Page 64 of Dark Things
There’s no ref, but beside the cage is a table filled with weapons. Before the fight begins her opponent will select what to use. I’ll hand Reb’s hers while the other guy's handler does the same.
The announcer blasts his opening comments getting the crowd amped up. Gage steps through the crowd and looks over at us. He swallows and leans in to whisper to Reb. She stares at him for a moment before pursing her lips.
I don’t have time to ask what the fuck that was about when Gage shouts. “Blades,” before stepping into the ring.
I pick up a smaller knife and wait for Gage’s handler to pick up one a bit longer. We both climb up the steps and I hand Reb hers. She looks down at it and sighs.
“You got this,gioia mia. I’ll start on the other situation as soon as the bell sounds,” I say.
“You’ve got twenty minutes before I end him. I’ll drag it out as long as I can so Stan can have his show. Just get him the fuck out of here.”
I step out of the ring and wait by her corner. The bell rings, and Gage starts to circle her.
He looks pissed. I’d be pissed, too, if I was sentenced to die.
She stands still in the middle of the ring, watching him, even giving him her back before he makes hismove. He tries to catch her by surprise, but she ducks forward, spinning on one foot and slamming the other into his thigh and making him stumble.
Keeping her distance, she waits for him to make the next move. He lunges for her, but she’s too quick. She lashes out and slices his arm. It’s a shallow cut but bleeds down his arm. He growls and comes at her harder. She blocks him, but takes a slice to the shoulder before punching him in the face and breaking his nose.
Making sure no one is paying attention, I fade back into the crowd and start my search. The crowd is screaming, not looking at what I’m doing. I see a shock of russet hair, and immediately know it’s Staff. I move through people, pushing as I go. No one stops me, but I hear a couple of ‘fuck yous’.
Staff’s standing in front of Brooks, who looks like he’s ready to kill someone. I guess if he knew who it was he’d be fighting it would be a different expression on his face.
I walk around Staff and Brooks notices me. His head snaps up, and he glances behind me before turning his attention to the ring. Before I say anything, he curses.
“You have to leave,” I say. Colt and Staff turn to me and stop mid sentence.
“We can’t. Brooks is fighting tonight,” Colt says.
“Did you see who’s in the fucking ring?” I snap.
All three turn toward the ring and watch the fightfor a moment. Reb’s mid jump as she slices her blade down in an arc, stabbing Gage in the clavicle.
“What the fuck,” Staff says. “Why is Reb in that ring right now? You need to get her the fuck out.”
“Because she’s the title champion, and Brooks is her next match.”
I let the words sink in for a moment, watching for their reaction. Brooks is immobile. His huge body thrumming with energy, and it’s not the good kind.
“No!” he shouts, causing other people to turn around.
I march up to him, and get in his face. He’s only a couple of inches taller than me, but I meet his eyes. “Leave, now. Make up some bullshit excuse and get the fuck out. She won’t be able to fight you.”
The color drains from his face, eyes flicking up to the ring before looking back down at me. “I can’t.” His voice is shaky.
I turn to Colter and Staff seeing what they have to say, but nothing comes out. Colt tugs at his hair spinning around.
“Brooks made a deal. He has to fight, or shit is about to go down, and we aren’t prepared to deal with the fallout. This is so fucked.”
“Listen to me. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it. Just go,” I say.
“There’s no way out of this. It’s part of the debt,” Staff says, biting his lip. “If we don’t give them what they want, it won’t just be us whosuffers.” He pushes his glasses up with his middle finger and takes out his phone, checking for something.
The crowd roars, and I spin around to see the blade sticking out of Gage’s neck as he goes down. Blood sprays all over Reb, but she just stands there looking down at the body.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she turns to look for me, but I’m not there.
“Take me. Give me to Mario. I’m worth more than a fight,” I say, the words coming out of my mouth before I can really think about them.
