Sonnequa graciously held the door for Derrick, a Walther PPK pistol in her right hand. He wheeled inside the concrete cage with a nod of thanks to his current First Lady. His brother was close on his heels, as always. As Oban had instructed, both Agent Williams and Mr. Ackerman wore tuxedos. He couldn’t help but smile at the pair sitting atop the mattresses cross-legged, like two Buddhist monks on their way to the Oscars. He said, “You two look adorable.”
Agent Williams held up a hand to block the brighter light from the corridor and asked, “Who the hell are you?”
“Let me put it like this: if you were to follow the yellow-brick road, I would be the man behind the curtain.”
Agent Williams scratched his head and replied, “The Wizard of Oz. Is that who you think you are? I remember that guy as really not so much of a wizard. He was a total fraud, to be honest. Is that what you’re saying? Was that like a subconscious cry for help?”
“I’m saying, Agent Smart Ass, that I am the one pulling all the strings. You know me as Mr. King.”
“But,” Ackerman interjected, “we’ve seen surveillance photos of Mr. King at his mansion.”
“Yes, the whole thing with the mansion and the agoraphobia rumors and all of that nonsense is a smokescreen. It’s my protection plan. You see, I started out as a quite successful businessman. A doctor actually. Oh yes, how rude of me. My true name is Dr. Derrick Gladstone. It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you.”
“And what are you a doctor of?” Marcus asked.
“I’m a fertility specialist. More specifically, I have my own chain of fertility clinics, which provide a nice insulator for my other business endeavors. And the darker side of my kingdom is where I make the real money.”
Agent Williams started to stand but Sonnequa gestured him back down with the barrel of her gun. The DOJ agent said, “If you’re supposed to be the King, then what does that make your boss, Mr. Demon? Is he like the Emperor?”
Derrick checked his watch. “I’m so going to enjoy watching the two of you die later. In regard to Mr. Demon, I owe him everything. He found me and my brother and helped us to realize our true potential. But he’s not exactly my superior, either. You might think of him more as a major shareholder in my business empire. And as my younger brother informed you, Mr. Demon set all of this in motion. The message intercepted by the FBI’s undercover agent was specifically crafted to make you boys think that Mr. King, the Gladiator, and the Demon Welkar were separate entities, and that Mr. King’s organization was not happy with the Gladiator’s service. When, in reality, we are all part of the same Legion. We are all brothers.”
Ackerman said, “I’m not sure how I feel about the reckless dilution of the term ‘brother’ in such a context. But to be clear, the Gladiator, your masked friend here, is your younger biological sibling?”
Showing his perfect white teeth, Derrick replied, “I do so admire your work, Mr. Ackerman. I had so hoped we would get a chance to chat, and I wanted to tell you this very story. Especially considering how you are also working with a brother.”
Both sets of brothers remained silent a moment, and Derrick knew he had just scored a point for his team. It was all psychological, but he wanted them to feel how powerful he and all the Legion truly were.
He continued, “This isn’t something I talk about often, but you may have noticed that I’m in a wheelchair. It was during my senior year of college football when the spinal cord injury occurred. I was the star quarterback, and I would’ve probably been scooped up by the NFL, if it hadn’t been for a linebacker trying to prove a point. It was a late hit, completely inappropriate, and the refs called him for it instantly. But the damage was already done. My spinal cord was forever broken.”
Ackerman said, “It sounds like a godsend to me. If you had been contracted by the NFL, you probably would have suffered from CTE. There’s still a possibility if your college years were as you describe. But, well, I’m sure I don’t have to explain those studies to a medical doctor.”
Derrick wheeled forward and leaned out over his knees as he continued the story. Sonnequa tightened her grip on the pistol, adjusting to ensure a clear line of fire. He said, “While I was lying in a hospital bed, my little brother went out, captured the man who did this to me, and beat him to death with his bare hands. Now that, Mr. Ackerman, is loyalty. That is brotherhood. But even if we weren’t blood relatives, the same kind of brotherhood is still found within the Legion. Mr. Demon wanted me to extend to you one last invitation to join us. He can help you to achieve your true potential, just as he has helped my brother and I, and countless others.”
Ackerman glanced over at Agent Williams and paused for a long moment, as if he were considering the offer. Then the infamous serial killer said, “I already have all the brothers I can handle. I have a real family. And I’ve warned Demon what would happen if he ever tried to take what’s mine.”
With a small nod of acceptance, Derrick said, “Excellent. Now that we have the introductions out of the way, I’d love for you gentlemen to join me for dinner.”