“Imagine a child. No older than the age of three.”
“Everywhere the young child goes, you can be assured that their thumb is in their mouth and their blankey is grasped tightly within their free hand.”
“To them, that blanket represents something more than just warmth and comfort. The child finds a sense of security within the blanket. They feel safe as long as that blanket is with them.”
“Over time, the blanket has been through a lot. Lots of spills, tug of wars with the dog.. you name it. The test of time has taken it’s toll in the blanket before you know it.”
“It begins with a loose thread. The blanket begins to unravel, and with it.. the security it represents begins to fade.”
“All it takes is for that single thread to get stuck on something.. or tugged on. That small unraveling of thread soon gets longer and longer until that security blanket becomes nothing more than the thread it is made from.”
“Leaving the child with no sense of security.”
“Much like that child, Jackson Cade uses the book of justice as his security blanket.”
“Every action that he takes, every movement, dictated by what is written in that book.”
“He carries the information inside that book with him everywhere he goes.”
“In justice, he finds his security. He uses the book to discern what’s right from wrong. He uses it to protect him from the evils of this world.”
“Just like the child’s blanket, however, the test of time will test the durability of that security blanket. The book will be tested time and time again.”
“A few months ago, that thread began to unravel. When Mount Olympus came under attack, everything that the book stood for began to get questions. What does the Eagle’s Nest stand for if they can’t even protect Olympus?”
“That question is still unanswered, and it’s left a tiny thread at the end of your security blanket, Jackson.”
“And it is that thread that I’ve been tugging on for months. Slowly but surely, I’ve taken that thread and caused your faith in that little book of yours to begin to waiver.”
“It began with Special Agent Riggs, and while he may have lived to see the light of day.. there’s still a victim’s blood that rests on YOUR hands. You know that, but there’s nothing you or that damn book can do about it.”
“At Dead or Alive, it’s time to pull on that thread tighter. It’s time to unravel your security blanket just that much more. Because when I’m done with you, Jackson.. there will be no security to fall back on.”
“I will leave you a broken man with no security blanket to cling onto.”
“By the end of the night, you will have tried to carry out your orders.”
“And you will have failed.”
“Your book will have failed.”
“And the painting of my masterpiece can truly begin.”
“See you soon, little Eagle.”