DARK AGENDA
DARK AGENDA
by Soulfingaz
It seemed like only yesterday when a hip, upscale entertainment establishment named Club Indigo came to a fiery end. RJ Gannon, the co-proprietor of the club, would come visit the scene of the crime on a sporadic basis. As he stood there and gazed at what was left of Indigo, his thoughts would wander to various moments in the club's history. When RJ reminisced about the days of Indigo, he would hear jazz music playing in the background, the patrons mingling and having a good time, the pouring of champagne and his employees engaging in customer service relations. RJ preferred to remember the way his club was and not what its become. He reflected on the band performing an intense and smooth set of jazz music and the people applauding. All of a sudden, reality struck him like a bolt of lightning. Before Indigo caught on fire, his business was falling apart. In an effort to save his club from financial ruin, RJ joined forces with a snake in a grass businessman named Max Holden. This alliance would prove to be Club Indigo's swan song. Most of Holden's attention was focused on Blair and less on Club Indigo. Max saw Club Indigo as just another business venture, while RJ saw it as his dream and livelihood. RJ worked long and hard to make his dream of running a nightclub come true. On the night of the fire, RJ's dream transformed into a nightmare. His beloved club went up in flames, and when the smoke cleared all that was left were ashes. RJ saw the writing on the wall long before the fire occurred, which is why he didn't try to stop his club from from going to blazes. Despite the fact that RJ torched his own club, he held Max responsible for its demise. He wanted to strangle that lowlife scum of a man for leaving him out on a limb, but he knew that wouldn't do any good. Now that Club Indigo was no more, the temptation of returning back to a life of crime was around the corner. RJ's biggest challenge was resisting the evil urge to resume his villianous ways, but he tried to remain positive. He contemplated rebuilding Club Indigo and making it bigger and better than ever. He knew he had to start from the bottom and work his way up. RJ was ready for a comeback, but first he had a personal score to settle with Max Holden and John Sykes. He took one last look at the charcoal-broiled building called Club Indigo and walked away from the wreckage.
' After paying his last respects to Club Indigo, RJ arrives at Rodi's and is looking forward to losing himself in the crowded, busy and noisy watering hole. He has a seat at the bar and orders a drink."Yes I'll have a Jack Daniels please. RJ said"
"Coming right up. Answered the Bartender."
Soon after RJ after gets his favorite drink, a man that he's unfamiliar with walks towards him. The man immediately acts like he's an old friend of RJ Gannon.
"Hey Bartender! I got this." The man pulls out his money and pays for RJ's and his drink. He sits right beside him and introduces his name.
"RJ Gannon, I'm Wally Wilcott. I'm the owner of Videoland. One of the largest chain of video stores in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvannia." Wally and RJ shake hands.
"I know who you are." RJ takes another sip of his drink. "You do those commercials on TV. So what's up with you?" Asked RJ.
"Your business. I'm your new partner." Divulged Wally.
RJ spits his drink out in disgust. He couldn't believe what Wally was telling him. Needless to say, RJ had a very surprised look on his face and is eager to hear Wilcott's story. Before he listened to him, RJ let his skepticism be known.
"New partner my ass. When did this happen?!" RJ demanded.
"About two weeks ago, Max Holden sold me his share of Indigo and informed me that you were the man to see. I'm glad I caught up with you. I have some ideas of how we can improve the club after we rebuild it."
RJ spots Max sitting at the table and enjoying a beer. He's accompanied by Blair Cramer and both of them are having a deep conversation. RJ saw this as an opportunity to settle some unfinished business with his now-former partner. Before he confronted Holden, he turned his attention to Wally.
"Listen, Wally. We'll finish this conversation later."
"Well here's my business card and don't forget to call me." Wally finishes his drink and walks out of Rodi's.
RJ takes Wally's card and puts it in his pocket and then walks towards Blair and Max's table to have a few words with him. Blair saw RJ coming and she was terrified of him. She hadn't felt so scared of him since RJ's days as a loanshark in Atlantic City. Blair had a good reason to be afraid of RJ. She didn't want him to expose a dirty little secret of hers to Max. It was a secret that both her and RJ shared when Max was having his little fling with her cousin Kelly. Max maintained a fearless and calm composure and was determined to not let RJ bother him. He had his own problems to deal with, but things were just about to get worse. RJ interrupted Max and Blair's discussion.
"Well hi RJ." Blair said with a nervous look on her face. "I'm sorry to hear about Club Indigo. I know you worked so hard to make that place work."
Max jumps in the conversation. He knows there's a good reason that RJ's there. He wanted to tell RJ that he was selling his share of the club, but he didn't know how. He didn't anticipate a run-in with RJ so soon.
"Listen, RJ. Blair and I are in the middle of an important conversation and we want to be left alone right now."
"I don't think so, Max. We have some business to discuss. Excuse us Blair."
"I know you want to talk about Indigo, RJ. I'll explain the whole thing to you later. Right now I don't have time." Max said impatiently.
"Well you're going to have to fit it into your schedule." RJ pulls Max by his ear and escorts him to another booth to talk in private . A frightened Blair looks on and hopes that RJ doesn't reveal their secret to him.
RJ uses this opportunity to blow some steam at Max. Holden was now about to feel the wraith of RJ Gannon. The heat was on and the room just got hot.
"How dare you go behind my back and sell your share of Indigo without consulting me?!" Exclaimed RJ.
"Face the music, RJ. You have no business. It's gone and so is your dream. It's time to wake up and move forward." Max stared right into RJ's eye and smiled at him. Club Indigo going under wasn't a big deal to Max. It was just another business venture to him. RJ wasn't amused at Holden's response.
"The only thing I'm going to move forward is my foot up your narrow butt for pulling a sneaky underhanded stunt like this." RJ angrily said.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was selling my share to Wally Wilcott. He was interested in the Club for sometime now and I needed some quick cash to see Blair in Florida"
"I see. So in other words, you sold your share so you can resume your hunt for Blair. Nice to know that I can always depend on you, Max." RJ sarcastically said.
"I don't know what's with you, RJ, but if you want to live in the past, fine. You're looking at me like I had something to do with the fire. If you're looking for someone to blame, I suggest you look in the mirror."
Max's comment was a little too close to home for RJ. Although there was no proof that he set the club on fire, the dark cloud of suspicion was always shadowing over RJ. He immediately fired back at Max's insult.
"It figures you would stoop so low to resort to childish cheapshots, Max. Especially a comment that's an attack on my character."
" RJ, I don't have to attack your character. You're doing a good job on your own. And when you start acting like an adult, I won't have to treat you like a child."
"So the pot is calling the kettle metal?! You have some nerve talking to me like that, Holden. I always knew deep down that forming a partnership with my one time nemesis was an error, but now you're trying to hold yourself up to a level of maturity and responsibility? Give me break, Max! I should've known you couldn't take care of business. You can't even take care of your own family."
"You leave my family out of this, you bastard. You don't have the right to utter anything about my kids from your lousy mouth." Max's face turned red with anger and hostility.
"I'm just being honest with you, Max. Besides, if you were capable of handling your business, Blair wouldn't be sleeping with me behind your back."
"BLAIR SLEPT WITH YOU?!" Max was shocked at RJ. His first reaction to the stunning news was to assume RJ was lying to him. Blair heard the conversation loud and clear and she wasn't pleased.
"You expect me to believe that Blair had sex with you? That's a load of bull, RJ."
"Well it's a load of fact, Max, and it isn't fiction. You see, when you were knockin boots with Kelly, Blair and I gotten close. In fact we were so close that I was practically flossin' my teeth with her blond hair, and I'm not talking about the hair on her head."
Blair quickly butts into Max and RJ's discussion.
"Damn you, RJ. You promised that you wouldn't tell !" Exclaimed Blair.
"What's a matter, Blair? Did I deprive you the pleasure of throwing the nasty news in Max's face? If I did then good. I wanted to have to fun on your expense and his."
Blair smacks RJ in his face. RJ looks at Blair and laughs outloud in a diabolical manner. Max asks Blair about her sexual encounter with RJ.
"How could you do it? Why did you sleep with RJ Gannon out of all people?!" Inquired a puzzled and angry Max.
"Max, it was just a one-night stand. I went over his house and we had some drinks and before you know it, we were both in bed with each other."
"You make it sound like it was an accident, you slut."
"You're the real slut, Max. It's guys like you who think the world is supposed to revolve around them and I'm suppose to jump up and fetch like I'm a dog. Well if you're looking for loyalty and companionship, I suggest you get a canine. Why don't you go back to Kelly? I heard she's housebroken." Blair walks out of Rodi's.
With Blair gone, Max turns his attention back to a grinning and devious RJ Gannon.
"You see all the problems you caused?"
"Don't try to blame me for your troubled love life, Max. Your relationship with Blair was doomed to begin with. She had desires and I fufilled them. By the way, Casanova, did I tell you that your girl did one helluva job giving my love muscle a mouth massage? Next time you kiss Blair, you'll have my taste on your lips."
Max had reached the boiling point with RJ. Fed up with his antics, Holden sucker punched him. RJ got up and returned the favor to Max by knocking him into a table. RJ then unleashed his anger upon Max in front of a group of patrons at Rodi's. RJ was about to throttle Max until Detective John Sykes walked in and silenced the onlookers. RJ has Max by his throat when John intervenes.
"Well, well, well, RJ Gannon. Going for the record I see. You lost your club. You lost your self-control, and now you're about to lose your freedom. Go ahead, RJ. Press your luck. There's a nice cell waiting for you at the police station."
RJ stares at Sykes with a look of contempt in his eyes. At this point, he has nothing to lose from stomping Max's worthless body to the ground. Or does he?
To Be Continued....