The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

The locks on the door released one by one with a audible sounds that echoed against the walls of the cabin.  The figure on the floor propped up against the wall didn’t react at all, only stared straight ahead into space.

After a minute, the intercom speaker in the ceiling clicked on.  “You’re free to go, Boyo.  I’ve been instructed to let you go”, Mr. Smith’s voice announced gleefully.

A smaller sound caught Kurt’s attention, and he felt rather than saw the electronic bracelet fall from his leg.  “Instructed ?”, he said dully.

“Why yes, the Young Master told me to let you loose”, Mr. Smith’s voice came through the speaker, “Provided, of course, that you leave town right away.  Just take that path there, it will lead out to the road by the Church.”

Kurt struggled to a standing position and walked slowly toward the door.  He reached down and turned the knob and pulled.  The door swung open under his touch, and he squinted at the brightness of the day.  He saw trees, and a pathway led away into the woods.

Kurt stood in the doorway and turned to look back on what had been his chamber of torture once more.  He looked up at the ceiling, and addressed the invisible Mr. Smith.  “Are you only the ‘Young Master’s’ lapdog ?  Or was all this your idea ?”

“No”, the voice said sadly, “This is Master Derby’s cabin....And this was all his doing, not mine.”

“I’m sure those thugs of yours were his idea, too”, Kurt said bitterly.

“Boyo, I saved your life !  Master Derby would have killed you !”, Mr. Smith said. “I kept him from doing that, and now you’re free !”

Kurt shook his head, disgusted.  “You just keep telling yourself that, Mister....Maybe it’ll ease your conscience for what you’ve done here.”

Without waiting for a reply, Kurt staggered through the door and onto the pathway.  It was slow going, every part of him seemed to ache and he felt some of his bones might be broken.  He paused and looked back.  The mountains of the Vale Valley loomed up behind the cabin, set in a small clearing at the base.  A pipeline ran near the side of the cabin and disappeared into the woods.  All about him were trees, and the air held a woodsy smell.

Kurt turned to the pathway and started on the trail.  He moved slowly, but with each step he took, his confidence returned. He decided he wasn’t going anywhere.  Derby may have won this round, all right, but there was no way he was leaving town or leaving his Clique buddies behind.  That Prep bastard wasn’t running him out like a dog with his tail between his legs.  He would find his boys, and tell them what happened, and when he was healed, he would take care of Derby Harrington, all right.  If that fuck thought the last time Kurt has beat and humiliated was bad, just wait till he saw was in store for him now.  Kurt would cripple him this time.  Maybe even kill him.
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[BloodChuckZ]

It took awhile, but Kurt finally came to the trail’s end on a prepisice overlooking the old Church, in fact nearly right across the road from it.  The rock face angled down toward the road, a distance of about 20 feet.  Kurt looked closely and saw the way down, a twisty way dropping like a switchback down the face of the rock.  He stepped gingerly forward and began to climb down.

SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!  SPLAT !!!!!

A sudden fuselage of hard objects struck him, in the guts, on the legs, in the chest, and on his head.  Kurt lost his balance and tumbled to the bottom, striking several rock outcroppings on the way down.  He rolled out into the road, groaning and moaning.

Derby Harrington appeared from just up the road, holding the Modified Spud Gun designed to shoot Hard-Boiled Eggs that he had bought from Jake at the Carnival last fall.  He walked towards Kurt while reloading it with a fresh set of Eggs.  From down the road, holding a regular Spud Gun, Bif came walking towards Kurt from the other direction, keeping the Spud Gun trained on Kurt.  Both boys had been waiting just out of sight near the rock face to bushwhack Kurt when he appeared. 

“So, it’s the Loser Pauper Motherfucker !”, Derby said as he came closer to Kurt, who was withering about in fresh pain.  “You think I’d be Stupid enough just to let you loose ?”  He aimed the Modified Gun at Kurt and shot him dead center in the forehead with another Hard-Boiled Egg.  Kurt’s head rocked back with the force of the blow.  “Your Scummy lot is a bunch of Lying Shits.  You’re such a Fool if you think I would ever believe you’d actually leave.”  He bent closer and said in a taunting voice, “There’s only one way to get rid of you for good !”

Motioning Bif, they grabbed Kurt and hauled him to his feet, dragging him over to the gates in front of the Church.  Derby stopped and while Bif held Kurt up, dug in his pocket and produced a true Skeleton Key with the head of a Skull at it’s top.  Derby inserted it in the lock of the Iron Gate and unlocked it, swinging the Gates open.  Derby and Bif then dragged Kurt through the Gates and up to the front doors of the Church.  Kurt’s head lolled, and through his haze, he heard a strange chanting coming from inside the Church.

abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi !!!!!

Bif recoiled a bit at the sound, but Derby stepped up and banged out a code on the doors with his fist, six sharp blows, then six more, and six more.  In a few seconds the doors were thrown open with great force to reveal two Monks standing there, their faces completely hidden by their black robes.  The chanting increased in volume to a crescendo.

abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi !!!!

Derby nodded to Bif and together they shoved Kurt towards the Monks, who reached out and caught Kurt in what looked to be fish-white hands.  Kurt felt the cold, hard fingers sinking into his flesh as they held him, and his mind reeled in terror.

goagheadlo, goagheadlo, goaghedlo, goagheadlo, goagheadlo, goaghedlo, goagheadlo, goagheadlo !!!!!

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH !!!!!”, Kurt screamed in horror as the Monks dragged him backwards into the Church.  Waves of cold icy air poured out of the doors of the Church, washing over the boys as they stood there.  Bif risked a look into the dank interior, and saw lit candles....Hundreds and hundreds of lit candles, producing an eerie, unearthly glow.

Bif shrank back, his face suddenly gone white.  But Derby just stood there as the Monks pulled a still screaming Kurt back further into the Church.  Seemingly of their own accord, the Church doors banged closed.  Derby began to laugh and laugh as Kurt’s screams echoed inside the Church, drowning out even the chanting.
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[BloodChuckZ]

As the sun’s rays left the South Bronx and darkness fell, Mr. Luntz struggled awake in the room at the safe house.  Sitting up, he began getting his bearings.  He had slept fitfully, but enough for the long trip that lay ahead of him and his charge.  Taking a look over at Pete, he saw he was still sitting silently, guarding the box containing the File.  Mr. Luntz rose and went over to a small table where a Coffee Machine sat.  Plugging it in, the room was soon full of the aroma of fresh coffee.  If nothing else, Big Mike wanted to make sure that he was properly jizzed for his long trip.  Everything depended on him delivering his cargo safely.

Mr. Luntz went to the door and gave a coded knock, which was confirmed.  He undid the locks and stepped out the door, conferring with Lenny and Jonesy, still on guard duty after a very long day, their weapons still at the ready.  Jonesy left the building to check out the safety of the way back to the Parking Garage, and would meet them there.  Mr. Luntz returned to the room to have his coffee and get ready for the long drive ahead. 

Within the hour he was ready to go, shaved and freshly dressed.  He walked over to where Pete was still holding vigil over the File.  “I’ll take that now”, he said, reaching his hand out for the gun.  Pete looked up at him with his good left eye and silently handed the gun over.  “Good Job, Pete.  You done good.”  Pete smiled a ghost of a weary smile.  Guarding was hard work.

Soon, they left the apartment and the safe house, walking back in that same queer formation, Pete carrying the box surrounded by Mr. Luntz and the trench-coated men.  Nobody paid them the slightest bit of attention.  Far more strange things happened in New York every hour of every day.  Reaching the Parking Garage entrance, they met Jonesy.  Two of the guards, Carmine and Jingles, went ahead to scope out the cars and the area just in case anybody lay in wait.  As they cleared each level, they waved the party ahead, and the odd procession proceeded up the levels until Mr. Luntz’s old beater was reached.  Then the trunk was opened and the box with the File was stashed once more.  Mr. Luntz and Pete got into the car and started it up.  Meanwhile, Lenny and Jonesy ran to another car, and Carmine and Jingles still another car. Mr. Luntz fell in behind Lenny’s vehicle, while Carmine followed behind.  In this way, the procession left the Parking Garage and wound through the streets of the Bronx, weapons ready at the front and back.

Hooking on to I-95 once more, the cruised in tandem across the northern spit of Manhattan, slowing to pay the toll on the Washington Bridge across the Hudson, then on to US-46, finally on to the New Jersey Turnpike.  Mr. Luntz kept close watch while queuing up to the tool booth, but once underway, he seemed more at ease in what seemed to be his natural environment.  All way down past the towns and cities on the Jersey side, Big Mike’s guards kept pace, sometimes in front and behind, sometimes to either side.  Pete watched the places slip by....Bergen, Kearney, Newark, Elizabeth, Linden, Perth Amboy.  Finally, past the Brunswick exit, as the congestion began at last to thin out, the cars of Lenny and Carmine began to drop back, further and further, until they were gone and it felt as if they were alone, cutting through the night along the ribbon of highway that stretched on and on and on.

Pete began to tire then, now well past midnight, and by the time they crossed into Wilmington, he was asleep, missing entirely the slice of Delaware before crossing the line to Maryland.  He was still in slumber while Mr. Luntz piloted the car through Baltimore, heading so much closer to their final destination.  The closer they got, the more the traffic increased, and before they even got close to the District boundary, it had slowed to a crawl.  Finally hopping the small stretch of I-495, Mr. Luntz dropped off the Interstate at last onto Highway 650.  The sun was up and shining in the East as they crossed into the District of Columbia. 
____________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Pete came awake then, as Mr. Luntz began to navigate the streets of Washington in the crush of the Monday morning traffic.  It seemed to Pete to be a squirrel’s maze of indecipherable streets, but Mr. Luntz picked his way through with ease, even though Pete was sure he had never been there before.  Finally, Mr. Luntz pulled over to the curb at the Intersection of 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. 

“Stay Here”, Mr. Luntz ordered, and got out of the car.  He took a long look around for a minute.  Satisfied, he unlocked the trunk and retrieved the box containing the File.  Then he re-entered the car.  Opening the box, he took a last look to see that the File was still there.  Then, he closed it and handed it to Pete.

“Here’s where you get off”, Mr Luntz said.  “I can’t go in there.  It’s up to you now.”

Pete looked at the sign by the building.  It read......   

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

“Just like that ?”, Pete worried.  “What’ll I do ?”

“All you have to do is go inside”, Mr. Luntz said in a calm voice.  “Tell them you want to see the Investigators.  Tell them.....You have information on the case of Vincent Fonzerelli.”

“Vincent....Fonzerelli....”, Pete repeated slowly.  He had heard that name, somehow.  “Who....”

“Better known as ‘Bloody Vince’, Kid”, Mr. Lunt chucked mirthlessly.  “Crime Boss of New York, and thereabouts.”

It suddenly occurred to Pete that there was a whole lot more to the File than just corruption at Bullworth and the Vale Valley.  And a whole lot more to Mr. Luntz than he would have ever even guessed. 

He turned to Mr. Luntz, a question in his eye that he just had to ask.  “Umm....Mr. Luntz.....Are you a......Gangster ?”

Mr. Luntz settled back a bit, but avoided directly answering.  “It’s been seven long years since I’ve been able to go home safely....My Brother too.  This man...This Animal....Has murdered many people.  He deals in death every day.  The Feds haven’t been able to touch him yet....But the evidence in that File will bring him down.”

Pete was confused.  “How....How’s that ?”

“He uses Harrington and Spencer to smuggle illegal goods into the country, through the Blue Skies Docks.  Weapons, Explosives, Drugs....You name it, it comes up the river to the Port of Bullworth.”

“But....What does this File do ?”, Pete asked, although he was beginning to understand.

“The Feds never had any proof on how he got his illegal shipments into the country”, Mr Luntz said, “until now.  The proof is in that File.  Shipping Orders, Bribes, Kickbacks, Coverups...It’s all there in black and white.  It’s all they need to make charges stick.  This will tip it over the edge.”

“And.....Bullworth ?”, Pete asked.  “What happens there ?”

“When Bloody Vince goes down, They all will fall”, Mr. Luntz said serenely, almost dreamily.  “Racketeering, Tax Evasion, RICO....They will all be Toast.”

“That doesn’t sound like much”, Pete reflected, looking down at the box in his lap.

Mr. Luntz snorted.  “Enough to send Capone and Gotti to Prison for life.”

Pete pondered for a little bit.  In a small voice, he asked, “What about me ?”

“Ha, Kid, you’ll be set for life”, Mr. Luntz encouraged.  “You’ll be their Star Witness.  After, they’ll give you a new identity, set you up in a new life somewhere, even send you off to College if you want.”

Pete sighed.  “And....My Friends ?”

“They’ll be fine, because of you.  That File will bring all the corruption down.  Otherwise, without that......”  Mr. Luntz trailed off, the implication unspoken.

Pete took a deep breath.  The alternative was obvious.  He clutched the box tighter.  “Okay.  I’m Ready.”

Pete opened the door and got out.  Mr. Luntz leaned over and said, ‘One more thing, Kid....You never seen me. You took the bus here, or hitchhiked.  Tell them everything, but don’t tell them about me, got it ?”

“But...They’re bound to find out”, Pete said, as Mr. Luntz started the car.  “People will talk, they’ll tell who you are....”

“That don’t matter Kid.”, Mr. Luntz smiled.  “By that time, I’ll be able to be myself again.  They’ll never find me.  You see, my name isn’t really Luntz.”

Pete slowly smiled a lopsided smile, and nodded.  “See you around, Mr.Luntz."

“I hope not, Kid”, Mr Luntz replied, and pulled the door closed.

Pete crossed the street.  At the curb, he paused to look up at the building.  He was just able to read the inscription at the top......

“Justice is founded in the rights bestowed by nature upon man.  Liberty is maintained in security of Justice.”

From across the street, Mr. Luntz watched until Pete went inside the building.  Then, he pulled out into the flow of traffic going down Pennsylvania Avenue and was soon lost from sight.
____________________________________________________________
 


UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BUILDING

------{{ END OF CHAPTER FIVE }}----------

[BloodChuckZ]

                           THE BULLWORTH NEVER ENDING STORY

                                                            {{ CHAPTER 6 }}

                                                         The Final Showdown


Today was May Day, the first day of May.  Unlike elsewhere, it was not a holiday at Bullworth.  A smell of summer was in the air, but Tony, like most of the rest of the kids at school, was stuck in one of the old, stuffy, antiquated classrooms at the Academy.  And worse, it was his least favorite class, Math Class.

“Does anyone know the answer ?”, Mr. Hattrick barked.  “Anybody ?”

He was addressing the whole class, but was leering at Gloria.  Far from the know-it-all that she usually was, these days Gloria was glum and morose since the disappearance of Damon.  That didn’t deter Mr. Hattrick, however, as his lustful eyes bored into her.  “Not even you, Miss Jackson ?”

From his desk, Tony stared coldly at the Math Teacher.  A whole school year of this shit, of this perverted fat freak hitting on her, he reflected.  He wondered again just how this fuck got his job back after what he had heard had happened last year.  The ‘Cheating Scandal’, it was called, caught by Jimmy.  Another of the legend stories he had heard, with Jimmy presenting Dr. Crabblesnitch with the evidence in the form of photos of Hattrick selling test answers to the Preps, and Crabblesnitch firing Hattrick out in the Parking Lot in front of everybody.

“How about it, Miss Jackson ?, Hattrick went on, licking his lips in a lewd manner.  Gloria sat with her head down, averting her gaze.  Tony saw tears welling up in her eyes.

Quite suddenly, Tony had had enough.  “Leave her alone, Hattrick”, he said quietly.

Mr. Hattrick’s owl-like gaze shifted quickly to Tony, his black face actually flushing red.  “What did you say to me, Calderone ?”, he demanded.

“I said, leave her alone !!”, Tony said loudly, “You Fucking Pervert !!”

Standing stock still, eyes bulging, Mr. Hattrick spat out, “I’ll Have You WHIPPED  For That  !!!”

The class sat in shocked silence.  “No You Won’t”, Tony said firmly, rising to his feet.  “You can’t do anything to me, you Sicko.”

Mr. Hattrick looked like he was going to explode.  What Tony said was the truth.  With his special status and protection from the Prefects, Hattrick could not as much as even give him a detention.  Hattrick sputtered for a moment, then yelled, “GET OUT OF MY CLASS !!!!”

“With Pleasure, Jackass”, Tony said, then glanced at Gloria.  “She’s coming with me.”  Tony stepped over two aisles and grabbed Gloria’s hand.  “Come on, Gloria.” 

Gloria rose, tears now streaming down her cheeks, and followed Tony to the door.  “Ill Fail You For This !!”, Mr. Hattrick blustered.  “I’ll Fail The Both Of You !!!”

“Do what you have to do, Asswipe”, Tony retorted, leading Gloria out the door and slamming it behind him.

Out in the hall, Gloria began sobbing.  “It’s gonna be alright”, he said, trying to console her.

“It...It’s just too much !!”, she blubbered.  “Th...The way he LEERS at me !!  I...Can’t take it anymore !!  I...I...I Need Damon !!!”, she began wailing. 

“I know, I know”, Tony comforted, leading her away from the room.  “Tell you what, let’s get you back to the Dorm.  Mrs. Carvin can look after you.”

Gloria allowed herself to be led downstairs and out of the school.  On the way to the Dorm, she began crying afresh.  “What’s wrong now ?, Tony asked, kindly.

“I...I can’t fail Math”, she wailed.  “I’m the best student in the class !  He....He can’t fail me !”

“He not gonna”, Tony assured her.  “I’ll see to that, I promise.”  How though, he wasn’t sure.

Tony escorted Gloria all the way to the Dorm, putting her into Mrs. Carvin’s charge.  Briefly, he explained what happened.  Mrs. Carvin’s face scrunched  up in disgust.  None of the staff liked Mr. Hattrick.  She told Tony that he must leave, then escorted Gloria down the hall to her room.

Tony headed back to school.  What a monkey-fuck this Monday morning had turned out to be, he thought on the way back.  He needed to talk to someone about this. Suddenly, Tony had an idea.  He still had one more class left for the day, after lunch.  He knew who could help.
____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony waited until after class to approach Mr. Galloway’s desk.  The English Teacher had grown noticeably more suave the past year since he had given up his all-consuming drinking habit.  Rumor was that Ms. Phillips had given him an ultimatum he stop his drinking as a condition of continuing their relationship.

“Umm....Mr. Galloway ?”, Tony began, “Can I talk to you about something ?”

“Sure thing Tony”, Mr. Galloway replied, looking up from his papers.  “What’s on your mind ?”

Tony stole a glance at the door to make sure that everyone had left the room.  “It’s...Uh...About Mr. Hattrick”, Tony started, and then related the morning’s events in Hattrick’s class.  Mr. Galloway listened gravely, a concerned look on his face.  When Tony was finished with the tale, he sat thinking for a moment before speaking.

“Hattrick is an evil man”, he reflected.  “I knew it would only be a matter of time before he slipped up again.”

“Isn’t there something you can do ?”, Tony asked.  “Maybe take this to Dr. Crabblesnitch....”

Mr. Galloway waved a hand dismissively.  “I’m sure you know that probably wouldn’t do much good, Tony.”

“Yeah, But isn’t that like....Sexual Harassment or something ?”, Tony questioned.

“Yes”, Mr. Galloway acknowledged, “But try to prove it.  Do you have pictures of this incident ?  Recorded Tapes ?”

“Well...No”, Tony said, “But there’s witnesses, a whole roomful....”

“They won’t talk”, Mr. Galloway said, “We both know that.  Besides, who would take the word of a Student around here ?  Any Student ?”

Tony had to agree with that.  “But there’s got to be a way to stop him, Somehow.”

Mr. Galloway could sympathize.  Last year, Hattrick had had tried his damndest to get him fired over his drinking, and almost succeeded.  There was no love lost between the two men.  Mr. Galloway looked at Tony with a keen eye before asking him a seemingly unrelated question.

“Tell me Tony”, Mr. Galloway asked, a glint in his eye, “Is Hattrick still selling Test Answers to the Preps ?”

“Uh....I think so”, Tony replied.  “They hardly ever come to class, but they get passed.  They always seem to do real good on the tests.”

Mr. Galloway leaned back in his chair, tenting his fingers.  “Say, if one fellow with a camera, like Jimmy Hopkins last year, was able to just happen to get some photographs of those alleged transactions, that just might be enough proof to get Hattrick fired again, maybe this time for good.”

Tony followed along. “And...If that one fellow just happened to get those photographs, Just saying.....Where would those pictures have to go ?”

“It would sure enough be a Mission for the good of the Academy”, Mr. Galloway reflected.  “Of course, I couldn’t sanction such a thing, but if such photographs existed, and they wound up here on, say, this desk, in an envelope....Well, then, something would almost certainly have to be done.”

“I, Um, might know someone who could arrange that”, Tony mulled, “If they knew where to wait...”

“The last time, so I hear, the transactions took place on that pathway between Harrington House and the Gym”, Mr. Galloway said serenely.  “Now, if someone were to wait on the Gym roof, with a zoom lens....At just the right time.....Say, after classes but before dark....”

“That sounds....Reasonable”, Tony said.  “Maybe....Such a thing could be done.”

Mr. Galloway looked Tony dead in the eye.  “You don’t have to do this, Tony.  I know you have a lot on your plate right now.”

“You don’t know the half of it”, Tony sighed.

“Oh, but I do”, Mr. Galloway said.  “I’ve kept my eyes open and my mouth shut around here, you can bet on that.  But you know, Tony, sometimes when things get too complicated, then it’s time to tear it all down and start over, if you take my meaning.”

Sudden understanding blossomed in Tony’s mind.  “You’re right, Mr. Galloway, you are so right”, he said.  “Just....Tear it down and start over.”  He looked at his English Teacher with a new respect.  “Thanks, Mr. Galloway.”

“Anytime, Tony”, Mr. Galloway returned with a warm smile.

Tony turned and left the classroom.  He knew what he had to be done now.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Going to the Head really wouldn’t have mattered anyway, though....Dr. Crabblesnitch was having problems of his own, just lately.  And one of them had just landed on his desk this morning in the form of a letter.  He had no idea just why, with only less than two weeks of school to go, that the boy he had been charged with keeping track of had suddenly, and apparently, quit school and blew town. 

He looked at the letter laying on his desk again.  He couldn’t put it off any longer.  Sighing, he picked up the phone, and spoke to Ms. Danvers.  “Get me Harrington on the line.”

He waited while the phone rang.  More that anything, he dreaded this.  He had been hoping that the school year would be over before he had to deal with this bastard kid and his friends.  The original plan had been to send the boy to New York after school was out, along with his friends if necessary.  Once the boy was told who he really was, the thinking went, he wouldn’t want to hang around this shitty place a day longer.

But there was trouble in the Big Apple, his contacts had been telling him.  Kurt’s real father was in real trouble.  Rival factions had taken over three-quarters of his territory, and he was boxed into a much smaller area.  Vincent Fonzerelli was still holding out, still in command....But maybe not for long.  Crabblesnitch was hearing rumors of a hijacked weapons shipment that had been intended to fortify him and his remaining minions.  That might spell the beginning of the end for the crime boss, but who knew ?  He wasn’t called 'Bloody Vince’ for nothing.

The line was picked up.  “Who is this ?  I’m busy”, the voice on the other end said harshly.

“Um....Milton Crabblesnitch here”, the head said uncomfortably.

“What do you want Crabblesnitch ?”, Mr. Harrington said, his voice taking on an ugly tone.

“There’s a....Situation here....”, Dr. Crabblesnitch said, and then read off the contents of Kurt’s letter.

“Geezus, man, what in the holy fuck is going on ?”, Mr. Harrington said angrily.  “Where the Hell’s the boy at now ?”

“Er....We don’t know....”, Dr. Crabblesnitch began.

“What do you mean You Don’t Know ?”, Mr. Harrington interrupted irately.  “You Damn Well BETTER KNOW !!!  He best be in that expensive house up the street where we stuck him for SAFETY while he goes to your SHITTY SCHOOL !!!”

“Well...Er...No”, Dr. Crabblesnitch hesitated.  “He’s actually been....Missing for a couple of weeks....”

“MISSING ?!?”, Mr. Harrington screamed.  “GEEZUS FUCK A DUCK, YOU INCOMPENTENT FOOL !!!  Why Wasn’t I Informed Of This ?!?”

“Uh....I thought it best not to bother you with that....I have someone looking into it here...”. Dr. Crabblesnitch started to say, but was cut off by a burst of Mr. Harrington swearing, which seemed to go on for more than a minute.  When the tirade wound down, he tried again.  “I assure you, we will get to the bottom of this.....”

“OH, CHRIST, DON’T BOTHER !!!!”, screamed Mr. Harrington.  “I’ll Take Care Of It Just Like I Have To Take Care Of EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND HERE, YOU GODDAM OLD FOOL !!!!!!!”

It was a good thing that Dr. Crabblesnitch was holding the phone away from his ear, for his eardrum would have been blown out by the force of which Mr. Harrington slammed the phone down.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Tony pulled Karen along the hallway. “What’s the hurry, Tony ?”, she asked.  “Where are we going ?”

“You’ll see”, Tony said briefly.  At length, they came to the small Mediator Office.  Tony unlocked the door.  “Com’on.”  He pulled Karen inside.

“Tony, what is it ?”, Karen asked.  Instead of answering, Tony just stared at the wall where the large chart was at, the collage of single pieces of paper making up the huge poster that covered the entire length of the wall, side to side and floor to ceiling.  Events were written on every sheet, and Red and Black lines went everywhere from event to event.  It was marvelous in it’s complexity.  Tony reached out and began ripping the paper sheets down.

“What Are You Doing ?”, Karen said, startled.  Tony...You Can’t....”

“I don’t need it anymore”, Tony said, still ripping down the sheets.  “Don’t you get it ?  There’s too much here.  We already solved most of it.  Got to tear it all down and start over.”

“I...I don’t understand”, Karen said in bewilderment.

“All of this is like a Forest”, Tony said, continuing to rip down sheets. He grabbed a chair and got up on it, reaching up to sheets on the top.  “The events written on these sheets are like trees.  The lines are the branches, connecting them.  Right now, they all criss-cross....They’re tangled and jumbled.  It makes the few things we haven’t solved....Well, hard to see....Because....”

“We can’t see the Forest for the Trees”, Karen murmured. 

“What was that ?”, Tony asked, turning around.

“Nothing”, Karen said, “Just an old saying I remember hearing...”

“But that’s right !”, Tony said, “Exactly Right !”  He finished pulling down the last of the sheets and hopped off the chair.  “We have to start over, with just the things we haven’t solved yet.”  He went to the desk and removed some blank papers from the drawer.  With Karen’s help, he labeled them....’Jake’, 'Kurt’, 'Damon’.....He paused, then wrote out 'Derby’ on one.  Thinking, he slowly wrote out ‘Harrington’, 'Spencer’, and 'Crabblesnitch’ on some others.  Then, he gathered them up and went to tape them on the wall as Karen handed them to him.  Stepping back, he said, “Well, some connections are obvious”, and drew a red line from ‘Derby’ to his father, then from ‘Damon’ to ‘Church’.  Standing there, he recalled what Lance had told him, and he returned to the desk.  He labeled the next one 'Punks’, then went and taped it to the wall.  Standing back, he could already see some connections.  He grabbed up the markers again and traced in lines.  Mulling them over, he realized it wasn’t yet complete.  Going back to the desk again, he labeled more pieces 'Graveyard’, 'Jail’, 'Asylum’, 'Bullworth Academy’......and one final piece, 'Takeover’.  These he went and taped to the wall also.

“Well there’s a start”, Tony said. “Maybe this will make it easier to figure out.”

“There isn’t much time”, Karen commented. “A week, maybe...”

“If Jake is going to attack again, it will be soon”, Tony said.  “And....He’ll need help.”

Karen peered at the new, much smaller chart.  “Think it’ll be them ?”, she asked, pointing at the sheet labeled 'Punks’.

“It’s a good bet”, Tony answered.  He bent and penciled in a dotted line between 'Jake’ and the 'Punks’, then drew dotted lines from both to 'Takeover’, and from there to 'Bullworth Academy’.  He stood back then.  “That’ll have to do for now.”

“What about all these ?”, Karen asked, indicating the discarded pieces on the floor.

“Tear them all up into small pieces and throw them in the trash”, Tony said.  “I’ll bag them and take them down to the basement later, since Mr. Luntz isn’t here anymore.  I’ll throw them in the Furnace.”  The two bent to the task, which took several minutes, ripping and tearing.  When they were finished, the wastebasket was full.

“I hope Pete made it safely to wherever Mr. Luntz was taking him”, Karen said reflectively.

“We have to believe he did”, Tony said.  “Maybe, someday....We’ll find out.”

The two finished up and left the small office, locking up as they left, unaware that they would find out the answer to that far sooner then either of them would have ever believed.
___________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

“You wanted to see me, Father ?”, Derby said, entering his Father’s study.

“Yes, Derby”, Mr. Harrington said, and got right to the point.  “Have you seen that Kurt boy lately, or know where he is ?”

Derby hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.  “Yes, I saw the Lowlife Pauper the other day.”

“And just where was that ?”, Mr. Harrington questioned.  “Crabblesnitch just told me the boy has been missing for two weeks !” 

“So ?”, Derby said insolently. “The Old Fart can’t keep track of his own ass.  What difference does it make anyway ?  Just one less Gutterwipe out and about.”

Mr. Harrington narrowed his eyes.  “What did you do ?  And don’t lie to me, boy !”  His eyes bored into Derby.

“I Took Care Of It !”, Derby said sulkily.  “You wouldn’t do anything about that Trash, so I DID !!  I got old man Smith to help, and I took care of that sniveling little TURD !!”

“SMITH ?”, Mr. Harrington yelped.  “Boy, Are You Insane ?!?”

Derby laughed shakily.  “You should be happy I did.  Old Smith kept me from killing that Asshole for what he did to me.”

“So WHERE Is He ?”, Mr. Harrington rumbled.  “What Did You Do With Him ?”

“Haw”, Derby barked a short laugh.  “I gave him to the Monks.”

“THE MONKS !!!!”, Mr. Harrington exploded, followed by a string of curses.  “Boy, Do You Know What You’ve Done ?!?”

Derby was confused.  “Done ?  I’ve just removed some Trash from the neighborhood !  What is so bad about that ?”

Mr. Harrington rose from his desk, his face contorted with anger.  He advanced on Derby.  “You’ve Just Cut Our Throats, Boy !!”

Derby retreated a couple of steps, but stood his ground.  “I Don’t Understand !  You Wouldn’t DO ANYTHING To That Prick, Not After He Kidnapped Pinky, And Not When He BEAT Me and PISSED On Me !!  So I Had To Do Something About It, So I Gave Him To Your Friends Who Live In That Weird Church !  So WHAT ?!?”

“The Monks are no friends of mine”, Mr. Harrington hissed, “They’re a CULT, just a group of some kind of religious nut-jobs who have been over at that Church for decades.  Why do you think nobody ever goes to Church around here ?”

“But...But...Why do you have a Key to the Gate ?”, Derby cried, pulling the Skeleton Key from his pocket and holding it up.

“Give Me That”, Mr. Harrington ordered, snatching it from him.  “There’s certain....Dealings....Arrangements.....We have with them from time to time.  It is none of your concern.”

“But, Father, Why....”, Derby began, only to be cut off.

“No More Questions !!”, Mr. Harrington growled.  “You’ve Done Enough Damage !!  Just Get Out !!!”

Derby stood speechless and unmoving. “Did You Hear Me ?  GET OUT !!!”, Mr. Harrington reiterated.  “In Fact, Just Get Out Of The House.  Take Your Friend And Go Stay At The Vale Hotel.  MOVE IT !!!!”

Derby backed towards the door under the force of his Father’s wrath, turning and running from the room.  His Father was throwing him out ?  This just couldn’t be happening.  More confused than ever, he went to find Biff and do what his Father ordered.

Mr. Harrington sat thinking long after Derby left.  It would be alright, he finally decided.  The Monks wouldn’t hurt the boy, outside of brainwashing him a bit, he concluded.  He was sure they would give the boy up in exchange for something they wanted....Wasn’t that the way the world worked ?  At least in his world, it was.

He wouldn’t contact them directly.  He hated how those Psychos looked, not to mention how creepy they were.  Their fish-white skin hadn’t seen the sunlight in ages, giving them the appearance of Ghosts.  Communicating with them was difficult at best, and better left up to someone else with more experience.  He reached for the phone to call Judge Starkweather.
_____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

“So, basically, you want me to do what I done before ?”, Jimmy mulled,  “Just take pictures of Hattrick selling test answers to the Preps ?”

“It’s time to put an end to this Asshole’s shit”, Tony said.  “He leaches all the girls, especially Gloria.  She’s terribly upset.  He has to be stopped Now.”

“But what about the Mission ?  Finding Damon ?”, Jimmy asked.

“No”, Tony shook his head.  “That’ll have to wait.  If Damon comes back now, he’ll attack Hattrick, and they’ll put him in Jail, maybe Prison, beyond our reach.  Hattrick has to be dealt with first.”

“IF Crabblesnitch will fire him again”, Jimmy said skeptically.  “I don’t see that happening, not after what happened last time.”

“It may not be Crabblesnitch”, Tony replied.  “If Pete was successful, they’ll come down hard on this place, soon.  But, Finals start at the end of the week.  The Preps will get a free ride, again, just like always.  They don’t even hardly come to class as it is.  All they have to do is ace the Finals, and they’re home free.  By that time, someone else might be in charge, though.”

“Maybe”, Jimmy said thoughtfully.  “What about the other classes, though ?  I never did find out.  The other Teachers sell Test answers too ?”

Tony shook his head.  “Constantinos told me it’s just Hattrick.  He somehow has the Test answers for the other classes, except Mr. Galloway.  And Ms. Phillips, Mr. Neil and Coach Burton, they don’t give written Finals.”

“Hmmm”. Jimmy pondered.  “But why me ?”

“Constantinos also told me you’re the best there was with a Camera”, Tony said.  “Was he wrong ?”

“I do have a certain knack for photography”, Jimmy grinned.  “Okay, I’ll do it.  I still got my old camera back here, somewhere.”

“Good”, Tony said.  “I’ll get the chip from you and print off the pictures in Ms. Danvers class when she ain’t looking, like before.  Then I’ll leave them with Mr. Galloway.”

“He’s going to help ?”, Jimmy inquired quizzically.

“Help ?”, Tony replied, “Hell, it was his idea !”

“Just like last time”, Jimmy smiled.  “So, what are you gonna be doing, in the meantime ?”

“Getting ready for Jake’s attack”, Tony said grimly.  “It’s bound to happen soon....I just don’t know what it’s going to be yet.  We better be ready.”
___________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Hal was standing outside the Girl’s Dorm steps promptly at Eight O’clock, waiting for Angie to come out for their date.  In his hands were some flowers he had hastily picked from in front of the Library, after beating up a couple of Nerds so they wouldn’t see him doing it.  He was decked out in his best leather outfit that wouldn’t show his asscrack, and a fine leather biking cap sat jauntily on his head.  In his pocket was a small trinket he had picked up at the Carnival on Sunday.  He hoped Angie would like it.

Within a few minutes, she came out the door.  Hal was stunned.  Instead of the gaudy dark green plaid dress she usually wore around school, she was dressed in a hot purple outfit with a short skirt that showed a lot of leg.  Hal salivated as the memory of her naked behind running from her room surfaced in his memory.  As she skipped down the steps, he managed to swallow the lump in his throat and hide the lump in his pants.  Awkwardly, he thrust the flowers at her.  “Here...Um, dese are fer you”, he said haltingly.

“Ohhh....Thank You, They’re....Pretty !”, Angie cooed.

Hal thrust his hand in his pocket and withdrew an object.  It was a Key Chain with a small Bunny attached.  “And...Er....Here, this too.”

Angie stared in wonder at the trinket with wide eyes.  “Ohhh...It’s just Perfect !!!”, she exclaimed.

“Er....I know you want to go to the big city”, Hal said, “But...Uh, I can take you to the biggest joint around dis here town....Hows abouts it ?”

“Oh, hu, hu, hu, hu, ho...”, Angie laughed nervously, “That would be...Fine !”

Hal took Angie’s arm and they walked out of Bullworth School.  At the front, a car sat idling.  Hal opened the rear door.  “M’lady, your chariot awaits !”, he announced.  In reality, it was just an old beat-up Rambler, and that Hal had gotten his older friend Chuck from the docks to be their driver.  Hal helped Angie in the Car and slid in beside her.  “To the Golden Horseshoe, my good man”, he said pompously, and smiled.  He felt the date was off to a good start.

As they pulled up to the Golden Horseshoe and disembarked,  Chuck leaned out the window and said in a mild Scottish accent, “You wantin’ me to be a-pickin’ you up later ?”

“Ah...No, that’s alright.”, Hal said. “Think we’ll walk back, mac.”

“I would, ja’know”, Chuck said, “It wouldn’t even faze me.”

Hal slipped him a fiver.  “Naw....It’s a nice night, full moon in sight”, Hal said and winked.

Hookay”, Chuck replied cheerfully.  As he started to speed off, Hal heard him say to himself, “Now, should I go home eiarly ?”

Hal escorted Angie into the Golden Horseshoe.  Music was playing, though there wasn’t a live band here tonight.  They were ushered to a candlelit table in a more dim part of the room.  Another five dollars passed to a waiter’s hand had secured the location. 

After they placed their orders, Hal encouraged Angie to talk about herself, and after some initial hesitation, she did.  Hal understood then, as he listened to her inane conversation, just why she had gotten the rep she had.  But to him, she was music to his ears, just as sure as the music playing in the background.  He wondered how she had escaped his notice all the time he’d been at Bullworth.  His hormones raging as they never had before, Hal was under her spell.

Afterwards, he walked her back to the Dorm in the moonlight.  It had been all so exciting for Angie.  Hal actually had his arm around her !  At the steps, Angie started to talk, but Hal found a way to shut her up that nobody else had really tried....He kissed her, long and deep.  Angie felt Hal’s boner poking into her belly, and just about went to heaven right then and there.  A boy actually liked her !   Never mind that he was somewhat corse and fat....She could finally have what all the other girls at Bullworth had -- Save for Eunice -- A Boyfriend.  Mandy and her cheerleaders could go to Hell.

As they broke the kiss at long last, Hal said, “Say, uh..Would’ja like to go out again ?”

Angie about fainted.  A boy asking her out twice !  “Umm...That would be...Nice....”, she breathed.

“Okay then.  Tomorrow at Eight, it’s a date.  Meet at the gate and don’t be late !”, Hal quipped.  Angie nodded, and felt a rush of blood to her head.  Before she could pass out from sheer bliss, she turned and headed up the steps and slipped in the door.

Hal walked nonchalantly away, even though he felt like running.  There was a certain set of panties he wanted to get to, and fast.  Maybe this would be the last time.  Tomorrow night, it could be the real thing.  Hal felt his pockets.  Hmm...Low on money.  Time to hit up an ATM.  And by that, I mean an eighth-grader, he thought, snickering at his own humor. 

Truth was, he told himself, he sorely needed some 'grease’ to spread around in order for tomorrow night to go perfectly.  For the first time in his life, Hal had a real plan.
_________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony got up from his bed. It was still dark, and ominously quiet.  As in a fog, he left his room.  He looked in the common room, but no one was there.  Walking the halls, he suddenly noticed that all the doors were open, and the rooms within were unoccupied.  Where the Hell was everyone ?  Feeling groggy, he stumbled outside.  He stood at the front of the Boy’s dorm, now more confused than ever.  Large chunks of buildings lay about in the Dorm’s yard area.  Looking up at the clock-tower of the school, he was shocked to find it was missing.  Only rubble remained.  Tony raced down the path as fast as his wobbly legs would carry him, and made the left turn going to the quad in front of the school.  Breathing heavily now, he came to a quick halt at what confronted his eyes.  Among the huge chunks of building materials blown off the school were severed limbs, severed heads, and torsos strewn about.  Ropy strings of intestines were draped over everything, and there was just SO MUCH BLOOD !!  Bodies were everywhere, torn to shreds. A smoky pall hung in the air.  It seemed like the whole school was here.  Tony could recognize some of his friends...Laurent, Constantinos, Nick, Ray.....

Sudden panic grabbed him.  Karen !  Where was Karen ?  Frantically he searched among the remains.  At last he spotted her, laying behind a huge chunk of granite, blown off the school.  He raced to her, only to find she had been cut in half at the waist.  Shocked beyond belief, he dropped to his knees beside her.  Her open sightless eyes stared upward at nothing.  Overcome by grief, Tony wrenched himself upright and ran for the front gates of the school.  He passed through them and kept on running, across the big bridge into Bullworth Town.  It was the same here.  Collapsed buildings and rubble lay all about.  Dead townspeople littered the streets.  Tony kept on running, beyond endurance.  His head began to throb.  Before he knew it, he was in front of the Courthouse.  It was in ruins, like much of the rest of the town.  As at school, an eerie silence prevailed, mingled with a thin layer of smoke and the beginnings of the smell of rotting corpses.  Tony turned and blindly ran back the way the way he had come.  No living creature was about.  Ripped pieces of dead bodies were everywhere.  He headed towards the street that led to New Coventry, but finally exhaustion overcame him and he fell to the pavement in front of the Great Deals Hardware Store, across from the old Movie Theater.  He lay there gasping, and looked up.  The Hardware Store was relatively undamaged, and had it’s usual bevy of signs hung in the window.  Tony's vision narrowed as his head felt like it was going to explode.  His eyes were drawn to one of the signs.  In gaudy red, white, and blue lettering, it proclaimed......

MEMORIAL DAY BLOWOUT SALE !!!
_____________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

 "AUUUUGGGGHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!"

Tony came awake with a start. Wildly, he looked around. Everything was in place. Getting out of bed and stumbling to his door, he pulled it open to see......

Gordon Wakefield, staring at him, standing over by the common room archway.  “Hey, Uh...What’s up, Tony ?  You look a little....Strange.”

Tony gave Gordon an odd look, then hurried to look outside, searching.  No rubble.  No dead mutilated bodies.  No Blood.

Tony sagged down against the front door.  It was another dream.  Vivid, to be sure....Nightmarish.  But just a dream.  He returned to his room, and glanced at his alarm clock.  5 A.M.  He wouldn’t be getting any more sleep this night, he knew. 

Tony shook his head to clear the cobwebs.  He had come to know that his dreams were just that, dreams.  And he had had plenty of nightmares since he’d been at Bullworth.  But not like this.  Not quite this bad.

But Tony didn’t have to ask himself what it meant this time, though.  He knew.  Something...Someone....Evil was coming.  And soon.  Not yet....But soon.  Maybe too soon.  A shudder seized him as a the line from the old story ran unbidden through his mind yet once again....

Something Wicked This Way Comes.
_____________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Derby and Bif were chilling at the Vale Hotel, where they had gone after Derby’s father had told them to get out.  They had been lounging around, watching old action-adventure movies on the Hotel’s closed-circuit TV, and ordering room service every hour.  The room was littered with the remnants of their binge-eating meals.

“How long will your Father stay mad at you, do you think, old chap ?”, Bif asked during a break from their ‘Die Hard’ marathon.

Derby shook his head.  “I don’t know, Bif.”  He went silent for a moment, mulling things over.  “I don’t understand why Father is protecting that Pauper.  He’s just a Gutterwipe.  What the devil is so special about that asshole that has Father so much in a dither ?”

“Maybe”, Bif reflected, “Old Man Smith would know...?”

Derby snapped his fingers.  “That’s it....Of course.  We just find that old fuck, and get it out of him.  He’s probably known it all along.”

“Then we need to find him”, Bif said, “And soon....”This whole thing’s got me buggers.”

“Smith has made himself rather scarce lately.  We will find him, though.  Just a matter of time.”, Derby said.  “But first things first.  We have to go back to class tomorrow.”

“Back to class ?”, Bif asked.  “What ever for ?”

“It’s finals week, remember ?”, Derby said.  “We’ve got to pass those stupid tests.”

“How are we going to do that ?”, Bif questioned.  “We haven’t been to class in weeks !”

“Same as always, my friend”, Derby said smugly.  “Chad tells me that Hattrick is still selling test answers.  We just make a deal, like always.”

“But...But...What if Spencer has gotten to him first ?”, Bif asked, with a worried look on his face.  “What then ?”

“Then”, Derby said, smacking his fist in his other palm, “I’ll just have to deal with Tad, now won’t I ?”  A monevelant light shone in Derby’s eyes.  “I’m sure I can see he gets just what’s coming to him.”
________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Angie was waiting out by the school’s main gates for Hal that evening.  Hal had told her to meet him there for their second date, and Angie felt he maybe he was arranging something special for their evening.  She had on a short maroon dress that really set off her dark hair, which she had had done into a real attractive cut right after school at the Hair, Nails, & Beauty Salon that day.

Angie was so intently watching out for Hal that she didn’t notice Trent walking up behind her until he said,  “So, like...you're pretty cute and stuff."

Gee, thanks”, Angie said sarcastically, turning to him.  “How nice of you to notice.  You're a smooth one."

“Sooo", Trent said leeringly,  “You wanna go out on a date some time ?"

“No", Angie retorted, turning away. “Not with the likes of you !”
 
“I guess I'll just stand here until you change your mind", Trent persisted.

“Knock yourself out", Angie retorted, walking towards the school, trying to get away.

Trent followed her.  “How 'bout now ?"

“NO...!!!”, Angie yelled.

Trent caught up to her and grabbed her arm.  Angry now, he said, “And just what makes you so special, Miss One-And-Done, that you can’t go out with a Real Man ?”

Angie struggled against him.  “Let me go, you...you DICKWAD !!  I’ve already got a date with a Real Man, more than you’ll ever be !!”

“Oh Yeah ?”, Trent laughed harshly, “And just who is that ?  Everyone else is just a buncha Pussies compared to me !  What you need, is.....”

WHACK !!!!!!!  Trent never finished his sentence, as a Bat whacked him in the back of his skull.  He fell to the ground, groaning loudly in pain.  Angie turned to see Hal, holding a splintered bat.  “Nobody hits on my Girlfriend, Nobody, yah Asshole !”, Hal said to the downed Trent.

“You....Son of a....”, Trent sputtered.  Hal kicked him in the ribs for good measure, and turned to Angie  “Sorry I’m late....I got a surprise fer you.  “You ready ?”

Angie’s heart fluttered.  Hal had called her his Girlfriend !  “Uh, hu, hu, hu...”, she laughed nervously, “Uh, Sure !”

“Let’s go then !  Youse is gonna like this...”, Hal said, throwing the broken bat on the ground and began walking her towards the front gate.  Angie smiled in anticipation as they reached the gates.

Zoe had seen the whole thing go down, and walked over to Trent, who was still lolling around on the ground.  “Give it up Trent”, she sighed.  “You DO know that you’re a queer, don’t you ?”

“But...But....I like girls.....”, Trent moaned.

“Keep believing that”, Zoe said with a chuckle.

Just then, Eunice came around the corner from the Girl’s Dorm, almost tripping over Trent in the Pathway.  “Whut...Whut’s going on ?”

“Oh, nothing”, Zoe said.  “Just Trent wants to go out with a girl.”

“Ohh ?”, Eunice said, looking down at Trent.  “Well, I’ll go out with him !”

“Knock yourself out”, Zoe said, and started to walk away.  “Better take him to the clinic first.”

Oh, I Will !!”, Eunice bellowed, and bent to scoop Trent up.  Behind her, Zoe heard Trent cry “NOOOO !”, and smiled.
_________________________________________