“Mr. Volt,” I said, trying to be polite when all I wanted to do was demand to know who took Brook. “Can you tell me what the man who took Brooklyn looked like?”
“Yes,” the older man said firmly. “I saw the whole thing. Brooklyn and Kurt came out of the building, I had a line so I was waiting for Brooklyn to get closer, my wife told me to make sure I gave her a free burrito today as a thanks. You know my wife’s green chili is her favorite. Anyway, she was standing in line smiling and I saw a man step in behind her. I noticed him because he had just gotten out of a van that pulled up. It looked like a delivery van and they usually pull in back not the front. He also left the side door open which was strange, in New York you can get your car stolen if you leave it open like that.”
“Can you describe the van?” I asked patiently.
“Of course,” the man said. “It was black and beaten up, you know like it had been in an accident or something. The front end was mashed up. The man wasn’t as tall as you, but he was muscular, black hair, and a mustache, and he was of Hispanic descent.”
The older man kept describing the man he saw but I already knew it was Hector, that fucking bastard. He was messing with my mind so when the fight came, either I wouldn’t show up and forfeit, or I would be distracted and he would win. Either way, the fucker was messing with me, and he was going to pay.
I looked and Tony was talking to a younger man who seemed to be upset, I assumed it was the co-worker. I pulled out my phone and called the gym, Michael was shutting down the shop so he could join in the search.
When my brother answered I said, “Get everyone in the streets looking for a black van, the front end is crunched. It was Hector, we need to find his hidey hole and fast.”
“You and Tony need to come back to the gym, I have something to tell you.”
Tony
Fin wasn’t going to like what I had to say but he was going to need to suck it up. Brooklyn was missing, and he needed to focus on the fight, it was the only thing we could do in order to close this fighting ring down. We needed to know where the fuck the fights were being held.
We were currently on the way back to the gym after gathering all of the statements and making sure that Mel was going to Brook’s apartment on the off chance he had taken her there.
“Why did Michael want us to come back there?” I asked frustrated, we seemed to be going backwards and not out finding our woman.
“He said it was important, and he didn’t want to tell me on the phone,” Fin said grimly and looked out the window.
The silence in the SUV was deafening and I finally said what I had wanted to say last night to Brooklyn.
“I love her.”
Fin nodded and turned to me, “I love her too.”
“We have to find her,” I said and then Fin put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.
“We will,” Fin said.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Fin
“You did what?” Tony roared loudly.
Kink held up his hand. “You can kick my ass later, right now, you need to be happy that Michael had actually thought about it. Brook doesn’t even know we put the special ink in her tat. It was smart really, Michael figured you would appreciate it.”
“I would have if I would have known you were tatting my woman. Where did she get the tat at, and if you say her breast I will punch you,” Tony said.
During the whole thing I had stayed quiet, from the first moment when my brother had told us that he had made sure when Brooklyn got her tattoo they had included the special ink in the tat.
This was going to be the first real test for the ink, because even though they had used it on people before and gotten good results, it only identified who was close to an area of interest, not the exact person who held the ink, then you had to narrow down from there. It had never actually been used to hunt for someone.
“I sent all the guys out with the equipment, it will only be a matter of time before we find her,” Mike said.
“Yeah, but how much time?” Tony said grimly.
“Not as much as you think. I’ve been working to perfect it, Brook is the first I have used it on. I was able to change the diameters and added to the ink so when it mixes with the recipient’s DNA it makes an identifiable marker for that individual. Mace is working on the computer program that Falon wrote originally and he’s making the proper adjustment to the codes needed to be able to read the marker. That will take a little time though, but he is working as fast as he can go. We still can search using the old way until then and at least we're making headway already to find her. One way or another we will find her,” Mike finished, looking between Tony and I.
I really wanted to kiss my brother.
Brooklyn
I opened my eyes slowly, damn, I had slept weird because everything was hurting right now. How strange, I stared at the yellow wall in front of my face and I frowned, I didn’t have a yellow wall.
I turned and groaned, yeah I hurt badly. The memories began to flood back and I stiffened. Oh crap, I’d been kidnapped. I tried to move my arms but they were tied behind my back. I moved my legs but they were tied together as well. Craptastic, this wasn’t a good way to prove I was safe at work. I’m pretty sure they will refuse to let me out of the house now. Freedom one day and prison the next. Nice way to build a relationship.
Where the heck was I, this small little room was disgusting. Trash littered the stained carpet and the windows had cardboard covering them. I heard someone at the door and looked up.
“Who are you? How long have I been here?” I asked the woman who looked a bit scary.
She paced into the room, running her hands up and down her arms and shivering. It wasn’t cold at all though—shit, she was tweaking. My mother told me about people who were going through withdrawal from crack, it was not a pretty sight, and this woman looked like she had been on it for a long time. Her face was broken out and she had sores on her arms, like she had been scratching at non-existent bug bites.
“Martina, my name is Martina, a day, you need to be quiet. Manny says if I keep you quiet while Hector is fighting I will get a bag,” the woman chattered absently. I wasn’t even sure she was answering me, or talking to herself, because she repeated it again as she was pacing.
“Okay,” I said softly. “I promise to be quiet, but my hands and arms are going numb, can you at least untie me?”
The woman stopped and shook her head. “No, I’m not to do anything but make sure you are quiet. No food, no water, no nothing,” she whispered.
Okay then, she was reciting what had been told to her. Wait, Martina? This was Brant’s mother? You have got to be kidding me, they had been searching for her and she had been in this shithole hiding out?
“You know Brant is out of the hospital,” I said, hoping to break through the haze of the withdrawals.
“Brant,” Martina said and looked down at me for the first time meeting my eyes. “Brant is my boy; he needs to get away from this. I’m no good for him. I don’t want this for him.”
Wow, at least she said that, “Can you tell me where I am?”
Martina frowned and shook her head. “No, Manny said this place is a secret, no one knows about it. I will be safe here. So will you, as long as you are quiet. One day down, one more to get a bag.”
Tony
I nodded to Fin who was on the phone, I was taping the conversation in case we needed it later.
“Hello?” the voice sneered.
“Hector,” Fin said. “Where is she?”
“Fin? Where is who?” he laughed.
“You know who, you son-of-a-bitch. Tell me where Brooklyn is and I will let this go, if you don’t? Tomorrow will only be the start of how I am gonna fuck with you,” Fin growled.
“Mi amigo, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You wanna play it this way? Fine. Just know that when the dust settles and we have Brook back, I will kill you,” Fin ground out.
I wa
ved my hand and nodded. I was tracing the call and hopefully Hector was near Brooklyn. We needed to try to narrow down the area we had to search. Mace hadn’t slept, he worked through the night on the program to read the improved ink. He was close but if we could be in the right vicinity when it got a hit, all the better.
“Now, now,” Hector said. “You should be worried about tomorrow more than a woman. If you make it out of the fight alive that is.” And he hung up on Fin.
“Damn it,” Fin said and threw his phone across the room.
“You need to trust me,” I said to Fin.
“I do, you know I do, but how the hell am I supposed to train knowing Brooklyn is out there?” Fin said, running a hand down his face. I knew this was hard for him, hell it was hard for me staying in the office monitoring the machines as the guys swept the streets of the Bronx.
“You have to,” I said grimly. “Because if we can’t find Brooklyn today, then you will need to make sure you are ready to go through with the fight tomorrow. No one has slept but you need to try, man.”
“Oh you don’t need to worry about that, I’ll be ready for that. I am ready for it,” Fin said and I looked at him. He was ready, I could see it in his eyes, amazing what pissed off does for one’s adrenaline.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Fin
Worry for Brook had taken its toll on us all. Having Kink and the others to lend a hand had worked in our favor. They’d hit the streets for two days, turning over every rock trying to locate her. I tried to get a couple of hours of last minute training in but gave up when I couldn’t concentrate on the most simplest of moves. Every available body was out looking for our woman and the gym was near empty expect for me, Tony, Falon, Poke, and Easy. Maxi and Numbers had checked in a few minutes ago and all was quiet at my parents’ house. The moms, Mia, and Ms. Maddie were contained, though worried for Brook, which at least was going to keep the dads away from the fight. I hadn’t wanted to tell them they couldn’t come but I’m glad they took it out of my hands and chose to stay home. Brant and the dads could give Maxi and Numbers a hand if something did go down at the house.
Waiting had never been a strength of mine. I always went for what I wanted. It’d worked out all my life so why stop now. I sat in the weight room by myself, pulling my scattered thoughts together. Focus, I needed focus, because if Brook wasn’t found before I had to fight, I wouldn’t fucking have it. However, I was in denial and I knew it, my focus was on the woman I loved and nothing else, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall and pictured Brook. What was she thinking right now? Did she know we loved her and were tearing apart the city looking for her? She had to, that was the bottom line, she had to know all of this, and we couldn’t do that if she were gone. Think of the plan, go through it again in my head, focus.
Tony and Falon would stand close to the ring and cover my back while Poke and Easy remained in the crowd, watching for anything out of place. Taylor and Harm would show up as spectators but stay in the background, keeping a look out for Manny. We’d know from the start Hector would never turn him over.
If all worked out well, the rest of the men and Mel would make an appearance. Every precaution had been taken so we all made it out and Hector had nothing else planned if it didn’t go his way. He probably should have that plan in place, he was going to need it. I would make sure he didn’t get his way.
“Fin?”
Not even bothering to open my eyes, I answered Tony, “Yeah.”
“You got this, bro.”
“I know I do.” I heard his footsteps as he walked away.
I opened my eyes when the quiet was broken by the ring of a cell phone, but I didn’t move.
“Yeah, okay,” Tony replied to whoever was on the other side of the call.
I watched as he turned and then walked back toward me again.
“Home Street, warehouse takes up the whole block, said we can’t miss it. One hour for the fight to start.”
“Okay, we leave in ten. Takes twenty to get to that area from here, we will be good.” Tony nodded and moved away from the door and I shut my eyes to bring Brook’s face back to the front of my mind.
“Ready to roll?” Poke asked as he headed for the door.
“More than ready,” I replied, rose and followed him out into the main part of the gym. Falon and Tony were the only ones coming with me to the fight. It had to be like that so they thought we weren’t searching for Brook at the same time. Stupid pricks weren’t too bright.
The drive wasn’t that long, like I said twenty minutes, but in that time I was able to get my focus because I couldn’t lose this fight, there was too much riding on it and I would be damned if Brook was rescued only to find out I lost against Hector. That would just be embarrassing. This little prick was going down, and I was gonna help him fall.
We arrived at the warehouse on Home Street, parked and went to the door, it opened and without a word some asshole motioned for us to follow. He led us through the sizeable crowd that was already in attendance straight to the cage set up in the middle of the warehouse’s floor. I looked closely at the cage and realized why no one could locate where the fights were being held, they weren’t held in the same place. The cage was collapsible and easily dismantled, giving it the ability to be moved quickly.
Tony stood to my right and Falon to my left as we gazed around the arena. “Okay then,” Falon said with a sarcastic voice. “Looks like we have totally been missing out on a lot of shit. This is not a small operation here.”
“Nope,” Tony said grimly. “Looks like they have been doing this a while.”
“Well tonight will be the last night if I can help it,” I said and then stared at the mat in the ring.
Even though this was an illegal fight, the cage brought that familiar tingle to my system. I felt each beat of my heart, the blood pumping through my veins, and the thought of the fight had me pumped and ready. Hector would pay for the two days of Brook being gone. The adrenaline rush I felt was more intense than when I fought legally, I needed to channel it and use it. I knew it would give me the upper hand with Hector. Never thought of losing or winning before my fights, but this one was different. I’d win. Losing was not an option. Not here.
Looking around the warehouse and at the crowd waiting for the little show to start, only showed me just how much the area needed people to step up and help if the neighborhood youth were ever going to have a chance to improve their lives. Did I honestly think that if I put Hector out of business that someone else wouldn’t come along taking over or even bringing some new illegal enterprise to my hometown? No. It would happen, but the difference would be that myself, my brothers, and our friends were back and we would continue to fight for the ones with dreams for a brighter future.
Hector’s lackey stepped up to me, telling me it was time and then told me to follow him. He opened the cage and stepped aside so I could enter, once inside he explained the rules, well the lack of rules I should say. Once the fight was ready to begin the cage door would shut, leaving Hector and me. No referee. Bare knuckle, anything goes, with the last man standing the winner. I heard a group of people cheer and my gaze went right to the other side of the cage. Hector was here.
“You have got to be kidding me. What a prick.” Falon pointed with a chin lift and Hector was working his way through the crowd, some were yelling “el toro.”
“Yeah, “bull” is fitting for Hector, but I don’t think he means it in the same way,” I said.
“A walk in the park,” Falon said just as Hector walked to his corner.
He bounced on his toes, his arm moves as if punching. The crowd was loud. I watched drugs being passed along with cash. Bets being made. Whomever Diablo was, he was racking it in. It made me sick that all of these people were the same ones who watched Brant fight, sick motherfuckers should all be fucking shot for doing that. He was just a kid.
“I just hope the package arrives before I finish him. I want to look into his eyes and wa
tch as the realization hits him that he has lost. And not just the match. Everything.” I glanced at Falon and Tony and they nodded in agreement.
Tony’s phone buzzed just then and he pulled it out of his pocket, “No shit,” he paused, “Getting ready now to start. I’ll tell him. See you in a few.” His eyes met mine as he hung up the phone.
“Tony?” Falon shoulder checked him.
I watched him let out a breath and then a smile grew, “Mace finished. It worked and three teams were close. So you stay focused on what you need to do with the knowledge that your brothers and your friends will make the delivery in plenty of time.” I nodded in agreement and turned my focus back on taking care of business.
Growing up, I never once lost against Hector. I didn’t plan to have the outcome of this fight end any different.
Showtime as Hector made his way to the center of the cage and I switched my focus to my opponent as we met in the middle. I was already looking over his body, calculating the moves I would use, mapping my technique out—mind in the mental zone as the bell dinged, signaling the beginning of the fight and Hector’s downfall.
Brooklyn
Martina grew more restless the longer we were locked up together. Hours ago I’d lost the feeling in my feet. I hoped I didn’t have to pee again. If I thought the room was nasty, it was nothing compared to the bathroom I had to use a little while ago. This had to be an abandoned house somewhere in the Bronx and was frequented by druggies. Because from the look of the dried vomit in the corners of the room, and the trash littered around, I certainly hope no one actually lived here. Especially since the smell, which kept making me gag, indicated there was something dead around here, I really didn’t want to verify that, so I didn’t ask. Not like the drugged out woman would answer, I am pretty sure she was currently in full scale withdrawal, and the symptoms seemed to be getting worse.
Vengeance: MMA/Ink Romance (KO Ink Book 1) Page 21