Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Finn goes around the side of the building and unlocks a door, it almost seems...dead. Like nobody is here. He opens the door and we step inside, walking into the old, crappy building. He walks us down a hall and we reach another door. He opens it and then I can hear it, the thumping, the grunting, the chattering, the yelling. It’s almost completely masked by the door, and the building.
Very clever.
Finn reaches back and grabs my hand, for a moment I freeze, but then I let him hang onto me, because I don’t honestly know what I’m about to walk into. We go down a flight of stairs and into a huge open area underground. It takes me by surprise. I’m guessing whoever owned this building before, took a lot of effort to transform this basement into...this...this fighting ring.
This basement is extra-large, which makes it perfect for what it’s being used for. My guess, if I were to have one, would be that this building might have been an old storage place, hence the need for large underground basements. It also seemed to have a lot of different rooms upstairs, making me think it was used for storing things. Down here though, wow. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
There are, what I’d guess to be, about a hundred people down here, all of them surrounding a massive fighting cage. Not a ring, a cage. Floor to ceiling mesh stops anyone getting in...or out. There are seats lined up around it, and people are both standing and sitting. There are more than one large men getting around, my guess, security. Lincoln isn’t stupid, something like this would need security, or it could get very out of hand.
The main thing I notice, is that there are very few females down here, which makes me stick out like a sore thumb. More than one person has turned to glance at me as we move through the crowd. They obviously know Finn, because none of them question anything. It’s loud down here, but not rowdy, I’m guessing there are noise restrictions. If the police got wind of this place, they’d fine Lincoln, or worse. I don’t think these things are legal.
I’m surprised he hasn’t been caught yet.
“Slater is up next, there is a lot of money on this fight.”
“People actually bet?” I whisper.
Finn nods. “How do you think Lincoln keeps that garage going, and all our houses, and the cars we drive. He makes a fuckin’ killing out of this place.”
“Why did he do it?” I ask, curious, as we move into a darker corner of the room, with a clear view of the ring.
“Long story, leave it to Slater to tell you all of it, but let’s just say he needed the money, so he started fighting himself and then...well...he became the best, well known, and so he started his own. He’s respected. He tolerates no shit. He’s the best there is.”
I can imagine he is.
Lincoln is terrifying in his own right.
And yet, not as awful as you’d imagine.
He’s actually kind, at least, he was to me.
“Are you going to get into trouble for me being down here?”
Finn looks around, “Hoping no one is goin’ to see you, but yeah, if you’re seen in here, I’ll hear about it. So stay near me.”
We watch in awe as the fight is announced, and out into the ring comes Slater, and another massive man, with dark hair and so many scars on his face, they’re literally calling him scar face. He looks terrifying, and like he could just eat Slater alive. But, he’s almost too big, too over formed, Slater is huge, but he’s well put together, maybe that’s his advantage.
The fight is counted down, and the crowd goes absolutely nuts, waving their hands around, cash in them, barking at the two men. Most of their demands are what they should be doing, where they should be hitting. There is a whole lot of “Hit him low!” flying around. My heart races and my adrenalin spikes as I watch the two men begin their fight.
And for a moment, I’m almost certain I’m not breathing. I couldn’t be.
This is so...intense.
Scar face circles Slater, and then hits low, fist connecting with Slater’s stomach. Slater takes a shaky step backwards and the crowd goes wild, and then he looks him right in the eye, and moves like lightning. I could never have guessed a man Slater’s size could move the way he’s moving, but he does, he moves so fast that he takes Scar face off guard. He hits him in the ribs, so hard a loud crack echoes through the room.
I feel a little unwell.
I shuffle closer to Finn.
Scar face doubles over, and Slater takes the chance to hit him in the mouth, sending blood flying across the already stained floor. Then punch after punch, hit after hit, Slater just brings Scar face to his knees, like he’s not even trying. When the man falls face first onto the floor, completely knocked out, Slater steps back, panting, fists clench and bloodied, eyes completely...empty.