by Night, H. T.
“What do you pay your fighters?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I pay the fighters,” Romero answered. “All that would matter is what I would be paying you.”
“And that would be?”
“Anywhere between five hundred thousand to a million a fight,” Romero answered, plainly.
“What if I wanted five million?” I said, pushing the envelope.
“There’s always room for negotiation.” Again, Romero winked at me. This guy sure liked to wink. There’s something a tad untrustworthy about a winker.
I nodded my head and looked out into the arena. I tried to play it off like I wasn’t just offered a million dollars to do something I usually do for free on any given night. Fighting was in my blood and with the buzz I was sporting, a million dollars sounded pretty damn good.
Suddenly, music started to play over the loudspeakers and the lights inside the arena began spinning like it was the beginning to an NBA basketball game.
“The fighters have theme music and a light show?” I asked, laughing.
“I’m all about entertainment, baby,” Romero said, proud of his product.
Then a ring announcer came into the ring. He had one of those great ring voices for this kind of an event. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” he said in a very deep, roaring voice. “The third fight on tonight’s card is a fight between two fan favorites. First in this corner, we have Vengeance.” The crowd went nuts with both cheers and boos. Then the two black double doors opened and a dark-haired fellow came running out like he was on speed. I assumed he was a Mani, because he sure wasn’t a wolf. This guy was as hyperactive as a four-year-old on a trip to Disneyland. He sprinted and dove into the ring.
“Who’s Vengeance?” I asked Romero.
“He’s a Brazilian vampire that is rumored to have killed a hundred Carni in one night in some Brazilian night club, just for the hell of it.”
“Just for the hell of it, that sounds like a nice little marketing tool.”
“You’re catching on, Josiah.”
“He does have a lot of energy, I will give you that,” I said.
“That’s an understatement,” Romero laughed, in agreement.
The ring announcer continued. “And, for all you werewolf lovers out there, do we have a treat for you!” The crowd erupted in a flurry of applause.
What the hell was going on?
Everyone stood on their feet and began chanting, ‘Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!”
“Holy shit!” I said. “This is a Carni-friendly crowd!”
“You bet it is,” Romero answered.
“Why?”
“Vampires are considered demonic and inherently evil to most of these people. A wolf represents everything that is pure about man and beast.”
“That’s bullshit!” I said.
“Is it?” Romero looked at me in a way I didn’t like. He was trying to egg me on. I had a feeling this was part of his ploy; to get me upset to the point I might want to fight for him. But that tactic was definitely not going to work on me.
“Do you believe that?” I asked. I poured myself another double shot and downed it. Now I was really feeling it. Oh boy, was I feeling it. I was drunk.
Romero smiled from the corner of his mouth. “Just continue watching.”
The black double doors opened once again and four men entered the arena holding long ropes. They were pulling a giant cage on wheels with the ropes. Inside the cage, was one of the most beautiful white werewolves I had ever seen.
“What’s the white wolf’s name?” I asked.
“Wolf,” Romero answered.
“That’s it?” I said. “The other guy has a cool American Gladiator name like Vengeance, and the werewolf’s name is just Wolf?”
“When we asked her what her name was that was all she told us.”
“The wolf is a girl?” I asked, surprised.
“Not just any girl. She’s gorgeous. She is one tough motherfucker, though. She makes ‘Xena’ look like a ballerina.”
I sat up. Now this was getting very interesting. The four men wheeled the cage up to the main cage in the middle of the arena. They connected the two cages together with locks and bolts. The cages were specially designed to exchange animals from one side to another, but, in this case, it was a vicious female werewolf. The cages were now linked together with the two still separated by a cage door. Then the lights in the arena went out. All you could hear was the howling of the white wolf. I had to admit, this was pretty badass!
The lights turned on and the front cage door to the wolf’s cage lifted up. And the white wolf charged the vampire Vengeance and leaped on top of him. Vengeance didn’t know what had hit him. The wolf was tearing him apart. Vengeance transitioned into a raven and began flying above the wolf inside the cage. In mid-flight, he transitioned back into his human form and power-kicked the wolf in the face.
“That isn’t fair,” I said.
“What’s fair, Josiah? Anything goes except for weapons. The only weapon that can be used is the cage itself.” Romero watched on like a weird Little League father who was pleased with his son’s bullish behavior.
The wolf somersaulted backward and Vengeance continued to kick and punch the wolf as it rolled.
“Get up!” I yelled, rooting on the wolf.
“Are you cheering on the werewolf?” Romero laughed.
“I’m definitely not rooting for Vengeance!” I said.
“Wow, you really are a Carni apologist.”
“Is that what you heard?” I asked, as I poured myself another double shot and downed it. I was royally drunk.
“I know all about you and your friend Tommy.”
“Oh, you must not know all about Tommy, or he’d be here.” I was drunk and not even aware of what I was saying.
“Why is that?” Romero asked.
“He can change into a werewolf whenever he wants.”
“What?” Romero asked, completely surprised.
“I trained him to do so.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Not to you, I’m not.”
I didn’t realize the information I was offering up, and I was too drunk to care. Then I looked out into the arena; by now the wolf and the vampire were trading blows to the pleasure of the crowd.
“WOLF! WOLF! WOLF!” the crowd shouted then the great, white wolf got a hold of Vengeance and bit into his neck and shoulder. Vengeances’ body went completely limp.
Suddenly, the four original men who led the wolf into the cage began lassoing the wolf’s legs like it was a rodeo. Once they had a hold of her, they yanked and pulled her back into her original cage. She resisted and broke the rope. One of the guys had a gun and shot the wolf and she fell over instantly. I looked at Romero, shocked.
“Don’t worry, Josiah. It’s just a tranquilizer dart that hit her. She’ll be okay after her little nap. Sometimes, we have to do that or the wolves would kill all of our Mani and, like I said, we don’t encourage that.”
They wheeled ‘Wolf’ out of the arena and the crowd chanted her name in unison. I had mixed feelings. I was rooting for her to win, but the fact the crowd was so anti-Mani really bothered me. They have Mani all wrong. I looked out to the middle of the ring and Vengeance was still lying out there.
“Is someone going to help him,” I asked.
“Our paramedic guy likes to wait for the wolves to be completely out of the arena before he enters.”
Meanwhile, Vengeance laid in the middle of the ring. The crowd screamed at him to get up. They were calling him every name in the book. This crowd hated vampires. That was obvious. And that was making me very pissed. “Fuck the crowd,” I said.
Romero laughed. “Make up your mind, Josiah. Are you for the Wolf or not?”
“I’m definitely not a fan of Vengeance. He just looked like a hyperactive asshole, but he doesn’t deserve to be ridiculed by a bunch of idiots either.”
“Well, those idiots paid for the right to act any way they want
. As long as they don’t interfere with the fight, they can say and do whatever they like.”
“It’s your club,” I said. One thing I had to give to Romero was that the fight was highly entertaining. He knew how to put on a show.
Chapter Thirteen
I told Romero that I was ready to get going and he took Wyatt and I back to the hotel in the Ferrari.
“There you go,” Romero said to me, while we were driving back. “You just got a taste of the entertainment I provide. What do you think?”
“The money and the thrill of the crowd are very tempting. But, for right now, I’m going to have to pass on the whole fighting-for-cash offer.”
Romero pulled into the parking structure at the hotel we were staying at and parked. Wyatt was in the back completely passed out sleeping. “Just promise me, Josiah, that you will listen to an offer at a future date?”
“I’ll always listen to offers,” I said.
“Sounds good.” Romero dropped us off and he left. With that, my night with the most interesting man I had ever met ended. I told him we’d stay in touch and Wyatt and I went into the hotel and checked out.
We decided to take off back to Victorville before morning. We figured we could get in around 5:00 a.m. So that’s what we did. We both transitioned and got the hell out of Dodge, or TJ, as it were.
Wyatt and I arrived in Victorville rather quickly. As we flew over the house I noticed a few people were in the backyard, swimming. The early morning, before the sun comes up, is like late afternoon for vampires. Lena, Yari, Hector, and some girl I’d never seen before were all sitting in the Jacuzzi.
We both landed in the backyard and transitioned to our Mani forms. Wyatt said goodnight and went upstairs and went to bed. I had come to the conclusion that having Wyatt around in Mexico was good for moral support, but he really wasn’t much help.
I walked to the others over by the Jacuzzi. Yari was wearing a red, two-piece bikini that showed off her well-endowed bosom. Lena wasn’t as big as Yari in that department but hers had some nice perks to them. It’d been awhile since I’d had any sexual release and, to be completely honest, both girls looked sexy as hell and I was feeling a bit randy. Wouldn’t that be something? A ménage à trois with Yari and Lena? Not in this lifetime, but I’d definitely put that idea in my mental ‘go to’ vault for the next time I had some alone time.
Now, who was this girl sitting right close to my boy Hector? She looked to be about twenty in her human body. I was pretty sure she was a Mani if for no other reason than guilt by association.
I walked over to them and, to my surprise, none of them seemed too interested in me. “Hello,” I said, a bit insulted by the lack of friendliness.
Yari smiled at me. “Nice of you to visit us.”
“You’re not going to be catty, are you?” I asked.
“Who’s being catty? You’re the one that had to go see the ‘Deity,’ as if she knows more than the rest of us.”
Now I understood. Yari was jealous.
“She is called the ‘Deity,’” I said, pointing out the obvious.
“She is just like anyone else,” Yari continued. “Most of her mystique is just legend. She thinks she’s flipping Mother Teresa and Nostradamus all rolled up in one.”
“She kind of is,” I said, defending her.
“Oh my, she’s got you fooled, too.” Yari had been drinking and when she drinks she can be a bit sassy, to say the least.
“I take it you have run into her in the past,” I said.
“I met her once or twice,” Yari said. “She’s a judgmental little twit.”
“Now I see how it is.”
“What do you see, Josiah? Please enlighten me.”
“She probably gave you some advice on how to better your life.” I knew someone like Yari who lived life to the fullest would resent someone like the “Deity’ who is as selfless as they come. Yari didn’t have to be jealous of her or resent her. Yari was a real good person who looked out for those she cared about.
“So, Josiah. What great bit of insight did she give you?” Yari continued with her badgering.
“Are you drunk?” I asked.
“A little drunk, a little high. There’s not much to do around here.” Yari giggled.
I looked over at Lena and she was just pleasantly smiling at me. “What about you?” I said.
“I’m not high,” Lena said, laughing.
“Great, is everyone drunk?”
Hector raised his hand. “Guilty as charged, and as far as I know, so is Samantha.”
“Samantha?” I said, looking at the new girl. “I take it that is your name. How are you? My name is Josiah.”
“I know who you are,” she said, shyly. “It’s very nice to finally meet you.”
“That’s kind of you to say,” I said. “Are you the reason why Hector sneaks off at night?”
She smiled even more shyly at me. She seemed a bit star-struck. I gave her an unassuming smile to let her know I was a pretty decent person and she could be herself. “Had a few tonight?” I asked, teasing her, too.
“I had a couple,” she giggled.
“What about you, Josiah? What have you been doing the last couple of nights?” Yari asked.
“I had a pretty interesting experience south of the border, to say the least. The Deity was pretty insightful, regardless of what you think, Yari.”
“I’m glad she was,” Yari replied. “Someone needed to light a fire up your ass. You sure as hell aren’t advancing us forward,” she said.
“Who’s us?” I asked.
“Mani,” Yari answered.
“I guess it’s all on me?” I said, annoyed.
“Josiah, we need a leader. You need to lead. It’s that simple.” Yari got out of the water and sat on the edge of the Jacuzzi with her feet dangling in the water.
I wanted to argue, but in a way she was right. I hadn’t a clue how to lead other than by example, and the example I was giving was kicking as much ass as I could whenever I had to. The truth was I still wasn’t sure what I needed to do. I needed to fix my relationships, that part was clear after my visit with the ‘Deity.’ I had decided I’d start with Lena, but Yari had a bug up her ass about something tonight, so she was going to go first. I walked over and leaned in and said to Yari, “Can we talk?”
She looked up at me and smiled and said, “Sure, when and where?”
“How about right now and we can talk inside the house,” I answered.
“No worries, Josiah. We’ll leave you two alone,” Hector said, highly aware of our conversation.
Lena looked up at me. “I was going to bed anyway.” Lena seemed a bit jealous and she didn’t have to be. She was the person I needed to talk to the most.
“I want to talk to you too, okay?” I said, to Lena.
“Yes, captain, my captain,” she said, laughing.
“It’s not like that. I just need to talk to you about a couple of things.”
Lena nodded and got out of the Jacuzzi. She was wearing a white bathing suit. Her skin was milky white and her body was perfection. She didn’t have an ounce of fat on her except in the one place it mattered. She had a little junk in the trunk. I was a bit excited, watching her dry off.
Yari caught me lusting after my ex-girlfriend and nodded her head knowingly looking at my groin.
“Stop it,” I whispered to Yari.
“You’re the one perving on Snow White, not me,” she whispered back.
“Good night, guys,” Lena said. She then left and went inside the house. Hector and Samantha also got out and dried off. After a moment, the two of them said goodnight and went inside, too. That left Yari and I alone in the Jacuzzi area.
“You really know how to ruin a party,” Yari said, sarcastically.
“I wanted to talk to you alone,” I said.
“Well at least come in the Jacuzzi.”
“I’m fully clothed.”
“You can come in your boxers, I won’t perv on you the way
you did Lena a minute ago.”
“Hey, I was checking you out earlier, too, but you didn’t see me.”
“I saw you and, trust me, you should. I look hot in this bathing suit.”
I had no comment. “I’m wearing tighty-whities,” I said, going back to my bathing suit situation.
“Even better,” she said, winking at me.
“Come on, just get in.” Yari was always persuasive. I was also horny as hell. Not that I was intending to engage in some hot tub fun with the red-headed vixen, especially when her and Cyrus had been hooking up as of late, but I think I just wanted to take off my pants off for exhibitionist reasons. I peeled off my shirt and kicked off my shoes. I slipped off my pants and I stood there in just my underwear.
“You are hot, Josiah. Damn!”
“Stop it,” I said, as I slowly went into the hot water. Once I got my whole body in except for my head, I decided to go to the other side of the Jacuzzi.
“So, what’s up?” Yari said.
“What’s up with you? You seemed a bit bitter at me for whatever reason.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“Is that all?” I asked.
“Let’s be honest with ourselves, Josiah. What are all of us doing here at this big gigantic house? This sure isn’t some fucked-up version of the real world where cameras are following us around. We’re all waiting around to do something. And you’re the only one who can call us to arms.”
“Call who, though, Yari? I know we have followers, but can they fight?”
“We have some studs on our side, Josiah. There’s a lot of Mani ready to lay their lives down for the cause. If you’re afraid of Krull’s army with the men and women you have, then you need to get on the ball and train them to fit your standards.”
I nodded my head and sighed.
“You’re a fucking warrior,” Yari continued. “What you have endured and learned in six months has taken Krull a lifetime to learn. Plus, you have an advantage over a guy like Krull and his thugs.”
“What’s that?”
“You are always the one getting attacked. There’s one thing I’ve learned in all the years I’ve been alive; fighters become more lethal when they are fighting for their lives.”
