Read Online A Shot In The Night (John Harper Series Book 2) by Edward Holmes - Free Book Online Page A

hide the delight in his voice
at the prospect of me getting battered to a bloody pulp.
    “What,
you want me to wear my boots in there?” I asked pointing at the ring with my
thumb.
    “Oh
no I don’t you won’t be wearing any boots of any kind, Micky is a Muay Thai
kickboxer and he needs the practice,” Fraser said again laughing afterwards.
    I’m
not too keen on surprises and the thought of getting in the ring with Micky was
petrifying.  At a loss I was escorted to one side by one of the trainers and a
wizened old man took me to one side as I stripped down to my boxer shorts.  He
was hunched over and his face was lined with age and scars from a fight career,
“You’re a brave man getting in the ring with our boy.”
    “Not
something I really have a choice over,” I said as I put on the baggy blue shorts
that gave my legs a good range of motion.  My eyes remained on Micky who I
could see in the changing room being rubbed down and having his gloves put on.
    “True
but still brave.  I’m Tony, I work as the cut man here, been with Max since we
were kids.  He may be tough but he is fair.  In this place you don’t get
anything without paying for it with sweat and blood,” he said taking my hands
and beginning to wrap them.
    It
was strangely comfortable having my hands wrapped tightly like that again,
taking me back to my youth of boxing for the force.  I wasn’t the best of
fighters but I could pick a punch and was clever enough to move when I needed
to.  My career was however cut short in a brutal match were I broke three ribs
early on.  In agony and struggling to breathe I struggled on till the fight was
over.  I lost of course, I mean I barely threw a punch just protected myself
but it gained me a reputation for being hardheaded and stubborn.
    That
experience was going to have to count for a lot now as well as the martial arts
training I had undertaken.  Problem was I’d learnt grapples and takedowns,
moves that I wouldn’t be able to do with my hands in boxing gloves.  Sure I
could try and manhandle the bloke but I knew how difficult that would be
without being able to gain purchase.  The other problem was that a lot of the
attacks I had learnt in for example Krav Maga, the deadly Israeli martial art,
involved strikes with my fingers.  Most of my skills would be negated in there
coupled with the fact that I was also a lot older than the kickboxer.
    “Thanks
for this,” I said to Tony as he tightened my gloves and handed me a boil and
bite gumshield.
    “Don’t
thank me son, you’re about to get a battering.  I just want to make sure you
have the best chance of staying alive in there.  Micky is going to be a world
champ one day and you’ll get to see that first hand in the ring.  He won’t
knock you out early though; , no Max’ll want to see you hurt for coming in
here, especially since we don’t like busies,” Tony told me and as if to
emphasise his point he tightened my gloves even further.
    “I
ain’t a copper.”
    “Then
why you here?”
    “I’ve
got a debt to pay to an old friend and Fraser might have some information that
can help me.  I just want to make sure that Morrison doesn’t go down for a
murder he didn’t commit,” I said taking a long drink from the tepid water
bottle at the side.
    Tony
just nodded, “Well then you better get in there.  Boss man said no headguard
for you either.”
    “Why
am I not surprised?” was all I could manage as I climbed into the ring and put
in the gumshield.  It didn’t fit properly but I was happy that I had one.  I
tried to stretch myself and get warm snapping out some jabs and moving my feet
on the canvas.  The corner where I had entered it was wet to aid grip and I
stood there waiting for Micky.
    The
professional fighter waited till someone put on the Sarama music.  I was told
by Tony that is was ceremonial and watched as Micky made his way to the ring
bowing in prayer in all prayer to all four sides and then made a lap