Ch 528 - Have You Heard About Alex?

Kenneth knew that Alex was no longer a threat. 

He's badly injured, he thought. I could kill him now as easily as swatting a fly. 

He turned to Ava and said, "Tell Todd to come to Baltimore and lead the arbitrators to supervise the Baltimore chapter. When the president gets back to America, we'll plan from there." 

"Understood," she said, smiling. 

Alex pried open his eyes. He hurt everywhere, but his mind was crystal clear. He could feel the murmur of blood in his body, and the flow of his inner power that moved with it. He could feel a surging force in his energy field. It was a wild current that felt like it could break out at any moment.

***

Jacob's SUV pulled away from the Baltimore Martial Arts Association. Marie sat next to him in the back seat, clenching her jaw as she looked at him. 

"Why didn't you kill them all just now?" she asked. "Alex could run. He could find more allies."

"Killing him would be easy, but I want more than his head," he said. "We're going to send a message to these ridiculous clubs all over the country. I want them all to know that they're no match for us. 

"Alex may have these fools convinced he's some kind of powerful master, but he's not even a blip on my radar. So, we'll let him live for another week. He'll spend that time afraid and alone, and everyone here will see how weak he really is. Besides, he won't run. His type never does. 

"Our little declaration of war puts him in a corner, and he's agreed to face me. No one will intervene. If they try, I'll kill them all.

"This is about more than Alex and his cheap little magic tricks. When I take him down in front of his entire community, there'll be chaos. And we are very, very good at capitalizing on chaos." 

He looked placidly out the window as he spoke like he was merely talking about the weather. Marie grinned to herself, impressed. 

***

News spread quickly. Baltimore's elite were shocked to hear that Jacob had simply walked in, taken down hundreds of fighters, freed his own people, and then beat Alex half to death without wrinkling his suit. They thought that Alex was done for.

People who had seen his skills at the auction and at the martial arts reception were surprised to learn that he could be defeated so easily. Rumors circulated that he was either hiding from Jacob or in seclusion to heal his wounds. 

Meanwhile, Kenneth had taken control of the Baltimore chapter, citing a state of emergency. He had stripped Alex of his office and installed his son, Todd, as acting president. 

Alex Ambrose had lost, and his enemies celebrated his defeat. 

"It's about time someone put that cocky bastard in his place." 

"Finally, our luck has taken a turn." 

"I'm glad he's hurt. Too bad he's not dead." 

"He's not dead yet. In a week, we'll throw the party of the year to celebrate his death at Jacob's hands." 

"That's what happens when you think you're running the show. He's just a kid, and he thinks he's some kind of superhero." 

"I don't know how he thinks he can weasel out of this one. Jacob is going to put him in the ground." 

The Thornton family was overjoyed. Ferdinand and Ash were eager for blood. Alex had been an obstacle for so long, and they were excited to have him out of their way. 

Not everyone was celebrating. When the news reached the Moon Palace, the Appalachian Alliance began to fracture. 

The Baltimore Martial Arts Association members wept bitterly. The Baltimore chapter had been flailing and weak, and they thought they had finally found a strong leader. But they watched that leader lose badly to Jacob, and they knew he would be dead in a week. They fell into deep despair.

It seemed like Alex was on everyone's mind.

Joe stood on his balcony, staring at nothing. He felt like he had become a completely different person over the last few days. Thanks to his mother's influence, he had become resentful of Alex. 

How did he turn out to be so much stronger than me? he wondered bitterly.

Debbie tried to see Alex but was stonewalled by Clark. 

"He's not seeing anyone this week. Not even you," he said.

No one had seen Alex since the attack. 

The city of Baltimore felt like a powder keg that was ready to explode.

***

Alex wanted to concentrate on healing his injuries and preparing for his duel. Wind and rain shook the city, but he paid no attention. He practiced at his favorite spot in Baltimore, a secluded hill in a patch of woods on Clark's property called the Downs. 

After his fierce battle with Jacob, he felt sharper than ever. The pain he felt was transformational, and, like a snake shedding its skin, he felt like someone new.

His training was agonizing, especially compared to his previous practice. He felt like he was being refined in some way, like the heat and pressure under the earth's surface turns coal into diamonds. 

His healing was just as painful, almost as painful as Jacob's devastating attack had been. Healing felt like being torn apart, but he worked through the pain, even when it left him sweating and gasping for air.

Time had lost any meaning to him. One day felt like a hundred. Even when he thought the pain might kill him, he practiced through it. He could feel himself getting stronger. His inner force felt like something new. He was ascending.

Six days passed in a flash. 

***

It was twenty-four hours before the decisive battle. The afternoon sky was clouded, and the air felt close. Will, Rufus, Edward, and Dennis all sat around a table at the Fairfax compound without speaking. 

They didn't know what Alex's condition was, but they weren't expecting a miracle. They wouldn't say it out loud, but each man was certain that Alex was out of time. He was also out of options. Whether he would fight or flee, he had to make a choice.

Rufus had just decided to send Jeffrey to find Alex when they heard cars peeling up to the curb outside. With a crash, the doors opened, and Ava strode in with dozens of armed men from the arbitrator's office.