Chapter Twenty-three
Looking down at the spattered puddle of blood on the floor Neal swallowed hard against his sandpaper throat to try and push his racing heart back down into his chest. The fight that had just finished had been a heavily one-sided one and sickeningly bloody. The weaker fighter had lived but just barely. Even knowing Jake had set this fight in his favor Neal feared his fight was going to be similar and that they were going to be washing his blood off the floor as well, and if that happened Peter's would be next.
Peter had tried to assure him that he could take care of himself if he had to fight tonight and pressed Neal to forget about winning or losing and just focus on surviving it. Despite his brave words Neal noticed the way Peter kept catching his balance and the obvious headache pain he was still suffering. Peter needed this break from the ring if he was going to recover from the brutal knock-out. Even just trying to show Neal some moves this morning had taken all Peter's energy.
"Don't draw your arm back, it advertises your move and leaves you wide open, keep your hands up like this…" Peter had raised Neal's hands up in traditional boxer starting position and curled his hands into fist, tapping on the first and second knuckles. "Jab out with the left to find your range, then put the real force into the right. One, two. Keep your wrist slightly down, your thumb outside your fist, land a strike with your knuckle not the flat of your fingers, chin down, punch out with your arm level with shoulder height, lead foot forward, just follow through with your hips and snap back after you make contact don't follow all the way through with your whole body: you're throwing a punch not a baseball."
"Peter, I'm never going to remember all of this."
"I know," Peter had shaken his head and instantly regretted it with a wince of pain "just remember what you can.
Standing in the middle of the ring failing to keep from trembling slightly Neal was starting to wish that they could just get this fight started as he tried recall the advice Peter had given him. Jake had pushed him out into the ring early so that betting men above could get a good look at him to increase the odds of them putting their money down against him. The crowd was excited to see more blood and were being very vocal about it, although the noise of the arena couldn't compete with Neal's own pulse pounding in his ears.
Back in the cage on the far side of the ring Peter watched Neal with an ever tightening knot in his stomach. He had done his best to help Neal prepare but he feared a few hours of practice and tips weren't going to be enough. Neal wasn't violent by nature and he was going up against someone who was. Half blind or not having the drive to hurt another living creature was a huge advantage in a no rules death match. Acting only on the defensive might keep Neal alive, but it wasn't going to win any fights or even keep him from getting hurt.
Waiting for the coming storm Neal was already panting for breath as his adrenaline soaked blood demanded more oxygen. When Marco entered the ring to the cheers of the bloodthirsty crowd Neal stepped back as his eyes widened in fear. Peter's own heart skipped a few beats at seeing the man Jake thought Neal could take on. Marco was about Neal's height but had to have at least fifty pounds on him. His poorly done tattoo work hinted at some hard time served as he strode calmly towards Neal with a cocky smile slung across his bruised face. The white of his right eye was blood red giving him a demonic appearance. Staring at the man Neal brought his hands up curled into fists but he didn't look confident about using them.
"Caffrey needs to get his tail out from between his legs." Jake growled in frustration.
"What?"
"He looks terrified." Jake complained.
"He *is* terrified!" Peter barked. "He can't fight that animal!"
"Worthless." Jake rolled his eyes as he opened the bars to join Peter. "Both of you. Utterly worthless."
"What are you doing?"
"He's going to lose if someone doesn't light a fire under him." Jake explained as he went to step into the ring.
"Let me talk to him." Peter offered as he stepped up.
"You'll just make him worse," Jake said as he shoved Peter back "I've got this."
"Jake, please…" Peter stopped his plea and instead went to warn Neal of his approach. "Neal!"
Hearing Peter call his name Neal looked over his shoulder and found Jake stalking angrily towards him. Caught between Jake and Marco Neal wasn't sure what he should do. The clock had been set to fifteen minutes but the starting bell was being delayed by Jake entering the ring. The on lookers booed and jeered at the hold up but in a tone that suggested that were still excited to see whatever new drama was about to unfold. Neal understood the leaps of logic that had lead Peter to believing that Jake was a prisoner of some sort, and Neal had agreed to entertain the idea at the time, but seeing him now in full charge of the evenings violent entertainment he was no longer sure.
"Jake…"
"Shut up." Jake grabbed Neal by the upper arm before looking to Marco. "Give us a second."
"Change your mind about letting me murder your little branded bitch?" Marco mocked.
Jake didn't bother to respond he just jerked Neal along with him as he moved a few feet away. Confused Neal didn't even try to fight back as Jake pulled him in close so that he could bring his lips up to his ear. Neal was expecting Jake to snarl some sort of threat at him as if he didn't already know the stakes but instead Jake lowered his voice into a reassuring tone.
"Don't be afraid of Marco." Jake whispered.
"Ja…"
"Be afraid of me." Jake kept his same soothing tone. "Marco is just a man, I'm a monster."
"Jak…"
"Embarrass me by losing this fight and I will rake Peter over the coals, literally. Forget making him fight, I will devote the next week of my life to making him scream, something you know I'm good at. I'm going to record ever second of it and send the audio to his wife, the only way she is going to be able to get her husband's cries out of her head will be with a bullet."
Neal jerked his head away from Jake and glared at him with his blood suddenly boiling over the threat of dragging Elizabeth more into this nightmare more than she already was.
"There's that anger," Jake smiled brightly "now use it."
"Wha…"
Jake used his grip on Neal's arm to throw him towards Marco. Neal managed to stop himself before he crashed into the muscular man but ended up off balance and fell to one knee making it look like he was kneeling in surrender to him. The crowd laughed as they all felt they were going to win their bets against him easily. Neal ground his teeth against his rising blood pressure. Marco also chuckled and looked down on him with an amused grin that further fueled Neal's frustrated rage as he became increasingly angry with being powerless. Walking casually back towards Peter Jake lifted his arm up and made a circular motion with his wrist to signal that they could start the clock.
When the bell rang Marco was still busy gloating over what he felt was an easy win. Still down on one knee Neal briefly closed his eyes as his senses became overwhelmed by the competing emotions of fear and anger coupled with the stimulation of the noisy crowd and the powerful adrenaline. He snapped out of his momentary trace when Marco reached down casually to grab a fist full of his hair. Instead of pulling back to avoid Marco's attempt at the humiliating hold Neal used the foot he had planted on the floor to launch himself up and into his opponents midsection with a considerable amount of force.
Surprised by the attack Marco cried out as he was knocked breathless. Taking advantage of the upper hand Neal slammed his fist into Marco's ribs several times in quick succession. Marco was driven back a few steps further back before he recovered enough to fight back. Using his superior strength Marco put his hands on Neal's chest and shoved him back. Although momentarily thrown off Neal jumped up and charged fearlessly back into the fray like a dog taking on a bear.
Standing on the far side of the bars Peter watched in horror as Neal became completely lost in his aggression. Ignoring any of the advice Peter had tried to impart on him this morning Neal was just attacking tooth and nail, emotion driving his assault rather than a calculated strategy. Luckily for Neal the style was working against Marco who was clearly caught off guard by the passionate onslaught. Half blind and not as skilled a fighter as Peter had feared Marco's reaction was almost entirely defensive. A calmer fighter would have taken a few blows from Neal while waiting for an opportunity to end Neal's belligerence with a single well timed strike to the face once he tired himself out a little. In the first five minutes of the fight Peter counted half a dozen moments when Marco could have taken advantage of Neal's guard being down and knocked him out, but he was too busy just trying to keep his good eye on his quick opponent to take the shot.
"Neal!" Peter cried as Marco finally landed a truly solid hit.
The crowd had taken a breath as one in mock sympathy at the sickening sound Marco's fist made when it made contact with Neal's ribs. Neal staggered back, wrapping his left arm over his possibly broken ribs as he spat blood on the already heavily stained floor. Separated for a moment both men heaved for breath as sweat rolled off their skin. Losing his momentum Neal started trembling as he glanced over at the clock and found he still had nine minutes left.
Neal looked back over his shoulder at where Peter was watching him helplessly with an expression of horrified realization. Peter was having the exact same thought: Neal had started the fight too hot and didn't have the stamina to finish it. Marco had regained his composure and noting the clock himself he chuckled as he clenched his fists and drew his shoulders back to show he was just getting started.
Peter was about to turn to Jake and beg him to intervene before Neal got himself killed when Neal mouthed 'I'm sorry' before turning back to Marco. Peter had thought Neal was apologizing for losing, but the way he launched at Marco with a singular purpose made Peter realize that he was apologizing for what he was about to do. Jumping up high Neal wrapped his legs around Marco's waist to give him some leverage. Grabbing Marco's hair with one hand to pull his head back Neal clawed at the left side of Marco's face.
Roaring in rage Marco managed to throw Neal off and to the floor but it was too late the damage had already been done. Marco cried out in terror at finding himself completely blinded. Shaking uncontrollably Neal didn't even bother getting back to his feet, exhausted he just stared blankly up at Marco as he stumbled back lashing out at the air in front of him. The clock continued to count down but it no longer mattered, Neal had won the fight.
"Now that's what I'm talking about! Damn that was heartless!" Jake crowed. "I knew there was fight in you Caffrey! You just needed a push!"
"What…what did you say to him?"
"Trust me, Agent, you don't want to know."
