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Thaddeus Duke · (07-07-2017)

[duke]Tuesday, July 4, 2017 | 5:17 PM | Residence of John Carter | Frankfort, Kentucky [/duke]

The dark blue Lincoln Continental rolls to a stop in a quaint little neighborhood outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. Looking at the small ranch style house, its easy for one to assume that its a home any teacher or policeman or any other unsung hero may live. This one belongs to John Carter, principal at Dolly Waters' high school.
The stars and stripes flaps proudly in the light breeze as it remains firmly attached to a post on the front porch. Cars line the driveway and its obvious to anyone with a brain that an Independence Day celebration is happening here. It’s a common thing in these United States. Americans look for any excuse they can to get drunk and grill animals. How much of it is an actual love of country though versus just dressing up in the red the white and the blue because its what they feel they’re supposed to do? How many of those celebrating their Americanism today, vowed last fall to leave for Canada when the Great Orange Hope won the American election?

”Let me do the talking,” says Lincoln Tritter to Thaddeus as he puts the car in park and shuts off the engine.

”It’s a bit hot. Could you leave the engine running?” Jim asks from the backseat.

”There’s probably some drunk rednecks here that might want have a go at professional athlete,” Tritter says as he restarts the Lincoln and blasts the air conditioning. ”It’s probably best you both stay here.”

Thaddeus turns his head away from the passenger front window toward Tritter. He shuts down the engine again and removes the keys. [duke]”No, we’re all going.”[/duke]

”It’s really not a...” Tritter begins before realizing he’s being completely ignored.

Thaddeus exits the car and James follows him.

”Fuck,” Tritter mutters to himself as he exits the car. ”Fine, but just let me do the talking,” he says as he straightens up his tie and elects to leave his suit jacket behind, leaving his dual gun holsters visible and looking very much like a police detective.

Tritter steps onto the curb and approaches the home. At the porch he peaks through the screen door into the home and doesn’t see a soul. ”Everyone is out back,” Tritter says as he makes he way along the porch and down the single step to the driveway. At the edge of the driveway is a seven foot privacy fence between the house and the detached two car garage. He opens the gate and steps through, Thaddeus and James follow close.

A young man, not more than 25 years of age sits on a lawn chair sipping on a Budweiser just a couple feet away and Tritter approaches him. Thaddeus and Jim stay near the gate as Tritter asks the man about John Carter. Loud country music nearly drowns him out. ”Sir I’m looking for John Carter, can you point him out?” The man hesitates as he eyeballs Tritter and his pistols hanging at his side. He points toward the grill out in the backyard. ”Red shirt?” The man nods. ”Thank you.”

Tritter advances through the yard toward the grill master in his red shirt. Thaddeus and Jim trail him. ”John Carter?” Tritter asks as he extends his hand to the man flipping burgers on the grill in his red ‘Make America Great Again’ t-shirt.

”Who’s askin’?” asks John Carter as he lowers the grill lid.

”Lincoln Tritter, private investigator,” Tritter says as Carter accepts the handshake.

”You don’t look like a private investigator,” says the man roughly the same size as Tritter. Around six, three and north of 200 pounds. Though not nearly as lean or as muscular as Tritter is. ”I didn’t thing private dicks walk around with guns at their sides.

”It’s a specialized practice, Mr. Carter, often very dangerous.”

[green]”Would you and your friends like a beer? I got burgers and dogs over on the table too if y’all are hungry. Mi casa es su casa!” says Carter as he takes a gulp from his beer can.

”Could we talk in private?”

John Carter eyeballs Thaddeus then returns his attention to Tritter. ”Sure, let’s go inside.” Carter hands over his spatula to a friend nearby and leads the trio into the house through the back door. Once inside the house, Carter leads them through the kitchen and into the living room where Carter offers up seats that no one takes. ”I know why you’re here,” Carter says, looking at Thaddeus. ”At least partially.”

[duke]”You know who I am?”[/duke]

”Sure, your face is on a hundred t-shirts a day at school,” he states. ”This is about Miss Waters. But, I can assure you, I don’t know much.”

”What do you know?”

”I expelled her from school for assaulting another student.”

[duke]”That doesn’t make any sense,”[/duke] Thaddeus retorts. [duke]”School let out a month ago.”[/duke]

”It was the last day of school,” he answers back. ”Son, forgive me, but what is your name? I remember faces, hardly names.”

[duke]”Thaddeus Duke,”[/duke] he replies while extending his hand which Carter accepts.

”Son, you don’t understand the gravity of the situation. Dolly Waters didn’t just beat up this boy, she damn near killed him. In fact, he only left the hospital just yesterday.”

[duke]”Who was the victim?”[/duke]

”Huh uh. No way. There’s no way I’m releasing that information.”

”Do you know her whereabouts?”

”Last I heard, she fled when confronted by Kentucky State Police. I don’t know much more than that, I’m afraid.”

”Mr. Carter I do apologize for the intrusion and I thank you kindly for your cooperation.”

”It’s no problem at all. I’m happy to help, but I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.”

Carter starts to lead the trio toward the front screen door. ”If I were you, Mr. Duke, I’d leave that little girl in the past. She’s a danger to herself and to others,” he rations.

Thaddeus grits his teeth, biting back his instant fury.

”Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was found dead in a gutter somewhere. What’s more, is if she were, the world would be just a little better off.”

Thaddeus is immediately enraged. He bursts through Jim and Tritter and delivers a stiff right fist to Carter’s jaw causing him to stumble and fall through the screen door. Carter lies on his back on the front porch, clutching his blood covered mouth.

Thaddeus stands over Carter and kneels down, bending at the knees. [duke]”Now, John Carter, I want you to remember my face. I want you to remember my name. Because if anything happens to, or HAS happened to her, I promise you I’ll be back here.

“It’ll be you, staring at this pretty face as I cause you a whoooollle lotta hurt and pain. And I don’t make idle threats.”[/duke]

Tritter grabs Thaddeus by the arm and Thaddeus shoves him off then gets back to an upright position. [duke]”Maybe you should ask yourself, John, WHY she snapped out. Maybe look into it. I’m sure you’d understand.”[/duke] Thaddeus heads to the car and Jim follows close behind. Tritter lingers for a second and pulls out his wallet. He drops a handful of hundred dollar bills onto John Carter.

”For your trouble, Mr. Carter.

“He’s a good kid, but damn don’t ever threaten or talk ill of his friends. He does have a mean streak. And I kinda like it,” Tritter concludes as he heads toward the awaiting Continental.

Once in the car, Thaddeus hands over the keys and Tritter starts the engine as he pulls out his phone and makes a call. ”Joe, its Lincoln,” he begins. ”Remember all the hospital and police logs I had you get into?

“Yeah, I’ll need all those names sent to me as soon as possible.

“Uhhhh, yeah include the nut houses.

“Thanks.” Tritter hangs up the phone. As he does so, the files start coming through immediately.

[duke]”If she’s in a hospital or something, she wouldn’t use her real name. She’s too smart for that,”[/duke] Thaddeus says as he stretches out his fingers and rubs his bloodied knuckles. [duke]”Give me some names that fit her description.”[/duke]

Fifteen minutes roll by with Tritter rattling off names and descriptions that fit Dolly Waters. None of them stick out in his mind and Thaddeus let’s him continue.

”Jane Dauphin, minor, Caucasian, dark hair. Ally Worsted, minor, Caucasian light hair. Zoe Burns, minor, Caucasian, light hair. Nicole Barrett...”

[duke]”Wait, go back!”[/duke]

”Zoe Burns...”

[duke]”Before that one.”[/duke]

”Ally Worsted. A minor, white and light colored hair.”

Thaddeus quickly goes to his phone and pulls up his twitter account and starts searching through past tweets. [duke]”THAT’S HER!”[/duke] he shouts excitedly.

”How can you be sure?”

[duke]”I mentioned her in a tweet a little while back. A person named Ally Worsted quoted it and asked how I was showing up in her feed.”[/duke]

”Okay, but that doesn’t...”

Thaddeus laughs, interrupting Lincoln. [duke]”You sly little bitch! Ally Worsted is an anagram. It’s Dolly Waters, all jumbled up.”[/duke]

Tritter looks down at his phone and does the math quickly and can’t help but smile.

[duke]”That was her way, of telling me how to find her.”[/duke]

”Pretty smart,” Tritter says with a smile. ”Eastern State Hospital in Lexington.” Lincoln puts the car in drive and speeds off quickly.

...To Be Continued...

[duke]That’s a touching story, James. It really is. You fly from the great white north to Arizona to see Tyler whom your ex-wife decrees you don’t see enough of. It’s got to be tough, ya know, coming back after all that time away…

Actually that begs a question. You’ve only been back here for a couple of months, yet you still barely see your son? I mean, you can cover your tracks and say ‘well yeah but Mia only meant since my return.’ Maybe, but she said it herself that her and Tyler lived in there for 5 years so, obviously even in that time away from the XWF and wrestling in general, you still barely went and saw your son? C’mon James. That boy obviously looks up to you. Why aren’t you the father that Tyler deserves? If it were me, Tyler would be my primary focus day in and day out. Lives get hectic and busy and I know that. I’m young but I’m not stupid. Hell, bring him to Savage. I’d happily give him selfies and autographs from his favorite wrestler. Just because I’m about to beat his dad doesn’t mean I can’t still be a nice guy.

What can I say? I have a soft spot for kids, since I are one, really.

James Raven owes Thaddeus Duke nothing. He never owed me anything and I never said he did, yet that’s the first thing coming from his semen stained mouth. “I don’t owe you anything.” I’ve obviously rattled his cage and good. I’m good at rattling cages. I’m good at baiting people and luring them into traps. You’re not any different. Legend this, title there, winner of that. You’re still a man full of pride and ego. You’re still a man capable of mistakes.

And you made it.

Wanting me to remind you where in your contract is stipulates that you should probably focus your talents on the way, way, way larger threat to you and your ego than beating a worthless, witless, mostly winless Barney Green is NOT my job, but it’s a mistake to treat me as if I were on equal footing with that fat slob. It’s a mistake to look at me and not see a viable threat to you yet you do it anyway.

You should beat Barney Green. You should do it easily and convincingly. Beating me? It won’t be so easy. It won’t be so convincing. You’re in for undoubtedly your toughest single match since your return. I won’t deny it’ll be equally as tough for me because that’s not my way. It’s not my thing to puff out my chest and pretend that I’m impervious to mistakes. NO ONE is mistake free. Not ever.

You can point out my embarrassing first reign as Xtreme champion when I was rolled up post-match by that other fat fucking slob Ghost Taint. I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was. I won the match and allowed myself to get distracted while forgetting the 24/7 rule. My mistake. I own it. I don’t sugarcoat and I don’t make excuses. I own my failures as much as I own my successes. Yes I lost to both Doc and Chaos last winter. The thing is, I was still very young in my career and I did not have the experience against the big guns that I have now.

I know it. It’s a fact. But see, the second time around with those two went much differently. Of course, you glaze over that fact and hope I won’t make mention of that. Both failed to beat me in round two. Though I’m not sure anyone but Chris Chaos considers him a big gun these days.

Yes. James Raven speaks and the world listens. So many views on your promo’s but oh wait. I beat you there too. Look at Warfare. Since adding up the total is unfair considering I drop more promos than virtually everyone, use the average. An average of 7.6 million people tuned in to watch a Thaddeus Duke promo. James Raven? 4.8 million. At filming time for Savage, I lead there too. 6.8 million to 6.4 million. Why the sudden increase in viewership for James Raven? Because you’re facing me and for no other reason. That’s how this works, NOW, Jimmy. I am the top of the class of the new school Raven, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. Your opinion of me, doesn’t change my opinion if me. It doesn’t change my fans opinion of me. It doesn’t change Tyler’s opinion of me.

I don’t drop generic insults unless I feel like laughing, James. I choose facts. Stone cold facts. And the fact is, you make the same mistake that Chris Chaos, Reno, Arzegotti, Doc, Graves and so many others have made and that’s underestimate me because of my youth. You’re just the next fool that thinks he has me all figured out.

You have 6 wins in two months. I have 9 in nine. I’ll take my quality wins, over your quantity any day.

Fear the Raven? Pfft.[/duke] Jack scoffs. [duke]I fear nobody. You’re flesh, bone, blood and a little meat to hold it all together. Flesh tears, bones break and blood spills. There’s nothing to fear.[/duke]

OOC: Instead of 90 irl views, I counted as 9 million IC views. Suck it Raven.

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