Alex watched the man in black struggle to get back up, clearly shocked at having been defeated by Alex. The man sank back to the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head as he passed out.
Alex looked around, assessing the situation. Kenneth's men lay in the corridor, most of them not moving. A few were still conscious, but they had given up the fight. One or two tried to run, but the men from the Baltimore Martial Arts Association struck them down, and soon, they had all been dealt with.
Alex stood at the end of the corridor, just outside the double doors that led to the banquet hall used for special events. He could hear music and laughter through the doors, and he took a breath and yanked them open. The noise of the room stilled, and dozens of men and women watched Alex enter the hall flanked by his men.
"Are we interrupting?" he asked.
The crowd grew uneasy as they watched him. Most of them didn't know who he was or where he had come from. There were a few nervous laughs as Todd's guests tried to reassure one another that this unexpected intruder was no danger to them. This was Todd's territory after all, so who would dare to cause trouble?
Then someone realized this was the man who had threatened Todd on the phone, and the rumor spread through the room, causing more laughter. They knew Jacob had already beaten the man, so what kind of threat could he possibly be?
"I admit I'm surprised you're brave enough to show up here," said a young man with curly hair as he rose from his seat at the center of a long table. "But it would have been wiser to stay away."
Although he had spoken lightly, the underlying anger was there for everyone to hear.
Alex had never met Todd, but he recognized him immediately. Todd not only looked like his father, but he also moved with the same dangerous fluidity, so Kenneth had obviously trained him well. Unfortunately, Todd had also been pampered by his father, and outside of sparring, he had never been in a real fight, so his skills had never progressed. His success was only a result of his father's political power. Kenneth had gotten rid of Alex to make Todd the leader of the association instead.
"You really don't want to push me," Alex said, sighing. "It won't go well for you."
"I already told you," Todd said, picking up a wine glass and grinning at him. "I'm not afraid of you. And besides, aren't you going to say hello to my special guest?"
He gestured to the seat next to him, where Debbie sat, glaring at him with contempt. Her hands were bound, but she still managed to look as though she was bored by her surroundings. After all, she knew Alex would never let her down.
Even in such a dangerous situation, Alex felt his heart skip a beat at how beautiful she was. Their eyes met, and Debbie's face softened for a moment, and she gave him a tiny smile.
"I've met a lot of people who don't know when to quit," Todd said, "but you are really something else."
"You have no idea," Alex said, his voice cold. "Can we wrap this up? It's getting late."
"You're right," Todd agreed. "You have a busy day tomorrow, which is why I'm not going to deal with you myself. Jacob will take care of that for me. I'm sure it won't take long."
His guests roared with laughter.
"I hope your father didn't have any important plans for you," Alex said casually. "He's bound to be disappointed."
Todd scowled. "Someone take out the trash for me!" he shouted.
Seven or eight men stood and began to surround Alex and his friends.
"Why don't you fight him yourself?" shouted Will, turning to protect Alex's blind spot.
Todd ignored him. "Ollie, teach Mr. Ambrose a lesson," he said. "But don't kill him."
A hulking man rose from the table and stepped in front of Alex, his hands already raised as he began to bob and weave like a boxer. Ollie's job was to make sure everyone knew it was unwise to offend the Petrie family. Without warning, he hit Alex with a powerful jab of his left fist. The blow rocked Alex, but he kept his feet. Then Ollie followed up with a right jab, but Alex dodged the punch. Ollie was surprisingly fast for a man of his size, and Alex had to move back to avoid a rapid-fire series of jabs and hooks.
Ollie landed another punch. Some of Todd's guests began to relax a little, and some playful wagers were being offered and accepted. They knew Ollie wasn't going to kill Alex, but they were eager to watch him hurt the young man.
For several minutes, the fighters tested each other's weaknesses. After the first couple of strikes, Ollie hadn't managed to land another hit, and Alex was easily eluding him. The crowd began to grow restless. "Come on," someone shouted at Ollie. "Hit him!"
Alex watched his opponent carefully and dropped into a defensive crouch. His own hands were raised as he waited for Ollie to make his move. He didn't have long to wait.
When Ollie's next right hook swept in, Alex struck swiftly, bringing his hand down hard on Ollie's wrist, and the entire crowd flinched at the sickening crunch that followed. Ollie screamed and clutched his right hand in agony. He dropped to his knees, dripping sweat and breathing heavily.
The audience was shocked and couldn't believe what they had just seen. Several of them began to talk, discussing what had happened.
"How is that possible?"
"What did he do?"
"How could he defeat Ollie?"
Todd's jaw dropped. Before he could stop himself, he took a step back, putting some distance between him and Alex.
Alex said nothing, but he began walking toward the table.
Two more men in black rushed from the corner of the hall, each holding a wickedly sharp knife, which they tried to stab Alex with. Their knives whistled through the air in perfect, practiced arcs, but Alex swung his left arm in a graceful figure eight, easily disarming the men.
The men in black felt pain radiate up their arms as their knives clattered to the floor, and they gaped at Alex in amazement.
Ignoring them, Alex resumed his slow, steady walk toward Todd. There was a brief flicker of fear in Todd's eyes, but he suppressed it. Drawing his own sword from a scabbard behind his chair, he stepped onto and over the table. His blade held high, he glared at Alex with a fierce expression.
Todd was a coward, but he was a very well-trained coward. He would always look for a way to avoid a fair fight, but he was still a formidable fighter. He lunged forward, the tip of his sword stabbing at Alex's throat, but Alex spun into the strike, slapping the flat of the sword with the heel of his palm. The force of his strike traveled like a shock wave up Todd's arm, and he lost his grip on the hilt. The sword's momentum kept it moving, and Alex caught it and spun in a circle.
Todd's breath left him in a huff. He and Alex were face to face, mere inches from each other. In disbelief, he looked down at the hilt of his sword, noticing the blade had pierced his chest.