his life with football, between spending time with fans, meeting with his agent and maintaining a strict workout regimen.
Kacey finished his snack, shut down his laptop and reluctantly made his way down to his vehicle again. He normally looked forward to meeting with his agent, a hardworking man who he had a great deal of respect for. Emile Dalon was as honest a man as Kacey had ever met; he represented a quarter of the players in the league and was one of the few people brave enough to stand up to the powers that be(Bjorn). And he actually got away with it too. He had actually been Ironside's agent when he was still playing and he still possessed some pull over the shadow commissioner. However, Kacey was dreading going over Bjorn's proposal with Emile. He was afraid that Emile might actually push him to accept it.
Emile lived in the Garden District past the Iron Tower, so Kacey got to drive under it's shadow on his way there. It's presence made it feel like Bjorn was always there watching, looking down on you. Upon thinking about it Kacey realized that once again this was probably a desired effect that Bjorn had created on purpose. He pulled up to the wrought iron fence surrounding Emile's estate and hit the buzzer. Emile's house was typical of the houses in the area, closer to mansions then anything else, tucked away amidst the homes of celebrities and politicians. The buzzer went off and the gate opened for him. As he pulled up into the driveway the front door opened and Emile stepped out. A classic Cajun, Emile's family had resided in New Orleans for generations. Many of the old population had moved away years ago after Hurricane Katrina but not Emile. He was one of the few who refused to give up his stake in this great city.
“Well now, how ya doing on this here fine summer day? You living the Dream?,” Emile greeted Kacey unabashedly. His sense of humor was obtuse at the best of times and infuriating at the worst. He had used this joke nearly every time he saw Kacey, it wasn't funny the first time and it wasn't funny now. “Surviving the nightmare more like,” Kacey replied, forcing himself to grin back at the good-natured agent. “How are things going in your neck of the woods Emile?” “Oh you know, business as usual in these parts. Why don't you come on inside, I just made a fresh batch of sweet tea, why don't you come have some? Suhhhhweeeet James Jones was here earlier, I made it especially for him,” Emile said as he chortled to himself. Once again Kacey forced himself to laugh along with the old codger. “You know it has been a minute since I've had some of your sweet tea, I do believe that it would hit the spot in this heat.” Emile guffawed and retorted, “You call this heat young'un? You haven't seen anything yet, NOLA's got a lot more in store for you.” Kacey shook his head and replied, “I have lived in New Orleans for ten years now Emile, I think I know when it's hot at this point.” Emile wagged his finger in Kacey's face and stood his ground. “You've lived a pampered life in Louisiana as a rich boy and you know it. Try slumming it with the common folk and tell me how hot it is out here.” Knowing better than to argue further Kacey followed Emile inside and accepted the glass of sweet tea. It really was some of the best he had ever had, like only a true southerner could make.
“So what do you have for me today Emile? It's been nearly a month since I've seen you, I feel like it's going to be a doozy this time.” “HA! You've got that right, I'm not sure we'll have time for all of it today honestly. Especially with what I got from Mister Ironside earlier...” The goofy facade melted away from Emile and he stared piercingly at Kacey as if to get a sense of how the younger man felt about the offer. Or if he even knew about it. He continued, “But we'll get to that in a bit, for now I want to go over your contract offers and endorsements first. Seeing as you're a free agent this year you've got a lot more to think about than most seasons.” As Emile was about to get into what could only be assumed to be the pitches from all of the teams that wanted to sign him, Kacey spoke up before he could start. “Emile, I've been with the Second Line damn near my whole career, you know I want to retire with them. I don't see much point in entertaining other offers. I've only got a couple of years left in me anyway.” Once again that telltale guffaw escaped from Emile's mouth as he exclaimed, “Well that's exactly my point young man! This is your LAST contract and you need to make it a good one. Even though you know you're going to sign with New Orleans and I know you're going to sign with New Orleans, all those other teams don't know it and neither does New Orleans. And we're going to keep it that way! You need to get as fat a contract as you can from the Second Line so you have a nest egg to live off of.” Kacey rolled his eyes, “That's what all of my endorsements are for Emile. Besides, I want to win another Ultimus and it's going to be a lot harder to do that if I'm sucking my team dry.” With a sigh Emile put his stack of paperwork down and looked intently at Kacey. “You know my man, you're one of the last class acts around here and I really respect that. But this league is all about making money and taking advantage of the little man and the New Orleans management is no exception to that. They're all in Mister Ironside's pockets and trying to squeeze us dry, so we gotta squeeze them right back! That's the only thing keeping me from retiring, somebody has got to be around to fight back.”
“Alright fine, you win, I just don't want to be involved in the process, I leave it to your discretion. Get what you can for me but just make sure I'm playing with the Second Line again next year. Now what about the endorsements?” Emile reached to the side and picked up a hefty folder separate from the rest. “Actually since we're on the subject anyway I want to discuss Mister Ironside's proposal before we talk about your endorsements. I don't know how much of the details you know but I'll tell you right now; I think you should accept it.” Kacey groaned once again and wondered how this day had gone so far off the rails. “I was afraid of that. Alright I heard his pitch earlier, now give me yours.” Emile handed the folder over to Kacey, “Go over this tonight, I want to see you about it tomorrow. Just know that he is offering you a lot of pull in his system. I think this is the best chance we've ever had to make a real difference in this league. As much as he is wanting to use you to change things you can use him to make just as much of a difference. You're the only one that he is really close to, the only one that I think he would actually listen to about certain things. You have a real chance to fix things from the inside, the first real chance we've had since things have gone so sideways.” Hearing this and realizing how much sense it made Kacey sighed, “I'll look at it tonight and I'll think about it but I'm going to tell you what I told Bjorn. I'm a football player, I'm meant to be on that field in one way or another. I have no interest in being a part of league politics and I also don't really like the idea of being the face of his organization. Even if I am changing things it will still feel like I'm endorsing things that I cannot bring myself to be a part.” Emile walked over to refill Kacey's glass and said solemnly, “Sadly son, sometimes you have to get in the muck and the murk and bring yourself down to their level to make a difference. It doesn't make you like them but it does leave a stain that you can't get rid of, I know from experience. I also know from experience that the good work you can do is worth it. Just think about it for me. Now let's get into these endorsements.”
Kacey left the estate having accepted about half the endorsements offered to him, leaving him several million dollars richer. Adidas had a new campaign for his shoe line,”Don't be afraid to chase your Dreams.” Otherwise it was several local businesses, which Kacey always chose to support. A lot of them were the usual suspects such as mattress companies and sleep medication. However he wasn't thinking about his endorsement or new contract as he drove away. He was stuck with a feeling of foreboding about the thick folder sitting in the passenger seat with him.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 4
The Heart's Heart[/div]
Kacey drove back to his apartment and began preparing his usual dinner, roasted vegetables and a chicken breast. As he sat down to eat he looked at the news, procrastinating at examining the proposal from Bjorn. Upon finding the news dissatisfying once again, he closed his computer and decided to go through his mail instead of the proposal. There was the usual amounts of fan mail, some of it his usual correspondence with his die hard fans. He began replying to these one by one with hand written letters. He always wanted to give a personal touch back to those who bothered to write to him. As he got to the end of the pile the last thing that remained was the mysterious package that he had noticed this morning. His fans sent him gifts all the time but it was usual to receive one that was unmarked; most fans wanted him to know who was sending it
For the size of the box it was quite light. He opened it and was surprised to find that it was mostly filled with packing paper. Nestled in the paper was an envelope with his name on it and a single red glove, the deep crimson red of blood. The letter smelled of honeysuckle and was actually sealed with a kiss; the lipstick was the same shade as the glove. I know you have suspicious friends in high places Mister Dream and I know you are unsure how to proceed with them. I have information to discuss with you about your good friend Bjorn Ironside and his little offer. Meet meat 9 tonight at the bar of Pat O' Brien's. I'll be wearing this glove's mate. -Scarlett
Kacey had received a lot of unusual mail in the past but this was up there. Asking to meet was relatively commonplace but this Scarlett seemed to have personal information about him that she shouldn't. Hell he had just received the offer from Bjorn today, how on Earth did she know about it? After some deliberation Kacey decided that it would be best to see what she had to say. Pat O' Brien's was a very public place and it shouldn't be any trouble meeting someone there. Seeing as it was only 6 Kacey had some time to kill so he reluctantly began going through the proposal. He was not surprised to find that it was meticulously detailed and absolutely filled with spreadsheets. At times it was hard to decipher the analytical jargon and tell exactly what Bjorn was trying to say. Kacey suspected that this was intentional. After about an hour of reading though Kacey decided that it felt like Ironside was asking him to be the middleman for his affairs, both the straight and nefarious kind. While Ironside was as crooked as a dowsing rod he did possess a heart under all that cold calculating greed. There was actually some charity work discussed in here and Kacey didn't even think it was a front for anything. There was randomly enough a charity dedicated to saving several different species of penguin in the midst of the severe climate change happening around the world. Some of it involved trying to reduce emissions or reverse climate change and some of it actually dealt with relocating entire populations of penguins to a more suitable environment. It was actually a massive organization and as far as Kacey could tell Bjorn did not profit from it at all. In fact, a good deal of Ironside's private fortune was dedicated to these causes. While Ironside had single handedly destroyed the state of Mississippi and wiped it off the map and public record, he also had numerous charities to provide support and assistance for the families and former residents who were forced out of the state. They were found new homes and jobs, the majority of them actually found themselves in a better situation than they were in the former poverty stricken state. Again, Kacey thought this was on purpose; everything Bjorn did was done with intent.
After going over the proposal for a couple of hours Kacey was even more unsure of what course he wanted to take than before. He was starting to think that maybe Emile was right, maybe it would be in the best interest of EVERYONE if he took this position. He decided to sleep on it and discuss it some more with Emile tomorrow. As he went to his closet to grab his coat and hat he caught the box on the floor of his closet in the corner of his eye. Inside was the last evidence of Eileen ever having been part of his life, outside of his memories of course. He couldn't bare to get rid of the last of her personal effects and photos but he also couldn't stand to look at them on a regular basis. So he tucked them away in here. Once again he blinked the tears away and refocused on the task at hand. He needed to figure out what exactly this mystery woman wanted from him. He took the elevator down to the lobby, bid goodnight to Baxter and hailed a cab down to the French Quarter. He didn't fancy driving down there or trying to find a parking spot, even on a Wednesday night. Plus he didn't exactly feel comfortable leaving his Stingray unattended down there while he was in Pat O'Brien's. Thankfully the cabbie didn't recognize him so he didn't have to deal with signing autographs or anything like that. It was pretty rare to be able to be out in public and actually get some peace and quiet. He wasn't expecting this to last once he got to the bar.
The cab driver dropped him off at the back entrance and Kacey tipped him handsomely. As he stepped out of the cab he popped his collar up and did his best to hide behind it. It was still extremely warm out despite the sun having gone done and the suit and coat were very uncomfortable. But Kacey still wanted to look his best and he also wanted to avoid as much attention from the masses as he could. When he walked into the bar he was hit by a dense wall of smoke. He actually greeted it, it made hiding in public a lot easier, even if it did make it even harder than normal to breathe the New Orleans air. He glanced around the bar didn't see a woman wearing the other half of the glove he carried in his chest pocket so managed to find a couple of of seats at the bar and ordered a drink. Normally on the rare occasion that he drank Kacey would stick to beer but this was Pat O'Briens, so he ordered a hurricane instead. It was only 8:30 so he still had to wait around a bit. He wanted to get here early to get comfortable and gather his thoughts about the situation. From the sounds of the letter, this Scarlett didn't exactly have good intentions towards his friend Bjorn. On the other hand she probably had every right to be upset with Ironside, any malice she possessed was probably entirely deserved. Kacey ached to just be back on the football field where things were easy and made sense. This whole situation with Bjorn was spiraling more and more out of control. He felt like a kid stuck on an out of control carnival ride.
He was about a third of the way through his drink when he noticed someone walk in out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look and her entrance hit him like rain hits a sidewalk on a hot summer day; she left him steaming. With red hair flowing down her back to her waist and a red dress to match her single red glove, she really lived up to her name. It was rare to see this kind of gorgeous walking around on the streets and it took Kacey a minute to recover. She stole his breathe faster than the Louisiana air could at it's muggiest. She noticed him staring at her and saw her gloves partner strick out of his chest pocket, a stark contrast to his navy blue suit. She sashayed over to him, her hips swaying in a way that was mesmerizing to him. He hadn't felt this was in a long time and he knew it was dangerous.
She walked up to him, gently placed her bare hand on his chest and slowly pulled the glove out of his pocket with the other hand. “Well hullo there Mister Dreamy, I wasn't expecting you to live up to your name so well. Is this here seat taken Suga'?” And she gestured to the seat that she must have known he was saving for her. He was not expecting to have gotten this flustered by her and it took him a second to shake it off and respond in a reasonable manner.
“Um, well, no it's not,” he stammered initially before regaining his normally suave demeanor, “ Actually come to think of it, it is taken. I've been saving it for you so I guess you're the one who's taken it.” She smiled slyly, and with a sultry look on her face that made it really hard for Kacey to focus on why they were here in the first place she sat down. She made it a point to sit extremely close to him, about as close as she could sit without actually touching him. She smelled exactly as her letter did, of honeysuckle. The scent cut through the air of smoke and alcohol like a knife through butter. It was the sweetest thing he had ever smelled. “Well aren't you quite the gentleman, I wasn't expecting you to be so smooth either! Aren't you going to ask me what I'm drinking though?” she said in a low purr as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Kacey almost felt like he was having an out of body experience. He could plainly see that he was at her beck and call, that he was putty in her arms and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. It's like she had a spell over him, and knowing how things worked in this parts, he supposed a little bit of hoodoo wasn't exactly out of the question.
Desperately trying to clear his mind and failing, he asked, “Well now, did you want something other than a Hurricane? I mean, I'll get you whatever you like but it's almost a shame to get anything else here.” She giggled surreptitiously, “Nah dawlin', a Hurricane would see me right as rain. Go ahead and order for me and then we can get down to business huh?” As she said this her fingers continued to dance delicately on his shoulder, dragging sensually down his arm when she was done. Every nerve in Kacey's body screamed that this woman was trouble but he just didn't care anymore. He called the bartender over, ordered her a hurricane and once again tipped handsomely when it came.
As she started sipping on her drink he managed to focus enough to ask her, “About that 'business', what exactly do you want from me and Bjorn? And how do you even know the things you know?” She gave him that luscious smile once again and said, “Well now, you aren't exactly one to beat around, the bush huh? That is just a shame, I could have done with some beating around the bush myself.” With this she put her hand on Kacey's knee and he flushed hot, the world seeming to spin around him for a moment. “Well I suppose we can go ahead and get into it if you don't have any more time for me at the moment. I'll just have to come back for some more of you,” she said with a wink. Her tone went from flirtatious to serious in a heartbeat however and her voice dropped to a furtive whisper, “Well as for how I know what I know, I'm part of a... group that has been keeping tabs on Mister Ironside. Despite what he might think, his precious technology can be compromised just as any person can be and we have gained access to some of his plans. Including the proposal that he gave to you. Now that is of extreme interest to us, because as we see it, he would be giving some of his power and authority to somebody else for the first time: you, Mister Dreamy. And we see you being in a unique position to potentially take Mister Ironside down in a way that the NSFL and our poor government have completely failed to do. The man is too smart to be caught, too careful to leave any solid evidence of his misdeeds laying around. Even with you working for him on the inside we don't think you would be able to collect any solid evidence against him. As far as we are concerned, he doesn't allow any such evidence to exist. Therefore, we think it's in everyone's best interest for you to perform a hostile takeover after you have accepted his proposal. With our resources on the outside and your influence on the inside we think that we could finally manage to wrest control of the league and his company from him. With your assistance of course.”
After being bombarded with this deluge of serious implications from Scarlett, Kacey managed to somewhat snap himself out of his torpor. “So why should I accept a job I don't want and betray the best friend I have in this world for a group of people that I don't even know? I realize that Bjorn has his faults and that he has done some things I don't exactly support, but as far as I know you are no better. You won't even tell me who exactly this mysterious 'we' you speak of are! Better to go to bed with the villain that I know than one I don't. Or maybe I could just not go to bed with a villain at all!” He was finally beginning to feel a little more like himself when she squeezed his leg and whispered in his ear, “Now where is the fun in that?” Kacey felt his world spinning again as she continued, “In all seriousness, if you must know, the majority of us consist of displaced residents of Mississippi who resent the fact that he thought he knew what was best for us and forced our 'relocation' on us whether we liked it or not. We wouldn't have needed these charities he has set up for us if he had just left well enough alone. There are also several members of the NSFL who are tired of the stranglehold he has on the league and would like to see some changes in that dynamic. That's where you come in. You can't exactly undo what he did to our home state but maybe you could keep it from happening again and you can definitely help make some changes in the dynamic of the league." Kacey sighed and took a big pull on his drink. "I'm not sure why everyone seems to think I'm the person who can make these changes happen, who can magically make everything better. I'm just a washed up football player who happens to have a slightly evil friend in high places. If you so badly want something done about Bjorn than I suggest you take this to the authorities." Scarlett sneered contemptuously at this,"Really? You know as well as I do that the authorities don't have any authority over themselves, let alone anyone else. The government has been shut down for months and we all know corporate hotshots like Bjorn are the ones funding and controlling the powers that be now. If we were to go to the 'authorities' with this we might as well be going straight to Bjorn with it. And we all know how that would turn out, we would end up just like the state we were forced to evacuate. The sad fact of the matter Mister Dreamy, is that we can only rely on each other in this case and you are the only one with any real power to help our cause. So think about it, would ya? Here is my card, give me a call when you make a decision. Or ya know, if you wanna get another drink and maybe have a good time." She handed him a crimson card with gold calligraphy on it. Scarlett Bronson. And of course it smelled heavily of honeysuckle and magnolia. With that she gave him smile that only left him wanting more and walked out of the bar, her hips swaying back and forth like the deck of a ship on a tumultuous sea. He couldn't help but watch her walk away and just before she walked through the threshold she glanced back at him and smirked, as if she knew the whole time that he was watching her. And just like that she was gone.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Chapter 5[/div]
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Idle hands are tied by the devil[/div]
Kacey finished his hurricane and stumbled out of the bar in a daze. He felt a little better once he got out of the hazy environment of the bar, the slightly cleaner air helped clear his head a little as he was walking toward the street to call a cab home he noticed a dark man who had been leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette outside move toward him. The man wore a trench coat and a hat with the brim pulled low so it was hard to make out his features. It definitely seemed like the man was coming Kacey though and he felt a shot of adrenaline flood his system as he was instantly put on edge. He tensed up and prepared to turn on the mysterious man if necessary.
He was somewhat surprised though to hear a gravelly voice come from behind him, "Mister Dream? Could I perhaps have a word in private?" Kacey inwardly sighed and turned around. "I guess that depends on what exactly you want to discuss and where." Kacey eyed the man after saying this. Aside from his attire he was a mostly nondescript man of average height and features. The one thing that stood out about him upon closer inspection was a nasty looking scar across his neck, which probably accounted for the gravel in his voice.
"Well we can speak wherever you feel comfortable and as for the what… I'm sure you have a pretty good guess. Let's just say it's to do with the meetings you've had today." Kacey was silent for a moment as the man stared earnestly at him. He might have been approached under unusual circumstances but this man actually seemed to have a trustworthy nature about him.
"Alright, one more thing before I agree to anything; who the hell are you?" Kacey demanded from this mysterious stranger. Now it was the strange man's turn to pause before he shrugged, "Well I suppose there's no harm in telling. I'm Raymond Amyx and I'm an FBI agent, or I would be if the government were actually worth a damn. We've been shut down for months though so I guess I'm just an average Joe."
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