Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 1: He Works Hard F or The Money "Are you ready for some football?

ll?" -Hank Williams Jr,Monday Night Footballtheme Birmingham."The Magic City".The largest city in Alabama. Estimated population:1,21 2,848. About one-quarter of the entire population of Alabama. Founded in 1871, B irmingham grew into an industrial and railroad transportation powerhouse, especi ally in mining, the iron and steel industry, and railroading. Birmingham was nam ed for Birmingham, England, once one of the major metal manufacturing industrial cities of England. Remnants ofthe city's industrial past still remain to this da y. Much oftoday's attention is focused on Legion Field. Approximately 71,594 spec tators would be the reason for that. But it's not an usual sight for B'ham resid ents at all. Tailgate parties. Ghetto parades with aisles upon aisles of "ballas ", showing off their "whips". Hoochie mamas looking extra"hoochiefied" (if such a word exists). They're fillingin the rafters for a one reason.. TheMagic City Classic.The annual football game featuring Alabama A&M University an d Alabama State University, two of Alabama's most prominent historically black u niversities. What was once a regular season match-up between the states two large st universities has become much more . The Classic is big business in Birmingham , Alabama. Celebrities. National broadcast journalists. Thecity s elite show up f or the game and theirwallets are usually full.Currently,it s halftime and the game i s tied, thanks to a simple 3 point conversion. To many of the spectators,this is when the real game begins.The battle of the bands.The AAMU Marching Maroon and Whi te vs. The ASU Marching Hornets. Both squads blowing a combination of ol school R&B classics and modern Hip Hop hits. The crowdis the ultimate decider and , in r etrospect, the ultimate victor.Dancing and singing along in total synch. Amid the crowd are the many masses of Legion Fieldistoday s target: Joaquin Patterson. His nickname: " Baby Hair", because of his naturally straight hair. His crimes: racketeering activities, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, a nd conspiracy to possess heroin, cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distri bute.

Heis currently being sought in connection with $7 million from a security company in Virginia two security employees hostage at gunpoint and ted them witha cocktail of heroin and cocaine(

the armed robbery of approximately Beach in 2010. He allegedly took then handcuffed, bound and injec a speedball).

At all of 22 years, heis currently the youngest memberof theFBI s Top 10 Most Wante d List. The bounty for his capture:1 million dollars. So naturally, the crowd is also littered with members of theDecuir Detective Agen cy, the best private law enforcement agency in the South. Walking the aisles is Bates, a young rookie fresh from a four stint atFort McPhearson. Thisis his first big collar and he s a bit of a overachiever. At the gate isSancho, the old vet ba il bondsmen who sprung Patterson in the first place. And overseeing the operatio n, eating a bag of salty popcorn, is the senior officer. Dressed like the masses (New kicks, Clean jersey, Creased shorts) and getting an over-the-shoulder view o f the target, seated rows below.Atticus Stone. Bounty hunting isn t usually my thing. I mean, I leave that to Dog and the Chapm an fam.Joaquin Patterson is one of the most wanted cats in the country and here he is. Laughing like a jackass and trying to holla at "bitches" . Most people woul d think " Why in the hell would he come to a big event like this if he s on the run?". Because he knows them white folks would definitely get lost, trying to fi nd his black ass in here! FBI or not, they ain t that stupid. Plus, this is a po int of pride for me. This is, hands down,oneof thebiggest bounties in the US, afterJa mes Bulger and Osama Bin Laden. The publicity from this would put Decuir on the map. Not that Charles needs the money. This guy is a menace and has all the mark s of your textbook sociopath. He doesn t care who he hurts. Just as long as he g ets his. Bates finally spots Joaquin and instantly gets all jittery. The guys are communi cating with the Motorola Wire Surveillance Kit with Extra Loud Earpieces from th e roar of the crowd. "Stone. Stone. I see him, man. He s right there." "Calm down , Bates. He s just another man. Relax." "I know. I....just dont want to spook him."

Keep acting like adamngroupie andyou will." It s cool. I m in con....

That exact moment showsJoaquin looking dead at Bates as he talks into theearpiece. Bates has been made.

"Damn. He s spotted me. He s gonna rabbit!" Joaquin starts get up to leave but the people in the rows make that difficult. B ates follows him into the row. "Bates, stand down. Thisguy is dangerous.Bates!" Bates ignores Stone. This is his mistake. He has to fix it. Joaquin pulls someth ing from his waist band of his pants.He swings around to the struggling Bates. In his hand, a silversnub-nosed .357 Magmum pistol. Bates still doesn t it yet.Stone does. Bates is a sitting duck. Stone spots a young ASU fan playing with a footba ll. With lightning speed, Stone snatches the football and throws a perfect spira l. Aimed at Joaquin s forearm. The throw connects, causing him to fire. The bull et grazes Bate s bicep. If Joaquin not been hit,He would ve killed Bates. The gun shot gets the expected response inan all black crowd: pure chaos. Fans start runni ng everywhere. Stone rushes down to Bate s side as he lays on the ground. "You alright?" "I m fine, Stone. Just a flesh wound. Sorry I messed up." "It s cool, man." Stone takes a discarded ASU flag and wraps it around his arm, creating an improp tu pressure dressing. "That should do it." "Stone.....Go get that bastard." Stone takes off his jersey and revealing a bullet proof vest, complete with "Swe ets", in a holster at the small of his back.Stone takes off after Pattersons. The concessional area at Legion is a riot scenes. Fleeing fans tripping and gett ing trampled. Stands knocked over. Screams and terror.In the middle of it is a cra zed gunman firing shots in the air to part the crowd. Closing in on him is Stone . Patterson sees this and gets desperate. He pulls a young girl of 15from the crow d and holds the pistolto her temple. The girl is hysterical, screaming for help. Stone runs up with "Sweets", cocked and ready. "What up, cop? Whatcha gon do , man?" "I ain t no cop, punk. Now let the girl go or you got a bullet coming dead in yo

"No he doesn t."say another voice. Stone turns and see Sancho behindJoaquin and the girl. He is approaching calmly w ith his hands up, palms exposed. Sancho has known this boy for years. He can sav e him. He wants to save him. "He s not gonna get shot. And he s not gonna shoot anybody. Aint that right, Joa quin?" "Back up, yo ! Or I ll ice this lil bitch." "Joaquin. I m your friend." "I don t need no damn friends." Joaquin turns andshoots Sancho in the belly.The look of disbelief on his face spea ks a thousand words. He falls to his knees as the blood flows from his stomach. Joaquin makes a run for it. Stone tries to aim and get a shot but there are too many innocent people in the way. Stone runs to Sancho s body. He s still alive b ut barely hanging on. At his side is Joaquin s hostage. Holding the hand of her would-be savior. Stone pulls out his Iphone and hits speeddial. "911! We have a gunshot wound to the abdomen in the concessional area of Legion. Seating section 11. North Stand. Stay with him, honey." "I will.",says the girl. Stone runs offafter Joaquin.

Joaquin has reached the outside and is running through the parking lot.Stone is in close pursuit. Both are weaving through the rows and rows of cars. Joaquin spot sa ChevySilveradoracing out of the lot.Joaquin bolts toward the rear bed,latches ont he closed bed door andhitches a ride out of the stadium. Stone, not to be undone, spots a Ford F-150 and follows suit. Joaquin rolls with the truck for a few blocks and spots Stone s truck following him. Joaquin ditches his truck and runs into the Graymont area, surrounding Legi on. Graymont has, to quote Dave Chappelle," all the familiar symptoms of a projec t".Substandard public housing. Doors and windows boarded. Broke down cars strewn a bout. Perfect for a fugitive on the run. Stone and Pattersonrun through several co urtyards of the random buildings. The denizens of that area are less than friend ly. Cussing out the two with each passing breath. Stone and Patterson even run t hrough afamily s house. From the back door. through the kitchen. through the livi ng room, pass the stairs and out the front screen door.

forehead."

 Patterson spots a group of young kids playing around with a hand-me-down motorbi ke. He runs up wildly flailing his gun at the kids. They run in fear. Stone arri ves just as Patterson takes off down the street on the motorbike. Stone hits his fists together in frustration. "Damn! He sgonenow......" A second later,AChevy Avalanchepickup truck modified with extremely large wheels and uspension. Likea street legal monster truck.They are used for competition and popul ar sports entertainment and in some cases they are featured alongside motocross races, mud bogging, tractor pulls and car-eating robots. Out the cableapsdownan arg uing boyfriend and girlfriend. The boyfriend seems to be a bit abusive, grabbing the girl by the arm and calling her names(Bitch, ho, etc). What the pissed off b oyfriend doesn t notice is a certain detective, climbing into the cab of his tru ck. The girlfriend, however, sees the whole thing but because of how her man is acting, doesn t say a word.The Chevy Avalanche rivs up and takes offafter Patterson s motorbike.The boyfriend runs after the truck while his girl points and laughs. Patterson is a full block away. He is thinking Im home free. But.....behind him roars the Avalanche monster truck with Stone at the wheel.Patterson speeds and goe s on the sidewalk.There aint no way he s gonna follow me, right?Wrong!!Stone drives the Monster truckontothe sideway and through several people s front yards. Patters on goes back to the street and Stone follows. The Monster truck starts to nudge the smaller motorbike. One nudge. Nothing. A second nudge. It starts to swerve. A third nudge. It completely loses control.Patterson runs into a fire hydrant, wit h enough force that it actually knocks off the plug. Patterson crashes on the si dewalk under the geyser of water. Stone brings the Monster truck to a complete s top. He gets out of the cab and walks overto the down fugitive.Patterson s body lay s in such a way that it s obvious he broke some bones on the fall. The neighbors start to make a crowd around the scene. Stone pulls out his phone and hits spee ddial. "Bossman. I got him." Stone hangs up almost immediately. Stone leans down to his prize catch. "What s up, Baby Hair? Allow me to introduce myself. They call me Atticus Stone. " Moments later, the police arrive. News crews interview neighbors, includingthe pis sed off boyfriend. But the fact his truck was used to stop a wanted fugitive and he got the chance to be on TV, he cooled out real quick. Stone looks at Patters on being hauled off in the ambulance. The EMT told Stone Patterson suffered five

broken ribs, a hip fracture and a busted tibia. Couldn t have happened to a nicer guy. As the ambulance disappears over the horizon, he hears a very distinctive ringto ne. Stone starts to follow the sound in the bushes. He finds a Blackberry Curve with a broken screen. The slightly distorted screensaver of Patterson in the "pr ison pose" shows it belongs to him. The "Get Money" background in graffiti writi ng also shows it was taken in a club. The ringtone indicates that he got a new t ext message. Stone scrolls the menu to find it.He goes in the SMS/MMS folder and f inds in the inbox: Number: Unlisted October 29,4:30:20 pm MSG:APOCALYPSE Looks like we got ourselves a new mystery, people. Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 2: A New Threat... ..and a New Friend..... As a rule, men worry more about what they can t see than about what they can. -Julius Caesar Olympus. In Greek mythology the mountain was regarded as the "home of the gods", the twelve principal gods of the Classical Greek world. In modern times, it is t he name of the premiere club in the ATL. Where Atlanta s elitego for premium spiri ts and signature drinks, fabulous music, and shared good times.A sophisticated up scale bar locatedin heart of Downtown Atlanta.A much-revereddestination for great fu n, social gatherings, private parties, and more.

The outward appearance resembles a Greek temple. Large marble pillars. A domed r oof. Even carvings of ancient grecian battles. Inside, however, is another story . The recently renovated venue boasts high-quality design, an expansive signature drink menu, world class DJs, and two bars.Theyonly serves the finest spirits, wine , and beer. Attracting a diverse clientle,it s an ideal place to grab a cocktail a fter work, dance late into the night or host a private event. The main office of the club, overlooking the patrons, is a palace in itself.Spacio us, impeccably designed and elegantly decorated in earth tones and warm shades. They uniquely combine contemporary styles with more traditional architecture: a large private bath with Jacuzzi the room is fashioned in marble LCD 26 satellite TV a digital safe deposit box a direct dial telephone Luxury fit for a king. Sitted at an elegant ,stylish Gautier Executive Desk is t he club s owner. A young man of 29. Light-skinned. 5 9 and weighs about a buck 40 but has the presence of a 400lb gorilla. Slightly resembles rapper T.I. excep t for the grim expression on his face and an colorless left eye. He dresses well and meticulously, generally inlight coloreddouble-breasted suits. Rarely seen wit hout his unique gold capped cane withAsclepiusemblazened on it. He was born Brando n Shermanbut he is known (and feared as) asApollo. Named after the god of music, pr ophecy, colonization, medicine, archery, poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry and the carer of herds and flocks. He was also a god of light.He is looking on his la ptop at a Yahoo! article: The Capture ofFugitive "Baby Hair" By ATL Detective Seated in front of Apollo is a little asian man known as Royale. Chief recruiter of " talent"for Apollo s organization. Apollo is quite upset by the incident in f ront of him. "You said he was the best," Apollo says. "Nobody could touch him. Yet, I see her e that he is currently on his way to StoneBridge Federal Prison with multiple br oken bones , awaiting trial." "He got sloppy,"responds Royale. "I dont pay you for sloppy.You know I don t like using outside talent and this pro ves me right." "He is one of the best in the country. Ifigured we could use him." "You figured wrong.I don tappreciate failure. Apocalypse will continue as planned."

"I promise you . It won t happen again." "Oh, I know it won t. You know how I know?" Royale shrugs. "Because you know me. You know what I m capable of." While Apollo continues, he points his cane downward. He open the head of the can e with his thumb using a small catch on it. Out of the can slithersVipera aspis. An Asp viper.50 cm long. Body,light brown. Belly, yellowish w/ lighter flecks. Slowl y making it s way toward Royale. Apollo rises and walks casually to Royale, sitting on the edge of his desk. Look ing Royale dead in the eyes but talking calmly.

"Do youknow howthe ancient Greeks used to execute failures like you? ........They had this device called the brazen bull. It wasinvented by this cat named Perillos . He proposed to Phalaris, aGreek ruler, the needfor apainful way to kill criminals. They also hopedit woulddisuade the rest of thepopulation from committingcrimes as we l.......... As the story goes, when Perillos finished the brazen bull, Phalaris asked Perillos to try it out byhimself. He then ordered him locked inside the bra zen bull and set a fire underneath it........ Phalaris loved it. Being burned al ive was a very exciting act to watch.See, when a victim is placed inside the braze n bull, he or she is slowly burned to death. They eventuallyinvented a system of tubes in order to make the victim s screams sound like a pissed-off ox.......Now Phalaris had ol boy just for kicks. Now imagine what kind of fun I have is stor e for you." Royale is basically white in the face with fear. "Please.....Sir, I beg of you!......Please, I.....AHHHHHHH!!!" A sharp pain to the ankle is felt by Royale. He looks down and see the asp latch ed onto him. It s venom is a moderately potent hemotoxin. The symptoms are immed iate. Paralysis.Pain. Vomiting.Aweakened pulse. Royale falls out of the chair and tur ns into a blubbering mess on the floor. Apollo calmly picks up the telephone. "He s ready." He hangsup and picks upthe viper like a long lost pet. He caresses and kisses it fo r doing a good job.

Apollo looks down at the body of Royale on his floor with a look of pity. "It s too bad. I know you re thinking to yourself. Is this it? Is this the end? No, my boy. I m just getting started with you." Two bodyguardsenter, presumably in response to Apollo s phone call. "Boys. Go ahead and take my friend here to the kennel. Artemis told me the dogs are hungry and restless. Consider Mr Royale my donation. " The guards drag Royale s body out of the office. Apollo goes back to his chair w ith Asclepius in tow. He looks at the article once more and makes another phone call. "Hermes.I have a job for you. We got a loose end to tie up and I need it done fast . I ll send you the particulars. His name is Stone.Show the world what happens whe n you mess withThe Pantheon." Apollo hangs up and turns to the two-way mirror behind him andthefull view of hises tablishment.Like a king looking overhis kingdom. The next morning:Stone takes a cab from thefirehouse and make the familiar trek to De cuir Innovations. He received that he is to receive something specialfor his serv ice in thecapture of JoaquinPatterson. A million possibilities swirl in his head. A paid vacation?Newdigs?Better yet,a raise. With Charles Decuir ,anything is possible . Stone makes his waythrough the building to the express elevator.Dressed in his us ual casual atttire(sleeve-less t-shirt, Adidas workout pants, and New Balances) , he sticks out like a sore thumb in the corporate world around him. Not that he cares. Inside the elevator, he enjoys the Muzak version ofSweet Love by Anita Ba ker. A private detective, for all intents and purposes, is not a highly sought-after gig.Work hours and pay are irregular. The work can be dangerous.Only about 21 percen

Good boy, Asclepius! Good boy!"

t are self-employed.A lot ofcompetition is expected for most jobs. That s why Char les hooked me upwith acover9-to-5 for the books. My title :Independent Security Liai son. Doesn t actually mean anything but it sounds fancy. All I got do is occasio nally pop my head in and delegate a lil work flow. Maybe do a building safety i nspection here and there.All I know is that I get 50 grand a yearfor doin basicall ynothing!That plus my rate as a detective andyour boy is sittin pretty nice, ya fe el me? Ding!The elevator opens and we see his destination,The Decuir Detective Agency. In the main officeStone spots awelcome face. Charles Decuir, seated at his desk in a ll his glory. He alsospotsanot so welcomeface. Blaine Collins, Decuir s long sufferi ng office manager and assistant. "Atticus Stone,"says Decuir. "Bossman." The two shake hands and Stone take a seat. "Congrats, my boy. Congrats. You know, you beat out theFBI, the DEA and theUS Marsha ls on this one. One million dollars. Very Impressive." "Im not impressed,"adds Collins. "Oh hey, Suga Drawers. Didn t see you there." "Mr. Decuir, you are aware of the statutes involving racist or sexist remarks in the workplace." "Who said anything racist or sexist? ",says Stone. "You!! Suga Drawers?? I mean, come on now !That s extremely homophobic!" "Im not homophobic. I just don t like you!" "Gentlemen, please!," Decuir says to stop the fighting. Charles Decuiris a man of few words but those words count. They comply with their employer s wishes. "Now, Blaine, show my guest in, please." "Yes sir." Blaine stares daggers at Stoneas he walks out. Stone laughs it off.

 "You need to take it easy on that kid, Stone,"says Decuir. "What s he gon do? Scratch me?" In walks Chief Niles, in full formal dress, holding a small oak box in his hand. Both Stone and Decuir stand out of respect for the uniform. Chief Niles greets both men and has a seat next to Stone. "How goes it, Chief?",says Stone. "Fine, son. The District Attorney s office wants to thank you for your involveme nt in that DJ SkyNet thing." "That s cool." "Also, Six Flags is suing the city for the damage done to the park.....and they want me to deliver your head on a pike!" "Hey! That wasn t my fault." "And the busted restraint on the Superman ride? The destroyed stall? The speaker s that got shot out?" "Okay.Thatwas my fault but I had no choice." "Listen, I only came here today out of appreciation for my old friend Charles he re." Stone looks at Decuir. "Damn ,Bossman. Whoaren tyoufriends with?" "I m a loved man, Stone," says Decuir. Niles continues." Now I understand your standing as a private detective puts inth e line of a lot of police activity. I personally don t approve of your methods b ecause you come off as more of a .....mercenary for hire than a detectve." "I take that as a compliment, sir",says Stone. Niles is visibly agitated with Stone s attitude, but he maintains his composure. "We don t need any loose cannons interfering withour investigations." "But,...."interjects Decuir.".....Chief Niles here is also aware of the system of free enterprise. We go where the investigation dictates, but we can t be butting

heads with our brothers in blue. So, after a little discussion, we ve come a re asonable solution." Decuir nods to Chief Niles. Niles opens the oak box he brought with him. Inside, amid plush velvet, is a brand new, goldenAtlanta Police Department badge!Stone loo ks at Decuir and Niles a bit puzzled. "What s that?", Stone says, pointng to the badge. Niles answers, "That .....isyours." Stone is even more confused now! "So.......you re makin me a cop?" "Not quite,"responds Niles. "Take it." Stone relunctantly takes the badge out of the box and into his hand. Niles stands up at attention. "Atticus Stone,........on the authority of myself, the police commissioner, and the mayor s office......you are now herebya deputizedspecial agentof the Atlanta Pol ice Department. And you are granted the powers and duties of that office forthwith ." A very loud "WHHHHATTTT????? "comes from outside the office. The voice that uttered it belongs to Blaine, who obviously eavesdropping. Blaine pops his head into th e office. "Sorry." And pops right back out!Stone is in complete shock. "A special agent?",asks Stone. "Yeah",says Decuir."You won t be under their directcommand but you ll be able to part icipate in police activites with no fuss. It ll be like when you were a Corpsman with the Fleet Marine Force. You re with them......but not with them. Ya dig?"

"Yeah. Yeah,I dig. So......do I get to arrest folks? " "No...",says Niles. "But you can detain a suspect until an officer appears on the scene. Then you cede all authority over to them.I was a little hestitant to do t his at first." "Is that because I busted you upside the head that one time?" Niles chokes back the painful memory.

"No, I m a bigger man than that.If I wasn t, I would ve hadyourass arrestedweeks ago. imes are different now.We have to change with them. Think outside to the box. That s where you come in. I figure you ll be able to get into places most police off icers can t because you re not one of us.I would be a "Win-Win"for both sides. So... ....what do you say, son?" Stone looks at the badge, stands up and extends his hand. "Okay, Chief. You got me." The two shake on it, sealing the deal. "But before I start, i m gonna need something, Bossman." "Name it", Decuir says. Stone pulls out of his pocket a magazine clipping of the new 2011 Dodge Challeng er and places it on the desk. "I wantthat.........with a few modifications.......courtesy of ournewfriends in the Atlanta P.D." "What do you say, Niles? Can we make it happen?" Niles shrugs his head. "I dont see why not."

A big smile comes over Stone s face. FiveDays Later: Bright, sunny afternoon. Birds chirping. Hip hop with all BASS ( com mon in most Southern vehicles)is heard in carspassing by.Standing outside 553 West Wh itehall Street is Rosie, waiting for her immediate employer to show up. Per his instruction, in her hand is a cold six pack of Bud Light.She looks at her watch. "Where is this fool? " 12 o you?" HONK! HONK!! Up rolls a 18- wheeler withDecuir Innovationsplastered on the side.It stop with a hi ss in front of the firehouse.Out of the driver s side of the cab dropsa dark-skinne d black man,around the same height as Stone but not quite as fit. Wearing some j eans and a Optimus Prime Transformers t-shirt.Lil Tank. Mechanic extraordinaire f or Decuir Innovations and friend to the Decuir Detective Agency.He playfully sneak s around to the unsuspecting Rosie. He jumps out: "Where s my lil Suga Bear?" "TANK!!",Rosie screams as she jumps into the arms of her old friend. Boy! I ain t see you in forever. What you been doin ? Just gettin that paper. That s about it, really clock, Rosie. Be there! Well, i m here. Where are

So you can t call nobody? Come on, Suga Bear.Lil Tank leans in. I thought we wasn t gon ....... complicate t hangs." Rosie lets out a little smile."Whatever....you still could ve called. Plus....... you, uh......left all that mud and stuff in my apartment.." "Hey, you the one that wanted to play "Swamp Thing". They laugh and briefly hold hands. Stone comesdownfrom the passenger side of the c ab, laughing at the sight of the "lovebirds". I hope Im not interrupting.

 They immediately drop hands when Stone s voice is heard. They stubble over thems elves trying to come up with an excuse. "Oh hey Stone.....we was, uh......just talkin "Yeah.....yeah.....just talkin , man.

"It s okay, y all. I already know about you two." Rosie and Lil Tank look at each other like "What?" "How?"asks Lil Tank. "Rosie gets real talkative when she s drunk." Lil Tank laughs but sees Rosie is not laughing and stifles himself. "Help me with truck ramps, Tank." Tank runs over and helps Stone out with the twin ramps of the 18-wheeler. After the ramps are set, Stone climbs up and opens the semi-trailer.Rosie and Lil Tank see nothing but darkness. "What s in there?",asks Rosie. "My new toy", Stone responds. Stone disappears inside. Rosie looks at Lil "Dont look at me. I just helped with a few parts. I ain t seen it yet either." VRRRRRRRROOOOOOOMMMM!!VRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!

Tank.

and whatnot."

The roar nearly knocks Rosie and Tank over. They look in and are greeted by a pa ir of head lights with a black light filters. The lights move forward. Rosie and Tank stepback. Out comes a brand new2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8. Blackberry Pearl paint job with gold dual stripes. On the hood, the mascot of Alabama State Unive rsity:The Hornet. Stone gets out of the car and sees Rosie and Lil Tank dumbfoun ded.In his hand a special owner s manual. "Well damn!"says Rosie."Somebody came up in the world. Nice!!" "I know, right?" Stone tosses the manual to Tank and makes his way to the 6 pack of beer. "Read off the features for the lady." Tank opens up the manual and complies: "2011 Dodge Challenger.............392 Hemi.............470 horsepower and 470 l b-ft of torque...........0-60 in 4.9 seconds............5.7L-6.1L Dodge Hemi Cha llenger ZEX Nitrous System.............Run Flat Tire Inserts..........Satellite Global Phone............bomb supressor blanket installed underthe carpet to protec t from a small blast.............Doorsreinforced withSpectra Shield Lightweight Ar mor.........Roof and Floormade ofBallistic Nylon........Chasis reinforced with High -hardened Ballistic Steel.......Secret compartments for guns and ammo........fir st aid kit...........it also has cup holders and Sirius radio...." Stone and Rosie laugh at the last bit. "Stone, do you reallyneed all that?",asks Rosie. "Oh, I m sorry. I forget you weren t here when those cats blew up my car and tri ed to kill me.Yes this stuff is absolutely necessary!Plus, It s part of the hero ki t.Cool place to live? Check. Honed body? Check. Healthy sex life?Double Check. and n ow.....Cool Car. Every self respecting hero has a cool car. The Batmobile. The B lack Beauty. The Aston Martin. And what s even cooler is thatbecause I workwith thec ops now,the car is technically a police vehicle and doesn t require registration.It goes with the gig. But...." "But what?.....",says Tank. "It s missing something. It needs that extra little sizzle. It needs.......a nam e." Rosie says ,"Well, i like the Hornet on the hood, so...."

 Stone stops her mid-sentence. A revelation. He smiles and hands Rosie and Tank a beer each. Stone walks over the car. "From this moment forward,I christen thee......" Stone takes his beer and bumps it against his car. ".......The Hornet! They all drink to the newest addition to the world of AtticusStone. Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 3:.....To Kill The M essenger.... You kick it like me, no exaggeration necessary Living revolutionary, nothing less than legendary Gangsta shit hereditary, got it from my dad Flow colder than February with extraordinary swag -T.I.,Swagger Like Us The lyrics that ring truth to the ears of the young detective, ashe rolls through Downtown Atlanta on a Friday night. Blasting the combined rhymes of Kanye, Jay-Z , Lil Wayne and T.I. on one of his favorite tracks.He s doing this for two reasons: 1) to test out his ride, The Hornet and 2) he s not on a case and he s bored. Si mple enough, right?Marietta Street is always a lively spot on the weekend. "Just g ot paid, It s Friday Night", to quote Johnny Kemp. Everybody s out looking for a party. Stone spots a couple of promising choices and critiques his choices: Stats Bar, withThe Table Tap systemthat allows diners to pour their own beer at the table. Nice, but I m not in the mood for a sports bar. Latitudes Lounge. Cool but seems a bit crowded and I ain t not trying to wait in line for no amoun tof time. The Sky Lounge.

Now, There s the Ticket!! The Sky Lounge had everything he could ask for:panoramic skyline views . Good coc ktails. Comfortable lounge setting. Plus, the owner owes Stone one for keeping a certain "infidelity case" quiet. Stone isn t exactly dressed for clubbing ( A So nic The Hedgehog t-shirt, jeans and Reeboks) but he knows he has a certain confi dence about himself. That he walk into a club wearing any kind of ridiculous shi rt and still pull.As he tries to find parking, he looks in his back mirror and not ices something. A red motorcycle. Normally, Stone wouldn t be concerned but the guy has been following him at least a few miles. Tailing him. Call it paranoia. Call it cautiousness. But Stone isn t a young buck in the detective game. As Sto ne feigns going into a paid parking garage( with the tail in tow), Stone suddenl y streaks off!!! The tail follows and now we have a full-on high speed chase thr ough Downtown. The tail rides up to the driver s side of the Hornet, allowing Stone to get a ful l view of his would-be assailant. Wearing an all-red leather riding outfit with a wrap around satchel, his racing helmet sdark visor completely blocks his feature s.Stone also notices the cycle itself:An candy redSuzuki HayabusaGSX1300R.Billed as e World s Fastest Motorcycle."It s topspeed of 186mph (299km/h) backs up that claim. The Rider almost lingers next to the Hornet. Silently taunting Stone to action.Sto ne spots an interesting image on its gas tank. Agolden drawing ofHermes.The great mes senger of the Greek gods. Winged shoes, winged cap and all. The names " Hermes" written underneath it on gold lettering.The rider reaches into his satchel and pul ls outa blackGemtech Mossad Mini UZIwith a silencer. Considering its weight of 12 p ounds and the fact that they travelling at very high speeds shows the rider is e xperienced in this.The Rider fires a series ofshots at Stone s window but they don t penetrate, thanks to the invention of bulletproof glass. Stone speeds as the Ri der continues to fire at Stone s vehicle.

The handles on the Dodge Challenger are phenomenal, seeing as how Stone has reso rt to evasive driving methods to escape.The Rider cruises behind Stone as he conti nues to fire.Stone and the Rider s chase lead them to Brady Ave where Stone gets a n idea. Hitting a special button under the dashboard, the glove compartment open s up and out comes aBeretta Model 93Rautomatic pistol. Like a mini version of Robo cop s gun. Triple-roundbursts. Cyclic rate of 1100 rounds per minute. Stone loads in a 20 round magazine and sets the Hornet on cruise control at a speed of 95 m ph.Stone puts on aclear pair of Oakley shades to protect his eyes.Stone opens the dri er window and, with the gun in hand, props himself on the door and fires at the Rider. Rushing winds makes everything more difflcult but the Oakley shades help.St one s shots connect with the Rider s arm and exhaust. He starts to swerve toward the Atlanta City Works Water Reservior. Stone gets back into his car, takes off the cruise control and follows. Unable to control his speed, The Rider hits a sudden burst of acceleration and L AUNCHES into the Reservior, getting some serious airtime.The Hornet drives up and Stone gets out to survey the damage.Stones spots something drifting toward him on the shore. The Rider s helmet. Out of the water jumps The Rider, with the Uzi in hand. His face is shown to be that of a young Asian man. Stone jumps behind the Hornet to protect him from the shots. Stone reaches into the car, using the dri ver s door to shield him and gets the Beretta. Stone fires off a triple round bu rst.they all connect with the Rider s chest. Stone watches as the Rider slumps dow n in the water.

 Some time later, the Reservoir has become a scene from CSI. Police tape all arou nd. Forensic specialists fishing out the Suzuki cycle. The ambulance carting off the Rider s carcass. Stone himself is just sitting on the hood of his car which , aside from a few dings, came out unscathed. "Quite the scene, eh?" Stone turns and sees a very pretty woman in a stylish pant suit approach him. Th e badge around her neck is a dead give-away. Stone is taken back by her beauty. Athletic frame, like she ran track at one point.Nice pouty lips. Hazel eyes.She look s almost mulatto but something was different.Especially with the slight hint of an accent in her voice. In her hands are two cups of Starbucks coffee. "Yeah. Hell of a way to kick off a Friday night",Stone responds. "You must be Atticus Stone" "That s what they call me." "You dont seem shaken up by this." "Wouldn t be in my line of work if I was." "Well I hoped this would help." She hands him one of the cups. "I appreciate it, Mrs...?" "Detective Monica Juarez. As per your agreement with Chief Niles, I m here to ac t as a middleman of sorts." "A babysitter." "You re not a baby." "Wait.....Juarez....." "You saved my little nephew Javier." "Javier? " "Dulce is my sister. Same mom. Different dads. Mine was black." "Oh, okay. So Niles assigned you to me." "Actually, I volunteered."

"Why? Did Niles not give the skinny on me? I m not exactly a people person." "He toldme you have a something of a maverick attitude. But my sister also describ es you as a noble man. And Javier thinks the world of you. Keeps asking me to ge t your autograph." Stone laughs. "Yeah, lil man s a cool kid. I haven t seen since he got out of the hospital." "He s fine now. I watch him every other weekend." "Good." "Now back to business. What exactly happened here?" "This guy starts shooting at me and I shot back. The End." "There s gotta be more to it than that." "I wish I knew what it was." "Detective Juarez",says a new voice. Ayoung forensic aid runs up with two plastic evidence bags in hand and two pairs o f latex gloves. "The weapon has being confiscated and we found these on the perp", he says. "Thank you.Here, Stone." She hands Stone one of the pairs of gloves. They both proceed to put on the gloves and they each take a bag. In Stone s bag,a sterling silver necklace with a specially designed pendant. In Juarez s bag,a smal l pre-paid cell phone. They open the bags to examine closer. "Let s see here.Coin Pendant with Greek Key Pattern. Gold plated silver coin. Silv er bezel.On the front, a Macedonia star. On the back, the figure of........Hermes. " Juarez is impressed. "How do you know all that?"

"Greek mythology is a hobby of mine. I don t just read XXL and The Source, you k now." She laughs. "Hermes was the messenger of the gods. But he was also a psychopomp." "A what?" "An escort for the dead to help them find their way to theafterlife." "I guess he was here to guide you, Stone." "I guess". Juarez looks through the history of the phone. "That s weird. No calls in or out. Maybe he just got it." A thought hits Stone. "Can I see that phone?" Juarez hands Stone the phone. Stone look in the text message menu: 1 NEW MESSAGE FROM ( Unlisted): APOCALYPSE Another piece of the puzzle falls into place. "What is this?,"Juarez asks. "A clue. I found this same message in another phone in Birmingham last week. The se guys were connected. But the necklace is new to me." "I can put it in the police database. See if I find a match." "Cool."

 Stone feels his pocket vibrate. He pulls out his phone and it shows he has a new text: FromLakeshia: We need to talk. Meet me at Paschal s . Stone gets up and starts to leave. "Where are you going?" "I got some business to take care of.Let me know if you need anything." "I ve got your number, Mr. Stone." "Just Stone is fine." Stone offers a brief smile, gets into the Hornet and he is off. Paschal sis an upscale restaurant near Spelman College. Itfeatures the best in sout hern cuisine and other specialties such as lump crab cakes, barbecue ribs, seafo od and pasta dishes, and of course their famous peach cobbler. A great spot for date night with that special lady. Stone wasn t dressed for a dinner date but he always keeps a " Just-In-Case" kit in his car.A " just in case" kit is a set of tools needed for impromptu situations involving the opposite sex.. A simple kit should consist of : -deodorant ( Speed Stick, etc.) -lotion -breath mints ( Ice Breakers are his favorite) -Some " smell good" . " Smell Good" , for the layperson, is cologne or body spra y. In Stone s case, a bottle of BOD ( the " Totally Ripped Abs" brand) All in small quantities, all in plastic bottles, and they should be keep in a co ol place like the glove compartment. The average kit might cost you less than $2 5( depending on the brands) and is a life saver.Also, a freshly ironed dress shirt in the trunk helps. A shirt which Stone just happens to have.Stone slips his on a nd heads to the restaurant.

Stone walks in, pass the line of waiting customers and up to the hostess. A cute little thing of a hostess with micro braids and a little too much lip gloss. "I m a guest of Lakeshia Barnett." The hostess looks it up and grabs a menu. "This way, sir." Stone notices the hostess s nice body as they wade through the tables. They find Lakeshia , dressed in a beautiful blackMaggy London halter dress. Her styled hair and french tipped nails shows she made a day of getting ready for this. "Here s you are, sir." "Thank you." "If you need anything else.......anything.....I m just over here." "Uh...thanks." Stone has a seat. Lakeshia stares down the hostess as she walks away. "You know that lil heifer likes you, right?" "Why you say that?" "She was looking at your ass when you were sitting down." "Well, that was nice of her." A waiter walks up. " Hi, I m Stanley. I ll be your waiter this evening. Are we ready to order, folk s?" Both look over the menus briefly.Lakeshia goes first.

"Yes. I ll have the Creole Pasta with a side of steamed rice." "Soup or salad with that?" "Salad." "Dressing?" "Italian". "Anything to drink?" "Some water to start and a glass of White Zinfandel." "Okay. And for you, sir?" "The Ribeye",says Stone. "How do you want that cooked, sir?" "Medium rare." "And your sides?" "Macaroni and Cheese and Collard greens." "That comes with a garden salad. Dressing?" "Ranch." "And ,to drink?" "A sweet tea with lemon slices on the side" "Okay. I ll be right back with your drinks and some bread. If you have any quest ions, don t hestitate to ask." The waiter takes the menus and walks away. Stone and Lakeshia are alone now. Not saying a word to each other. Lakeshia s eyes wander a bit, catching Stone s but the moment they meet, she looks away. She s obviously wants to say something bu t can t bring herself to do it. "So.....uh.......how was your day? ", says Lakeshia, trying to make small talk.She wanted to stop herself because she knows Stonehatessmall talk. But it s too late. "Well,let s see...... I got a new car....... Had some beer..... I got shot at..... and here I am." "What?",her eyes flash at the statement. "Yep. Right before I came here." "Oh my god. Are you okay?" "I m fine. The guy who shot at me? He s not doin so well."

"What do you mean...?" Lakeshia thinks about what Stone just said. "You....you shot him?" Stone nods yes. "Is he.....dead?" "Either that or he s real sleepy." Lakeshia can not believe what she is hearing. "You ......killed a man and here you are. About to eat some steak and drink some sweet tea? Like it s nothing? How can you be so....cold? So inhuman?" "Lakeshia, my business is not a nice one. I m not an accountant or nurse. I m a detective. People don t like us." "Then why don t you try something else? You re so smart, Stone. You can be anyth ing you want." "No, I can t. I m the best at what I do. Not many people my age can say that. I make great money. I live my life on my terms." "But how can you just not care about human lives?That man s life is gone because o f you." "Yeah and If I didn t,Iwouldn t be sitting here right now." Lakeshia hears the truth in Stone s voice. This is who he is. Nothing will chang e that. The revelation makes her start to cry. "Lakeshia, why did you call me here? "What, we can t justsit and talk ? Have a nice dinner together? Is that all I am to you? Sex? " "No. Like I said, I m a detective. " We need to talk " is universal with females for something s wrong. "

Lakeshia looks up at Stone and wipes the tears from her eyes. "I m leaving, Stone." At that moment, the waiter arrives with the drinks and sees the mood has gone do wn. "Uh....your meals are going to take just a little more time, okay?" And he walks away. Stone looks at Lakeshia "What do you mean, you re leaving?" "I got offered an internship with the Hamasaki Corporation. They re gonna transf er me to San Diego State. They ve offered to completely cover my tuition and, wh en I graduate,I have a guaranteed position with the company.It s an amazing opportun ity." Hence the catch. "San Diego..." "Yeah. San Diego. Stone, I brought you here to see if......well, if there is any reason I should say no. Is there anything for me here?" Stone sees the intention of this meeting. She wants the goods. She wants to know Stone s true feelings for her. "Is there, Stone?" Stone looks her dead in the eye. "No."

 Not the answer she was expecting.At all. "Stone......I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you.........I know you f eel the same.......just like I know Atticus Stone isNOTyour real name ...........I feel it in my heart ......Why can t you just tell me?" "I.....don t love you, Keshia. I m sorry if I led you on." Lakeshia can t believe her ears.Stone sighs because he knows what s coming next.With out warning, she takes her wine glass and tosses it in his face. She gets up and storms out of the restaurant. The patrons look at Stone s table as he wipes the wine off his face and shirt. The waiter walks up again with their meals. "Uh....is everything okay, sir?" "No. Could youjust make those to go and bring the check?" "Yes, sir." The drive home is a bit of a downer. Jagged Edge on the radio and his main "boo thang" not talking to him.The Hornet s windows make the city a blur. Just passing lights.The song s lyrics are eating away at Stone: Tell me Have you ever been in a a situation where the best thing you could do Was the hardest thing you ve ever done But you tried to do What s right And I know deep down inside That I really wanna be There by your side

Love. Life s most precious resource. love can refer to a variety of different fe elings, states, and attitudes, ranging from genericpleasure to intense attraction . The passionate desire and intimacy ofromantic andsexuallove.The emotional closenes offamiliallove. Theplatonic lovethat definesfriendship .The profound devotion ofreli ious love. In my case, love is just a four letter word that I can t utter. The f eeling itself is something I know well. The complications that come with it are something I can t deal with right now. Lakeshia has a special place in my heart and she was right to ask. If I had given the answer she wanted, she wouldn t go. She would stay to be with me and, deep down, she would regret it. And hate me f or it. My life is a dangerous one. And if anything were to happen to her.....I w ould never forgive myself.I......love her.....too much to let her throw her life a way with me...... Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 4:.......The Brief I m a big believer in the fact that life is about preparation, preparation, prep aration. -Johnnie Cochran Preparation. The word that courses through the collective minds of the people se ated in a conference room at the Decuir Detective Agency. Among them are: Charles Decuir. Chief Niles and Det. Monica Juarez, representing the police, and, of course, Stone. This meeting is the last thing on my mind.My girl is leaving. Yet another person h as tried to kill me. Plus, I just don tlike Niles. Juarez is cool and everything , but she seems like his lap-dog.The call from Collinswas a welcome relief. Keshia is n t talkin to me and the firehouse just reminds me of the times we had sex. Pas sionate, mind-blowing sex. And a new addition to the line-up is perched in the c orner behind me . Solid color, conservative suit.White long sleeve shirt.Conservat ive tie.Neat hairstyle. The guy hasn t said a word but he is screamning " Fed".I kn ow he s a brother. I m usually right about that .But the light eyes and high cheek bones tell me he s got some "Injun" in him. Niles gets up, looking more flustered than normal. "Again Charles, thank you for having us.Because of the.... incident last night, we ve had to call in the big guns." Niles gestures to the man in the corner.

"Ladies and gentleman, I d like you to meet Special Agent Vicente Youngblood. DE A." "Thank you, Chief.Mr. Decuir. And you must be Stone." "That I am." "Your reputation precedes you." "I wish I could say the same." "That s the beauty of the government. If they don t want you to know something, they make sure nobody knows." "Ah." "I m here in response to a hit on the NCIC database. The necklace the police ret rieved from the scene.It belongs to a group we ve had on surveillance.Lights." Stone could already tell this guy was all business. Blaine cuts the lights and t urns on an EPSON large room projector.He clinks a small remote in his hand. On the screen behind appears the image of a group of young black people, dressed in em maculate suits and dresses. Like a ghetto family portrait. "They call themselves The Pantheon." A look of horror comes over Charles Decuir s face. "The Pantheon....was disbanded in the 70 s", he says. "These kids are the next generation, like the Black Mafia/Jr. Black Mafia thing", Youngblood responds.

The Pantheon?,"Stone says confused.

"The original Pantheon was anorganization supposedly founded in 1965in theHarlemsecti on of New York Cityby this man." Youngblood clicks the remote.Up pops a weatheredpicture of a very muscular black man who resembles Stanley "Tookie" Williams. An elaborate lightning bolt tattoo is on his tricep. The caption at the bottom of the picture says:Property ofSing Sing Correctional Facility.Decuir recognizes him instantly. "Emmanuel "Zeus" Perry",says Youngblood. "Well, that explains the tat,"says Stone.

"Also known as The High-Father. The Provider. The Exalted One. The list goes on and on.." "You forgot The Destroyer", adds Decuir. Stone notices a look of extreme concern on Decuir s face. Uncommon on his boss. "Yeah, I remember hearing about him when I was a rookie", says Niles. "He was a beast." "He was also a genocidal madman",say Decuir. "He killed a lot of good people back in the day."

"In December of that year,continues Youngblood. "Perry was shot in a basement gambl ing den called the Basin. After surviving the shooting, he recovered at an undis closed location. During which he developed a kick for Greek Mythology. Started r eadingTheTheogony. TheIliad.Stuff like that. Sometime later,heassumed the name Zeu claimed that he was immortal. He founded a storefront church close to the Audubo n Ballroom." "Where Malcolm X was killed", says Stone. "Right," responds Youngblood." Imagine a city of disillusioned black youth. Looki ng for a new leader." "Right place, right time,"says Stone. "Perry taughtlessons to his young followers.They even who came to refer to him as F ather but instead of teaching them to be Christians or Muslims, he taught them t hat they were gods the same way he was. The women who came were taught they were symbols of the Earth. The planet on which produces life." "Polygamy?,"asks Juarez. "Not in their eyes.",responds Youngblood."Rather, Polygyny, which was accepted in an cient Greece." "Sounds like an excuse to spread his seed",she adds. "The group does not call itself a religion at all. Its position is that it makes no sense to be religious or to worship or deify anyone or anything outside of o neself. That they themselves are the highest powers in the known universe, or Th e Pantheon, both collectively and individually." "Unfortunately, Perry had a childhood friend by the name of Leroy Barnes."adds Dec uir. That name hits a collective nerve in everyone in the room, except Youngblood.

Stone says,"Nicky" Barnes? Mr. Untouchable?Didn t Cuba Gooding Jr. play him in that Denzel movie?......uh.... " "American Gangster!", says Juarez, like she s on a quiz show. "One and the same",Decuirs responds. Youngblood continues. "While in prison he metColombo crime familymember"Crazy" Joe Gallo andLucchese crime familyheroin dealerMatthew Madonna.Gallo wanted to have more of a stake in the Harl em Heroin market but didn t have any personnel to deal in Harlem. It is believed Gallo passed on his knowledge of how to run a drug trafficking organization to Barnes and asked Barnes to assemble the necessary personnel. Perry was more than happy to help." "Slinging dope", says Stone. "Exactly", Youngblood responds. "The group concentrated its criminal efforts on t he widespread distribution ofcrack cocaine. Many even joined the faith as a form of protection, as local temples were responsible for picking up protection money from members, and were taught in the criminal methods of the streets .At its pe ak, the Pantheon s receipts exceeded well over $100,000 a day. They regularly co mmitted acts of violence and murder to maintain its stranglehold on the area s d rug trade." Youngblood changes the slide. On the screen is a black and white news clipping f rom theNew YorkDaily Newsof a taped-up store front.The caption reads: 13 beaten! 2 shot ! 1 set on fire! GANGLAND BANG-UP Youngblood reads off the info on the story from a Manila envelope. "On January 1, 1970, eight members robbed Okoro s on 125th Street in Harlem. The y entered the store one by one posing as customers. Once all were inside, they p ulled guns on the twenty employees present and forced them to lie on the floor i n the back of the store where they bound them with tape and electrical cord. Thi rteen employees were beaten while two others were shot. A janitor who walked in on the robbery while doing his job was shot and killed. One employee was doused

with gasoline and set on fire. After their vicious treatment of the employees, t hey looted the offices in the store and set more fires to destroy evidence of th e robbery. The eight criminals fled the scene as soon as the fire alarm went off , purposefully trampling on one of the victim s bodies as they left." "Santa Maria", Juarez says softly as she crosses herself. The first indication of her Catholic faith Stone ever witnesses.

"Their highest profile case was the Ubaydallh murders.By far the most well-known a ct of crime.On January 18, 1973, the group murdered 7 UbaydallhMuslims. Two adults. F ive children. The kids ranged from 7 days old to 9 years old. The adults and one child were shot while the other children were drowned. The intended target of t his crime was UbaydallhAminKhaalis, of theUbaydallhMuslims, for a letter he had wri to the Pantheon claiming thatElijah Muhammadwas a true prophet and that they were merely gangsters who were harming the name of God. " "I m guessing they didn t like that", says Stone. "Not.....one....bit......", responds Youngblood. Youngblood clicks the remote.Crime scene photos. The bodies of a family, shot seve ral times. An old man. An old woman. A young woman. Youngblood explains. "The Khunfamily. Husband ChanarongKhun, 71. Wife RatanaKhun, 63. Immigrants fromThail and. They ran the Pattaya Hotel located in South Harlem along with their daughte r,SuchinKhun, 40 and son Richard, 30. "At approximately 5:00 a.m. on February 09, 1979, Emmanuel Perry entered the Pat taya Hotel lobby and then broke down the door that led to the private office. In side the office, Perry shot and killed the Khuns and fled the scene. Richard, asleep with his girlfriend in their bedroom at the hotel, was awakened by the sound of somebody breaking down the door to the motels office. He heard a female scream. Then, gunshots. Richard entered the hotel office and found that h is parents and sister were killed. The forensic pathologist testified thatChanarongKhunsuffered two close range shotgu n wounds. One to his right arm and stomach, and one to the lower left chest.Ratanaa lso received two close range wounds, one to the coccyx, and the other to the fro nt of the abdomen, entering at the navel.Suchinwas shot once in the upper left face area at a distance of a few feet." "Witnesses testified that Williams referred to the victims in conversations to h is followers as defilers for worshipping Buddha." "Like I said,...... a monster", says Niles. "And then...... the fall of an empire."

 Youngblood clicks and shows the news of Perry s arrest. The headline reads: THE FALL OF A TITAN! Known Cultist Arrested For Murder. "Thanks to an anonymous tip, Emmanuel Perry was convicted in 1979 ofmurder with sp ecial circumstances on each count of felony murder as well as multiple murder in the case of the Pattaya event. The jury also convicted him of robbery in both c ases, and found that he personally used a firearm in the commission of the crime s. The jury recommended the death penalty, and the judge accepted the recommenda tion and sentenced him to death. From the beginning of his sentence, Williams maintained his righteousness regard ing the murders. That his actions were justified." "Several attempts for an appeal given to the State Courts on behalf of Lisa Perr y, AKA Hera. His main wife. Several of the members began a campaignto urge the Go vernor s office to grantclemencyfor Perry in consideration of his work as an "anti -gang activist".Thousands of people signedpetitions calling for the Governor to comm ute the death sentence." "The state, through the office of the New York County District Attorney, opposed the clemency petition. TheNYPD, the New York County District Attorney, and other law enforcement groups disputed it, saying that Perry refused to divulge inform ation on other group members, or debrief officials on the tactics and communicat ion methods that the group uses. While the clemency petition was pending before the governor, Perry s followers a lso filed further appeals in the courts. On November 17, 1985, the New York Supr eme Court deniedPerry s request for a stay of execution, considering him " a thre at to humanity" . On December 13, 1985, after exhausting all forms of appeal, Perry was transporte d to the death chamber at theHuntsville Unitin Huntsville, Texas. There he made hi s final statement: "Fools! I m beyond mortal man s laws. This shell may expire, but my spirit is Li ghtning Incarnate! I am the Wind! I am the Storm!I promise you all! Here and now! My death brings the Apocalypse! The Apocalypse is coming!!" Stone s attention is gotten. "Apocalypse", Stone says to himself.

 That one word that keeps coming up in his life lately. He doesn t know what it i s yet but.... he can already tell it s going to suck for him when he finds out! "On December 13, 1985, Emmanuel Perry wasexecuted.Bylethal injection." Niles stands up and assumes control of the meeting. "Thanks, Agent Youngblood. I can take it from here." Youngblood hands the remote to Niles and has a seat in front of Stone. Stone leans in . "Riveting report, man. I ll bring the popcorn next time." Youngblood laughs. "Yep .....you reexactly how they described you." Niles takes over. " After Perry was executed, Lisa Perry and many of the original members moved to avoid prosecution. Leadership of the Pantheon was assumed briefly by Lisa.She die d of ovarian cancer in 2003. Her relationship with Zeus resulted in one son: Bra ndon Perry. Alias Brandon Sherman, a fraudlent name given by his mother to avoid detection from the authorities. He s now known as Apollo.He s basically been groo med for this since birth. Apollo has solidified his control of the groupby increas ing the security force and employing it against rivals and against groupmembers su spected of disloyalty. During 2008 alone, Apollo ordered at least eight homicide s." "The Pantheon s narcotics operations uses dozens of employees, including layers of drug sellers to insulate the gang leaders from the street-level activity. To thwart law enforcement efforts , Apollo uses armed bodyguards and deploys sentin els with two-way radios on rooftops. The sophistication of the gang s operation enabled it to survive the periodic targeting of various members for prosecution "

"They use formalized meetings, and legal incorporated nonprofits as cover and th ey ve even imposed a hierarchy on its members in an attempt to create discipline among members. Members and associates were called "Deities " and low-ranking me mbers were named "Mortals "Members could move up in the chain of command accordin g to certain established criteria.After they pass the "Mortal" stage, they re give n a necklace , like the one we found on the assassin, and a codename. This is where you come in , Stone. " "I was wondering when you guys were gonna get to that", he says. "You ve already stopped two of their guys without even realizing it. Turns out, Patterson was a mortal, trying to get to "godhood".We want you to go undercover an dinfilitrate the Pantheon. Gain their trust. And hopefully, give up some solid evi dence to put these basterds away for good. Agent Youngblood and Detective Juarez will be your back-up on this job." Stone looks at his two new partners. "You guys should know.......I m...difficult." Youngblood and Juarez say in unison: "We know." "You start tomorrow, Stone,"says Niles."The Atlanta PD will cover your usual rate." "I wouldn t have it any other way, "Stone says ,with a big smile on his face. Niles huffs and puffs as he, Youngblood and Juarez walk out. Stone and Decuir ar e left alone in the conference room. "Bossman.....you wanna explain to me why you looked like you saw a ghost during this whole meeting?" "That s because.....I did." "What?" "Nothing. You just worry about your case, okay?" Decuir gets up to walk away. Stone knows when someone s avoiding something. First Lakeshia. Now Decuir. So St one asks:

"When were you gonna explain to me why you sent Lakeshia away?" Decuir stops , lets out a big sigh and turns to his top detective. "See? That right there? That s why you re the best.Always asking the right questio ns." "When?" "When you were ready." "You know.....I was so surprised when I looked up the Hamasaki Corporation onlin e...and found out they recently had a buy-out by.....drum roll please....." Stone fakes a drumroll and a final cymbal shot with a "ding" ".....Decuir Innovations!" Charles can t avoid it now. Stone looks at him with a bit of disappointment "Why d you do it?" "That girl.....has a very bright future. We both knew this was gonna happen. Thi s job is who you are, Stone. The longer you two are together, the more she is at risk. +-Trust me. I ve been there. This is the best thing for you and her." "You don t know that!You don t know a damn thing about us!! She......could ve been the one, man!" "If she was the one......why did you let her leave?" Stone can t answer. "I ll tell why, Stone. Because.....deep down....you know I m right." Stone settles and swallows it all down hard. That old bastard has him and he kno ws it. "Go home, son. You got a big day ahead of you."

 Decuir turns to leave. "How did you know so much about Zeus , Bossman?" The one question Decuir hoped Stone wouldn t ask. Decuir gathers his coat and fe dora as he leaves for the evening. "It s simple..........In a past life.......he was my best friend...." Decuir leaves. Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 5:First Impressions. ... Day 1: "I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell I am a hustler baby, I ll sell water to a well" -Jay-Z, The Blueprint " U Don t Know" 10:05 pm: Olympus, on a Friday night, is jumpin as usual. Lines of people waitin g for hours on end. Good drinks. Loose women.Good looking men. All the things a pe rson could want. Bouncers dressed in black tuxedos at the front keep the peace. They get hit with all kinds of temptations. Bribes of money. Sexual favors. But they remain steadfast in their stance. They know the penalty for disloyalty. The head bouncer, a large Polynesian-looking man, spots a large black man, walking past the line and coming directly to him. Full length leather coat. Black turtle neck. Leather pants.Black Oakleys. Shoulder-length cornrows and a thick skraggly b eard, like Rick Ross. The man in black walks up to the head bouncer like he is o n a mission. "Can I help you?,"the bouncer asks. "Im sure you can,cuz,"says the man in black in a thick Southern accent. "but I got s

ome bidness inside." "I don t think so." The man in black opens his coat slightly and reveals the pistol grip of a sliver 44. Magnum tucked in the waistline of his pants. "Thank again." The bouncer loves his job but he s not a fool. He and his back-up part and allow the man to enter. The sight of the man walking in causes a near-riot among the line of waiting patrons. The man in black enters the club checking out the scene. Hundreds of people gett ing their collective grind on. Go go dancers in cages. Bars full of people. They are of no concern to the man in black. Looking over to the VIP area, he spots h is target. Apollo, surrounded by "the beautiful people". Rappers. Models. Pro At hletes.All vying for the attention of the man dressed in an off-white 3-piece withH oundstooth pattern and black detailing. The man in black wades through the crowds, making a B-line directly to Apollo. H owever, a brief glimpse back to the entrance shows the head bouncer, rallying hi s troops. At least a half dozen very large men.All pointing at the man in black. A plan is formulating.They start to swarm on the man in black.Knocking through the cl ub-goers. The man sees this coming a mile away. The first bouncer grabs the man sshoulder. A quick upward thrust connects to the b ouncer s chin, knocking him on his ass.The man continues. Another bouncer runs up, ready to strike. He is met with a swift kick to the kneecap and a roundhouse ki ck to the chest.The man continues.The VIP occupants start to notice the commotion. E specially Apollo. The man is now met by two bouncers. They grab both of his arms . The man uses their grip on him as leverage and does a complete backflip. As so on as his feet hit the ground, the man performs a double suplex on both bouncers , sending them crashing to the club floor.The man seems unstoppable. Relentless. H e is now mere feet from the VIP area. Apollo gestures to one of the VIP guards. The guard runs up to the man, brandishing a Glock pistol. The manhits him with a q uick left-right combo. He forces the Guard s arms downward and causes the Guard toshoot himself in the foot. The sound of a gunshot going off causes the crowd to panic.The VIP occupants scatt er. The man pulls out his .44 Magnumand now has a clean shot at Apollo.Apollo sees t he gun pointed at him but does not flinch. The bouncers and guards surround the

man with Glock pistols, trained and ready. The man s body is littered with laser sightings from the guns. Complete silence. No one person remaining moves a muscle. The man, looking directly at Apollo, low ers his pistol and puts his hands up, in surrender it would seem. Everyone prese nt is puzzled by this.Apollo stands and walks up to the man. "You should ve took the shot." "I could if I wanted to. I did this to prove a point." "Which is what?" "You need me." "They don t need for anything." "You need better protection. Think about this. If it wasn t me, it could ve been somebody else.And you d be dead." The man s words ring of truth to Apollo. "I want to join you. I know who you are. I know about your organization. As you can see by this little display, I got a lot to offer." "Initiative. I admire that, Mr.......?" "Odysseus." The name brings a slight smile to Apollo s face. "The King of Ithaca.Odysseus was renowned for his guile and resourcefulness. I see you share more than just the name." Apollo gestures the guards and bouncers. They lower their weapons. "Have a seat,Odysseus."

The two sit in the now empty VIP area. "I ve never heard of you." "Came from Panama City. I used to run with a few crews down there." "What brings you to the A?" "Lookin for a new challenge. Plus, I heard this where the paper at." "I reward loyalty. Trust. Can I trust you?" "No doubt". "Then let s get one thing perfectly clear...........I rule here.......There are none higher than me.....If you work for me, I am God to you......and I will teac h you to be a God to others........ Do you understand what I m asking of you?" "Mos Def. " "You are now a Mortal. One day, if you prove loyal......You will be one of us.A de ity. You will have a place in the Pantheon." Apollo stands and extends his hand, as a king would to a servant. "Take my hand.....and swear your eternal loyalty.....to The Pantheon..." The man rises, takes his hand and kneels before Apollo.The man rises again, as if renewed. "I will call upon you." "I ll be ready." The man turns to leave. All the bouncers and guards he made fools of stand in hi s way, ready for a rematch.Apollo clears his throat. They part like the Red Sea an d allow him to leave. Apollo gestures to the head bouncer and summons him and th e others over. "Two things. Check up on our friend that just left. See he has any heat on him.. ..." The head bouncer turns to leave.

 "Oh, and the second part........who let him in?" The headbouncer goes silent. "Who let him in?" The bouncer remains silent. "ANSWER ME!!!!!",Apollo screams! "I did, sire.." Apollo looks at him with utter disdain. "Kneel." The disgraced bouncer complies. "Pray." The bouncer closes his eyes and starts to pray. Apollo gestures to another bounc er. "This man has disgraced us all.He allowed the sanctity of our temple to be violate d.Give him a quick death." Apollo walks away. One bouncer pulls out his Glock, steps behind the head bounce r and... BANG! .....shoots him in the back of the head. His body hits the ground . The other bo

uncers disperse. 11:15 pm:Rosie and Lil Tank are sitting at the den of the firehouse, watching "Lov e And Basketball" , in particular the scene where Monica and Quincy play a game of strip basketball" in the dorm. The two share a big bowl of popcorn, like they a re on a date. The two kiss a little and things start to get a bit hot and heavy. They move the popcorn out of the way and start to really "get it in".Kissing. Car essing. It s only a matter of time before clothes start coming off. Man, I really hate to interrupt them but my couch ain t Scotchgarded.And it looks like its about to get nasty in here. "Ahem!" The two look up and see Odysseus standing in the doorway.The sight shocks them bot h. "Sorry, we were just watching a little movie", says Rosie. "There is a lil place called the Holiday Inn you could hit up, ya know." Odysseus walks toward the bedroom and starts to disappear. Off comes the beard. Off comes cornrows, which are revealed to be part of a a wig. Off come the shade s.Atticus Stonereturns to the present. "How d it go, Stone?,"asks Lil Tank. "Worked like a charm. I m in there for the moment. Where you two headed?" "My place",says Rosie. "So we can....uh.....finish the movie." Stone laughs at the two. "Right. Well, have fun and.....uh, Tank?" "Yeah?" "Don t beat it up too much. She gotta work in the morning. I don t need her in h ere sore."

Tank laughs at the comment. Rosie is flustered, gets her stuff and leaves.Tank run s after her. Stone continues to disrobe. I love getting Rosie all riled up. She s such an easy mark. While she and Tank a re getting their freak on , I have to wash the bitter taste of servitude out of my mouth. That son of a bitch asked me to kneel. Like he s General Zod or someth ing. Man, I wanted to crack his skull right then and there. Plus, I hate playing into the " black criminal male" stereotype but it was necessary for the case. Stone hears the door open. "What, you forgot some chocolate sauce or something?" "No....but we can use it later, if you want." Stone reacts to the familar voice. He looks and sees the face ofPrincess Peach, a nother remnant of the DJ Skynet case.She s wearing a long trenchcoat and some sexy stillettos. What s under the trenchcoatis anybody s guess but Stone is pretty sur e he s gonna like it. "So.....what brings you around these parts?" "You never hit me up after that night." "I got kinda busy." "I know. I ve read about you." "What have you read?" "That you like to save people. Ain t too many guys like that around anymore. It s kinda sexy". "It s my job." "Well, I think you deserve a reward. On behalf of the City. Magic City, that is. " "Really?" "Really." Stone walks over to Princess Peach. He takes her into his arms and kisses her. S he is more than willing to reciprocate. She pushes him away and gives him a very lustful look.

 "Why don t you have a seat and we can get this started." Stone seats in his Lay-Z-Boy. Princess Peach walks over to Stone s CD player and pops in a mix CD. She hits Track 1 .Pony by Ginuwine.Good for lap dances.Princess P each undoes the strap on her coat. Underneath is a pink Dream Angels Demi bra an d a pink lacie thong. The bra pads her C cups perfectly and the thong can barely c ontain all "the wagon she s draggin .The lap dance is usually used as a kind of f oreplay.This case is no different. She saunters over to Stone.She first startsThe Grinding Circle.She stands about two f eet from Stone. With her hips,she begin to draw a circle, keeping her back arched. Undulating her hips anddancingerotically.She turns her back to Stone with straight legs and bends forward slightly. She looks back at him and slaps her ass. A big smile comes over Stone s face. Alternatively, still with your back to him, gentl y sway from your ankles, opening her legs gradually. Slowly, she bends over so t hat her booty ispointing at Stone.Now comesThe Lap Dance Grind. She gracefullydances herself into the triangle made by Stone s open legs. She ben d your knees, keeping her back straight, and gently put her hands on Stone s kne es.She lowers your booty toward his lap so that she can just feel his crotch on he r skin. Keeping her hands on his knees for support,she grinds down gently, moving her hips in a circular or forward-and-backward motion.She turns around and beginsTh e Breast Stroke. Every woman has her own personal scent that collects between her breasts, no mat ter what size they are or what perfume she wears. Princess Peach wearsCoco Chanel No.5.She stands with her legs straight, gently leans forward and place her hands o n either side of the chair. Once she has a firm hold, she pushes her breasts tow ard his face. His nose nestled in her cleavage. While this is happening, she rea ches back and undoes her bra. When she backs up, the bra comes off and she conti nues to grind in all her glory. Stone can no longer contain himself. He grabs he r hair and lays a huge kiss on her and goes with the flow. Clothes start to come off and she and Stone take the place of Tank and Rosie on his couch. Day 2: 2:00 am:Stone lays up in his bed wide awake, with Princess Peach by his side.Sleepin g hard and slightly snoring.He can t sleep. Not from anticipation. Not from anxiet y. But from guilt. He knows his feelings for LaKeshia are real. Otherwise, why w ould he feel the way he feels? Why would he care? " ehhhhhh....."

The front door opens up slowly. An uninvited visitor.Stone, of course, grabs "Swee ts" from the dresser next to his bed. He does it so often, he doesn t even have to look for the gun. The figure comes around the corner. Stone has his gun ready and aimed. Out of the corner comes...........Lakeshia.She is initially shocked by the sight of the man she loves pointing a gun at her.Then, she looks in the bed a nd sees Princess Peach.Stone lowers the gun and he and Lakeshia share a moment in the darkness.Their eyes being the only thing either one of them sees.Huge tears fill in her eyes and she runs off. The sound of Lakeshia running away and slamming t he door wakes Princess Peach up. "Ummm.......what happened?" Stone sits in complete disgust with himself. "Go back to sleep...." Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 6: The Glorious Gi fts Of The Gods Are Not To Be Cast Aside...... Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion. -Jim Rohn Day 2: 9:00 a.m.:Stones wakes up exhausted. Emotionally, anyway. After a particularly stra nge night, he is hit with the aroma of....sausage. Hillshire Farms, to be exact. He knows that because he bought it.He grabs a pair of his Navy sweats and heads o ut. In his kitchen, the back side of Princess Peach at the stove. She is preparing t he sizzling sausage in a hot skillet.Wearing nothing but his old Dominique Wilkins jersey.On the kitchen counter are two plates with scrambled cheese eggs, Pillsbur y croissants and grits with yellow strikes, indicating butter was on top.Two glass es of Orange juice are next to them.

Man.What a night.Lakeshia ain t my girl anymore but she still didn t have to see t hat. But it s her own fault. I didn t tell her to pop in on me like that. What t he hell was she was doin here anyways? Did she want to make up with a booty cal l? Did she want to talk? That s why I hate when people just come unannounced. Aw w hell!I ll talk to her later. Right now this sausage is callin me! I wasn t expe ctin breakfast but anytime a woman wants to cook for me, I ain t gonna stop the m. Stone walks up, quietly. He kisses the nape of her neck. She slightly shutters a nd giggles. "Good morning, Papi." "Morning." "You sleep good?" "Not as good as you." "I play hard. I sleep hard." "I see that." "I made some breakfast." "I noticed." "Sit down." "Cool by me." Stone walks over to his den and goes through his DVD collection. All the discs a re separated by genre. Action. Comedy. Drama. Horror. Like his own personal Bloc kbuster. He lingers in the Cartoons section. An impressive display of 90 s nosta lgia.Ducktales. Animaniacs. Tiny Toon Adventures.He finds what he looking for.X-Men the Animated Series.He breaks open the case and pops the DVD into the Playstation 3.Stone doesn t actually play PS3 games but got the system as a gift from a previo us case. The usual menu pops up and he controlsit using one of the analog sticks. Princess Peach comes over into the den. With a plate in onehand and juice in the o ther. Stone is surprised she is serving him like this. But she isn t . She sits down and starts eating. "You didn t bring mine",says Stone. "It s over there",she says, pointing to the kitchen counter. Goddamn modern feminists. If you hadn t give me some, yo ass would be out the d oor right now!

Stone grudgingly walks over to the counter to get his food. "Oh snap!", Peach screams. "This was my joint back in the day! You gotta let me bo rrow this!" "Bitch, please... ", Stone says, under his breath. Stone walks back to his Lay-Z-Day with his food.Stone says nothing and dives into his meal. Peach half-watches the cartoon but mainly inspects Stone s loft. She looks at his book collection and is almost astonished. "I can t believe you read all these books." "Yes, I have." Peach inspects Stone. Looking him up and down. "You don t seem the type." "Define" the type"." "I don t know......Brainy, I guess." "Yeah. I m one of those weird brothers that believes that knowledge is power. Th at s a word for people like that." "Dorky?" "I was gonna say " intelligent"." Stone goes quiet. More she talks, the less and less he likes her. "So....I saw your gun..." "Yeah. It s a great conversation starter." "You shoot at folks?" "When the situation calls for it." "You ever kill anybody?" "Yes, I have."

Peach gets quiet. Especially, because of how casual he says the statement. "How does it feel?" "How does what feel?" "To kill somebody." " You know, you sound like that cabbie chick fromPulp Fiction.But to answer your qu estion, ......it s not fun.......if that s what you re asking..." "But you do it anyway." "Him or me, sweetie. Him or me." "You ever kill any women or kids?" "No. I m not a monster." "Monsters kill people. You kill people." An obvious dig at him and hischosen profession. "Monsters are imaginary. I m a real person. Living real life. And in real life, it s not as simple as black and white." "You could do something else." "So could you." An obvious dig at her and her chosen profession. "Hey! I don t need to be judged by you!" "So you can judge me but I can t judge you? Real talk?" "You don t know me." "I know enough". "What do you know?" Stone hates to do this to her but she s asking for it. He goes into "Sherlock Ho lmes" mode on her.

 Peach can t barely hold back her tears. The accuracy of Stone s assessment is mo re pin-point than she wants to admit. "How did you know all that?" "Like you said . I read a lot of books." "Knowledge is power, right?" "Right." "Why did you do it?" "I don t like being pushed. By anyone." "Even women?" "Especiallywomen." Peach wipes the streaming tears away. Stone, as cold as he is, hates when a woma n is crying and can t continue eating. "Look", he says. "I m sorry. I m just very defensive of my job. I m good at what I do. And Ihate when people insult my intelligence or my work." "I m sorry too. I didn t mean to insult you. I was just.....I don t know.......f ascinated by you. I went a lil question-crazy. I do that sometimes." "I see.Look, I got a case I m workin on. I ll hit you up when I can, okay?" "Okay. Stone?" "Yeah?" "Good luck."

"Okay. Your chipped french tips tells me you re a nail biter.An impulse control di sorder classified with other specified behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in adolescence. You were sexually abused at some point. My guess is that he was a smart person and you loved him dearly, hence your fasc ination with my books.I would say childhood because your child-like excitement at my "X-Men" cartoon. Prolonged bouts of abuse usually stunt the emotional growth of the victims. The long healed Caesarean section on your stomach shows the abus e resulted in the birth of a child.The reason you do what you do.But the money wasn t good enough for a while. That s why you did the gig at DJ SkyNet s party.The sl ight scars under your nipples tells me you ve had augmentation surgery recently. That s why we haven t had any contact before last night. I did call you. You ju st didn t answer because you were making money with your new chest. You don t ju st want your job. You need it. To feel wanted. To be desired."

Stone and Peach share a smile as Peach gathers her things. 10: 15 a.m.:Stone tosses on some gym clothes. His old Jeff Davis "2 a Days" shirt, some sweats andsome New Balances.Stone doesn t usually wear underwear under his swe ats. He works out so hard that underwear causes him to chafe. He hates that. Plu s, chicks that don t know any better might think he has the clap or something. H e heads down a special door in his loft to a back staircase. Originally, the room Stone enters was a firehouse storage areas. Where they kept their hoses, old uniforms, etc. Now, It s a modern private gym, courtesy of Cha rles Decuir. Spacious (1600 square feet). Matted floors. Clean. Filled with topof-the-linestrength training and cardiovascular equipment. Avariety ofdumbbells,stab ility balls, Bosu trainers,medicine balls,steps,exercise bandsand kickboxing gear. AB ody shaped freestandingpunching Bag in the middle used as target practice by Stone . Stone starts off by the typical stretching exercises andcalisthenics to get warme d up. Jacking jacks. Squat. Calf-raises. Flutter kicks. Lunges.A product of his mi litary days.Then starts the workout. He hits a stereo he has down there and resume s a mix-CD of Hardcore gangsta rap.NWA.Eazy-E.50 Cent. Bone Thugs. Great to work out o. Stone, being a big UFC fan, trains like a UFC fighter. Using MMA techniques i n his training: Dumbbell Punch Walk Stone holds a light dumbbell in each hand and gets on all fours with his legs spr ead out wide behind him and his hips in the air.He rotates his torso to the right and raise his right hand up, as if hewas winding up to throw a punch. Nowhe bring hi s hand down as if he were throwing a punchbut does not throw it hardand plants it on the floor a little in front of him.He immediately winds up with the left hand , and repeats. That s one rep.He continues in this fashion, "walking" across the ro om on his hands for 10 reps, and then reverses the motion so that he walks backw ard for 10 reps. Single-Leg Dumbbell Rows Adumbbellin each hand , he balances himself on his left leg.He keeps his lower back in its natural arch, bends forward at the hips and knee and lower his torso unti l it s 45 degrees to the floor.He rows the left-hand dumbbell to his side, lowers it, and then rows the right-hand weight. 10 reps and then,he switches legs. T-Pushups He gets into a pushup position. He performs a pushup as normaland then rotatehis bo dy90 degrees, reaching toward the ceiling with his left arm. His body forms a T s hape.He reverses the motion to return to the starting position, and then repeats o n the other side. 10 Reps.

 Dumbbell Punching A dumbbellin each hand ,he gets into a fighting stance. He begins alternatingjabs and crosses , throwing each punch very lightly. Dumbbell Uppercut Standing in an athletic stance, he holds two dumbbells . He rotate your body to the left, pivoting on his left foot and throwing an uppercut with his right hand . Then uppercuts with the other hand. He finishes upwith a 45-minute session on his elliptical machine. Stone has had sh in splints since his Navy days and the elliptical is better for it. Stone hates running and only runs when he absolutely has to.Which is why when he chases down a bad guy, they catch him in a more pissed mood than normal.Sweat running. Pulse ra cing. Energy up. Stone feels ready for the world. 12:15 p.m.:Stone uses the shower to create an improvised sauna. The specially desi gned glass panels prevents mildew from forming. Stone steams his body and concen trates on his case. I love the effect a good steam has on the human body. It s like it melts away th e tensions. Only for my tensions to return when I leave. Apollo is burdened with delusions of grandeur. He thinks he s a god. And he s brainwashed others to thi nk they re gods. And everything is rolling up to something called " Apocalypse".Th e waiting is what kills me. RIIIING-RIIIING-RIINNG Speak of the devil..... Stone runs out of the shower, grabs a towel and runs into his bedroom. On the ni ghtstand is a pre-paid cell phone that Stonebought expressly for his charade as Od ysseus. Stone changes his voice to Odysseus "What up, mane?,"Stone answers. "The Gods have summoned you", says a deep unfamiliar voice."The Cobb Centre. 8:00

southern trawl.

p.m.Black Tie. Go to the ticket agent with any old ticket stub. The ticket will im mediately throw it away. When she does, you will respond, "The glorious gifts of the gods are not to be cast aside". The line hangs up. 8:00 p.m. :The Cobb Energy Centre. A premier venue for Broadway shows, ballet, conc erts, educational shows, family performances, opera, corporate meetings and even ts. The first major performing arts facility built in metro Atlanta in four deca des. Tonight s performance:Swan Lake.Tchaikovsky s finest, in many people s opinio ns. Stone, dressed as Odysseus, seats in a non-descript rentall car. The Hornet sticks out like a sore thumb in this crowd. Stiff upper class tight wads.Why a gro up of black criminals would want to meet here is beyond him. Stone is finishing up a celll convo with one Vicente Youngblood. "I got your message, Stone." "I m at the Cobb Centre. I got invited to the meet and greet tonight." "Will they all be there?" "I don t know." "What will they be discussing?" "I don t know." "Well, how will you gonna be in there?" "Again, I don t know. Look, I got some surveillance equipment on me. I should be able to ID most of them if they show." "Okay, I ll send you some back-up." "That would be appreciated." "And Stone...?" "Yeah?" "Good Luck..." "Yeah." Stone hangs up andOdysseus exits the car. The sight of Odysseusin a black tux amid t he largely white clientele is a bit strange. A lot of dirty looks and whispering . Odysseus is on a mission, right up to the ticket booth. The young white girl a t the booth ( blonde, maybe late teens/early twenties)is initially unnerved by the large black man in front of her.

"Can I help you?" Odysseus hands her an old Rave Motion picture ticket from 2002. "Friday After Ne xt"is half-printed on it. The ticket girl scoffs and leans to throw it in a nearby trash can.Odysseus leans in as well. "The Glorious Gifts Of The Gods Are Not To Be Cast Aside." The ticket girl stops. She looks around her booth to make sure her co-workers do n t see her. She reaches down andproduces a special ticket with the Macedonia Star , the same star on the Pantheon s pendants. She slides it to him. "Go to the Grand Tier." Odysseus goes insideand up the ticket taker. The ticket taker sees Odysseus s tick et and repeats what the ticket girl said: "Go to the Grand Tier." Odysseus complies. Through the luxurious lobby and up the stairs. The most distant seat in the Grand Tier is only 160feet from the stage. The best seats in the house. It s usually reserved for the best paying customers. Politic ians. Millionaires. Celebrities.Tonight, the seats are occupied by a group of youn g black people in tuxs and gowns. Pretending to be the upper crust of the societ y.The full assembly of the Pantheon. They watch the story of Odette, unfold onstag e. The tale ofa princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer s curse. Odysseus enters and is greeted by many of the same guards from Olympus. They are not hap py to see him. At All! They immediately swarm on him. "Guards!",barks their leader. They calm down. They part to reveal Apollo , dressed in an incredible Brioni tux . These tuxs start out at over $3,000.00 and can climb upwards of $10,000.00 for just one suit.His Pantheon pendant on proud display. "Odysseus.Welcome."

 Apollo gestures for Odysseus to enter.He is met by the rest of the Pantheon. Five other members. Various ages. All mid-twenties/ early thirties. All black. All dr essed in expensive suits and gowns.They re different but.....alike in a way that O dysseus can t touch on.They seated in a special circular seating made just for the m. The largest member rises. 6 2 . At least 240lbs.Dark-Skinned. With a Mandinka moha wk, not unlike Mr. T. The permanent snarl on his face says it all about him. Mea n. Bad-templed. Violent. "Who s this?" "This is Odysseus,"saysApollo. "Our newest mortal." "Mortals are not allowed in our meetings." "He is here as my personal guard." "But.." "Are you questioning me,Ares?" "No.....Apollo." Now Odysseus has a name to the face. Ares is still pissed, but humbled. "Watch. Learn. And Listen, Odysseus.Let us begin." Apollo has a seat and extends his hands. He also bows his head. The rest of the members join hands and follow suit. "Let us pray." They recite in unison: "We are the Light!We are the Way!The Children of The Sky!The Universe is Our Domain! here are None Higher! Humanity will bow! In the Name of Almighty Zeus!" They let go and start their business.

 "Report".says Apollo. Ares starts. His eye constantly on Odysseus. Odysseus hits a snapshot of Ares wi th his phone which he plans to do with each member. "Ares. God of War. Results of the turf war between Five Percent Nation and La Ra za. Both massively depleted on funds and members. 65 dead, both sides. Over 100 conversions to the Pantheon. All non-faithfuls: Killed by my hand." Next to Ares, is a face Odysseus recognizes.Matthew LaJoi, the movie star. Thisguy i s supposed to be the creme de la creme of young black Hollywood.Hit movies. Chisel ed features.Winning smile. Rock-hard body. He got just put movies for Tyler Perry and Spike Lee. All the women love this guy.But apparently , .....he s one of them.

"Dionysus. God Of Theatre, Wine and Ecstasy. Just completed construction of the New Pantheon Church in West Hollywood.Construction in New York andWashingtonis underw y. Several celebrities are secretly being given Pantheon auditingcourses. These c ourses regularly cost up to $1,000 per hour. Some have had in excess of $100,000 of services. Mass celebrity conversions imminent." Next to Dionysus, is a mocha-skinned brother with a huge Grizzly Adams-like bear d. The natural curliness of it suggests a hispanic lineage.His lapel shows a pin w ith a large golden trident. Large built, almost fat. "Poseidon.Lord of the seas. Transport of 6,300 pounds of heroin in the coastal wa ters north of the border, a sevenfold increase from the 906 pounds transported i n 2007. This fiscal year alone, 6,100 pounds have been found by the DEA.Value: Rou ghly 2 million dollars." Next to Poseidon is a beautiful woman. "Hip Hop video model" beautiful.Like an Est her Baxter/Melyssa Ford type. Ample cleavage. Slimtoned body. Gorgeous hazel eyes. She could have any man she wants with the snap of her finger. She even talks wi th a seductive tone, similar to Catwoman. "Aphrodite. Goddess of Love and Sexuality.It turns Governor Spengler has at least seven or eight liaisons withprostitutesfrom our agency over six months, andhas paid more than $15,000 for their services. Federal agents have him under surveillance twice in 2008.We believe Spengler paid up to $80,000 for prostitutes over a per iod of several years first while he wasattorney general, and later as governor.A tape has surfaced of one liaison with the Governor and an underage girl dressed as a hoodrat. He offered us $100,000 to stop the release. We received his paymen t today."

"Good",says Apollo."Release the tape anyway." "Done." The last member seems like the most unlikely.Dark-Skinned. Natural hair. Covered w ith beads and bracelets to signify her connection to the Earth. Very nubian. Theki nd of chick you would see at the Million Woman March. "Demeter. Goddess of the harvest.Glass house enclosure of marijuana plant growth. Growth acceleration increased by 27% in 2 months. Projected production: 10,000 p ounds. Value: roughly 3 million."

A porter bring in their dinner.Roasted Quail.The meal requires flambe .A cookingproc re in whichalcoholis added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. In this case,C ognac.It creates an impressive visual presentation at a dramatic point in the prep aration of a meal. "Good,"says Apollo. "Does Apocalypse proceed as planned?" "Yes, Lord Apollo."

"Good.OurBrother Hermes was taken from usby a ......detective. He will be severely pu ished for fracturing our family. Our Father Zeus will be proud of his children. His plan will come to fruition." Odysseus notices something.A tickling feeling on his face. Going lower on his face. Almost like......Odysseus s beard is coming off. Which it is, much to Stone s c hagrin. Ares looks at Odysseus and notices the falling beard. "What the hell? Who are you?" Well, this disguise part of this investigation is over.Time for the chase. Stone knocks over the flambe dish, which burst into flame on the Pantheon s din ner table.Stone runs like hell out of the Grand Tier. Stone rips off the rest of h is disguise as he bolts.The Guards follow him. The fire is quickly put out but the c ommotion it creates gains the Grand Tier some unwanted attention. The Pantheon l eaves out lastly. Stone makes his way to the large lobby, empty because the show is still going. S tone goes to leavebut the Pantheon descends just as he enters the lobby.They finally

come face to face with their enemy:the detective calledAtticus Stone.Stone shoots th em a little salute and runs out the door. "Odysseus, huh?",says Apollo. "Well, Atticus Stone, .........yourOdysseyhas just beg un." Stone runs out of the Centre and is greeted by a welcome sight.Monica Juarez, driv ing a 2011 Crown Vic. She pops open the passenger side door. "Get in!" "No prob!" Stone gets in. "Did you get anything good?" "Oh Yeah. Drive!" Monica peels off into the night. Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 7: A Blast From Th e Past "Memory feeds imagination." -Amy Tan Day 3: 1:30 am: To live like a king, one must flaunt his status a bit. Located in the h eart of Buckhead section seats a beautiful 2- story European style mansion.9+ acr es ,surrounded by lush landscapes. An additional stable building, fulled with bl ack Andravida horses.7Bedrooms .8Full and2Partial Bathrooms. A dream house in every s ense of the word. However, the money used to purchase this home makes it more of a house of ill reputes. Drug money acquired at the expense of thousands of addi cts and ruined lives. Good girls turned to prostitutes. Familymen turned to crac

kheads. All so that this mansion can furnish the tastes of the Pantheon s ruler. Anger. Rage. Fury. The feelings that dwell in the heart and mind of Apollo. The target of Apollo s fury: A clever detective named Atticus Stone. This man embarr assed Apollo. Put his judgment in doubt, perhaps for the first time in his life. The master bedroom he currently resides in is magnificent.As he seats a plush lea ther chair, the flickering light of the fireplace next to him illuminates his tr oubled face. He sips some aged Cognac from a jeweled goblet, not unlike the ones Don "Magic"Juan and Lil Jon used to rock. He s still in the tux he wore earlier in the evening. Slinking about in the King Size bed across from him is a sight t hat most men can t resist. Aphrodite, as beautiful as the goddess she is named f or. Dressed only in lace lingerie which hugs her shapely body. Apollo is so deep in thought that she might as well be a thousand miles away. "Come to bed, my liege",she says. "In time." She slowly removes the bra straps from her lace number and brings her big guns ( so to speak). Her pair of delicious looking 34DDs, brought forth to please her m aster.He barely notices. "Do I not please you?" "Be still yourself, woman. This man shamed me." "He was clever. He fooled us all." "No! He fooled me! And ME alone!" The last statement is followed an expression of his building rage. He throws the goblet into the fireplace. The spilled liquor causes the flames to briefly surg e. He stands in solitude, disgusted with himself. The outburst does not frighten Aphrodite in the least. She takes a silk sheet of f the bed to cover her breasts and walks over to Apollo. His back to her, she re aches around him. Caressing his chest and abs. "He is nothing, my liege." "He is dangerous. The longer he lives, the more my rule is in question. "Then.....destroy him and all that he stands for."

Apollo turns around and wraps his arms around her. The first sign of affection h e has displayed this evening. "Tonight......thetraitorshall die......this city shall fall.....and the detective will be no more." He kisses her with such intense passion. She moves and starts to nibble on his ea r. "I have a surprise for you", she whispers. Aphrodite gestures to the balcony door. "Enter!", she says in a slightly louder voice. In walks two scantily clad "servant girls". Beautiful chocolate skin. Soft featu res. They walk up and bow before Apollo and Aphrodite. "Rise", Aphrodite commands. They comply. Aphrodite looks to Apollo with a sense of satisfaction. "Service your king", she commands. The servant girls comply. They caressand kiss Apolloas they take off his clothes and lead him to the bed. Aphrodite looks on, as if she ssupervising. They lay in bed with Apollo . Kissing. Disrobing. A full-onMnage trois. "Stop!",Aphrodite barks out. The three in the bed look to her in confusion. Apollo, however, sees the lust in her eyes. She removes the silk sheet that covers her and moves in to join the p arty.

It s good to be the king. 7:00 am:Decuir Innovations is the site of yet another debriefing on this case.In the conference room, Stone, Juarez, Youngblood and Niles await the arrival of Charle s Decuir. Niles and Youngblood go over the info while Stone and Juarez shoot the breeze. Even though Juarez is dressed business casual, he can t help but notice her beauty. "I never thanked you for the pick up last night." "It s cool. You watch my ass, I ll watch yours." Stone takes a look at the round rump of Officer Juarez. "Will do", Stone says. Juarez catches Stone looking at her booty. He playfully smiles it off.She laughs a t his antics. Decuir finally arrives in as fashionable a manner as possible. Wearing a JoS. A. BANK Platinum 2-Button Suit, Decuir displays the trademark grace that Stone has grown accustomed to with his boss. The fear he spotted in his boss face the ot her day was a very unwelcome sight. "Sorry Im late, fellas." Niles is less than amused. "Charles, I m gonna ask, as your friend,could you be a little more considerate abo ut other people and their time, please?" "I m sorry but last time I checked , this ismybuilding. So I have this weird habit of kinda doing as I please." Stone busts out laughs out loud at the comment and gives his boss some " dap" .

"Good one, Bossman." Youngblood breaks up the bonding moment and gets down to business. "Okay fellas, let get started. Now as you know, The FBI has had some difficulty with this group for some time now. They re quite cagey, despite the fact they ar e mainly a local group. But now, thanks to the undercover efforts of Stone here, not only do we have definitive photos of the top members but their intentions a s well.The intel refers to a coming event called Apocalypse.We ran the photos in theI AFISdatabase and got hits on them all." Youngblood activates the projection scene and gets started with a picture of a y ounger version of Ares in a US Army uniform. "Staff Sergeant Aaron Fuller AKA Ares. Former US Army Special Forces. Trained in unconventional warfare. Special reconnaissance. Counter-terrorism. Weapons cert ified. Tank and helicopter pilot. Dishonorably discharged for his supposed invol vement in a "kill team" that took pleasure in torturing and murdering unarmed Af ghans.His whereabouts were unknown until now." Next is a picture of a young Aphrodite as a contestant in the Miss Teen USA page ant. "Just two months after being crowned Miss Teen USA, 23-year-oldLaura Summerholt A KA Aphrodite was detained along with her "homeboy" and six other contestants for racketeering, drug trafficking, weapons violations and money laundering after p olice caught the group carrying several 9-mm pistols, a couple of semiautomatic rifles and $70,000 in cash. Summerholt disappeared and was rumored to have becam e a high maintenance "black widow".Sleeping with older businessmen and politicians in exchange for money and favors, like expunging her criminal record." Next is a younger Poseidon, photographed on a US Naval freighter dressed in stan dard issue Navy coveralls. "BS3 Kelly Paco AKA Posiedon belonged to a Mexican drug ring that was dismantled by the DEA. When he was arrested, Paco was a staff member of the commanding adm iral at Naval Station San Diego.Paco s ring had direct ties to the Vasquez Brothe rs cartel in Tijuana, and records show the ring shipped up to 11 tons of cocaine between 1998 and 1999 from Southern California to other U.S. cities.An affidavit filed by a DEA agent said Paco rented dwellings for storing cocaine and transpo rted the drug. However, federal prosecutors said there is no evidence that Paco shipped cocaine through NAVSTA San Diego. Paco was convicted on smuggling charge s and is served a five-year prison sentence. He was recently released."

 Next is a Atlanta P.D. mug shot of a younger Demeter. "Stephanie Marrow AKA Demeter. Arrested in conjunction with a major indoor marij uana grow operation that resulted in the arrests of three people. Over 1,000 mar ijuana plants were seized in the bust at four locations in Haralson and Paulding counties. Officials said they executed a search warrant at a commercial buildin g in Haralson County. Once inside the warehouse, officers and agents discovered the remains of a major indoor grow operation. Agents seized several ounces of ma rijuana, along with other items used in the production of hydroponic marijuana.Po lice said the indoor grow operation utilized eight 500-gallon water containers, which cycled water to various rooms where marijuana was being grown. The entire operation was done hydroponically with no soil being involved. Sufficient eveide nce was laking in terms of Marrow s involvement and she was released." Youngblood stops the slideshow.Stone looks at him, confused. "Wait, what about Apollo and Dionysus? " "No criminal records. No juvenile records. Not even so much as a parking ticket. " "The Golden Children, huh?" "Exactly. So what we have here is a young group of career criminalsbanding togeth er to lay something big on the city of Atlanta." "But how are they connected?",Juarez asks. "What brought them together? They all s eem like completely different people." "There s something more",Stone adds."I noticed little things at the meeting. Their closeness. That strong sense of fraternity. Almost like...." A thought hits Stone. "Youngblood, could you bring something on your computer for me?" "What?",he asks. "Birth certificates", Stone responds. Youngblood complies. On the projection screen pops up scanned copies of the Pant heon s birth records.The group looks at the screen for something to stick out. "We know they are all children of the original Pantheon. All their mothers are i

n our database." "What about their fathers?,"asks Stone. Youngblood magnifies the names listed as Father on their birth certificates.Chief Niles looks puzzled. "These brothers had some strange names", he adds."Jupiter, Horus, Anu......" Stone s eyes get wide and he has a revelation. "Oh my god! For some silly negroes in the sixties, they areextremelyclever!" "What are you babbling about?", asks Niles. Stone gets up and points at the names on the screen. "Look at the names. Jupiter. Horus. Anu. Latobius. Shango. Denka. Depending on t he religion and region, these are all names for the Sky-Father!! The Ruler of th e Gods.......... Zeus." The group can t believe their eyes. "See? I knew they all looked alike to me. The connecting fiber for them is...... BLOOD!THEY ARE THE CHILDREN OF EMMANUEL "ZEUS" PERRY!!" The group is elated with the discovery. But Stone thinks harder and gets a very gross thought. "Oh! Ewww!",he says to himself. "What?",asks Juarez "You know how I said I noticed things at the meeting?Well.....one thing I noticed was Apollo and Aphrodite being a little lovey-dovey with each other at the table ..." Juarez starts to catch on.

 "Wait! ",she says. "You don t think they re..uh..." She patamines making a ring with one hand and puts the index finger of her other hand through it several times. Thenot-so-subtleofficial gesture for sex. "In mythology,ZeusandHerawere brother and sisterandhusband and wife. So....." Stone has no choice but to nod yes. "Oh, gross",responds Juarez. "Okay",interjects Niles. " Freak show aside, we still don t what this Apocalyse i s or how to stop it. Until we do, none of this matters." "Okay, folks",says Decuir." I need to pow wow with my man Stone here and we ll fig ure out a game plan." "If you say so, Charles",says Niles. Everyone gets up to leave, with only Stone and Decuir remaining. "Okay, so what s up, Bossman? " "We need to have a little talk ,son." "Is this about Lakeisha because I think I ve burned that bridge on my own...." "It s aboutApocalypse, son." Stone is shocked to hear this. "Wait, you know what Apocalypse is and you re just now tellin us?" "Stone,.....Apocalypse.....is only a theory. Just the anarchist dream of a madma n." "Well what is it?" Decuir sighs

 "In short.....it s thesystemic destabilization of the US government......" "What?!",Stone responds. "City to city.......controlling natural resources........ purposely inducing eco nomic meltdowns......control of the police ....He said he wanted to end democrac y because he saw it asflawed.....That the people should be gods and mortals under his rule.........Emmanuel and I were friends from back in the day. After Vietna m brought out, we were part of the leftist movement in Harlem." "Like the Panthers?",Stone asks. "Exactly. Taking a militant stance against government racism and oppression. Som e of our methods were.....outside the realm of the law.We were close. Close as bro thers. In fact, .......I was there when Zeus got attacked. " "No...." "I got him out of there, Stone.But after that night.....he changed. He became angr y and vengeful....He told what he had planned......All the death he wanted to ca use...... I had no choice.......I ......turned him in." Stone can t believe his ears. "You were the anonymous source....." Decuir nod yes. "Boss.......why haven t you told me this before?" "Stone...look around you. All this. Did you know how hard I worked to getto this l evel?Even if I wanted to tell the world of my past, this is a public company. I ha ve stockholders and their jobs to think about. Plus, that time in my life is.... ..still are a part of me. As much as I love what I ve accomplished, there are t imes I sit here and feel like......" "A sell-out....." "Yeah. Stone......if they were able to put this into practical fact.....I m gonn a need you to be on high alert at the firehouse. Tell Juarez and Youngblood to g o with you." "What about you, Bossman?" "What about me?" "Well after everything you just told me, don t you think they re gonna come gunn in for you? "

"It s possible." "It s possible? So......duh! Come with us." "No." "Why not?" "I m an old man, son. I ve survived this long without any help. I think I ll be just fine." "But...." "End ....of..... discussion.." Decuir gets up to leave. Stone can t believe it. 4:00 pm: Decuir sits at his large palatial desk.From it, he commands over 600 em ployees and even more nationwide. From it, he has sealed multi-million dollar de als and made/break careers. From it, he has a beautiful view of his city. He adm ires the sun hitting the buildings and the breeze he feels from his open balcony window. He s soaking in life in its purest form. If he knows it s for the last time. Decuir hits his phone. "Blaine?" "Yes, sir? ",Collins responds. "Can you have my car brought around? " "Yes ,sir." "And.....uh.....Blaine?" "Yes , sir?" "I just wanted to say I appreciate everything you do.." "Well....thank you, sir. You have a good night." "You too, Blaine." The line goes dead.Decuir continues to stare out of the window as ifhe doesn t want to leave.

5:00pm:Sunset. The parking garages in most businesses in the evening are considered creepy to some many people. Walking alone. Being startled at every strange nois e.Since the end of the workday for Decuir employees is 4pm, the complex is basical ly empty. Charles, however, gets the star treatment as he exits his express elev ator to find his limosine waiting for him. The chauffeur has the door already op en. Decuir simply steps off the elevator and steps into his car.The limousine sta rts to head out of the complex .No harm. No foul.Charles enjoys a glass of E &J in t he vehicle.... BAM!!! An armored vehicle hits the limo at top speed!! A perfect T-bone collision right into a concrete wall! The driver gets out.Ares. Dressed from head to toe in tac tical gear.He pulls out an Glock pistol and walks to the front of the car. He seen s the poor chauffeur, bloody and stuck in the driver s seat with one broken arm hanging out.Ares takes aim and puts the chauffeur out of his misery.Out of the drive r s side comes Apollo.Emmaculately dressed in a Ivory tonedSean John suit. "Ares!",he calls out. Ares walks over like an obedient dog. "Open it",he commands. Ares opens the back door of the limo and out flops the body of Charles Decuir. H e is badly bruised and cut from the glass inside the broken vehicle. His body is still. Lifeless. Ares steps over and press his boot on Charles s chest.Charles le ts out a very sharp inhale, followed by repetitive coughing. Apollo walks over a nd smiles. "Hello, Mr. Decuir........... I believe you knew our father...." Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 8: The Odyssey Beg ins..

But you, Achilles, theres not a man in the world more blest than you there never has been, never will be one. Time was, when you were alive, we Argives honored you as a god, and now down here, I see, you lord it over the dead in all your power. So grieve no more at dying, great Achilles. Odysseus to Achilles, Homer sThe Odyssey Day 3: 6:00 pm:The firehouse at553 West Whitehall Street might as well be the Pentagon wa r room at this point. Stone, Juarez and Youngblood have left their briefing at D ecuir for a pow wow at Stone s place. They are joined by Rosie and Lil Tank.Each one of them with their eyes on several news outlets through TV and the Internet. Atlanta is suddenly experiencing a crime wave not seen in recent history. -WSB TV 2 reports the theft of a tank from Fort McPherson.At dusk , An unidentifi ed man drove hisChevroletvan ontoFort McPhearson. Although the gate to the vehicle y ard was usually locked after 5:00 p.m.,employees at the armory were working late , and left the gate open. The vehicle yard was completely deserted. The man like ly used a crowbar to break open the tank hatches. The tanks did not require an i gnition key to start the engine, since they used a pushbutton. The first two tan ks he broke into would not start the man apparently lowered himself into the thi rd tank, a 57-tonM60 Patton.He was finally noticed by a Guardsman, who approached t he tank. The man was able to start the vehicle, and with little chance of stoppi ng him, the Guardsman rushed to a phone and called the police. A police chase en sues along I 85 even as they speak. The tank is demolishing everything in its pa th. -NBC 11 reports the seizure of theAtlantaDepartment of Watershed Management .Reporte dly, an unidentified maleleapt onto the service desk,brandishing a AR-15semi-automat ic rifleand claiming to have a bomb. He ordered nearby people into a conference r oom and has began to count hostages, as ordered, and began to have them line up facing the wall while the male described his plans. Police units have the buildi ng surrounded but no demands have been made at this point. -FOX 5 reports a massive "prank" pulled at both the Fulton County Sheriff s Depa rtment on Rice St. andseveral locations of the Atlanta Police Department.An aerosol psychoactive drug, possibly LSD or ecstasy based, was dispensed through the vent

ilation shafts. Large numbers of police officers are incapacitatedwith reported sy stems including sensory distortion, hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and slur red speech. Emergency paramedic stations have been established to treat the down officers, ranging in the hundreds . Stone and his crew watch the newsin horror at the convenience and timing of this c rime wave. Especially seeing as how the Apocalypse will supposedly commence soon . War is said to be man s oldest pasttime. World War II. Korea. Vietnam. The Persi an Gulf. I personally spent time over in Fallujah and Kuwait. I ve always said t he dumbest question you can ask a war vet is how was it? . It s not exactly lik e to Disneyland and Ihave a few lasting wounds to show that. My life serving Uncle Sam isn t that different from the life I lead now. You are trained for a job in defense of the people and you are duty bound to protect and defend them.In this c ase, preventing a man-made catastrophe whose nature is vague at best. The destab ilization of the US. City to city. And this sudden influx of crime in the city. A bit of a daunting task for a simple black private dick. Butwhat can I say? I lik e a challenge. Youngblood is on the horn with some friends in higher places. Namely the DEA. He hangs up. "A missing tank. Taking hostages at the Department of water. Cops and sheriffs do ped up with goofy gas", he says."No motive. No pattern. No demands." "It s the damnedest thing", says Juarez. "We all know this is headed towards som ething big. But what?" Rosie looks over to Stone, seated in his Lay-Z-Boy, football in hand. In full th ink mode. Almost dead to the world. "Any thoughts, Stone?" "Nothing that makes sense", he responds."How do you take down a country city by c ity? And what do these random ass crimes have to do with it ? I....just dont kn ow." "Uh.... folks?..."says Tank."I think this might have something do with it."

 Everyone turns their attention to the TV screen.CBS News Atlanta is receiving a l ive feed from the office of the Mayor of Atlanta. He seems to be tense andbit nerv ous as if he doesnt want to be on the air. He begins his address: "Good evening,. After days of arduous and, at times, heated discussion with the Governor and City Council on an operating budget, I have no chance be to impleme nt a citywide shutdowneffective immediately.TheCouncil unanimously failed to pass a $15.8 million general-fund budget Wednesday, a day in which the state deadline t hat requires local governments to have a permanent, balanced budget in place. Ha ving not done so, the city would have lost authority to spend money, including p aying employees.All businesses will be closed.A curfew will be instituted as of 7p m this evening. During which deliberation will take place myself, the City Counc iland the Governor to solve this crisis. We would appreciate your patience in this matter and we apologize for the inconvenience. Good night. God Bless." The group is in shock from what they have just heard. "Now a citywide shutdown?",says Juarez. "It s a fake",says Youngblood."I happen to know for a fact the Council unanimously p assed that general-fund budget Tuesday, a dayaheadof the state deadline." "Then why would he put the city into a frenzy like this?",asks Rosie. "Because he was told to...",says Stone." Themayoris a voting member of the council wh o serves aschairman. He has vetopower over city council legislation." "So this is coming from higher above than him?", asks Tank. "The Governor!",screams Stone. "At the Pantheon s little meeting at the opera, th ey mentioned that they had a sex tape of the Governor and some young chick. Mayb e they re collecting on that piece of info." "Blackmail", says Youngblood. "Exactly", Stone responds. "But why this shutdown?", Juarez asks. "Maybe to cause a panic", Stone says as he contunues. "Okay. This is getting to be too much for me, honey",says Rosie "I need a drink." She walks over to Stone s cabinet and gets herself a water glass.She goes to turn on the faucet. Nothing. She tries a few more times. Still nothing. "Hey, Stone. You forget to pay the water bill?",She asks/

"What?", he asks. Rosie starts to repeat herself. "I said, did you forget.." "Wait!",He screams. Stone s mind starts to piece it together. "Control of natural resources",Stone says."They re actually trying to pull off a re al life fire sale ." "A what?", asks Juarez. "Did you see Die Hard 4 ?", asks Stone. "Yeah, great movie!", says Tank, with almost child like enthusiasm. "Well, in that movie, John McClane has to stopthe terroristsfrom mounting a "fire s ale" (where "everything must go") attack, exploiting the vulnerability of the na tion s computer-controlled infrastructure through computer hacking. I think the Apocalypse is basically a fire sale done thehard, practical way.Now let s break dow n what we know so far. Bossman told me the Apocalypse included controlling natur al resources, inducingan economic meltdown,and control of the police." "They have control of the city s water", says Youngblood."And the god Poseidon con trols the water." Stone continues. "Right. The police were taken out with an LSD aerosol.LSD isusuall y produced in crystalline form and then mixed or redissolved for production in i ngestible forms.Liquid solution is either distributed in small vials or, more com monly, sprayed onto or soaked into a distribution medium like tablets. It would take an expert inpsychoactive drugs to do such a thing." "Demeter", says Juarez."THC and all things like it are right up her alley." "The city wide shutdown was caused by the Governor, possibly because of this sex tape scandal and Aphrodite was the one in charge of that." Rosie asks, "But what about the tank?" Stone thinks for a minute and then it hits him.

"Ares! What better instrument for the god of war? I m guessing he has the "econo mic breakdown" part." "But what would cause an economic breakdown like you re suggesting?",asks Rosie. Stone thinks some more on the subject. "Banks. Or more specifically, the failure of banks would cause an economic break down.The failure of a bank is generally considered to be of more importance than the failure of other types of business firms because of the interconnectedness of banking institutions.Deposits in savings and checking accounts are backed by t heFDIC. Each account owner is insured up to $250,000 in the event of a bank failu re.When a bank fails, the FDIC acts as thereceiverof the failed bank, taking control of the bank s assets and deciding how to settle its debts.No advance notice is g iven to the public when a bank fails." "Right", continues Youngblood. Like the 2008 failure ofWashington Mutual . the FD IC was able to broker a deal in whichJP Morgan Chasebought the assets of Washingto n Mutual for $1.9 billion. Existing customers were immediately turned into JP Mo rgan Chase customers, without disruption in their ability to use theirATMcards or do banking at branches. Such policies are designed to discouragebank runsthat migh t cause economic damage on a wider scale. Stone cuts back."Now a city wide shut down would make downtown easy pickings, rig ht? And what s downtown?" "Banks!",says Juarez. "The main banking branches in the city. Bank Of America. Wac hovia. SunTrust.Government payroll offices." "And the biggest bank in the city", says Youngblood. "The Federal Reserve of Atl anta." "With that tank....,"says Rosie.".....he could destroy them all." "Hold up", asks Tank. "Wouldn t all the people s info be , like, on the computer or something?" "True but the damage done with a tank could take several days...maybe weeksto repa ir.", says Stone. "Imagine all those people without water or money."

"Riots", saysJuarez. "High strung emotions..... Looting......" "A disaster", says Rosie. "And then moving to the next city to start it all over again", says Stone. CNN hits them with another blow. A reporter appears on screen to announce breaki ng news. "Breaking news from the desk in Atlanta,Charles Decuir, CEO of Decuir Innovations, has been kidnapped. The scene occurred around 5 p.m. Eastern time. Decuir, know n throughout the business world for his lavish and cavalier lifestyle, has a rep utation for being one of the most well-received figures in U.S. history. It seem s he was abducted from his building s parking garage and his private limousinewas destroyed in the melee. His chaffuer appears to have been killed by a single gun shot to the forehead. No trace of Mr. Decuir s body was found. No ransom demands have been made at this time. CNN will keep you informed of all developments." A collective chill goes over the room.Stone, however, wastes no time at all. "Dammit, Bossman. Why didn t you just listen?" He heads to his closet and gets out his familiar black bag filled with his typic al battle gear. "What are you gonna do?",asks Youngblood. "Get him back." "By yourself?That s suicide." "I owe everything I have to that cat. I m goin ! " "Not without me." "Listen! This ain t your fight. Stay out of it ." "What about Apocalypse?" "Call your boys. Have them handle it." "They won t get here in time." "What do you suggest ?"

"Well, we have five people here.....five members of the Pantheon....." Stone is a loner by nature. He looks at the eager faces of his comrades. They wa nt to help stop this disaster. Teams aren t usually his cup of tea, so to speak. But in this case, it might be a necessity. "Okay",says Stone. "We do this my way. We re gonna do this in teams.Youngblood, you have Poseidon.Juarez, you and Rosie have Aphrodite. Tank, you have Demeter. Ares is mine!" The team starts to get ready. Youngblood calls in some favors and briefs the res t of the team on their objectives. Stone cocks "Sweets" and starts to make his o wn transformation. 8:00 pm:Outside the firehouse, the team starts to roll. Rosie and Juarez take off in her police issue2011 Lincoln Town Car. Tank hits the road in his all grey Decu ir Innovations semi truck, minus the trailer. Youngblood gets in his Cadillac CT S Luxury Sedan and heads to his destination. Stone is inside the firehouse a little longer. He is fully dressed in his battle gear: Black doo-rag. Black wife-beater. Black fatigue pants. Black boots. BlackHawk S.T.R.I.K.E. Cutaway Tactical Armor Vest. PELTOR Maxim 2x2 Tactical Air Seal Ballistic Eyewear. Hatch NS430 Specialist Shooting Gloves

Tonight he brings along something a little special. He walks over his bookcase a nd slips it over slightly. Behind it is a ISentry wall safe. . After a few turns of the combination lock and he finds the object of his desire. AHeckler & Koch U MP 45submachine gun with a silencer.650 rounds per minute.25-round detachable boxmaga ines. The kind of forces that use this weapon include The Royal Thai Seals, the Mexica n Marines, and the Latvian Army. It s definitely something you don t see the ave rage private dick with, but this particular job warrants the extra firepower.Stone gets his weapon ready and slings it on his shoulder. He still puts "Sweets" ina h olster in the small of his back " just in case".

Stone looks over to the firepole in his house and figures what the hell. He slid es down to his garage where the Hornet is waiting.He hits a special keyless igniti on switch on his keychain. The Hornet roars to life.Stone gets inside and hit hisPi oneer DEH 3200UBRadio/ CD / MP3 player .He puts in his Ipod and hits theRapmenu. He s rolls and finds"2pac s Greatest Hits" .He hits track 5." Hail Mary".Stone presses the garage door opener and he streaks off with Pac s lyrics in his head to take o n the God of War: I ain t a killer but don t push me Revenge is like the sweetest joy next to getting pussy Picture paragraphs unloaded, wise words being quoted Peeped the weakness in the rap game and sewed it Bow down, pray to God hoping that he s listening Seeing niggas coming for me, to my diamonds, when they glistening Now pay attention, rest in peace father I m a ghost in these killing fields Hail Mary catch me if I go, let s go deep inside the solitary mind of a madman who screams in the dark Evil lurks, enemies, see me flee Activate my hate, let it break, to the flame Set trip, empty out my clip, never stop to aim Some say the game is all corrupted, fucked in this shit Stuck, niggas is lucky if we bust out this shit, plus mama told me never stop until I bust a nut Fuck the world if they can t adjust It s just as well, Hail Mary "Hail Mary......"Stone says to himself. Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 9: Apocalypse

 "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armagedd on." -Revelation 16:16 King James Version Day 3: 8:15pm:Charles Decuir. Businessman. Patriot. Innovator. Head of Decuir Innovations and its subsidiaries, includingthe Hamasaki Corporation, Smith Aviation and, mos t recently, Psionics Inc.In 1991, Decuir Innovations became the first black-contr olled company listed on theNew York Stock Exchange.In 2006, Decuir became the newe st African Americanbillionaire and the one of the few black people to be listed o n any of Forbes world s rich list, after Oprah Winfrey, Robert L. Johnson and Sh eila Johnson. Charles now has a new title:Hostage. Charles is now seated in a cha ir across the large oak desk of Apollo in the study of his palatial Pantheon-fun ded mansion. His wrists bound by hard plastic zip ties. On either side of him ar e two of Apollo s "mortals", with pistols trained on Decuir. The injuries he inc urred during his abduction have yet to be properly examined so he is in severe p ain. Currently, like the rest of the country, Apollo is transfixed on the news. Admiring his handiwork is the most obvious reason. Reports of riots and looting breaking out after the city wide shutdown was put in effect. A city in panic. Hi s father s enemy under his control. "Look at them. Scared. Lost. In need of true guidance.Are you comfortable, Mr. De cuir?" "I m more comfortable in my own home." "I m sure you would. But that s not going to happen. I have plans for you." "What plans? Bore me to death?" Apollo chuckles at the comments "You are exactly as my mother described you. She toldme she was onceyours...." The memory hits Charles at that moment. "But my father appealed to her more. He gave her purpose. Satisfaction, both phy sically and mentally. Something you could never do."

"You telling me your mother discussed her sex life with you." "There are no secrets in our family." "That s disgusting." "We are often misunderstood by lesser beings.I suggest you get accustomed to it as it is the way of the future of this country." "You seriously think this ridiculous Apocalypse thing is going to work?" "An apocalypseis a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception. The veilto be lifted.This term h as come to mean, in its most common usage,theend of the world. Afinal confrontation whereby the wicked are judged, the righteous are rewarded and the beginning of Eternity is viewed.The simple pictures of the end of the age in the books of theO ld Testamentwere images of the judgment of the wicked, as well as the resurrectio n and glorification of those who were givenrighteousnessbefore God." "You kids have no right to pass judgment on anyone. Neither did Emmanuel." Hearing his father s name from the mouth of Decuir causes Apollo to finally face him. "You have no right to call my father by his us. As I am Apollo." "You are nuts." "Many have been persecuted for their beliefs. But in the end they changed the wo rld. Mao Zedong. Adolf Hitler. Josef Stalin." "Murderers." "Geniuses. They saw weakness in society anddid something about it. As did my fathe r. I am simply carrying out his plan." "You re forgetting one thing". "Which is?" "Stone." "Ah yes. Your puppet. . Besides, tonight is e still have a backup r. After which I will "For what?" "For taking our father from us. Justice will be served." "You know Stone s gonna kick your teeth in, right?" I strongly doubthe could stand a chance against The Pantheon merely a trial run. If we fail, which I do not foresee , w plan. Youwill watch your beloved city itself apart in despai have you promptly executed." slave name . My father s name is Ze

Apollo ignores the comment and turns back around. 8:45 pm:Hostage situations can vary greatly based on the motivations of the hostage -taker and the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, there are some basi c facts that apply to all hostage situations. The hostage-taker wants to obtain something. This can be as simple as money, per sonal safety or safe passage to another country, or it can involve complicated p olitical goals. The target of the hostage-taker is not the hostage; it is some third party (a pe rson, a company or a government) that can provide whatever it is the hostage-tak er wants. The hostages are bargaining chips. They may have symbolic value , but the hostag es themselves could be anyone. 55 Trinity AvenueSuite 5400 is the site of tonight s lesson in hostage negotiatio n, courtesy of the Pantheon. The outer perimeter is littered with police cars. Y oungblood arrives on the scene. He quickly flashes his credituals andis briefed by Officer Dale Henderson, a 10 year veteran and the senior officer on site "No demands. No ransom. No casualties so far. He simply had them turn off the ci ty s water and now he s waiting for something." "Like what?" "A sign from the gods",he said. "Do you have a blueprint of the building, in particular the ventilation system?" "No but we have it whipped up in maybe less than a half hour. Why?" "I m gonna give him a sign." 9:10 pm:Hostage situations move through several distinct phases: Initial Phase - This phase is violent and brief and lasts as long as it takes for the hostage-t akers to make their assault and subdue the hostages. The end of this phase is of ten marked by the presentation of the hostage-takers demands. Negotiation Phase - At this point, law-enforcement officials are on the scene, and the demands have probably been received. This phase can last hours, days or months and could als o be referred to as "the standoff phase." Physically, nothing about the situatio n changes greatly. The hostages and the hostage-takers stay in the same place. H owever, a lot is happening during this phase in terms of the relationships devel oping between everyone involved. The negotiator s job boils down to manipulating those relationships in a way that results in a peaceful ending. Termination Phase - This is the brief, sometimes violent final phase. This phase has one of three r

esults: The hostage-takers surrender peacefully and are arrested. Police assault the hostage-takers and kill or arrest them. The hostage-takers demands are granted, and they escape. The fate of the hostages does not necessarily depend on what happens during the termination phase. Even if the hostage-takers give up, they may have killed host ages during the negotiations. Often, hostages are killed either accidentally by police or intentionally by their captors during an assault. There have even been cases in which the hostage-takers were granted their demands, but they killed a hostage anyway. The small group of staff members are all scared of the man in f ront of them. Poseidon.His weapon of choice: AnAR-15semi-automatic rifle.One woman( dle-aged, black, a 5 year vet) breaks her silence. "Why the hell are you doing this?" "You will thank me later. When our people took control..." "What people?All we ve heard is you. Ranting and raving for the last few hours. I think you re bluffing." Poseidon racks back the bolt of the AR-15 and places the nozzle directly at her temple. The bravado she just displayed automatically washes away. "Do you have children?" "Ye---Yes......A.....boy and a......girl." "What are your hopes for them?That they get married? Get cushy jobs? Fall into the same mundane existence that you yourself are trapped in? My people offer the pa th to greatness. To escape the cycle of normalcy that has plagued the minds of m ost for centuries. The American Dream is a joke and I can help you see that." "I......love the life I live......and I wouldn t change a damn thang about it!" "I m sorry to hear that". Poseidon is about to pull the trigger. The woman looks at him with a puzzled exp ression. Poseidon spots what gave this look: a red dot on his chest. A laser sig hting. Coming from the vents on the ceiling. POP! Poseidon takes a hit to the chest!

POP! Poseidon take another hit! He thens falls over dead. The vent screen is kicked o ut from the inside and out crawls Youngblood. A fed-issued.45 with a silencer in his hand. He picks up the radio on his waist. "Area secured." Youngblood proceeds to untie the hostages. 9:30 pm:398 Centennial Olympic Park Drive is usually a hot bed of activity. As it s hould be, being a police department and all.Crime never sleeps, as they say. Aggr avated Assault . Auto Theft . Drug Arrests. Homicide. Larceny. Crimes that affec t the community and those around them. Today, Justice is a bit drowsy. Thanks to the current inhabitant of said station.Twirling around in the seat of the police chief, smoking a phat blunt.Surrounded by more of her "mortals", armed with guns. Demeter. In all her glory. She took out several police stations in a single blow . Of course, that s grounds for feeling good about yourself. HONK-HONK!! HONK-HONK!! What the hell? she says as she gets up. A mortal hands her Glock pistol and they head to the front entrance. The blinding lights of a semi truck take them by su rprise. A Decuir semi truck, driven by Lil Tank. "Who are you?,"screams Demeter. No answer. "Did the pigs send you?" No answer. "To try and stop us is futile. We will win.....and you can t do a damn thing abo ut it!"

 She shoots at the lights. The truck s engine starts to rev up . She shoots again. It revs some more. Finally, the semi takes off! Headed straight for them. Demeter shot all their ro unds at the oncoming vehicle. Nothing is stopping it. They all duck inside to av oid getting hit. BAM! The semi crashes right into the entrance and, ultimately, into the lobby!Lil Tan k steps out of the semi with a pump-action shotgun. He goes through the wrecked department. Both the mortals are dead.He finds Demeter under a downed support beam . She still tries to reach for the Glock pistol. Tank step on the pistol, pointi ng his shotgun at her "I can t let cha do that, shawty..." 9:45pm:TheGovernor s Mansion.The official home of thegovernor ofthe stateofGeorgia. ansionis located at 391 WestPaces FerryRoad In the affluentBuckheaddistrict ofAtlanta .18 acresa three-level, 30-room,Greek Revivalstyle hom. Built in 1967.Juarez and Rosi e sneaks onto the property, hoping to somehow change the Governor s mind. "You think he s home?",asks Rosie. "You want to be seen after shutting down a major city?" "Is his wife here?" "I would think so." "You think she knows about the tape?"

"We ll see." Juarez picks the lock of the back door and they enter. All of the rooms on the first floor are used for official entertaining. The seco nd floor contains the governor s private living quarters. All of the furnishings in the house are considered to be museum quality. Made up one of the finest Fed eral Period collections in the United States. "It s so...empty",says Juarez. "You kidding me? You see all this old stuff?" "No. I mean the staff. Nobody s here. Not even the security." "Yeah.....that is weird." "Wait...do you hear that?" The sound of orgasmic moaning is faintly heard from upstairs. Juarez and Rosie a scend the stair. The moaning get louder as they get closer to the Governor s quarters. So loud th at they tell its only male noise. Accompanied by awhishing and cracking sound in i ntervals. Juarez pulls out her pistol and cocks it. She kicks open the door! "Freeze!"

It s like a scene from a really wacked out porno. The Governor, bound by the wri stswith leather bracelets in a standing position. Completely naked with lash marks on his ass.On the Tv is some footage of the " Giant Greased-up Black Booty" kin d.Next to him is Aphrodite in a full leather catsuit, with an all-blackbullwhip com posed of a braided thong between three and 20 feet long. Apparently, they interr rupted anerotic spankingsession.the act ofspankinganother person for thesexual arousa r gratification of either or both parties. Activities range from a spontaneous s mack on bare buttocks during a sexual activity to occasionalsexual roleplay. "Oh.......my.......GOD!!",say Rosie. "Unless you two going to join us, I suggest you leave",Aphrodite responds. "Not until he lifts this shutdown",states Juarez. "I swear I didn t bring them, mistress",says the Governo.

"Shut up, worm!",Aphrodite screams. He complys. He s obviously her complete slave. CRACK! Aphrodite pops the whip and knocks the gun out of Juarez s hand. Pain shoots thr ough Juarez s hand. "This isn t just for fun, honey! I m a surgeon with this thing." "So I see." "Now.....leave us.....before I whip you within an itch of your life." "This ain t slavery times!" "Tell that to him.The Pantheon rules here! This is your last warning." Juarez steps follow. Aphrodite cracks the whip at Juarez again. Juarez grabs a n earby broom to block. The whip wraps around the broom. Juarez yanks the whip out of her hand. "Let s go, bitch! Woman to woman!" Juarez and Aphrodite knuckle up and go toe to toe. Rosie, in the meantime, runs over to untie the Governor. " So this is where what my tax dollars go to, huh?Ol freaky ass....." Aphrodite has both a height and reach advantage on Juarez. However, Monica is fr om the streets. She fights to win. Monica uppercuts Aphrodite and knocks her out . Juarez and Rosie seat side by sidewith the Governor, covered in a bed sheet. Ros ie hand him her cell phone. "Make the call."

He s too ashamed to look at them directly but he starts to dial. "And....uh....make sure you wipe that off before you give it back. I don t know what y all been doin in here..." Juarez laughs.

10:15:TheM60 Patton. 31-foot-long.57.3 tons.A first-generationmain battle tank introd ced in December 1960. It was widely used by the U.S. and its Cold War allies, es pecially those inNATO .The M60 traces its roots to the lateWWII-eraM26 Pershingheavy tank from which the M48 was developed.It saw action with Israel during the 1973Yom Kippur Warin both the Sinai and the Golan Heights.The1982 Lebanon War.Operation Des ert Stormin 1991. Why is this important?Because there is one going throughSoNoright n ow. Though deserted, the streets are not the appropriate venue for this vehicle. Its target: Bank Of America Plaza.The Plaza s imposing presence is heightened b y the dark color of its exterior. BOOM!! One shell from the 105mm M68gun complete destroys the lobby. BOOM!!! Another does severe damage to the first two floors which contain the computer ba nks. Hundreds of thousands of gigs of data. Gone in a flash. The M60 moves over to the SunTrust Plaza. Headquarters of Atlanta s World Trade Center. BOOM! Another building undone. The tank continues to go on its rampage,leaving a trail of crushed cars.Knocking down fire hydrants, which sent giant fountains spouting skywards. The tank mows down electricity pylons, leavingmore than 5,000 residents without power.Inside the tank sits Ares, sitting in full superiority.Through the ta rgeting system. he spots another strange sight beyond himself. A Dodge Challenge r coming straight for him!Out of the driver s window comes a big arm andAHeckler & K och submachine gun .

 RAT-TAT-TAT Of course, thehomogeneous steel armor hullof the M60 can withstand the round with n o effect. The Challenger makes a complete 360 and goes another pass. This time, the tank follows the Challenger. Firing from the tank gun and missing several ti mes. Then.....nothing.... Ares continues to search.He spots the Challenger sitting by its lonesome on the de serted streets. Ares takes aim. What he doesn t see is Stone on the hull. Stuffi ng a brick into the barrel of the tank gun. Ares fires. The brick is successful in stopping the blast. Out comes Ares from the smoke filled cockpit. Face to fac e with Stone.These two grizzled war vets go at each other toe and nail. Stone land s some body shots while Ares lands forearm shots on Stone s neck . Stone counter s with a few head jabs and a massive right hook.Ares delivers a kick to Stone s gu t and face. The face shit knocks Stone on his back.Ares prounces on top of Stone, trying to slam Stone s head against the treads. "You would ve made a fine soldier, Stone. But you re no god of war." "Neither are you." Stone delivers a kick to the groin that cause Ares to lose his balance. Ares fol lows along the treads and ultimately goes under. Ran over by the very tank he us ed to terrorize a city. A police barricade formsa few blocks away. Juarez, Lil Tank, Rosie and Youngblood have all made it to the scene. Around the corner comes the M60. All the officer s immediately load and aim at the upcoming tank. The tank s speed is quite slow. Almost foreboding. The tank stops. The escape hatch opens. Out comes Stone, smo king a victory Swisher blunt cigar. "What s up, fellas? What take y all so long?" Everyone has a good laugh. Delusions Of Grandeur: An Atticus Stone Novel.........Chapter 10: Godhood s End

 "A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." -Joseph Conrad,Under Western Eyes Day 4: 4:00 am:A police blockade stops a gang of reporters from contaminating the scene of Ares rampage. The massive M60 Patton tank that caused the night s destruction now lays silent and inert. Its treads stained with the blood of the man known a s Ares. Pulverized by the same weapon he used to destroy a good portion of the c ity. Stone and his crew are now assembled inside a police trailer that s acting as a makeshift headquarters. Working as a private investigator is interesting. Exciting. Intriguing. Even wit h todays s economy, there is no downturn for PIs. The escalation in crimes, fraud , and identity theft means a high demand in the job market.You canbecome a specialis t ( like myself)and focuson areas like criminal defense. Product liability. Accident reconstruction. Today, me and my friends helped saved the city and put away som e really rotten people. Pretty awesome, right?But still , my boss was missing. I h ave no clue where he is but I have a pretty good idea who took him. Chief Niles arrives to debrief Stone and the gang. " Another bang-up job Stone,"says Niles. " I aims to please. Plus, I had a lil The crew smiles at the statement. " So I see. I m gonna need to speak with you alone, please." Stone nods to the crew. They comply. " Well, both Demeter and Aphrodite are in custody. Poseidon s in a bodybag and t here ain t enough of Aresleft to spread on a sandwich. "

help this time."

" That s a nice visual. What about Apollo and Dionysus?" " Matthew LaJoi is currently on the set of his new film in L.A. There are no ind ications any involvement on his part. We can t charge him with anything. " " And Apollo." " As far as most data goes, there practically is no Brandon Sherman or Apollo or whatever the hell he s calling himself.No fingerprints on file. No residences in his name. No registration. Not even a W-2. " Ring-ring-ring Stone s Iphone lights up. He looks and sees the number is unlisted. At this time of night, that doesnt happen often. Stone picks up. " This better be important." " I should say it is." Apollo s voice sounds happy in his work, despite Stone s intervention. Stone fra ntically gestures to the cops in the van that it s Apollo. They immediately man their tracing equipment to locate the call. " You sound chipper." " I am. My experiment was a success in my eye." " Experiment? You mean tonight was a test?" " Yes." " So what about your peoples that didn t make it?" " Their souls were born ready to die. The ones you captured know the reward that awaits them. Their obedience is eternal." " So you have everything handled, huh?" " Stone, tell your friends they don t have to bother tracing this call. I m gonn a tell you where I am." " Why?" " There is an odyssey you must undertake. To rescue your king. You made a fool o f me, Stone.Your life must extinguished. You can find me atManor Olympus. Come alon e. If I hear a single police siren coming with you,.......Decuir dies..."

Click! " Dammit, "says Niles. " That police thing is a crock. He ll kill Charles, regardless of if you came wi th me or not. He wants me alone.A clash of titans, so to speak." " Got it", says a technician on the computer. " Manor Olympus. Located at981 Davis Drive. Buckhead. A mansion registered to Mid as LLC." " As in King Midas, "says Stone. "Well I guess everything that glittersisn tgold."

6:00 am:Buckheadis theuptowndistrictofAtlanta.An urbanized core alongPeachtree Ro ead s suburban neighborhoods feature large single-family homes situated among de nse forests and rolling hills.Buckhead roughly covers the interior of the "V" for med byI-85and I-75. The ninth-wealthiestzip code in the nation. The average househol d income is in excess of $300,000 per year. The location of the wealthiest of At lanta s elite.The drive to Buckhead takes about an hour normally. The Hornet cuts that down to 30 minutes. Stone has time to recollect. The view of the beautiful houses made Stone almost want to throw up. Lifestyles of the rich and famous.The upper crust. A fair cry from my own humble b eginnings in Gumptown USA. Better known as Montgomery, Alabama. Mobbing about sp ots like Woodley Park and Regency park ain t exactly the lap of luxury. Still, p eople worked hard to get there. So did the people here in Buckhead. What makes t hem different from us? ,Education? Status? Work ethic? Money. The root of all evil , as some would say. It would obvious that money can be anything in the country. Even the disguise of class.Otherwise, Apollo would not be holed up here. The Hornet comes to a stop outside Manor Olympus.Stone gets himself ready. It s li ke a flashback to his time situated with the Infantry Marines of Combat Logistic s Battalion 5 in Ramadi and Fallujah. As a corpsman, Stone was not initially tra ined in such matter, but in order to survive, it was a neccesity to learn. Plus, those skills have come in quite handy because of his chosen career as a man of action.Stone gathers the UMP and Sweets and climbs the wall into Apollo s residenc e.What Stone is on aware is theHawking HomeRemote Wireless Motion Detector he just tripped. His presence is now known to the head of the house. Apollo watches Stone s movement on the estate on the HD flatscreens in his study .LorexWireless Outdoor Surveillance Cameras are posted all around the house. Apollo has a front row seat, while Charles Decuir remains bound. The sight of Stone on the screen gives Decuir hope for his rescue.Apollo picks up a walkie-talkie. "Send the dogs."

 Maneuvers consume much of an infantry unit s time. Infantry, like all combat uni ts, are often maneuvered to meet battlefield needs, and often must do so under e nemy attack. The infantry must maintain their cohesion and readiness during the move to ensure their usefulness when they reach their objective. Traditionally, infantry have relied on their own legs for mobility, but mechanised or armoured infantry often uses trucks and armored vehicles for transport, leaving the light infantry to jobs which they cannot access.The quicker you can run the operation al cycle of a raid, the better your odds of actually having the target still the re. WOOF WOOF WOOF A pack of Doberman pinchers headed for Stone disrupt the plans briefly.Stone runs like hell to evade the blood thirsty mutts. The escape, however, leaves him vuln erable to machine fire, courtesy of the guard laying in wait.Stone distracts by le ading them into the estate s bushes. They fumble aboutand start to escape. Stone, then decides to turn the tablesand heads straight for the guard. Stone pulls outSwee ts and fires two in the guard s shoulders. Stone leaps at the guard andhits the bloo dy shoulder repeatedly to get a nice blood gush going. Stone spots the newly fre ed dogs and runs. The guard starts to stand and is met by the pissed pack of dog s. And they are hungry. Stone catches his breath, wipes the sweat out of his eye and continues.Chased by dogs and ducking machine fire at the same time is a hell of a early morning workout. Apollo is less than happy with the outcome of the first obstacle. Apollo picks u p the walkie-talkie again. " Send the Syrens." Defenseis the natural counter to attacks, in which the mission is to hold an obje ctive and defeat enemy forces attempting to dislodge the defender. Defensive pos ture offers many advantages to the infantry, including the ability to use terrai n and constructed fortifications to advantage and the reduced exposure to enemy fire compared with advancing forces. Effective defense relies on minimizing loss es to enemy fire, breaking the enemy s cohesion before their advance is complete d, and preventing enemy penetration of defensive positions.

 BANG BANG BANG!! Stone utilizes the stone steps of the courtyard as cover against more machine fr om a trio of the same slave girls from Apollo s tryst with Aphrodite the night b efore.The Syrens. Named after the trio ofseductresseswho lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voicesto shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.N ow they re rocking M16 rifles and shooting to kill. Stone has a code of ethics. A loose one but still a code of ethics. One rule he follows is that he does not kill women.......directly. Stone is able to spot a large aged stone covered flow er bed above them. In between shots, Stone takes his UMP and shootsUP! His bullet s start to loosen the bed. The Syrens don t notice due to the rapid fire of the UMP. They continue to fire and the bed continues to loosen.The fire from the Syren s stop.They speak in unison. " Show yourself." " No, thank you." " The Syrens command you." " Syrens, huh?Can you sluts sing another song?" Finally, the bed gives way and falls directly on top of them. They scream for th eir lives and then slience. " Now that sounds better." Stone gets and sees the large slab of stone on top of the motionless women. It m ust have weighed a few hundred pounds. Stone sees theglass entrance into the foyer of themansion. Stone spots a small picnic table nearby and picks it up. Turning i nto a improvised battering ram, Stone runs full speed into the entrance and brea ks it down. He s now in the house. Apollo grows more and more irate. " Cyclops! Don t fail me!!"

 Attacksare the most basic role of the infantry.Traditionally, in an open battle, orme eting engagement, two armies would maneuver to contact, at which point they woul d form up their infantry and other units opposite each other. Then one or both w ould advance and attempt to defeat the enemy force. The goal of an attack remain s the same: to advance into an enemy-held objective and dislodge the enemy, ther eby establishing control of the objective. Stone is inside the home of the massi ve home of his enemy, with Sweets ready and drawn. He now moves into the well st ocked. library. Stone spots the works of Homer. Socrates.Plato. BOOM! An entire shelf of book is destroyed by a shotgun intended for Stone.Stone turns a nd sees a large heavily tatted man , carrying aAA12 Shotgun. On his forehead is th e tat of one large open eye! " Let me guess", says Stone. "Cyclops......" Cyclops says nothing. " A mute. Wonderful. No fun banter." Cyclops takes aim and fires relentlessly at Stone. Chasing him through several r ooms. Stone stopsaround a corner and blindly fires back. Nothing. Stone pops his head out and sees nobody.Stone comes out further to investigate. Ta king careful baby steps.Stone spots something on the mansion sshiny marble floor. The reflection of Cyclops, waiting with his shotgun ready. Stone also spots some thing else above. A crystal chandelier. Stone forms a plan. Stone shots a lamp a cross from Cyclops. The sudden flash temporarilyblinds Cyclops. Stone dives out fr om around the corner. Narrowly missing a shotgun blast. Stone does a quick tuck and roll and aims for the chandelier. A few blasts from Sweets bring the chandel ier crashing down on Cyclops, killing him.Stone then makes his way upstairs.

Apollo retrieves a gold platedDesert Eagle Mark XIXpistol from his desk.He scoops up Decuir and heads out of the study. From room to room, Stone searches for his missing boss and his kidnapper. " Stone!" Stone instinctively crotches and takes aim. At the end of a hallway is Apollo an d Decuir. Apollo has the Desert Eagle pressed Decuir s temple. They stand on fro nt of an beautiful stained glass window. On it is a traditional rendering of the true Apollo. " My dear Odysseus. I m afraid our little Odyssey has come an end. As you recall ,The citizens of Ithaca followed Odysseus . Planning to avenge the killing of the suitors. Odysseus had now caused the deaths of two generations of the men of It haca: his sailors, not one of whom survived; and the suitors, whom he executed.The wonderful parallel here is split between you two. Consider this a double execut ion, Stone.Charles for destroying the first generation of the Pantheon. And you fo r destroying the second. I m afraid there will be nodeus ex machinato save either of you." " Bossman?" " Yeah, Stone? " ,Decuir says. " You a O.G ., right?" " Yeah?" " Could you please show me how arealO.G. wouldhandle this? " Charles delivers a quick elbow to Apollo s gut, knocking himself loose. Stone ta kes aim and has a clear shot. " Night-night, bruh!" Stone takes the shot which connects with Apollo s chest. The power of the blast sends Apollo through the stain glass window and into the pool below. Stone steps over and see Apollo s body sink into the blood drenched water. Like Tony Montan a sdeath in Scarface.

 Stone rushes over to his injured boss. " Bossman." " Atticus Stone." " You look like hell." " I been through hell." " Come on, let me get you out of here." " Wait............do you hear that?......" " Hear what?......" " Listen...." Stone stops and hears what Decuir hears. A faint ticking coming from the study. Stone goes through the room looking for the source.Stone finds it. The cabinetbehind Apollo s desk.Stone opens and find what he feared it was:a binary bomb. A bomb cont aining two liquid solutions . When mixed together, they cause a massive explosio n. A digital time display popped on the moment Stone opened the cabinet.They have exactlyone minuteto get out of the house!! 1: 00 Stone scoops up Decuir and starts to head down thehallway.His boss s extra weight sl ows everything down. 0:30 Stoneand Decuir make it down the stairs and over the body of Cyclops. 0:15 Stone and Decuir run like hell to the door. 0:10

 They make it outside....... 3....... 2........ 1.......

BOOM!!!

The entire mansion is destroyed in a huge blast that barely gets Stone and Decui r. They fly onto the lawn from the shock wave of the explosion. It rocks the ent ire neighborhood. Neighbors from all the houses come out to investigate. Stone a nd Decuir lay unconscious as the familiar sound of police sirens head the house.St one wakes up first and nudges his benefactor awake. They simply look at each oth er. A job well done for them both. " Atticus Stone." " Bossman." They share a quick laugh as they gather themselves together. A Week Later....

Man ! What a week! I m not gonna bore you with the details, so here are the high lights.Chief Niles and the po-po rounded up all the remaining members of the Pant heon, give or take.Governor Spengler s sex scandal was made public. I think Vivid

The office of Charles Decuir is Party Central.Welcome Backand Get Well Balloons. Cha mpagne on Ice.Sould music in the back ground. The gang s all here!Stone. Rosie. Lil Tank. Juarez. Youngblood.Chief Niles.Collins. And Charles Decuir, behind his desk, nursing a broken arm.

Entertainment tried to sell it but it s technicall underage porn, they gave up . That plus his decision for the shutdown caused a swift impeachment for him.Boss man s radical past was also made public. Contrary to popular opinion, Decuir st ock actually rose as a result.As for me, The mayor offered the sha-bang for me. P arade. The key to the city. I settled for the repairs to my car and the promise of leniency in my future cases . Chief Niles raises his glass of champagne. " To Charles Decuir. A friend to this city." Everyone cheers Charles, but Charles raises his glass. " NowIwould like to make a toast...." Charles gestures toward Stone. " To Atticus Stone. The most bad-ass private son of a gun this city has ever see n." Stone is flattered. "Ah man! You only say it cuz it s true!" They all share a laugh. "So what are your plans, Stone?,"asks Juarez. "Well, after everythingwe ve gone through, I m going on a nice vacation. I m think ing...the Bahamas Or Cabo." "Take your time , son. You deserve it.",adds Decuir. "Thanks, Bossman." Rosie points to the HD TV in the office. Decuir turns on the sound and everyone

watches.A new PSA. On the screen:Matthew Lajoi. The last loose end of the Pantheon . "Hi. I m Matthew Lajoi, on behalf on the New Pantheon Church. We are happy to an nounce ournation-wide expansion. With your help, the sweet influence of our teach ings can encompass this great nation of ours.In the aftermath of the Shutdown in A tlanta, you can help people in need. Here are a few suggestions.you candonate money , by going to pantheon.organd as well you can contact your Pantheon church, syna gogue, or mosque and find out what they are doing to help people effected by thi s tragedy. Thank you for your help and get involved!" Everyone stand in shock. " The back-up plan......,"says Decuir. " With him alive, they can start all over again,"Stone says. Stone has an epiphany. "Wait......Niles, where did you say Lajoi was filming his new movie?" " L.A. " Stone and Decuir look at each other and smile. Everybody else in the room catche s on quickly. "Uh oh. Sucks to be him", says Rosie. Los Angeles, California. The City of Angels. Hollywood.TheEntertainment Capital of the World. Themost populous cityinCalifornia.Aworld centerof business, international rade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education . It is also home toSony Pictures Studios.Located inCulver CityWest Washington The fa cility is owned bySony Pictures Entertainmentand houses both Columbia PicturesandTri Star Pictures. The lot, which is open to the public for daily studio tours, currently hassixteen s eparatesound stages. One of which houses the newest Matthew LaJoi film. An urban romantic comedy titled "The Barbeque", which has the usual plot of movie of this kind. Lajoi s character, a handsome dentist, meets the lead actress s character, a ssssy lawyer at alarge pork-filled cookout. A fat funny friend is thrown in the

mix( a la Mo Nique or Anthony Anderson) , hilarity ensues and it ends with the whole cast doing the Electric Slide or something like it. Lajoi is headed to his plush trailer to rehearse his sides, or his lines for the day s shooting). Once inside..... POP! Lajoi takes a hit to the kneecap and falls over in pain. So much pain, he can ba rely even scream. He starts to cry and hyperventilate. He looks up. His tear fille d eyes catch the vague image of someone seated on the other side of the trailer. A bald man dressed in black 3-piece suit with a white dress shirt and black tie . The man has a Colt .45 pistol with a silencer is his hand. The man stands and slowly walks to Lajoi. As he gets closer, the image gets clearer and it s not th e image Lajoi wanted to see. The man kneels downby LaJoi s body. His black leather gloved hand wipes the tears from Lajoi s face. Lajoi can now see his reflection in the man s Aviator shades. " Dionysus. Allow me to properly introduce myself........." The man places the silencer muzzle on Lajoi s cheek. His finger on the trigger. " They call me Atticus Stone."