Post by Nick Knight on Jun 15, 2021 6:44:33 GMT
Nick woke to the familiar beep of a heart monitor and nearly unbearable pain racking his body. It was far from the first time he had woken up in a hospital, but it was by far the worst so far. He let out a loud groan and tried to stretch only to find that something was holding his left arm in place. Looking down he saw that he was being held to the bed by a set of handcuffs.
“What in the fuck?”
“Handcuffs,” a gruff voice answered from the corner.
Nick turned his head to see an uniformed police officer quickly nearing retirement sitting on an uncomfortable hospital chair flipping through a months old issue of People Magazine. “No shit. Why am I handcuffed to a bed?”
You’re under arrest.” The officer showed zero interest in talking as he flipped to another page.
“For what?”
“Don’t know I was just asked to watch you.”
“Good talk.” Nick hit the call button on the remote control that was laying next to his head. When a tinny voice asked what he needed he answered, “Some ice water and something for the fucking pain.”
A few minutes went by before an attract black woman wearing scrubs walked into the room pulling on a set of latex gloves. “I’m glad to see that you have rejoined the land of the living Mr. Knight.”
“How long was I out?”
“You’ve been here for a day and a half.” The nurse checked over his vital signs and typed them into the tablet she was carrying. “The doctor had us keep you knocked out after your surgery.”
“Surgery? For what?”
“You don’t remember?”
“I don’t remember shit after...well I guess after that son of a bitch used that nipple clamp on me.”
“You suffered third degree burns on your chest that required skin grafts. You also fell three stories and suffered well...more than just bumps and bruises.”
Nick looked down for the first time and saw that his right leg was in a cast. “Well shit. What injuries?”
Punching a couple of buttons on her tablet the nurse began to rattle off all of the injuries. “Hairline fractures of two ribs on the right side. Several internal injuries including a bruised lung and a ruptured spleen that did not require surgery. Over one hundred stitches in your forehead, cheek, chest, and several spots on your back.”
“Holy fuck! What did the other guy look like?”
“I’m not sure. Mr. Awesome was taken to another medical facility.”
“I hope to God he looks better than you kid,” said the cop.
“Steve Awesome was born looking better than 99% of the world, so that’s easy to do,” Nick answers.
“I don’t know, judging by the two broads that keep trying to get in here you’re doing pretty good for yourself.”
“I’m not sure how,” replies Nick.
“You do kind of have a face that looks like a crime scene.”
“I don’t know,” says the nurse. “I think Mr. Knight has this sort of dark brooding charm.”
“That’s what I keep being told, and I just don’t understand it.”
“Sweety that’s part of your charm. There are too damn many men in this world that think they are god’s gift the women it refreshing to see a man that does not see how attractive he actually is, well that and as the old saying goes chicks dig scars.”
“Well in that case I should be god’s gift to women,” Nick says with a laugh.
“Maybe you are Mr. Knight. Just don’t start acting like it” The nurse pats him on the leg. “The doctor is doing rounds and should be in to see you soon.”
A few minutes pass before a tall mustachioed man wearing cowboy boots walks into the room. “Mr Knight, you are one lucky man.”
“So I take it you’ve met my girlfriends too,” Nick replies with a smile.
“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, but I’ve heard the nurses talking. I was referring to your injuries. I’m Dr. Detmer, I have been overseeing your care.”
“Nice to meet, Doc. So what’s the word,” asks Nick.
“Well like I said you’re very lucky. I have seen men fall half as fall as you did and end up paralyzed or worse, but your injuries aren’t anything to sneeze at my friend. Now that you’re awake we’ll get you started on breathing treatments to help keep your lung strong and it will help with the ribs too. You’re also going to need to spend a couple of more days here for observation while we make sure that spleen doesn’t cause you any problems.”
“I’m not too worried about the spleen Doc. This is the third time I’ve ruptured it and it hasn’t killed me yet.” Knight gave the doctor a grin. “My biggest question Doc, is how does my beard look?”
“Like shit.” All three men in the room start to laugh. “You need to take it easy Mr. Knight and take time to heal. I know you’re an athlete and like to push yourself, but between the lacerations and the spleen we had to give you two units of blood.”
“Trust me I’m not going anywhere.”
Detmer looks down at the handcuffs. “No I don’t imagine you are Mr, Knight.”
Nick spent the rest of the afternoon watching a couple of old westerns. The first one was a black and white thing that he’d never even heard of, but the second was The Magnificent Seven with Yule Brenner and Steve McQueen. It was Jerry Foster’s favorite, but he didn’t think he’d taken the time to watch it since his mentor passed.
Just before dinner time two men in off the rack suits that just screamed Fed came in and excused the officer. The tall one introduced himself as Special Agent Fox, and Nick had to fight back laughter, causing him to miss the short man’s name. “Mr. Knight we would like to ask you a few questions?”
“I figured this has something to do with the handcuffs?”
“Yes sir we thought…”
“So that means that I’m under arrest?”
“You are being detained.”
“Have I been read my rights?”
“No, you’ve been unconscious until earlier today.”
“Now seems like as good a time as any to read them to me.”
The short agent rolls his eyes. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”
“I would like for my attorney to be present and would appreciate being given a phone so that I may call him.”
“Mr. Knight we can’t just let you use a phone. You could be notifying your brother who remains a fugitive from justice.”
“You make it sound like Lou is public enemy number one or something.”
“He is currently number seven on the most wanted list.”
“For starting a stupid fucking church?”
“He’s wanted for several crimes. The same ones that you are going to be charged with as soon as you’re released from the hospital.”
“That’s great then I need you to call Saul Rubin esq here in Las Vegas. Hand me that pen and paper and I’ll give write down his number. If he doesn’t answer leave him a message and he’ll be down here in a couple of hours.”
Two Hours Later
Jeopardy was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door and the smiling face of Saul Rubin stepped inside of the room. “Nicky my boy what have you gotten yourself into?”[/font]
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, beyond it has to do with my brother.”
“James or Sam?”
“Lou.”
“You don’t have a brother named Lou.”
“Yes I do. Lou is Sam, or they are the same body anyway.”
“You’re not making any sense.” Knight took a few minutes to catch Saul up on the past few months. “Holy shit! What does this all have to do with you?”
“I wish I knew. All I do know is that I’m currently handcuffed to a hospital bed and they want to interogate me about some shit to do with my crazy fucking cult leader brother. You were the only lawyer in Vegas that I know that might not be mixed up in all of this shit.”
“I’m not really a criminal attorney Nicky. Hell I haven’t really practiced much law at all in a decade.”
“I know Saul, but I know that I can trust you. There aren’t too many people I can say that about right now.”
“Alright. Well I guess we get them in here and get them asking you some questions, so we can get to the bottom of this whole rigmarole.”
Saul went out into the hall and a moment later he came back in with the two men from the FBI. “I’m glad you’ve decided to talk to us Nick. It could have saved us a lot of time if you would have just done it to begin with.”
“Are you trying to tell my client that he should have ignored his right to have an attorney present for this interrogation,” Saul asked with faux niceness.
“No..um...uh...of course not counselor.”
“Oh good I must have misheard. My ears aren’t what they used to be. You can go ahead then Agent…”
“Special Agent Dana and this is Special Agent Fox.” Nick again had to fight back the urge to laugh but a sharp elbow to his aching ribs shut him up.
“It is very nice to meet you gentlemen under the circumstances.” Saul shakes hands with the pair from the Las Vegas field office. “I understand that you have some question you would like to ask my client.”
“Yes. Do you mind if we record this?”
“Not at all,” Saul answers.
Fox sets a tape recorder on the bedside table and hits record. “Can you please state your name for the record.”
“Nicholas James Knight.”
“Thank you. Mr. Knight are you the head of a religious organization known as The Church of Crosse,” Special Agent Dana asks.
“No. I believe that honor goes to my brother Louis Samuel Crosse, or Lucipher Crosse as he’s going by now. Why would I be the head of a church and name it after someone else? I mean from my understanding cult leaders tend to be a little bit on the egomaniacal side.”
“But you don’t deny being a member of The Church,” say Fox.
“I will happily deny being a member of The Church. I think it’s all a bunch of horse shit and I feel sorry for the weak minded idiots that have fallen for it, but then again that’s how I feel about most religions.”
“You deny being a member of The Church, yet you are the quote Unholy Son. Could you please explain to us how that works?”
“It’s actually pretty easy. You show up where your asked when you’re asked. You sit and listen to a bunch of bullshit, and then you spout a bunch of bullshit. Trust me it’s no different than what I’ve been doing in professional wrestling for the past twenty years.”
“Alright so you aren’t a member of the organization Mr. Knight, but are you at least privy to its business dealings?”
“I am not.”
“You expect me to believe that you have zero say in any of what goes inside of that compound?”
“You can believe whatever you wish to believe Special Agent Mu...I mean Fox. The truth is that I have absolutely nothing to do with The Churches business dealings. The only reason I ever visited The Compound was to work with my wrestling students.”
“So you did have some business with The Church?”
“I voluntarily trained young prospective professional wrestlers on the grounds of The Church. I honestly have no idea what the specifics of their being on The Compound is and I’ve never asked, but I was under the impression that it was also completely voluntarily.”
“Did you receive any compensation for this work?”
“No.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“I’m sure you’ve seen my financials by now. Do they look like I need the extra money?”
“I have seen your financials. You don’t spend a lot of money for a guy that travels as much as you do. You’ve spent weeks staying at the MGM Grand without paying a penny for your room and you even took a vacation with your family to Cabo a few months ago with now cost. How do you explain that Mr. Knight?”
“I’ve made a lot of friends through the years as a professional wrestler. One of my closest friends is the head of security at the Grand and gets me my rooms for free. That resort in Cabo it’s the same deal the head of hospitality was my tag team partner when I first broke into the business.”
“So you are saying that you’ve never received any free gifts for being a part of The Church?”
“I am not a part of The Church, but I won’t say that people haven’t given me shit because of things Lou has said. Since my brother started up this whole ‘Unholy Son’ bullshit I can’t go anywhere without people bowing and scrapping.”
“What kind of things have people given you?”
Nick sighs. “Let me see I got upgraded seats for me and my kid at a Harlem Globetrotters game. I can’t go out without people always wanting to pay for my food and drinks. Hell I’ve had women just throw themselves at me just because I am this mythical ‘Unholy Son.’”
“So you will admit that you have benefited from being a member of The Church of Crosse.”
“Holy fuck! For people paid to ask questions you are shitty at listening to the answers. I am not, nor have I ever been a part of The Church of Crosse. Now you’ll excuse me I feel like shit and would like to get some rest.”
“Of course Mr. Knight we will be back around in the morning to ask you some more questions.”
The two agents grab the tape recorder and walk out of the room. Nick throws his head back into his pillow and groans. “Those guys are a couple of assholes.”
“They’re just doing their jobs, don’t take it personally. They’re going to be back in the morning and they’re going to come at you from a different angle so be prepared. I’ll call around tonight and see if I can find you a more qualified lawyer.”
“Thanks Saul, I owe you one.”
“What are friends for, especially friends that have an interest in one of my businesses. Speaking of which, how is Checkmate Entertainment going?”
“I honestly don’t know Saul. When Penny and I are together we don’t really talk too much about work and I haven’t seen Randy in ages. The last that I heard was they were in the middle of casting.”
“Excellent, I can’t wait to see what they can do. My wife even liked the last picture, which is unusual. What did you think of it?”
“It was really hard for me to watch it. Penny and I had just got back together and to see her with another man was really tough, but I got through it.”
“You don’t seem to have a problem seeing her with another woman if I’m not mistaken.”
“No I don’t have a problem with her being with a woman. Just like she doesn’t have a problem with me being with Cin and Cin doesn’t have a problem with me being with Penny. I know it’s weird, but it works for us.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me Nicky, as long as you are happy. Hell Marg and I even experimented in the lifestyle when we were younger and no one got hurt. Now get some rest those pricks are going to be here bright and early.”
The Next Day 8:15 A.M.
There is a knock on the door and Special Agent Dana walks in with a new person in tow. She is dressed in a black business suit well tailored unlike Dana’s cheap off the rack suit. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a harsh bun and she is wearing just a hint of makeup. The look on her face says that she means all business.
“Good morning Mr. Knight. I hope you slept well,” Dana says with a plastered on grin. “I would like to introduce you to Agent Owens of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. She has a couple of question she needs to ask you before myself and Special Agent Fox continue.”
“I would be happy to answer questions that you may have. I am just waiting for my attorney to arrive. He should only be a few minutes.”
As if on cue Saul walks in with a younger man. “I’m sorry if I kept you all wait, but I had to pick up my co-council. I would like to introduce you all to Troy Kerns of the Thomas, Logan, and Dale.”
Both agents go wide eyed at the mention of the law firm’s name. “Shall we begin?”
Mr. Knight do you know anything about guns,” Agent Owens asks.
“Just from the videos I’ve watched on YouTube. I really like Demolition Ranch and the AK Guy a lot,” Nick answers.
“So you have never fired a gun?”
“When I lived in Texas many years ago I would occasionally go shooting with my friend Adryn, but I haven’t fired a gun in probably fifteen years.”
“Do you own a fire arm?”
“No and I am not legally allowed to own a firearm, but I’m sure you are already aware of that fact.”
“I am. Are you aware of the existence of an underground armory on The Church of Crosse Compound?”
“I am aware that there are secret rooms all over the compound, including a sex dungeon, but I am not aware of any kind of armory.”
“Do you know of any plans by Lucipher Crosse and The Church of Crosse to make any kind of terrorist attack?”
“I do not.”
“Thank you for your time Mr. Knight.”
The agents walked out leaving Saul to introduce Nick to his new attorney.
“Nicky this is Troy Kerns his father and I go back sixty years and I trust him completely. He is one of the best damn defense attorneys in Nevada and I happen to know that he has a particular disdain for your brother.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Kerns.” The two men shake hands, “I’m not very found of my brother right now either. I mean he’s the reason I’m handcuffed to a goddamn hospital bed.”
“It’s nice to meet you too Mr. Knight. My frat brothers and I were big fans of yours when I was at Harvard. We ever caught a couple of shows you were on in person and I was very impressed with your ability to take an ass kicking.”
Nick laughs. “Yeah I’m an expert on getting my ass kicked.”
“Well I’m not, so listen to me and we’ll have you out of those handcuffs by the end of the day.”
“Sounds good to me.”
A few minutes pass before Special Agents Dana and Fox strut into the room. It being a Friday Fox has forgone his typical black tie for a cherry red one. “Good morning Mr Knight.”
“Top of the morning to you Special Agent Fox,” Nick replies.
“Do you mind if we pick up where we left off yesterday?”
“Not at all,” answered Knight with a smile. “Have you met my attorney Troy Kerns?”
“Yes I have had the pleasure in the past.” Fox suddenly looks a little green around the gills. “Shall we begin?”
“Shoot.”
“What do you know of the kidnapping of Steven Bates,” Special Agent Dana asks.
“Who,” Nick asks.
“You probably know him as Steve Awesome.” The FBI agent explains. “So what do you know of his kidnapping and being held against his will at The Church of Crosse Compound?”
“Just as much as anyone that watched Sacrifice that Monday night. I was watching it on the big screen just the same as people were watching it at home.”
“Were you privy to the location of Mr. Bates in the week leading up to your, well whatever you call it?” Fox casually leans against the wall. “Maybe it came up in a phone call between you and your brother.”
“Special Agent Fox do you think I’m an idiot? I know you’ve probably seen my phone records and you know that I didn’t speak on the phone with my brother that entire week. Hell I don’t know the last time I talked to my brother on the phone.”
“Don’t bullshit a bullshiter Knight,” chimes in Dana. “I find it real hard to believe that you were in on your brother’s plans all along.”
“I don’t give a fuck if you find it hard to believe, or not. it’s the truth. I showed up at The Compound that Friday night had a work out with my students. Lou did take me for a tour of some areas of the place that he thought might come in handy for the match, but nothing of Steve.”
“What were these areas he showed you,” asked the now flustered agent.
“A lot of weird little nooks and crannies and a couple of secret doors. One of which ended up going to his secret sex dungeon which was a little icky, but it wasn’t much different than the one he had in his house in Vegas.”
“Are you aware of the fact that at least three people we took out of that sex dungeon had been reported missing by their families,” Fox asks.
“I didn’t know the fucking thing was there until Steve and I ended up in it, so no I didn’t know that.” Nick’s frustration was coming to a boil and he was on the verge of shouting. “Do you have any more damn questions that I don’t know the answer to or are we done?”
“I think we are finished for now,” say Special Agent Fox.
The two FBI agents left in a hurry and it was obvious that they were frustrated at the lack of progress that they had made. Nick lays back in his bed and sighs loudly. “Well that was just about the most fun that a guy can have keeping his pants on.”
Troy Kerns chuckles, “Yeah interrogations have a way of sucking, but you did great. You gave them nothing and you could tell by the way they were acting that they were grasping at straws. I just have to ask you, did you lie about anything?”
“No. I have zero involvement in the running of The Church of Crosse or anything that my brother does. I was just doing the whole ‘Unholy Son’ bullshit because I was told that it would be the best thing for his mental health.”
“How so,” Troy Kerns asks.
“Lou has a rare psychological condition and I was told by my shrink that not going along with his delusions or whatever could make it worse.”
“Who is this doctor?”
“Dr. Phillip Goode out of L.A. He is one of the most respect psychiatrists in the country, so I trust his judgement completely. I’ve also read a book about the condition that agrees with what Dr. Goode told me.”
Troy Kerns takes a notepad from his pocket. “What is this condition your brother has been diagnosed with?”
“It’s called shared personality disorder. It’s where two very different personalities essentially share the same brain with one of the personalities typically being the dominant and the other personality just showing up from time to time.”
“Isn’t that just split personality disorder,” Saul asks.
“No,but it’s very similar.”
“You said that you’ve read a book about this condition,” Troy Kerns asks.
“Yes, it’s written by a doctor from South Africa that is really the only guy to study the condition and try to treat it. It’s a pretty amazing read and I learned a lot about my brother from it.”[/color]
“Do you still have the book?”
“Yeah it’s back in my hotel room.”
“Good, it may come in handy if they decide to charge you with anything. In the mean time I am going to make a call to the U.S. Attorney’s office on my way to my next appointment and tell them to shit or get off the pot with arresting you, because you are currently being illegally detained.”
“Thank you Mr. Kerns.”
“Mr. Kerns is my dad, call me Troy.”
“As long as you call me Nick. I’m sick of being called Mr. Knight by those ass clowns.”
“It’s a deal.”
Five Hours Later
The old cop that had been assigned to watch over Nick walks in the room and uncuffs him from the bed. “Well it looks like you aren’t under arrest any more. Have a good day Mr. Knight.”
“You too, Sarg.”
“What in the fuck?”
“Handcuffs,” a gruff voice answered from the corner.
Nick turned his head to see an uniformed police officer quickly nearing retirement sitting on an uncomfortable hospital chair flipping through a months old issue of People Magazine. “No shit. Why am I handcuffed to a bed?”
You’re under arrest.” The officer showed zero interest in talking as he flipped to another page.
“For what?”
“Don’t know I was just asked to watch you.”
“Good talk.” Nick hit the call button on the remote control that was laying next to his head. When a tinny voice asked what he needed he answered, “Some ice water and something for the fucking pain.”
A few minutes went by before an attract black woman wearing scrubs walked into the room pulling on a set of latex gloves. “I’m glad to see that you have rejoined the land of the living Mr. Knight.”
“How long was I out?”
“You’ve been here for a day and a half.” The nurse checked over his vital signs and typed them into the tablet she was carrying. “The doctor had us keep you knocked out after your surgery.”
“Surgery? For what?”
“You don’t remember?”
“I don’t remember shit after...well I guess after that son of a bitch used that nipple clamp on me.”
“You suffered third degree burns on your chest that required skin grafts. You also fell three stories and suffered well...more than just bumps and bruises.”
Nick looked down for the first time and saw that his right leg was in a cast. “Well shit. What injuries?”
Punching a couple of buttons on her tablet the nurse began to rattle off all of the injuries. “Hairline fractures of two ribs on the right side. Several internal injuries including a bruised lung and a ruptured spleen that did not require surgery. Over one hundred stitches in your forehead, cheek, chest, and several spots on your back.”
“Holy fuck! What did the other guy look like?”
“I’m not sure. Mr. Awesome was taken to another medical facility.”
“I hope to God he looks better than you kid,” said the cop.
“Steve Awesome was born looking better than 99% of the world, so that’s easy to do,” Nick answers.
“I don’t know, judging by the two broads that keep trying to get in here you’re doing pretty good for yourself.”
“I’m not sure how,” replies Nick.
“You do kind of have a face that looks like a crime scene.”
“I don’t know,” says the nurse. “I think Mr. Knight has this sort of dark brooding charm.”
“That’s what I keep being told, and I just don’t understand it.”
“Sweety that’s part of your charm. There are too damn many men in this world that think they are god’s gift the women it refreshing to see a man that does not see how attractive he actually is, well that and as the old saying goes chicks dig scars.”
“Well in that case I should be god’s gift to women,” Nick says with a laugh.
“Maybe you are Mr. Knight. Just don’t start acting like it” The nurse pats him on the leg. “The doctor is doing rounds and should be in to see you soon.”
A few minutes pass before a tall mustachioed man wearing cowboy boots walks into the room. “Mr Knight, you are one lucky man.”
“So I take it you’ve met my girlfriends too,” Nick replies with a smile.
“I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, but I’ve heard the nurses talking. I was referring to your injuries. I’m Dr. Detmer, I have been overseeing your care.”
“Nice to meet, Doc. So what’s the word,” asks Nick.
“Well like I said you’re very lucky. I have seen men fall half as fall as you did and end up paralyzed or worse, but your injuries aren’t anything to sneeze at my friend. Now that you’re awake we’ll get you started on breathing treatments to help keep your lung strong and it will help with the ribs too. You’re also going to need to spend a couple of more days here for observation while we make sure that spleen doesn’t cause you any problems.”
“I’m not too worried about the spleen Doc. This is the third time I’ve ruptured it and it hasn’t killed me yet.” Knight gave the doctor a grin. “My biggest question Doc, is how does my beard look?”
“Like shit.” All three men in the room start to laugh. “You need to take it easy Mr. Knight and take time to heal. I know you’re an athlete and like to push yourself, but between the lacerations and the spleen we had to give you two units of blood.”
“Trust me I’m not going anywhere.”
Detmer looks down at the handcuffs. “No I don’t imagine you are Mr, Knight.”
Nick spent the rest of the afternoon watching a couple of old westerns. The first one was a black and white thing that he’d never even heard of, but the second was The Magnificent Seven with Yule Brenner and Steve McQueen. It was Jerry Foster’s favorite, but he didn’t think he’d taken the time to watch it since his mentor passed.
Just before dinner time two men in off the rack suits that just screamed Fed came in and excused the officer. The tall one introduced himself as Special Agent Fox, and Nick had to fight back laughter, causing him to miss the short man’s name. “Mr. Knight we would like to ask you a few questions?”
“I figured this has something to do with the handcuffs?”
“Yes sir we thought…”
“So that means that I’m under arrest?”
“You are being detained.”
“Have I been read my rights?”
“No, you’ve been unconscious until earlier today.”
“Now seems like as good a time as any to read them to me.”
The short agent rolls his eyes. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”
“I would like for my attorney to be present and would appreciate being given a phone so that I may call him.”
“Mr. Knight we can’t just let you use a phone. You could be notifying your brother who remains a fugitive from justice.”
“You make it sound like Lou is public enemy number one or something.”
“He is currently number seven on the most wanted list.”
“For starting a stupid fucking church?”
“He’s wanted for several crimes. The same ones that you are going to be charged with as soon as you’re released from the hospital.”
“That’s great then I need you to call Saul Rubin esq here in Las Vegas. Hand me that pen and paper and I’ll give write down his number. If he doesn’t answer leave him a message and he’ll be down here in a couple of hours.”
Two Hours Later
Jeopardy was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door and the smiling face of Saul Rubin stepped inside of the room. “Nicky my boy what have you gotten yourself into?”[/font]
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, beyond it has to do with my brother.”
“James or Sam?”
“Lou.”
“You don’t have a brother named Lou.”
“Yes I do. Lou is Sam, or they are the same body anyway.”
“You’re not making any sense.” Knight took a few minutes to catch Saul up on the past few months. “Holy shit! What does this all have to do with you?”
“I wish I knew. All I do know is that I’m currently handcuffed to a hospital bed and they want to interogate me about some shit to do with my crazy fucking cult leader brother. You were the only lawyer in Vegas that I know that might not be mixed up in all of this shit.”
“I’m not really a criminal attorney Nicky. Hell I haven’t really practiced much law at all in a decade.”
“I know Saul, but I know that I can trust you. There aren’t too many people I can say that about right now.”
“Alright. Well I guess we get them in here and get them asking you some questions, so we can get to the bottom of this whole rigmarole.”
Saul went out into the hall and a moment later he came back in with the two men from the FBI. “I’m glad you’ve decided to talk to us Nick. It could have saved us a lot of time if you would have just done it to begin with.”
“Are you trying to tell my client that he should have ignored his right to have an attorney present for this interrogation,” Saul asked with faux niceness.
“No..um...uh...of course not counselor.”
“Oh good I must have misheard. My ears aren’t what they used to be. You can go ahead then Agent…”
“Special Agent Dana and this is Special Agent Fox.” Nick again had to fight back the urge to laugh but a sharp elbow to his aching ribs shut him up.
“It is very nice to meet you gentlemen under the circumstances.” Saul shakes hands with the pair from the Las Vegas field office. “I understand that you have some question you would like to ask my client.”
“Yes. Do you mind if we record this?”
“Not at all,” Saul answers.
Fox sets a tape recorder on the bedside table and hits record. “Can you please state your name for the record.”
“Nicholas James Knight.”
“Thank you. Mr. Knight are you the head of a religious organization known as The Church of Crosse,” Special Agent Dana asks.
“No. I believe that honor goes to my brother Louis Samuel Crosse, or Lucipher Crosse as he’s going by now. Why would I be the head of a church and name it after someone else? I mean from my understanding cult leaders tend to be a little bit on the egomaniacal side.”
“But you don’t deny being a member of The Church,” say Fox.
“I will happily deny being a member of The Church. I think it’s all a bunch of horse shit and I feel sorry for the weak minded idiots that have fallen for it, but then again that’s how I feel about most religions.”
“You deny being a member of The Church, yet you are the quote Unholy Son. Could you please explain to us how that works?”
“It’s actually pretty easy. You show up where your asked when you’re asked. You sit and listen to a bunch of bullshit, and then you spout a bunch of bullshit. Trust me it’s no different than what I’ve been doing in professional wrestling for the past twenty years.”
“Alright so you aren’t a member of the organization Mr. Knight, but are you at least privy to its business dealings?”
“I am not.”
“You expect me to believe that you have zero say in any of what goes inside of that compound?”
“You can believe whatever you wish to believe Special Agent Mu...I mean Fox. The truth is that I have absolutely nothing to do with The Churches business dealings. The only reason I ever visited The Compound was to work with my wrestling students.”
“So you did have some business with The Church?”
“I voluntarily trained young prospective professional wrestlers on the grounds of The Church. I honestly have no idea what the specifics of their being on The Compound is and I’ve never asked, but I was under the impression that it was also completely voluntarily.”
“Did you receive any compensation for this work?”
“No.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“I’m sure you’ve seen my financials by now. Do they look like I need the extra money?”
“I have seen your financials. You don’t spend a lot of money for a guy that travels as much as you do. You’ve spent weeks staying at the MGM Grand without paying a penny for your room and you even took a vacation with your family to Cabo a few months ago with now cost. How do you explain that Mr. Knight?”
“I’ve made a lot of friends through the years as a professional wrestler. One of my closest friends is the head of security at the Grand and gets me my rooms for free. That resort in Cabo it’s the same deal the head of hospitality was my tag team partner when I first broke into the business.”
“So you are saying that you’ve never received any free gifts for being a part of The Church?”
“I am not a part of The Church, but I won’t say that people haven’t given me shit because of things Lou has said. Since my brother started up this whole ‘Unholy Son’ bullshit I can’t go anywhere without people bowing and scrapping.”
“What kind of things have people given you?”
Nick sighs. “Let me see I got upgraded seats for me and my kid at a Harlem Globetrotters game. I can’t go out without people always wanting to pay for my food and drinks. Hell I’ve had women just throw themselves at me just because I am this mythical ‘Unholy Son.’”
“So you will admit that you have benefited from being a member of The Church of Crosse.”
“Holy fuck! For people paid to ask questions you are shitty at listening to the answers. I am not, nor have I ever been a part of The Church of Crosse. Now you’ll excuse me I feel like shit and would like to get some rest.”
“Of course Mr. Knight we will be back around in the morning to ask you some more questions.”
The two agents grab the tape recorder and walk out of the room. Nick throws his head back into his pillow and groans. “Those guys are a couple of assholes.”
“They’re just doing their jobs, don’t take it personally. They’re going to be back in the morning and they’re going to come at you from a different angle so be prepared. I’ll call around tonight and see if I can find you a more qualified lawyer.”
“Thanks Saul, I owe you one.”
“What are friends for, especially friends that have an interest in one of my businesses. Speaking of which, how is Checkmate Entertainment going?”
“I honestly don’t know Saul. When Penny and I are together we don’t really talk too much about work and I haven’t seen Randy in ages. The last that I heard was they were in the middle of casting.”
“Excellent, I can’t wait to see what they can do. My wife even liked the last picture, which is unusual. What did you think of it?”
“It was really hard for me to watch it. Penny and I had just got back together and to see her with another man was really tough, but I got through it.”
“You don’t seem to have a problem seeing her with another woman if I’m not mistaken.”
“No I don’t have a problem with her being with a woman. Just like she doesn’t have a problem with me being with Cin and Cin doesn’t have a problem with me being with Penny. I know it’s weird, but it works for us.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me Nicky, as long as you are happy. Hell Marg and I even experimented in the lifestyle when we were younger and no one got hurt. Now get some rest those pricks are going to be here bright and early.”
The Next Day 8:15 A.M.
There is a knock on the door and Special Agent Dana walks in with a new person in tow. She is dressed in a black business suit well tailored unlike Dana’s cheap off the rack suit. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a harsh bun and she is wearing just a hint of makeup. The look on her face says that she means all business.
“Good morning Mr. Knight. I hope you slept well,” Dana says with a plastered on grin. “I would like to introduce you to Agent Owens of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. She has a couple of question she needs to ask you before myself and Special Agent Fox continue.”
“I would be happy to answer questions that you may have. I am just waiting for my attorney to arrive. He should only be a few minutes.”
As if on cue Saul walks in with a younger man. “I’m sorry if I kept you all wait, but I had to pick up my co-council. I would like to introduce you all to Troy Kerns of the Thomas, Logan, and Dale.”
Both agents go wide eyed at the mention of the law firm’s name. “Shall we begin?”
Mr. Knight do you know anything about guns,” Agent Owens asks.
“Just from the videos I’ve watched on YouTube. I really like Demolition Ranch and the AK Guy a lot,” Nick answers.
“So you have never fired a gun?”
“When I lived in Texas many years ago I would occasionally go shooting with my friend Adryn, but I haven’t fired a gun in probably fifteen years.”
“Do you own a fire arm?”
“No and I am not legally allowed to own a firearm, but I’m sure you are already aware of that fact.”
“I am. Are you aware of the existence of an underground armory on The Church of Crosse Compound?”
“I am aware that there are secret rooms all over the compound, including a sex dungeon, but I am not aware of any kind of armory.”
“Do you know of any plans by Lucipher Crosse and The Church of Crosse to make any kind of terrorist attack?”
“I do not.”
“Thank you for your time Mr. Knight.”
The agents walked out leaving Saul to introduce Nick to his new attorney.
“Nicky this is Troy Kerns his father and I go back sixty years and I trust him completely. He is one of the best damn defense attorneys in Nevada and I happen to know that he has a particular disdain for your brother.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Kerns.” The two men shake hands, “I’m not very found of my brother right now either. I mean he’s the reason I’m handcuffed to a goddamn hospital bed.”
“It’s nice to meet you too Mr. Knight. My frat brothers and I were big fans of yours when I was at Harvard. We ever caught a couple of shows you were on in person and I was very impressed with your ability to take an ass kicking.”
Nick laughs. “Yeah I’m an expert on getting my ass kicked.”
“Well I’m not, so listen to me and we’ll have you out of those handcuffs by the end of the day.”
“Sounds good to me.”
A few minutes pass before Special Agents Dana and Fox strut into the room. It being a Friday Fox has forgone his typical black tie for a cherry red one. “Good morning Mr Knight.”
“Top of the morning to you Special Agent Fox,” Nick replies.
“Do you mind if we pick up where we left off yesterday?”
“Not at all,” answered Knight with a smile. “Have you met my attorney Troy Kerns?”
“Yes I have had the pleasure in the past.” Fox suddenly looks a little green around the gills. “Shall we begin?”
“Shoot.”
“What do you know of the kidnapping of Steven Bates,” Special Agent Dana asks.
“Who,” Nick asks.
“You probably know him as Steve Awesome.” The FBI agent explains. “So what do you know of his kidnapping and being held against his will at The Church of Crosse Compound?”
“Just as much as anyone that watched Sacrifice that Monday night. I was watching it on the big screen just the same as people were watching it at home.”
“Were you privy to the location of Mr. Bates in the week leading up to your, well whatever you call it?” Fox casually leans against the wall. “Maybe it came up in a phone call between you and your brother.”
“Special Agent Fox do you think I’m an idiot? I know you’ve probably seen my phone records and you know that I didn’t speak on the phone with my brother that entire week. Hell I don’t know the last time I talked to my brother on the phone.”
“Don’t bullshit a bullshiter Knight,” chimes in Dana. “I find it real hard to believe that you were in on your brother’s plans all along.”
“I don’t give a fuck if you find it hard to believe, or not. it’s the truth. I showed up at The Compound that Friday night had a work out with my students. Lou did take me for a tour of some areas of the place that he thought might come in handy for the match, but nothing of Steve.”
“What were these areas he showed you,” asked the now flustered agent.
“A lot of weird little nooks and crannies and a couple of secret doors. One of which ended up going to his secret sex dungeon which was a little icky, but it wasn’t much different than the one he had in his house in Vegas.”
“Are you aware of the fact that at least three people we took out of that sex dungeon had been reported missing by their families,” Fox asks.
“I didn’t know the fucking thing was there until Steve and I ended up in it, so no I didn’t know that.” Nick’s frustration was coming to a boil and he was on the verge of shouting. “Do you have any more damn questions that I don’t know the answer to or are we done?”
“I think we are finished for now,” say Special Agent Fox.
The two FBI agents left in a hurry and it was obvious that they were frustrated at the lack of progress that they had made. Nick lays back in his bed and sighs loudly. “Well that was just about the most fun that a guy can have keeping his pants on.”
Troy Kerns chuckles, “Yeah interrogations have a way of sucking, but you did great. You gave them nothing and you could tell by the way they were acting that they were grasping at straws. I just have to ask you, did you lie about anything?”
“No. I have zero involvement in the running of The Church of Crosse or anything that my brother does. I was just doing the whole ‘Unholy Son’ bullshit because I was told that it would be the best thing for his mental health.”
“How so,” Troy Kerns asks.
“Lou has a rare psychological condition and I was told by my shrink that not going along with his delusions or whatever could make it worse.”
“Who is this doctor?”
“Dr. Phillip Goode out of L.A. He is one of the most respect psychiatrists in the country, so I trust his judgement completely. I’ve also read a book about the condition that agrees with what Dr. Goode told me.”
Troy Kerns takes a notepad from his pocket. “What is this condition your brother has been diagnosed with?”
“It’s called shared personality disorder. It’s where two very different personalities essentially share the same brain with one of the personalities typically being the dominant and the other personality just showing up from time to time.”
“Isn’t that just split personality disorder,” Saul asks.
“No,but it’s very similar.”
“You said that you’ve read a book about this condition,” Troy Kerns asks.
“Yes, it’s written by a doctor from South Africa that is really the only guy to study the condition and try to treat it. It’s a pretty amazing read and I learned a lot about my brother from it.”[/color]
“Do you still have the book?”
“Yeah it’s back in my hotel room.”
“Good, it may come in handy if they decide to charge you with anything. In the mean time I am going to make a call to the U.S. Attorney’s office on my way to my next appointment and tell them to shit or get off the pot with arresting you, because you are currently being illegally detained.”
“Thank you Mr. Kerns.”
“Mr. Kerns is my dad, call me Troy.”
“As long as you call me Nick. I’m sick of being called Mr. Knight by those ass clowns.”
“It’s a deal.”
Five Hours Later
The old cop that had been assigned to watch over Nick walks in the room and uncuffs him from the bed. “Well it looks like you aren’t under arrest any more. Have a good day Mr. Knight.”
“You too, Sarg.”