Nelly pulled her hat further down, hiding her face. She glared over at the table, and then she started to eat her food.
Why do these groupies like Alex so much? she thought. They barely know him.
"I'll just watch you from afar, Alex," she muttered to herself. "I won't get in the way. After all, I'm your cousin, so there can't be anything between us." A tear slipped down her cheek.
The Hudson River falls had always been popular with tourists, and the mysterious old man sitting by the water had become something of a feature of the season. Stories spread as tourists advised each other on how to find him. But on this occasion, something had changed. They could see the old man sitting quietly by himself, but when they tried to get closer, people wearing martial arts robes stopped them, and the tourists began to question them.
"Why can't we get closer?"
"We just want to see the waterfall."
"Is there a law against visiting the falls?"
"Sorry, this area isn't open to the public today," a man said, blocking their path. "You'll have to find some other place to watch from."
The tourists continued to voice their complaints.
"Why? Is there a law against us being here?"
"Who are you? You're not police. Who put you in charge?"
"This is a public place. What gives you the right to deny us entry?"
The men didn't bother to answer. They stood with their hands behind their backs, staring threateningly at the tourists.
When Jack walked over, the tourists were shocked by his enormous biceps and surly expression. He was not someone they wanted to mess with.
Some of the timid tourists scurried away, deciding it was better not to provoke these people.
Jack didn't think much of the martial arts community. He had pretended to be polite to them, but when the violence of the Blood Brothers had been exposed, the community had driven him out. Now he didn't pretend to be anything other than what he was.
Recognizing this, everyone kept their distance.
Of course, some people were allowed in, particularly those wearing martial arts robes.
Sharon was stuck outside. She and Kelly had been waiting for ages, but they couldn't get close to the area. Although they were angry, they didn't dare make a fuss. Instead, they chose to call and report the matter to the local authorities.
The police merely told them that they knew Tyson had arranged an event at the falls. Since members of the public weren't allowed in, they were satisfied that no innocent people would get hurt.
Sharon angrily hung up the phone. Rose, Kelly, and Lindsey stood behind her. None of them had been allowed in.
"What do we do now?" Lindsey asked, feeling a little anxious. The women had all put aside their disagreements to be here for Alex. If they couldn't get in, then it would all have been in vain.
"Do they think they can control the whole Hudson River?" Sharon yelled, furious. "We have every right to be here. How dare they be so arrogant?"
"Jack, let them in." The voice came from far away, startling the women.
They turned and saw the old man sitting cross-legged on a rock, but he was too far away to have heard them. Wasn't he?
"Did you hear what I said?" Sharon asked, frowning in confusion.
"Yes, I can hear exceptionally well," the man said, laughing.
Rose couldn't resist, and she rushed forward before the man changed his mind and left them standing outside. The other women hurried after her.
Only Kelly hesitated. As soon as she went in, she saw Nelly staring resentfully at her.
The old man sat beside the waterfall, gazing out at the Hudson River. He barely moved. The spectators sat further away, watching him, and waiting to see what he would do.
"Where will they fight?" Sharon asked, puzzled. "There's not much room there. What if they fall into the river?" Sharon didn't understand, and neither did anyone else. Why had Tyson chosen to fight on the edge of the surging Hudson River?
"He's no ordinary martial artist," one man told them. "He knows what he's doing, and I'm sure he'll win. I only hope no one else gets hurt."
"Is that likely?" Rose asked, her mouth dropping open.
Everyone thought the man was exaggerating. No matter how fierce the fight was, the spectators would be safe.
**
At the hospital, Jessop stared anxiously at the door. All he cared about was Debbie.
But he knew they were running out of time to deal with Tyson. Could Alex still reach the Hudson River in time?
Alex and Debbie had been locked in that room for three days. On Alex's orders, no one had been allowed inside, not even to bring in anything for Alex and Debbie to eat or drink. If Jessop hadn't been standing guard by the door, the medical staff would have broken in by now.
Jessop believed in Alex, and although he thought Debbie had recovered, he still faithfully carried out Alex's instructions.
He jumped as the door opened, and then he rushed into the room, followed by a group of doctors.
They were all stunned at what they saw.
The room was warm and bright, all traces of cold gone. It wasn't the stuffy kind of heat that came from central heating, but a gentle warmth that felt like the emergence of spring.
Alex stood there with a faint smile on his face, while Debbie lay on the bed, looking perfectly healthy. She seemed radiant and even more beautiful than before.
"Are you ready?" she asked softly. Her eyes were sad as she looked at Alex, knowing he had exhausted himself to save her. How could he possibly have enough strength left to defeat Tyson?
"Don't worry," Alex said, smiling at Debbie. "It'll all be okay."
He had refused to give up on her, and as a result, he now understood the true meaning of the martial arts he had learned, allowing him to reach a new level of skill.
No wonder the Moon Palace was so highly thought of by martial artists around the world.
People barely understood a fraction of the knowledge it contained.