Fight Time
Lunch had come and gone without a problem which now meant several hours till dinner. Walker took a drink of his water then stored the bottle back in his locker. It was tough living like this from day to day, it really played with one's mind. Thankfully Walker's spirit quickly recovered from today's events. However he was shaken up knowing now that the ski mask men was watching his family.
He took a deep breath and was about to take off his hoody when the door opened. Quickly all the men in the room, including Walker stood to attention with hands behind their backs.
"0535! Get your bag, you're fighting in thirty minutes!" Shouted Terry.
Walker did as he was told and grabbed his bag along with the bottle of water from his locker. After he threw the bottle in with his gear he went up to Terry and stood to attention. His hands were rudely cuffed together and a blindfold was tied tightly around his head. Walker felt hands grasp his arms very firmly and he was forcibly pulled forward. This is the roughest treatment the ski mask men showed to any of the fighters which worried Walker.
"You thought your were tough stuff, 0535. But we don't tolerate that attitude here." It was Terry and his voice told Walker he was really frustrated. "Now, then onto the new rules. You will be fighting outside. If you stall you will get a cattle prod to the ribs." A hand pulled at Walker's cuffed wrists making him wince. "After that stunt you pulled in the infirmary we will no longer play nice with you. Apparently that doesn't work."
Walker held back the urge to snap out a comment knowing that is what Terry wanted him to do. Instead he held his head up high and allowed the men to pull him forward. Within a few minutes they finally stopped, but something didn't feel right to Walker. He felt a pair of hands push him between the shoulder blades till his face was flush against brick.
"You will have ten minutes to stretch." The cuffs were taken off of Walker's wrists. "Sit backwards." Walker did so, unsure of what was going to happen to him next. "Shave the new hair growth, but keep the Mohawk. And trim the beard down to the goatee. 0535, after that is done, you will get changed. The faster you get ready the more time you have to stretch."
XXXX
A door opened and cold air hit Gage's bare skin causing him to shiver violently. The blindfold was taken off while he was pushed forward through three inches of snow. His eyes took several seconds to adjust and when they did he saw bales of hay before him. A man stood inside the makeshift ring, his left eye masked by a black patch. Gage saw surprise flash over the man's face and he realized then, with horror who his opponent was.
"No." He was made to walk forward, but his feet didn't respond. "Not Walker."
"Move it, 0221." Lewis said to him. "Remember, no stalling."
Gage inched forward through the stacks of hay to get in front of Walker. Once there Gage noticed his friend had lost weight and sported an all new look. It was strange to see Walker with a goatee and Mohawk since it was more of a younger man's style. There was also a nasty scar through Walker's right eyebrow. With his new appearance Walker looked more menacing than ever, but Gage knew he was far from that.
Walker pounded his fists together, shook his shoulders and legs, then began to bounce from foot to foot. It was weird seeing his friend wearing baggy shorts and MMA gloves, it just showed how much thinner he was to Gage's stocky frame.
A man in a white ski mask stepped in-between them and lifted his hand high into the air. "Remember we want a clean fight. No eye gouging, clawing or biting." He swung his arm down. "Lets fight!"
The snow crunched under Gage's bare feet as he moved to the side. He didn't know how long his body could tolerate the cold and knew he had to start fighting to keep warm. After circling Walker for several seconds he finally decided to strike out with a right jab. As he did, his friend easily blocked and counterattacked with a roundhouse kick which only hit air by Gage's head.
"Come on! Let's see some action!" Shouted a voice from somewhere in the courtyard.
Gage took a deep breath and decided to lunge at Walker with a flying knee strike. But like before Walker managed to avoid the hit, but it gave Gage room to slam his fist right into his friend's left eyebrow. But he didn't hit hard enough and only managed to momentarily stun Walker. He tried once again to punch Walker in the face, but the older man easily dodged his oncoming fist.
Frustrated, Gage took a few steps back, breathed in deeply then waited for Walker to attack. It didn't take long for his friend to throw out several punches followed by a swift back kick which connected on Gage's right side. However, it was just strong enough to knock Gage down, not to do any damage. The cold snow was brutal on Gage's bare back and he quickly got back on his feet.
"Enough horsing around!" The man with the white ski mask, followed by three others grabbed hold of Walker's arms. "Get the cattle prod!"
Walker fought against his captors not wanting to get shocked by the painful cattle prod. He took a deep breath as the prod pressed against his ribcage sending an electrical shock through his body. His limbs violently jerked as he let out a grunt of pain. After what seemed like several minutes to Walker the prod was taken away leaving him physically drained. The men pushed him to the snow covered ground then yelled for the fight to began. Thankfully Gage wasn't like any of the fighters and he gave Walker time to get back to his feet.
The cold was brutal on Walker's body, but he had to keep his mind focused. Gage had two young kids at home and he wanted his friend to see them again someday. As for Walker, his daughter was almost fifteen, she had plenty of time to spend with him. He has to find a way to get Gage angry at him. If not, this fight could go on much longer than it should.
He pounded his fists together then stepped up to Gage, his mind racing as to what he should do. Gage began to circle Walker, hands raised to protect his face. Walker took several deep breaths, rushed at his friend and tackled him painfully to the ground.
"Knock me out." Walker hissed as he wrapped his arm around Gage's neck. "You need to win this."
"No! I need to fight you!"
Walker took a deep breath knowing now what he needed to do to get his friend riled up. He slammed Gage's shoulders against the snow then leaned down to whisper in Gage's ear.
"Your wife is a whore. She's a lazy, inconsiderate mother." After saying those words Walker felt sick to his stomach and swallowed hard to control his emotions. "You are the worst Ranger I have known…." Walker's voice faded as Gage violently flipped him over onto his back.
Gage's eyes were big and tears started to fall from his eyes. "You don't really mean that Walker." When Walker didn't respond Gage slammed his fist into the snow. "I can't believe you!" Anger flashed across Gage's face as his hands wrapped around Walker's neck. "Why did you say those words just now!"
Instead of answering his friend, Walker fought the urge to pass out as the oxygen to his brain was cut off. It seemed as though Gage was actually going to kill him, but thankfully three men in ski masks came to pry him off.
"Come on! We want a real fight!" Shouted a man through a speaker system. "Let's fight!"
Company B
The fight wasn't the best Trivette had seen, but it was probably the most brutal because it was between two really good friends. Trivette had just seen Gage try to choke out Walker with such anger it seemed he was bent on killing his friend. What had happened to get Gage so upset? It had to have been something Walker said to him.
"Come on, fight already!" Shouted a voice through a loud speaker. "Bring out the cattle prods!"
Two men ran out into the snow covered ring, grabbed Walker by the arms then violently threw him to the ground. Another one appeared with a red rod and quickly placed the tip on Walker's arm. As the man pulled the trigger on the cattle prod the camera zoomed in to get a better look at Walker's face. Amazingly Walker managed to flinch only a few times even though he must be in a lot of pain.
Carter shook his head. "That's not right. Why only Walker? What did he do to piss them off so much?"
"Knowing Walker, a lot." He cringed as the man with the prod moved it to Walker's neck. His friend let out a loud grunt as his body involuntarily started to jerk around. "Hang in there Walker. Hopefully they'll stop soon."
The man with the prod moved away so the men holding Walker could pull him back to his feet. Bright red marks on Walker's neck and arm showed where he had just been electrocuted and if Gage was a good fighter he would target these areas once the fight began again.
"Now fight you two!"
A loud bell signaled the start of the fight and Gage quickly attacked Walker. While the older man was still recovering from being electrocuted Gage rushed in with several punches. Three of them connected with Walker's face with a sickening thud and crack causing the veteran fighter to stumble backwards in the snow.
"Take back what you said, Walker!" The camera zoomed in on Gage's face to show all viewers the anguish in his eyes. "You didn't mean it!"
The camera quickly panned to Walker's face which was now covered in blood. He pounded his fists against his chest, a barbaric gesture that was so unlike him. "Come on! Fight me!"
Gage let out a primal scream as he charged at Walker once again, this time much lower hoping to sweep the man off his feet. However Walker was prepared and as he stepped to the side he brought his left leg out, tripping Gage. The younger man flew into the snow, tumbled a few feet then swiftly jumped back to his feet.
"Come on! Fight!" Shouted the overhead voice. "People didn't pay to see two men dance around!"
"Do you think either of them will fight? It must be getting brutal on both their bodies being out in the cold like this." Carter shook his head. "Walker is starting to shiver, not good."
Compound
The snow under Gage's feet stung at his skin making it harder for him to move when Walker finally came in for an attack. Walker came at him with several punches followed by two kicks which Gage easily avoided. His eyes fell on the deep burn on Walker's right arm and knew he had to target that one spot in order to break down his friend's defenses.
Gage took a deep breath then started to circle Walker, the snow crunching under his bare feet. More fell from the sky and melted once it hit his warm skin. He rotated his neck, pounded his fists together then stepped up to his dear friend. Walker brought his hands up in a guarding position which left his legs completely vulnerable.
In one quick motion Gage snapped his right leg out, slamming it straight into Walker's left thigh. Before his friend could recover from the hit Gage slammed his right fist into Walker's ribs then moved just slightly to grab hold of the injured arm. Once his left hand was wrapped around Walker's wrist he pushed out with his hips causing Walker to get off balance. This was the opportunity Gage was looking for, he pushed hard with his right shoulder and gave Walker's arm a good twist as both fell to the ground.
Walker let out a scream of agony as a loud crack echoed through the courtyard. Gage swallowed all guilt he had for breaking his friend's arm and slammed his knee into Walker's liver. He was about to punch Walker's face but stopped when he noticed the man wasn't moving.
"Walker?" Gage's anger was quickly fading fast and he shook his head. "Walker! Get up!" Two ski mask men came into the courtyard, both shaking their hands in disappointment. "Walker! We need to fight!"
"Enough! You will be declared the winner." Another ski mask man appeared and took hold of Gage's arm. "Let's go."
He shook his head. "I didn't mean to." Tears began to stream down Gage's face as he watched the two men check on Walker's condition. "Please take care of him!"
"Let's go!" The man violently pulled at Gage's arm to lead him back into the warm compound. "You will remain in a solitary holding cell for two weeks. We are getting tired of you fighters not giving us good shows. Hopefully this will change your mind."
XXXX
The first thing to come through the fog was a sharp pain in Walker's right forearm. He slowly opened his eyes to see several men in blue ski masks huddled over him. So, Gage did win the match after all but not exactly how Walker attended him to. He felt himself being rolled over onto his side as something pressed against his side. This brought on so much pain he couldn't help but to let out a loud grunt of disproval.
"Not good, he might have damage to his liver." Galloway appeared in Walker's vision and shook his head. "He could actually die from this." He motioned for the men to lay Walker back down then took out a small flashlight. "I will have to closely monitor him for several days to make sure he pulls through."
Another man, this one wearing a green mask shook his head. "One of our best fighters, no less. Galloway, how long till he can fight again?"
"Not sure. Could be days." He leaned over Walker's face and grimaced. "The liver is what I'm most worried about. As for the arm," He gently put pressure on Walker's right arm causing him to hiss out in pain. "I'll take x-rays and keep him in solitary near the infirmary. Hopefully he'll pull through."
"Make sure he does." The green ski mask man knelt down to get a better look at Walker's face. "Heard you were causing problems for my men?" He glanced up at Galloway. "When you set his arm, make sure he feels it."
Company B
It didn't seem real to Trivette, none of the fight did. He shut the laptop, rubbed his face then took out a pen to write something down. What had gotten Gage so riled up to make him attack Walker like that? He had done a violent takedown which broke Walker's forearm for all to see. Trivette could still hear the bone snapping as he watched his friend's arm bend unnaturally sideways.
Carter slumped down into an available chair and shook his head. "Man, that was downright brutal to watch." He took a deep breath and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "So, Walker is seriously injured. Do you think they'll take care of him?"
"Not sure anymore." Trivette let out a heavy sigh as he stood to his feet. "I hope so." He nodded his head. "Okay, so we have a picture of the structure. The building is in a place where it is currently snowing and still has some daylight." Trivette flipped his laptop back open and quickly began his weather search. "Okay, we can now narrow our search to a few states. Kansas, Colorado…." His eyes scanned the website. "….Nevada, Utah and California all are getting snow, but there seemed to be a good two inches already on the ground…."
"Which puts out Utah and California." He leaned over Trivette's shoulders to get a better look at the computer screen. "Okay, we'll focus on closer states. I doubt whoever took your guys and the rest of the men would travel very far." He went to the dry erase board and wrote down: Kansas and Colorado. "We can start zeroing in on those two states." He threw the marker on the table and shrugged his shoulders. "It's start."
Compound
In the infirmary Walker laid on a cot waiting for Galloway to return after taking x-rays. His arm throbbed so badly it took away all other pain and aches in his body. He swallowed hard then rolled his head to the right wishing his guard would give him something for the pain. The man sitting next to him glanced up from his magazine, smiled through his mask then flipped the page to continue reading.
Walker took a deep breath then pulled at his restraints. "Please….I need…."
"Orders are orders, I cannot give anything." His English was broken which meant he was still pretty new to this country. "Do not worry, doctor be here soon." He glanced up then quickly got to his feet. "0535 has talked, sir."
The man wearing the green mask appeared above Walker and shook his head. "You've been doing so well. Why is it, 0535 that you have decided to disobey orders?" When Walker didn't reply he took a deep breath then shook his head once again. "You were one of my best fighters, but now I'm starting to question your skills." He took out a cell phone and dialed a number. "Yeah start plan B."
"Hello, Mr. Smith. I'm surprised to see you here." Doctor Galloway appeared next to Mr. Smith with a shake of his head. "I will have to set the arm and hope it heals right." Another man appeared, this one wearing a white ski mask like Galloway. "Billy, get the stick and put it in 0535's mouth."
Billy reappeared with a thick stick in his hands and forced it into Walker's mouth. "Better bite down on it hard, the pain will be severe."
Walker did as he was told, squeezed his eyes shut then waited for the pain to come. He heard Galloway talking to Billy as hands took hold of his right wrist. Several more hands held his upper-body tightly to the bed so Walker couldn't move even if he tried. The hands on his wrists started to twist then violently yanked causing Walker to scream out in agony. Walker started to pull at the men holding him down wishing he would black out.
"Okay, let's take another x-ray and see if the bone is set." Said Galloway. "Man, the guy didn't black out. 0535, open your eye for me." When Walker did tears started to run down the right side of his face. "Well, unfortunately the tear duct on your left eye appears to be damaged. I will have to report that to Doctor Bradshaw."
The doctor once again took an x-ray of Walker's arm then left the room, leaving him alone with Billy and the guard. Another man appeared in Walker's vision, this one wearing a blue ski mask.
"We didn't get a lot of money from this fight." It was Benji, one of the guards for his cell. "You have a nasty bruise forming on your side. Hope you'll make it."
Galloway appeared above Walker once again, a smile on his face. "Well, I fixed the break. I'm going to set the cast right now. Just stay relaxed and it should go easy for you."