Warrior

Chapter 30: Koba

I stood on that cage again taking deep breaths, I was nervous, nervous as fuck. I looked over at Jade, standing next to Frank who was scanning the crowd, I'm glad I had them here with me. The fight her and Naomi had last night was brutal, they weren't talking to each other, and I saw Naomi with Tommy during his fight with Mad Dog, where was pop?

Frank leaned over the cage and looked at me, a smile on his face, Jade was smiling too. "You've got a visitor. Second row, ten o'clock" we were seconds away from all as entrance, and I tried my best to keep my composure as I looked off into the crowd. There she stood, right by the cage side, Tess. I stared at my beautiful wife, shocked. "You alright with that?" Frank chuckled.

She smiled at me, and mouthed the words 'I love you'. That was all I needed to keep going. I kissed my glove and pressed it against the cage in her direction. The lights went off, and ominous Russian music began playing, he was here. I looked over at Frank and Jade who had calm. I watched Koba approach the cage, was I ready for this? I didn't know. But I had to be.

"I want you to look right at him when he comes in here, don't take your eyes off him" Frank commanded, I nodded, looking over at my wife and drawing strength from her. Then as my sister who gave me a nod. Frank tapped his fists with mine over the railing of the cage. "I'm proud of you, brother. This is your cage"

Koba climbed into the cage, massive, intimidating. I didn't really hear anything going on around me. We met in the middle and I kept my eyes on him just like Frank told me to. Josh gave us the rules but I was so focused on Koba I didn't really listen. The crowed admired Koba like an exotic animal about to capture its prey, the prey being me. His eyes were cold, the eyes of a killer. I tried my best to hold his gaze.

We retreated to our corners, and I stared at him, my heart racing, "gentlemen, you ready?" He pointed to Koba who gave him a stern nod. "You ready?" He looked at me, and I nodded, not sure if I really was. "LETS GO TO WAR" and Koba came straight for me. His speed and power unbelievable, he was ferocious. I could hear Frank yelling at me to keep my distance, and I tried, but Kobas skill was astonishing. He threw me around like a rag doll, throwing my head back with upper cuts, throwing punches with astonishing power and speed, bruising me with kicks, beating me around with strikes. He pushed me up against the cage too, endless power slams. I tried to fight him back, but he caught me in a bear hug and lifted me off the ground before taking me to the centre of the ring and body slamming me. I could barely fucking breathe, but all I could think about was my wife watching, my sister watching. I couldn't let them see me like this.

"BRENDAN, LISTEN TO ME, REMAIN CALM" Frank and Jade screamed at me from beyond the cage. The horn sounded and Koba got off me, I barely made it back to my corner. I didn't know if beating him was even possible for me. I looked over at Tess who looked fucking terrified. Frank came in, gave me some water, but the minutes felt like seconds, and it was time for found two.

"LETS GO TO WAR" I heard again, and Koba came at me like an animal, and it was the same thing all over again. Ferocious strikes, brutal kicks, power slams. I shook it off, going for his legs for a take down but Koba pushed it off, grabbing me and lifting me into the air again. I closed my eyes bracing for impact. I could hear Frank screaming and Jade screaming too. My body met with the ground, and I writhed trying to get to my feet again, thinking about Tess. Koba grabbed me and pushed me against the fence like I weighed nothing, the cage rattled and I fell to the ground. Koba mounted me and threw punch after punch. I saw Josh running towards us to stop the fight, but before he could the horn sounded. Koba got off and walked to his corner. I pulled myself off the ground and limped to mine. Frank hopped over the cage and walked to me, crouching right next me. Jade was on the other side of the cage right behind me.

"Sit down, breathe" Frank spoke, as he grabbed my face. "Look at me, LOOK AT ME. Why are we here Brendan?! Why are we here? Are we here to win this fight? You tell me, 'cause if we're not, I'll throw in the towel right now" I looked over at Jade who had concern in her eyes, everyone was concerned, my bravery and persistence was going to kill me. I looked back at Frank. "We'll get Tess, and we'll go home. You don't knock him out, you lose the fight. Understand me? You don't knock him out, you don't have a home." Josh clapped his hands together, and Frank got up and out of the cage but not before he took a last look at me, he was right. I had to do this.

"Brendan you got this." Jade whispered from behind the cage and walked back to Frank. I stood up, looking rut at Koba. "You can do this" I whispered to myself.

"LETS GO TO WAR" Koba came at me again, roughing me up, but this time I responded, I got a few decent punches in, some good leg kicks and they were effective. Koba pushed me up against the cage and had me caught in an iron vice, squeezing my windpipe, trying to choke me out. Frank was screaming at me to stay calm, and I could feel myself getting weaker. I caught a glance at Tess and I clenched my fist. No fucking way I was losing in front of her. I grabbed Kobas shorts, taking all the strength I had left and I tossed Koba on his back, freeing myself from his choke. I watered no time jumping on him and trying a choke on him. Koba shook me off, getting to his feet and I stood with him and we began throwing ferocious punches and kicks at each other, I was giving him all I got. I got an upper cut in and his head snapped back, but it was only seconds later that he responded with a combination, throwing me off a bit and I grumbled back. Koba grabbed me and attempted a take down, but I threw my left elbow as hard as I could at his temple. I stunned Koba, I couldn't believe it. But I didn't waste a second taking him down in the few seconds I had and locking his knee with my arms, this knee bar was my one chance. I held it with all the strength I could. Jade and Frank were pounding on the cage, yelling and screaming but I focused on Koba.

"CRANK IT, CRANK IT BRENDAN" Frank screamed, his voice commanding and desperate at the same time. I was almost there. Koba was squirming, trying his best to get out and my body was straining, I used every bit of strength I had in me. Ten seconds left, just ten seconds.

Kobas face was full of agony, grimacing in pain, five. Four. Three. I was wrenching his knee, not knowing how much longer I could go. Two. Koba was letting out sounds of pain. One. And I felt a tap on my back.

The arena went ballistic. I couldn't believe it, Frank couldn't believe it. No one could, I was a 1000 to 1 underdog and I just beat the mighty Koba. I climbed on the fence, raising my arms in the air in triumph. Tess was screaming, Frank and Jade were screaming, all for me. I ran out of the cage, Frank embraced me, screaming in excitement.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU, WHAT THE FUCK DID I SAY?!" Jade jumped on me, wrapping her legs around me and I laughed, holding her tightly. We walked through the crowd, Tess following as we made it back to the back room. The excitement faded soon, as the tv screen spoke of breaking news.

"A surprising turn in the story of Iraq War hero Tommy Riordan. CNN has learned that Riordan's true identity is that of Staff Sergeant Thomas Conlon, who went AWOL from his unit earlier this year, following the friendly fire death of his brother-in-arms Sergeant Manny Fernandez. Fernandez's wife, Pilar Fernandez, spoke with me in an exclusive interview moments ago." The whole locker room was silent as we sat, eyes glued to the T.V Jade was fuming, but me Frank and Tess were shocked. The screen changed to a beautiful woman, who was soon introduces as Pilar. "...bombs started dropping. They were coming from U.S. Planes. Tommy and Manny were waving their flags to let them know they were Americans, but they didn't stop everyone died... Everyone except Tommy." she paused, and Tess had her hand over her mouth, tears in her eyes. "You know, my Manny used to say that Tommy was the brother he never had" I felt my heart sink. The news switched from Pilar back to Don Lemon. "Conlon, who is fighting in Mixed Martial Arts mega tournament Sparta, is expected to be taken into custody by military police following tonight's winner take all finale in Atlantic City" all of us were shocked, TOMMT was going to prison... "If victorious, he had pledged his five million dollar purse to the widow of his fallen comrade"

The MMA tournament came back on and the commentators were just as shocked as everyone else was. "The two men fighting for the championship tonight, for the five million dollar prize, for the middleweight championship of the world... Are brothers."