Chapter 282
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These thugs dragged Eve and Hope to an old warehouse. Eve could hear noises from inside, loud, screaming. They sounded like when coach Miller organized fights in their old highschool gmy. Those fighters had all been there voluntarily, they could tap out, noone died. Eve doubted this would be that tame. Maybe this was divine punishment for having been a bookie's footsoldier at those fights. There were rumors that Amanda organized more brutal fights here. Eve wasn't clear why she was being taken here. Hope was crying, Eve did her best to calm her, but the baby seemed to know this was dangerous. When they got inside th crowd was watching two men fight to the death in a cage. The thugs brought Eve to see Amanda.
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Eve: What's going on?
Amanda: We're reviving an old tradition. People fight to the death, the crowd bets on who will win. Everyone here is scared of ELE, angry at not being selected.
Eve: But why was I brought here?
Amanda: A lot of sector guards are upset with those who killed their comrades, and got away with it. They might've preferred killing you, and your little bastard, in your sleep. But I convinced them that you're more valuable alive. And I'm a little short on gladiators. So, to be blunt, you will fight another young girl to the death. If you win, you're free to go. If you lose, you'll die, but we'll drop your kid off at the orphanage. If you refuse to fight, we'll use you and your baby for target practice.
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Eve waited nervously. The other gladiators were still fighting. After this just one more fight, than Eve was suppossed to fight her opponent. She had heard that gladiators got big banquets and stayed in luxury suites before a fight. Either that was a myth, or it applied only to the big televised spectacles. During the fight they played songs from Jezebel, music to rob a convenience store or kill someone to. Eve was still holding little Hope, feeding her for perhaps the last time. She wondered, what should she do. Eve had no idea who her opponent was. Maybe some girl who dared to fight back, when the sector guards tried to have their way with her. Would Amanda keep her word, just let Eve go? What if Eve died? Would they really let Hope live? What then? Eve still believed that if a child died they went to Heaven. But what if she was wrong? If Hope died now, without making the choice to accept Christ, would God accept her? And what about Eve's opponent? Was she saved? If not, and she died here, Eve might be sending her to Hell. Eve was scared. God was everywhere, even in this den of sin and evil, he was here. Eve prayed. She needed the wisdom to know God's will, and the strength to do it. The spectators were appraising Eve, deciding whether they should bet on her, or against her. As she prayed, they laughed at her. Strange that they'd be laughing at her for praying when they were all in a proverbial foxhole, they were all too close to death to not believe in God. Finally, it was Eve's turn. The thugs took Hope, and pushed Eve into the cage. Another moment of truth. Eve saw her opponent, she recognized her from the church, one of the refugees from the first night with Teri. Maybe she was saved, would get into Heaven, maybe not. Either way, she seemed just as scared as Eve. There were two knives on the floor. The other girl quickly picked up her knife. Eve picked hers up, more in self-defense than anything else. The crowd was yelling for blood. If she had to guess Eve would think some had bet the fight would be short. The other girl attacked Eve, she just dodged to avoid her. Eve kept avoiding her opponent, but didn't try to stab her. The crowd was angry. Amanda had a look on her face. It seemed to remind Eve what the penalty was for refusing to fight. But Eve would not kill an innocent woman. She tried to figure out how to escape. There was no way out. Even if there was, Hope would be killed. Eve threw her knife down, refusing to be a willing part of this. But her opponent valued her own life more. She ran towards Eve with her knife, knocked her to the ground. Eve fought the girl off of her. When Eve finally got up, she saw the knife. She couldn't remember putting it into her heart, but it had happenned. The other girl was dead. Some spectators cheered, others booed. They weren't upset with the general idea of the fight, only that they'd bet on the wrong horse. Amanda let Eve out. She said "Unusual strategy, but it worked. Congragulations." Her thugs handed little Hope to her mother, and let them both go home.