Chapter. 8

'What time is it?' Cate asked Julie as they sat in a booth towards the back of the club.

'Just coming up to nine, Shouldn't Marcus be here by now?' Julie asked scanning the room again for the sixth time.

'He'll be here soon.' Cate reassured.

'He's here.' Marcus's voice said as she arrived at their table sitting himself down next to Julie who moved round in the booth so that she sat in the middle of the three with Cate and Marcus opposite one another. 'How you doing?' Marcus asked Cate straight away.

'I'm doing fine.' Cate laughed with a wide smile. 'Honestly you all worry far too much.'

'With good reason.' Julie quickly pointed out with Marcus agreeing.

'I've got some news for you.' Marcus began leaning in a little closer to the Angels and looking around to see if anyone was watching.

'It's all right Marcus you can talk.' Cate smiled at him admiring his attempt at being covert.

'I got a call from Kris and Tiffany before you rang me. They said they may have found the link you've all been looking for and that if they are right then Roth is just small time in comparison.'

'They think he might be the fall guy?' Julie asked picking up the threads Kris and Tiffany were leaving for them.

'It could be but they're warning not to back down or away, he's still dangerous.'

'That's for sure, and in any case once money crosses hands we can have him arrested for that.' Julie summarised.

'We could but I bet will be doing more than that.' Cate said

'What do you mean?' Julie asked.

'If Roth is just the dummy then the one pulling the strings is obviously the one we want to bring down. Roth is the lead to that person; the games really have only just begun.' Cate explained.

'I don't like this Cate, you should all hand this over to the Feds or something like that.'

'Not this time Marcus.' Julie said a dark look in her eyes. 'This time it's personal we see it through to the end.'

'Who's the link Marcus, did Kris and Tiff give you a name?' Cate asked realising they hadn't even asked for a name yet.

'Diane Matisse.' Marcus said quietly enough that only the three of them could hear him. Cate sat back in her seat instantly aware of why Kris and Tiffany were so worried.

'Who's Diane Matisse?' Julie asked.

'She was someone we tangled with a little while back just before I left for Europe a nasty piece of work.'

'What did she do?' Julie continued to question as this all happened before she joined the team.

'She had a nasty habit of killing people in a messy and horrible manner.'

'Why?'

'Money, power, the usual reasons, we got involved because she murdered the husband of one of Charlie's friends. The police investigation was tied up in red tape and was taking too long due to the amount of states she had crossed and killed in.'

'You guy's trapped her then?' Marcus asked.

'Yeah eventually we managed to. It took some doing and we were lucky none of us were killed; she's a smart lady who knows how to set an explosive or two.'

'Was anyone hurt?' Julie asked concerned.

'No not really just a few scrapes, nothing serious at all like I said, we were lucky. If Kris and Tiff are right then she's playing with us and Roth is just a puppet that she's probably hoping will take the fall. I wonder how she connects to Duncan Benett?'

'Kris and Tiff said they'd explain everything further when you meet tomorrow.' Marcus quietly explained. Everyone at the table took in a deep breath as they absorbed what they had learned.

'Hey look at the time; we better get to the back room.' Julie said starting to move forcing Cate to move and get up from the booth.

'Ok, let's get this show on the road.' Cate said standing straight and leading the way.

As Cate prepared for the first fight Roth waited in his private room above the fighting floor. The room was very similar to the box seating at a real sports arena with large glass windows looking down on to the main floor where the action would take place. Roth looked out of the windows as people began to enter in to the small amount of seating by the side of the ring as Jill entered into the room. Seeing her reflection in the window Roth turned smile beaming on his face.

'Darling you're here at last!' He swept across to Jill embracing her the leading her over to her seat a large comfortable armchair that sat next to his same armchair with good view of the floor below.

'I'm not late am I Damien?' Jill asked acting innocent.

'Not at all my dear I'm just so pleased you are here, I have a surprise for you.'

'You do?' Jill asked playing along.

'I followed you advice and sought out that woman from last night's fiasco. She will now be fighting for me, you were right she is brilliant, a force to be reckoned with.' Roth enthused as he poured Jill and himself a glass of champagne.

'Who is she?'

'Her name is Cate Fox, not much to her really, brought up hard and fights harder.'

'You don't know anything else about her than that?' Jill asked as she took a sip of her champagne. 'That's unlike you Damien you normally know all there is to know about a person before you have them on your payroll.'

'I've had her checked darling and she's fine, not someone you'd want to cross from what her record shows but I think I'll be all right.' Damien smiled a sickening smile that made Jill's stomach flip, she hated this and even more so now that the plan was really taking shape and all the players were where they should be, she feared for Cate, Jill had no idea what she would face in the ring or for how long she could cope with it without really getting hurt, what have they done? She wondered to herself regretting so much but keeping a sweet smile on her face all the while.

'Ah here she is now, jut entering into the arena.' Damien said excitedly moving forward in his seat toward the windows. Jill peered down to the floor watching Cate enter the room below with Julie right behind her and Marcus behind Julie carrying his medic bag, which, made Jill's stomach tighten.

Cate was shown to where she and her 'team' were to be sat until it was her turn as the man put it who escorted them to the area off from the side of the ring. Cate looked around the room seeing the people taking their seats looking at the people Cate recognised the kind of people they were, high society types who didn't want to be seen at such things as boxing matches with the rest of the ordinary people but would rather pay through the nose to be at an exclusive club where the fights had practically no rules.

'It's the thrill.' Julie said as if reading Cate's thoughts of the audience.

'Strange people.' Cate said back to her quietly. 'Julie hold on to this for me would you.' Cate asked holding out her closed hand to Julie who lifted an open palm to receive whatever it was. Cate dropped into her hand her silver pendant of St. Christopher.

'Cate it's beautiful.' Julie said as she ran her index finger over it.

'Kelly gave it to me a while back, I don't want it to get damaged in any way in the ring so if you can hold it for me.'

'Of course.'

'Julie should anything happen give it to Kris ok?' Cate said looking straight into Julie's eyes.

'Ok but nothing's going to happen.' Julie said back shaking her hair from her eyes as she spoke placing the pendant into her front jeans pocket. Cate smiled as she turned looking up noticing the boxes above them.

'Looks like Roth is in the rich seats.' Cate pointed out to Julie.

'I wonder who sits in that one then?' Julie pointed to a room where the windows were blacked out. You couldn't see in but the occupier of the room could see out.

'How much you want to bet that belongs to the big boss who runs this show?' Cate asked smirking.

'On that I won't bet but I wouldn't mind knowing who the big boss is.' Julie said turning back to her seat to sit down. Cate stayed standing looking at each of the boxes her eyes resting on Roth's, Roth raised his glass to her to which Cate responded by nodding her head back to him in acknowledgment.

'Jill's up there.' Marcus whispered into Cate's ear.

'I know, don't worry about it she'll be ok.' Cate reassured telling herself the same thing over and over.

'Hey.' Julie called nudging Cate in the leg from where she sat. 'Get your head together, you can't be worrying about her or anyone else right now, focus.'

'Yes ma'am.' Cate smiled saluting Julie before she took her seat and looked over the other fighters seated, gauging them.

A few moments later a man in a black suit entered into the centre of the ring with a microphone calling for attention.

'Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to D24's fight night, for your pleasure tonight we have a couple of new fighters we have the lovely Cate Fox,' Cate stood so the audience could see who he was talking about. 'and the equally lovely Sara Cale.' A short brunette stood up on the opposite side of the ring acknowledging the audience. 'To get things started we have regulars Pauly and Joe. Now remember ladies and gentlemen the rules of the ring, in fact there is only one rule no weapons. No one may help a fighter outside of the ring or hand them anything to attack another fighter with. Otherwise fighters please take to the ring.' The two men of similar height and build stepped into the ring circling one another bouncing every now and then revving themselves up. The MC got out of the ring still holding his microphone. 'Fighters ready?' He called to which both men nodded. 'Fight!' Off the men went heading speedily towards one another fists raised. Cate watched intently each fight as they went on studying as much of each of the fighter technique and faults as they went on. After the seventh fight and the ring's floor had been washed down of blood again for the seventh time the MC stepped into the ring. 'And now ladies and gentlemen for the moment you have been waiting for our new fighters.'

'Here we go.' Cate said getting up pulling her hair back into a tight ponytail.

'Be careful.' Julie warned standing up next to her taking her zipper sweater jacket from her. Cate winked at her new friend as she walked away to the ring. Julie sat back down next to Marcus who squeezed her knee tenderly.

'Don't worry, Cate will be fine.' He reassured. Julie sat and smiled to Marcus showing her appreciation for his words, she just hoped he was right.

'Ladies please take to the ring.' The MC called. Cate and Sara stepped into the ring, Sara moved around a lot like an impatient animal waiting to be released as Cate stood her ground watching her and waiting for the call. 'Fight!'