Wednesday, May 1, 2013 - 6:52 AM EST


I slept well last night. The first time in ages, that I've slept this well. Unfortunately, I had to interrupt my slumber by waking early this morning. I had to prepare for my trip to Universal Studios in sunny Orlando, Florida. I had to prepare for Warfare.

Part of me cringes for having to interrupt my slumber. Part of me cringes because I'll have to step foot on the same sound stage that - years ago - WCW used to use to shoot their crappy third rate wrestling shows.

Another part of me rejoices. Not because I slept well, but because after months of having each and every one of my plans for Jonathan thwarted, now there can be no one causing my plans to fail.

I rejoice, and they don't know why yet. I do. I surely do. Sebastian Duke is back in the saddle. They are in a for a world of hurt. Oh yes, the Angel of Darkness is back on top.

As I sit here in the library sipping on my coffee and enjoying the solitude and the silence, I almost pray to myself that Asmodeus sleeps in. Don't get me wrong, he's my father, and I certainly do love him, but he can definitely be a handful. Just not something I want to handle.

I hear a knock at the door of the library and I instantly swear to myself.

Much to my delight though, it's not Asmodeus that enters, it's Matthew. Good. He's much easier to handle. He takes a seat in the empty chair opposite me on the other side of the small round end table.


MATTHEW: "Good morning, Dux."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "What has you up so early?"

MATTHEW: "Excitement, I think."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Excitement? For what?"

MATTHEW: "The worst part is over."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I'm not sure what you mean."

MATTHEW: "All the traitors that have steadily turned their backs on not only you, but the entire Brotherhood. The worst is over. Not to mention, Jacob has lead us right to where they lay their heads at night."


I say nothing. I cant help but disagree. No, the worst isn't over. In fact, the worst is yet to come. I do understand what he's trying to say though.


MATTHEW: "After months of this chicken s**t game of cat and mouse that they've played, finally the tables have turned. They don't even know it yet, but their backs are against the wall."


Yeah, I definitely understood what he meant. His assumption that the worst is over is wrong. I'll have to straighten that thought out later. Right now though, I'll join him in celebration of this small victory we have before us.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "It is nice, isn't?"

MATTHEW: "Very much so, sir."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "There is still work to be done, but I take great satisfaction of small victory last night."


Much to my chagrin, a call came through to the library. There are very few possibilities as to who it could be. I hit speaker and begin the next phase of this Holy War.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Jacob? Or Jonathan? Which of you pierces my hearing this morning?"

JONATHAN: "Jacobs face is too swollen for you to understand a damn word he says."

MATTHEW: "Tell him, there is definitely more where that came from."

JONATHAN: "Who the hell is that?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "His name is Matthew. You may refer to him as Champ, or Muhammed Ali."

JONATHAN: "I will do no such thing. He is to speak no more. Do you understand?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I'm much too tired of playing this game with you to cave to your demands any longer. If Matt wants to say something, I'm more then happy to allow him."


A pause from the Jonathan. Perhaps the weight of the world is beginning to weaken the fool.


JONATHAN: "I see the two of you are in a jubilant mood. No doubt celebrating your victory last night. Albeit a small one."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Small victory? Big victory? Does it matter? I mean, your little crusade is about to come crashing down."

MATTHEW: "Indeed, there is a chink in your armor, Jon."

JONATHAN: "What are you talking about?"

MATTHEW: "Your house of cards is about to fall."

JONATHAN: "Duke, is he even speaking English?"

MATTHEW: "Tell me. Are you feeling your knees beginning to buckle yet?"

JONATHAN: "Buckle? I... I don't understand at all."


I mouth the words "pull it up" to Matthew and he pulls out his iPad.


JONATHAN: "Somebody say something, damn it!"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "What he's saying is, the tables have turned."

JONATHAN: "Oh? How so?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "For months now, I've been stabbed in the back by so many. I started to question everything and everyone I know. All of that is over."

JONATHAN: "How is it over? I mean, even remotely?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Simple. You have no one left on your side, within my Compound."


A pause from the other end. Matthew has a map pulled up on his iPad and turns it so I can see. It points to a large building on Hartlands Drive near the southern tip of Old Saybrook right on Willard Bay.


JONATHAN: "What makes you think that?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Jake isn't here. You wouldn't have left any of your men here without the biggest traitor of them all. Plus, your inherent pause confirmed that."

"Tell me, how do you like that neighborhood?"

JONATHAN: "What neighborhood?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Hartlands Drive. Right on the bay. Old habits die hard. The calm waters give such tranquility, do they not?"


A much longer pause this time. Perhaps reality is setting in.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "And before you pack everything and everyone up and move across town. Just know that I have an eye in the sky already. It watches every last move you make."

JONATHAN: "How could you possibly..."


His brain can't comprehend that his position has been given away.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "You made a fatal mistake. You allowed Jacob to shoe up here. Alone. He parked his car in my driveway and while he and I talked, I had my buddy Matthew here, attach a GPS locator to the top of his fuel tank."


We can hear him snap his fingers. We both can hear footsteps on the other end of the line. He sent them out to verify, no doubt.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "They'll find it."

MATTHEW: "Told you."

JONATHAN: "Told me what?"

MATTHEW: "The balance of power has shifted."


We can hear a door creak, followed by footsteps, then a thud. As if someone slammed something down on a table.


JONATHAN: "Well played, Duke. Well played."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I thought you might enjoy that."

JONATHAN: "Your definition of enjoyment obviously differs from mine at this point, but nonetheless. I have to give it to you. You definitely won this round."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I know. You don't have to tell me. A winner always knows when he's won."

JONATHAN: "Good day, Duke. Matt, another time, shall we?"


Jonathan doesn't wait for a response. He hangs up. His final comment, an obvious subliminal message toward my brother in arms, Matthew.

The tables have indeed, turned. It's time to lay the hammer down and go full throttle. I pull out my wallet and dial up a number. A lady answers.


LADY: "National Security Agency. How may I direct your call?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Give me Agent Caldwell, please."

LADY: "Let me see if he's here, sir. May I tell him who's calling?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "No. I'll tell him who I am when I speak with him. Please. Tell him it is urgent."

LADY: "Yes, sir."


She places me on hold and that God awful elevator music is playing in my ear.


MATTHEW: "NSA? Why the NSA?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "They have what I need. Agent Caldwell is an old friend of mine. I'm calling in my favor he owes me from a long long time ago."

AGENT CALDWELL: "Agent Caldwell, how can I help you Misterrrr..."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Duke. Sebastian Duke."

AGENT CALDWELL: "DUKE! How the hell are ya man!?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I'm fine, things are... looking up."

AGENT CALDWELL: "After all these years, what made ya give me a call?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Remember that time I pulled some strings and got you out of that marijuana bust? That time I had your record expunged? How I cleared the path for you to obtain the position you have today?"

AGENT CALDWELL: "Easy man. These conversations are recorded. But, yeah, I remember."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "You owe me. I'm calling in a favor. It's definitely a big one."

AGENT CALDWELL: "Damn, I should have known. What you need, Duke? You know I'll do what I can."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "How many satellites do we have in orbit?"

AGENT CALDWELL: "That's classified. You know I can't answer that. I can tell you it's way more then publicly admitted to."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Are there any that aren't in use?"

AGENT CALDWELL: "A few. but they are on standby. President Obama has them in reserve for his drone strikes."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I don't think you were supposed to tell me that."

AGENT CALDWELL: "Um. Yeah, you didn't hear that from me."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I need you to gain control of one. Make it appear to be disabled so everyone thinks its a dead stick. My man Matt is emailing you an address and a photo of a particular person of interest. Can you make sure that satellite follows that man? I mean every single move he makes."

AGENT CALDWELL: "Uhhhhhh."


I hate hesitation.


SEBASTIAN DUKE: "You wouldn't be where you are today if it weren't for me and my connections, Mike. I need you to do this. Quickly."

AGENT CALDWELL: "Yeah. Okay, Duke. I'll do it for you."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "Good. That's what I like to hear. Did you get the email?"

AGENT CALDWELL: "Yeah, just now. What the hell? Is that guy an albino?"

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "No. Just really blonde and really pale. Listen. Patch the link to the IP on that email. So we can watch every move he makes. If he goes to the grocery store. If he takes a s**t. If he farts in the woods with no one around, I want to know about it. Understand?"

AGENT CALDWELL: "Yeah, I understand, man. Listen, what'd he do? He must have done some real f***ed up s**t to you for you to go those far. I know you, man. You're usually pretty level headed."

SEBASTIAN DUKE: "I can't really answer that question, Mike. Just know that, by allowing me to track him, you'll be saving lives.

"I got to go, Mike. Nature calls."

AGENT CALDWELL: "Call me again soon, Duke."


I didn't respond. I just hung up. Mission accomplished.

Ohhhh, the times. They are a-changin'!

Sebastian Duke never falls victim to outsiders. Not now. Not ever. I have a feeling, Jonathan is now beginning to feel what its like to have all of his plans shattered in an instant.

The tide has certainly turned back into the favor of the Angel of Darkness.

Now, he gets to know what it's like to have his back against the wall. Will he fight the good fight? Or will he cower away in fear?

Only time will tell, but if I know Jonathan, he'll be back for more.

You just can't fix stupid.