Brawler’s on fire, and I might be a little fuzzy, but I can tell the difference in him. His whole demeanor has changed. He’s hitting for damage, and Jiko’s face complies. He splits his eyebrow open with a hook that just glances. The kind of punch that’s great for opening someone up using your knuckles.
“Come on,” Mag says, trying to lead me away.
I shake my head and hold back. “No, I’m watching this.”
“You were just out cold.”
“I’m fine,” I promise, shrugging him off me.
The amount of energy coming off the crowd makes goosebumps sprout on my arms. The feral shouts switch something in me, and I’m yelling with them. “Get him! Come on!”
Okay, I might still have an axe to grind with the way Jiko backstabbed Johnny. I am loving this. I could watch this all damn day.
Brawler gets hit in the mouth. He smiles, showing off blood-stained teeth. He looks like a killer out there, hunting his prey. He’s dominating. That’s not to say he’s not getting tagged, but he moves through the punches. Takes one to give five.
Behind me, Magnum’s low voice creeps in through the screams around us. I glance back to find him on the phone.
The crowd erupts, and I turn to find Brawler wailing on Jiko as he falls to the ground. I start jumping, excitement barreling through me. “Yes!!”
“Fuck!” Jacob yells. Suddenly, I’m being dragged away. I try to put the brakes on as Brawler gets to his feet, but Magnum stops me. “We have to leave.”
I finally pull away from him right before the door that leads to the dressing rooms. “What’s going on?” I grind out.
I turn to face him, and the look on his face is pure panic. Eyes wide and bloodshot. Gaze darting everywhere into all corners of the packed room.
Before he can explain, the pop, pop, pop from an automatic weapon goes off. Frightened screams fill the area, quickly turning from excitement to fear. An avalanche of bodies rush down from the bleachers and Mag pulls me just under them to shield me, making me crouch. “Stay down,” he orders.
I grip part of the metal underbelly of the bleachers. “What is it?” I ask, even though I already know.
He creeps out from under the bleachers and then darts back. “Cole just called me. He told me something was about to go down. We need to get out of here.”
He starts to move toward me, but I move just out of his way. “Brawler’s out there! And Oscar and Johnny! We’re not going anywhere.”
Magnum sighs, then reaches into his pockets and takes out the keys to the car. “Take the back hallway. Get to the car and leave. Don’t look back.”
I stare at him, pushing his hand back toward him. Another round of gunfire fills the space amidst more cries, and we both duck. A cluster of people run by us, searching for any way out. I’m about to head toward the bleacher opening when two people come careening through the aisle, masks of terror on their face. The one closest to us falls. Dead eyes peer back at me, but the other body ducks inside, and I meet a pair of blue eyes that make my heart leap.
I can’t even make my mouth move. I grab for him, and he scrambles under the bleachers with us. We crouch low.
“Who is it?” Mag asks, pulling his gun out, holding it in front of him.
“Never seen him before,” Brawler says. His bare chest heaves. Red splatters adorn his side, blood spray from when the person running next to him got shot. “There are a few though. I saw three. Two started going toward the box.”
My stomach turns over. If I’d eaten before the fight, I’d have upheaved everything right in front of me.
“Oscar?”
“I don’t know where he went,” Brawler pants. “Everyone dove for the ground. I couldn’t see.”
Mag looks at both of us, snarling at our fighting attire. Neither Brawler nor I have any weapons. “Fuck.”
More screaming ensues, sending shivers through me. The pure terror in their voices sends panic jolting through my limbs.
“I’m going out there.”
Magnum moves so fast, I can’t even reach for him. One moment, he’s there. The next, he’s stepping out into the aisle leading to where the gunshots are firing from.
I follow after him, ignoring his earlier command of staying where I am. I crouch next to the bleachers, and Brawler follows behind me.