Chapter 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nisqually Pines was referred to by locals as merely “The Pines,” Snake had told them. It was a dark and seedy community just outside of Yelm. The residential neighborhoods seemed old and tired, with aged, barely standing barns, rusted cars mounted on blocks, and unkempt yards throughout.

The sun was just beginning to set, giving the area an even gloomier look.

“Nisqually Pines,” Wolf said. “It seems like such a pleasant name for an area so run down.”

“Yeah,” Snake said. “From the name, you’d never know the area is better known for its meth labs than its family parks.”

 “So, Barkley runs his fight club out of this town?” Trevor asked.

“Yes, there’s an old abandoned warehouse about two miles down the road,” Snake said. “Barkley is expecting us. Leave your weapons in the truck. We’ll all get patted down. No guns, clubs, or knives allowed inside. Just fists and money.”

“There’s a truck safe behind the seat,” Trevor said.

Four minutes later Trevor pulled into a dark empty lot and approached an old rusted gated fence. The building looked dark and abandoned though there was a soft amber glow which appeared to be coming from the back of the structure. There were muffled crowd noises too, sounding like the crowd at a football game being played in the distance.

“Where is everyone?” Trevor asked. “I don’t see anyone or any cars.”

“The fights started an hour ago,” Snake said. “There’s an underground parking garage in the back. Once the fights begin, no one gets in and no one leaves until they are over.”

“It’s kind of eerie out here,” Trevor said. “What happens now?”

“I’ll be right back,” Snake said. He popped out of the truck and approached the gate, pressing the buzzer on a speaker that Trevor had a tough time believing actually functioned.

“Who’s there?” a gruff electronic voice called out over the speaker. “Fights have already started. Admission is closed. Go home.”

“My name is Snake Jackson,” came the reply. “I’m here to see Baby Barkley. He knows I’m coming.”

“I don’t know anyone one named Snake,” the voice on the speaker said.

“What’s important is that Barkley knows me,” Snake said. “He’s expecting me. Go check it out. I’ll wait.”

“Hold on,” came the reply.

All three men looked inside the fenced area. From outward appearances, the building looked completely abandoned. There were no outside lights, no vehicles within sight, no lights coming from the widows of the building. The building itself looked dilapidated. It was a 4-story concrete building, which reminded Trevor of an old prison. Even with nightfall coming, Wolf could see that all the windows facing the road had been painted black. It was an old black ops trick. It helped make an occupied building look abandoned.

After about 90-seconds, the speaker came back on, “Okay, I’ll buzz you through. Pull your truck around back. Kill your lights. You’ll see a parking garage. Pull on in and park. Go through the big double doors. The man at the door is Teddy. Tell him you’re there to see Barkley. He’ll see to it.”

“Thanks, man, I appreciate it,” Snake said.

A loud whirr of a motor could be heard and the gate opened. Snake got back into the truck and Trevor pulled around back. He pulled into the parking garage as instructed and that is when the world changed. The abandoned appearance in front of the building clearly hid the flurry of activity going on inside.

There were dozens of cars parked in the garage. Wolf noted sound absorbing panels were installed throughout the inside of the facility, dampening noise to anyone standing outside the building. From inside the building, however, it was a different story altogether. Crowd noises and clapping could be heard – a man making announcements over a P.A. Trevor parked the truck and the three men approached the giant double doors. A large, bald man with a plaid shirt and jeans stood by the doors as sentry. Tattoos depicting flames ran up his neck and onto his head.

“I’m Snake. You must be Teddy.”

“That’s right,” he said in a clear country twang. “I don’t recognize y’all.”

Standing guard with Teddy were three Hispanic males – sentries. All three appeared to be barely twenty, thin and solid, street-wise and serious.

Wolf noted they were all carrying ArmaLite AR-15 Light Tactical Carbine automatic weapons. He was not totally surprised. They were deadly and easy to get. Millions of them had been produced. It was an effective semi-automatic or automatic assault weapon and weighed less than 7-lbs.

One of the men, who Wolf guessed was the alpha of the three men, looked at the tattoo on his arm. He was slightly taller than the others.

“Navy SEAL?” he asked, in perfect English.

Wolf nodded.

“SEALS are pussies,” he said. The two others with him laughed.

“Is that a fact?” Wolf replied.

“What do you carry, an M60 or a Colt M4A1?”

“You know your weapons,” Wolf replied, nodding slightly in appreciation. “What do you think?”

“The M60 is a piece of shit,” he replied.

Wolf shrugged, “I don’t know about that, but I do prefer the Colt. When you do what I do, the versatility comes in handy.”

The Hispanic male nodded, “The new ones can be configured with grenade launchers. It’s a badass weapon.”

“It is. You any good with that AR-15?” Wolf asked.

“I can shoot the wings off a wasp at 50-feet,” he replied.

“That’s true,” chimed in one of the other men. “Alejandro is badass with a gun.”

“A lot of people can shoot a gun at a helpless target,” Wolf replied. “The real test comes when you find out how good you are when someone is shooting back. That requires commitment… training.”

Alejandro trained his weapon on Wolf’s chest, “Maybe before you leave, we’ll do a little dance, just you and me.”

“Alejandro!” Teddy yelled at the Hispanic alpha. “Shut up. This ain’t no social hour.”

“Barkley’s expecting us,” Snake said.

“That’s what I heard,” Teddy replied. “What’s your business with Barkley?”

“That’s between us and Barkley,” Snake said.

Teddy’s face went dark and he flashed Snake an icy stare. After a moment, he raised his walkie-talkie and pushed the button.

“Paco,” he called.

After a moment, a reply came, “Yeah.”

“There are three boys at the door to see Barkley,” he said. “They’re big sumbitches, too,” he added.

“Pat ‘em down,” Paco said. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“You heard the man,” Teddy said. “Grab a piece of the sky and turn around.”

The three men complied and Teddy patted them for weapons. Alejandro and his two buddies trained their weapons on the SEALS in the event anyone took offense at the personal nature of the search. The door opened. Another Hispanic man appeared, this one older, perhaps 45, with black hair, slicked back, wearing a leather vest. His face was heavily pocked and he sported a wispy Fu Manchu. His arms were tanned dark and covered in various tattoos.

 “I’m Paco. Which one of you is Snake?” he asked.

“That’s me,” Snake said.

Paco looked at the three large, muscular SEALS. “Okay,” he said to Snake. “You can come with me. These other two men need to stay here.”

“They come with me,” Snake said.

“I said they stay here,” Paco replied.

“My business with him includes these men. Let’s get Barkley on the phone and we’ll see what he says,” Snake said.

Paco paused.

Snake pulled his cell, “I can call him myself if you prefer.”

 “Okay,” he said. “They can come. Stick close to me. Alejandro, you and your two misfits follow too.”

“I don’t work for you,” Alejandro protested. “I take my orders from…”

“Get your ass in line, or get out,” Paco insisted.

It was obvious that there was no lost love between Paco and Alejandro. Alejandro stood toe to toe with the bigger, older man before one of the other men pulled him away.

Paco began walking away. Alejandro and his two buddies followed suit. Trevor, Wolf and Snake trailed.

When the door opened the sounds of men and women screaming and applauding could be heard. The noise level inside the enclosed warehouse reminded Trevor of a monster truck rally.

Snake, Trevor and Wolf followed Paco and the three guards into the arena. Off to the right of the arena 40-50 black and chrome Harley Davidson motorcycles were parked.

What appeared to be old high school football field bleachers had been positioned around a makeshift boxing ring. The floor was covered in old, worn, discolored wrestling mats.

Paco led the three SEALS through a path in front the bleachers. Trevor could see the crowd – mostly gang-bangers, truckers and bikers with their women. Some were openly doing drugs. A plume of cigarette and marijuana smoke could be seen and smelled over the odor of stale beer. Discarded empty beer cans and whiskey bottles were scattered about the badly cracked concrete floor.

Two large, thickly-built twenty-something men were squared off in the make-shift ring, one Hispanic and one African-American.

“The Mexican’s name is Piedra,” Paco said. “That’s Spanish for stone. The black guy is the favorite. His name is Blade.”

The Hispanic male, Piedra, was well cut, with the exception of a soft-looking midsection. Blade was 40 lbs. heavier. His arms and fists looked chiseled. As the SEALS passed the ring Blade caught Piedra with an overhand right to the mouth. Blood spattered on Wolf’s right sleeve as he walked by. Piedra recovered quickly and slammed his right hand into his opponent’s stomach, doubling him over. The crowd cheered.

Snake pointed ahead, “There he is. That’s Barkley.”

Trevor got his first glance of Baby Barkley and immediately understood where the name came from. The similarity between “Baby Barkley” and Charles Barkley, the basketball player, was unmistakable, only the man before him was a foot shorter, hence the Baby portion of his name. He was focused on the fight.

“Boss,” Paco called as the men approached. “There are three boys here to see you.”

“Snake,” Barkley called out in an acknowledgement that was neither dismissive or welcoming. He took his eye off the action happening in the ring for only a moment.

“Y’all have a seat. I’ll be with ya in a minute,” Barkley said in a strong drawl.

Snake, Trevor, and Wolf turned toward the seats. Alejandro and his two shadows stood in their way, glaring at the SEALS. Paco made eye contact and nodded. The three men stood aside.

The fight appeared to be drawing to a close. Blade had reclaimed the advantage. Piedra was wobbling on shaky legs. After another two minutes of chasing the man around the ring Blade finally caught his opponent, grabbed him and slammed him to the floor. Piedra raised two fingers on his right hand, the sign for submission. The crowd roared.

Barkley fist-bumped the two men sitting with him and smiled for the first time since they arrived. He turned toward Snake. The smile disappeared quickly. He gave Snake a cursory glance and a fist-bump, then sized up Trevor and Wolf.

“Follow me,” he said.

Barkley led the three SEALS, Paco, Alejandro and his two men to the back of the bleachers. Thirty yards away sat a white construction trailer. The three SEALS, Paco, Barkley and Alejandro went inside, leaving the remaining two guards standing by the door.

Trevor, Wolf, and Snake found rickety fold-out chairs and sat. Barkley took a seat behind an ancient desk covered in randomly scattered paper and old fast food bags stained with dried ketchup and mustard. Paco and Alejandro stood. A rusty lamp, a half dozen empty beer cans and a half-filled bottle of Maker’s Mark completed the desk décor.

“Whatcha’ been doin’ with yourself, Snake?” Barkley asked.

“Just trying to keep myself out of trouble,” he replied.

Barkley nodded, a small smile forming on his face, “I heard that. Who are these two mountains? You never stuck me as the type who needed bodyguards.”

“These are my friends, Bootstrap and Wolf,” Snake replied. “They are Navy SEALS.”

Snake looked at the two men, pursed his lips and nodded, “They look too young to be retired like you.”

“They aren’t retired,” Snake said. “They’re active, but none of us are here in an official capacity. We need help, the kind of help that’s off the books.”

“I got your message but it was vague,” Barkley said. “What brings y’all to The Pines?”

“I need to call in my marker,” Snake said.

“You did me a solid, Snake,” Barkley said, leaning back. “I remember that. Tell me how I may be of service.”

“Bootstrap’s fiancée was kidnapped in Seattle,” Snake said. “Her name is Honor. We think she’s here. We intend to get her back.”

He chuckled softly, “Last I checked, my men and I don’t do that kind of work,” he said. “You need Johnny Law for that.”

“We can’t get the authorities involved. The men we are looking for are well-funded,” Snake said. “They would know if the law mobilizes. She’d be dead within minutes.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that,” Barkley said. “I still don’t know how I can help you.”

“We have reason to believe that the kidnappers brought Honor to Yelm,” Snake said.

Barkley exchanged looks with Paco, and then turned back to Snake, “I don’t know nothin’ about it.”

“You must know something,” Snake said. “Nothing goes on in this town that you don’t know about.”

Trevor sighed, “Look, Mr. Barkley…”

“Who told Schwarzenegger he could talk?” Barkley interrupted, pointing at Trevor. “I don’t know you, fool. I’m having a conversation with Snake.”

Trevor’s eyes flared in anger. He stood and stepped forward. Paco clenched his fists. Alejandro raised his weapon. Neither of them seemed the least bit intimidated by the SEALS. Wolf grabbed Trevor’s arm, halting his advancement.

“Everyone stay calm,” Snake said. “We’re just talking here.”

He turned back to Barkley, “You must know something. I can’t believe a group of strange men can come into Yelm without you knowing all about it. You owe me…”

“I know I owe you!” Barkley yelled. “I’d tell you if I knew somethin’, but I don’t.”

Trevor started to reply but was interrupted by the door opening. One of the two body guards entered and whispered to Paco.

“Boss! I hate to interrupt but we have a problem,” Paco said.

“Handle it then, bitch!” Barkley huffed. “I’m talkin’ here.

“Boss! Manny hasn’t showed.”

“What? What do you mean he hasn’t showed?”

“He’s not here,” Paco insisted. “They’ve called his cell and that no-account brother of his, too. No answer.”

Barkley looked at his watch, “Damn! It’s twenty minutes before show time. Did they call that woman he hangs with?”

Paco nodded, “Yeah. No answer.”

“Damn!” Barkley spouted. He stood, turning toward Snake, “Look man, I gotta go. I’m sorry about your problem, I really am, but as you can tell, I have problems of my own. I have your number. If I think of something I’ll call you.”

“Listen, Barkley,” Wolf began.

“I got no time for this,” Barkley said sharply. “I got a few hundred people out there waiting for the big fight of the night and the challenger is a pulling a no show. I have a lot of money riding’ on this.”

“Let’s move, boss. We have to find a replacement?” Paco said. “That crowd will get ugly if we don’t.”

“We ain’t got no replacement,” Barkley scowled. “Ain’t nobody gonna go up against Bonecrusher. They’d have to be crazy…”

“Boss!” Paco interrupted.

“What?” replied Barkley, annoyed.

He nodded toward Wolf and Trevor, “The meat, boss, the meat.”

Barkley looked at Wolf, then at Trevor. Wolf could almost hear the wheels turning.

He stood and walked around Trevor and Wolf, sizing the two men up. He exhaled and smiled.

“Either of you boys ever do any martial arts or street fighting?” Barkley asked. He looked at Wolf. “How about you, Dolph Lundgren? You been in any hand-to-hand combat?”

“We’re SEALS,” Wolf said. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know. There ain’t no high-powered sniper rifles in this ring,” Barkley said. “Ain’t got no scud missiles or IUD’s either.”

“It’s I-E-D boss,” Paco corrected.

“What?”

“It’s I-E-D. - improvised explosive device,” Paco continued.

 “Check out the big brain on Paco. Shut up, Schwarzkopf?” Barkley barked, “I’m talking to King Kong and Godzilla over here.”

“I have no interest in entering your ring,” Wolf said.

“The challenger’s cut is $3,000.00,” Barkley said.

“Not interested in money. We came here for information,” Wolf said. “If you can’t help us, we’re done. We’re out of here.”

The three SEALS turned toward the door. Trevor had his hand on the knob when he heard Barkley’s voice again.

“These men you’re looking for--- are they A-rabs?” he asked, emphasizing the ‘A.’

The three men froze. Snake made eye contact with Trevor and Wolf, all realizing that none of them had mentioned the men they were looking for were of Middle Eastern descent.

The three men turned, “They’re Middle Eastern, yes,” Snake replied. “Syrians.”

“Hmmm,” Barkley said. “You know, come to think of it, I just might know something about that.”

“You’re lying,” Snake said. “You just need us to help you.”

 “Look, you’re right, I need help,” Barkley said. “I stand to lose a shit load of money if I don’t produce a solid challenger tonight, not to mention the heat all those biker boys and gang-bangers might bring down out there. Manny DePalma was a legit challenger.”

“There’s a lot of tough guys out there in the audience,” Snake said. “I’m sure a few of them have the balls to get in the ring.”

“Naw, man, no way,” Barkley said. “Everyone out there knows who Bonecrusher is. Ain’t none of them gonna step in the ring. He’s killed two men in the last year – put five more in the hospital – two of them are screwed up for life. Even if one of those ham’n’eggers got in there, nobody would bet on him--- nobody.”

“You said you know where Honor is at?” Trevor asked. “Where is she?”

“I said I might know where some A-rabs might be hanging out,” Barkley corrected. “Don’t know nothin’ about no girl, and that’s the truth.”

“Tell me what you know, now,” Trevor shouted.

Barkley pointed at Wolf, “You get your boy in that ring tonight, and I’ll tell you what I know, win or lose.”

Wolf and Trevor looked at each other momentarily. Trevor sighed.

“Honor is my fiancée,” Trevor said. “I’ll do it.”

“No,” Wolf protested, “I’ll do it. You’re a better shooter and you’re better with the knife, but I’m better at hand to hand combat – we both know that.”

“I can’t let you do it,” Trevor said. “She’s my responsibility.”

“It’s not a negotiation,” Wolf replied, turning to Barkley. “Can you tell me a little about this guy?”

“Alejandro knows him best,” Barkley replied.

“You’re crazy to do this SEAL-man. Bonecrusher is the east coast champ,” Alejandro said. “He’s the size of a tank. If he connects, you’re gonna think you’ve been hit by a sledgehammer.”

“Don’t let him get you on the ground,” Paco added. “Flopping around on the floor is boring for the crowd. They get antsy.”

“It’s more than that,” Alejandro said. “Once you’re on the ground with Bonecrusher, I don’t care if you’re Hulk Hogan or Mike Tyson… you ain’t getting’ up.”

“Are there any rules in this fight?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah, don’t die,” Barkley replied. “The law looks the other way because of the information services I provide. All is well unless someone dies. When that happens, I get heat. So, yeah, one rule – don’t die.”

“I’ll do my best,” Wolf said. “You aren’t gonna ask me to take a fall, are you?”

Barkley, Paco and Alejandro looked at each other and began to chuckle.

“Don’t worry about that,” Barkley said, finally. “You won’t have to take a fall. Bonecrusher is going to take care of that for you.”

“What about the betting, boss?” Paco asked. “Everyone is gonna want to dump their bet when they find out Manny is out.”

“It’s all in the odds, man?” Barkley said. “What were the odds with Manny?”

“15-1, for Bonecrusher,” Paco replied.

“Let’s pump up the replacement,” Barkley said, pointing to Wolf. “We have a decorated Navy SEAL, skilled in hand to hand combat under life or death circumstances. Lots of kills overseas. Let’s play that up. We might get even more action. Hell, we might even parlay this into the biggest profit of the year.”

“Should we delay the start?”

“Yeah, do it. Let’s get some more betting action going.”

“Wolf,” Trevor said, “I can’t let you do this.”

“I’ll be alright,” Wolf insisted. “This is not my first rodeo.”

Snake turned back to Barkley. “You’d better not be screwing with us,” he scowled. “If Wolf does this and you don’t come through, I’ll bring so much heat down on you, you’ll…”

“Who do you think you are, coming into my house and threatening me?” Barkley shouted. “I told you I’d tell you where the A-rabs are hanging out. Your boy gets in the ring with Bonecrusher, first. That’s the deal.”

He looked at his watch, “If you’re gonna do this, best get out there. You have about 15 minutes to stretch and warm up. Paco will get you fixed up with some sweatpants, towels and water. Do you need a shirt?”

Wolf shook his head no. He peeled off his shirt displaying his chiseled upper body.

Barkley did a double-take when he saw the shirtless SEAL.

“Holy shit. Lookin’ good, Mr. SEAL,” Barkley said with raised eyebrows. “Let’s parade this man in front of the crowd. We will get some betting action that way. The women will love it, too.”

“Bonecrusher is going to break you in two,” Alejandro said, dismissively.

“There are no shoes allowed, no gloves, no head gear.” Paco said. “It’s just you and him.”

“Got it,” Wolf said. “Anything else?”

“I hope you said your prayers last night.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Wolf said.

“I wish I had more for you,” Barkley said. “Alejandro has seen him fight some. He knows fighting. He’s pretty damn good himself.”

Wolf glanced at Alejandro, “Does this guy have any weaknesses at all?”

Alejandro shook his head, “Haven’t seen any yet. As far as I know, he’s never been beaten. His reach is so long the only way you can get to him is to get inside. If you do get inside, he’s going to grab you and wrestle you to the floor. If he gets you on the floor, we’re gonna be mopping blood and picking up pieces of you for hours.”

“Thanks for the words of encouragement,” Wolf said.

Alejandro shook his head solemnly, “This is on you, SEAL-man. It’s your funeral.”

“Any words of wisdom?” Wolf asked Paco.

Paco shrugged, “If it gets ugly for you, hold up your index and middle fingers together from either hand. That’s the sign for submission. He may or may not respect that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied.

“Hey Paco,” Snake began, “How do you know about I.E.D.’s?”

“So, you think I spent all my time in the hood?” he replied. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

“Well, I noticed your expression when Barkley was talking about the Middle Eastern in your town.”

“Yeah? What expression was that?”

“You didn’t like it,” Snake said. “In fact, I think you hate the fact there are strange Syrians roaming around your town.”

Paco sighed and nodded, “I did two tours myself in the Middle East. Yeah, I saw those men, too. Those Syrians are not here on vacation, I’ll tell you that. They looked downright serious to me. I don’t like it, no sir. Not one bit.”

“You were in the service?” Snake asked.

“Rangers,” he said. “Airborne.”

“Rangers? Really?”

“What? You don’t think I have what it takes?”

“I didn’t say that. I do wonder how you ended up here,” he replied.

“My welcome home didn’t last too long,” he said. “Couldn’t get a good job. Got deep in debt. Had a bad drug habit. Borrowed money from Barkley and couldn’t pay it back. This was the option I had.”

“That’s tough.”

“I’m clean now,” Paco said. “Clean for over a year.”

“You’re still working for a scumbag.”

He shrugged, “For now.”

“What about your three partners?” Snake asked. “I heard you call them misfits earlier.”

“They’re not my partners. They’re hired help--- no good gangbangers. Alejandro, Juan and Francisco,” he said. “They’re punks Barkley hired because they are good with a gun. Personally, I wouldn’t pull loose change out of my ashtray to bail any one of them out of jail.”

Ten minutes later Wolf stood alone in the center of the ring waiting for Bonecrusher to arrive. When the east coast champion strolled in even Wolf was taken back. Bonecrusher had the widest shoulders he’d ever seen on a man. He had long, wet, wavy hair parted down the middle. His short, thick beard was jet black. He wore black tights that came down to mid-calf. His chest was tanned and hairy, covering multiple tattoos. He raised his arms as he entered the ring and the crowd went crazy, sounding like a bloodthirsty mob.

Paco picked up the microphone, “Welcome to Fight Club in The Pines!”

The crowd roared in applause.

“And now ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the main event of the evening!”

The crowd screamed their approval.

He pointed at Wolf, “As we announced earlier we have a late substitution. Manny LaPalma is not in the building.”

A smattering of boos could be heard.

“Wait… wait… wait!” Paco screamed. “No boos are necessary. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I guarantee you will see the best fight you’ve seen all year!”

The crowd cheered. Paco made eye contact with Wolf and formed an expression as if to say, you need to come through.

“To my left is the challenger. He is a decorated Navy SEAL, fighting hard for our rights and freedoms. He has over 20 documented kills in hand-to-hand combat. He is 6-foot-2 and weighs 240 lbs. Please welcome… the Wolfman!”

The crowd greeted the announcement with a smattering of cheers, offset by some boos as well. Wolf did not raise his hand in acknowledgement.

“Twenty documented kills?” Trevor said to Snake, standing to the side of the ring. “Where did they come up with that?”

Snake shrugged, “It’s theater, man.”

“To my right, from Trenton, New Jersey. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 350 lbs., the undefeated east coast champion, Booooone-crusher!”

The crowd erupted in applause.

Wolf stood next to Alejandro on the sideline.

“Any final words?” Wolf asked.

“Not really,” he replied. “I’m betting on Bonecrusher.”

“You want to make some money tonight?” Wolf asked.

“Of course,” he replied.

“Can you still place a bet?”

“I could if I wanted to.”

“Then bet on me.”

“Bullshit!” Alejandro replied.

“Bet on me,” he repeated.

Alejandro chuckled, “You have balls, SEAL man, I’ll give you that. Now go get ready.”

Trevor, Snake, and Wolf set up in the corner.

“Spend the opening minutes feeling him out,” Trevor said. “See how fast he is. Can he move well side-to-side?”

“If he lets me,” Wolf replied. “I have to admit the man does look like he knows how to fight.”

“Try punching high,” Snake advised. “If he lifts his arms to protect his head, that leaves his midsection exposed. A few hammer punches to the ribs might slow him down some.”

“And now gentlemen… begin,” Paco yelled.

“They are not much for long ceremonies, are they?” Trevor said.

Snake shook his head, “Guess not.”

Bonecrusher charged Wolf, trying to wrap his arms around him. Wolf ducked under his grasped and moved to his left and out of reach. He threw a left hook, connecting with the right cheek of the bigger man. The punch seemed to have no effect. It felt to Wolf as if he had just punched a bowling ball.

The two men squared off in the center of the ring. Wolf threw another left but it was blocked. Bonecrusher countered with a right of his own. Wolf also blocked the punch with his left arm but the force of the blow still caused the SEAL to lose his footing and stagger.

Bonecrusher grabbed him in a bear hug pinning both of Wolf’s arms to his sides. He lifted Wolf up and squeezed hard.

The crowd cheered.

On the sidelines, Trevor observed, imagining that this technique would be effective against most men, but Wolf was thickly muscled and as physically developed as any man he’d ever met.

Wolf flexed and tried to break free but his opponent held a firm grip. Finally, the SEAL used his forehead to headbutt Bonecrusher. His forehead landed solidly on the bigger man’s nose. The east coast champ cried out in pain and released his hold as blood gushed from his nostrils. He staggered back holding his nose, trying to stop the flow of blood.

The crowd roared with approval at the sight of the bigger man’s blood.

Wolf seized the moment and stepped in, landing a hard, hammer punch to Bonecrusher’s mouth. The big man staggered back further and Wolf landed a 1-2 combination to the midsection.

Bonecrusher spit up a small amount of blood onto the floor along with a tooth. He grabbed the Wolf’s right arm and slammed his right fist into the SEAL’s chin.

Wolf stumbled back trying to remain on his feet, but the force of the blow was too hard. He landed on his back side. He tried to roll and get back to his feet, but the punch made him dizzy, nearly causing him to lose consciousness. Wolf managed to roll on his stomach and get to his knees before he felt Bonecrusher’s left hand grab his throat. He pulled hard forcing Wolf to his feet, using his other hand to grip the SEAL’s thigh.

The crowd was on their feet screaming their approval.

He lifted Wolf over his head, and turned around in a circle. The crowd was chanting, “Bone! Bone! Bone!”

Bonecrusher released a blood-curdling war cry at the top of his lungs and slammed Wolf to the ground. The thud sent bolts of pain through his body and knocked the wind out of him. He writhed on the floor in a state of semi-consciousness.

“It’s over,” screamed Paco. “I’m going to call it and save your man.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Trevor said. “This fight is far from over. This is a man who has been in more life-threatening situations than you can imagine. My man will recover.”

Wolf glanced to the sideline with hazy eyes. Alejandro made eye contact and held up two fingers. He yelled at Wolf, “Submit, man. It’s over. You’re gonna die.”

Bonecrusher began a victory dance around the ring. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy, screaming for blood. Trevor saw that Wolf was beginning to recover. He screamed out at his friend, “Figure-Four! Figure Four! Now, Wolf now!”

Wolf made brief eye contact with Trevor and nodded, making his way to his feet. Bonecrusher was still playing to the crowd.

“Hey dipshit!” screamed Wolf. “I’m still standing.”

Bonecrusher stopped and turned, smiling at Wolf. He charged. Wolf stepped to his right at the last moment and allowed the big man to blow past him. Wolf hopped onto Bonecrusher’s back as he passed, slipping his right arm under the giant man’s neck and squeezing hard. He grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, using it for leverage in the choke hold. Wolf also wrapped his legs around the man’s waist.

Bonecrusher tried to reach back and grab Wolf but his arms and shoulders were so bulky he couldn’t stretch far enough to get a grip. Wolf applied as much pressure as he could. Bonecrusher started to gag loudly. The audience, beginning to see what was happened, began to fall quiet.

Bonecrusher was gasping for air; his face was turning red; he fell to his knees; finally falling face first to the canvas; Wolf still clutching him tightly. He began to kick and squirm on the ground, but Wolf did not relent. Ten seconds later, Bonecrusher fell motionless.

Wolf checked to make sure Bonecrusher was still breathing, then stood. The crowd was silenced at the sight of their fallen warrior. Slowly the audience began to clap for Wolf. One by one, the bikers began to stand and cheer. A few scattered boos joined the chorus, undoubtedly those who wagered a hefty sum on the champion. Paco and Trevor walked to the center of the ring. Wolf was limping.

“Are you alright, buddy?” Trevor asked.

Wolf’s face was covered in blood and he looked exhausted but otherwise none too worse for the wear, Trevor thought.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he said, rubbing his left ankle.

“Did you twist it?” Trevor asked.

Wolf nodded, “Yeah but it could have been much worse. That son-of-a-bitch is as strong as an ox, and as big as one too.”

“I noticed the smell was similar as well,” Trevor noted. He pulled up the sweats on Wolf’s left leg. “Damn, this is bad.”

“What?” Wolf asked.

“Your ankle,” he said. “It’s badly swollen; it could be broken.”

Paco looked down at Bonecrusher.

“Is he dead?” Paco asked, scratching his head.

“Naw,” Trevor replied. “Wolf used the Figure-Four Choke hold. It cut off the blood flow in his carotid artery. He passed out. If Wolf didn’t snap his neck, and I don’t think he did, he’ll be all right. He’s gonna have a hell of a headache, though.”

“You might want to get him to a hospital?” Snake said.

“We have a doc in the back,” Paco said.

“Good, if that’s the case, have him check out Wolf, too,” Trevor said. “He’s not going anywhere soon on that ankle. Hopefully, it’s just sprained but I don’t know – it looks bad. I assume getting an ambulance to come out here is out of the question.”

“No ambulance will come out here,” he replied.

Paco called Alejandro and Francisco over, “Take care of this man,” he said, nodding toward Wolf.

The two men pulled Wolf to his feet. He howled in pain, “Damn! This is worse than I thought. I can’t put any pressure on it at all.”

He wrapped his massive arms around the young men’s necks and allowed them to assist him in walking. The slightest pressure on the ankle sent bolts of agony up his leg.

“That was the most impressive thing I’ve even seen,” Alejandro said. “My hat is off to you. I thought Bone would eat you alive.”

“Me too,” Francisco said. “Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

“Outside of basic SEAL training, most of my hand-to-hand experience has been in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon… hell all over.”

Alejandro looked around, “It shows man.”

“How old are you?” Wolf asked.

“I’m 21, Francisco is 20. Juan is 19,” came the reply.

“If you don’t mind my saying, you boys don’t look like your typical street thugs,” he said. “Have you ever thought about your future?”

“What future, man?” Alejandro asked. “You’re looking at it. This is it.”

“Can Francisco and Juan handle a weapon as well as you” he asked.

“Not yet,” he said. “But they’re all getting there. We practice every week.”

“You ever think about the service?” he asked. “Maybe you boys could actually put some of that weaponry prowess to good use. Maybe you could make a difference.”

“Us, man?” Alejandro replied. “In the army?”

“Or the Navy?” Wolf replied.

“Naw, man, that ain’t for us.”

“Why?”

“They wouldn’t want us.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I don’t know, man, they just wouldn’t.” He paused, looking at Francisco, and then back at Wolf.

“Would they?”

Wolf shrugged, “Alejandro, write down your name and cell number. Let me talk to some people. I’ll get back to you.”

“I’ll get it to you when we get to the hospital,” Alejandro said. “I’ll drive you myself. That’s the least I can do?”

“Why?” Wolf asked.

“Because I bet $300 on you at 12-1,” he said, smiling for the very first time that night. “I took your recommendation at the last minute.”

“Why’d you do that?”

“Because you look like a man who can do what he says.”

Snake approached the men in the center, “Where’s Barkley?”

“He should be sitting right over there,” Paco said.

“He’s not,” Snake said, “and he’s not in the office, either. I just checked.”

“Damn!” Wolf yelled. “He skipped out.”

Trevor turned and grabbed Paco by the lapels, “I want to know where he is, and right now.”

“How would I know?” Paco protested.

Trevor grabbed him by the neck and began to squeeze. Paco tried to break the hold but the SEAL was just too strong.

“Does Barkley know where they are?” Trevor screamed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Paco replied. “He met with them yesterday.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“No, I swear.”

“Then tell me where Barkley is now, or I’ll snap your neck.”

“Okay, okay!” Paco screamed. “He left through the south entrance. If you leave now you might catch him. He drives a black Ford pickup with chrome trim.”

“You be here when I get back,” Trevor declared, releasing him.

“What do you want me to do?” Snake asked.

“Check on Wolf,” he said. “I’ll be back.”

Paco reached behind him and pulled out a knife.

Trevor looked at him coldly. Paco turned the knife around and handed it to him, handle first.

“Here, take this,” he said.

Trevor took the knife slowly.  He gave a quick nod and was off.