"Is it?" Alex was indifferent. Instead, he jumped back into the water. As soon as he let go, the mirage of the dragon seemed to soar into the sky.
Feeling that everything was under control, Alex calmed down and stepped back into the boat.
He said coldly, "This war is not over. How dare you hurt Debbie?"
Tyson's expression changed to one of fear.
Nelly was surprised at his words. But she quickly realized that really, this was how Alex had always been. "It's Alex," she said, "and Debbie is always his priority."
The other girls were secretly jealous of Debbie for having someone like Alex to protect her and even be willing to die for her.
Everyone looked at the two men who were fighting in the Hudson River and didn't know what to think.
The situation seemed to have become more serious, and it appeared that Alex had won. The spectators started trying to placate him.
"I never knew that you could fight so well. How did someone like you learn to fight like that?" asked Tyson. "I shouldn't have touched Debbie. I see that now."
As Alex swiped his sword through the air in front of Tyson, he saw that his opponent was completely exhausted. His face was as grey as ash.
On the shore, one of the Blood Brothers, Jack, stepped forward. "Run!" he shouted.
Tyson was defeated and humiliated. He thought I am the boss of one of the most feared gangs in the world. But now it's all over. I can never show my face again.
Using the last of his strength, Tyson quickly retreated. Although he was weak, his speed was still impressive as he bounded up the side of the cliff.
There was a shout from behind him. "Where will you run to?" Alex asked mockingly. He shot out like a cannonball, blocking Tyson's escape. Without saying a word, Tyson tried to punch him in the face. Alex didn't try to dodge away from his fist but grabbed it easily and twisted it around.
"No!" Tyson shouted as his will to survive took over. He pulled desperately at his arm as if trying to separate it from his body, giving him a chance to escape.
But Alex saw what he was trying to do and struck his foot hard into Tyson's face. As blood gushed from his nose, Tyson was finally beaten. He lost his grip on the rocks and fell into the choppy water below. Alex watched him struggling in the waves for a moment and then grimaced as his opponent was swept away by the water. His battered, limp body was slowly carried away down the river.
Everyone who had been watching the fight was aghast.
"Is Tyson dead?" one man asked.
"He can't be," replied his friend.
"Yes, he's dead," confirmed a gang member as he looked down over the cliff and nodded solemnly.
Everyone turned and stared at Alex, who had climbed back up the cliff and stood in front of them. He had beaten Tyson in a fair fight and had earned their respect.
They were all feeling overwhelmed by the enthralling battle they had witnessed and no one wanted to break the spell.
As Alex approached them, the people bowed their heads to him.
The other members of the Blood Brothers slipped away quietly. Jack was distraught about their defeat, but he didn't dare to draw attention to himself. He knew that Alex could kill him as easily as killing an ant.
Of course, he was right. Alex could quite happily kill every single member of the Blood Brothers that he could find.
The reporters were also all in awe of Alex's power and none of them dared to approach him.
Lindsey called out, "Alex!"
Alex looked around and saw her standing a small distance away from Rose and Kelly. He smiled at her as the onlookers gazed at him with reverence.
Alex let the intimidating aura he had conjured around himself fall away, and suddenly he seemed like a normal young man again. He didn't want to prolong the strange atmosphere still hovering around the area.
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked Lindsey with a big smile.
"We came to see you," she replied excitedly. She didn't know what else to say.
Alex chatted with his three old friends, but he didn't notice that his cousin, Nelly, was also there, or that she had tried to help him during the fight.
"Groupies! They're all such hypocrites," Nelly hissed, unable to contain her jealousy. No one who knew her from her old life at the food stand could have predicted how envious and vindictive she would become over time.
"I would give my life for you, Alex." Nelly whispered under her breath. She pulled her hat down to cover her face. She had no intention of letting Alex see her there.
She thought, The advantage of keeping my love for Alex a secret is that no matter how much my heart is breaking, I can hide it and keep all my feelings to myself.
Alex felt that everyone was overreacting a little in their adoration of him. For him, the only thing that mattered was that he had finally avenged Debbie.
He walked slowly away from the scene, leaving the crowd chattering excitedly amongst themselves. They still couldn't believe that Tyson was dead.
The news of Tyson's death spread rapidly throughout the underworld and rival gangs.
Fortunately for the Blood Brothers, Jack quickly returned to their headquarters and took over the reins. He was able to prevent the gang from losing too much of their business or their reputation.
But they stewed over what had happened, and in their hearts, they knew that there was only one person to blame: Alex.
**
Back in Baltimore, Art was sitting alone at home, as he often did since Chris's death.
A subordinate of the Steadman family plucked up his courage and tentatively asked him, "Sir, what's our family going to do now?"
"Do you really need to ask?" Art hissed. "Even if we suspect that Chris was killed by the Clifton family, there's nothing we can do about it."
"Why?" the puzzled subordinate asked.
"Fool," Art shouted. "We can't fight everyone in this world. If we avenge Chris, our whole family will have to fight, and none of us will survive."