Max Burnage Ep. 01: Cheaters Beware

"Lizzy is my wife, Elizabeth," he said. "And yeah, she would kick my ass."

"Oh," Max said. He turned to Adrestia. "So, how did it go? Did you get the information?"

"Yes, I got it all," she said. "I've already disabled the tracker and and worked through the encryption on the files. And I got rid of the virus they put on the drive."

"You did all that?" Max asked, shocked.

"Of course," she said with a satisfied smile. "I told you I have doctorates in multiple disciplines and I can multi-task as well."

"So, we're good to go with the plan, then?" Max asked.

"Yes," she said. "I'll start going through this and I'll make sure it just happens to get into the right hands."

"How did Shannon react when you gave her my ring?" Max asked her.

"She felt a tiny bit of guilt for a moment, but her greed took over," she said. "She really doesn't care what happens to you, Max. I'm sorry." Max nodded his head and felt his emotions rise again. Adrestia sat on the bed and kissed his forehead. He instantly felt better and looked into her face.

"I just don't get it. Why would she do all this to me?" he asked. "All I've ever done is love her and support her. Did I do something wrong?" Adrestia shook her head.

"You did nothing wrong, Max," she said. "Shannon is involved with some very bad people and they've twisted her mind and played on her greed. She's not the same woman you married. You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No," he said. "Even if I thought I could get past the cheating, which I can't, the fact is I could never trust her again."

"You should also know that they intend to kill you no matter what," Adrestia said. "Shannon figures that's the only way she can get her hands on your money. She knows she'll get nothing in a divorce."

"And you saw all this in her mind?" Max asked.

"I did," she said. "I had seen it before and hoped it was just a fleeting thought, but it wasn't. She's set on seeing you dead. One way or another."

"What will we do?" Max asked nervously.

"We follow our plan," she said. "Look at me," she said, firmly, taking his head in her hands. "Look me in the eye and listen to my words. Think of nothing else." He did as she directed. "No hand raised against you will ever prevail, my love. You must finish what we started. You are my chosen and I will see you through this. Do you understand?" He felt his resolve stiffen and nodded his head.

"I understand," he said. She smiled and kissed him softly. He felt a giddy warmth spread through his body as their lips met. When she broke the kiss, he felt as though he could take on the world. "Drink some tea and get some rest," she told him. "You'll need it. I'll be by to see you off in the morning."

"Thank you," Max said. "For everything." She stroked his face for a moment.

"Sweet dreams," she said with a sultry smile before leaving. He poured another cup of tea and sipped it as he watched television with Eli for a bit. When he finished, he laid back in the bed.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep," he told the older man. "You can keep watching the TV if you want. It won't bother me."

"Reckon I jes' might do that," Eli said as Max nodded off to sleep. As Eli watched television, Max's mind was filled with dreams of a naked blonde goddess. When he woke up the next morning, he could still see her in his mind, her legs spread wide as she lay on the ground under the trees, her beautiful smiling face encouraging him to enjoy what she offered him. He looked and saw Eli was still watching television.

"Didn't you get any sleep last night?" he asked. Eli shook his head.

"Don't need to sleep anymore," he said. "I take it you had a good night's sleep." Max smiled as he recalled his dreams, which seemed so vivid.

"Oh yeah," he said. Eli smiled as though he knew what was going through Max's mind. The nurses came and took Max for his morning X-rays and exams. A few minutes after he was back, the doctor showed up and gave him the good news.

"Well, Max, it looks like you're completely healed," he said. "I see no reason to keep you here. I'll go ahead and start the process and we'll have you ready to go in just a short bit."

"That's great, doc," Max said. "Thanks." By the time Max finished his breakfast, Adrestia came into the room.

"I hear you're getting discharged," she said.

"I am," Max said. "No offense, but I'm ready to get outta here and back on my feet."

"No offense taken," she said. She turned to Eli. "I understand you ran into a couple of Mario's goons last night."

"Yeah, Amos and I took care of 'em," he said. She nodded her head.

"Well, their boss isn't too happy with them right now," she said. "That's their tough luck." She reached into her briefcase, pulled out an envelope and handed it to Max. "There's two tickets to Spokane, one for you and another for Eli. I got round trip tickets for you both, but something tells me Eli won't need the return ticket. There's also some new ID cards in there for you, just in case. Danni and your attorney will be working with the stockbroker after they see Judge Stone this morning. Basically, everything is set to go."

"Wow, you have been busy," Max said. "What about Mario's books? Did you have a chance to look at any of that information?"

"Oh yes," she said. "There's evidence of a multitude of crimes there. Guns, drugs, prostitution, graft, pay-for-play, you name it. And it looks like a number of elected officials across the country are involved as well. No wonder they couldn't get anyone to look at them. I'm sorting through it all, but it'll take some time. So, how are you feeling? You look well rested."

"I feel better than I have in a long time," Max said. "And yes, I am well-rested, thank you."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "And just so you know," she whispered in his ear, "that was just a small taste of what's in store for you when this is all over."

"You mean," Max began before she silenced him with a kiss.

"Oh yes, that was very real," she said after she broke the kiss. "I hope you enjoyed it."

"Oh, I did," he told her. "Very much."

"I'm very glad to hear you say that," she said. "I've always had a thing for the outdoors."

"Oh my," Max said. He could still see her in that forest, giving herself to him completely.

"Hang on to that," she said. "And don't worry. I'll write you every week, and I promise you'll see me every night."

"Write me?" Max said. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the rules at Camp Rollins are quite clear," she said. "No phones, no Internet. Only what you would call snail-mail. I'll make sure you have an address where you can reach me. And remember, your name is Burnage, not Burns."

"Burnage," Max said. "Got it."

"One more thing, Max," she said. "I know you've been through Air Force boot camp. Trust me, this is a lot worse than that."

"Terrific," Max said. She smiled and shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "You'll do just fine. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. There's an inner strength you've never tapped into before. That's not your fault. You've just never had to do that before. Trust me. You'll have to do this yourself, but I'll be right there with you. When you feel your strength starting to wane, think of me. Will you do that?"

"I will," Max said.

"Good. Listen, they're getting ready to bring your discharge papers, so I'll have to get going," she said. "And remember what I told you."

"I will," he said. She started to turn away, but Max stopped her. "What about my luggage? Don't I need to take some things with me?"

"No," Adrestia said. "They'll have everything you need."

"Oh, okay," Max said. He looked into her face for a moment before he spoke again. "I love you, Adrestia," he said before kissing her.

"And I love you, too, Max," she said when they broke apart. She smiled at him one last time and left the room. After she left, he pulled out his clothing, which had been washed and returned to the small wardrobe in the room. Making sure he had everything, he got dressed. By then, a nurse came into the room with his discharge papers and a wheelchair. She went over everything with him, and had him sign the papers when she was finished.

"What's the wheelchair for?" he asked.

"That's for you," she said. "Hospital policy. We don't want you getting hurt by accident on your way out."

"That makes sense," Max said, sitting down in the chair. The nurse wheeled him to the patient loading area, Eli following close behind. They got to the curb and the nurse hailed a cab. She helped him get inside, even though he didn't really need any help and Eli got in the other side.

"Where to?" the driver asked after the door was closed.

"Airport," Max said. He looked at the tickets to find out what airline they would be flying on. "American Airlines terminal, please."

"You got it," the driver said, heading out. After they got to the terminal, Max realized they had a couple hours before they needed to check in.

"Care for a beer before we have to go? It's on me," he offered.

"Why sure," Eli said. "Let's go find us someplace to park." They found a small bar inside the terminal and ordered a beer. Eli pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Mind if I... smoke?" he asked. Max shook his head.

"Not at all," he said. Eli offered him one. He thought about it, but it had been years since he had smoked.

"Go on," Eli said. "One won't kill ya." Max shrugged his shoulders and took the cigarette. Eli opened a box of matches and brought one out. To Max, it looked like his last match. Eli scratched the match over his jeans and lit Max's cigarette, then his own. Max took a puff and looked at the cigarette. It didn't smell like a normal cigarette would and didn't taste like one, either.

"Is this some kind of special blend or something?" Max asked.

"Actually, it is," Eli said. "Worked on that for a long time to get it jes' right. You like it?"

"I do," Max said. "I haven't smoked since I left the Air Force. Never tasted one like this before." Eli tossed him the pack and a box of matches.

"Glad you like it. Go ahead. Keep 'em," he said. "You may get a chance to enjoy one now and again. Personally, I like to end the day with a beer and a good smoke."

"Thanks," Max said. "I appreciate that. So, what do you know about this camp?"

"I know it's pretty tough," Eli said.

"You ever deal with anyone who's been through it?" Max asked.

"Once or twice," Eli said.

"You don't think I'm up to this, do you?" Max asked.

"Well, I think you got the heart for it and I think you have the brains for it," Eli said. "But..."

"But I look like someone who's spent ten years sitting on his ass behind a keyboard all day," Max said. "That's because for the most part, I have. I've put on some weight and I've gotten soft. I get that. I've been meaning to hit a gym but I just haven't had time to do it. You think maybe that's why Shannon's doing what she's doing?"

"Don't rightly know, son," Eli said. "Could be. Maybe she sees you as someone she can push around because you've let her. Personally, I think it's mostly because she's greedy and she's let some asshole fill her head with a bunch of crap."

"No argument there," Max said.

"We know she's after your money," Eli said. "How much are we talkin' about?"

"A lot," Max said. "Somewhere north of 10 million dollars." Eli whistled.

"How'd you get all that?" he asked.

"I've been fascinated with numbers and economics for years," Max said. "My dad was a whiz on the stock market and he taught me everything he knew. I learned the value of saving and investing at an early age. He opened a custodial account with his broker for me when I was 14. I started small, made some mistakes along the way, but I learned from them. By the time I was 18, I was worth half a million dollars. I kept at it while I was in the Air Force and by the time I went to college I had over five million. It's doubled since then."

"No wonder she's so anxious to get her hands on it," Eli said.

"When Shannon and I got married, my broker suggested I get a prenuptial agreement, so my attorney put one together. Shannon was livid, but I got her to understand this was just to protect what I'd spent so long building up," Max said. "My goal was to put whatever children we had though college, set them up and be retired by the time I was 55. Guess she got tired of waiting."

"Reckon so," Eli said.

"So, what advise do you have for me regarding this camp?" Max asked.

"For starters, you've got an edge most of the guys who go to that camp don't," Eli said. "Most of them fellers are scared, alone, humiliated, weak. They don't have the support you do. They go in looking like scared rabbits and they come out mean as hell with a chip the size of Texas on their shoulders. Not all of them, but enough of 'em are like that. They got it in their heads all they have to do is kick someone's ass and their problems are over. They lash out without thinking and sometimes they end up in more trouble than they had going in."

"Basically, you're saying I need to learn to pick my fights," Max said. "I get that."

"It's a bit more than that, but you're on the right track," Eli said. "Adrestia and I can help you hone those skills so you're not a loose cannon out there tearing up everything in sight. Let them build you up physically, teach you what you need to know, but you need to remember one very important thing."

"What's that?" Max asked.

"No matter how big and bad you think you are, there's always someone bigger and badder than you," Eli said. "You're not bullet-proof, like me. After all, I'm already dead. I can't be killed twice."

"Good point," Max said quietly. Eli chuckled and slapped Max on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine," he said. They finished their beer and cigarette and noticed it was time to get in line for the security check. They had no luggage, which surprised the security agent, and went through the detector without a hitch. Soon, they were in line to board the aircraft.

They found their assigned seats and sat down. Max was placed in a seat next to one of the windows. Eli sat in a middle seat and looked a bit nervous.

"First time flying?" Max asked.

"First time on one of these flying machines," he said. Max thought that a strange phrase. "Normally, I'm on horseback."

"Horseback?" Max asked. Eli nodded his head.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll tell ya about it someday."

"I can't wait to hear about that," Max said. "Trust me, these things are safer than just about any other means of transportation. Besides, even if we do crash, you don't have to worry, right?"

"Technically, no, but that don't mean I like the idea of falling from hundreds of feet in the air," Eli said.

"Try thousands of feet," Max said. "These things get pretty high."

"That makes me feel better," Eli said. Max smiled at that. Soon, the flight attendants were walking around, making sure everyone was belted in. Eli had some difficulty figuring it out and Max helped him. After one of the flight attendants gave her safety spiel, she sat down and the aircraft began its journey to the runway.

They sat there for a minute or two and suddenly, the aircraft began its takeoff. As it lifted off the runway, Max heard a quiet, "oh, shit," from Eli's seat and smiled to himself. As the aircraft reached its cruising altitude, Max looked and saw that Eli had relaxed a bit and was looking out the window.

"You okay?" he asked the older man.

"Yeah, this ain't so bad," Eli said.

"I told you," Max responded. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna get a bit of sleep."

"Okay," Eli said, looking out the window. A bit more than three hours later, the plane landed in Spokane, Washington, and they followed everyone else off the plane. Eli stayed with Max outside the terminal, and the two enjoyed one last cigarette as they waited for the bus that would take Max to Camp Rollins. Finally, the bus arrived and a stocky man in a khaki uniform stepped out of the vehicle.

"You heading for Camp Rollins?" he asked as he approached Max and Eli.

"Yes, I am," Max said. The man nodded his head.

"Go ahead and finish your smoke, then get on board," the man said.

"Okay," Max said. They finished their cigarettes and shook hands after crushing out the butts.

"You take care now," Eli said. "Remember what we told you and you'll do jes' fine. I'll be back to get ya when yer finished."

"Thanks for everything, Eli," Max said. Eli nodded his head, tipped his hat, then turned and walked back into the terminal. Max saw a few others get on the bus, so he joined them.

...

"Oh. My. Fucking. Gawd," the man in uniform yelled as he gazed at the small group of men standing on yellow footprints painted on the parking lot asphalt. "How in the hell do they expect me to make men when they won't even send me human fucking beings to start with? This is the sorriest collection of illiterate cum bubbles I have ever seen in my entire fucking life! Christ on a motherfucking bicycle!" He spoke to another man in uniform. "Get this sorry-assed bunch of maggots out of my sight and get them processed before I start cussing!"

"Yes sir," another man wearing sergeant's stripes said. As the sergeant turned to the group of about 15 men, Max wondered what the hell he had gotten himself into. These guys seemed far more severe than the military training instructors he had at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

"Turn to the right," the sergeant barked. They all faced to their right except for one skinny kid who turned to his left. The sergeant was instantly all over him like white on rice.

"What are you, a fucking IDIOT? Do you not even know the difference between right and left?" the sergeant screamed in the kid's face as he bounced the wide brim of his campaign hat off the kid's face. "THIS is your right," the sergeant screamed, stomping on the kid's right foot. "And THIS is your left," he added, stomping on the kid's left foot. "Now, turn to your right," the sergeant ordered. The kid faced to the right, looking embarrassed.

"Forward, MOVE," the sergeant barked. Everyone started walking forward, following the sergeant's direction. When they reached what he realized was the processing center, the sergeant issued another order.

"Hippity-hop, mob, STOP!" Everyone stopped except for one guy who took an extra step. "Goddammit, I said STOP! When I say STOP, you STOP, understand me, maggot?" the sergeant screamed in his face. Before the man could respond, the sergeant walked away and opened the door to the building. He ordered the group inside and watched as they received their buzz haircut, then took them to the clothing and equipment issue area.

There, the students, as they were called, gave up all their personal items -- clothing, wallets, jewelry, everything, was tagged, inventoried and placed in a locked container. They were even required to remove the batteries from their phones and give those up as well.

They were then issued two sets of olive green overalls, several pair of white t-shirts and boxer shorts, socks, tennis shoes, boots, caps and a bag filled with toiletries. The sergeant gave then just a few seconds to shower, shave and don their new uniforms. Once finished, he instructed them to form up outside, where he explained the rules, which were simple. They were not to speak unless spoken to, they would run wherever they went and were to follow whatever instructions they were given without question.

He double-timed them to another small building, which they learned was their barracks -- their home for the next three months. They were set loose and told to find their designated racks -- the term that was used for their beds -- and stow their gear in footlockers located at the foot of the small twin-sized beds.

That night, Max slept soundly, dreaming of a particular blonde goddess.