****
Paul was the next person we were sent to work with. Travis was in his element and this time I found it all a little boring. There were a couple of building developments that Joe owned, he had wanted them to be more apartments. Apartments made more money than stores or commercial properties for Joe. We watched as Paul organised bribes to local government officials, to local businesses to support the development and to the unions to ensure the build was not disrupted by strikes. From what I could see, an awful amount of money was spent on getting the build through planning that might not have been necessary, had it gone down the regular channels anyway. At the end of the day, the buildings that Joe was developing were run-down, renovating them could only improve the area.
“Joe, I know you want to get the planning through quickly but why not try putting it through the normal channels first, then if it fails, grease a few palms. It just seems to me that we pay a lot of bribes when it might not be necessary,” I said one day.
“Rob, we need these application to go through and quick,” Paul had replied.
“I understand that, but do we really need to pay out money to the locals? I mean, let’s be honest, they’re not going to complain, are they? Fair enough, bride the unions if we have to but why the rest?” I said.
I wondered at times whether some of the bribe money found its way back into Paul’s pocket. I just couldn’t see the point of paying people to support a development that was going to enhance the area they lived in. New apartments meant more custom for the local stores and most of which Joe owned anyway.
To mine and Joe’s amazement the second development sailed through with no opposition, saving a huge amount of money that would have automatically been paid out in bribes.
I don’t think I was Paul’s best friend that day. I came to realise that each of the guys that surrounded Joe, except for Jonathan, loved the notoriety that came with being associated with him. They loved the attention and the doors that opened because of that association. I wanted doors to open for me because they wanted to open for me and not because of who I knew. The only way for that to happen was to earn respect.
That started to come shortly after my sixteenth birthday. Travis and I were learning to drive, an essential if we were to continue to learn about the various pies Joe had his fingers in. As was the norm, we were at the gym after a day of working with Paul. Travis and I sparred regularly and to mix it up a little, some of the guys, including Mack, from the gym would challenge us. I was pleased that we both held our own. Joe had come to watch us and I noticed that familiar heads together conversation he was having with Ted. Instead of Ted’s usual shake of the head, this time, they looked at me and he nodded.
“Kid, I have a proposition for you,” Joe said, placing his arm around my shoulder.
“I have a fight coming up, it’s against a twenty or something year old, don’t know a lot about him and I wondered if you wanted the shot.”
“You’re asking me if I want to take part in a boxing match against someone no one knows anything about,” I replied
“That about sums it up, but you should know, it’s an unlicensed match,” he answered.
“Sure, why not,” I said.
“Kid, you have to understand what you’re getting yourself into, before you agree,” Ted butted in.
“Ted, I get it. I have to fight someone whilst Joe here, is going to have people bet. What’s my percentage?” I asked, turning to him.
“Normally you would get a fee,” he said.
“I’ll tell you what, you need to get some people to bet on the other guy, make it a bit of a frenzy, stick me in as the outside bet and I’ll take a quarter of what you earn,” I said.
“The kid’s learning,” Joe said to Ted, a proudness creeping into his voice.
“Rob, you don’t have to do this,” Travis told me later that night.
“Do what?” I asked.
“The boxing. If no one knows anything about your opponent how can you prepare?”
“It’s just a boxing match, Trav. No one knows anything about me so we’re evenly matched,” I said.
We were still sleeping in the office on our makeshift beds, the lights were off but I would not allow the blinds to be pulled. I liked to feel that I was part of the outdoors. I hated confined spaces and being able to see the stars and the moon made me feel comfortable and safe.
“Listen, Trav. I’ll never do anything I don’t want to, trust me on that, but we can earn some serious money. You know I’ll split with you and we can buy ourselves a car soon.”
Every dime I earned was either saved or spent on essentials only. We had quite a little stash of money of our own sitting in the safe in Joe’s office. Another reason Travis and I were quite happy to sleep there overnight, to guard our savings.
For the next couple of weeks I trained even harder than I had before. I already knew how to box I now needed to know if I had the stamina to last the distance. I worked out on the treadmills, the weight machines and with the help of Ted and Mack, I boxed like my life depended on it. I still got that sense of satisfaction when I hit someone, that release of pent up aggression and anger and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing the blood spurt when I connected with someone’s eye or nose. When the day of the fight arrived Evelyn came to see me.
“I don’t want you to do this, Rob,” she said, worried for me. I was, after all, only sixteen.
“Ev, no one can hurt me. They might break my skin, my bones but no one will ever hurt me inside,” I replied.
“That’s not the point, Rob. You’re getting too involved in the business, I worry about you both.”
She was right, for the past few months Travis and I were getting increasingly involved, with that came knowledge of what Joe did. That could be dangerous for us but without realising it, I got addicted to it, to the money and to the new found respect that was shown to me.
It was that respect that I craved, never having had it before. No one had cared about me until then. The kids at school had sniggered at me, my aunt hated me for what she thought I represented and now at sixteen, I was bigger, stronger than some adults. Although I did not confuse some people’s fear of me with respect, I thrived on both.
We arrived later that night at a disused warehouse, on the outskirts of town. There were cars parked everywhere. Ted carried my bag and with me were Joe, Travis and Mack. Joe already had men inside, altering the betting, making me the outside bet. Paul, Richard and Jonathan were in the crowd, there to support me. I changed and warmed up in a small room. Ted fixed my hands and pulling on the gloves, I was ready for my first fight.
“Are you sure about this, Rob? Are you nervous?” Travis asked me.
I thought for a moment. “No,” I said and I wasn’t, I didn’t feel any nerves at all, maybe that was wrong.
I entered the room, there was a ring and a referee in the middle and as I waited to be announced, I noticed a guy enter from the opposite direction. He looked to be a little bigger, a little taller but it was difficult to tell.
We walked towards the ring at the same time, Ted held the ropes so I could climb in. I watched my opponent dance around, throw some punches in the air. This gave me time to study him and to see how he fought. I would often wonder why they did that. I could get the measure of my opponent at that moment, judge the speed at which they threw a punch. I did none of that, not wanting to give anything away. Instead I stood rock still and watched him.
The referee called us together, they had the same rules as a licensed fight, it ended after twelve rounds or until one was unable to continue. All the time he danced around, hyped up, perhaps on something he shouldn’t have been. I stared at him, looking directly at his eyes, reading him and was pleased to see that he struggled to hold my gaze. I could see apprehension in his eyes.
The referee pushed us apart, the bell sounded and this time I moved, keeping just out of his reach, watching every move he made. He seemed a little worried about throwing a punch, his eyes darting aro
und, not wanting to connect with me.
I had intimidated him and right from the off put him on the back foot, so to speak. My hands kept up by my face, looking for the moment and still I waited for him to throw his first punch. People were calling out, cheering, but I emptied my mind of everything around me, just concentrated on the task in hand. Soon enough I heard nothing, just the rush of blood around my head and my heart steadily beating in my chest.
I had him worried, I was totally unknown. He threw his first punch and I deflected it easily, he followed this with one to my side, I didn’t flinch. I felt no pain, as if the contact hadn’t happened. If that was all he had got then this was going to be easy. He let go with another couple of punches, one to the side of my head, it didn’t even rock me from my position. Now he looked scared, his eyes were darting to his corner. He followed with more punches to my head and I kept coming forwards, forcing him back towards to ropes.
It was my turn now, I had given him enough time to learn all I could from him. As quick as a flash my arm swung out, connecting with his jaw, around the side of his gloves. My first punch and he rocked back on his feet for a moment. However, the bell saved him, round one over.
I gently strolled to my corner and Ted sat me down.
“Good going kid, but people have come to watch a fight, you know, bloodshed and all that,” he said.
“I’m watching what he’s got, learning how he moves,” I replied.
The bell sounded for the second round and I walked to the middle of the ring, watched him bounce on his toes and what was more important, I saw the confidence seep out of him. A slow smile crept on my face. I had the measure of him and now I knew exactly what I was going to do, how this was going to end.
My first punch connected straight between his gloves, his defence not good enough to stop the blow. His nose broke, blood splattered across my face and that something triggered in my head again. In my mind, I felt a blow across my back, a buckle biting into my skin and I punched repeatedly, forcing him back on the ropes. I didn’t want him on the floor, I wanted to hit him over and over. My breath hadn’t even quickened, my heart a steady rate and then I finally saw him. His crumpled face was bloodied, his hands hung down by his sides with no attempt to protect himself and I stopped. I took a step back and watched him fall to the floor. The referee stood over him waving his arms, game over and his corner jumped in the ring, rushing to him.
I had done that. I had bloodied that man’s face, broke his nose, his jaw and who knows what else. I looked down at my chest, covered in his blood and yet I felt nothing. I could hear the screaming of the crowd, a pack of wolves howling my name and I stood and looked coldly at them. They disgusted me. I watched the people closest to the ring shrink back a little. It was the women I noticed the most. The ones draped in fur coats and jewels, hanging off an arm of older guys in suits, most smoking cigars. Some blew kisses, their coats falling open to reveal skimpy outfits. I saw Jonathan but he didn’t smile, high five like the others had done, he just looked at me and I saw a sadness in his eyes.
I felt arms around me, pulling me to my corner.
“Come on kid,” Ted said.
He undid my gloves, pulling them off. Joe and Travis jumped in the ring to congratulate me. I walked across to the other corner where the guy was sitting on his chair. His team tried to protect him, not sure what my motive was but I pushed through them and crouched down to face him. He looked at me, a beaten man, a faint smile from his bruised and split lips. He nodded just the once but that was all I needed, forgiveness for what I had just done. I left that building with not a scratch on me and a huge wad of money in my pocket.
“You all right kid?” Ted asked on the journey home.
I had been silent in the car, leaving Travis and Joe excitedly reliving, second by second, the short fight and I looked across at Ted in the dark of the car.
“Ted, I took no pleasure from that, I did it for the money, that’s all,” I said.
He nodded to me, he understood.
I learnt a lesson that night. I learnt that I had to control every aspect of me, tightly. I was capable of causing real harm to someone but what scared me most was I felt nothing about what I had done. Not joy in winning my first fight, not pleasure in probably leaving that man with scars and equally, I felt no remorse either. I was just empty of any emotion.
Instead of going back to the office we went straight to Joe’s, Evelyn anxiously paced the driveway when she saw the car pull in. She ran straight to me, checking for any cuts or bruises.
“Are you okay, Rob?” she asked.
I nodded, smiled at her for reassurance. “I’m fine, Ev, it was easy,” I replied.
“Did you win?” she asked.
“Of course he won, look at him. Let me tell you how it went down,” Travis said, placing his arm around her shoulder and walking her into the house, detailing the fight.
We stayed at the house that night. Travis and I shared a room with twin beds and after listening to him talk constantly about the fight, he drifted off to sleep. I lay there, eyes wide open thinking about what I had done. I knew I would fight again, that wouldn’t be the one and only, but I had decided I would not make it a regular thing, I would not end up like that guy. His only purpose in life was to fight to earn someone else money. No doubt he had no choice in the matter. Now he would be thrown to one side, his usefulness ended. He would have earned from the fight, I just hoped it was enough to have been worth it.
I was not dumb, I knew the guys that took part in these fights had a Joe behind them, someone who pulled their strings. Some had no choice, they were indebted to their Joe and I vowed I would not be like that. I owed no one, I would never be indebted to anyone. I earned my money and I looked on Joe like a father. I knew he was different, he would not force me to do anything I didn’t want to.
****
The following morning I woke to the smell of breakfast, Evelyn and her sister Maria were in the kitchen. Maria was younger, an odd person, always quiet and perhaps more affected by her mother’s death than the others. Travis and I headed downstairs, Joe was already sitting at the table and waved us over.
“You did great last night, Rob,” he said.
“Thanks, but I have to be honest, I didn’t get any pleasure from it,” I replied.
He nodded, deep in thought.
“If you want, there’s another fight in a month’s time, someone a little tougher but it will be entirely your decision,” he said, taking a mouthful of food. “You’ve certainly got some attention though.”
I put down my fork. “Joe, I didn’t feel anything, not joy, not remorse, nothing,” I said.
He stilled, thinking, a sad smile crossed his lips and he patted my shoulder, his way of comforting me.
“One day that might be a help to you,” was all he said.
We continued with our breakfast, again Travis telling Evelyn about the fight, blow by blow, asking Joe if he could get one.
****
For the next few weeks I trained, we went to work and we continued to learn to drive. Without really taking any kind of test, we were handed our permits and Travis crashed the first car we were allowed out in on our own. For a while I refused to get in another with him, he was a liability, a speed freak. One day, though, we ended up in a chase, the cops had seen him speeding and there was no way I wanted to get caught. This time I encouraged Travis to speed up, dodge in and out of the traffic and lose them, which he eventually did. It unnerved me though. Arriving back at the office, I needed to talk to Joe, alone.
“Joe, I need to speak with you,” I said.
He looked up from some papers he was working on, gesturing for me to take a seat. I glanced around at the other guys who got the hint and left us to it.
“What’s up kid?” he asked.
“I need to know, if the police ever pick me up, whether I can get charged with murder or not.”
He looked at me, eyes wide in shock at what I had just said. “Go on,” he e
ncouraged.
I told him about my life, my parents and how I ended up in America. I watched his eyes widen with disgust as I spoke about my aunt.
“I killed her and I need to know, if the police ever pick me up will they know that.”
“Did anyone see you do it?” he asked, his mind already thinking.
“No, I ran, hid in the woods until the morning then I left for here.”
“So if no one saw you, there is nothing to say you hadn’t run away before a batty old woman set fire to her house by accident, is there?” he replied.
“Did anyone know she beat you?” he asked.
“Yeah, the local priest, he encouraged her. They thought I had the devil in me,” I chuckled.
“He did what?” he asked, his eyes even wider, his hands slamming down on the table. Joe hated any abuse of children.
“He encouraged her. They thought if they beat me enough they could cleanse me, get the devil out, I guess.”
Although I hadn’t seen him go to church, the fact a priest was involved made him even angrier. His face reddened, I could see the veins in his neck bulge. He took a deep breath, as if to calm himself.
“Where was this?” he asked as he picked up his pen.
I told him where I had lived, the name of the Father and the school. I didn’t ask why he wanted to know but I had an idea.
“Joe, one day I’ll visit the Father.”
He looked at me for a long while before he said, “Rob, learn one lesson from me. You don’t serve your own justice, you order someone else to.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant at the time. Many years later however, I understood. That statement was the start of a very different path for me. Joe had plans for my future, I guess he saw something in me at that young age to know I would be his successor.
“Who else knows?” he asked.
“Just Travis and Ev,” I told him.
“Let’s keep it that way. I’ll ask around but my guess is that you’re in the clear. If anyone asks, I’ll tell them that you came here earlier than you did. You deny any knowledge of it, you ran to get away from her and she was alive and kicking when you did. Okay?”
Robert (Fallen Angel Series Book 1) Page 7
