Daniel Masterson was the definition of a success story, continually setting the standards of excellence in business and real estate. He was a funny, engaging, insulting, cocky, and vulgar man who used people, especially women, any way he pleased. After growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, he'd managed to graduate from Business College with excellence. After college, he'd worked with a friend, Sam Wallace, on apartment complexes.
Daniel bulldozed his way past every rival. Greed and a lack of moral direction led Daniel and Sam to partner with a large corporation.
They bought a large, dilapidated building and turned it into a hotel.
The project had served to kick-start Masterson’s career as a developer around the country. As the leader of a large business, Masterson committed acts that the public might consider evil, he gained the notorious reputation his crimes deserved, but he was never convicted.
He'd never directly taken a life, but his evil practices often led to the loss of life. He'd deceived employees and the public while defrauding companies of millions of dollars. His crimes included authorizing the termination of whistleblowers, bribery, fraudulent accounting practices, extortion, and money laundering.
When his friend and partner, Sam Wallace, disappeared without a trace, he had to lie low for a while, but he was eventually able to get back to business.
Daniel Masterson was slick. When shit hit the fan, he simply moved on. His new goal was to build a casino, which had led him to the path of Strong Edge. The project required a significant investment, accurate planning, and good business management. It seemed like a great place to start a new business. The area attracted a lot of tourists every year, and it was very beautiful. It was also a great place to settle down.
He had to check with the city council if the operation of a commercial casino was legal in the area. Daniel needed to raise the capital to start a casino by presenting his business plan to investors. He'd try to convince the local bank, but he preferred private investors.
Daniel would provide them with free stuff. He often provided free gifts, drinks, and free stays at his hotels. The townspeople there seemed dumb, and he believed that after a few years, he'd run everything in that town. All he needed was to tell them what they wanted to hear and manipulate them. It wasn’t hard—he'd done it before.
One evening, Masterson found his way to a small watering hole. It was a bar with an old country bar interior, including beer pumps and oak beams. There, he stumbled upon the locals. They didn’t seem to care for his grand way of speaking, and they turned their backs on him and laughed—they lacked vision.
He met a pretty woman, named Loretta. She was simple-minded, as were most women, he believed. He bought her drinks and flaunted his money. Women were such gold-diggers.
She took him back to her apartment where he had his way with her. Loretta had struggled at first, but she'd been too intoxicated to fight him for long. He'd left her whimpering on the bed.
Maybe it had been stupid for him to expose himself like that—she might start talking—but he could always rid himself of her later.
He went back to his car to drive back to his hotel room to get a shower and some sleep. The next day, he'd go and put his case before the city council. What Daniel Masterson hadn’t realized was that someone was watching him. Someone had followed him and had been watching him ever since he'd passed the music shop on Main Street.
Someone had tracked his devious behavior from the watering hole to his loveless encounter with the woman.
Daniel Masterson went to his blue BMW. Earlier that day, some animal had crossed the road when he was driving. He'd hit the beast and had feared the car paint had suffered damage, but luckily, it hadn’t.
He opened the door, and someone grabbed him from behind. A strong arm tightened around his throat. The stranger’s breath felt cold upon his skin, and he couldn’t move or scream—God knows he tried. The fabric on his attacker’s arm was green, and it smelled like honey. It was funny how he noticed something like that, considering his current situation.
His only hope was that someone would show up to rescue him, but the parking lot was, unfortunately, empty. He hoped with all his heart that someone would look through the window and see his misfortune.
“How does it feel to be helpless and begging for mercy?” said a deep, icy whisper. “I know what you are. You are not worthy!”
Daniel felt his eyes fill with tears. If he could only utter a word, he could offer his attacker something, try to reason with him, anything that might get him to loosen his tight grip.
As if his attacker had read his mind, he let go and pushed Daniel up against his car. Daniel couldn’t see his face, but it was a tall, strong man, that he was sure of.
The attacker took a step back and gesticulated his hands out at his sides. “Run,” he said.
Daniel’s heart was beating so hard, he thought he might suffer a heart attack. The stranger was not joking. He got a hold on himself and began to run as the stranger laughed; the game was on.
He ran like a hunted animal. The black asphalt beneath his feet felt like mud, sucking him into the ground. He was perplexed at his situation, and his panic got the better of him.
Was everyone in the damned town asleep?
He tried to scream, but something hit him hard from behind, and he fell. Daniel felt blood running down his face as a tall creature stepped in front of him, wagging its finger as if reprimanding him. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” it said.
Daniel scrambled to his feet, and he continued down the street, dizzy from the blow to his head. In the distance, he saw a sign that read Serenity Park. Perhaps he could hide there, in the bushes.
He ran as fast as he could, stumbling as he went along. It was as if his body had refused to obey him. His hope rose when he reached Serenity Park. The park, as it was on most nights, was completely empty. Lamp posts provided minimal light. He found a shrubbery and hid.
Daniel looked around. There, next to some old swings, a large, flowering rhododendron bush seemed like it might serve as sanctuary, so he crept under it and sat totally still. His lungs begged for air, and he tried to fill them. Daniel's body was in survival mode. He was dripping with sweat, and he was scared shitless. He had no idea who his opponent was. He only knew he wasn't kidding around. He wasn't a street punk.
After a while, Daniel's body began to relax. There were no sounds, no talk, and no footsteps to fill the silence. As he listened, a car drove by, but he dared not scream for help.
Someone must have watered the plants earlier because his pants felt wet. Regardless, he decided to sit for a while, and when it was safe, he'd sneak out of the park and leave town.
Little did he know, the bloodhounds had gathered around his hideout. They came closer, snarling with irritation. He suspected they'd hoped for a livelier hunt.
Daniel Masterson never knew what hit him. He was pulled out of his hideout with great force and tossed to the ground. Daniel opened
his mouth to say something, but he was silenced by a deep stab with a knife to the chest. Stab came after stab until he lay there, his lifeblood leaking out of him. He'd finally suffered the consequences of his vile actions and in the most ferocious way.