A Conversation With Chance Ransom

Miles Harrington is a freelanced writer that obtained an interview with fugitive Wingman, Chance Ransom.

 

A Conversation With Chance Ransom

 

By

 

Miles B. Harrington

 

Very little was known about la Confrerie Fraternelle de Wingmen until Chance Ransom – a disenfranchised Wingman – began to speak out in a series of non-sequential short stories that started to appear on the internet. According to Mr. Ransom it is because of his recent public exposure that he has been forced into hiding.

 

Due to his need for secrecy, I found my interview with Mr. Ransom to be one of the most unique of my career. After electronically corresponding for a few weeks with Mr. Ransom, he declined a meeting in person. When I flew into Prague in the Czech Republic for an unrelated assignment, I found that Mr. Ransom had burglarized my room and was waiting inside. He agreed to do the interview right there at 200 AM, if I promised that none of the conversation would be redacted. Here are the transcripts from that conversation.

 

MH: Good evening, Mr. Ransom, or should I say good morning?

 

CR: To be honest I often lose track of time.

 

MH: Let’s start with an easy one. For my readers that don’t speak French what does la Confrerie Fraternelle de Wingmen actually mean?

 

CR: The Fraternal Brotherhood of Wingmen

 

MH: It is an organization? What is its purpose?

 

CR: It is an organization. The purpose has been corrupted over the years, but essentially it is a confederation of dedicated men who try to help other men make progress with women with whom they would normally not have the opportunity to…um…persuade.

 

MH: That doesn’t sound that bad. Like a trainer.

 

CR: There is training involved, but because of the complexity of women our duties went way beyond that. You have to understand that many of these men fear failure more than anything. They have either been successful in all other areas of their lives and are just inept with women or were just so burned by women early on in their lives that they just gave up hope.

 

MH: I see. What do you say to those of you that would refer to your organization as nothing more than a group of professional pimps?

 

CR: Yeah, I read that article in the Times. I would have to say that the author either didn’t really understand the concept of just never took the time to read all of the stories. We tried to do a lot of good.

 

MH: Do you think you did a lot of good.

 

CR: Me personally? I wish that I had. Unfortunately, I feel that what allowed me to be successful as a Wingman is exactly what’s responsible for the perversion of the cause.

 

MH: This is getting a bit complex. Could you expand on that, please.

 

CR: Initially, la Confrerie was formed to help war torn France to make a psychological recovery of sorts. After a while it expanded into a business and it became about money, success and status. I was very good at being a Wingman in the sense that I could get people with money and power to be with women, but how does that really help society.

 

MH: I might want to come back to this, but how did anyone come up with this as an idea to boost morale, it seems sort of far fetched.

 

CR: I intend to write about that in the future, but I will give you the readers digest version.

 

MH: Please.

 

CR: During the Nazi occupation of France there was, of course, the famous Underground. Among other things they would allow certain communiqués to be intercepted by the SS. You know, to disseminate misinformation. The problem was that for the courier it was tantamount to a suicide mission. As part of their send off, the Underground would usually muster up a good hot meal for the courier and either get a woman to volunteer or hire a prostitute to lay him.

 

MH: Extraordinary. So the French Underground would essentially act as Wingmen for the couriers.

 

CR: Yeah. The sad thing is that they were mostly teenagers. The couriers I mean. They had to make it believable to the Nazi’s. They didn’t think the Underground would send kids to get shot. I guess they overestimated them. War does strange things to people I’ve heard. In any event, their sacrifice to the world should never be forgotten.

 

MH: The Wingmen?

 

CR: The couriers of course.

 

MH: Have you ever met one of the original Wingmen?

 

CR: I met a few early on at Wingman Camp. I think all of them are dead by now. I was also pretty good friends with one of the courier’s son’s.

 

MH: Really. So they didn’t use protection? I mean with the prostitutes?Was that common? Wait, you don’t mean the Frenchman, do you?

 

CR: They were all Frenchmen. No, I’m kidding. If you mean Edgar the Frenchman. Yes, then that would be who I’m talking about.

 

MH: So his father was a courier and his mother?

 

CR: A prostitute, but it wasn’t quite like all of that. Edgar’s father was 14 years old and he was pretty religious. Alter boy and all of that…but he didn’t want to die a virgin, so they found a prostitute and a priest and had a little ceremony. I guess French wartime hookers were pretty patriotic. So were the priests. Well, nine months later…you get the picture.

 

MH: He was your mentor.

 

CR: Yes.

 

MH: Would you be willing to talk about his death? Or is that impolite.

 

CR: I won’t talk about it, but I don’t think it’s impolite. There is a rather large insurance policy that was paid out to his widow. I have written a piece detailing his death, but since the insurance company isn’t able to get an interview with me, they can’t corroborate that account. They are more or less forced to accept the official story. If I start talking about it here, it could give them a case.

 

MH: Fair enough, but will you go on record as saying that the account of Edgar’s death in A Wingman’s Justification is entirely accurate.

 

CR: No comment.

 

MH: But, come on, Chance. You have authenticated all of your stories in the past. Why not…

 

CR: No comment and move on or the interview is over, and I confiscate the recorder and the note pad.

 

MH: Fair enough. What’s with the coat and the hat all of the time. Even in weather conditions that don’t exactly lend themselves to outer clothing.

 

CR: I don’t really wear a coat or hat all of the time.

 

MH: You’re wearing them now.

 

CR: No, I’m not.

 

Authors Note: I was staring right at him wearing a chic trench style coat and a dark homberg. However, he took them off as he denied wearing the very same. It was as though he was performing a magic trick, but it really wasn’t that clever.

 

MH: Moving on. What is that you have there?

 

CR: It’s a Slim Jim. Do you want half?

 

MH: No thanks.

 

CR: Don’t worry. It’s not the aphrodisiac kind.

 

MH: No I’m ok. Wait. You’re telling me that there is an aphrodisiac Slim Jim? Which one?

 

CR: That I can’t give up, but it’s common knowledge to Wingmen.

 

MH: Okay. Fair enough, but a question. If you have all of this knowledge of aphrodisiacs, it sounds like your job is kind of easy. Just give the girl an aphrodisiac and let things happen.

 

CR: Oh yeah? Ever try to get a woman to take a Slim Jim from a stranger in a bar?

 

MH: No.

 

CR: That’s because no one has. It’s never been done. I even tried to invent a martini that called for a Slim Jim instead of olives or little onions.

 

MH: I remember that. The Bomb-Wick. They were God-awful.

 

CR: Hey. It’s not that easy inventing drinks.

 

MH: Yes, but it was like Midori, vodka, ginger ale and a meat stick.

 

CR: Yeah. Come to think of it, I never really did drink any myself. I was thinking that women might like them but c’est la vive.

 

MH: What do you drink, Chance. I think my readers might like to know that.

 

CR: I’m a single malt scotch drinker. I drink a little wine. I also enjoy a good beer. Have you tried the local stuff here in Prague?

 

MH: Yes. Very nice actually. What about your diet. What do you eat?

 

CR: Who cares about that? I still adhere to the Wingman diet. 2000 – 2500 calories a day depending on level of exertion. High energy foods. A lot of protein.

 

MH: You look to be in shape. Has being on the run altered your exercise routine?

 

CR: Yeah, I just run and swim. I can’t spar. I do a lot of calisthenics. I do miss the la Confrerie kickball tournaments in Marseilles.

 

MH: You mean with the big red rubber ball.

 

CR: No. Soccer. I got a taste for it living over here in Europe.

 

MH: Oh, we call it football over here.

 

CR: Football is what they play in Giant Stadium on frigid Sundays. I never stopped being an American. You guys play kickball.

 

MH: You know I think I may have a piece of that Slim Jim. You’re sure it’s not the aphrodisiac kind?

 

CR: No.

 

MH: Chance is there a woman or type of woman that the techniques of la Confrerie, well, just don’t work?

 

CR: Goths

 

MH: Excuse me?

 

CR: Those Goth women. It’s a recent phenomenon and the techniques haven’t been refined, but no Wingman has ever successfully pulled off an operation where one of the women was a Goth.

 

MH: I’ll be honest I don’t really understand any woman.

 

CR: Amen, brother.

 

MH: Are you the best, Chance? Are you the best Wingman that ever lived?

 

CR: Honestly. No. That was always the goal, but I cut my career short.

 

MH: Is there a best?

 

CR: My personal feeling is that Edgar was the best that ever Winged, but there were many men than are considered his equal. Larson, Yakovitch, Nguyen. They are legends. This kid Garcia that I recruited is setting a hell of a pace. Odd that most of them are dead now.

 

MH: You said “men.” Has there ever been a female Wingman?

 

CR: Not in la Confrerie, but there was this…

 

At this point, in the interview Mr. Ransom seemed to have a call or message on his cell phone. The expression on his face was one of alarm. He glanced out the window. Then listened at the door. He then opened the window and started to leave.

 

MH: Chance, what are you doing?

 

CR: Don’t worry. You’re safe. I have to go.

 

MH: Would you consider winging for me, Chance.

 

CR: A reporter? No.

 

MH: How long will you keep writing these stories?

 

CR: Until my body washes up in the Vltava.

 

With that he donned his coat and hat and faded off into the night. Just like in all of his stories.

 

Miles Harrington is a Freelance Writer.

 

http://www.myspace.com/chanceransom

 

 

Author's Note

This may be an earlier draft. Please, give me any comments or criticisms that you may have.

Reviews

[Angelheaded Hipster]

*LMAO*

I loved this....I laughed, I mean....a freaking Slim Jim drink?? Ewwww.....

But really...this is so creative, and yes, it comes off like a real interview, and I found the side notes to tell us what was really going on to be genius.

You need to do another interview with another Wingman...

[Yvonne Heidt]

This is a perfect interview. Absolutely, perfect. Geez, Michael - does it GET any better than this?

Chance is an extraordinary character and I love this series.

[TL Boehm]

cracking up over Goth women - too funny. Great humor in this - loved the whole scene about taking the coat off - like a bad magic trick....This does read like a send up of some great interview. Well done. I see no need for carving and I agree - Wingman needs more interviews. Great writing.

[Nicole (Carpe Diem)]

great story/interview... format looks fine...
entertaining and fun to read.
glad i dont eat slim jims - ha ha -

now what i am wondering -- if this is just a single post or if there will be more of these wingman stories to follow... hum...

[Diana Owen Busy with Li..]

awesome work.

[None]

Nice ingenuity here. I'm always interested in a Q & A type interviews and I liked the format. I'm left wanting to know more about Chance Ransom, perhaps a second article? Will someone get even closer and have Chance divulging his intimate details to the world? This is a great write and entertaining. It looks like Miles did his homework.