I got ready for work and started to head towards the site, all the while trying to make sure my suit saved for later that night wouldn't get crinkled. The last thing I need is my brother thinking I don't care about what he does. Since our mom died two years ago we've been drifting apart. I do that when I feel uncomfortable. It's hard for me to continue relationships once something drastic in them has changed, it's always easier just to run.  

But tonight it was his movie's big premiere "In With A Bullet". It was some really artsy film about the war in Iraq that he was really proud of. (So was his production company. They should be, they spent $120 Million on it.) And he invited me, and I had to go to avoid more conflict with him. Truthfully his work is very well received, critically, in the box office, and by me. I actually am excited to see this.  
Once I got to the site, I was late, and it was obvious. The foreman was all over me. "Jason, it's about time you got here," he said, "get going there, kid." He was a nice guy, and didn't care much when I screwed up. I think it's cause he could relate to me, I'm not the most popular guy on the site, or in the world, for that matter, and neither is he.

"Sorry boss. I'll get on it." And I got started. The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Day would be the key word in that sentence. The night was something else though.  

I got in my truck and headed over to the theatre. "Welcome, Mr. Verando, your brother will be very excited to see you made it. Please, let me take your truck for you," the valet worker insisted.
"No, I think I'll just park over here. I'm not really planning on staying for the after party, I'd prefer to just get in and out," I answered. "Thanks for the offer though."  

I parked and stepped out of my car. I headed inside, were I was met with an onslaught of the richest and most beautiful people in Hollywood. I never saw my brother as the kind to hang out with these folks, but that might be another reason we're spreading apart.  

***************************************************  

The silencers slipped on to the guns. The group of men look at each other, not saying anything with their mouths but with their eyes. "You ready?" their eyes seemed to say. "Yes."  

**************************************************  
The movie had been playing for an hour when I had to go to the bathroom. I got up and wandered, until I found the it after a few minutes. It was while I was washing my hands I heard the first gun shots.  

"Everybody get on the ground and no one else will get hurt!" the ski masked leader yelled. His Henchmen were already rounding everyone up. By the time I got out of the bathroom to see what was going on, it was too late. They had everyone surrounded. I ran back inside the bathroom and grabbed my cell, to find it's battery dead. I always seem to forget the most subtle things, such as charging my phone at night. As if in response to my action, "Everyone hand over your cell phones!" the leader of the attackers shouted. The actors, writers, and directors all cooperated. I had no other choice. Whatever these guys had in mind, I wasn't apart of it. I fled.  

I went back to the parking lot, and first thing I was looking for was the valet kid. I found him dead behind his stand. Who ever these guys thought they were, they just got on my bad side. My first plan was to find my car and go get some sort of authorities. But once again, Lady Luck proved how much she hated me. I was on empty. I figured I might as well give it a shot. I pulled my car out and saw a shadow move. "Looks like the ski mask boys had thought this through, and left someone to make sure no one drove away," I thought.

"Pretty boy, I got something to make your skin squirm." The maniacal shadow screeched as he held the grenade ski high. I had no choice, I had to make a move. I grabbed the nearest thing to me in the car, a shovel from work earlier that day. As he moved closer to me, I rolled out the opposite door, lunged at him and hit him across the face, knocking him out cold. Once again, Lady Luck left me in the dust. Shadow had already pulled the pin.

**************************************************  

"Oh my God! What was that explosion!"  

"It was nothing, Mr. Andrew Verando. Please, don't worry. We'll be here for a short while, collect our money, and you can get back on with your premiere. I was loving the film so far, truly." whispered the ski mask's leader.
"You'll never get away with this, whatever your plan is," Jack Warren declared.  
The gun shot rattled through the movie theatre. The leader killed Jack Warren before even looking at who he was. "Ah, that's unfortunate. I liked Jack Warren's films. He was a wonderful actor. But there is a reason I'm known as Cold Hard Killer. I'll kill you before I know why I'm doing it, and while we're on the subject, you shouldn't this take attack personally. It's all for the cash. That said, let's start talking business," he now yelled to the entire audience, "We will take you one by one, give you your cell phone back, and we will monitor your call. You are to tell whom ever is in charge of your finances to send all of your funds to this account," he yelled as he lifted up a piece of paper with the account number of a Swiss bank account on it, "you do that, all will be well. You try to contact authorities, and you'll be hanging out with Jack Warren. Everyone understand?"  

*****************************************************  
I got up off the floor and brushed myself off. I got away far enough to not be harmed by the blast. My car was blown up, everything I had in it was gone. I had no idea what to do. All I had was my shovel, and my tuxedo on my back, like some kind of fancy diggerman. I had to go back inside. There was no way I was going leaving my brother like this.  
I went back in and start surveying. From the looks of it they had five men, two with handguns, and three with SMGs. There were three floors to the building, the canopy, the middle, and the ground. They had one sentry on the canopy, two on the middle floor over looking the hostages, and two on the floor with the hostages. I was on the middle. I snuck up on the two on the middle floor two guys with SMGs, and got a lucky break. "Dude, I've really got to go to the bathroom," one of the attackers said.  
"Whatever, I got them under control," his friend replied, "go to the bathroom. Just, hurry back. I have to go too."  
"Thanks."  
Now I had an opportunity. I stalked the attacker on his way to the the bathroom and watched him slip inside. I'd been in fights before, but never one's with guns. No matter, though, I thought. Who wants to live life hiding in the corner? Not me. I gently opened the bathroom door.

"Hey, you have to go that bad man? I don't think boss would be happy if he saw us both off our post," he assumed. He didn't even look up at me from his member until I was headed toward him. I took my shovel and lifted it in the air, that caught his attention. He grabbed his gun, but it was too late. I brought my shovel down and smacked his gun out of his hand. And lifted it back up and slashed him across the face, the edge of the shovel slicing his neck and face a little. He was unconscious now, or maybe worse. I dragged him into a stall and left him there. Just as I was preparing to leave the bathroom, the other attacker on the middle floor walked in.  

"Scotty, you all good in here? Boss says we're leaving soon, he's collected $400 million from the rich pri-" just then I lunged at him. I didn't have enough time to lift the shovel and bring it down on his head, so I jammed it through his stomach. The blood stained my tuxedo. He stood motionless, with my shovel through his midsection, like a foosball player. I slid my shovel out of him and looked at his gun. I'd never fired one before, so I wasn't too sure about my ability to aim. I figured I should take it just in case though. Next I moved to the canopy.  

The attacker on the canopy was smoking a cigar, with his gun on the table next to him. "I thought you were supposed to smoke cigars after the mission is done," I asked. Puzzled, he turned around quickly and reached for his gun, however my shovel had knocked it aside. He punched me in the arm, forcing me to drop my shovel. He punched me again in the face, then once in the stomach, before I punched him in the jaw.

****************************************************  
Cold Hard Killer dragged another body from the room designated for those to call their financiers. "Another one trying to call the cops," he informed, and added the new body with the group. He was up to 6 dead bodies now. He fired a few rounds in the air, just to scare the audience. They screamed. "Now, everyone stay calm," Cold Hard Killer began, "We're almost done here. Let me just drop a line to my boys." As he said that, however, a man dropped from the Canopy, hitting the ground on his back. He didn't get up. "Shit." Cold Hard Killer remarked.

***************************************************  
That was a wrong turn by me. I shouldn't have tossed him off the edge, that'll scare the two left. They started to run out the building, firing a round whenever they got the chance. Not at anyone in particular, just to instill fear in the crowd. I made it down to the middle floor, and then jumped off the railing to the ground floor to see them running out the back door. Cold Hard Killer's right hand man was nearest, and he stopped and looked at me. Cold Hard Killer stood back, and watched. "Haha, it's just some actor who thinks he's an action hero, I'll kill him," the right hand man declared. I rushed him and swung my shovel.

"I'm no actor, I'm a construction worker," I informed as the edge of the blade made a nice line across the neck of the right hand man. He fell to the floor.  
"Who the hell are you, with your shovel, and your tux. You some kind of, Fancy... Digger... Man?' Cold Hard Killer stumbled.  

"I like the sound of it," I replied, but in the moment I wasn't even thinking, and Cold Hard Killer took a shot at me. The bullet hit me in the shoulder, and I dropped to the floor. Cold Hard Killer escaped.  

Wait.  

I can stand, I know I can, I thought. I got up and walked out the door Cold Hard Killer escaped through. I could see him running off. I thought about the gun I took from that guy in the bathroom, picked it up and fired the complete magazine at him. He continued to get smaller and smaller. Lady Luck really hated me tonight. All I wanted was to enjoy my brother's new film. But I can't let him walk away with this, he killed too many people. I limped closer. I had one chance left. I started spinning in circles, as to build up momentum, holding my shovel with two hands. The figure in the distance was getting smaller, I had to release it, then I did. The shovel I'd been spinning in circles with like a javelin. The shovel came down, and pierced him through the stomach. Cold Hard Killer fell to the floor. Lady Luck, I knew you loved me. Just then, my brother and a few others caught up with me. "Jason, that was amazing! You saved us!" Andrew remarked.  
 
"Don't worry about it. I had nothing better to do." I replied as I lit a cigar I had taken from the guy from the canopy. I took a long drag, and walked off to the bathroom. I had to go.  

Post edited at 3:14 pm on July 25, 2008 by HXC

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Im a shade too pale for handsome and have habits I cant shake
However, I admire that train wreck that I am.