Chapter 6 - The Men Behind the RingThe list contained forty-three names.
Business owners.
Judges.
Police commanders.
A state senator.
Two sports promoters.
Three men who appeared regularly on television pretending to care about public safety.
And Deputy Director Samuel Cross.
My father had not uncovered one corrupt man.
He had found an ecosystem.
Agent Donnelly arranged a secure room inside a federal building nobody connected to the active investigation.
For six hours, technicians examined the flash drives.
I watched through glass while Cole paced.
Travis slept in a chair with his arms folded.
Michael stood by the window.
None of us looked like people who had slept in two days.
Finally, Donnelly entered.
“It’s enough.”
“To arrest Raymond?” I asked.
“To arrest a lot of people.”
Cole stopped pacing.
“Then do it.”
“No.”
His face hardened.
“Why?”
“Because half the names will disappear before warrants are signed.”
“So freeze accounts.”
“Cross will know.”
Travis opened one eye.
“Then arrest Cross first.”
“We need proof connecting him directly to current crimes.”
Michael frowned.
“You have his name.”
“A defense attorney will call that a dead man’s notes.”
“My father was murdered.”
“And I need evidence that survives court.”
Cole looked ready to explode.
I understood the frustration.
But I also understood something else.
Raymond had survived because everyone acted before they could finish him.
I remembered Dad’s recording.
Don’t let him win twice.
“What would prove it?”
Donnelly looked at me.
“Current communication between Raymond and Cross.”
“Then we make Raymond call him.”
Cole smiled slowly.
“I knew I liked her.”
I looked at him.
“You gave me ten seconds to choose between dinner and getting punched.”
“I said liked. Not behaved intelligently around.”
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
Michael noticed.
His expression turned protective immediately.
“No.”
I stared at him.
“No what?”
“Whatever that is.”
Cole raised an eyebrow.
“She’s an adult.”
“You stay away from my sister.”
“I’ve known her longer than you have.”
Michael moved.
Travis opened both eyes.
“This is the best thing that’s happened all week.”
“Enough,” I said.
Both men stopped.
Interesting.
Donnelly pretended not to smile.
“We need bait.”
Cole’s expression became serious again.
“Me.”
“No,” I said.
“Yes.”
“Raymond doesn’t care about you.”
Cole looked offended.
“He absolutely cares about me.”
“As property.”
“Exactly.”
Michael understood.
“You announce you’re shutting down the private fights.”
Cole nodded.
“And releasing all fighter contracts.”
Travis sat up.
“That destroys Raymond’s cash flow.”
“More importantly,” Cole said, “it frees people who still owe him.”
Donnelly nodded.
“He’ll call.”
“What about Cross?”
“If Raymond believes the operation is collapsing, he’ll contact Cross to protect himself.”
The plan went into motion by afternoon.
Cole summoned every promoter and manager still tied to his organization.
I insisted on attending.
The meeting took place inside the same warehouse where somebody had tried to kill us.
Different lighting.
Different chairs.
Same dangerous men.
Cole stood before them.
“No more fights.”
Silence.
A promoter laughed.
Then stopped when nobody joined him.
Cole continued.
“All debts owed through Maddox fighting contracts are canceled.”
One man stood.
“You can’t do that.”
“I just did.”
“Raymond owns—”
“My uncle owns nothing here.”
A ripple moved through the room.
Fear.
Travis stood beside Cole.
Michael remained hidden in an upper office.
I watched faces.
Some men looked angry.
Others relieved.
One young fighter near the back began crying quietly.
That was when I understood the scale of it.
These weren’t all criminals.
Some were prisoners.
Cole had spent years controlling the machine.
Maybe he told himself he was protecting them.
Maybe sometimes he had.
But he had still kept it running.
He seemed to realize the same thing.
His voice changed.
“If you were forced to fight because of debt, threats, immigration status, family pressure, or violence, federal representatives are available outside.”
Every head turned.
Panic.
A man reached beneath his jacket.
Travis crossed the room before the gun cleared leather.
He slammed the man onto a table.
Weapon removed.
Nobody else moved.
Cole stared at the room.
“Anyone else?”
Silence.
My phone vibrated.
Blocked number.
I showed Donnelly through the hidden earpiece.
“Answer,” she whispered.
I did.
Raymond.
“You’ve become troublesome.”
“Family trait.”
“Cole is making a mistake.”
“He has experience.”
Raymond ignored the insult.
“Tell him to reverse the announcement.”
“No.”
“Then he dies.”
Cole heard.
He walked toward me.
“Put me on.”
I handed him the phone.
“Uncle.”
“You’ve embarrassed me.”
“I’m going to do much worse.”
“You think freeing those animals makes you righteous?”
“They’re people.”
“They’re debts.”
Cole’s face went cold.
“You taught me that.”
“Yes.”
“And Thomas taught me you were wrong.”
Silence.
A dangerous silence.
Then Raymond spoke.
“He infected all of you.”
“No.”
Cole looked at me.
“He saved us.”
Raymond hung up.
Donnelly’s voice came through.
“Trace failed.”
Michael appeared from upstairs.
“He’ll move now.”
Travis released the armed promoter to federal agents.
“What’s next?”
Before anyone answered, the warehouse doors opened.
A woman walked in.
Tall.
Elegant.
Blonde hair pulled into a severe knot.
Cole went completely still.
“Victoria.”
I looked at him.
“Who is she?”
His voice was quiet.
“My mother.”
Raymond’s sister.
She walked directly toward us.
No security.
No fear.
Then she slapped Cole.
“You idiot.”
Cole touched his cheek.
“Nice to see you too.”
She looked at me.
“You must be Nora Bennett.”
“How do you know me?”
“Because your father once saved my son’s life.”
Cole frowned.
“You told me he was a criminal.”
Victoria’s eyes filled with fury.
“I told you what Raymond ordered me to tell you.”
Cole looked wounded.
Actually wounded.
His mother continued.
“I’ve spent eighteen years pretending my brother doesn’t frighten me.”
Michael stepped closer.
“Why now?”
“Because Raymond has my granddaughter.”
Everyone froze.
Cole’s face emptied.
“What?”
Victoria’s voice broke.
“Emma.”
Cole moved toward her.
“My niece?”
“She was taken from school two hours ago.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Raymond called first.”
“What does he want?”
Victoria looked at me.
“Nora.”
Of course.
“What about me?”
“He wants you in exchange for Emma.”
Michael immediately said, “No.”
Cole said the same word at exactly the same time.
I ignored both.
“Where?”
Victoria handed me a phone.
A message displayed one address.
Maddox Steel.
An abandoned manufacturing plant south of the city.
Below it:
ONE BENNETT FOR ONE MADDOX.
Cole read it.
“He’ll kill both.”
“Probably.”
“We’re not going.”
I looked at him.
“A twelve-year-old girl was kidnapped because of us.”
“Because of Raymond.”
“Difference doesn’t help her.”
Michael shook his head.
“I won’t let you.”
I turned.
“You don’t get to lose six years and come back as my owner.”
His face tightened.
“I’m trying to keep my sister alive.”
“Then help me.”
Travis smiled grimly.
“That sounded like Thomas.”
Michael glared.
“Not helping.”
Donnelly approached.
“We can use a tracker.”
“No electronics,” Victoria said. “Raymond checks.”
“Then surveillance.”
“He expects it.”
I thought of the hidden panel.
Dad’s codes.
Fighters.
Rounds.
“Raymond thinks everybody fights the way he does.”
Cole looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
“He expects force.”
“Yes.”
“So we give him surrender.”
Michael understood first.
“You walk in.”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely—”
“And while he’s watching me, you take everything else.”
Cole stared.
“That’s insane.”
“Probably.”
“You could die.”
“Also possible.”
“Nora.”
I stepped closer.
“Do you trust me?”
He looked into my eyes.
Something changed between us.
Not romance.
Not yet.
Something more important.
Respect.
“Yes.”
“Then stop trying to protect me by removing me from my own fight.”
Cole breathed out.
“Thomas would hate you.”
“No.”
Michael smiled sadly.
“He’d be proud.”
At 9:00 p.m., I walked alone toward Maddox Steel.
No gun.
No phone.
No tracker.
Only my father’s brass boxing glove beneath my shirt.
The factory doors opened.
Raymond stood inside.
Beside him was a frightened twelve-year-old girl.
Emma.
And behind them stood Deputy Director Samuel Cross.
May you like
Raymond smiled.
“Welcome to Round Three.”
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