Dark Horse (17 page)

Octavio returned shortly while I took my seat back upon the couch.

“Is everything in order, Ms. Zara?”

“
Yes. I’ve convinced Henry to take the fight.”

“
I expected as much. I’ll get in touch with Anderson’s people to let them know of your interest.”

“
Everything is going according to plan. Once Anderson confirms that he’ll be heading over here, bring all of the bettors together. Lucas and all of his friends. Everybody with money.”

“
Ms. Zara?”

“
Anderson fights overseas. They won’t know much about him. I’ll make them realize that Anderson isn’t that much better than Wilson.”

“
And when they do, they’ll decide to bet on Henry.”

“
Precisely. Everybody will bet on Henry. And when they do, Francis will give me the odds I want on Anderson. I’ll win big and we can move on from this.”

“
Anderson has quite the reputation, Ms. Zara. Is there any concern that he might bring Henry to a permanent end?”

I considered what
Octavio said. It had already crossed my mind before but my answer hadn’t changed. This was the plan since the beginning. I just never expected Henry to be so adamant about getting this far.

“
You’ve seen good fighters before, Octavio. There have been men inside of The Pit that were champions. But just as soon as they reached the top, they quickly fell down. I saw that with Fabian. I saw that with everyone that came before him. Henry is different.”

“
In what way?”

“
Henry is a fighter. Not just in the ring but in life. He has a resolve that’s greater than anything you can learn in a gym or see in a video. I can’t describe it. It’s partly why I—”

I stopped myself before I continued. I had almost grown attached to Henry but shook away the thoughts. I was only attr
acted to him because of what he looked like. The rest of his admirable qualities were simply means to making more money.

“
Anderson is putting the man out of his misery. There is no point in him continuing his life. There are so many men who struggle through their lives. That’s the reason they’re here in the first place. They fight because they have no other option. I’m doing him a favor by offering him this fight. He’ll be better off for it.”

“
You have such an exquisite way of putting things, Ms. Zara.”

“
It’s not the way I’m putting it. I’m only telling the truth.”

Everything was in place. Now all I had to do was wait for Anderson to arrive so that I could finally celebrate what this was all building up to.

Chapter 18 - Lanea

The hardest part was convincing Henry to take the fight. Now that he agreed to a bout with Anderson, all of the other pieces would fall into place.

I instructed Octavio to host another get-together in the lobby of my building. It was reserved for only those who had the money to splurge down in The Pit. These were the bettors I knew would be more than willing to put their money at risk on the big fight I had planned.

I stood in front of the small group as they gathered around me. All of them were talking amo
ng one another. Men in suits accompanied by hussies in tacky dresses. I was going to enjoy emptying all of their pockets.

“
Good evening, everyone,” I said to all of them. “As you know, The Pit has been hosting underground fights for several years now. It’s become the hot spot of entertainment for the city’s elite. I’m glad to have been responsible for so many years of entertainment. My goal is always to give you all a form of entertainment that you can’t find anywhere else.”

“
What is this about, Lanea?” Lucas said to me from his seat. “You’ve never spoken about this outside of the arena.”

I looked over at the old man as he began to get the crowd riled up. I coughed and cleared my throat to quiet them down again.

“Thank you for interrupting me, Lucas,” I said to him. “I was just getting to that. In only a few days, The Pit will play host to the biggest fight in its history.”

I could sense the eager anticipation from the crowd. I had to stop myself from smiling as they waited for me to make the big announcement.

“In one corner, you will see the man you just saw a few days ago. The current best fighter at The Pit, Henry, will be fighting.”

“
Henry?” Lucas exclaimed. “The man’s only fought twice before and you’re ready to proclaim him the best fighter here. How exactly is the newest guy here going to be part of the biggest fight you’ve hosted?”

The group started to show their agreement with Lucas. I sighed and waited for the commotion to die down. When they finally quieted themselves, I finally continued.

“Because it’s not just about Henry. It’s about who’s on the other side of The Pit. For the first time ever, yours truly has secured the services of the one and only Anderson.”

“
Anderson?
The
Anderson?”

“
Yes, the same.”

The crowd began to murmur among one another. Th
e sense of anticipation was replaced with one of shock and disbelief. They couldn’t believe I managed to book a fight with a man who fought exclusively overseas.

“
Anderson is unlike any fighter we’ve ever seen before,” Lucas said. “Everybody ranks him the best in the world. He has a reputation—”

“
A reputation for being the best,” I interrupted him. “Yes, you’ve made that quite clear. So why not have the best of The Pit fight the best in the world?”

“
I question your judgment, Lanea. I can understand bringing Anderson here for some kind of a spectacle but to have him so mercilessly beat a man who doesn’t know what he has coming to him… Henry barely made it through his last fight.”

“
You’re looking at it all wrong,” I said. “You must forget what happened between Henry and Wilson. The important thing is that Henry won. He does what he needs to do to win. And he will find a way to win against Anderson.”

“
Why are you telling us this?” another man asked me. “Why are you talking like Henry can actually beat this man?”

“
Because it’s the truth,” I said to him. “But if you don’t believe me, then fine. Francis will be more than happy to take your money. Just remember that I know some things that you don’t.”

I listened to the sound of uncertainty among the crowd. The truth
was that Henry was no match for a man like Anderson. It wasn’t a question of whether or not Anderson would beat him. It was whether or not Anderson would allow him to walk out of the ring alive.

Nobody in this ring had seen Anderson fight in person. He was
something like a myth in underground fighting. Only someone like me could secure his services. And now that the fight was on, there was nothing left to do except sway the people into thinking that Anderson was some over-hyped bum.

“
This isn’t just a fight,” I said. “This is about pride. Every night you come here, you’re seeing men put their lives on the line. These aren’t men who have trained their entire lives to fight. These are men with their backs against the wall. You are a witness to not just their attempt to beat another man. They are fighting for their own survival.

“
Henry is exactly that man. He does whatever he can. You’ve all seen that in him. This is a man who came from the streets and is now championed. And I found him.
That
is why I am so confident that he will beat Anderson.”

The small crowd of people remained silent. I could sense that they were
beginning to believe what I was saying to them. They all started to nod in agreement with me. All of the familiar faces I would see lining the railings of The Pit were like the family I never had. Now I had them convinced that they had to be grateful for what they were able to witness.

“
I have a question, Lanea,” Lucas raised his voice. “Why exactly are you doing this? I’ve heard rumors that Anderson has an exorbitant asking price. Now you’re bringing him over here for the simple fact to bet against him. This doesn’t add up.”

“
But it does, Lucas. I’ve spoken with Anderson’s representatives. Arrangements have been made on the outcome of this fight. Their fighter, Anderson, against my fighter, Henry. The winner of this fight will make a hefty sum. You don’t expect me to let a man walk into my home and have his way? There’s profit to be made, true. Anderson’s visit is an expense I have accounted for. He will be taken care of appropriately.”

The crowd seemed to agree with my sentiment. I had managed to tell them
about the big fight without revealing my hand. Fight night couldn’t come soon enough.

“
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen,” I announced. “Henry versus Anderson in The Pit. Make sure that you get your spot before it’s taken. Space will be limited. I imagine that everybody will want to be there.”

The crowd dispersed and began to mingle with one another. There was another set of fights scheduled for tonight but it was more of the same bums that were picked up off of the streets. With so much on the line,
I didn’t have time to consider the insignificant scraps that we would later see tonight. But then again, watching a man display his strength never did get old.

As the city
’s elite had fun drinking, chatting and flirting with one another, I stood off to the side and observed all of them. Before I could instruct Octavio on what would happen further, Lucas made his way closer to me.

“
That
was
a big announcement, Lanea,” he said to me. “I’m surprised. I’m curious as to what would spur you to bring Anderson here.”

“
I already told you. I see something in Henry that I haven’t seen in other fighters before. He possesses a survival instinct. It’s just one quality that makes me think he’s worthy of this kind of fight.”

“
He’s also handsome.”

“
He has physical gifts. You need that to make it here.”

“
His pretty face has taken quite the beating his past two fights. I fear that Anderson might make it even worse.”

“
Anderson won’t—”

“
Oh, come now, Lanea!”

I was slightly shocked at Lucas intervening. I s
tared wide-eyed at him as he leaned in closer to me. If I hadn’t planned on taking his money, I would have had security escort him out of my lobby.

“
What kind of game are you playing?” he asked me, his eyes narrowed.

“
This isn’t a game, Lucas. This is real. It’s a fight between two men. I don’t care what you think I’m trying to do. I plan on watching Henry take on the best and earn the respect of the entire underground fighting world. And Anderson’s people are going to pay me handsomely for it.”

“
So you plan on betting on Henry? You’ve just influenced everybody to swing the odds in his favor. You won’t be making as much money as you could.”

“
A winning bet is a winning bet. Besides, I have a personal bet with Anderson’s people. Whether or not you want to give me your money as well is up to you.”

Lucas looked at me, trying to read me. There was a look of doubt that remained on his face. I remained stone faced as I looked at him. I wouldn
’t let him learn the truth because of his suspicions.

“
Okay,” he sighed. “Just be careful, Lanea. If you make the wrong bet, you have a lot to lose.”

“
Don’t worry about me. I have more money than you do. A lot more.”

He let out a short laugh at me then slowly turned around and walked away. I stared at him then let out a silent si
gh of relief.

“
He knows,” Octavio whispered to me.

“
No, he doesn’t. And if you keep talking, someone is going to hear you. Just keep your mouth shut and let them think that Henry is the favorite going into this fight. I’ve convinced them that it’s a sure thing and I’m leaning that way. Millions of dollars are going to be exchanging hands on the night of the fight. And it’s my hands the money is going to land in.”

“
Are you sure that Anderson will do the job? You yourself have never seen him fight in person.”

“
Henry doesn’t have what it takes. He’s barely getting by on his instincts. His ability is lacking. Once he steps into The Pit with a real fighter, he will be put out of his misery. But…”

I grabbed a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter. I motioned f
or Octavio to move to the side of the room to make sure that nobody else could hear our conversation.

“
Keep following Henry,” I said. “I want to know every move he’s making. And when he least expects it, I want you to take care of him. Get some people and make sure that he barely makes it to the fight. Don’t beat him up too bad. Just enough that it will give Anderson an advantage if he actually needs it.”

“
What if Henry backs out of the fight, Ms. Zara?”

“
He’ll fight. I don’t know what it is about him but he’ll fight. He’s desperate. Nothing short of dying will stop him from showing up for the opportunity of a lifetime. Think about it, Octavio. If he wins this fight, his life will be changed forever. It’s a shame he actually thinks he can win.”

I looked arou
nd at all of the rich people that surrounded me. They laughed and mingled with one another without a care in the world. The feeling of knowing that I was in control of even affluent people like them was indescribable. It didn’t matter how much money they had in their bank accounts. When I realized that I had manipulated them, I started to laugh and smile along with them. Everything was going according to plan.