Impact (13 page)

“You passed my alley test, and you even passed my weapons test,” he said.

“Your weapons test?”

“When that scrawny woman came into your room to offer you food, you were the only one with the
cojones
to use the makeshift weapons against her. You fought back because that is what a man does. As for the others, those pathetic maggots who insisted on sending the tuna cans and glass jar back with Eva so she wouldn’t get in trouble...well, let’s say their heads deserve to be introduced to a bullet. Luckily, they joined in on your crusade.”

I swallowed hard. I was the one who’d really taken pity on Eva. Had she not let me in on what was going on, I would have been killed. The woman had saved my life, and I had no idea how to thank her, other than to figure out a way to escape and take her with us. It was clear that Kirk wasn’t ready to kill me, and he wanted to keep me around for his own selfish gain. As long as I played along and gained his trust, I figured I could buy the time to get me, Jackie, Eva, and Asia out of there. Now that I knew what was going on, I knew what I had to do to survive. I had to be tough and never show weakness. That was what they wanted, and it was the only reason they had spared my life. 

“I have to admit,” I said. “It was hard out there.”

He softly patted my back. “I know it was. You are a tough kid and don’t like to admit defeat, but things will be better now. You will have no more worries here. Let us take care of you.”

I pretended to be touched by his kind remarks, but they really turned my stomach. “No one has ever cared about me besides Jackie and Asia,” I lied.

“We can be the family you’ve never had.”

I did my best to pretend to fall for it. Without his trust, I had little chance of figuring out a suitable escape plan. It was clear that he was nuts; he actually seemed to believe I would trust him after he abducted me. I wondered how many people had fallen for his line of crap, because I certainly wasn’t going to. I just had to make him think I did. I clenched my fists. “So...I earn my keep by fighting?”

He slapped me on the back. “Brains as well as brawn! You’re figuring things out already!”

“Uh...are the fights, um...to the death?” I asked hesitantly.

“No. Death does serve as punishment here, but you will avoid it if you behave. All we want is a good, old-fashioned fight. What good would it be for me to kill you if you lose a fight? I can’t go around executing my best fighters, can I?”

“With all due respect, how is there time for this?” I asked. “I mean, how do you people just hole up here, in your own little world? We should be out there fighting zombies, not people.”

“Everyone in this city works hard to keep the zombies out. These people work their butts off all day long. The fights are held a couple times a week. It is a time to let loose. We just drink and enjoy a good fight, blow off some steam.”

“I’m surprised the liquor store isn’t depleted yet.”

He chuckled. “No need for that, my boy. We even make our own moonshine.”

Suddenly, somebody knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Kirk said.

Two men led Jackie inside. She ran over to me, and I held her tight in my arms.

“I’ll let you two talk,” he said. “I know you have a lot to discuss.” Then, just like that, Kirk left the room, with his goons in tow.

As soon as the door shut behind them, I smiled at Jackie. It felt so good to have a moment alone with her. When I looked at her face, I noticed she had a bloody lip. “Oh my gosh, babe! What did they do to you?” I asked, anger flooding my voice. “I’m gonna kill them!” I shouted.

“If I don’t do it first,” she said.

I
t broke my heart to see that Jackie had been injured. I felt it was my job to protect her, but they’d kept me locked up. “I’m so sorry, Jackie. What happened?”

“I have a trainer,” she said. “I got this during a practice fight with some tough girl.”

I cupped her face. “I’m going to get us out of here,” I whispered.

“Do you know why we’re here?” she asked.

“Yes. Kirk just told me about the fights.”

“It’s freaking crazy! They kidnapped us to be their stupid entertainment, and they think housing, food, and shelter makes it okay. They acted like they were doing me some kind of favor, like I’d won the lottery or something, but I don’t want to be here.”

“I think they try to pick people they think are down on their luck, good fighters who are struggling to survive. I’m sure many people have jumped on the deal right away, and I guess they expected us to as well.”

“They made a mistake when they picked us,” she said. “I don’t want anything they have to offer. I just want to leave.”

“I know...and we will as soon as we can,” I whispered, combing hair out of her face. “How’s Asia?”

“They let me see her. She’s pretty angry, but she’s okay.”

“Good,” I said, “on both counts.”

“They’re making us fight,” she muttered, her eyes growing wide with terror. “We weren’t even given a choice.”

“They deny that it’s the same, but it’s like Kingsville all over again,” I muttered.

“They try to play it off like they’re helping us out, but we’re still prisoners. If we refuse to fight, they’ll kill us. Did he give you that body bag speech?”

“Yeah,” I said, shaking my head. “Where are these fights taking place?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. There are lots of different events. I’ve been trying to talk to anyone who will tell me anything. They didn’t exactly give me a written job description or employee handbook.”

“Well, have you managed to find anything out?” I asked.

“They have regular boxing matches, knife fights, street fights, cage fights, and more. For punishment, they make opponents fight on a platform, an old stage in the center of some town a couple of hours from here. They call it Blood Fest. VIPs have prime seating on a rooftop that overlooks the stage.”

“The rooftop? Why from up there?” I asked, wrinkling my brow in confusion.

“Because the stage is surrounded by zombies. The goal is to knock the other fighter into the surrounding herd. It’s a fight to the death. Try not to make any waves, or you might end up there.”

“And he claims this isn’t Kingsville.”

She sighed. “I said the same thing. They justify it because they don’t force people to fight zombies. For the most part, it’s a human-on-human fight club, unless you fall off the stage at Blood Fest.”

“And what happens to the winner?” 

“There’s a rope or a ladder to climb up to the second floor, but it’s like...a Thunderdome thing. Two men enter, one man leaves.”

“They’re insane!”

“I know. Since we’re amateurs, we’ll fight in a boxing ring, with gloves. Later, we’ll fight bare-fisted, with no referee and no protection. And no rules apply. Some of the girls have missing teeth, swollen eyes, and shattered knuckles. They try to pretend it’s all very civilized, just for entertainment, but it’s bloody, ugly, and brutal. They take bets and trade things like food and supplies. Some of the girls play dirty too. They bite, head-butt, and do whatever it takes to win.”

“This is crazy,” I breathed out.

“The boxing matches are held in a twenty-four-foot square ring. The rounds are three minutes, with one-minute breaks in between. If you get knocked down, you have ten seconds to get up before the fight is over. The losers aren’t killed, but they are punished. I’m not sure what that entails, but I know it’s not good.” She let out a long breath. “The only thing in our favor is that they have amateur and professional divisions. At least I won’t have to go up against one of those girls who’s been here forever and knows how to deliver a sucker-punch in three seconds flat.”

“I don’t know what to do. That psycho is waiting for an answer from me.”

“There’s only one answer to give him, baby. If you don’t tell him yes, he’ll kill you.” She moved close to me and whispered in my ear. “We have to stall until we figure out an escape. Asia and I already told him we’d love to stay.”

I gripped her hands. “I met Eva. She saved my butt. I’ve gotta get her out too.”

She nodded. “Yeah, she’s one of the good ones. Just stay strong. This isn’t forever.”

“Where are they keeping you?”

“Somewhere across the complex. I’m not sure exactly.”

“I’m gonna get a guard to open my door, then find you. We’ll hop over the fence.”

“You make it sound so easy. They’re expecting that. We’re under constant supervision, heavy security. I know you know lots of moves, but you can’t fight off a dozen of them. You just can’t. We need to go slow, earn their trust until they let their guard down. Then we take the first opportunity to hop the fence, and we take Asia and Eva with us. For now, let’s play the game and pretend to like it here. They won’t kill us right off the bat, as long as we behave.”

“Right, because they need us. See what happens when no one has cable?” I joked.

She playfully nudged me.

“Seriously, we need to get out alive,” she said. “Just go with it for a few days. If you get all hotheaded like your big brother and Lucas and try some stupid escape plan without being smart, we’re in trouble. Just wait for Eva, like Asia and I are. She knows this place, and she’ll come up with a better plan. Going out of here in a blaze of glory isn’t the right move.”

“Yeah, all right.” I looked off. “I hope Val’s doing okay.”

“I wish we could be there for her. Your brother has to be going nuts, Val and Claire too. I bet they’re all searching for us.”

“They’re not gonna find us here. We have to play this smart and get out on our own. Keep pretending like you’re thankful they’re giving you a safe place to live and food to eat. We need to gain their trust, all the while searching for the perfect opportunity to escape.”

She nodded.

“I don’t want you out there in the ring,” I said. “Eva needs to get us out before the really dangerous fights start.”

“She’s working on it. Any tips if I do have to fight?”

“Establish the win in your mind before you ever even set foot in the ring. In the early rounds, try to figure out your opponent’s strengths and weakness. Fighting is a mental contest as much as a physical one. You have to be able to think as quickly as you throw punches.”

“Anything else?”

“Hmm. Well, in this super corny old boxing movie I saw once—called
Gladiator
, ironically—there was some great advice. The old boxing coach guy said, ‘When you’re weak, you act strong, and when you’re strong, you pretend to be weak.’ This will throw your opponent off and allow you to pull some sneak attacks.”

“I can do this. It’s like a game of chess. I just need to be two moves ahead.”

“Swing hard for her chin, throwing all your weight into it. Just remember that a punch doesn’t just come from your arms. It comes from a force that passes through your body, starting in your toes, riding up your body, and extending all the way to your fist.”

“Right. But if I put all my power into it, won’t I break my hands? I mean, eventually, they’ll make us fight without gloves.” 

“Not if you punch her in the liver. You can hurt yourself if you’re not careful, so when you punch, twist your fist into each strike.”

“In the liver? Ew. Violence is not really my thing, ya know, but I’ll do what I have to do to survive.”

“Go for the eyes, nose, neck, throat, nuts, or knees—all those vulnerable parts.”

“Nuts, huh? You need an anatomy lesson. I’m fighting
girls
.”

My expression grew grim. “You don’t know that.”

She peered at me long and hard. “You don’t think...”

“You could have to fight off male guards.”

She swallowed hard but we both knew it was a possibility.

“Any questions?” I asked.

“I remember you telling me the neck is the most deadly target on the body. If I hit her hard enough there, it will knock her out, won’t it?”

“Yup. Go for vital point strikes, any body part that will mess with her ability to breathe properly, or you can cripple her mobility by going for shins, knees, thighs, instep and toes. Also try one of the chokes we showed you, a sleeper hold. Remember, if you can control your opponent, you can keep them from hitting you back.”

The door opened and Kirk smiled, having overheard the end of our conversation. “Teaching her some pretty good moves there. I take it you accept my offer.”

I pasted on a thankful smile. “Yes. Thank you for your kind generosity. All we ask for is food, housing, and protection, as you promised.”

“You only have to fight twice a week. Not a bad price to pay for everything we’re going to give you, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing a zombie won’t try to chew on your leg while you’re sleeping.”

“Thank you for such a generous offer,” Jackie said.

He looked at her. “You have a long way to go, my dear, but we’ll turn you into a warrior yet.”

“I’ll work hard,” she replied. “Thank you for giving me this chance.”

“No longer will you live on the streets, fighting for survival. You’ll have a real home here, your own dorm rooms.”

“And freedom to move around the city?” I asked, sounding hopeful.

“I’m afraid not. For now, until you prove yourself...honorable, you will reside in a fenced-in area. The good news is that you will have double-protection from the zombies, the outside fencing that protects the compound and the added dorm fencing.”

Prison fencing,
I thought, feeling as if I’d just been sent to the federal penitentiary.

“If you earn our trust,” he continued, “we’ll give you more freedom and even let you have a house in our community. Our very best fighter has a beautiful home, is married, and just had a son. He loves our community, and I’m confident that in time, you’ll learn to love it too.”

Jackie pasted on a fake smile. “That sounds wonderful.”

I said a quick goodbye to Jackie as they separated us.

* * *

K
irk led me to a dorm room furnished with bunk beds and a few dressers filled with clothes they had found for me. He looked at me suspiciously. “It seems as if you are onboard, but I’ve been fooled before. It will behoove you to know that I have given orders to my men that if you try any daring prison escape, Jackie and Asia are to be executed immediately.”