CHAPTER 42
No one said anything as Joey and Jade walked through the backstage foyer to the arena exit. Every wrestler on the card was present to look upon them with curiosity, but none was bold enough to interrogate them. The entire roster of Revolution Wrestling had just watched their champion, their superstar, who put the asses in the seats and the zeroes on the paychecks, march silently from the locker room to the exit. Now they watched these newcomers, who brought the chaos of the old GWA with them, proceeding along the same path. And behind the newcomers walked Gene Harold, the legendary booker and mastermind of all that had gone right for Revolution Wrestling in the past year. The silent procession was worthy of a funeral.
The exit from the backstage foyer led to the parking garage. Lucifer held the door open for Jade, Joey, and Gene. Joey stepped across the threshold, thinking about what he was leaving behind. The door closed behind Gene, and on Joey’s life as a professional wrestler.
“Honey, wait up a second,” he said to Jade. She stopped walking, and turned to him with concern. She wanted to take him to a doctor. He had to resolve the night first. With great effort, Joey turned around and spoke to Lucifer.
“Why did you do it?” Joey asked. His voice was weak, almost not his own.
“It was the right thing to do,” said Lucifer. In the dull colors of the security light, his voice echoing off the cement ceiling, Lucifer seemed more spirit than man. Joey thought back to the lightening reflexes Lucifer showed when Max attacked him. Without question, this was the most intimidating presence Joey had ever met.
“Did you know everything?” Joey asked.
“I knew enough,” said Lucifer.
“I told him enough to make his decision,” said Gene as he approached the group.
“When did you two have time to talk?” Jade said to Gene.
Gene took a few more steps before answering, the uphill walk on his former wrestler’s knees obviously straining him. “I snuck away from my spot in the booth for just a minute,” said Gene, between breaths. “I didn’t tell James the whole story, just that you were getting screwed Joey.”
Joey looked at Lucifer. The man bulged with muscles and veins, was covered in tattoos, and carried himself like a deity, but in his eyes was a thoughtfulness more suited for a philosopher. Somehow he reminded Joey of a child, who saw the world only in right and wrong, and for whom the proper course was always evident.
“So, you came out to the arena, you gave up your career, because I was getting screwed?” Joey asked him.
“I trust Gene,” said Lucifer. “He wouldn’t have talked to me if it wasn’t important. The integrity of this business means everything to Gene. It means everything to me also. It means nothing to Max. The decision was simple.”
“And he hardly gave up his career,” said Gene. “Neither did you, Joey.”
Joey wanted to smile at Gene’s faux optimism, but didn’t have the energy. He let his head sag and exhaled.
“Joey, tonight’s show was the beginning of a story,” said Gene. “It was a story I played out in my head many times over the past three months, from the minute I stumbled onto what Max was doing with the Family Television Group. I’d like for you and James to continue that story, with me.”
Gene wasn’t finished, but needed a pause in order to catch his breath. Joey considered sitting down on the concrete floor.
“Joey, Lucifer,” Gene continued, “I’m going to start a new wrestling promotion, and I’d like for you two gentlemen to anchor it.”
Joey felt a shock to his system, forgetting for a minute that he was past his physical limit. He looked at Jade, hoping to see as much surprise on her face as he felt at the way this night was unfolding. He did. In addition to surprise, he saw understanding.
“You orchestrated this whole thing,” said Jade, in a tone that was both indignant and appreciative.
“No, I just made sure everyone knew the truth before tonight’s match happened,” said Gene. “Wrestling off the book was Joey’s decision. I must admit I had hoped he would make that decision, but nonetheless, he did it on his own.
“And, Joey,” Gene continued, “I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed. You showed some real guts out there tonight. You come wrestle for me, and I’ll make sure you take your proper place in history among the all-time greats. What do you say?”
“I...don’t know,” said Joey. He paused, trying to think of why he didn’t know. His brain seemed to be crawling. There was so much to say, but Joey couldn’t put the words together to say it. He wanted to tell Gene that he loved wrestling, that it was dream, that working for Gene Harold would be a dream come true, that he trusted him to do right, that he appreciated what Gene had orchestrated here tonight. But he also wanted to tell him that he hurt. His body hurt. He was tired of hurting. He just wanted to go home.
“The last few weeks have made me wary of the whole thing,” he said. “I’ll need to think about it.”
Gene nodded. “That’s fair. You’ve only seen the worst of our business, and that’s too bad, because it’s a great business. But you and I will be in touch, Joey. You’re going to do great things, and I want to be a part of it.
“So what about you James?” Gene asked Lucifer.
Without hesitation, but also without haste, Lucifer nodded his head once. Joey was amazed at the power of the small gesture. With that nod of the head, Lucifer humbly proclaimed his trust in Gene Harold and his as-yet nonexistent wrestling promotion to properly handle the biggest star in the industry.
“Jade, I’d like you to wrestle for me as well,” said Gene. “I know that you may not be ready to commit yet either. Just know that in my promotions the women are wrestlers, not porn stars, and you’ll get the treatment a talent like yours deserves.”
“Thanks Gene,” said Jade. “I’m flattered, and I’ll think about it.”
Gene cracked a smile. Joey thought about what Gene had gone through tonight. When the evening began, Gene was the number two man in the business, having toiled in the trenches for thirty years to become the head booker of the only major promotion in North America. Now he was a nobody. But he had a vision for a new world of wrestling, and had the industry’s hottest commodity already signed up. Joey and Jade would help him get things going, but he didn’t need them. This night, and the carefully planned sequence of events that created it, were a wild success for Gene Harold.
“Well, you two should get going,” said Gene. “Joey, you might consider seeing a doctor to make sure your head’s alright.”
“I’ll make sure he’s taken care of,” said Jade.
“Gene, before you leave, one more question,” said Joey. “How did you know so much?”
Gene took a deep breath, then licked his lips. “Max doesn’t know the business,” he said, shaking his head. “Max assumed Larry and I would be loyal as long as Revolution was number one. So he wasn’t careful to hide his tracks. He was right about Larry; he was wrong about me. What Max didn’t know is that some of us are in this business because we love it, not because we want to be rich and famous. Max will never understand why paying Goliath to fake a real injury is such a slap in the face to those of us who built this industry. Goliath doesn’t understand it either. Neither does Duke. That’s why, even though Revolution is the only game in town right now, they’re already dead in the water. Not one person running that show truly understands professional wrestling.”
Gene stopped speaking to breathe some more. The poor man was a middle-aged physical wreck. He had sacrificed his youth and his body for his love of wrestling. He truly believed that sacrifice would have been for nothing had he not sabotaged Max’s big night. This was a man Joey could follow. Joey wouldn’t commit anything to Gene tonight, but some day he would.“Well guys, I guess now is the time for me to say thank you, especially to you Lucifer,” Joey said.
“I only did what was right,” said Lucifer. “You did too.”