CHAPTER ONE

 

 

 

October 9th 1972. 

Three days after Annie’s murder. 

New York.

Danno wanted to immediately follow his wife. When he heard. When he identified her. When he had to leave her there. When he arrived home alone. When he lay in their bed. And when he realized that he had nothing else that he wanted to live for.

He wanted to follow his wife. But he couldn’t.  

Not until he made right her death.

And if everyone in the business had to lose so he could do that – then so be it.

The car Danno was being taxied in bounced at odds with the weather-worn track underneath it. The heavy, wet branches rubbed and slapped the metal of the car until it eased through the tight woodland passage and could see the clearing. It was a quiet, flatland where a circle of parked cars shone their collective lights to form a midnight meeting place. 

Apart from the invited, there was no one around for miles. There were only more empty forests and more darkness. 

Upstate New York was a perfect place for Danno to start on his promise.

Ricky Plick’s concerned eyes checked on his boss through the rearview mirror. He had been to Texas and back with his boss, on the most heartbreaking of trips. He kept looking back to see if Danno would give him the nod to turn the car around and get out of there.

But Danno didn’t nod. 

Ricky pulled into their assigned spot and added his headlights to the field’s center stage. The rain walloped unevenly off the window in splashes.

“Let’s get out of here boss,” Ricky said calmly. “We can take our time to rethink this.” 

Ricky knew that Danno was a cerebral man. A man hardwired for strategy over rash decisions. It was that very same philosophy that kept Danno at the top of their business for the last few years.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Danno simply replied as he watched Proctor King get dragged from one of the cars into the illuminated circle. 

Proctor King was the boss over the Florida territory. Both he and Danno had a long, public, bitter dispute that escalated into a dangerous realm. A realm that brought threats to their families. Their rivalry ended only three nights before – with Danno outmaneuvering Proctor and taking over his Florida territory. 

On finding out his territory was gone, Proctor warned Danno that he would get retribution. That same night, Danno’s wife was murdered in a small Texan hotel room.

“Proctor was with us when … it happened,” Ricky reminded Danno.

The shine of the direct headlights and the torrent of rain made it hard for Proctor to see who summoned him. Having heard what happened to Annie Garland, he hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was. 

“Does he seem scared to you?” Danno asked Ricky as Proctor was forced to kneel down in the middle of the lights.

Ricky took a second before answering. “You don’t need to do this.”

“You can leave anytime you want,” Danno replied.

Ricky had watched Danno enter into the cut-throat wrestling business late in his life. He saw for himself how Danno would be ignored and dismissed, but largely remain the same man – the same thoughtful and rational man. To others watching that was a sign of weakness but to reasonable men, like Ricky Plick, it was a sign of integrity. A quality that was about to leave him for good. 

Danno opened his door and was quickly engulfed in the swirling wind and thick rain. The cars of the remaining bosses from the National Wrestling Council started their engines. This night’s meeting put them all in a position that they would never ordinarily put themselves in – so one by one their cars left the water-soaked field and headed back to their hotels. 

They showed their respect and unity by delivering Proctor. What Danno chose to do next, none of them wanted to see or be witness to. Although they all knew exactly what the intent was.

The hired hand, Mickey Jack Crisp, held an already stunned Proctor King in position on his knees. 

“Danno,” Proctor pleaded. “I had nothing to do with anything. You won fair and square. You got my territory.”

Proctor looked down and saw a black plastic sheet being pulled into the grave it covered by the weight of the pooling rain. 

The picture was starting to form into a reality. 

“Jesus Christ, Danno. I didn’t … I was with you. I didn’t do anything,” Proctor shouted.

“You don’t have to do this,” Ricky quietly pleaded as his haggard looking employer took his first steps into the remaining light.

“I didn’t do it,” Proctor said with his eyes firmly planted on Danno’s.

“I told you that we were going to do this again someday,” Danno said as he pulled a .38 Special from his pocket and put it to Proctor’s right eye. “You threatened my family once before and I put a gun to your face, but I didn’t act.”

“Danno,” he pleaded. 

Proctor knew this wasn’t like the other time. This time Danno was different. More sure of what he was going to do. Proctor knew for certain that if he didn’t talk fast then his time above the soil was short. 

He opened his mouth to speak but Danno pulled the trigger and pumped a single shot straight into his head. Proctor dropped forward and Danno watched the rain torpedo into the pool of blood running from his opened skull. 

Danno could feel the air of shock rise from behind him. He could feel it rise from himself. The plan wasn’t for Danno to take the shot. No one in the whole business thought he even had it in him – especially Ricky Plick.

Mickey Jack pushed Proctor’s body onto the plastic with his foot. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. The money was great, but Proctor brought him into the wrestling business so he felt a little bad rolling him into the hole. 

Ricky put his arm around Danno and steered him away.

“Now I want Curt Magee,” Danno said as he shrugged Ricky off. 

Ricky, very quietly and respectfully, pleaded with Danno to come with him. Danno hesitantly dropped the gun and walked back to his car. 

“Not a word about this to anyone else. None of the other bosses can know what just happened,” Ricky said to Mickey Jack.

Mickey Jack nodded. 

“You took the shot, just like it was planned,” Ricky said to Mickey Jack as he surveyed the area. 

Ricky stooped and picked up Danno’s discarded weapon and bundled it tightly in his jacket. He wasn’t happy with how exposed Danno was now. Years of tightly wrapping him and keeping him squeaky clean – all gone.

Mickey walked over to his car, took out a gym bag and handed it to Ricky.

“Is the belt in there?” Ricky asked.

“Yep.”

Ricky could tell by the weight of the bag that the World Heavyweight Title was inside. 

Mickey Jack continued his work and began to fill in the hole. 

“Can you stay in town for another couple of days? I might need you,” Ricky asked as he walked away. “I’ll know after Mrs. Garland’s funeral tomorrow. Meet me at the same place at six.”

Waiting in New York another day would be no problem to Mickey Jack. The wrestling guys always paid well and most of the time he had to do hardly anything to earn it.

From the car, Danno watched Proctor get buried. His wife was dead and he had just sent his first man to death. He needed to mourn but he couldn’t yet, because he knew there would be more death to come.