Alex only slept for a few hours that night; he was too excited to sleep for long.
At one o'clock the next day, Alex appeared alone at Canfield Arena.
The sports complex was large, and few people were allowed in who didn't belong there. He had expected there to be a large crowd, but the arena was quiet.
Maybe people were told to come at the wrong time, he thought.
Alex went to the locker rooms and sat down, trying to calm his nerves.
He had arrived early, not wanting to be late like had been for the last match. This time, he sat alone and stared at the clock on the wall, slowly ticking away the seconds and minutes to the match.
He tried to focus inwardly and draw on his inner strength, knowing he needed to be as focused as possible.
As he sat there, he thought about all the competitions that must have happened at this place in the past, and he could almost feel the ghosts of those who had battled there before him.
He had arrived early on purpose. First, he had wanted the chance to get a feel for the arena and gather his thoughts. Second, he wanted to fool Jacob into believing he was nervous about the fight.
But Alex was ready and on his guard.
Unexpectedly, he had only been waiting there for fifteen minutes or so when he heard a commotion out in the corridor.
The door to the locker room burst open, and Kenneth and his followers from the Arbitrator's office came in.
He gazed around the room furiously for a moment before turning his eyes on Alex, and then he stomped closer. "I'm going to kill you!"
Kenneth had only returned to the association in the past few days. As a result, not only had the Baltimore Martial Arts Association changed hands, but his son, Todd, had been defeated.
Kenneth drew a knife, intent on going after Alex. Before Alex could react, several of Kenneth's men reached out to stop their comrade from acting impulsively.
"Kenneth, you don't want to do that," one of them said, grabbing the knife out of his hand.
Alex regained his composure and said, "Listen to your friend, Kenneth. After I defeat Jacob, we'll have plenty of time to fight later."
Kenneth's face was red with rage as he stared threateningly at Alex. "I warn you, whether you win or not today, I'm coming for you. Watch your back!"
Kenneth didn't think Alex had the strength to defend himself against him and all his henchmen, so he realized he could wait until after the competition was over to seek his revenge.
"I'm afraid you won't have the chance," Alex replied coolly.
"Ha, you don't scare me." Kenneth laughed, and then said, "Boy, I'll look forward to seeing you after the match."
He held back on the idea of killing Alex, deciding to watch Alex and Jacob's match and see what happened. In the end, he hoped he would get the chance to take Alex down.
Kenneth clapped his hands, and a cart was wheeled into the room, carrying a black coffin.
"Alex, see? I had this made especially for you. When you're dead, I'll be more than happy to be the one who puts what's left of you in it." He laughed maniacally. "You took away my son, so now I will kill you!"
Alex stared at him calmly and said, "Not if I kill you first."
"What is going on here?" a loud, commanding voice called out from the doorway. A group of well-dressed men and women were standing there. In front of them stood a man with white hair and dignified eyes.
He stared at Alex grimly, and said, "Alex, you have brought shame on both the Baltimore and the American Martial Arts Associations. We have ignored your transgressions until now, and that was a grave mistake. Now, I order you to apologize to Mr. Petrie immediately."
Alex stared at the man. Without even asking, he guessed this was Hugo Sherridan, the vice president of the American Martial Arts Association.
Alex stood his ground. "These men have brought a coffin to show me that they want me dead. They want me to apologize and pay for what I've done. But I'm not someone you want to mess with."
"Do you think you are above the rules?" Hugo asked, a chill in his tone. "If you fight Mr. Petrie now, you will lose. Even you must be able to see that." He turned and gestured to Kenneth. "Do you think you have any chance of winning? His skills far outmatch your own. Only a week ago, you were defeated by Jacob, and yet here you are for a rematch. Focus on that fight, not any quarrel you have with anyone in this room."
Alex opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, Hugo continued. "If you can win today, I'll back down. You're young, but you are also foolish and headstrong."
Alex could see Hugo was displeased with Alex's disregard for his authority.
"I'll give you one more chance," Hugo said. "If you don't apologize to Mr. Petrie, you will be responsible for the consequences."
Hugo had a point, and he wasn't a fool. He was well-respected in all martial arts associations.
Alex glanced around at the people behind him. Several women rolled their eyes at him disgustedly, and he seethed inwardly at their attitude.
He turned his gaze on Kenneth, who smiled condescendingly and glanced toward the coffin as if to say, "It's here, waiting for you. Why not come and get it?"
"I don't see how this is any of your business," Alex said as politely as he could. "So I would ask you to please stay out of it."
Hugo frowned. "Alex, don't you know who I am? Are you sure you want to address me like that?"
Alex looked at the group of people one last time. "I know who you are, and I don't care. Stay out of this!"
Hugo was furious. "So, you dare to show me such disrespect? Very well, go ahead. I tried to warn you, but now let's see what you've got."
Let's see what he does with that, Hugo thought. He has some nerve; I'll give him that. Leaders of the associations need nerves of steel, but he's far too young. He can't simply decide that if someone says something that hurts his feelings or simply makes him mad, that he should fight them. He needs to learn to pick his battles wisely, so he needs to be taught a lesson.
Hugo decided he should be the one to teach Alex a lesson, and not Kenneth. Besides, the young man had insulted him and gotten on his nerves.
If I don't sort him out soon, Hugo thought, he'll never learn to respect his elders. He cracked his knuckles, shifted his body into a fighting stance, and stared hard at Alex.
Motion at the door made him pause. Kenneth turned toward the door and said, "Mr. Sherridan, Jacob, and Mr. Paxman are here."
Kenneth was relieved at the interruption because he didn't want Alex to be rescued. He was afraid that, after Hugo inevitably taught him a lesson, the contest would be canceled. If that happened, Alex would withdraw, and Kenneth wouldn't get his chance to kill him.
"It looks like Jacob is here for the match, so he can be the one to teach Alex how to behave like a man." Kenneth smiled.
Later, worried Hugo wouldn't understand, Kenneth met with him and explained his idea. Hugo vehemently agreed with him.