“So you say,” Remi replied.
“Well, kill him or not, you’d better win,” Warden Hess said.
“And you’d better keep your word,” Remi said. “If anything happens to Kundo, or if you don’t give Eboni that antivirus, I won’t fight another fight for you and I will kill you the first chance I get.”
“If you weren’t so valuable, you would not be allowed to speak to me this way.”
“But I am, so…”
“For now,” Warden Hess said.
The warden continued her massage. Her touch was a bit firmer now; a bit less gentle.
####
Remi glared across the cage at a mountain of a man who stood nearly twice her height. Stanley ‘The Beast’ Frank’s thick, striated muscles shone under the stage lights that illuminated the ring. The giant pounded his barrel-like chest with his ham-sized fists, turning his peach-hued flesh deep praline. He pointed a thick finger at Remi and shouted “Sie werden nun neger sterben!” – “Now you will die, nigger!”
Remi pointed back at The Beast and replied “Atari wo orun mo o bi enipe ko ni ibe-e re.” – “The skull stares at heaven like it won’t wind up there itself one day.”
The Beast’s face twisted into a mask of rage. Remi knew he did not understand Yoruba like she understood German, but he knew she had retorted with more wit than his insult. Remi also knew that his rage was not normal; it was fueled by something else. Not AMVO; Peggy had admitted that every man who was infected with the AMVO virus had died, within days of initial infection, from a stroke – the already aggressive nature of men increased to astronomical levels by the virus, was too much for their brains to handle. We’re all just lab rats for these bastards, Remi thought.
The Beast charged forward, crouching low in a classic wrestler’s stance.
Remi leapt forward, rending the air with a powerful flying knee. Her knee slammed into The Beast’s chin.
The Beast staggered backward, shaking his head as if to dislodge the pain in his rattled skull.
Remi unleashed a volley of punches to The Beast’s body. It felt as if she was punching a stone statue.
The Beast grunted with each blow. He countered with a sweeping backhand slap.
Remi weaved under the slap and countered with a hook to The Beast’s kidney.
The Beast dropped to one knee.
Remi shuffled around to The Beast’s back and reached for his neck with both hands.
Before Remi could wrap her arms around The Beast’s neck and lock on a choke, however, the giant threw his body backward, slamming the back of his head into Remi’s chest.
Remi flew backward, stopping only when her back crashed into the side of the cage.
The Beast spun on his knee and then sprang to his feet. He sprinted toward Remi as she sailed through the air.
Remi bounced off the cage and into The Beast’s massive, open arms.
The Beast wrapped his forearms around her waist. He then arched his back as he snapped his arms upward.
Remi felt herself somersaulting over The Beast’s head as his crushing grip on her waist increased, compressing her ribcage.
Remi landed on the floor of the cage with a loud thud.
The Beast landed on top of her, his chest crashing into hers.
Remi felt as if her ribcage had shrunk to a quarter of its normal breadth. Her liver, spleen and lungs felt as if a boulder had been dropped on them. Pain ripped through her torso.
The Beast threw his right leg over Remi’s belly and straddled her. He drew back his right fist in preparation to strike.
Remi drove her hips upward, launching The Beast off-balance.
He fell forward, his chest shooting over Remi’s head. He extended his hands to catch himself and prevent his face from slamming into the floor.
Remi reached up with both hands, trapping The Beast’s left arm with both of her wrists. She then yanked her elbows down to her belly, pinning his arm against her chest.
The Beast yanked hard, struggling to free his arm, but both of Remi’s arms against his one arm was too much and he couldn’t break free from her grasp. She placed her right foot on the side of his left foot, trapping it as tightly as she held his left arm.
Remi thrust her hips upward once more, forcing The Beast’s weight onto her lower torso. She then rolled to her right, throwing The Beast sideways.
The Beast landed on his back, with Remi kneeling between his legs. He crossed his ankles behind her back, trapping Remi between his legs.
Remi speared her left hand between The Beast’s legs and then wrapped her arms around his right thigh, squeezing with all her might. She then hopped up onto the balls of her feet. Remi exploded upward into a standing position, thrusting her hips forward and into The Beast’s buttocks.
The force of Remi’s movement sent The Beast flying high into the air. Remi held him aloft for a moment and then drove her arms and her torso downward, snapping The Beast toward the floor.
The back of The Beast’s skull slammed into the floor. His arms flailed upward and his legs fell limply to the floor. He convulsed violently for a second and then was still.
Remi stood over The Beast, staring at his face, searching his dull, unfocused eyes for a sign of life. There was none. She then searched her heart for any remorse. There was none.
Jason Liu grabbed her wrist and raised her hand in victory. “The winner,” he bellowed. “And new Grand Champion…Remi ‘The Single Link’ Swan!”
The spectators went wild.
Warden Hess entered the cage and slipped a heavy leather belt around her waist. The belt was decorated with several small gold plates with the names of each prison engraved on them and a large, circular, gold emblem of the state of Georgia at its center.
“Well done!” Warden Hess whispered in Remi’s ear.
“Call in the order for Eboni to receive the anti-virus now!” Remi replied. “And call off whoever you have waiting to harm my husband!”
“Already done on both accounts,” Warden Hess said. “Now, let’s get you to the van. I have a change of clothes waiting for you there.”
“Okay,” Remi said.
Warden Hess turned away from Remi and walked toward the cage door. “I’ll see you back at Ames,” Warden Hess said, peering over her shoulder. “Officers Dillard and Mc Cray are waiting at the bottom of the steps; they will lead you out of this madhouse and to the transport bay.”
Remi nodded. Warden Hess exited the cage. Remi perused the faces in the stands. They were so happy. Money was made at the cost of the well-being and the lives of the fighters; the prisoners, who had been turned into savages and let loose upon each other. She vowed that she would tear it all down. That she would destroy the system, if it was the last thing she ever did.
ROUND FIVE
Remi spent the ride back to Ames praying that the Orisa Ogun use his mighty cutlass to chop down the towering tree of rage that sprouted from her mind; to sever the roots that crept down her spine and throughout her nervous system. She knew that if she fought in another tournament she would lose herself; she would give in to the rage, to the impulse to destroy and she would end up just like Janine. She was not going to let that be her fate.
When the van parked in the transport bay at Ames, Remi was helped down from the van by Officer McCray and then he and Officer Dillard escorted Remi to the infirmary.
“Why are we here?” Remi inquired.
“Warden Hess wants you to have x-rays done to insure all is okay,” Officer Dillard replied. She also wants you to have a debriefing with Peggy.”
“Okay,” Remi said. “When will I get to see Eboni?”
“After our session,” a familiar voice came from her right flank.
Remi turned toward the voice. Peggy rolled toward her.
“Remi,” Peggy crooned. “Congratulations on your win!”
“Yeah, thanks,” Remi replied. “So, do I see you first, or do we meet after the x-rays?”
“We can meet now,” Peggy said,
extending her hand toward Remi.
Remi stared at Peggy’s hand for a moment and then shook it. A moment later, she felt a sharp pain in her thigh. She looked down. Peggy had jammed a needle into her quadriceps. Officers Dillard and McCray grabbed her arms and shoved them behind her back. She felt the bite of handcuffs tightening around her wrists.
“Why?” Remi croaked.
“I have something to show you and I can’t have you freaking out in here when you see it,” Peggy said.
Remi’s legs buckled. The officers pulled up on her biceps to prevent her from falling.
Peggy turned away from Remi and began to roll away. “Bring her over here,” she said over her shoulder.
Officers Dillard and McCray walked Remi over to a gurney that a body lay upon. The body was covered with a white sheet.
“No,” Remi whispered. Her heart felt as if it was trying to punch its way out of her chest.
“It is important we start our discussion with transparency,” Peggy said, grabbing the edge of the sheet that covered whatever lay on the gurney. “So, all questions will be answered; all will be revealed. I only sedated you because your response can’t be predicted.”
Peggy snatched the sheet from over the body on the gurney.
Remi stared down at Eboni’s lifeless face. Her expression was peaceful. One corner of her mouth was upturned slightly. It was probably a sign she suffered a stroke, but knowing Eboni, it could have been her smirking as she said “I’m free, bastards, so screw you!”
Tears burst from beneath Remi’s eyelids and rushed and rained down her face. “The antivirus…what happened?”
“There was no antivirus,” Peggy replied. “There is no cure for however AMVO manifests in a patient. My apologies.”
“It was a lie!” Remi felt her rage pumping the sedative out of her veins. “You knew Eboni was going to die, but you led me to believe she could be saved?”
“We needed you to win that tournament,” Peggy said. “To prove that AMVO works.”
“So, my winning wasn’t about bragging rights, or money?”
“It was about that to a small degree,” Peggy said. “Primarily, though, it is about creating a superior soldier; a superior human being.”
Remi leaned forward and kissed Eboni on the cheek. “This is for you, sister,” she whispered.
Remi thrust her right foot backward. Her heel slammed into Officer McCray’s belly.
Officer McCray’s waist folded around Remi’s foot. A torrent of blood erupted from his mouth. His lifeless body fell to the floor with a wet thud.
Remi whirled to face Officer Dillard.
Officer Dillard back pedaled a few steps as he drew his shock baton.
Remi pulled against the handcuffs with all her might. The chain snapped, freeing her hands. She wrapped her fingers around Peggy’s neck and then snatched the woman out of her wheelchair.
“Please,” Peggy cried. “I’m sorry! Please, don’t!”
Remi hurled Peggy as if she was throwing a stone. Peggy crashed into Officer Dillard. They fell to the floor, with Peggy on top of Officer Dillard. Dillard’s shock baton, wedged between them and damaged by their collision, crackled and flashed, releasing a massive burst of electricity. Officer Dillard and Peggy convulsed and salivated and then lay still.
The doctors and nurses in the infirmary ran toward the exit in a panic, but the panel that controlled the doors was at the nurse’s station and in their panic, no one had released them.
Remi ran to the nurse’s station. She perused it and found the panel. Each button on it corresponded to a door’s number, except for one, which was marked ‘Main’.
“Step away from that door, I will kill you all!” Remi shouted.
The medical staff shuffled away from the door and huddled in a corner to the right of it.
Remi unlocked all the doors to the infirmary’s rooms. “Janine!” she screamed.
Janine shuffled out of her room, staring shyly at the floor.
“The people in here hurt you, Janine,” Remi said. “They called you a monster. They locked you up in here. They killed your mama.”
“M-mama?” Janine said, looking up at Remi.
“Yes,” Remi replied. “They killed your mama and my best friend. They’re bad people and I am going to make them pay. I’m going to hurt them. What are you going to do?”
“I-I hurt bad people, too,” Janine said.
“No!” A doctor screamed.
Remi unlocked the exit door and then sprinted toward it.
Janine roared and then leapt forward. She landed before the huddle of infirmary staff. A nurse extended his arms toward Janine and pleaded for his life. Janine grabbed the man’s wrists and then yanked both of his arms off with the ease a man tears a sheet of paper. Blood painted the walls.
Remi dashed out of the infirmary and into the hallway. She had a lot more work to do and the rage within her had grown into a maelstrom.
####
Remi drove the van out of the transport bay, past the gate’s guards who she had beaten to death and out the open gate. It would take the authorities days to search through the carnage and discover she had escaped. If Janine was still at Ames when they came, she would kill them all. If she was at large, they would be busy hunting her. Either way, I have time to get my family and get the hell out of Georgia, she thought.
Remi was going home.
ROUND SIX
The twenty or so mile jog felt like a short jog around the block to Remi. Her strength, her endurance and her speed had grown exponentially. She now stood before her home. All the lights were off. The children – and probably Kundo – would be asleep.
She crept up the stairs. She patted her short afro and then ran her fingers across her eyebrows. She inspected her blood-stained white prison garments, patting them to remove any wrinkles and then rang the doorbell.
After a few moments, the door opened. Kundo stood before her, supporting himself with a cane.
“Remi?” Kundo gasped. “Baby?”
Tears streamed down Remi’s face. No words would come from her lips, so she just nodded.
Kundo extended his free arm. Remi dashed inside, wrapping her arms around Kundo’s waist. She pressed her head to his chest.
“What the hell happened?” Kundo said, closing the door.
“I couldn’t take it in there any longer, Kundo,” Remi replied.
“What have you done, Remi?” Kundo said, stepping back and gazing into her eyes.
“I did what I had to do to get out of there,” Remi replied.
“How did you get here?”
“I drove halfway,” Remi said. “I ditched the van back in Decatur and jogged the rest of the way.”
“You jogged over twenty miles?” Kundo said.
“They did things to me in there, baby,” Remi replied. “I’ve…changed. But tell me, what happened to you. They told me you were in a car accident.”
“Yeah, an unmarked white van ran me off the road,” Kundo said. “Killed the attorney Dan retained for y’all; left me with a broken right femur, four broken ribs a shattered collarbone and a severe concussion. I just came home three days ago. The children stayed with Dee.”
“How is Dee?” Remi inquired.
“Crazy as ever,” Kundo replied. “She’s been running your classes since you’ve been gone.”
“Good.”
“Where’s Eboni?” Kundo asked. “Did she escape with you?”
Remi lowered her gaze.
Kundo raised Remi’s chin with his fingertips. “Remi? Where’s Eboni?”
“She’s dead, Kundo.” Remi replied.
“What? No!” Kundo cried. “How?”
“They murdered her, Kundo,” Remi replied. “We were infected with a virus they call AMVO. It changed me; it killed her.”
“Who is ‘they’?” Kundo said.
“The Warden and Medical staff at Ames,” Remi said. “I don’t know, could be the whole damn system.”
“And yo
u say they changed you? How?”
Remi yanked her top over her head and then tossed it onto the floor, revealing her hyper-defined, stone-hard muscles.
“What the hell?” Kundo gasped.
“I’m ten times stronger, faster and more enduring than I ever was,” Remi said. “But I also have an aggression; a rage that frightens me.”
Kundo shook his head. “I have never…”
“Mommy?”
Remi looked past Kundo towards the soft voice that interrupted him. Standing behind him was a plump toddler and a lean little boy.
“Ayo!” Remi said, opening her arms wide. “Tutu!”
The children ran past Kundo and leaped into Remi’s arms.
“I missed you both so much,” Remi sobbed.
Tutu wiped the tears from Remi’s cheeks. “Don’t cry mommy. Aren’t you happy to see us?”
“Very happy,” Remi replied. “Happier than I have ever been in my life!”
Ayo poked Remi’s biceps with his finger. “Man, you have some hard muscles, mom! Harder than daddy’s!”
Kundo rolled his eyes. “I’ve been out of commission since the accident, that’s all.”
“Your muscles were never this hard, daddy!”
“Boy, it’s still late, you’re still sleepy,” Kundo said. Now, let your mama get changed. You’ll see her in the morning.”
Remi chuckled.
“Okay,” Ayo said. “See you in the morning, mom.”
“See you later, mommy,” Tutu said.
“See you in the morning, loves,” Remi replied. “I love you!”
“We love you, too!” The children said in unison as they scampered off to bed.
“Come on,” Kundo said. “Let’s get you a hot bath and in some fresh clothes. We have a lot to discuss.”
“And to do,” Remi said, placing her hand on Kundo’s chest.
“Kundo smiled. “Indeed!”
####
Dee took a sip of hot chai and then sat her cup on a saucer. “So, you mean to tell me all I needed to do was go to prison to get a body like that? Let me find a cop to beat up right now!”
“Dee!” Remi bellowed, shaking her head.
“I’m just sayin’, girl!” Dee replied. “So, we gotta get you out of here before the police, or the FBI or whoever comes calling.”
Wrath of the Siafu- A SIngle Link Page 5