"Where the hell were you?" Erichson asked. "You know better then to leave like that."
"I was disguised."
"So was Danny at Kemper and he was still spotted." Erichson fired back. Oh shit. I didn't think they knew about that. The only one I told was Tammy. Did she tell him? She said she wouldn't tell anyone. Or did she just mean she wouldn't tell dad.
"How did..." I asked.
"Eddy told me a few days ago." Erichson said.
I wonder how Eddy found out. Wait my mom probably told him too! She already told Dean and Perry why not him? It's probably a good thing I haven't had a chance to really talk to Eddy though I'll definitely be chewed out tomorrow.
"You were at Kemper?" Owen demanded. "Why would you go there?"
"Just wanted to watch. I wanted to see the WWF for myself. I didn't think I would get caught."
My dad looked at me and shook his head. Maybe I was more like my father then I thought.
"Oh and Chris you were spotted. Eddy called to say that Dean Malenko says he saw someone that looked like you." Erichson said.
Dad sighed. "I accidentally ran into him during the show. I hadn't thought he knew it was me. He didn't say anything to me and I didn't say anything to him. But, he doesn't know it's me for sure. After all he thinks I'm dead."
I knew this was a bad idea. But dad wouldn't listen to me. I sighed sitting back to be chewed out by everyone at the cabin. I looked at the thing in my hand as everyone started yelling at dad first. It was a necklace with a weird symbol on it. It was a four and yet not really a four. It had something sticking out on both sides. I couldn't really explain what it was. It almost looked like a horse. I'd have to ask dad what it was. I slipped it on.
***
The next day I entered OVW. I was late since I had to drive here from the cabin.
"Danny Eddy wants to talk to you right away." D-Lo called. I sighed. It figured. I knew what it was about. It was his turn to tell me that I was doing stupid things. I already heard enough from everyone at the cabin.
I was about to knock on the Eddy's office door. I stopped when I heard him and Uncle Dean talking. I listened.
"Eddy I saw him myself! It could have been a lookalike but..."
"I'm sure it was a lookalike. Dean Chris wasn't there. Chris has been dead fourteen years."
"You don't have to tell me that Eddy. I was at the World watching the PPV that night."
Uncle Dean was watching the PPV that night in NY? I'd heard that Vince sent a bunch of WWF wrestlers to the restaurant/Nightclub so that it could be reopened after a two-year shutdown that night. Never occurred to me that he'd send Uncle Dean there as part of it. My mom was always frosty to Uncle Dean after that night and I never knew why. It makes a little more sense if Uncle Dean hadn't been in Atlanta that night.
"Anyone ever tell you it's not nice to eavesdrop?" I turned around to see Uncle Perry standing there.
"Oh I was just waiting for them to finish. I have a meeting with Eddy."
He shrugged and opened the door. "Come on in Danny." Eddy said. Darn it I really should have walked away when Perry saw me. I walked into the room. "Can you get the door Perry?" Eddy asked
I took a seat. Eddy stared at me for a second. "Dean, Perry I need to discuss something with Danny could you excuse us? We can talk about that later."
They started to leave when Dean came closer to me. I looked at him uncertainly. He pulled something from around my neck. "Where'd you get this?"
"My dad gave it to me once." Well that wasn't a complete lie. Dad had given it to me and that could cover a lot. Eddy's eyes got wide as he saw it. What? It's just a necklace.
"Eddy he was wearing this the other night!"
Eddy closed his eyes. What was going on? I mean I'm sure it could have been any other necklace. "What are you talking about?"
"Danny the only people that had this necklace were your father and Brian Pillman. It's the Rogue Horsemen symbol. Nancy said she hasn't seen it in years."
Oh shit. What was that line from that old show called A-Team? White paper? Yeah that sounds crazy but I'd really like to disappear right now. Uncle Eddy definitely looks like he wants to disappear too.
"Dean..." Eddy started to say but Uncle Dean turned to look at him fire burning in his eyes.
"Eddy you have to tell me how this necklace got to Danny if it hasn't been seen in fourteen years."
"He could have found it." I could see that Eddy was grasping for straws. I think the others could see it too.
"But the man I saw a few days ago had that on! Eddy tell me something. And I want an honest answer. Is Chris alive?" I could see the tears in his eyes.
Eddy gave a solemn nod. "I don't know why I bother anymore."
"You've known the whole time haven't you?" Perry demanded.
Eddy nodded again. "You have to know I would have told you if I could..."
"I can't believe you kept this from us! He was my best friend. You knew how depressed I got. I remember you calling me that night and telling me that the medic told you he was dead! How could you lie like that?"
"Dean you need to understand I couldn't tell you the truth! I hated lying to everyone. His life was...is in danger. For fourteen years very few people knew and then all of a sudden everyone's finding this out!" He ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know what to do anymore."
Perry and Dean looked at each other. "Let us see him." Perry said.
"Can't do that. We have enough problems right now. And Dean's already seen him."
"We should be able to see him!" Dean said. "To make sure he's all right."
"Dean I said I can't do that. He's in hiding. Just let it go. Please just let it go." Eddy slumped down in his seat. A shell of what he was when I came in here almost a month ago asking questions about my dad's death. I still can't believe what it all led to.
I slipped out of the room. I'd let Eddy deal with that. Hey I didn't have to discuss anything with Eddy yet. As I was walking down the hall, someone pushed me into a room. Damn it! What is it about me and being kidnapped? The door is locked. I can hear someone in the background. I wonder why Vince is trying this again. "What do you want this time Vince?" I asked.
"It's not Vince." A voice said. I don't know who it is though. I've heard his voice before but I can't place it. But it was definitely not Vince. "But I'm here to warn you about Vince. Stop asking questions kid. You are going to destroy everything we've been doing. Your getting killed will defeat the purpose."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
There was a long pause. "Eric Bischoff."
"I was disguised."
"So was Danny at Kemper and he was still spotted." Erichson fired back. Oh shit. I didn't think they knew about that. The only one I told was Tammy. Did she tell him? She said she wouldn't tell anyone. Or did she just mean she wouldn't tell dad.
"How did..." I asked.
"Eddy told me a few days ago." Erichson said.
I wonder how Eddy found out. Wait my mom probably told him too! She already told Dean and Perry why not him? It's probably a good thing I haven't had a chance to really talk to Eddy though I'll definitely be chewed out tomorrow.
"You were at Kemper?" Owen demanded. "Why would you go there?"
"Just wanted to watch. I wanted to see the WWF for myself. I didn't think I would get caught."
My dad looked at me and shook his head. Maybe I was more like my father then I thought.
"Oh and Chris you were spotted. Eddy called to say that Dean Malenko says he saw someone that looked like you." Erichson said.
Dad sighed. "I accidentally ran into him during the show. I hadn't thought he knew it was me. He didn't say anything to me and I didn't say anything to him. But, he doesn't know it's me for sure. After all he thinks I'm dead."
I knew this was a bad idea. But dad wouldn't listen to me. I sighed sitting back to be chewed out by everyone at the cabin. I looked at the thing in my hand as everyone started yelling at dad first. It was a necklace with a weird symbol on it. It was a four and yet not really a four. It had something sticking out on both sides. I couldn't really explain what it was. It almost looked like a horse. I'd have to ask dad what it was. I slipped it on.
***
The next day I entered OVW. I was late since I had to drive here from the cabin.
"Danny Eddy wants to talk to you right away." D-Lo called. I sighed. It figured. I knew what it was about. It was his turn to tell me that I was doing stupid things. I already heard enough from everyone at the cabin.
I was about to knock on the Eddy's office door. I stopped when I heard him and Uncle Dean talking. I listened.
"Eddy I saw him myself! It could have been a lookalike but..."
"I'm sure it was a lookalike. Dean Chris wasn't there. Chris has been dead fourteen years."
"You don't have to tell me that Eddy. I was at the World watching the PPV that night."
Uncle Dean was watching the PPV that night in NY? I'd heard that Vince sent a bunch of WWF wrestlers to the restaurant/Nightclub so that it could be reopened after a two-year shutdown that night. Never occurred to me that he'd send Uncle Dean there as part of it. My mom was always frosty to Uncle Dean after that night and I never knew why. It makes a little more sense if Uncle Dean hadn't been in Atlanta that night.
"Anyone ever tell you it's not nice to eavesdrop?" I turned around to see Uncle Perry standing there.
"Oh I was just waiting for them to finish. I have a meeting with Eddy."
He shrugged and opened the door. "Come on in Danny." Eddy said. Darn it I really should have walked away when Perry saw me. I walked into the room. "Can you get the door Perry?" Eddy asked
I took a seat. Eddy stared at me for a second. "Dean, Perry I need to discuss something with Danny could you excuse us? We can talk about that later."
They started to leave when Dean came closer to me. I looked at him uncertainly. He pulled something from around my neck. "Where'd you get this?"
"My dad gave it to me once." Well that wasn't a complete lie. Dad had given it to me and that could cover a lot. Eddy's eyes got wide as he saw it. What? It's just a necklace.
"Eddy he was wearing this the other night!"
Eddy closed his eyes. What was going on? I mean I'm sure it could have been any other necklace. "What are you talking about?"
"Danny the only people that had this necklace were your father and Brian Pillman. It's the Rogue Horsemen symbol. Nancy said she hasn't seen it in years."
Oh shit. What was that line from that old show called A-Team? White paper? Yeah that sounds crazy but I'd really like to disappear right now. Uncle Eddy definitely looks like he wants to disappear too.
"Dean..." Eddy started to say but Uncle Dean turned to look at him fire burning in his eyes.
"Eddy you have to tell me how this necklace got to Danny if it hasn't been seen in fourteen years."
"He could have found it." I could see that Eddy was grasping for straws. I think the others could see it too.
"But the man I saw a few days ago had that on! Eddy tell me something. And I want an honest answer. Is Chris alive?" I could see the tears in his eyes.
Eddy gave a solemn nod. "I don't know why I bother anymore."
"You've known the whole time haven't you?" Perry demanded.
Eddy nodded again. "You have to know I would have told you if I could..."
"I can't believe you kept this from us! He was my best friend. You knew how depressed I got. I remember you calling me that night and telling me that the medic told you he was dead! How could you lie like that?"
"Dean you need to understand I couldn't tell you the truth! I hated lying to everyone. His life was...is in danger. For fourteen years very few people knew and then all of a sudden everyone's finding this out!" He ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know what to do anymore."
Perry and Dean looked at each other. "Let us see him." Perry said.
"Can't do that. We have enough problems right now. And Dean's already seen him."
"We should be able to see him!" Dean said. "To make sure he's all right."
"Dean I said I can't do that. He's in hiding. Just let it go. Please just let it go." Eddy slumped down in his seat. A shell of what he was when I came in here almost a month ago asking questions about my dad's death. I still can't believe what it all led to.
I slipped out of the room. I'd let Eddy deal with that. Hey I didn't have to discuss anything with Eddy yet. As I was walking down the hall, someone pushed me into a room. Damn it! What is it about me and being kidnapped? The door is locked. I can hear someone in the background. I wonder why Vince is trying this again. "What do you want this time Vince?" I asked.
"It's not Vince." A voice said. I don't know who it is though. I've heard his voice before but I can't place it. But it was definitely not Vince. "But I'm here to warn you about Vince. Stop asking questions kid. You are going to destroy everything we've been doing. Your getting killed will defeat the purpose."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
There was a long pause. "Eric Bischoff."