Parchman, стр. 23

‘Absolute joker,’ said Chuck. ‘Waste of space.’

‘What did you call me?’ McGregor went for Chuck, but Tallulah steppedin between the pair of them.

‘Then I will go,’ she said.

McGregor looked at her. ‘You?’ he huffed. ‘You’re a little girl.’

‘Maybe so but I’ve got more guts than you will ever have.’McGregor took a step backwards, his ego bruised. Whilst he didn’t wantto fight and quite honestly was in no fit condition to fight he knew nowthat he had no choice but to step in for Tallulah. She had taken a chanceon him and taken the time to try and understand him. There was no wayhe was now going to let her take the fall for this.

‘Give me that knife back then,’ he said like a stroppy teenager. ‘AndI’llneed some other things if I’m going to kill that man over there.’ Tallulahsmiled at him.

An hour passed and McGregor and the others, along with some of the moreable members of the community, made their way to the halfway point.

‘Welcome,’ said Jackal curtsying. ‘So who is your fighter?’

‘That’ll be me,’ said McGregor taking a step forward.

‘Ah, white knight. Nice to see you again. So the rules are, there are norules. Fight to the death, obviously. That’s the best kind,’ said Jackalwinking.

‘Solet’s go jackass,’ said McGregor.

‘Oh, you’re not fighting me,’ replied Jackal. ‘You’re fighting him,’ he saidpointing to a break in the crowd, which was now separating to let someonethrough.

McGregor groaned. ‘Beast.’

The man mountain poweredthroughthe crowdand stood beforeMcGregor. ‘We’ve got unfinished business,’ said the monster.

McGregor had fought the man known only as The Beast years ago and wasastounded to see him alive and well and now stood before him, albeit hisface a little more mangled than their previous meeting.

‘How the heck did you get onboard with this load of lunatics? Nevermind,’ said McGregor, ‘forget I asked.’

‘I’ve been travelling these citieslooking for you McGregor. I knew you’dturn up somewhere. People like you always do. You’re like a bad penny,’grunted the Beast.

‘Well, I’m flattered,’ said McGregor fluttering his eyes. ‘I’m all aboutmaking wishes come true.’

‘Enough of the flirting nowladies,’ interjected Jackal. ‘Did we come hereto reminisce,or did we come here to fight?’

‘OK, OK, one second,’ said McGregor turning to Tallulah. ‘Did you getme what I asked for?’

‘Yes,’ she replied passing him a small packet of powder.

McGregor turned around to start the fight and was immediately flattenedby a meaty fist knocking him back into his group of“supporters”. Heshook it off and took a boxing stance. Another flurry of punches came athim and he was back on the floor. As he regained his composure and opened his blurry eyes all he could see was Jackal laughing at him andthen a size twelve boot connecting with his head.

‘Finish him,’ came a shout from the crowd. ‘Kill him,’ another.

Laid there half unconscious McGregor turned his head and spat out twoteeth long along with a mouthful of blood onto the floor. He washallucinating and could see his deadwife beckoning to him. He couldn’tquite make her out, but she was waving to him. As he kept looking hesmiled at her.

Jackal looked at the Beast and the Beast looked back to Jackal, bothshrugging at each other because the man lying on the floor was half deadbut smiling. Actually smiling. This Irishman was mad.

McGregor reached out to his wife who was shouting something to him.‘Get up. Get up,’ she shouted. His eyesight started to become clearer andthe vision of his wife started to materialize back into Tallulah. ‘Get upMcGregor, get up,’ she screamed.

He quickly came around and sat up. He then threw himself back flat on thefloor as another boot swung towards his face narrowly missing him. Hejumped up to his feet swaggering around and not really knowing what wayhe was facing. Chuck turned him around to face the Beast. Another fistcame at him this time, but this time he ducked it.

Another volley of punches ensued, but McGregor found his composureand each time avoided a direct hit. Then he hit back. He gave everythinghe could muster and caught the Beast directly in his chest. Nothing. Nomovement. Not even a step back. The Beast smiled down at him andcrunched his hugearm around McGregor’s neck and put him into a headlock.

McGregor couldn’t breath and he could feel the blood rushing to his headand eyes rolling backwards. His arms were limp and as he tried to pull theman’s arms away from his throat he just became weaker and weaker.

He pulled the knife from its sheath, but it dropped to the floor.

‘The powder,’ he thought to himself, his hand fumbling around hispockets. He felt something smooth like plastic and pulled the small packetfrom his trousers. He felt blood drip from his nose.

With one hand he managed to tear the plastic packet open and poured the substance into his hand. Will all his might he through the powderbackwards into the Beast’seyes. At first nothing happened and then slowlythe man started to release his hold around McGregor’s throat and let himdrop to the floor.

McGregor’s head was still spinning but he sat up watching the Beastscrapingathiseyesand facetrying towipethe powderawayunsuccessfully. It mixed with the tears from his eyes and sweat from hisforehead stinging more with each rub of his hands. Every now and then hewould swing a punch into thin air despite the fact McGregor was still onthe floor.

Chuck looked to Tallulah. ‘Cayenne Pepper,’ she said. ‘It’s all we had.’

‘It’s working,’ replied Chuck.

Jackal and his cronies were ducking and