“Dunno,” he replies. “Marco seems to be holding his own, but Cole is a savage.” He nods his head down to the scene below. I see Ax down there, standing on the raised platform at one end of the yard with his arms crossed. He looks tense. There are a few others around him but the only one I recognize is Ethan.
The aura floating up from the yard has a vicious and bloodthirsty feel to it and I quickly turn away, not willing to get caught up in it. I know very well how easy it is to get caught up in violence.
“I need to get out of here,” I finally say, not skirting around the reason I’m really here to see him. He turns to me with a raised eyebrow before letting out a barking laugh.
“Is that so?” is all he says.
“Is it possible?”
He shakes his head. “Impossible. There’s one way in or out of this place, and it’s that gate up there. You get to the other side of that, you’ll be shot down before you can even raise a white flag.”
I frown. “There has to be something else.”
“Says who?” Theo replies, turning his attention back to the battle. A roar of shouts rises, bringing my attention back to the battle. It would seem someone has won. I see a rope being lowered into the pit and wait to see who emerges.
“Well, look who it is,” a voice says from behind us, and both Theo and I turn around quickly. Why scar-face is here and not below cheering on his despicable ringleader is beyond me. I hadn’t thought of him since I broke his nose, but from the expression on his face he hasn’t forgotten me.
“What the fuck do you want?” I growl, clenching my hands into fists. A few more of his friends step up behind him and my wariness increases. One or two I can take on, even alone, but there are now five of them. I dart a fast glance down below again and see Ax is still on the platform below. Fuck him anyways. I don’t need him. Pursing my lips in determination I step in front of Theo.
“Get out of here, Theo,” I tell him, without taking my eyes off scar-face, whose face is manically smiling at me.
“Josh…” he starts to say.
“Now Theo!” I shout back. I hear footsteps retreating behind me and breathe the smallest sigh of relief that at least he’ll be okay.
“I think I owe you for this,” Scar Face says, pointing at his very crooked and bruised nose. The others descend upon me.
Thirty
Axle
Since leaving Ana earlier I feel a familiar tug of need within me and am finding it a struggle to stand still. She has no fucking clue what it’s like to try to run a place like this, what would happen if I tried to start punishing the men for their misdeeds. We have a system and it works, whether Ana likes it or not.
A small part of me, one I am pointedly ignoring right now, is telling me she is right. That, in Cole’s case anyways, I should have taken care of him a long time ago. The fury inside me only builds at the thought. I must have made some kind of noise because I see Emilio take a step away from me. Good. I need that rush of fear and power. Ana is turning me too soft.
Though it’s not yet midday, the heat is already rising in The Tomb, bringing the frenzy further to a boil. Sweat drips down my face and I make no move to wipe it. The familiar cries of the inmates anticipating bloodshed fills the air and I watch as Cole and Marco step out into the yard. Marco with a look of steely determination while Cole is laughing and smiling at those cheering him on. Maybe I should challenge the fucker and be done with it.
“You know the rules,” Ethan shouts beside me, “no weapons, goes as long as it takes and only one man comes out.”
A few inmates lower each of the men into The Pit and I feel a familiar rush. Viewing violence isn’t nearly as good as causing it, but entertainment here is sparse and this is better than anything. I wish I were the one in that pit right now, twisted as it is.
There’s no preamble, no special announcement to indicate the men start. They just do. I watch with interest as Marco makes the first move, rushing Cole right off the bat. Though he is the bigger of the two, Cole is much more ruthless. The prisoners roar and shout, egging both sides on. It’s rarer for us to have such a closely matched battle, too often the outcome is obvious, and the men love it.
For the first few minutes it seems like Marco has the upper hand. Cole is bleeding from a split lip and limping a bit on one side, where Marco is relatively untouched. The two men stand apart, chests heaving as they both get their bearings. Marco reaches up to wipe the sweat from his brow and that’s when Cole makes his move. Wiley fucker.
I’m not enjoying this as much as I usually might, so distracted with thoughts of Ana. She fucking better still be in that room. I glance around and don’t see her among the spectators and breathe a small sigh of relief. I’m not paying attention when Cole makes the final blow, only realizing it’s happened when the cries around me multiply. From my vantage, I can see Cole rise from atop Marco’s body, two bloody holes where his eyes used to be. Blood drops from Cole’s hands and down his arms when he raises them, and the crowd goes wild. Emilio makes a slightly pained noise behind me, but I don’t turn to him. He knew the risk when he sent Marco in.
A rope is lowered and Cole rises up, taking in the adoration of the inmates around him. I grit my teeth, not at all liking the cocky smile on his face. I’m waiting for him to make his way over to the platform when I see someone running this way out of the corner of my eye. I turn and see old Theo rushing as fast as his hobbled self will carry him, a manic look in his eyes. Immediately I feel my heart clench in fear. The noise around me dims as he approached the platform out of breath.
“It’s…” Before he can finish, someone steps out behind him.
“Would you all take a look at what I found!”
My heart drops to my feet when I see the man Ana hit pushing her out into the yard. She’s not wearing her hoodie, her wrapped torso plain to see. An audible gasp over the yard. I see a spot of blood dribble down her chin and I clench my fists, stepping down off the platform towards her.
Before I can take even a few steps, a strong arm holds me back. I turn to see Ethan holding me as he shakes his head. He looks pale.
Thirty One