Jacob's Revenge

Chapter six

Jacob roughly pulled Deaq out of his chair and pulled him over to the window looking down into the small arena. He was going to enjoy forcing Deaq to watch his friend being beaten. He himself knew Van had been too badly injured in previous matches to win this one.

Deaq watched as Van climbed into the ring and faced his opponent. The noisy crowd grew silent as a man stepped between the two fighters.

"If all bets have been logged in we will start the match."

Jacob looked over at Deaq and smiled.

"I have bet against your partner this time. He won me a lot of money in the past, but he's too busted up inside to put up a good fight anymore."

"Then why let him fight?" Deaq said angrily. "You're going to get him killed."

"I told you I have other plans for him, and because of your interference those plans have been moved up."

"What are you talking about?"

Jacob thought for a moment then decided to brag about his plans, after all he thought, this time he'd make sure Deaq wouldn't be around to stop him.

"Your friend is going to make me five hundred thousand….You see, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations is in town and there are certain countries who will pay to have him silenced, and your partner is going to do that for me."

Deaq glared at Jacob.

"He won't do it." He didn't want to believe Jacob could actually make Van kill someone in cold blood.

"Oh but you're wrong, he will…and when he finishes the job, he'll kill himself."

"You bastard!" Deaq said through clenched teeth. "What makes you think he can get close to the ambassador?"

"I know where he's staying and all it takes is a phone call saying there is a bomb in the building. The ambassador is escorted out and…Bang."

Jacob held up his hand for silence when Deaq started to talk and nodded toward the arena, the fight was going to start.

Both fighters stood staring at each other ignoring everything else and Deaq wondered if Van's opponent was also under someone's control. The man standing in front of his partner was about a foot taller and easily outweighed him by at least a hundred pounds.

A bell run and the fight was on.

At first it looked like Van was getting the better of the larger man as he moved in, made his hit, then quickly side stepped out of the other man's reach. But every once in a while the man connected and Deaq could see his partner grimace in pain as the man's fist connected with his already battered ribs. Deaq felt sick as he heard the shouts from the crowd encouraging the men to fight, not caring whether they were injured or not. This was simply a blood sport played for money. An upper cut from his opponent sent Van's head snapping backward. He staggered a little giving the man time to connect again with a right jab to his face. A deep gash opened above his eyebrow and blood flowed into his eyes making it difficult to see. When Van's opponent realized he was temporarily blinded he moved in and began delivering blow after blow to Van's ribs. He grunted in pain with each jab as the air was knocked from his lungs. When he attempted to cover up the man began raining blows on his kidneys. Van clenched his teeth tight with each hit but then Jacob's face appeared before him commanding him to ignore the pain and continue fighting.

"He's killing him!" Deaq shouted as he watched his partner stumble around the ring obviously dazed.

"Oh, he can take a little more." Jacob stepped up to the glass enjoying the fight and the pain it was inflicting. "I've programmed him to ignore the pain."

"You're going to get him killed you son of a bitch!" Deaq strained against his ropes desperately trying to get loose so he could help is partner. His face was etched with worry as he watched his partner trying unsuccessfully to keep away from his opponent. Van finally landed a few good blows of his own and the man backed off a little. But when Van started to spit up blood Deaq really flipped out.

"Can't you see he's killing him!" Deaq had to think of something to make Jacob stop the fight. "If he dies he'll be no good to you!"

Jacob looked at Deaq realizing he was right. Van still had to kill the ambassador tonight and if he was injured too badly those plans might end up going down the tube. As much as he hated to do it he threw a switch which caused a red light to flash above the ring. The match was over. He had secretly bet against Van anyway so as much as he enjoyed watching a good fight and would have loved to have seen it continue, it was better to collect his money and get his fighter out of there before he was killed.

Deaq watched as the crowd quickly made their way over to the man who had announced the fight to collect their winnings. Van and his opponent separated and Van painfully made his way back up to the room. He walked over to Jacob and stood in front of him. Deaq winced in sympathy as he looked at his partner's beaten body. The top of the Karate outfit hung open and Deaq could see dark bruises forming on Van's chest and rib cage. His face was also badly bruised. Blood dripped from a deep gash above his eye and a small trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Deaq prayed he didn't have any internal injuries that were causing the bleeding.

"You disappointed me tonight." Jacob told Van. "You are becoming weak."

"I'm sorry; I'll do better next time." Van said ignoring the pain he had to be in.

"There won't be a next time. Tonight you will complete the assignment we had discussed earlier in the week. Then when it is finished, you will destroy yourself. Understood?"

"Yes."

"But first, I have a little job for you." He handed Van a gun. "Kill him." Jacob said stepping away from Deaq.

Van raised the gun and pointed it at Deaq, a strange look in his eyes.

"Van…" Deaq said softly his heart pounding as he waited to die. "Come on partner; think…you don't want to do this."

"Kill him!" Jacob commanded.

Van's hand started to shake and tears welled up in his eyes. He shook his head slightly.

"Are you telling me no!" Jacob couldn't believe that Van had enough strength left in him to fight his command. "I said kill him!"

"No…no…" Van continued shaking his head back and forth. Then suddenly he raised the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger.

"Nooooooooooo!" Deaq screamed.

TBC