by Tess Oliver
The dim light in the room splintered into sporadic patches of brightness as I struggled to get air back into my lungs and oxygen back to my head.
In a blur of motion, the massive man dove for Barrett. Fist hit bone and a groan of pain followed. I used the wall to get back to my feet. My vision cleared just as the guy slammed Barrett down over the bed. Barrett threw his elbow back and hit the guy square in the jaw, but it did little to stop the beast.
One of the other men ran over to hold Barrett down. Barrett yelled and twisted in their grasp. I’d promised him nothing would happen to him, and now I was pissed as hell. The third guy spun around toward me. As far as I was concerned, this was done. In fighting, when someone pours it on to end a match and win the decision, we call it swinging for the fences. After the shitty ass day we’d had and with no food or sleep or certainty of a future, I’d gone over the fence. I was standing on the edge of hell.
“You fucking assholes!” My fingers grabbed his shirt. I pounded his face until I was holding him up by just the fabric. I could no longer feel the bones of his nose or cheeks as I pulverized his face. For a brief second in time, I was twelve again, hiding in my room imagining what I would do to my dad if I’d been able to. Warm blood sprayed my arm and face. Then Barrett’s yell pulled me out of the state of rage I’d fallen into. Killing the guy was only going get me a bullet to my head.
I released the guy. He crumpled to the floor. I flew at the guy holding Barrett down and threw my forearm around his neck. I used my other hand to tighten my hold like a vice. The guy clawed at my forearm trying to get free and then he pounded on the side of the cot. “There is no tapping out in this fight, you sonavabitch.”
Barrett threw his elbow back against the giant again. This time he struck him in the throat. The creep stumbled back as he struggled to suck in a breath, his pants half open and his face red as a tomato. Barrett jumped up and shoved the giant man back with all his strength. He fell back like a bear that had been hit with a tranquilizer gun. The man I held had gone limp in my choke hold. I dropped him to the floor like a sack of shit.
The big man was temporarily stunned, so I took advantage. He was stretched out on the piss stained floor staring up at me with his bloodshot eyes. I brought the heel of my shoe down for an axe kick on his face. He rolled over onto his side, whining in pain. Then I kicked him in the gut until my leg was sore from it.
A hand grabbed my arm, and, in my fury, I pulled my arm back to throw my fist again.
“No! Dray, it’s me.”
Barrett’s had blood coming from the side of his swollen mouth, and the color of his skin matched the pale color of his hair. “The cell is open. Let’s get out of here.”
We climbed over the three heaps of moaning flesh and stepped into the corridor. The door to the office had swung shut, and the windowless passage was nearly pitch black. Thin streams of light seeped beneath the door. We headed toward it.
My hand ached as I reached for the doorknob and then something cold and hard pressed tightly against my temple. I released the knob and shut my eyes, waiting for the gun to explode against my head.
“No,” Barrett said urgently behind me. “They attacked us. They came inside. . .” His voice trailed off as it dawned on him that the guy had no idea what he was saying.
My heart was beating so fast I was sure I could hear it echoing off the brick walls of the hallway. For several long seconds, I waited for death, wondering briefly what it was going to feel like to have my brains splinter apart in my skull.
Then the gun was lowered. I looked over. It was Rico. Even in the shadowy darkness, I could see his expression. But it wasn’t the rage I’d expected. It was something completely different, but I couldn’t quite figure it out. With his pistol, he motioned us back toward the cell.
His three cronies were just pushing up to sitting when we reached it. I was sure Rico would push us back inside and lock us in with them. It was obvious he’d been watching the whole thing, and he’d never tried to stop it. He might just have been sadistic enough to want to see more.
He yelled an angry command to his men. With amazing speed for three men who’d just taken one hell of a beating, they got to their feet. The man I’d taken my fist to pressed his shirt against his nose. It was black with blood. All three, including the ugly giant, stared down at the ground like scolded kids as they stumbled past us. We were motioned inside, and the door slammed shut behind us.
My shoes slipped in the blood and spit on the ground. Barrett and I found one dry spot along the wall and sat down. For one fleeting moment, it looked like we were going to be free of this place. If we’d made it out the door, I would have run straight for the fucking airport without ever looking back. Darkness surrounded us again, and the bitter smell of blood mixed with the sour smell of piss.
A short laugh came up from my chest. “Maybe a bullet to the head wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Barrett said quietly. “Fucking hell, Dray, fucking hell.” His voice cracked as he spoke.
“Yeah.” I rested my head back against the brick and closed my eyes.
Chapter 23
Dray
Birds chirped cheerily outside the small window. I’d only taken a few hits, but I’d given plenty and my body ached as if I’d been in a three day tournament. Sleeping propped up against a brick wall hadn’t helped. My stomach knotted with emptiness.
Barrett was slumped over and his head was pressed against the side of the cot. Color had returned to his face. Dried blood was smeared across his swollen bottom lip and chin.
Voices rumbled behind the office door and it swung open. Rico walked into the corridor with a grease stained paper bag and two paper cups. I’d been so focused on the food, I hadn’t noticed the person who’d walked in behind him.
Barrett sat up with a start. “Pete, what are you doing here?”
His friend stepped out from Rico’s shadow.
“I’m here to translate,” Pete said. “Rico came out to get me this morning.” Pete looked over at me. “He has a deal to make with Dray.”
I pushed to my feet. “A deal?”
Rico handed me the paper cups through the bars. They were steaming hot with coffee. Then he pushed through the bag. I looked questioningly at Pete.
“It’s good stuff from the local bakery, pan dulce. The coffee is safe too.”
I pulled out a large loaf of sweet bread and handed the bag and a cup to Barrett. I ripped off a piece and shoved it into my mouth. I was so damn hungry, I would have eaten the thing even without Pete’s reassurance.
Pete looked over at Barrett. “You look like crap, Mason. I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”
Barrett shook his head and swallowed a big mouthful. “Not your fault. Did you talk to my brother?”
“I left a message. The reception is pretty sketchy out on the coast, so I’m not completely sure he got it.”
“Shit. Well, thanks for trying.”
I took a big gulp of coffee. It tasted better than I’d expected. “So, what’s this deal?”
Pete moved closer to the bars. “Apparently last night, Rico saw you beat the crap out of his three guards.”
“Those were his guards?” Barrett asked.
“Those clowns?” I asked. “Why weren’t they armed? Too stupid to carry guns?”
Pete looked over at Rico, and the looks they shot each other proved that Rico understood plenty of English.
Pete smiled. “Yeah, sort of. He makes them lock up their guns when they’re drinking because one night, Junior, the giant, ugly guy, accidentally shot himself in the leg.”
I swallowed another bite of bread. It nearly stuck in my parched throat. “Too bad it wasn’t his head. That big ugly beast is called Junior? I’d hate to see Senior.”
“I’d say you’re lucky that Rico makes them lock up their guns. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure you two wouldn’t still be standing here this morning.”
“Back t
o the deal,” Barrett said, obviously anxious to change the topic from last night’s events. “Are we going to get out of here, or what?”
“Rico wants you to compete in a fight. He runs a competition at a sleazy little place in town. It attracts big money. He wants to put you up against a top-rated fighter. He figures people will bet against you.”
“Then I win and Rico sweeps in mounds of cash. I get it. But I can’t imagine that it would be a clean fight.” I looked at Rico. “No offense, but there isn’t much about this whole operation that seems the slightest bit legitimate.”
Rico seemed to be processing what I said. He said something to Pete.
“He promises there will be rules. The spectators have to check guns and knives at the door.”
“Shit, that’s reassuring.”
“Forget it, Dray,” Barrett said. “Too dangerous.”
“What are we going to do, Rett? Rot here in this jail cell?” I turned to Pete. “When is the fight?”
“Two days,” Rico answered with a thick accent.
“I’ll do it only if I get better food, a clean bed and Barrett is released.”
“No way, Dray. I’m not leaving you in here alone.”
“Listen, Rett, when you get out of here, you go into Mazatlan and call Clutch. I think we’ll still need his help to get out of this.”
Barrett shook his head. “There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you alone in here.”
“I’m not planning on staying long.” I looked at Rico. “After the fight, after I win, I’m free? Do I have your word?”
Rico nodded. “Si.”
Pete spoke to him and then turned to me. “If you win, you’ll be free.”
“But what if he loses?” Barrett asked.
“I’ll just have to make sure I win.”
***
The two men I’d come close to killing never lifted their faces as they carried in a small bed with a mattress that was only slightly less stained than the cot. I sat against the wall and watched them. I’d really done a number on the guy with my fist. There was no way he was pulling any air through his flattened nose. I almost felt a pang of guilt and then I reminded myself of the goal behind their late night visit. Junior must have crawled back into his giant’s lair in the side of the mountain. I was just as glad not to see his ugly face.
It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Barrett to leave me behind, but I’d finally managed to convince him that it was better to have him on the outside. He made immediate plans to travel to Mazatlan and get in contact with Clutch. At this point, I wasn’t completely sure what Clutch could do except offer money, but it seemed Rico had already devised a plan to get money for his prisoner without asking for bail.
Halfway through the long day of solitude, Rico had delivered a surprisingly tasty steak and beer, and I’d eaten as if it was both the first and last meal of my life. I’d spent the morning doing a makeshift workout. I had no way to train, so I pretended to spin a jump rope between my fingers. I’d held my breath and used the gross smelling cot as a place to brace my hands for push-ups. I’d done it more to keep myself from going stir crazy than for a workout. I had no idea what kind of opponent I would be facing in Rico’s sketchy fight, but I had to be ready for anything. Rico may have promised some rules, but I was pretty sure they weren’t going to be worth a damn.
My hand felt completely healed and stronger than ever with a piece of titanium holding everything in place. If only the rest of my body had been held together with metal then I wouldn’t have had to worry about heading into a fight that might prove to be my last.
The two men dropped the bed in the center of the floor and slammed the cell door shut behind them. I flopped down on the creaky bed, too tired to care about how gross it looked and smelled. It was hard to calculate the passage of time when you were stuck in a brick box, but the shadows had moved across the cell and daylight seemed to be fading fast.
I stuck my hands beneath my head hoping they would act as a barrier to any bugs that might be crawling in the mattress. As it always did when I was alone, my mind drifted back to Cassie, but I fought not to think about her. I didn’t want to think about her while I was in this shitty jail cell. It reminded me too much of how much better off she was without me.
I dozed off just long enough for the sun to set and a layer of sweat to drench my back. The door to the office opened and a light switch flicked on. A fluorescent yellow color flooded the dark cell as I sat up and scrubbed my hair. It stood up on my head. I would have given anything for a shower and toothbrush.
Rico, Pete and the man who’d gotten the better end of the deal by only suffering my choke hold came walking into the corridor. A massive shadow filled the doorway, and I braced myself for a visit from Junior. But the giant figure who moved into the corridor was not the monster from that first night. It was Clutch. His massive shoulders tightened with tension as he approached the bars. Then Nix stepped out from behind him.
Emotions rarely left me speechless, but I was so damn relieved to see them I could hardly get the words out. “Holy shit, please tell me I’m awake and you guys are real.”
I walked toward them, and as I drew closer I noticed that Rico was holding the gun that normally sat in his holster.
Pete seemed to have noticed my look of shock. “Your friend, Clutch, is a little intimidating. I think Rico has decided to keep his gun close.”
Clutch’s jaw tightened. “He’d better be fucking scared because I’m just one wrong word away from tearing off some heads.” He stared hard at Rico and the man actually tightened his grip on his weapon and took a step back. “Yeah, you better fucking take a step back.”
Nix looked around at the cell behind me. “Christ, Dray, what a hell hole.”
“Not exactly a five star hotel. Where’s Rett?”
“He’s in a five star hotel,” Clutch said dryly. “We decided not to bring him back down here in case this bonehead decided to throw him back in jail.” He paused and looked over at Pete. “Can you ask this guy if he and his puny bodyguard can at least give us a little space? I mean he searched us already, so I don’t think he has much to worry about.”
Pete said something to Rico and his leathery face twisted in consideration. Then he nodded to the other man, and they moved down to the end of the corridor, Rico’s gun still tight in his hand.
“How is Rett?” I asked.
Clutch sighed. “He’s been strangely quiet since he got to the hotel. I think this whole thing might have finally scared some sense into him.”
It was hard to know how much Barrett had told Clutch, but from the expression on his face, he’d heard enough. “Yeah, well, things almost got pretty damn ugly in here the other night.”
Clutch nodded, which assured me he knew everything that had gone on. “He’s lucky you were with him. Barrett said you hit a guy who was beating the crap out of a girl.”
My shoulders shook with a silent laugh. “Yeah,” I leaned my head toward Rico, “his son, of course. My awesome streak of bad luck remains unbroken. I’m an idiot. I should have just—”
“No, you’re not an idiot. You did the right thing,” Clutch said.
“Any other decent man would have done the same thing,” Nix said. “You just happen to have a much more effective jab than most.”
Clutch glanced briefly at Rico. “What’s this about a fight? I can’t even get this prick to negotiate a sum for your release.”
It was probably stupid because I was still on the wrong side of the iron bars, but just seeing Nix and Clutch had lifted some of the heavy feeling that had been pressing on my soul all day.
“I’m going to fight some guy who everyone will be placing money on and then I’m supposed to come in as the underdog and win.”
“None of that sounds good, Dray. We need to figure something else out,” Nix said.
“The fight is tomorrow night. If the rules aren’t too dirty, I can win it. Then we’ll all head out of here on the next flight.”
&nb
sp; Clutch stepped closer. Rico watched his every move.
“Maybe he thinks you’re going to bend the bars of the cell.” I looked up at Clutch. “You can’t, can you?” I asked hopefully.
“If I could then they would be wrapped around his neck right now.” Clutch lowered his voice and Nix leaned in to listen. “Win or lose, we’re going to get you out of there. Once you’re out of here, you’re free, as far as I’m concerned. We’ll just have to wait for the right opportunity.” He straightened. “By the way, you stink.”
“I know. This hotel doesn’t provide many luxuries or any of those mini shampoos. Maybe I can just kill my opponent with bad breath. I guess Scottie and Taylor know where I am, huh? Of course they do. Why else would you two have had to come down here.” I looked at them both. “Do me a favor and don’t let Cassie know.”
They exchanged a look that let me know it was too late.
“Shit.”
“Sorry, Dray,” Nix said. “Cassie just happened to call Scotlyn right after I found out…” Nix stopped and seemed to be considering whether or not to tell me more. “Cass said she’d had a bad dream, and she was worried about you. That connection between you two hasn’t faded.”
I shook my head. “No, she just knows that I always get in trouble. The odds were pretty much in favor of something like this happening.” I made a good show of pretending that his last statement hadn’t gone straight into my heart.
Rico said something to Pete. From the look on the man’s wrinkled face, he’d had enough of my friends, especially the giant one.