Welcome To Forever (Chapter Four)
Posted 05/26/2009 - 18:04 by HockeyPolls
The rest of the story:
It took a while, but Seth finally achieved a tenuous Internet connection from the crappy wireless system that the motel provided. He also called his secretary Melissa with a list of items he wanted looked into. She was to call him back as soon as she got results.
The more he looked into Damon Ryche’s past, the more concerned he became.
He came in the league as an unsigned free agent. A talented minor leaguer who finally put it all together after three years
.
His first year with the Portland Nighthawks, he was injured for the first part of his rookie season, and then he came on strong, very strong. A little too strong for Seth’s taste.
He had decent minor-league numbers, usually hovering around the .75 points per game mark and about 70 penalty minutes a year over three seasons. He looked like a good, serviceable third-line winger.
But during his abbreviated rookie system, he suddenly became a monster. 1.5 points per game, 40 goals and an even 300 penalty minutes eclipsed anything from the previous year’s outputs.
All achieved in less than half a season.
Damon Ryche was a legitimate phenomenon.
His next season was his first of 17 consecutive 50 goal or more seasons. His penalty minutes calmed down to average out at the 250 minute per season mark. This was as passive as Damon Ryche ever was. Interestingly, he almost always averaged half the assists as he did goals.
A puck hog, but a consistently effective puck hog, Unusual.
The last three seasons of his career, his production tapered off, but even in his last season he totaled 45 goals and 23 assists, Pretty good numbers for player approaching his forties.
Without a word of explanation to the media, Damon Ryche retired at the end of last season. Other teams had inquired about his availability and a thousand rumors floated around, but Damon remained silent and near invisible to the media. Eventually the jackals lost interest and sought greener, juicier pastures.
And then, out of the blue, he appears at Troy’s bedside, with an interesting yet disturbing offer.
Just then his cell phone rang, causing the uneasy Seth to jump in his chair. He flipped the phone open as Melissa’s nasal voice came through the expensive, but still somehow cheap sounding speaker.
“Hi Boss, I’ve got a few more calls out there looking into this, but I have some pretty interesting stuff to get you started.” She said triumphantly.
“OK Mel, what have you got?” Seth asked.
“It looks like Ryche had no need to keep playing hockey; at the same time he retired he was able to purchase a 20% share in the team. Ian McKendrick sold his shares outright and made a pretty good killing. The rest of the team is owned by a corporation based in San Jose, EMTX Inc. McKendrick was mostly the teams face whenever the owners presence was called for though.”
“I’ve never heard this, why hasn’t anyone clued onto this yet? It would give the papers at least a days worth of fresh meat.” Seth replied.
“Apparently the league has been keeping a lid on it, and EMTX has stepped up as the public mouthpiece lately so Ryche isn’t needed yet. Maybe they have some PR guys trying to polish Ryche’s act. I hear he can be quite the bruiser.”
“That’s the understatement of the year, Mel. This guy could terrify Godzilla.” Seth said. “This guy would have no problem handling a room full of reporters.”
“OK, so maybe a lot of PR guys are needed.” Mel’s replied. “McKendrick was no Captain Kangaroo either, you know.”
“Trust me Mel, this guy is in a very different league than ‘Ian the grumpy’. Did you get an address for Ryche?”
“His address is #1 Ryche lane, believe it or not Seth. Apparently the guy owns about 50% of the small town he lives in.”
“Small businesses too? Wouldn’t a hockey team be enough for most people?”
“That’s just his house…excuse me…‘compound’, the guy lives like a reclusive King out there from what I’ve read.”
Mel then followed up after Seth heard a beeping in the background.
“Hang on Seth; I have a fax coming in.”
Seth heart skipped a beat when he heard Mel’s voice again. He knew something was very wrong.
“Boss, you’re not going to believe this, but I just got confirmation of an inquiry into EMTX…”
“Well, what is it?” Seth fought to hide his irritation and anxiety.
“EMTX used to be CarboTron, the Vancouver Company that wanted to see the Phoenix sticks…and something else.” Mel’s said nervously.
“What, What is it?” Seth asked his pulse racing upon hearing this sudden revelation.
“CarboTron is owned by a shell corporation that is very secretive, but I had a guy I know get me some info on the down low. It’s nothing that the press ever found out. I’m sending everything to your computer now.” She said.
“…AND?” Seth practically yelled into the phone.
“Once you get past the pseudonyms and false leads the shell corporation only has one primary owner.”
“Who?!”
“Damon Ryche.”
Then the line went dead.
