The Fighter

by Leslie Georgeson

  Bile threatened its way up my throat as I glanced back down into the octagon. This couldn’t be happening. They would kill Jacob. Kenny had no intention of letting Jacob leave alive. He probably had an entire army of fighters waiting to enter the octagon. He would keep sending them in and sending them in until they finally killed Jacob.

  I had to stop this. I had to. But how?

  Unable to look away from the scene unfolding below, I watched as the guards removed Jacob’s shackles and stepped back, their guns pointed at him.

  I let out a snort. They were afraid of him.

  His opponents all bounced up and down as they eyed him, waiting for the signal to begin. The referee glanced from Jacob to his opponents, then jerked his arm down and shouted, “Fight!”

  The crowd went wild as the ten men all surrounded Jacob, trapping him in the center. I stepped closer to the window, half-leaning out next to Kenny as I tried to see what was happening.

  Then two of the men rushed at him. Jacob spun swiftly, his foot crunching into one man’s face. Hard. There was a distinctive thwack! as the man’s head jerked back so violently, he went limp, sprawling backward onto the mat in a heap. He was either dead or knocked out. I wasn’t sure which. The referee slipped in and dragged the man’s body out of the way.

  That left nine.

  Come on, Jacob. Do whatever you have to do.

  Without stopping his movements, Jacob spun and struck the second man, knocking him back with swift martial arts moves that sent the man stumbling backward into the fence. The man shook his head, blood dripping from his nose, then glared at Jacob. Jacob waved him closer, daring him to continue.

  The other eight fighters moved forward, surrounding Jacob warily, while the injured one pushed himself away from the fence and rejoined the fight.

  Kenny cackled. “Oooh! This is gonna be good! Take him out!” he screamed out the window. “Take him out!”

  Then, in a rush, all nine men attacked.

  I gasped as they flew at Jacob. I wanted to look away, but I was too afraid to close my eyes for even a second. If Jacob wanted to live, he would have to become the phantom.

  There was a sudden blur of movement, grunts and groans, smacking sounds. Then Jacob’s opponents fell back onto the mat one by one. Drop. Drop. Drop.

  The crowd roared and screamed and whistled, bustling closer, pushing against the ropes to get a better view.

  Then Jacob was left standing in the center of the octagon, breathing heavily. With bodies all around him. He lifted his head toward the window where Kenny and I leaned out.

  “I won, you motherfucker!” he shouted. “Now let my kid go!”

  Kenny snickered. He swiped his phone. “Send out the next group. Yeah. All of them.”

  My heart seized. I grabbed Kenny’s arm. “No! You can’t do this! He won fair and square!”

  Ignoring me, Kenny turned back to Jacob and shouted out the window, “The fight has only just begun! We’re only on round two!”

  Two of the guards kept Tasers pointed at Jacob in warning. Jacob sent Kenny a murderous look as the guards dragged the bodies away and another group of men entered the octagon. I counted them again.

  Fifteen.

  Terror clogged my throat. I couldn’t breathe. Gasping, I leaned against the window ledge, unable to look away as the next group of men attacked Jacob. Again, Jacob turned into the phantom and with a blur of motion, took all the men out. It was brutal. Violent. Bloody. Jacob didn’t come away unscathed. Blood oozed down his temple. He was breathing heavily now. Obviously growing winded. It was amazing he was even still standing.

  Come on, Jacob. Don’t let them win.

  The guards dragged the bodies away and the next group entered the ring. It went on this way for two more rounds, with Kenny increasing the number of opponents each time.

  Jacob was tiring. After the fourth round, he dropped to his knees, his chest rising and falling with his rapid breaths. Blood dripped from his face, landing onto the mat beneath him. There was no way to know the extent of Jacob’s injuries from this distance, but it was obvious he was hurt.

  Kenny chuckled. “He’s lasting longer than I expected. If he survives the final round, I may just decide to keep him and use him again.” He picked up his phone and swiped the screen, “Send in the final group!”

  The crowd went wild again as the last group of men entered the ring. Only five of them this time. But they were all huge, muscle-bound giants, not normal-sized men. Jacob wasn’t a small man by any means, but these new opponents were massive. Beefy pitbulls against a sleek greyhound.

  The breath caught in my throat. Jacob wouldn’t win this round. He was weakening, while these brutes were fresh. He’d already taken out nearly fifty men. Anyone could see he had reached the end of his endurance.

  I grabbed Kenny’s arm. “Please, don’t do this. They’ll kill him. Please, I beg you.”

  Kenny shrugged my hand off. “Just shut up and watch. This last round is going to be the best.”

  The five giant men surrounded Jacob where he knelt in the center of the octagon. He slowly lifted his head, but he didn’t look at his opponents. He tilted his head farther back until he was looking up at Kenny. I wasn’t sure, but I thought maybe his gaze shifted to me.

  Then he climbed to his feet.

  And the fight was on.

  The five men rushed at him, fists swinging, legs kicking out. Jacob went down in the middle of them. I screamed in fear, leaning farther out of the window, my heart in my throat.

  Get up, Jacob. Fight them off. Please.

  One man stumbled back, slamming into the fence. The other four kept pounding at Jacob, kicking, punching, hitting.

  I let out a soft groan of horror and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t watch them kill him. The crowd screamed and chanted, “Fighter, Fighter, Fighter!”

  Then a sudden hush fell over the building. I jerked my eyes open, staring down into the octagon. One of the men rose to his feet, lifting Jacob’s limp body by his arm. He shook Jacob like a ragdoll, waving him at the crowd.

  Dread settled into my stomach. My chest constricted so tightly, it cut off my breath. I gasped, sucking in air.

  They’d killed him.

  No! God, please no!

  Tears swam in my eyes. My throat clogged with emotion.

  They’d killed him.

  I let out a sob.

  Kenny had grown silent and still next to me, obviously as stunned as everyone else. Had he thought Jacob would win, even after all that? How could anyone survive all that?

  There was a slight shift of movement in the octagon.

  Then a sudden blur.

  And Jacob disappeared.

  Another flash as Jacob bolted over the fence.

  Gasps erupted from the crowd. The brute who had been holding Jacob turned in a slow circle, confusion crossing his face. “What the fuck!” he shouted. “Where’d he go?”

  The spectators murmured amongst themselves, glancing all around.

  “There!” Someone cried. “He’s over there!”

  I jerked my gaze around the room until I found what everyone was gaping at.

  Jacob leaned against the wall across from the octagon, breathing heavily, bloody, battered, seriously wounded. His left arm hung limply at his side. A dislocated shoulder? A broken arm?

  My heart slammed into my ribs, coming to life with a jolt. He was still alive! He’d escaped!

  Kenny let out a snarl. “Get him!” he screamed out the window. “Don’t let him get away!”

  The crowd parted as Kenny’s men thundered toward Jacob, shoving people aside in their haste to get to him. Jacob stayed where he was, his head lowered, in obvious pain. My heart squeezed. I couldn’t look away, terrified they would kill him now.

  Kenny’s men surrounded Jacob. Tasers came out. Guns lifted.

  My heart pounded.

  Don’t hurt him anymore. Please.

  A Taser went off.

  Jacob dropped to the floor and didn
’t move.

  “Fuck!” Kenny spun away from the window and hobbled toward the door on his prosthetic legs. “Chain him up!” he hissed into his phone. “Quickly! Then lock him back in his cell! Do not let him get away!” The door slammed as Kenny went out.

  “Show’s over everyone!” a man shouted from below. “Time to go home!”

  The crowd began disbursing and heading for the door, talking excitedly amongst themselves. I could imagine they would talk about this for years to come, because it was unlikely they would ever see anything like it ever again.

  Shaking, I glanced back out of the window in time to see Kenny’s men dragging Jacob away. In chains. Kenny hobbled across the warehouse, heading toward his men as they hauled Jacob off.

  The crowd was thinning out.

  If I was going to escape. Now was my chance.

  I ran to the door and turned the handle.

  Locked. Kenny had locked me in. Crap.

  I raced back to the window and looked down.

  It wasn’t very high up. Maybe ten or twelve feet. But still a long drop, especially in a dress and heels.

  I glanced back in the direction where Kenny had gone, but he’d disappeared, along with his guards and Jacob.

  I yanked the shoes off and tossed them aside. Then I climbed over the window ledge and hung, suspended for several seconds.

  Let go, Anna. Hurry, before someone sees you.

  Drawing in a deep breath for courage, I let go.

  And dropped.

  I rolled as soon as I hit the hard concrete, but my left ankle still twisted with pain as I struck the floor. Scrambling to my feet, I hobbled into the crowd, limping on my twisted ankle, trying to blend in, as everyone headed for the exit. I cast a final glance back at Kenny’s office. A guard stood outside of the door. Watching the crowd.

  Then he spotted me.

  Shit. Knowing the red dress would stand out like a beacon in the night, I dove into the throng of bodies.

  I had to escape.

  This was my only chance.

  Shouts came from behind me. The guard was telling the others.

  The mob moved forward, and I was swept along with the crash of bodies. I had to get out of here. I had to escape.

  Then, suddenly, I was outside.

  Free.

  People began hurrying away, some climbing into cars, others rushing down the dark sidewalk.

  I slipped around the corner of the building and paused to catch my breath, trying to ignore the flame of pain in my ankle.

  I’ll be back, Jacob. Hang in there. Please don’t die.

  Then I darted forward, joining a group of people who were heading west.

  I was going to find the other dregs.

  And bring them back for Jacob.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Jacob

  The pain was overwhelming. A pulsing, continuous throb of agony. Everywhere. I felt myself drifting in and out of consciousness, darkness all around, my vision coming and going in waves, sounds flowing in and around me. I was spiraling through a tunnel, faster and faster.

  Voices.

  A rattling sound. Chains?

  A loud clang.

  Then silence.

  Cold.

  I let the pain suck me away, let the darkness drag me under.

  And then I was in another time, another place.

  In the past…

  Gunfire jerked me awake.

  Hands gripped my shoulders, holding me down. Strong hands.

  “Hold him still, Gordon. I need to try to seal the wound.”

  Gordon’s craggy, bearded features came into view as he leaned over me, pressing harder against my shoulders.

  Movement to my right caused me to jerk my gaze in that direction. Nate knelt beside me. “Lie still, Jacob. You were shot in the neck.”

  I blinked, tried to speak, but Nate shook his head.

  “No. Don’t try to talk. Your throat is mangled. Just hold still. We’re going to get you out of here.” He pressed something against the front of my neck.

  Movement behind Nate caught my eye as Ralph stepped forward and looked down at me, his worried gaze latching onto mine. “Hang in there, partner. Nate will fix you up in no time.” Ralph’s presence alone helped me to relax. He always had my back.

  Gordon leaned forward again, peering down at me. “If I let go, will you stay still?”

  I blinked a “yes” and he leaned back, letting go of my shoulders. Nate lifted the rag and inspected the wound, making a sound in his throat. “Fuck,” he whispered.

  Nate’s words came back to me then.

  You were shot in the neck.

  Panic flashed through me. Was I paralyzed? I gently lifted my right arm, then my left. They both worked. I lifted my left foot, then my right.

  Not paralyzed.

  “Hold still!” Nate ordered.

  I swallowed, but something felt wrong. My throat muscles didn’t seem to be working right. A grinding sound made its way up my neck. Then pain. Fierce. Blinding-white hot. I tried to gasp in a breath, but no air came in from my mouth. Instead, it siphoned in with a gurgling sound from the wound in my throat. It wasn’t enough oxygen. I needed air. I gasped again, struggling to breathe. Another small trickle of air gurgled in through my neck.

  “Fuck,” Nate swore again. “I’ll need to do a tracheostomy or he’ll suffocate.” Nate turned away, then came back with a thin, clear tube in his hand. “Don’t move, Jacob. Try not to breathe while I insert the tube in your neck.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to relax. But the pressure in my lungs was tight. I needed to breathe. And soon.

  I felt a sudden relief of the pain as Nate pressed his palm against my throat, his healing touch taking the pain away. Then a slight pressure in my neck as he inserted the tube.

  “Just a little longer,” Nate murmured. “Almost got it.”

  My lungs were growing tight. Needing air. I had to breathe.

  Nate pressed his palm against my throat again, cauterizing the wound closed. A burned-skin smell filled the air. Nate leaned back, dabbing at my neck with a rag.

  “Okay. Try to breath now.”

  I sucked in a breath.

  This time, air came in from the tube in my neck, filling my lungs. I breathed out, then in again through the hole.

  “He’s stable. Let’s get him out of here!” Nate rose.

  Suddenly Tracker was there. He and Gordon gently rolled me onto a makeshift stretcher. Then the other dregs moved around me, Noah and Logan bending to lift the stretcher at one end, Ryan and Luke at the other. We moved out, with Tony and Nate in the lead. Tracker and Gordon took up the rear. Ralph walked at my side, his gaze constantly darting to me, monitoring my condition. Monte and Pablo went wide, circling around us, watching for threats. They all protected me, carrying me in between them. Keeping me safe.

  We moved forward as one. A team.

  Sounds of gunfire erupted all around us.

  My head spun as the movement of the stretcher jostled me around.

  I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I couldn’t remember where we were or what had happened.

  Didn’t matter.

  My dreg brothers were here. They would save me. They would get me out of here. They would risk their own lives to make sure I made it back in one piece.

  They had my back to the bitter end.

  That had been my last thought before the darkness dragged me under...

  I gasped and jerked awake, the memory from the past slowly fading away.

  Cold seeped into my bones. I shivered, huddling into a ball on a hard, concrete floor. I hurt everywhere, my skin sticky with blood. I barely held back a whimper of pain. God, it hurt.

  I tried to move, but more pain spiraled through me, so I lay still, panting, trying to remember what had happened.

  Then memories flashed through my mind.

  A screaming crowd.

  Angry faces.

  Swinging fists.

  Painful blows.
r />   Bodies hurtling at me, then dropping as I took them out.

  Anna, watching from above, her face white with terror.

  And that bastard Kenny, smirking, as he brought in yet another round of fighters...

  I groaned, clutching my throbbing head. What had happened? Did I win? If I’d lost, I would surely be dead, right?

  I drew in several deep, painful breaths. I had broken ribs, at least a few. Numerous bruises. And from the amount of pain, likely some internal injuries, as well. I might well bleed to death internally before morning.

  I blinked, glancing around.

  I was back in the cell.

  Anna.

  My chest squeezed painfully. Was she okay? Had she escaped?

  Had Kenny raped her?

  No.

  I gasped again as more pain spiraled through me. I curled tighter into a ball, trying to stay warm, trying to ignore the pain.

  Anna had to get away. She had to. If she didn’t, I would die in here. And who would save Hazel?

  My heart squeezed tighter, thinking of sweet, precious little Hazel. The child I didn’t deserve. I vowed if I survived this nightmare, I would be a better father to her. I lay still as possible and concentrated hard on our connection, trying to feel her in some way. It was faint at first, then stronger. She wasn’t suffering physically in any way, which was a relief, but she was still scared and confused. I hoped she couldn’t feel my physical pain. It would be too much for a child to bear.

  It’s okay, sweet girl. Daddy’s not far. I will find you soon. Be brave. Be strong. Just a little longer. I promise.

  I didn’t know if she heard my words, but I sent them to her anyway.

  A sudden coughing fit wracked my lungs. The pain was so overwhelming that I nearly passed out again. At last, the coughing seized, leaving the taste of blood in my mouth, on my lips. Definitely internal injuries. How much longer did I have?

  Anna will get away. She’ll bring my dreg brothers back. They’ll save me.

  They had my back to the bitter end.

  Did they? Doubt filled my mind.