Read Online Dog Eat Dog by Chris Lynch - Free Book Online Page A

went through to the ring. Nothing and I took up our spot at the far corner and waited. He didn’t know what was going on, and stared casually in all directions. I was so scared, the dog growled at me for jerking him so much with my shaking grip on his collar.
    The spectators began filing in, lining the walls, all loaded and thrilled to be so close to the danger. I felt Nothing tense at the unfamiliar crowd. When we were at capacity, things quieted. They seemed to sense that Bobo the champion had arrived.
    But first, my brother walked through the door. He came right over, sized up the dog, and nodded.
    “That’s a lotta meat ya got there, Mick. Good build, powerful.”
    I didn’t say anything, just tried to stare coldly ahead like I’d seen the Jamaicans do. I was even more nervous with Terry than I’d ever been before. Thinking about what Sully said, I got defensive, lost any confidence I might have had. What’s he doing to me now? I thought. What’s his angle? What does he want me to say to that? I won’t.
    He kept smiling that smile. He started mixing conversation about the dog with conversation about me. “Has he had a lot of fights? How they treating ya there at Sullivans’, huh, Mick? What’re ya feedin’ him? What’re they feedin’ you? What breeds? How’s the spic chic, that workin’ out okay? Animal Rescue League? Heard ya lost your boyfriend, too bad, but I heard ya had his mother, so good f’you. What I really wanna know is, did ya train him y’self, bro?”
    I managed to nod.
    Somehow his smile grew even wider. “Gooood,” he said. “I was hopin’ ya did.” And as he spoke, he walked backward, bowing, all the way to the opposite side of the ring. “I’ll say hi ta Ma for ya,” he said, waving.
    The champion emerged. Bobo and Augie strutted through the door reeking of confidence, Bunky hopping and yapping circles around them. The home crowd cheered, and they took their position beside Terry, opposite us.
    At the sight of Nothing, Bobo started jumping, lunging, pulling so that it took both Terry and Augie to hold him. I had no such problem. First, Nothing didn’t move. Then, I felt him leaning backward, into me. I nudged him, pushed his weight off me toward the center of the ring. Bobo growled like a volcano. Nothing backed into me again, hard.
    “Goddamnit,” I said under my breath, pushing him again. “Don’t do this to me.”
    He pushed even harder, backing me up. The murmur started. By the time Nothing, with all his cowardly bulk, slammed me into the fence, people were laughing openly at me.
    “Goddamn you,” I shouted, snapping the leash off the collar and slapping the dog’s behind. “Get in there.”
    Augie was first angry, then confused. Since there was no fight, he didn’t know what to do. Bobo felt no such confusion. He wanted a piece of Nothing, and who could blame him? Augie shrugged, held the leash.
    Terry reached across Augie and released the leash clip.
    Bobo came barreling toward us, low growls rolling up out of him as he pounded his way. I froze against the fence, staring straight into his murderous mouth.
    That was when Nothing finally displayed his strength. He turned, and with one powerful stroke leaped up onto the fence. He soared straight over my head, catching the top of the fence with his front legs. I hit the ground when Bobo came sailing after him, crashing into the fence, falling, jumping again. Nothing scrambled, scrambled, his back legs kicking maniacally to push him up. The crowd was in hysterics as he finally toppled over, pulling his foot out of Bobo’s mouth as he did. He howled off down the street, like a siren fading away.
    I kept my head down as I walked the gauntlet back through the ring, and then through the Bloody. None of the ridicule was words, none of it mattered, except when I heard Terry, clear and crisp and hard by my ear.
    “No doubt about it, you’re the guy that trained that dog. But don’t worry about it, boy. Don’t worry.