“There are no dungeons here, but there’s something equally stimulating.”
I notice his half-smile and know he’s intrigued.
Igor pulls up to a rundown brick building that used to be a thriving steel factory. He exits the vehicle and takes a duffle bag from the trunk, which he then hands to me when I get out.
Thane eyes the bag suspiciously. “Are you sure there isn’t a cat o’ nines in there?”
I laugh just as loud cheers erupt from deep within the old factory.
“Curious what that’s about?” I ask him.
“Naturally.”
I head toward the sound of the cheers. “I advise you to stay close to me, comrade. You could get yourself killed dressed like that.”
Thane stops dead in his tracks. “Why in the hell are we wearing these damn suits if that’s the case?”
“I have a plan.” Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I assure him. “You are in no danger as long as you stick by my side. These are my people.”
Thane’s level of mistrust is evident, but he still follows me inside.
The moment we walk through the entrance, we are met with hard stares. The tension only increases as we head toward the main action.
When I nod to the men in the hallway, they greet me with angry growls. I chuckle, inviting their disdain and distrust.
“I thought you said these were your people,” Thane mutters when he sees one man wrap his hand around the butt of a large knife strapped to his side.
“Do not worry, comrade,” I state confidently. “They haven’t recognized me yet.”
We enter the crowded room and I glance around with satisfaction. The center ring is made up of hay bales with people standing shoulder to shoulder, wanting to see the action up close.
Not much has changed since I left this place. The smell of blood and sweat permeates the air.
A dangerous-looking man approaches us. He is over seven feet tall, with beefy arms and a deep scowl on his face. “You have no business here.”
I smile at Grigor, waiting for him to recognize me.
“Leave, now!” he snarls, towering over me threateningly.
When I don’t budge, he cocks his fist back. I know the power behind his fist, having been hit by it before, but I don’t move.
“You’ve got nothing to prove to me. Let’s go,” Thane advises when he sees three more men approaching.
I murmur to Thane in a low voice, “Tell him I want to fight.”
Thane frowns. “I’ll do no such thing.”
I pull him in closer. “Moy droog, I have been training for this for weeks. I need this.”
Thane looks me in the eyes before telling Grigor in Russian, “He wants to fight.”
The giant bursts out laughing. “Your kind wouldn’t last a second in the ring.”
I nod in agreement, joining in his laughter.
“You are going to get yourself killed,” Thane warns me.
I fold my arms in defiance and stare at Grigor, willing him to hit me.
“Your friend is right. You’ll die in that ring if I don’t kill you first.”
“Then let me die.”
“Enough, Durov,” Thane growls.
Growing tired of us, the giant throws his punch and I brace for it, but his fist suddenly stops halfway. He tilts his head, staring at me intently. “Silencer?”
I rub my bald head. “What? You don’t recognize me without my hair, Grigor?”
The man envelops me in his huge arms and starts squeezing the life out of me. “It’s been too long!”
“It has…” I choke out, unable to breathe. When he releases me, I take a sharp intake of air, rubbing my ribcage.
Grigor turns to the other men. “The Silencer has returned!”
They look at me in disbelief.
“It is true,” I tell them.
Suddenly, these men who were ready to kill me start slapping and punching me in greeting.
I look back at Thane and grin. “I told you these were my people!”
In a matter of minutes, the fights scheduled for the evening have been rearranged to accommodate me. The only person willing to fight me is a muscular kid who has no idea who I am.
The kid walks up to me, bristling with confidence. “I hear you want to get in the ring.”
“I do.”
He looks at my suit in disdain. Reaching out, he flicks my collar. “I’m not paying for your burial.”
The other men snicker at the insult.
I take off my cufflinks and hand them to him. “Burial money.”
The boy smirks, confident in his street fighting skills, then turns to Grigor. “I’ll take him on.”
The whole room explodes in cheers, hungry for the fight.
I slowly unbutton my jacket and slide it off, handing it to Thane. Undoing my tie next, I tell him, “This won’t take long.”
“This is a mistake,” Thane insists.
I understand his reservations, but he is about to see a whole new side of me.
I head to the back with my duffle bag to get dressed for the fight. Already, the adrenaline is pumping through my veins.
My old friend Alexei comes up, offering to act as my cornerman for the fight. Although it is unnecessary, I take him up on the offer because I’m grateful to see him.
I warm up while I wait, the excitement building inside me with each passing minute. There is nothing like a bare-knuckle fight. It’s like chess because fighters must be methodical and cautious in the ring to avoid breaking their hands.
It’s just man against man, with the added element of self-preservation.
I never thought I would return here, but I failed to appreciate the addictive nature of this kind of fighting. There is something basic and true about reading your opponent until you know you can throw the knockout punch and send them unconscious to the floor.
This is the only environment I’ve found where I can indulge in that need without making mortal enemies.
“They’re almost ready for you,” Alexei tells me excitedly.
I nod. A sense of calm washing over me when I hear them introduce my opponent.
“Next up, we have the Barbarian. Known for his brutality, he is sure to draw blood. At eighteen years of age and 115 kilograms, he is undefeated and a force to be reckoned with.”
The crowd breaks out in applause as I watch the kid walk past, surrounded by his entourage. He is a worthy opponent with his ripped muscles and street experience.
I notice he is wearing a mouthguard. It’s a wise move for him.
I start bouncing on my feet, waiting for my name to be called.
“Tonight, he will be fighting against the Silencer himself.”
The entire room breaks out in cheers and whistles. I feed off their energy, loving every second of it.
“At twenty years of age and ninety-eight kilograms, the Silencer is known for his lightning-fast knockouts. Give it up for the man who sends his opponents to the floor in record time.”
I walk out, grinning. I’ve chosen not to wear a mouth guard for the fight. I like the added risk, but don’t expect I’ll need it.
I pick out Thane in the audience and give him a nod, enjoying the look of shock on his face when our eyes meet.
Welcome to my world, moy droog…
I smile in anticipation as I climb into the ring. Alexei applies a thin layer of petroleum jelly to my cheekbones and forehead to help keep the skin from opening from a well-placed bare-fisted punch.