Damon was resting in another room in the building. He had arrived with Art and Chris, but the crowd had been too noisy for him, so they had found him another place to prepare for the fight. He had taken a short nap, and he had just woken up.
He stood up and stretched. Then he walked over to the window. It looked out over the fighting ring. The ring itself was right below him, just a few meters down. He saw a young man standing in the ring, and that the entire audience was seated. They looked like they were ready for the fight to start.
Damon smiled. He knew just how to make his entrance. With one focused punch, he broke the window glass, and then he jumped. He flew through the air down into the ring, and then he stood tall to face Alex.
The entire room was shocked. Many didn't know what was happening, and some covered their heads in fear. When they looked up, they saw Damon standing there. He looked strong and fierce. To many of the people in the audience, no doubt would win the fight.
Damon stared at Alex and chuckled. Then he looked away and faced the audience. Alex was nothing to him. He had faced far worse. Some very recently.
"It appears that our two fighters have arrived," the referee announced. "The fight will begin in a few minutes. Before we start, I would like to remind you that bets may be placed on the outcome of this fight. If you are interested, you know where to go to place your bets."
Information about the fight had been spread to all the relevant families on the East Coast, and a secure website had been set up on a secure network where bets could be placed. The bets were expected to range in the millions of dollars.
Many in the audience took out their phones and logged onto the network. The current state of the betting pool was displayed on a large screen above the ring. New bets came flowing in. Some people were betting on Alex, but many more were for Damon. It was obvious that he was the clear favourite.
Everyone who sat close to Art and Chris muttered loudly about how much they had bet on Damon. Art looked pleased. It was clear that everyone expected his fighter to win, and they all wanted to be on his good side.
Lee Dempsey sat quietly. Like everyone else, he had also placed a bet on Damon. He was still angry with Alex and Justin for the way they had humiliated him and thought this was a good opportunity to get revenge without having to do any real work himself.
But he felt no need to advertise his bet. As long as Alex was beaten and Justin was there to see it, he would have what he wanted.
"There's no contest!" Julian exclaimed while looking straight at Chris. "Our family's betting seven million dollars on Damon. Easiest money I ever made."
Then he noticed Chelsea. He looked at her and sneered. "Officer Wood, you're sitting with the Cliftons. I guess you think their little punk has a chance. What a joke! Why don't you put your money on it? If you have any."
Everyone around Chelsea looked at her, and she felt ashamed. She thought that she had degraded herself, sitting in such a rotten place and being insulted by people like Julian.
Only half an hour ago, she thought, I would have called for back-up and gotten this place shut down without a second thought. But things aren't so simple now. I'm not sure what to do.
She looked up at Alex on the stage. She thought of their encounter in the interrogation room, and she thought about their kiss. Her first kiss. Despite the danger he was in, she had hope that he might win.
"Yes, I support the Cliftons," she blurted out. Her statement shocked her. She was a police officer, and now she was openly taking sides in an underground battle. All of it was unimaginable to her.
But she had her reasons. Somehow, the choice had been obvious. Alex supported the Cliftons, and it was clear to her that they were the lesser evil.
"I'll bet ten thousand dollars," she said loudly. She said it for Alex's sake. She hoped that her support would help him to fight harder. She didn't want to think about what would happen if he lost.
Julian laughed at her. "Come on, officer. Ten thousand? Are you trying to be funny? I thought you were rich. Maybe I was wrong." Chelsea ignored him.
Celeste and Selene were sitting close enough to hear the entire exchange. They knew that the room was against Alex, and they understood that Chelsea had bet on him to show support. They realized that they should do the same. They stood up. "We'll bet three million on Mr. Alex," Celeste shouted.
Julian stared at them in disbelief. "Oh, hello there, beauties," he said derisively. All he saw was a couple of pretty girls, and he didn't take them seriously. "Do you really have that kind of money? You'll lose it, anyway."
Justin had had enough of Julian's attitude. "Watch yourself, pal. My brother's much better than you think he is. I bet fifteen million dollars on Alex. Any objections?"
"Just wait and see," Julian retorted. As cocky as he was, he knew he had to watch himself around Justin.
Suddenly, Jessop rose from his seat. "Our family believes in Alex," he said. "We bet 150 million dollars." He looked at Rufus. Rufus hesitated, but he took out his phone and logged on to place the bet. The audience was shocked.
"150 million?" Art asked with a smile. "Mr. Clifton, that must be a fifth of everything you own. Maybe you should reconsider. After today, people will still want paychecks from you."
"I have complete confidence in Alex," Jessop answered. "Worry about your own business and leave mine to me."
"Well, I don't know if it's confidence or stupidity," Art said. "But I'm not going to be outdone by you. We bet 150 million dollars on Damon." Chris took out his phone and made the bet.
These two giant bets were displayed on the giant screen, but suddenly an even greater bet popped up above them. It was a bet for 300 million dollars, and the location marker showed that it came from somewhere outside the country.
When it appeared on the screen, the crowd erupted in an outburst of shock. Everyone started murmuring about who could have placed such an enormous bet. Even Jessop and Art were taken aback.
It must be Nathan, Justin thought. The family keeps a lot of money in offshore accounts, and he's watching. He's trying to lower Alex's spirits. Nobody else could have made that bet.
He looked up at Alex in the ring and cheered for him in his heart. Come on, Alex. You have to win.