21 October 2012

Chapter 35

I sagged into my seat, my face full of despair as I watched Miguel crumble.  He opened his eyes looking straight at me and I saw the sadness in his face as he saw my reaction. 

He gasped again then, to my shock, he set his jaw firm and strained against the hold.  Colby held him firm but Miguel was suddenly trying to fight back! His face went red with the effort until his body stopped the struggle and he fell back into the full force of the pin.

  


"Ohhh!" I moaned out loud, my hopes dashed for his salvation. Then Miguel rammed his head back, butting Colby's chin. It wasn't much, but the surprise was all he needed to yank himself free. Miguel untangled himself from Colby's legs and rolled away.

I rose to my feet hooting and hollering, and the nastiness of the crowd turned to a cheer.  Miguel and Colby circled each other in a crouch and lunged. They grappled low and Colby snapped on a headlock, dropping Miguel face down on the ground. Colby swung his legs on top but Miguel rolled under him, faster than I'd every seen him move. He swung up a fist, hitting Colby in the ribs and throwing the burly fighter off him. Anyone with more experience would have nabbed Colby in a hold, but my cheers were genuine just at the sight of seeing Miguel fight back.

Colby rolled and ended on his feet as smoothly as if it had been planned, but what he hadn't planned was for Miguel to swing a leg around, kicking Colby's out from under him.  Miguel was on top the same moment Colby hit the ground on his side. Miguel's elbow landed in Colby's upper arm and Miguel rolled him face down, twisting Colby's arm behind his back.

Colby raised his other shoulder, reaching back with his free hand to grab the back of Miguel's neck. It was a stupid mistake for Miguel to be in reach, but Colby knew his opponent wasn't as experienced. He pulled Miguel's head down and head butted him awkwardly. Colby bucked, knocking Miguel over and immediately dropped on top of him, crossing Miguel's arms across his own throat, trapping him on the ground again.

Miguel thrashed, having lost all power in his arms now. He arced and bucked but Colby held him down and smiled, saying something to which Miguel shook his head.

The determination in Miguel's jaw was something I never thought I'd see. More than that, it changed his look completely, from the soft, warm features I adored to a hard, mean fighting machine. Even without the skills or experience, he looked like a force to be reckoned with and as his impossibly ripped abs rippled with effort, my hopes stayed high for him to last the distance. Even losing this fight, he was putting up a challenge now that Jacob had to find acceptable.

Miguel spread his legs wide and planted his feet flat on the ground, lifting his hips and knees. Like a crab, his feet pushed him backwards. He slid out from under Colby's legs, forcing Colby to waddle forward on his knees to keep on Miguel's chest.

"C'mon Miguel!" I yelled, just as Colby finally lost his balance and had to release the arm lock and fall onto his hands.

Miguel grabbed Colby's ribs and squeezed.  Colby jerked upright and Miguel's legs swung up, catching his head and pulling Colby to the ground.  Still on his knees, Colby arched backwards, grabbing at Miguel's thick thighs. He left himself exposed and Miguel landed several punches in the gut before Colby's arms came down to fight him off.

Colby freed his trapped legs, but Miguel threw them off and twisted around so he was at a 90 degree angle; his leg lock now choking Colby.  Colby reached between Miguel's thighs and squeezed the tender flesh.

Miguel cried out and punched the ground but refused to loosen the hold. He came in from behind, grabbing Colby's fingers and pulling his arm all the way between his thighs.  Colby swore, his arm well and truly trapped by his head in the leg lock.

With only one arm free, Colby clawed at Miguel's feet, seeking a weak spot to force them apart, but Miguel caught him by the wrist and bent Colby's forearm over his shins. Colby's back left the ground as his arm bowed unnaturally over Miguel's leg.  He kicked up and tried to backflip over Miguel but was stopped with a blow to the stomach as he began the flip.

Colby tried again with the same result, then tried crab walking sideways to kick Miguel in the head. Miguel added pressure to the bend arm, seesawing it harder over his shins. Colby cried out and slid back into place.  Still he wouldn't give, suffering beautifully against Miguel's unexpected retaliation. He squirmed and tried moving his lower half in all directions, but Miguel forced him back in place with each attempt.

At length, Miguel rolled himself into a sitting position, arcing Colby up even more. He punched Colby in the stomach, then reached down and grabbed an ankle. Colby kicked away but Miguel grabbed it again and this time held fast, his massive bicep threatening to explode as it fought against Colby's strong leg muscles. Colby was doing all the work up to this point though, wearing himself out while Miguel simply held him in place.  Because of that, Miguel managed to twist Colby's leg under the butt and force it hard up Colby's own back. 

Colby cried out, both arms, his head, and now a leg trapped with no chance of escape. With the slightest change of pressure, pain would shoot through his body from either end. There was nothing he could do and he bellowed his submission after several long, tense minutes of suffering.

Miguel released Colby and stood to an explosion of applause and cheers. No one had expected a fight, let alone the win!  Miguel turned and looked up at me leaping in the air, punching a victory fist above my head. He laughed, looking every bit as surprised as Colby did rising from the ground.  The two men shook and hugged and Colby took Miguel's hand, rising it high in the air. They circled to face the crowd on all sides, and as they began leaving the ring, Miguel took one last look my way, his face beaming as he pointed forcibly at me and then clenched his fist in a show of solidarity and strength.

I fell back in my chair, exhausted from the excitement.

"Did you see that?!" I laughed, turning to Jacob. "That was awesome. Did you see him?! I knew he could do it! I knew it!"

"He did well," Jacob said, obviously pleased but trying to look nonchalant. "It's the next fight I most want to see though."

"The next…?" And then it dawned on me.

In the excitement of the moment, I had completely forgotten about Josh. The announcer was already booming out their stage names as Josh and Tucker entered the pit one by one. The blood drained from my face and the excitement evaporated in the ether. This was Jacob's revenge; his way of ending my 'obsession' with Josh. Tucker, the brutal, undefeated champion and Jacob's bully on the inside... I had no doubt he'd been briefed on exactly what Jacob wanted - the complete annihilation of my would-be saviour…

 


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