Four Days Later

It was hard to keep track of time in the cell and when Walker awoke for the fourteenth morning he was starting to wonder how much time has really past. Judging by his beard and hair growth, many days have definitely past. His beard was now the thickest it has been in years and it actually began to itch. Wonder if he will ever be able to shave it off.

The lights in the room flickered on making at least three men to moan as they awoke from a deep sleep. Walker pulled himself into a sitting position then rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He took a look at the picture of his daughter while he pulled the blankets away from his body. Thank God the ski mask men let him keep that one little scrap of his life to keep him sane. Wonder how the other men were doing?

The bed creaked above him and John's legs appeared next to Walker's head. John then jumped down, grimacing as he favored his right knee. Wonder what happened to him? Walker could make out a large pink scar which traced the top of the man's knee. Probably an old sports injury or an accident.

Walker climbed out from his bunk, slipped on his flip flops then began to stretch his arms out. Sleeping in a cramped space was taking a toll on his older body. He slowly rotated his waist back and forth then went to the table to stretch out his legs. Since Patrick's fight, most of the men in the room have begun to stretch and work out more, Walker being one of them. He had been taking it easy and now might regret it. If he was too fight soon, he would be rusty and could possibly loose.

Patrick slumped down into a chair and shook his head. "Guys, it's like two days before Christmas. We've been here for two weeks, maybe longer."

"Wow, hard to imagine Christmas is almost here." Just as John sat down the door opened making him groan. "Course, they had to come now."

And like the other times before, all the men in the room lined up accordingly and allowed the ski mask men to shackle them together. Once done, the six men were lead to the cafeteria to have breakfast. Since the fight, everybody has been keeping an eye on their portions to see if there was a change. However, at least in their group, nobody has yet to fight after Patrick.

Walker sat down next to John and allowed his left wrist to be shackled to the table. A man, he knew to be Kyle placed a protein shake in front of Walker then a plate of food. Ever since his visit with Galloway showed he was loosing too much weight, Walker was forced to drink a chocolate shake every morning to help keep it in check. However, this morning, his breakfast was rather large. Two scoopfuls of scrabble eggs, three slices of toast, two slices of bacon and a fruit cup. His shoulders slumped knowing this meant he was the next fighter up. Wonder who is opponent will be?

John glanced over at Walker's plate, gave a slight shake of his head and continued eating his breakfast. In front of them sat Joseph who didn't look up from his plate of food. Walker pulled at the chain holding them to the table which made it clank rather loudly against the wooden surface. This got John and Joseph to snap their heads towards him and they quickly started to shake their heads.

"You have a problem, 0535?" Asked Nathaniel as he stepped up to the table. "Don't like your breakfast?" Walker bowed his head and began eating his meal knowing if he retaliated, then his family might pay for it. "Good, I want no more noise from this table."

After breakfast, Walker and the five other men were escorted not to the room, but to the restrooms and showers. Here, he was hooked to a long chain, attached to Joseph's wrist. Both were handed towels then escorted to shower stalls. It took some getting use to, showering like this, but Walker had to except in his current life, his privacy was nonexistent. After a quick, cold shower he got a fresh pair of clothes and noticed each of them were given a pair of long johns.

Nathanial pointed at the pair in Walker's hand. "To save costs, we are going to shut off the heat at night. When you get back, you will see a thick fleece blanket on your beds."

This is a clue Walker was hoping for and he filed it away inside his mind. So, they were someplace cold and judging by the time it took for him to get here, only a few states popped in his head. It's winter and if it was getting colder, it meant either New Mexico, Oklahoma or even Colorado. Which meant he was no longer in Texas which could make finding him and the other men rather difficult to do.

"Come on, let's go. Time to see Christian."

The men were led down the hall to a rather large open space and Walker instantly noticed the barber chair sitting near the end. Along one wall sat several chairs which all the men were forced to sit on. One by one, each was called to get their heads and beards trimmed. When it came Walker's turn he was shoved towards the chair by Nathaniel then made to sit down so his ankle can be secured to an eyelet on the floor.

Christian, the barber turned on a pair of trimmers and went to work on Walker's beard. "I'm going to give you a younger look." He tilted Walker's chin upward to get the neck. "We will see how the goatee and Mohawk looks on you."

Walker's eyes got slightly bigger at the word, Mohawk. He hasn't sported a haircut like that since his Marine days. How would he look like with one? Unfortunately there was no mirror to find out. He will just have to ask the men in the room how his new haircut looked. Hopefully they would be honest.

"There, I'm finished." He patted Walker on the shoulder. "Doesn't look too bad."

Nathaniel unhooked Walker's leg from the chain then pulled him to standing position. "Come on. We need to take you someplace."

He maneuvered Walker's hands backwards, cuffed them then tied a blindfold over his eyes. This was something new and Walker began to fight back as he was led forward. What the hell were they going to do to him?

"Stay calm." A door opened then closed and while still blindfolded, Walker was forced to sit down. "You have two minutes to say anything that you want to only your daughter." Confused, Walker just nodded his head. "Okay, now began talking."

Walker took a deep breath then straightened his back. "Angela, sweetie, I hope all is well at home. Tell mom I said hello and to not worry. I'm doing really good. The men here have taken very good care of me." He heard a click, but it wasn't a gun safety going off. "What did I do?"

A hand violently slapped the back of his head. "I know you too well, Ranger Walker. It's just a few days before Christmas, say something about that."

"Fine." The click happened again and Walker knew it had to be a video camera. "Angela, I hear it's almost Christmas. Oh how I wish I was there with you, but unfortunately I won't be." He lifted his head up, wishing he didn't have the blindfold on. "Just be good for your mother and keep doing well in school. I love you so much, Angela. You are the image I see at night before I go to bed. You are what is keeping me sane in this place. Hope to see you again. Give Murphy a belly rub for me."

Walker hoped that satisfied his captors and apparently it did since he was pulled out of the chair. He was once again led through the halls till his flip flops smacked against tile. Here, his hands were freed and the blindfold taken off.

"Use the restroom then we'll take you back to your room." Said Nathaniel. "And don't tell any of the fighters what you did. If you do, I will make sure your daughter suffers for it."

"Don't worry, I'll remain quiet."

"Good. You have two minutes." With that the door was closed and locked.

XXXX

Somewhere else in the compound Joseph Case worked on the budget which kept the ring functional. So far, thanks to his rather large inheritance he was able to keep things running rather smoothly. However, heating a place this large will draw unwanted attention, especially in the location he was in. Because of that, he will have to turn off all power leading to the fighter's cells. Hopefully, the nights won't get too cold for them.

Mason sat down next to him with a DVD in his hands. "You really think this is smart?"

"Yes, I do." Joseph bit his lower lip as his mind began to work. "How do you think we should deliver it?"

"There's that party at the bar called C.D.'s." Mason leaned back and rubbed his face. "I think that can actually work."

Joseph nodded his approval. "Go ahead and send it to our contact down there."

"Why are you doing this?"

"0535 is a law officer. To see him alive and doing well will prove to many, that his life is not yet in danger." He tapped the DVD. "Make sure this is wiped clean. Can it be traced?"

Mason shook his head. "I made sure to make the necessary steps while burning the disk. Still need to tweak it a bit, but it'll be shipped out tomorrow."

Joseph gave his accomplice a smile. "And the site for the fight?"

"Will be up and running in a few hours. Again, I did as you asked." He leaned backwards to crack his spine on the chair. "Man, do you think we can keep doing this?"

"I see why we couldn't." Joseph patted his friend's shoulder. "How much money did we make on the first fight?"

Mason grimaced then shrugged. "Little over fifty grand. Hopefully, word has spread and the fight tonight will net in more money."

Fort Worth, Texas

It had been fourteen very long days since Walker had disappeared and Alex's heart began to ache for her husband. How could he remain missing for two weeks without a single clue being found? It puzzled most and still drew national media attention. Shame that most law enforcement have basically given up on the other missing men. Most were written off as taking a trip or in some cases even drug or gang related.

She sat in the living room, her attention focused on the brightly lit Christmas tree. Just a few more days and it will be Christmas. This will be the first in many years that Alex won't spend it with Walker. The first since Angela was born. How will their daughter take to it? Right now, she seemed to be doing rather well and even started to help the Gage's children cope with the disappearance of their own father. How long will her wall be up for?

Angela made her way into the living room with two cups of cocoa in her hands. She handed a warm mug to Alex as she sat on the couch.

"Finally got Josh to fall asleep." She sipped at the cocoa in her hands. "Meaghan, still won't talk though."

Alex slowly nodded her head. "She's taking this hard." Her voice faded as Sydney walked in and sat down on the rocker. "Hey aunt Sydney."

Sydney gave her a weak smile. "Angela." She took a deep breath as she wrapped a blanket around her body. "Just a few more days and it'll be Christmas. How am I suppose to explain to Joshua the reason his father isn't here? I can't keep saying he's undercover."

"Joshua will understand." Alex nodded. "Even though Gage and Walker aren't here, we got to be strong for them." She reached over and took hold of Angela's hand. "Wherever they are, I know they're okay and thinking of us."

Several Hours Later

After walking several yards the men finally stopped Walker and told him to sit down. He did as he was told to feel a wooden bench underneath him. Having no shirt on and only wearing shorts Walker could feel the chill in the air which told him the building may not have any heat. Wonder where the compound was located?

"Okay, taking the cuffs off. Remember, no funny business." The cuffs were taken off Walker's wrists then the blindfold followed. "There are only a few rules. No eye gouging, biting or groin hits." Walker nodded his head. "Here's your mouth guard."

Walker took the guard from Nathaniel, put it in his mouth then glanced down at his gloved hands. He has never fought with MMA gloves before and was surprised at how bulky they were. Most of the patting was on top of his knuckles which gave his fingers plenty of maneuverability for grappling.

"Have protection on?" Walker nodded. "Good, you'll be needing it. You have ten minutes to stretch." Nathaniel pointed to a taped area about five feet by five feet in diameter. "Stretch there. We'll let you know when your time will come to fight."

Walker obeyed and went to the taped area to start stretching out his limbs. He was glad he wore traditional kickboxing shorts and not the grappling ones he has seen many MMA fighters wear. The loose fitting clothes will make it easier for him to throw kicks.

He began to bounce up and down, making sure he stretched out his stiff legs. Before him sat a traditional MMA ring which means the floor and fence had a bit of give to it. Good, that meant he could throw his opponent around without hurting him too much.

Ten minutes later, Nathaniel came back to escort Walker into the octagon. Inside the ring stood a stocky man who appeared middle-eastern in origin. He wore bright red shorts which really stood out against his dark skin. A man in a white ski mask waved for each fighter to meet in the center of the ring. Here, Walker could see his opponent was very fit and could really prove a challenge once they started to spar.

"Okay, the rounds are two minutes long. Anything goes except for eye gouging, biting or groin shots." The man nodded at both fighters. "Let the fight began!"

Fort Worth, Texas

At the Company Trivette sat at a desk, his mind completely focused on the computer screen before him. There, getting ready to fight was his friend, Walker. However, it almost didn't look like him. Walker's hair was shaved off and he now sported a Mohawk and goatee. Not only that, he had lost some weight. His ribs and spine were now clearly visible along with his facial bones.

"Okay, the man Walker is fighting against is, Zadok Abijah, an expert in Krav Maga." Carter sat down next to Trivette with a file in his hands. "Israel born, moved to the States just five years ago." He cringed when Walker landed a powerful blow to Abijah's jaw. "Is your friend a good fighter?"

"One of the best." Trivette noticed Walker moved fairly well which told him he wasn't injured. "He has a fresh cut on his right eyebrow. Wonder how he got it?"

Carter shook his head. "The man he's fighting with also has fresh injuries." He cringed again, this time from a hit Walker received to the temple. The hit didn't even faze Walker and he counterattacked with a vicious round kick to Abijah's right thigh. "Man, Walker is tough as nails. That punch would have knocked most people out."

Trivette laughed, the first time he has done so in many days. "Walker has a very hard head." He gave Carter a nod. "Walker is doing really good. Let's just hope he can stay on top."

Compound

After two minutes, the man in the white ski mask pulled the men apart and ushered them into separate corners. Walker rested his hands on his hips then rotated his neck to get the kinks out. So far the fight hasn't been all that bad, but Walker knew his opponent was feeling him out. It was difficult for Walker to really pinpoint the man's style since he used both hands and feet rather well. The next round he'll start grappling more, let's see how the man reacts to that.

"Get back into the center!" Walker and his opponent did just that. "Let's fight!"

Before Walker could bring his guard up the man came in with a flying knee strike which hit dead on against his solar plexus. Pain stabbed through Walker like a knife and it took all he had not to double over.

The man came in and quickly wrapped his arm around Walker's neck, bringing their faces very close together. "My name is Z. Remember that!" He released then pushed Walker backwards. "I have never lost a fight!" He hissed out.

Great, a cocky one. Walker thought as he brought his guard back up. Z lunged once again with a flying knee strike, but this time Walker was ready. He moved to the side while reaching out for the man's leg. Once he had a good grip, he dropped all his weight bringing the man down to the ground.

The man was quick and managed to get away before Walker could put him into any type of lock. Both once again squared off, neither making a move. The man in the white ski mask walked up to Z and stabbed him in the side with a cattle prod.

"No stalling!" He went up and stabbed the prod into Walker's right arm sending fire like pain to shoot through his whole body. "Now fight!"

Z appeared shocked and Walker knew he had to take advantage of it while he can. He rushed at the man, jumped up into the air then grabbed hold of Z's right shoulder. In one motion Walker brought the man down and got him into a body lock. He quickly wrapped his arms under Z's and laced his fingers behind the man's neck all while maneuvering his legs to the man's waist. Once in position Walker began to crank backwards, painfully bending Z's spine towards the mat.

"Tap out." Walker said in the man's ear. "Please, just tap out."

"Never."

Z managed to bend one arm backwards and started to stab wildly at Walker's face. Knowing the man's intentions Walker cranked even harder and in return got a finger straight in the left eye. Pain shot through his skull and his first reaction was to let go. However, his life and his family's were on the line. He grimaced and shifted his body weight just slightly to wrap his right arm around the man's throat.

"Just tap out." Walker grimaced once again as the finger found it's way back into his injured eye. "I don't want to kill you."

"Kill me."

The man reeled his leg back and slammed it into Walker's groin. Even with protection it hurt like mad and Walker quickly released his hold.

"Enough!" The white ski mask man knelt next to Walker. "0535, can you continue?"

Walker gritted his teeth at the pain in his groin and eye. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"0535, let me check your eye." It was Doctor Galloway and he was wearing a white ski mask with a red cross painted on it. "Looks like 0220 did some damage." He took gauze out of his bag and taped it over Walker's left eye. "That's to protect it for the rest of the fight." He turned to the referee. "He's good to continue."