But this wasn't Zeus. This was the HWA World Champion and CEO, Butch Parker, a man not known for his calm and mild-mannered demeanour. He is rampaging up the beach at forefront of his and Wisdom's Santa Barbara home. News channel helicopters are hovering in the sky and a plethora of police officers are still cutting off public access following the discovery of a maimed male lion body with the word "rampant" carved into its torso.
Butch slams the back door shut on his way back into the house but he is quickly followed by the police chief still insisting on him making a statement.
(Chief): I appreciate this is a very trying time for you and your wife but we really need a statement from you.
Butch spins around, his face is full of rage.
(Butch): A trying time? My wife and I have just been appointed owners of the biggest conglomerates in the world, taking it over from one of the most powerful, influential and straight-up evil men in the world. Days after, the lawyer who passed this motion is found dead and today this happens. It's not me you should be taking a statement from, it's Senester.
(Chief): And what evidence have you to support this, Mr Parker?
Butch's face remains etched in unadulterated rage but it is joined by a look of sheer bewilderment at the police chief's last statement.
(Butch): Are you actually f***ing kidding me? Did you just add two and two together and get five?
Wisdom soon joins Butch and the police chief in the kitchen.
(Wisdom): Evina is getting brought home now. She should be home in about ten minutes.
(Butch): Great. But guess what babe? Bloody Kojak here doesn't think there's any evidence to support Senester being involved in this?
(Chief): I didn't say there wasn't any evidence, Mr Parker. I understand there has been tension between your family and the man known as Senester, your former employer, yes?
(Butch): Yeah, that's putting it mildly, Chief. Look, that lion out there.
(Butch): Is a message for me. Those words carved into its torso are a message for me. That cobra that almost bit my wife was a message for me. He may as well have stuck a horse's head on my pillow. I would consider this a threat against my family and if you refuse to do anything about it, then I will.
(Chief): Now, Mr Parker, I would strongly advise against taking the law into your own hands and the professionals handle this.
Butch scoffs at the chief's last statement and shakes his head disparagingly.
(Butch): You can't handle shit, Chief. I spent a year in the company of Senester, I know firsthand what that man is capable of; I was the instrument of his wrath on more than one occasion. So believe me when I say you can't handle shit. Now please leave, my daughter will be home any minute and I don't want her being freaked out by a house full of cops.
(Chief): We can protect your family, Mr Parker.
Butch scoffs once more.
(Butch): My family don't need your protection, Chief. Quite frankly I'd feel safer if Barney the dinosaur was standing guard at my front door. I will take my own action, so do you what you must today, get that dead animal and your people off our property as quickly as possible.
The Chief thinks about saying something else but after a brief moment decides against it. He doesn't utter another word and instead about turns and leaves out of the back foot towards the beachfront. Wisdom walks up to Butch having remained silent throughout the exchange between her husband and the Chief of the Santa Barbara police. She places one arm on his waist and rubs his bicep with the other.
(Butch): I won't let us swayed by this, babe. Senester is trying to scare us and send a message to try and get power of HWA back within his grasp. I am going to send him a message, we will not be bullied or influenced in any way.
(Wisdom): What did you have in mind?
(Butch): I'll tell you later. Look Evina's home.
Both Wisdom and Butch react to the front door opening and a young woman in her early twenties walking in holding Evina. The toddler pretty much wriggles out of the babysitter's arms and makes a beeline towards Butch who scoops her up in his massive arms and he cuddles her tightly. Wisdom turns on the daycare worker with a lioness look of fury in her eyes.
(Wisdom): How could you let her see that?! We pay you thirty thousand dollars a year to make sure our daughter is safe, both physically and mentally when she's not with us and this happens?!
(Daycare worker): I'm so sorry, Mrs Parker, I can promise nothing like this will ever happen again.
(Wisdom): You're goddamn right because Evina is not going back, you hear me? Now get out of my house before I throw you out myself.
The daycare worker doesn't need a second invitation and scampers out of the Parker household as if her life depended on it. Evina finally removes her tear-stricken face from Butch's chest as Butch wipes her tears away, pushing her hair out of her eyes and behind her ears.
(Evina): Daddy, is that your lion on TV?
(Butch): No, sugar plum, it was another one having a little sleep. He was walking down the beach, got tired and had a wee sleep, everything is fine, daddy promises.
Butch plants several big kisses on Evina's cheeks and gently strokes her face with the back of his hand.
(Butch): Why don't you go into the living room and watch Sofia the First whilst mummy and daddy get your dinner ready?
(Evina): Okay, daddy!
(Butch): That's a good girl.
Butch puts Evina down and she scampers off to the living room to watch her favourite show, Wisdom managing to playfully ruffle her hair on her way past.
(Butch): So, Senester makes this first moves - he has Throckmorton killed and then does this. He's putting his pieces into position and the board and it's time we made our move.
(Wisdom): So what did you have in mind exactly?
(Butch): Let's just say it's a matter of leverage. But for now, I'm starving, let's eat.
The scene fades to black.
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