Okay notes for 97: I forgot to mention in 96 that this takes place a few weeks later. Also this chapter takes place at the same time as 96 and from Athena's POV.
After I was dressed for the day I walked into the common room. Chris was pacing the room and looking like he was ready to explode. I wonder what's going on?
"Athena do you know where Danny went?" Eddy asked. I hadn't even noticed him in the room. He looked as mad as Chris.
"No." I said confused. "He's not on the floor?" I asked.
"No." Chris was the one to answer. "He left without saying where he was going. He left before I was up. Eddy do you have any idea where Danny would have gone?" He had a pained expression on his face when he said that. It must be hard to realize you don't even know your son.
"I'm not sure. What's around here? He was born and raised in Atlanta. He knows the town." Eddy said his temper still high. I wouldn't want to be in Danny's shoes when he comes back.
I tried to remember what I've seen around here. There's a Starrbucks but I don't think he'd go there. There was a McDonald's but everyone was pretty much sick of Micky D's. So I don't think he went there. What else was there other then a few businesses?
"What about Gold's Gym?" Oje asked. I hadn't even seen him enter the room.
"That makes sense." Eddy said. "Bret..."
"No problem. I'll go see if he's there." Uncle Bret was getting his jacket. "I'm sure he's fine Chris and you can yell at him when we get back." He left the room.
Chris continued pacing he looked so angry but I can guess why. The last time Danny was alone he was beaten up in his own hotel room and this time we didn't know where he went. I wonder why he left in the first place.
Megan had told me about Chris and Mrs. George arguing about Danny's safety. I also heard that they finalized their divorce. He probably just needs some time to himself.
"Chris calm down." Michael said entering the room with Tammy. "I'm sure he's fine."
"Do you really believe that Michael? The trial has been going almost two weeks. We don't have a clue what Vince's group has up their sleeve. We know they had the attack planned in advance. And Hickenbottom's been on this floor. We all worry that they'll be back. That's why we are having me testify Monday."
Chris did have a point. Everyone was on edge after Shawn testified. Uncle Bret almost jumped out of his seat. He was the one who said: He's lying! But he didn't say it quite loud enough for the judge to hear. The judge had already rapped a couple of times for outbursts. She seemed to have reached the end of her patience. But hopefully she'll get used to it. The 'dead' witnesses haven't even testified yet. This was going to be an interesting week next week.
I sat in the room playing cards with Megan and Oje. I tried to ignore the pacing and constant traffic of people in and out of the room. I looked at the clock. I wonder what's taking Uncle Bret?
We all looked up as the door opened. Danny walked in looking really pale. He was followed by Uncle Bret who was dragging a man with graying black hair. Last through the door was a man with gray hair carrying a micro cassette player. I wonder what's going on and who these two guys are.
"Larry? Steve?" Dad asked coming into the room. "What are you guys doing here?"
"I still can't believe you three are alive." One of them answered. "And to answer your question your brother dragged Steve here and I came along." Okay I guess that means this guy is Larry.
"Bret why did you bring them here?" Michael demanded. "I thought we decided not to bring anyone else up here."
"Steve's got a tape I think everyone needs to hear." Uncle Bret said letting go of Steve who took something out of his pocket.
"You son of a bitch!" We all looked Steve Austin charged across the room. "I told you that if anything happened to me to do something with that tape! You are just now doing something with it? Borden it's been fifteen years!"
"I know Steve." Borden said running a hand through his hair. I now knew who this guy was. Sort of. I wonder what's going on here? What is that tape? Is that why Danny looks like he's about to pass out? Steve Borden continued. "I was afraid for my family and myself and then we all believe Chris was dead."
"Back up!" Eddy said. "What's on the tape?"
Uncle Bret took the tape from Borden and put it into the old answering machine they had brought and played it.
"Steve," A scratchy voice said, "I'm in trouble Steve. I think Vince is going to kill me! I heard Helmsley and Hickenbottom talking about killing me! You got to help me Steve!" It cut off there.
No wonder Danny looked so pale. I didn't know who was on the tape but I think I can guess what this tape meant. But was it Steve Borden's tape or Steve Austin's? What was going on here?
"You had a tape of Brian Pillman saying they were going to kill him and you didn't do anything with it?" Chris looked like he was going to explode. I have heard Brian Pillman's name a few times and now I have a voice to go with the name.
"Yeah I did. He left a message on my answering machine and I listened to it the day after he died. I couldn't have helped Brian but I still blamed myself for it. Steve came into the gym a couple of years later and found the tape and played it. He slammed me against the wall. He left with the tape. The next time he was here he had walked out of the WWF. He gave me back the tape and told me to do something with it if something ever happened to him. But I never did. I was worried would happen to me or my family. So I kept the tape locked away. The only other person who knew about the tape was Larry."
"It could have been avoided." Mom said. She was standing in the doorway. "This could have been avoided if you had taken the tape to the authority." She had tears in her eyes. "How could you keep it?"
"I'm sorry you are..." Steve Borden asked.
"Martha Hart." Borden's eyes now showed confusion and then what could have been worry? I wasn't sure. "Owen's wife. How could you do this? Vince could have been stopped 21 years ago! Steve you've got family put yourself in Steve, Chris, or Owen's shoes. Think how they must feel to have to be kept from their families."
s why didn't any of you do anything?" Obviously you knew something." Steve fired back.
"We never had the concrete hard evidence like you have." Eddy said.
"Steve maybe we should go..." Larry said trying to pull Borden out of the room.
"Just a second Steve. I owe you something." Austin said walking up to them and punched Borden.
Borden and Larry left without saying another word.
I looked at mom who left the room. Dad followed her. Megan was staring at all of us. Danny still looked a bit dazed.
"Danny we need to talk." Chris said and they both left the room. Eddy and Michael actually followed them.
I was left in the room with Megan, Oje, and a very angry Austin. Austin didn't stay long though.
This day certainly has been interesting and it's not even noon.
y
After I was dressed for the day I walked into the common room. Chris was pacing the room and looking like he was ready to explode. I wonder what's going on?
"Athena do you know where Danny went?" Eddy asked. I hadn't even noticed him in the room. He looked as mad as Chris.
"No." I said confused. "He's not on the floor?" I asked.
"No." Chris was the one to answer. "He left without saying where he was going. He left before I was up. Eddy do you have any idea where Danny would have gone?" He had a pained expression on his face when he said that. It must be hard to realize you don't even know your son.
"I'm not sure. What's around here? He was born and raised in Atlanta. He knows the town." Eddy said his temper still high. I wouldn't want to be in Danny's shoes when he comes back.
I tried to remember what I've seen around here. There's a Starrbucks but I don't think he'd go there. There was a McDonald's but everyone was pretty much sick of Micky D's. So I don't think he went there. What else was there other then a few businesses?
"What about Gold's Gym?" Oje asked. I hadn't even seen him enter the room.
"That makes sense." Eddy said. "Bret..."
"No problem. I'll go see if he's there." Uncle Bret was getting his jacket. "I'm sure he's fine Chris and you can yell at him when we get back." He left the room.
Chris continued pacing he looked so angry but I can guess why. The last time Danny was alone he was beaten up in his own hotel room and this time we didn't know where he went. I wonder why he left in the first place.
Megan had told me about Chris and Mrs. George arguing about Danny's safety. I also heard that they finalized their divorce. He probably just needs some time to himself.
"Chris calm down." Michael said entering the room with Tammy. "I'm sure he's fine."
"Do you really believe that Michael? The trial has been going almost two weeks. We don't have a clue what Vince's group has up their sleeve. We know they had the attack planned in advance. And Hickenbottom's been on this floor. We all worry that they'll be back. That's why we are having me testify Monday."
Chris did have a point. Everyone was on edge after Shawn testified. Uncle Bret almost jumped out of his seat. He was the one who said: He's lying! But he didn't say it quite loud enough for the judge to hear. The judge had already rapped a couple of times for outbursts. She seemed to have reached the end of her patience. But hopefully she'll get used to it. The 'dead' witnesses haven't even testified yet. This was going to be an interesting week next week.
I sat in the room playing cards with Megan and Oje. I tried to ignore the pacing and constant traffic of people in and out of the room. I looked at the clock. I wonder what's taking Uncle Bret?
We all looked up as the door opened. Danny walked in looking really pale. He was followed by Uncle Bret who was dragging a man with graying black hair. Last through the door was a man with gray hair carrying a micro cassette player. I wonder what's going on and who these two guys are.
"Larry? Steve?" Dad asked coming into the room. "What are you guys doing here?"
"I still can't believe you three are alive." One of them answered. "And to answer your question your brother dragged Steve here and I came along." Okay I guess that means this guy is Larry.
"Bret why did you bring them here?" Michael demanded. "I thought we decided not to bring anyone else up here."
"Steve's got a tape I think everyone needs to hear." Uncle Bret said letting go of Steve who took something out of his pocket.
"You son of a bitch!" We all looked Steve Austin charged across the room. "I told you that if anything happened to me to do something with that tape! You are just now doing something with it? Borden it's been fifteen years!"
"I know Steve." Borden said running a hand through his hair. I now knew who this guy was. Sort of. I wonder what's going on here? What is that tape? Is that why Danny looks like he's about to pass out? Steve Borden continued. "I was afraid for my family and myself and then we all believe Chris was dead."
"Back up!" Eddy said. "What's on the tape?"
Uncle Bret took the tape from Borden and put it into the old answering machine they had brought and played it.
"Steve," A scratchy voice said, "I'm in trouble Steve. I think Vince is going to kill me! I heard Helmsley and Hickenbottom talking about killing me! You got to help me Steve!" It cut off there.
No wonder Danny looked so pale. I didn't know who was on the tape but I think I can guess what this tape meant. But was it Steve Borden's tape or Steve Austin's? What was going on here?
"You had a tape of Brian Pillman saying they were going to kill him and you didn't do anything with it?" Chris looked like he was going to explode. I have heard Brian Pillman's name a few times and now I have a voice to go with the name.
"Yeah I did. He left a message on my answering machine and I listened to it the day after he died. I couldn't have helped Brian but I still blamed myself for it. Steve came into the gym a couple of years later and found the tape and played it. He slammed me against the wall. He left with the tape. The next time he was here he had walked out of the WWF. He gave me back the tape and told me to do something with it if something ever happened to him. But I never did. I was worried would happen to me or my family. So I kept the tape locked away. The only other person who knew about the tape was Larry."
"It could have been avoided." Mom said. She was standing in the doorway. "This could have been avoided if you had taken the tape to the authority." She had tears in her eyes. "How could you keep it?"
"I'm sorry you are..." Steve Borden asked.
"Martha Hart." Borden's eyes now showed confusion and then what could have been worry? I wasn't sure. "Owen's wife. How could you do this? Vince could have been stopped 21 years ago! Steve you've got family put yourself in Steve, Chris, or Owen's shoes. Think how they must feel to have to be kept from their families."
s why didn't any of you do anything?" Obviously you knew something." Steve fired back.
"We never had the concrete hard evidence like you have." Eddy said.
"Steve maybe we should go..." Larry said trying to pull Borden out of the room.
"Just a second Steve. I owe you something." Austin said walking up to them and punched Borden.
Borden and Larry left without saying another word.
I looked at mom who left the room. Dad followed her. Megan was staring at all of us. Danny still looked a bit dazed.
"Danny we need to talk." Chris said and they both left the room. Eddy and Michael actually followed them.
I was left in the room with Megan, Oje, and a very angry Austin. Austin didn't stay long though.
This day certainly has been interesting and it's not even noon.
y