The Long Run, page 35
“You got this, Blue. You got it.” Bang peppered Israel with an endless barrage of moral support as they neared the ring apron. Some of the gathered crowd clapped in appreciation of the arriving fighters. Some watched with discerning eyes, calculating their boxing worth before they’d even stepped inside the ring. Bang hopped and exhaled, pushing doubt from his mind.
“Go Izzy!” Sofia called. She stood and pumped her fists beside Rebekah, who joined in the applause. Rebekah’s emotional recovery had been slow. With the aid of therapy and friends, she gradually came out of her shell. She was becoming the Rebekah of old, according to Sofia.
Osiel and Oscar cheered beside Sofia. Tía Rosa and Tío Pedro stood beside them, clapping and waving with wide smiles. He nodded thanks and swallowed hard. They were present while his own father stayed home for his normal Friday night drinking binge. But it was OK. Israel had all the family he needed here. A tear crested his eyelid. The damn headgear wouldn’t let him wipe it. He squeezed his eyes shut and blew out a raspy breath. There was no time to be emotional.
It had been a tough time for Sofia after they returned. Agent Dominguez related the entire story about the attack on Club Bombom. About Hank and his father’s complicity. That was a hard truth to handle. But Sofia had figured much of it out during her captivity. She attended Hank’s first court hearing with Israel by her side. Faced with damning testimony from Centavo and credible evidence of drug-trafficking, the Carsons agreed to a plea. Ten years minimum in a medium security jail of their choosing. Henry Sr had swallowed hard and nodded agreement. Hank remained quiet through the entire proceeding, absorbing his punishment with his head hung low. Sofia flipped him off the one time he glanced her way.
“Kick his ass, Izzy!” Sofia’s shouts carried over the crowd’s polite applause. Israel raised both arms and smiled in appreciation. He climbed a staircase positioned beside the ring and leaned under the ropes. Bang followed him inside and they took position in one corner as directed. Israel hopped in place as Bang strategized.
“This guy is a brawler, Izzy. He don’t know how to box. Just wants to be Tyson. You’re faster than him on his best day. Be first. Work the body. Don’t let him catch you with that right. It’s a bitch. He’ll come out fast, hoping for a quick knockout. Give him a check hook. Keep him guessing. Out-think him.”
Israel nodded as he listened. He’d heard it all already. But reinforcement was preparedness. He popped his mitts and shook his head. Doubt kills. Be the killer. His gaze landed on Cedric across the ring. His intense brown eyes stared back. He was a big dude. Bang moved in between them, severing the connection.
“Tell me you got this, Blue.”
“I got this.”
Bang continued his spiel as Israel scanned the crowd. A face two rows back caught his attention. Agent Dominguez. He hadn’t seen her since Henry and Hank’s first court hearing. She’d caught hell for going to Reynosa without authorization. She faced a reprimand. Or worse. But the national news picked up the story. Hero Agent Rescues Sofia was the Monitor headline three days later when the full story came out. She escaped official punishment thanks to an FBI Director eager to engender goodwill. She looked relaxed in civilian clothes and with a new, shorter hairstyle. A young man in a dress shirt and slacks sat beside her, with their knees touching. She noticed Israel’s gaze and waved. He returned the wave and focused on the fight.
“Stick and move, Blue. Don’t forget.”
“I got it.”
“Gentlemen!” The combination fight referee and announcer had entered the ring and stood in its center. He waved to Israel and Cedric to join him. They walked to the center with their trainers at their side. A pin microphone was clipped to the referee’s collar. “What are your names?” he said, pulling them close.
“Cedric the Deadrick Washington!” Cedric’s trainer declared.
“True Blue Israel Cortinas!” Bang proclaimed with an extended fist over his head. Their voices echoed through the arena and were met with a smattering of applause.
“It’s the first fight for you both. We discussed the rules in the locker room. You must defend yourself at all times. I will enforce those rules, but you are responsible for your own safety. Understand?”
Israel nodded agreement along with Cedric.
“All right, Gentlemen. Tap gloves and go to your corners!”
He and Cedric exchanged half-hearted fist bumps and turned for their respective corners. Israel opened his mouth as Bang inserted his mouth guard. Israel bit down on the hard plastic as Bang picked up the stool and ducked under the ropes to exit the ring. From the floor, he leaned against the apron with his elbows on the mat.
“You’re ready for this, Blue! You put in the work.”
Israel nodded. He’d trained daily for a year before he traveled to Cancun. After his doctor declared him fit, he lived in the gym. He’d lost a lot during his recuperation: speed, stamina, instincts. But endless hours of training had recovered them all. He was ready.
“I earned this,” he said, low under his breath. He’d begun repeating the mantra soon after returning to the gym. A reminder of the challenges he’d overcome to be there. His life had been a hollow pit of self-doubt as a kid. Motherless. Alone. A childhood likely to be spent in juvie before graduating to adult prison. But he chose a different fate. He would make his future. One fight, one sacrifice at a time.
The ringside bell dinged.
Israel raised his fists, leaned into a fighter’s stance, and moved towards the center of the ring.
THE END
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About The Author
Billy Wittenberg is a Gulf War veteran, an engineering designer, and the son of a Mexican immigrant. He writes thrillers and crime novels set in the southwest United States. His stories revolve around cruel people and kind people and all manner of people in between.
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Copyright © 2023 by Buffalo Bayou Publishing
All the characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All rights reserved.
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Billy Wittenberg, The Long Run
