by T M Kelly
While I waited for Vera to make her entrance, I bounced back and forth letting my body get warmed up. I could feel Tyler behind me, but I couldn’t look back now. I needed to keep focused. The belt was mine and I planned to keep it that way.
Vera stepped into the space and made a lap around me. I knew she was trying to distract me from the end game. The problem was, there was no way to distract me now. I was more focused than I have ever been during a fight.
I left all my shit at the door.
We had five rounds and each round would be five minutes. Vera was not easy to knockout, so I knew this fight would be long and exhausting.
The referee had us step forward and tap fists, and then the bell rang for the start of the round. Vera immediately started to circle around me and bounce back and forth. I knew she was trying to intimidate me, but it wasn’t working.
I let her circle one more time, and then I bent and took her body down to the mat. She fought against my hold and turned her body to the side. I moved to the side to straddle her. Without hesitation, I threw one punch after another against her head, side, and arms.
Something happened during that round. As I threw each punch, something eased inside me. I knew I promised to leave it at the door, but something had slid in unannounced. Without thinking, I stopped mid-punch and leaned up.
Vera didn’t hesitate. She took that open invitation and flipped me onto the mat. As each punch made contact, I felt something release from inside. I could see Tyler screaming and slamming his hands on the mat. It’s possible luck was on my side, because the bell rang for the end of the round. I lay there for a moment, trying to catch my breath.
Brooks was my corner for the fight tonight. “Zoe, get over here.”
I jumped up and wiped a tear that escaped. “Yeah, here.”
Tyler yelled from behind me. “What the fuck was that shit?”
“Julian, get him out of here,” Brooks ordered. “Zoe, don’t listen to him. Focus on me. You okay to go back in?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I knew I wasn’t, but I didn’t plan to tell anyone that bit of information. Before Brooks could protest, I threw my mouthpiece in and stood up.
Vera was laughing as she leaned forward to tap my fists. Her look sent a chill up my spine. I wasn’t going to let her win. Not today and not ever.
My mind flashed to that night when we found Stephen. I could see the man who captured him being apprehended by the police. The fucker had been laughing as he was thrown into the back of the police car. The way the asshole laughed felt similar to the one Vera was sporting currently. It took everything inside me to not lunge forward and rip that smile off her fucking face. Then I stopped moving, stopped breathing. I had to let it all go. This fight was so much more than anger; it was my career. My fans expected a win and I had to deliver.
I moved my head from side to side, shook my shoulders, and lifted my arms in front of me.
We started to circle around each other, and then Vera lunged forward and threw a high-kick that should’ve hit me on the side of the head. I backed up just in time and immediately spun around to throw a back kick. The way I attempted the move felt sloppy, but somehow the kick made contact with her jaw. Vera had this shocked look on her face as she stumbled backward. The moment her back hit the fence, I jumped in to take her down to the mat. I could see by the glazed look in her eyes she was down for the count. Right as I was about to throw a punch against the side of her head, the referee jumped forward and placed his body in between us.
Did I just win?
Brooks ran forward and lifted me up off the ground. “You fucking did it.”
Was it really possible that kick worked? I knew the moment I started the turn it was all wrong. Vera was now sitting up with her back against the fence. I walked over and knelt down beside her. “You okay?”
She closed her eyes and dropped her head. “How the hell did you take me down with that kick?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” We both laughed and tapped fists. “Are we good now on the rematch fight?”
“No, I want that damn belt”—she hopped up from the mat—“so you better be ready.”
“Just tell me the time and place.” I patted her shoulder and turned toward my team. “It can’t be real.”
“We’ll show you on the video,” Tyler said and stepped forward. “That kick didn’t start off right, but fuck, it landed beautifully.”
I grabbed the towel Charlie was holding and wrapped it around my neck. As we made our way to the back of the arena, I heard a noise from behind me. The moment I turned, my body was forced to the ground. I had no idea what was happening or how many people were piled on top of my body. Before I could respond, several punches were thrown against the side of my head.
“Grab him,” a man’s voice said from beside me.
“Take him down,” another voice said from farther away.
“Zoe. Can you hear me?” It sounded like Tyler but I couldn’t tell. I tried to open my eyes, but the pain that shot through my head was too intense. “Just hold on. We’re getting you help now.”
Help for what? I felt confused. “Ty,” I whispered.
“I’m here, baby. Just don’t move.”
“What the fuck just happened?” I felt scared. Who would do this and why?
The sounds around me were all too familiar. There was a beep beep beep that rang beside my ear, and slowly brought my mind back to life. I tried to open my eyes but was met with resistance. Then one lid lifted just a crack. I could see someone sitting in a chair beside me.
“Ty?”
The figure lifted and bent forward. “Zoe. I’m here.”
“My head feels like an anvil was thrown against it.” I tried to bring my arm up, but it stopped right below my chin. I noticed a cord hanging down from my hand. “Is all this necessary?”
“You were knocked unconscious.” Tyler sat down beside me. “You’ve been out cold for almost twenty-four hours.”
“I don’t understand. Who did this?”
“A fan of Vera’s was pissed off you won.”
I was in a hospital bed knocked out because some crazy person wanted Vera to win. What was wrong with people? “I hope they’re in jail now.”
“Yup and bail was denied.”
Just then I heard a light knock and a man wearing a white lab coat stepped around the wood frame. “Oh good, you’re awake.” He walked over to the end of my bed and quickly introduced himself. “How are you feeling?”
“Like someone bashed a hammer against my head.”
“You were hit pretty hard during the attack. We want to keep you a few more days for observation.”
A few more days here without my furry kids. I may go stir-crazy. “Um, okay.” I knew it wouldn’t matter if I protested. Tyler would probably force me to stay no matter what.
“Zoe, we need to take a few tests today.”
I placed my hand over the right side of my head. “Did I get hit that bad?”
“There was some swelling. We just want to make sure it’s going down.”
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this would happen. Fans were crazy; I did understand that much. Jumping me after a fight? That was a whole new level of insane I would never get. “Yeah, sure, whatever you need to do.”
The doctor didn’t stay long. He let me know I would go up for an MRI after lunch. As he left the room, I closed my eyes. The pain in my head was slowly building. I kept them closed and just enjoyed the sounds around me. Then he popped into my mind, and my eyes flew open.
“Is he awake yet?”
32
Zoe
When Stephen flat lined that last time, my body had become numb. I didn’t want to think or feel. When I went back to Tyler’s place, something felt wrong. I knew a piece of me was missing. When it was time to go to bed and my head hit the pillow, every smell that reminded me of Stephen immediately hit my nose. I remember jumping off the bed and admitting there was no way I could stay there. Ty
ler didn’t hesitate. He never protested. Instead, he gathered up my animals and insisted I follow him. Five minutes later we were at the gym. That’s when I discovered there was a spare room in the back. Apparently the room was added when the gym was being built. Julian used it the most, but Tyler said he did crash there a time or two. It worked, too. I’d felt calmer and I was finally able to experience a full night’s sleep.
It was a waiting game. Stephen had been put into a coma because of the severe trauma to his head. Plus, the knife wound had hit one of his kidneys, and he needed to have it removed. His doctor felt putting him in a deep sleep would help with the healing process.
With Stephen in the hospital fighting for his life, I didn’t know how I stepped foot into the octagon. It took everything in me to not let my emotions out with every punch, but I made a promise. Chuck probably should’ve pulled me from the fight card. He had to know I lied like a dog when I told him I was ready to fight. I wasn’t ready for anything.
“Zoe,” Tyler said and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m ready.” We were outside Stephen’s door. I could hear that all too familiar beeping sound again. “Let’s go see him.” When Tyler pushed my wheelchair through the doorway, I felt the wind knock out of me. “Where is he?”
Tyler ran over to the bed and turned back toward me. “I don’t fucking know.” I was still learning how to maneuver myself in a wheelchair. As I tried to turn the wheels, my hand became entangled. He ran past me. “I’ll be right back.”
I kicked the foot rests up and stood. Which was probably a bad choice because I lost my balance and fell back into the chair. “Fuck.” Where was Stephen? I wanted to help. I forced my body back up into a standing position and walked over to the window. A part of me was hoping I would see him in the parking lot.
“Zoe, what are you doing?” Tyler ran over.
“Looking for Stephen.” I grabbed his arm for more support.
Just then a nurse ran into the room. “What’s going—” She glanced around and ran over to the small bathroom. “Where?”
“Yeah, good question. We’re wondering that, too.” I grabbed Tyler’s hand and carefully walked back to the wheelchair. “I thought he was supposed to be safe here.”
“What are you talking about?” the woman said and quickly left the room.
I looked up at Tyler. “We need to call Detective Alan.”
“Yeah, okay,” Tyler said and punched a few buttons on his phone. I could tell by his facial expressions he was struggling to keep it together.
“It couldn’t be him, could it?” It was our cryptic way of saying, Did the serial killer do this?
He stopped typing on his phone and looked over at me. “He’s supposed to be in jail.”
I was pacing the length of my hospital room, waiting for answers. My steps were short and my movements wobbly, but I couldn’t wait in a damn bed.
“Zoe.” Alan walked into my room and held out his hand. “I’m sorry to see you under these circumstances again.”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on?” I felt bad sounding angry.
“Two prisoners escaped overnight. He was one of them.”
Now I felt completely confused. I needed to sit down. “So let me get this straight. You knew and didn’t tell us.”
“We were taking care of everything. It was better to wait, than make it public while we were gathering all the information still.”
I rubbed my hands over my eyes. “Why would the killer come after Stephen again?”
“He didn’t finish his kill. From what we’ve discovered after going through his house, he would be classified as obsessive compulsive.” Alan leaned against the window sill. “We found his journals. There were maybe twenty in a box stored down in the basement. This case is bigger than we originally thought.”
“Bigger?” Now I felt scared.
“He logs. His kills. There was a space in the journal for Stephen that was still empty.”
My heart sank. I stood up and immediately fell back down. “Damn it.” I forced myself back to a standing position. “The security cameras here at the hospital?”
“Have the suspect’s face but they’re still too grainy. Our technical team is working on the images now.”
I turned to face him. “So you may be able to find him?” Tyler ran back into the room. He looked out of breath. “Where were you?”
Tyler pointed to Alan. “I noticed a man throwing a wheelchair in the back of a black full-size pickup.” He held out his phone. “Here’s an image of the license plate.”
“Jesus, Ty.” I knew what he’d done was dangerous. He had no idea if the guy was armed. What if the asshole grabbed a gun from one of the security guards on the way out of the building?
Alan had Tyler text the image to his phone. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he turned and left.
I didn’t know what that meant. What I did know was we were stuck in the damn hospital until I was given the all clear. I moved my body back onto the bed and rested my head on the pillow. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard, “Zoe.” I turned to find the nurse standing by my bed. “I need to take you for your MRI.”
The fucking MRI. “Yeah, okay.” Anything to distract me at the moment was fine by me.
“Zo.” Tyler stepped up beside my bed. “I’m going to go to the police station and see if I can help.” He bent down. “We need to get you out of here as soon as possible.” Then he kissed me tenderly. “I need you with me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Do better than your best.”
“Still love to be bossy, I see.” He kissed my nose and left the room.
The nurse helping me into my wheelchair to take me for the MRI actually sighed. “That’s Tyler Moore isn’t it?”
“Wow, you know your fighters.”
“Only the important ones.”
Her comment made me laugh. If felt good to laugh.
33
Tyler
“How the hell did this even happen?” I wanted to scream at anyone who would listen. At the moment no one would listen. I was just bitching to myself out loud inside my vehicle. I took in a deep breath and locked my door and then let it out slowly as I made my way up the steps to the building.
The precinct was packed when I arrived. Alan didn’t say much when he left, but I was hoping he was still here. He had indicated in passing that his team planned to comb through all the evidence they pulled at the crime scene. I wanted to be there when they looked at everything. Well, I probably wouldn’t be allowed to see any of the evidence. I just wanted to be available if they had any leads or questions about Stephen.
“Tyler,” I heard from behind me. When I turned around, I came face-to-face with the agent that took down the serial killer almost two weeks ago now. “Here to help?” she said and held out her hand.
“Yeah, if that’s possible.” I shrugged my shoulders because I didn’t believe I could help at this point. “Sitting at the hospital wasn’t doing me any favors.”
“I heard your girlfriend landed herself there. What was her name?” Then she snapped her fingers. “Zoe, right?”
“Yeah, a fan jumped her after the fight a few nights ago.”
“Wow, is this a normal thing?”
I found her question funny. “Um, no. This was a rare occurrence.”
“Shit, well, I’m sorry. I hope she’ll be okay.”
I wasn’t in the mood to discuss my personal life. Well, some of my personal life was on display, but I didn’t need all of it out for show. “Are you looking at the evidence for the serial killer case?”
“Yeah, come this way.” She threw her arm up and waved her hand in the direction to follow her. She led me to a small room where four people were sitting around a table. “Room for one more?”
Alan stood up. “We may need it.” He pointed to a chair. “We were just discussing Stephen and where he lives.”
That seemed odd. “Why? How does that matter?”
“Joseph. That’s the name of the serial killer.” I liked how they didn’t use the nickname the media loved, The Silencer. “He has no place to go. From what the video footage shows, he escaped from jail and went directly to the hospital.”
I sat down and rested my hands on the table. “How did he know where Stephen was located?”
“It’s all over the news. Hell, Zoe is all over the news, too,” the woman that brought me to the room said and moved a book in my direction. “Look at his last entry.”
It took me a moment to open the cover and flip to the page they had marked with a sheet of paper. The journal was six by nine in size. I could see blood splatters on the edges. Where they had a sheet of paper resting, I could see two photos. One was of Zoe and the other was of me. “I don’t understand,” I said and looked around the room.
“We didn’t either,” Alan said and stood to stand by a board that had several photos of people that looked maybe alive and some that were obviously dead. “We know how many other states he’s wanted in and have traced all these missing persons’ cases back to Joseph.”
“All those.” There had to be a hundred photos on the board.
“We have them grouped because from what we can see, he killed couples.”
A chill shot through my spine. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“I am.” Alan walked back to the table. “Turn the page”—he did it for me—“see that.”
“Are those the two missing persons’ cases we had recently?” Then it rang a bell. “Wait, that’s Andy.” Was he after people with a specific sexual orientation? Seemed possible.
“Tyler, he frequented Noir. In the other cities, he frequented nightclubs that were similar to Noir.”
I threw my hands to my face and rested my elbows on the table. “No one figured this out until now?”
