Hard Case V: Blood and Fear (A John Harding Novel Book 5) (5 page)

I didn’t take my eyes off of the bastard in front of me. “It’s a setup. Thank you my friends for delaying me a moment so my brain would work. Yuri decided to test the waters with this punk. He’ll be here in a few minutes expecting a bar fight, which I was nearly on the verge of causing.”

“Who you callin’ a punk, mother-”

I had him this time by the throat with only his toes dangling trying to meet the floor. “Be careful, chump. There are no take backs. Answer one question, and I let you live. Play bad boy with me, and I rip your Adam’s Apple out. I’ll hold it in front of your eyes while you figure out what happened. Wanna’ play, bad boy?”

His negative head shake was all he could muster, but it was enough. “Did a guy pay you to pop off like this, trying to cause trouble?”

A minute, gasping head nod put him back on the floor, holding his neck with both hands, while the sparse crowd in the bar went about their business. This place was like ‘Cheers’ in the TV show. Everyone knew my name, and they didn’t care what the hell I did with the blueberry muffin at the bar. I patted his cheek.

“Tell me what I suspect already, and walk out untouched.”

“I…I got paid,” he admitted while massaging his neck. “Didn’t get any names. A nobody in a suit… you know… looking like he’s somebody’s enforcer, gets in my face and asks if I want to make some money. I told him hell yeah! This ain’t the way it was supposed to go.”

As if illustrating the point, in walked Alexi, the guy I assumed was Yuri Kornev, but also ‘The Assassin’ himself, Marko Hristov. I shoved my bar buddy against the bar. “Stay here. Finish your drink, and then walk out.”

He nodded, and I pushed against the bar before leaning with my arms folded. I knew the guy who paid him wouldn’t be in this fight deal group. I exchanged glances with Earl and ‘Rique while the new arrivals approached us. They smiled. Game on.

“Marla… I’m mighty dry, and I’m buying my friends in the bar anything they’re drinking.” My answer to this goofball no win situation was to win. I could tell Tommy approved of my first maneuvers. The trouble maker downed his drink, and slid around the group, moving quickly toward the door.

She slapped the side of my head with real compassion, and a little angst. “I’ll have them at hand for you in seconds, Champ.”

Marko Hristov shaved his head, wore an earring of a skull on his right ear, and kept a closely shaved stubble beard. My height and maybe ten or fifteen pounds heavier, Marko moved with a fighter’s light stride with little side to side movement. His slate gray suit looked form fitted to his body, nearly a second skin. Muscles bulged through the material everywhere. He looked up to the mark to me.

Yuri could have been a walking illustration of a Hollywood gangster. His shoulders hunched slightly, and at a couple inches over six feet, he carried about thirty extra pounds. His graying black hair, cut and styled to perfection barely touched the collar of his black suit coat. He had one of those crooked grins that form after time when the guy usually has a cigar sticking in one end most of the time.

“Did something happen, John,” Alexi asked.

“Someone bought some bait, used it to prime the trap, but the wolf smelled a rat, and sprung the trap without damage. No need to discuss your guests’ ploy right now, Alexi.”

“Are you accusing me of something, pug?” Yuri wasn’t happy with my inferences.

“It almost worked,” Tommy said. “John’s been around. He doesn’t get caught easily. Let’s get a table and talk over this fight deal. John needs something to rest his drinks on.”

“I don’t think I like you two,” Yuri said. “Are these really the best you can do, Alexi? Harding won’t last fifteen seconds against The Assassin. Show me what you got, Harding. Why the hell do I have to make all these intricate arrangements for a pug like you?”

“He just beat ‘The Rattler’ in a huge match at the Mandalay Bay,” ‘Rique said. “What the hell did your pug do?”

The Assassin reached for ‘Rique. I snatched his wrist, while blocking him into the bar. I saw Oakland’s finest coming quick to back ‘Rique, and they weren’t reaching for party favors inside their jackets. Earl and ‘Rique stepped away, with at least four of their fellow officers surrounding them. Marko tried to move, but quickly found I had leverage he couldn’t break free of. Surprise showed in his eyes. “Don’t do it. These men around you are Oakland police officers. Touch one of them, and there not only won’t be a fight, but you’ll spend some time in jail. Let’s quit insulting each other and sit down.”

Yuri clasped Marko’s shoulder. “Let us sit as he suggests, Marko. We will settle with the pug soon. This was a bad venue for the meeting, Alexi.”

Alexi smiled while I released Marko. “I think it a perfect setting, Yuri. Marla, I wish to take care of all open tabs here. I apologize for the disturbance, my friends. Please return to your meals and drinks. We will proceed in a much more reserved manner.”

Alexi’s instant generosity ended the tense standoff with many happy faces around us. I exchanged silent understanding with my friends. ‘Rique patted my shoulder. “I hope Earl and I get security duty if the fight gets arranged, John.”

“If it does, count on it,” I replied. ‘Rique and Earl had been watching my back for a long time in the street fighting game. We also had an arrangement due to them knowing my background for a while with government agencies. They let me know if anything has a terrorist angle from what they hear or see.

Marla led us to a table that was cordoned off in a room corner after Alexi made his reservations earlier. Tommy and I kept a polite distance from our companions, not willing to make any fake forgiving gestures, or put ourselves within reach of these bozos. Marla expertly took drink orders, and supplied menus. When we were settled into our seats, I drank down my Beam brother, and half my Bud brother. From now on, I planned to make this meeting entertaining and enjoyable – for me at least.

“You drink like a Cossack,” Yuri commented with thoughtful speculation, as Marla slipped in a refill on my Jim Beam. “It is a wonder you have survived the street fighting, and UFC matches. You have quickness and strength, but no will power I think.”

Tommy chuckled. “Well that was an eye opening first dip in the pool. I think it best if you simply tell us the deal. We’ll make a decision from that without personal comment. How’s that?”

“Yuri is offering fifty thousand dollars for John to fight Marko,” Alexi said. “It will not be a UFC fight nor will it be under the same rules. The fight will be refereed by Jack Korlos. John and Marko will be given a list of what each fighter can do without getting sapped. The winner is whoever Jack states has won the fight. Both of you are familiar with his work, because both John and Marko have fought street fights with Jack refereeing. I take ten percent of all side bets, and an even split on any money from video rights or sales. I do not take care of collections other than guarding the process. For an extra five percent, my people will act as intermediaries. Are there any questions?”

I nodded at Tommy. It was a nice piece of change. No, we didn’t need any money, but in this case we definitely had a dog in the hunt. Terrorists and their enablers are our business. It would be in bad taste for me to get preachy about laundering money. With the vast amounts we have taken from recently deceased bad guys who died violently at our hands, I don’t get moralistic about money. After going through a past period of not having any, a fifty thousand dollar guaranteed cash payout makes us smile even now.

“We’ll take it,” Tommy said.

“Since Yuri has already made the offer, and knows the parameters, the deal’s done. He and I have a separate wager which will remain between us. The only other matter is when. How much time will you require for training and rehab from your ‘Rattler’ fight, John?”

“Six weeks would be great.”

“Good,” Alexi said. “Yuri already agreed to a time parameter up to two months. Let us agree on middle April for the fight then. I will spell out all the details in contract letters to both parties. Is there anything else?”

“Yes,” Marko spoke for the first time, his voice like small rocks ground together in a mixer. “What will happen to me if I kill this man?”

“Nothing,” Alexi said. “We don’t allow killings, and Jack Korlos has not lost a single fighter, but accidents happen. It’s a rough sport.”

“It will not be an accident,” Marko said.

“Jack will tell you to stop if he sees John’s in danger, or has tapped out, or been knocked out. If you try to continue, he will sap you in the back of the head. It’s bad business to allow killings to happen with many political figures in attendance.”

Marko smiled as Alexi finished. “I will be careful then.”

“If we are finished, Marko and I will take our leave. I do not care for these two gentlemen. I will leave them to overindulge in peace.”

Without another word, Yuri walked away with Marko following. I then explained the ploy Kornev had tried on me. Alexi listened intently until I finished. I could nearly feel the inner rage building inside him.

“I cannot believe what a fool I am. Nothing in our violent universe happens by accident. The last fighter Marko beat here three weeks ago was one of my top heavyweight prospects: Eric Minor. Marko nearly killed him. An odd thing occurred at a restaurant bar I was not present at to the young fighter. A guy at the bar kept a steady flow of invective aimed at Eric going until the bartender called the police. The instigator threw a punch, and Eric decked him. Even with witnesses, the police arrested Eric. It took me a few days to get him released on bail, because of the so called victim’s injuries. The fight took place a day after he was released. I don’t know if Eric could have beaten Marko, but the jail time robbed him of a step. I should have known that bastard Kornev was behind it.”

“Kornev didn’t really care about putting me in jail. I think it was a test. Care to share your wager with Kornev, Alexi?”

“If you think it involves shipping, you are correct. Ownership will not be in play, but access to my port facilities without interference will be. I calculated if you lose the fight, I will simply tip off Denny as to when any shipment leaves my port facilities or arrives bearing Kornev’s ownership.”

Tommy and I enjoyed that tidbit of duplicity. I sipped while Marla brought over appetizers, accompanied by refills. This Yuri and Marko show today pissed me off. I’m no wallflower cowered by name calling or threats, even from terrorist enablers. Business is business. The stakes were high, separate from the cash. I don’t laugh off threats. I trusted Jack Korlos implicitly. If Marko put me down, he would make sure I didn’t die. Jack would also sap the shit out of me if I continued on after being ordered to stop. I felt the great banana rising in me. Maybe it was too soon to retire my Mellow Yellow dry-suit. Back alley/street fight brawls were an inexact science. The gloves were thinner, and it was a go until someone drops match. We’d have that excellent cage Alexi inherited after I whooped the Syrian Slayer, so at least Tommy and I wouldn’t have to watch out for crowd interference as in the old days. Yep, memories of my prior training in the Bay would have to be erased from my mind. I never thought anything would get me back in the damn banana suit, but I had a sixth sense for bad situations. My spidey-sense was tingling loudly like the ‘Bells of St. Mary’s’.

“I see that look in your eyes,” Tommy said, drawing Alexi’s attention. We had been eating and drinking quietly without the deal making couple present. “Do you know something we don’t?”

“No, but I know I’m not taking this Marko lightly. Those two bother me. When I look at them, I see dead people and a bad moon rising. I’m going back in the Bay, T. I won’t be whining about it either. We need to get Yuri out in the open with the people he’s fronting for.”

“Jesus… you’re not kidding?” Tommy couldn’t believe it. I didn’t blame him, but I had to stay alive to keep my Al and her softball friends alive.

“We still have to keep working, and I can’t miss my softball coach duties. We’ll take The Lora out on the Bay as much as we did for Rattler. I want to be as sharp as I was at the Mandalay Bay this last time – no kidding, no playing, and no complaints.”

Tommy shook his head and drained his drink. “You’re scarin’ me, brother.”

“Gonna’ get serious again, T.”

Alexi had watched the exchange with first amusement and then complete concentration. “What is it you sense, John. I agree with your plan to be ready, but this sounds like much more.”

I sipped the Beam brother, and nodded in agreement. “I’m still alive and well because I don’t ignore my hunches. Yuri and Marko make me nervous. When I get nervous, I get violent. Nothing makes me more violent than training in the Bay.”

“I have never said sure thing out loud,” Alexi said. “The shape you were in, and the speed during the match with Rattler were amazing. You would have won the UFC heavyweight title. If they saw your fight in Las Vegas, the side hand strike should have been enough to make Yuri reconsider any match between you and Marko. You pinned him like a child against the bar only moments ago. You are right, John. Something is wrong with this picture.”

“Exactly. I don’t plan to find out the night of the match what it is I missed either.”

“Crue’s going to love your new determination.”

I drank my newly arrived Beam brother with Lynn Montoya in mind, standing with pole ready to poke the Banana swimming alongside The Lora with vicious intensity, while giggling uncontrollably. “Yeah, T, I know.”