White Rabbit- The Prelude- Part One

I stare directly into his eyes, feeling anger sweep through my bloodstream like wildfire. It was more than just annoyance, even more than just the typical anger I felt every now and then. No…the level of rage that I was feeling just looking at him was so powerful…so deep seeded…that I was physically beginning to twitch with rage. I wanted to eat shards of glass right now in an attempt to inflict as much pain on myself as I wanted to inflict on him.

He was bound and gagged and was chained to the floor in front of me. Large bruises and small cuts and scrapes covered what I could see of his body. There was a particularly large gash over his right eye that caused blood to seep slowly down his face. Wounds that had probably been inflicted by my security team when I they had captured him. It’s funny…my team had gotten to know me so well that they even knew what I wanted most in the entire world and then they had gone out and gotten it for me for my birthday.

They were so thoughtful

I try to smirk but I just can’t bring myself to do it. His red Mohawk and eyes that stared at me full of loathing just wouldn’t let me smirk. This was the man I hated most in the entire world. This was the man that had nearly cost me my financial, physical, and emotional well-being. This was the man that offered me a job and then sold out the company. This was the man who single handedly almost ended my entire wrestling career and almost took away my entire reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Most importantly though…had it not been for Chuck and Brandon’s willingness to invest in IWF…this man would have single handedly made sure that Jess and I were living in a cardboard box on the street and that Jess would have died after giving birth on the streets instead of in the hospital. Because, let’s be honest here, homeless people that live in cardboard boxes on the streets of America don’t really have the best medical plans.

I snarl softly, feeling my anger burn my veins like magma. The rage needed to be unleashed…no…it DEMANDED to be unleashed…

I slowly reach down and grab the long, wickedly curved blade from the table top. Normally I would make numerous small incisions, taking care to inflict the maximum amount of pain on my victim, taking care not to hit any major arteries or veins that would cause my victim to bleed out before I was done toying with them. But this wasn’t a normal situation…I didn’t want to toy with this one…I just wanted to end his existence once and for all. I wanted to snuff out the flame that was this man’s life just as fast as humanly possible.

I turn and let out an inhuman scream, feeling the pain of betrayal mix with the anger and hatred that seared my veins. I sprint across the room and leap into the air. I tackle the man down to the ground and begin slashing the blade across the man’s throat time and again. I lose myself in the rhythm, back and forth, back and forth. I swing the blade steadily, making sure to not let the anger completely consume me, but letting it out just a little bit at a time in controlled bursts.

The light leaves his eyes after the fourth slash. The irony of having his throat slashed again by someone who was related to the Matthews family was definitely not lost on me. The major difference this time was that I didn’t claim to love him like she had done for those many months. I had always made it 100% perfectly clear that the only emotion I had for him was pure, unadulterated anger and hatred.

After the 30th slash I frown slightly…I had been so sure that killing him in this manner would satisfy my bloodlust. I had been so sure that finally purging him from the face of existence would calm the monster that raged inside of me. But, instead, all I felt was more anger bubbling up inside of me like a never ending well of venom. I begin to slash faster and faster, feeling the river of rage beginning to flow faster as my heart begins to increasingly beat faster. Adrenaline roars through me like a lion, mixing with the rage, causing my vision to blur and I begin to lose control of my body.

I suddenly throw the knife across the room in a fit of anger. I reach out and grab his stupid fucking red mohawk, making sure to grab it as close to the roots as possible. I then begin to pull as hard as humanly possible, slowly but surely ripping the mohawk and the skin on his scalp, completely off. I manage to get half of the stupid fucking red mohawk torn off of his skull before the skin on his scalp rips. I take the bit of red mohawk and stuff it down the massive opening in what was left of his throat, making sure to push it all the way down into his chest.

Corey Casey
Choke on it you son of a bitch

I was still pissed. I reach out and place my hands in his mouth. I then violently rip his jaw in half, tearing away the lower jaw. I then take his lower jaw and jam the bones of his jaw directly into his eyes. A small smile appears on my face as his eyes fucking pop, causing blood and bits of his eyes to burst out of his skull. I begin to chuckle…which turns into a laugh…which then turns into an insane fit of hysterical laughter. I look up at the ceiling of the room, laughing insanely as I stare up into the florescent lights above

Corey Casey
HE’S GONE! I AM FREE!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Outside of Matthews Tower
Chicago, Illinois
April 10th
2011

Driver
Mr. Casey?

I suddenly jolt awake at the sound of the driver’s voice

Corey Casey
Uh…yes?

The driver looks at me questioningly

Driver
Are you…are you going to get out?

I suddenly realize that the driver was holding the door open. I quickly straighten out my suit coat and pretend to check my watch

Corey Casey
Oh…ahem…yes of course

I twist my body slightly and climb out of the backseat of the black Lincoln Town Car. The driver slowly closes the door behind me

Driver
Sorry to wake you like that sir

I smirk and chuckles slightly as I reach into my back pocket and take out my wallet

Corey Casey
Don’t worry about it

I give the driver a $20 and then slowly walk up the front stairs of Matthews Tower. It was weird being here again. The last time I had been even remotely close to this building was when I had met up with the man whose job I now had. John Conrad had been Chuck’s former Chief of Security for Matthews Enterprises. But, as it turned out, Conrad had been the mastermind behind an assassination attempt on Chuck’s life.

Conrad turned out to be a member of an organization called The Insurgency. The Insurgency was a home grown terrorist group that specialized in taking action against political figures and corporations that seemingly controlled the government. The Insurgency believed that the corporations of the world, but especially in America, controlled the way that entire nations ran their government. The Insurgency constantly pointed out the constant flow of bribes and the seemingly endless levels of corruption by Senators and Congressmen and women. The biggest corporation that The Insurgency believed was corrupting America was Matthews Enterprises…

Which is exactly why they chose to recruit me

+++++++++++++++++++

Insurgency Headquarters
South Boston, Massachusetts
Friday, January 15th
2011

Johnny Flannigan and I sit at a table in a well lit room. Johnny sits behind his desk, a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other. On the table top between us sits a laptop.

Johnny Flannigan
We know you’re short on funds mate. It doesn’t take a genius to know that you are facing quite the dilemma

I smirk slightly, attempting to try and play it cool. But, inside, my stomach is tied tightly in a knot. He was right…as of right now, I was completely fucked for cash. NLWF had closed down and Chuck and Brandon wanted to invest in the new wrestling promotion that the three of us were going to create. Chuck, Brandon and I had decided that each man would pay a 3rd of the total overall cost of the initial invest into the company and then split the eventual profits 3 ways.

All of that sounded like a fair and equal plan…the only problem was…I didn’t have my 3rd of the money. I could’ve tried to take a loan out to pay my share of the initial investment in the new wrestling promotion…but I knew that taking a loan out now would bury me once Jess finally did give birth to our baby or babies and the medical bills came due. I look at the laptop sitting in between Johnny Flannigan and I. The laptop was open to a Swiss bank’s homepage and there was a transaction already established. All I had to do was press “approve” and The Insurgency would dump a vast amount of cash into a newly created Swiss Bank account created under a false name…created especially for me

Johnny Flannigan
All you have to do is click “approve” and you will have all the cash you need to invest in the new wrestling promotion. The Insurgency will pay for your 3rd of the new promotion and then some

The money was there, the opportunity to get this new wrestling promotion off the ground was right in front of me. I was still uneasy though…I needed to buy more time…

Corey Casey
Wouldn’t it look a bit suspicious when I suddenly turn up ready and able to pay? Chuck knows that I can’t afford this shit right now…especially not with Jess so close to giving birth…

Johnny Flannigan
We’ve taken that into consideration and planned accordingly. We had one of our agents type up a false obituary for a great uncle of yours. Turns out Uncle Samuel McAdams from Dublin, Ireland left you, his sole remaining heir, a bit of cash in his will. He also left you a comfortable mansion in Dublin should you chose to ever relocate there

It was all too easy…

Corey Casey
What happens when someone goes looking for my suddenly relevant Uncle Samuel McAdams?

Johnny Flannigan chuckles softly and shrugs his shoulders

Johnny Flannigan
We’ve taken that into consideration as well. We killed a man named Samuel McAdams and put him in his grave. Should anyone feel the need to dig up Sammy and do DNA tests, they will find that the body does, indeed, belong to one Samuel McAdams.

Corey Casey
Won’t someone be wondering where Samuel McAdams went?

Johnny Flannigan
Nope. Samuel McAdams was a moderately wealthy member of The Insurgency. The thing is…he owed us a lot of money. He was more than capable of paying us back…he just chose not to. He tried to start his own little group that he believed would put The Insurgency out of business…

Johnny Flannigan chuckles again

Johnny Flannigan
Needless to say, his business venture failed

I chuckle along with Johnny, trying to hide my suspicions. It was all too simple…too neat. It would be easy for me to just hit the “accept” button and then go to the meeting with Chuck and Brandon and present my 3rd of the funds. The backstory was right there, already set up for me. What made it even better was that Samuel McAdams had been a former manager of The Insurgency who had tried to betray them…it was perfect…

I reach out slowly towards the laptop, letting my finger hover above the “enter” key that would make the transaction complete and suddenly make me a wealthy man.

Johnny Flannigan
Before you accept…don’t forget about the other part of our agreement…

I retract my hand. I had almost forgotten about the other part of the agreement…

Corey Casey
Silly me…I almost forgot about the sabotage…

Johnny Flannigan sets his beer down and leans forward, staring at me coolly. There was determination and righteousness in his eyes and the one of his voice reflected the look in his eye

Johnny Flannigan
Corey…we’ve been mates since we was just youngins’ growin’ up on the streets. You was there when they killed my brother…you were there when you saw what the world has become. The police, they can’t be trusted to do the right thing anymore. The corporations and the corruption of government officials pretty much guarantees that highly connected criminals will get off scot free. The system is broken mate…you know…I know…hell, even the people runnin’ the system know it. The Insurgency is just askin’ ya to do your part to make sure that the world will be a better, safer place for your children tomorrow. We are just asking you, Corey Casey, to do your part and help The Insurgency guarantee that the system that governs your children, and your grandchildren, is one that is run with justice and liberty for all mate.

I sigh, knowing full well that I had already made my choice as soon as I had walked through the front door of The Insurgency’s compound. I reach out and quickly press the “enter” key, transferring the funds into my newly created Swiss Bank account. I whisper softly to myself

“May God have mercy on my soul”

Johnny Flannigan claps his hands in excitement

Johnny Flannigan
Welcome to the movement mate! This calls for a celebration!

Johnny Flannigan reaches for the fridge behind him. He opens the fridge and pulls out two ice cold Smithwick’s beers. He pops the top off of one of the beers and hands it to me. I smile, trying to hide the indecision that is dwelling inside of me.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Present moment

I shake my head in a feeble attempt to banish the memories from my head. I jog up the front steps of Matthews Tower and walk confidently through the front doors and into the massive lobby. I look around at the shortened lines standing at each of the security check points. Security check points…at a major corporation…I suppose the thought shouldn’t have surprised me. I mean, even back when Conrad was running security, things had seemed to run on a pretty tight ship. Metal detectors at every major entrance while ME personal security guards where posted at all the minor entrances.

I smirk slightly. It probably didn’t help that those same ME personal security guards were really Insurgency members…talk about a gaping hole in security…

I swiftly navigate my way through the somewhat lines. People turn and act as though they are going to begin yelling at me as I deftly maneuver past them but, as soon as they see my face and immediately recognize who I am, their cries of protest die in their throats. I quickly make my way to the front of one of the lines and walk through the metal detector, which predictably emits a loud beeping noise. The security guard stationed at the metal detector, whose name I immediately recall is Brian, nods his head at me.

Brian
Good morning boss

I shake my head, trying to contain the sigh of exasperation that threatens to burst forth from my lungs. There was no paranoia around here, no fear that someone might be trying to sneak in here to finish the job that John Conrad had started. If I was going to pretend to be a visible and good Chief of Security for ME, I needed to make it seem like I was doing something to re-vamp the entire security system from day one. Luckily…I had come prepared

Corey Casey
You’re name is Brian right?

Brian nods his head again

Brian
Yes sir

I open my jacket, revealing that I was carrying dual pistols, one on each hip. Normally I wouldn’t have even bothered carrying guns, they were too impersonal. When you shot someone with a gun there was no connection between you and the person whose life you just ended. There wasn’t that moment when you watched as the life slowly drained from their eyes. There wasn’t that sense of burning hatred shared between you and the person you just killed. Guns were cold…nothing more than inanimate tools. I smirk and think to myself

“Jesus Christ…you’re sick”

Brian’s facial expression doesn’t change as he notices the dual pistols strapped to my sides

Brian
You’re the Head of Security sir…I would assume that you would be packing

I close my jacket and walk over to Brian

Corey Casey
Be that as it may…you never asked me for an ID. You never asked for any sort of identification to prove that I am who I say I am. You simply assumed that I was me and that I wasn’t some psycho from The Insurgency wearing a Corey Casey mask on my way up to shoot Chuck Matthews 42 times in the stomach.

I can see the color drain slowly from Brian’s face. Good, he was nervous…he should be. Because if I had been the one trying to break in here and end the life of Chuck Matthews…that’s exactly what I would’ve done. Fake mask and then fake credentials, take the elevator up to Chuck’s office, BAM…game over. The "shooting Chuck 42 times in the stomach" thing...well..that was just added for dramatic effect

Brian
I…I don’t know sir…that’s just…just how we’ve always done things around here

I try to look empathetic…like I really gave a rat’s ass about this guy. I didn’t know much about him but I knew that I needed to make a scene. I knew that I needed to cause a ruckus from day one…that way, when I started doing really outrageous shit, people would just look at me and say “well…that’s just Corey Casey’s way.”

Corey Casey
Well then…

I raise my voice to a yell

Corey Casey
MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!

The sound of my voice carried quite well in the still partially empty lobby. The day hadn’t truly begun for most of Matthews Enterprises, seeing as it was only 8am, so the lobby was still mostly quiet. Only the people who HAD to be here this early were here and even then they were still half asleep. The lobby falls silent as all eyes focus on me

Corey Casey
Thank you! My name is Corey Casey. I am the NEW Chief of ME Security! From now on, things will be running quite differently around here. For all security personal…there will be a meeting held after closing time tonight. This meeting is mandatory for every member of the security team except for those who are on the clock

I see a few of the security guards sigh, while a few others narrow their gazes as they stare at me. I can almost hear exactly what they were saying to themselves

“Great…this new guy has been in charge ten seconds and he’s already going to fuck everything up…”

Let them hate me, let them loathe me even. I didn’t care. I was used to being hated as soon as I walked through the door. Seriously, if these guys didn’t already know that, then they clearly weren’t even qualified to be a security guard at a shopping mall.

Corey Casey
That is all! Have a lovely day

The hustle and bustle of movement once again picks up in the lobby. I look at Brian, who has an embarrassed look on his face. I don’t know why he was embarrassed…it’s not like I called him out and said that “the entire reason why we were having a security meeting was because BRIAN FUCKED IT ALL UP!” I look down at my watch and check the time

Corey Casey
I gotta go Brian…keep up the good work

Before Brian has a chance to respond, I quickly turn my back on him and walk towards the bank of elevators on the far side of the lobby. I punch the “up” arrow and wait for the elevator to arrive. I didn’t care if the entire security squad hated me, hell, I was their boss…they were almost LEGALLY required to hate me. I mean, didn’t every American hate their boss and their job? If anything, those people who worked for me should be thanking me…I was helping them fit in with the rest of the slack jawed American public who hated their boss and their job but still mindlessly went and sat in their cubicles every day.

The elevator emits a “ding” and the doors slide open. I quickly enter the elevator and press the “close doors” button rapidly until the doors slide shut. There had been a few people who thought that they might make it in time to climb into the elevator with me…but, by pressing the “close doors” button, I had assured that they had to take the stairs or wait for another elevator. They were fat anyways…they could use the exercise…

I press the “executive offices” button and a voice suddenly emits from the security panel

“Security clearance required”

I smirk slightly. Apparently Chuck had made a few security up grades without telling me. Good. I take out my ME ID and press the ID up to a small computer panel. The panel glows green for a few seconds before the electronic voice speaks again

“Identification confirmed. Corey Casey, Chief of Security”

The elevator hums to life and begins to ascend upwards towards the executive offices, which were, predictably, on the top floor of the building.

TO BE CONTINUED…

+
+
+The Match+
+
+
+Team WHAT?!+
+
+

Seriously…wait…this is really going to go down? This isn’t a joke? Brandon Macdonald and James Shark vs. me and Vincent Van Rose…and, the kicker is…Brandon and James Shark have decided to form a team called Team Swag?!

Dear god…IWF has gone to the fucking dogs!

I mean, I can see how something has moronic as Team Swag could have existed back in The Ashes. We had Nick Russo booking shit back them. This is the same guy who approved of the name “Convict Connection” for the team of James Shark and Bobby Ocean. Well…the name was the least of that team’s problems because, let’s be honest here, anyone who willing teams with Bobby Ocean must have had a massive stroke at some point in the past which left them unable to think coherently…

Actually…that explains a lot about James Shark doesn’t it?

The “BRRAAPPP BRAAPPP CHYYOOOO” and the other things that seemingly fall out of his mouth like verbal diarrhea aren’t ACTUALLY his fault. Maybe they are simply the result of him having the IQ of a sea shell or a particularly retarded chimpanzee. Maybe the fact that James Shark is unable to pronounce anything even sounding like normal English is the result of a medical condition so severe that even having him on the roster is a liability to IWF as a whole. I mean, if James Shark takes one more blow to the head, he could possibly start spouting out other moronic things like “flippity flappity FLLLOOOOOOO! EYE IZ GUNA TKEZ THA TITEL FRM UZE!”

I really hope that “idiocy” isn’t contagious

Although, despite my dearest and most sincere hopes, I think it might be…because clearly it has spread. James Shark’s moronic imaginary language must be like a biological weapon that infects the air…because now he has Crack Head Joe…I mean…Brandon Macdonald…speaking in tongues too. While I’m on the subject, let me discuss a little something I’ve been saving up for you Brandon.

In light of your recent actions, which I have heard about from a number of undisclosed sources, I just kind of want to remind you of something. IWF isn’t going to be the one to foot the bill should you go flying off the fuckin’ rails. IWF isn’t going to be the one that pays for you and Anna to go stay at some cushy fuckin’ rehab clinic where you get lots of sun, all the free time in the world, and plenty of methadone to come down from whatever the hell you have been shooting into your veins.

IWF WILL LEAVE YOU TWO TO ROT

With that being said, I guess you being high as a kite actually explains quite a few things. For example, you being baked off your ass actually explains why you are under the impression that you beat me cleanly at Bloody Sunday. In case you didn’t notice Brandon…you won by a fluke…a lack of better judgment…in essence…the entire premise for your title reign is the result of the single biggest misjudgment of character in the history of humanity. The mere fact that you represent this company as its champion is enough to make me want to puke. I mean what the fuck kind of a champion embarrasses himself and the company he represents like you did this week. You assaulted fans, performed under the influence, and managed to somehow interject yourself into ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MATCH ON THE CARD!

As if that wasn’t bad enough…you blatantly interfered in an ongoing tournament to crown the first ever IWF Championship Briefcase holder. That is pretty much the thing that is pissing me off the most. The fact that, because you were bored, you decided to stick your nose where it DIDN’T FUCKING BELONG and fuck every single member of the IIA out of a chance to advance in the tournament. Well Brandon…in your little world made up of singing rainbows and unicorns, the shit you do might not have consequences. But, here in the real world, the things you do matter. The actions you take have brutal and swift ramifications…

And this week…you will meet the two men who are more than willing to enforce those consequences.

Vincent Van Rose is not only my bodyguard…he is a close friend of mine. On top of that, he is also one of the fastest rising young stars this company has to offer. VVR is now free to reap the benefits of being the bodyguard of one of the co-founders of IWF…but that is something that will be announced this week on Battle Grounds VIII. But, after that announcement, it will be all business. There will be a dire cost for your actions Brandon. Rest assured of that fact.

You have something that doesn’t belong to you Brandon…something that you don’t deserve to wear around your waist. You have MY IWF World Championship…and I want it back. I will not rest until that title is back where it belongs…sitting proudly on my shoulder. I’m willing to give whatever it takes to win back that title Brandon…and I will not stop until it is mine. I am DESTINED to become champion once more…I have FATE on my side…and if there is one thing you should know by now Brandon…it’s that

You can’t
Stop
FATE!