The Unmasking of Rex Red and Wolf McBlue
By: PernDragonrider (with major help from Ghost Zero)
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Note: Major kudos and thanks to Ghost Zero for the help he's been giving me during the writing of this story. Please read and review. Like to hear how you're liking or hating the story so far.
Chapter Five"You still didn't say what kind of business you're in." Kimberly said with a concerned frown marring her still beautiful elfin face.
"Entertainment, Kim." Jason said with smile. "I'm in the entertainment business."
"You must be really successful, Jase." Kimberly said smiling as she turned to face Jason. "So where am I sleeping in this huge mansion you call home?"
"Sorry. I guess you're wore out from the flight and jet lag, Kim." Jason replied with a small concerned smile on his face. "Let me just get your bags and I'll show you to your room."
"When do the others arrive?" Kim asked with a yawn.
"Tomorrow afternoon." Jason said a he managed to get all of Kim's large suitcases gathered up. "Come on before you fall down where you're standing, Kim. We can talk tomorrow."
Jason led the way up the wide staircase and then turned toward the left at the top of the stairs. He led Kim to one of the twelve bedrooms the house boasted and that didn't count the two master suites ensconced on either end of the upper floor. "Here you go madam." Jason said as he opened the door and took the luggage inside. "I hope your boudoir meets with your approval." Jason's voice held a gentle teasing tone as Kimberly entered behind him.
Kim smiled and then her smile turned to awe as she looked around the large bedroom. The room had most assuredly been decorated for a woman to occupy. The large queen-sized canopy bed had delicate pale pink lace curtains draped and gathered to the four posts; while the bedspread and large pillows that covered the mattress boasted a deep rose pink and gold floral design. The light sage green wall color was a perfect backdrop for all of the Queen Anne style, white with gilt edging furniture. The whole room looked like something out of a fairy-tale princesses room. "Wow, Jase. Who did your decorating?" Kim gushed as she sat down on the dainty floral needlepoint stool that accompanied the antique looking vanity near the doorway.
"I don't remember the interior designer's name, Kim." Jason said with a laugh. "I was in and out of town on business while this place was being completed. I just gave the designer the instructions that there should be rooms that would appeal to women, men, couples, and kids. When I saw this room, after the place was finished, I just knew it was the room for you to have when you finally came to visit."
"This place is stunning, Jase." Kim said rising from the stool and hugging Jason tightly. "Thank you. It's almost a small slice of home away from home."
"I'll let you get unpacked and get some sleep, Kim." Jason said with a gentle smile of friendship and a generous amount of brotherly pride in his voice. "There's an attached bathroom so you won't have to share with anyone else either. It's thru the double doors on the right. The walk-in closet is behind the door to the left. Sleep well, Kim."
Jason left the room and closed the door behind him. He stood in the hallway until he heard Kim's squeal of delight when she discovered the feminine bathroom and very large closet space. He smiled and made his way to his own bedroom. /I didn't want to tell her that there's a professionally decorated bedroom for all of our friends in this place. Bill and I have missed them so much that when we had this place built, we decided to include living space for all our friends and former teammates. Maybe one day we'll all be like we were back in high school and our Ranger days, inseparable./ Jason's thoughts brought a sad yet somewhat distant smile to his face as he drifted off into a deep sleep.
Kimberly didn't wake up until about an hour after Kat, Aisha, Trini, and Zack had arrived at the house from the airport. Jason had already taken each to their respective bedrooms, as he and Bill thought of them. Kat's room was similar to Kimberly's while Aisha and Trini's rooms were just as feminine yet done in shades of yellow and white. Zack's room was done in basic blacks and whites with splashes of color in the wall hangings and bedding.
Kimberly came downstairs and joined the reunion that was going on in the kitchen. She arrived just in time for house phone to ring.
"Excuse me, but I have to take this call." Jason said as he smiled at everyone gathered around the table. He stepped to the counter in the kitchen and answered the extension there. "Hello." The others couldn't hear the other person on the line, but from the scowl on Jason's face the phone call brought disturbing news. "All right, partner, calm down. I was planning on leaving in the morning, but I can leave tonight. (Pause.) We've got to close this deal by early tomorrow afternoon or we can just drop it. I'll see you in a few hours. (Pause.) Don't sweat. We'll close the deal and then we can relax for a week or so. (Pause.) Just reserve me a room and I'll call on the cell when I'm almost there. (Pause) Okay, will probably take me about an hour to get everything together and get on the road. I should be in Vegas in about four hours, traffic allowing. (Longer pause.) Right. See you soon, partner."
Jason sighed as he hung up the phone with a grim smile on his face. He looked up at his friends sitting around the table and sighed again. "Sorry guys. My partner needs me to close these contract negotiations over in Vegas. This deal is an important one and I have to be there for the negotiations. The place we're dealing with moved up the timetable on us or I'd have had all of you come in next week instead of this week. I'm sorry."
"We all work for a living, Jase." Trini said with compassion and understanding in her voice as the others nodded their agreement. "I'm sure we'll be fine staying here for a night or two alone."
"I hate leaving you guys hanging like this." Jason said sadly. "I had a really big party planned for tomorrow night and I hope that I can make it back in time to enjoy it with you. Carlos will be picking you up in the limo and taking you to one of the local arena for an event I want you all to see. Doing events like the one tomorrow night is a huge part of my job. Just dress comfortably and casually. I should make it back in time to catch most of the show with you, but afterwards there's a new club in town that I'm made reservations for. I will definitely be there for that."
"We'll be fine, Jase." Kimberly said with a sad smile on her face. "I'm gonna miss visiting with you too, but with Zack, Trini, Aisha, and Kat here too. We won't be lonely. Hopefully you've got food stocked in so we don't have to order out, but we'll survive."
"Hey, I trust you guys with my life." Jason said seriously. "I'm sure I can trust you in my home for a couple days." His serious tone turned into a teasing one. "I've got to toss some clothes into a bag and grab the stuff from our office downtown on my way out. Enjoy. There's plenty of food and snack food stocked in the fridge and the pantry. Just don't go breaking down any locked doors unless it's an emergency. The den is on the other side of the living room and the gym is behind the den. Oh, and the pool is heated too. Enjoy guys. I hate to do this, but I've got to get going or we're going to lose this deal."
Jason turned and almost ran from the room. The others had understanding looks on their faces; however had one of them seen the huge smile of mischief that was now gracing Jason's face; they'd have wondered and started investigating everything much closer.
Jason hurried up to his room and grabbed a suit-bag from his closet that held one of his business suits already packed inside. The suit-bag was just for show, but the others didn't know that and would expect him to take a suit for his 'meeting'. Jason tossed some casual clothes along with his shaving kit and toiletries into a small-wheeled pilots case. He carried the two bags downstairs and went back thru the kitchen on his way to the garage.
"Hey, I almost forgot to tell you guys this." Jason said with small frown. "I didn't get a chance to get extra pass cards for the gate for you guys. I was going to do that today, but with having to run out of town like this; I won't have the chance. I would leave my card with you; but I left it at the office. I'm sorry but you guys are going to be stuck here in the house. I hope you don't mind too much?"
"We'll be fine, Jason." Kat said with her Australian drawl softened and almost covered with a deeper British accent. "We can open the gates, if we decide to get food delivered; can't we?"
"The gate can be opened with the gold button on the intercom panel that's next to the front door, Kat." Jason said with a smile. There's also a small video screen so that you can be sure you're letting in the delivery driver and not someone else. Green button when you talk."
"We're covered then Jase." Zack said with a smile as they followed Jason into the large garage. "HOLY SHIT!" Zack gasped in shock as he stopped dead forcing the girls to have to walk around him.
Kimberly, Trini, Aisha, and Kat all gasped when they saw the gloss black Lamborghini Diablo which sported an almost braided looking stripe of red, green, and gold down the entire side of the gleaming sports car.
Jason smiled as he opened the driver's door and carefully arranged his suit bag over the passenger seat and then put his smaller case behind the driver's seat. "One of the perks of having a good job, Zack-man." Jason said with a smile. "Besides in my line of work, this is a business investment."
"Some business investment." Aisha said with a small smile trying to get passed her still shocked and stunned expression. "Wow."
"Yeah," Kimberly said with a sigh. "You can say that again, girlfriend."
/Hopefully they don't discover the door to the rest of the garage./ Jason thought he climbed down into his sports car; shutting the door after he was in. Jason touched the button on the dash that would open the garage door and then started the powerful engine. He rolled down his window and smiled up at his friends that were still looking a bit shell-shocked. "I'll see you guys no later than ten thirty tomorrow night." Jason's voice was filled with humor and good cheer. Don't worry about the garage door; I'll close it with the remote. Have fun and don't break anything." Jason put the Diablo in reverse and then stepped gently on the gas. The large powerful engine in the small lightweight sports car almost seemed to purr as he backed from the garage. Once clear of the door, he trigged the remote built into the dashboard and the garage door opener growled to life and the door trundled down closing off his friends view of the quickly accelerating sports car down the driveway.
Jason made sure the gates to the street closed properly before he smiled a wicked devilish smile and turned the sports car toward the main roadway and he calmly drove to the hotel that Billy had checked into the afternoon before. He arrived in less than an hour and parked the Diablo next to Billy's gleaming blue one. He grabbed his bags and stepped out; locking the expensive vehicle after he'd exited. He went into the hotel and stepped to the front desk. He showed the clerk his driver's license and soon afterward received the small plastic key that would open the door to the suite Billy now occupied. He rode the elevator up to the suite and used the key to enter.
"Hey!" Billy said as Jason entered into the living area of the suite. "How did your escape from Trini, Kim, Kat, Aisha, and Zack go? Was our pretend business conversation convincing?"
"Went as smooth as silk, bro." Jason said with a smile of delight as he dropped both of his bags onto a chair and then flopped down onto the couch across from where Billy was reclining and reading on his ever-present laptop computer. "They think I'm on the road to Vegas and will make it back to join them sometime around ten thirty tomorrow night."
"I hope that we are not being too devious and underhanded with the deception and subterfuge we've employed with all of our friends and teammates." Billy said, as a worried frown replaced the smile on his face. "I am finding myself vacillating between reluctance to continue the ruse, apprehension that they'll never forgive our underhandedness, and rising exhilaration and expectation of their astonishment and surprise when our identities are revealed."
"They'll probably want to beat the shit out of us at first, bro." Jason said with a smile. "Afterwards, most of them, will understand that we couldn't tell anyone, outside of our co-workers, just who we were. Besides, I think that our plan to let them at us in the ring will give them time to understand why we wanted them there with us as well as why we couldn't tell them."
"I believe I am just experiencing a case of minor stage fright, Jase." Billy said thoughtfully as he stopped what he was doing, saved his work, and shutdown and closed his laptop. "I have grown accustomed to the anonymity that our masks have provided to our private lives; however I am very prepared and willing to lose that anonymity at this point in our careers. It is a step forward and I believe we will be a much more effective and popular team than we have ever been as singletons."
"That sounds like you're parroting Vince, Bill." Jason said with a smile. "Although, I do agree with both your and his take on our popularity. I don't want to go the very predictable route of flip-flopping from 'baby-face' to 'heel' all the time. I think that taking the title from Hunter, for the few day I will be seen as 'Heavyweight Champion', is as far as I can go as a solo wrestler with mysterious manager. Our ditching the masks will free us up to really show everyone what we can do and we've always worked better as a team. Have you decided how you're going to end the inevitable sparring match between Tommy and me?"
"Yes." Billy said with a smile as he rose to a seated position and faced Jason with a huge smile on his face. "I plan on waiting until he's smiling then I will knock him down with an unexpected clothesline. I'll then trip you and you can expect a moonsault from me once you're down."
"That works." Jason said with a large smile on his face. "Safer for Tommy than what we'd originally planned and having me power-bomb him and then letting you moonsault him. I've been a little worried about that because he could get hurt, even though he's in great shape and huge fan. I can't imagine he's ever tried any of the things we do on a regular basis and I don't want to purposely hurt him."
"Thankfully Vince is remaining in New York and won't be at the Coliseum tomorrow night." Billy said with a smile. "His presence would be conducive to what we've planned and glossed over when we got permission to show our friends some of our prowess as wrestlers."
"Yeah. It works out great that he thinks we're going to be in the ring with each other while they're on the outside watching." Jason said with a devious grin. "Shane and Stephanie will just shrug and watch the show. Hunter, Terry, Mick, Dwayne, Paul, Mark, and the other wrestlers are going to be standing around in shock when Tommy and I tear into each other with a vengeance. God I've missed sparring with him and the others so damned much it almost hurts to think about it."
"I too have missed them as badly, Jase." Billy said with a small sad smile on his face. "Tomorrow will mark the first time I've seen any of them, except in photographs and Tanya last week, since I ran away to Aquitar."
"Hopefully after tomorrow, we'll both see all of them more often than we have in the last four years, bro." Jason said with a small wistful smile gracing his relaxed features.
Jason and Billy spent a relaxing and comfortable afternoon and evening relaxing in the large two-bedroom suite Billy had acquired for them. While Jason and Billy relaxed and started mentally preparing for their big match that would happen the next evening. Kimberly, Zack, Trini, Aisha, and Kat enjoyed Jason and Billy's large house and all the amenities it boasted. Zack lounged in the media room, which Jason and Bill referred to as the den while the girls explored the house, as much as possible with all the locked doors they encountered and then swam in the pool. The five cooked dinner and cleaned up afterwards. They spent the rest of the evening catching up on what each other had been doing since they'd last seen each other and then sometime between two and three the next morning they all retired to their respective bedrooms.