Fighting the Forgiven (Cageside Chronicles: Tommy Knuckles Trilogy 2)

By Jarrah Loh

(Cageside Chronicles: Tommy Knuckles Trilogy Book 2)
The fiction book series that UFC & MMA fans have been waiting for!

The story continues as Tommy Knuckles travels to beautiful Brazil in an incredible journey to fight the ghosts of his trainer’s past. As secrets are unveiled, he’ll discover new friends, amazing adventures, and come face to face with the rival of a lifetime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jarrah Loh
• Release date: Sep 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301322305

Jarrah Loh

Jarrah Loh is the author of the HarperCollins book Ultimate: The Complete Guide to UFC and Mixed Martial Arts and is also the creator of the fiction book series that MMA and UFC fans have been waiting for: Cageside Chronicles.He is the editor of Australia’s number-one Mixed Martial Arts magazine, Inside MMA (in association with FIGHT! USA) and also the editor of the world’s leading and longest running kickboxing/Muay Thai magazine, International Kickboxer.

Book preview

Fighting the Forgiven

Tommy Knuckles Trilogy: Book Two

Jarrah Loh

Copyright

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.

Published by Jarrah Loh

Fighting the Forgiven

Copyright 2012 Jarrah Loh

Smashwords Edition

The Cageside Chronicles name and logo are registered trademarks of Jarrah Loh

Cover art and logo design by Zenia Lakhani

Also by Jarrah Loh

CAGESIDE CHRONICLES

Tommy Knuckles Trilogy

Fighting the Storm

Fighting the Forgiven

Fighting the Shadows

Brothers Trilogy

Side by Side

Head to Head

Back to Back

Ultimate:

The Complete Guide to UFC and Mixed Martial Arts

Published by HarperCollins

All books available at www.jarrahloh.com

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

About the Author

Book 3: Fighting the Shadows

Buy more Cageside Chronicles

Thanks

ONE

The phone was ringing again. Diego had set it to vibrate, but he could still hear the thing shudder across the kitchen bench. He knew who it was, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have time for all of that. He didn’t have time for all of the business and politics and schedules. His job was to fight and that’s exactly what he planned on doing. He’d let the managers do the managing and the fighters do the fighting. Finally the phone stopped its incessant dance and Diego’s mind snapped back to his training.

His apartment was only small, but it was all he needed. There was no furniture or television or distractions in the living room. There were only weights and sand bags and a large grappling dummy that resembled an archaic robot wrapped in black duct tape. Diego had made the dummy himself after failing to find something that he thought would cater to all his needs. He’d created it late one night like Dr. Frankenstein, fashioning it together with lengths of pool foam, some old pillows, a mop, several feet of wire and about a mile of tape. And it was up next.

Diego dropped the kettlebell to the floor and grabbed the dummy by one of its fat arms and dragged it to the middle of the carpet. For a moment he stood over it, looking out the window into the nothingness. The little apartment was on the outskirts of Las Vegas and even though the real estate agent told him it was an overpriced dump, Diego knew it was perfect. There was nothing out that window. Nothing but dirt and desert. And since he was about the only person who seemed to be out here, it was his dirt and desert. The rare few times he did leave was only to get food or to train with living sparring partners at one of the many and diverse gyms in the city. He often thought that if his dummy was a little smarter, he wouldn’t even need to do that.

The single thing that could bother him out here was that damn phone. And it started to ring again. Diego dropped his knee down hard on the dummy’s chest and started to pound away at its big stuffed head. He punished it for a long time, tying it up in impossible submissions and unleashing dangerous elbows that would have left any man a bloody mess. Eventually the relentless attack ceased and Diego lay on his back exhausted. The sweat stung his eyes and tasted salty in his mouth, but he loved that taste, that feeling. He knew today would be a long training day because he felt so strong. He was going to push it as far as he could.

Then there was a knock at the door. Diego already knew who it was. It was the same person that kept the phone ringing. Suddenly he didn’t feel so strong. The knock came again and he slowly sat up, looking out into his desert. A third time the knocking came before the door opened.

Diego? You in there?

Diego kept staring.

Diego? The voice called again, and a tall, young man in a gray suit walked slowly through the door. Diego? You okay, buddy? I’ve been trying to call you all day.

Hello, Jerry, said Diego in precise but heavily accented English.

Man, I know you don’t love to be disturbed, but I’m your agent. C’mon Diego, you gotta work with me here, we have lots to do.

Diego walked to his kitchen to work on a protein shake while his agent looked disconcertingly over at his grappling dummy. That thing gives me the creeps. I think you guys are spending too much time together. Maybe you should start getting out a bit more.

You jealous, Jerry?

Hey, I don’t wanna question your methods, but everyone needs to get out. You’re gonna go crazy out here in the desert by yourself.

I’m not alone, said Diego, motioning to the dummy.

Jerry shook his head. Maybe it’s already too late. I bet you have a name for that thing, huh?

Diego’s big white teeth lined into a smile. His name is Jerry.

Jerry puffed up his cheeks and slowly exhaled. I wish you’d answer your damn phone when I call.

What do you want, Jerry?

I got a call from UCF.

And? said Diego, bringing a huge steel cup to his lips.

And there’s a problem with the fight. It’s Pinkie – he’s out.

Diego put the cup on the bench. Why?

I dunno. Injured or something. Whatever. He’s out. But they’ve already got a new guy.

It makes no difference. No problem, he said, and drank again.

Good. This should be easier anyway; it’s some kid from Mexico. It’s his first fight for the UCF. Same money, easier opponent. It’s actually a better deal.

Diego slammed the cup down on the bench. Wait! What? What kid?

As I said, some Mexican kid. A rookie. It’s an easy fight.

Diego shook his head, walked back into the living room and looked out the window.

C’mon, said Jerry. You said yourself it makes no difference. Same date, same money. What’s the problem?

I didn’t come all the way from Rio to fight some rookie! Easy money… What’s the point of a few dollars if I don’t get any respect for it? Who is this rookie?

Jerry looked at his phone and pushed a few buttons. Tommy Knuckles. Yeah. He trains at that piece of junk joint in the valley. Don’t worry, he’s new, but he’s not without a little hype. He recently won the Las Vegas Cage Fighting lightweight belt.

Diego shook his head furiously and kicked the grappling dummy across the room. It hit the door headfirst. I saw that fight! He was lucky to win. He was lucky the ref didn’t call a TKO – he was in la la land!

Jerry looked back at Little Jerry, upside down in a heap in front of the door. Look, Diego…

And, he barely looked big enough for a lightweight ¬– what the hell is he doing fighting me?

Jerry exhaled again and dropped his arms to the side. Look, I dunno, buddy. If this clown wants to fight welterweight, what do you care? As I said – easy money. At least he has this championship belt.

A champion! Ha. Only you Las Vegas fools think the LVCF belt is something to be proud of. I know why he got the fight. I saw his team. He was all buddy-buddy with Miguel Juan Benito.

Yeah, said Jerry. The deal came through Miguel. I dunno, it probably has something to do with The Condor, too.

Yes, it all fits into place. Mexican kid, Condor, Miguel. They think they can simply take some punk and push him up the ladder? This is absolute crap, Jerry. I’m past fighting these kids… His phone cut him short as it began ringing again and he shot an angry glance over at Jerry.

Well, it ain’t me!

Diego stormed over to the counter, grabbed the phone and threw it across the room. It hit the door with a crash and fell to pieces, showering the dummy in bits of plastic. There was silence for a moment, then Jerry finally spoke. So…we’re good? I can sign away? Not that we have much choice.

Well, what the hell do I pay you for then? Maybe I should sign on with Miguel… Yeah, sign the damn thing. Let’s get this fight out of the way.

Good, said Jerry as he tried to open the door and step around the grappling dummy and the broken pieces of plastic. I’ll get you a new phone.

***

"Okay, now drop your right leg back and put your left fist forward in front of you. Yeah, kind of like that. Now bend your knees a touch and lower your stance. Good, now have a few jabs with your left hand…that’s it, a bit harder."

Gina stopped hitting the bag and let out a quiet growl. You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?

Tommy smirked. What? Can’t handle being the rookie for once, huh?

You’re so dead once we get back to the mats in Vegas.

C’mon, focus. Keep those hands up. This isn’t jiu-jitsu – punches are coming in all the time.

Gina hit into the bag hard, throwing lefts and rights. Tommy didn’t let on, but she was picking it up quickly. It was late in the day but the sun was still burning through the huge open doors in the back of Hector’s gym and both of them were sweating profusely. They’d spent most of their time in Mexico down at the gym. Mostly it was because Tommy had no other place to take her. School was long over for him and since he had no other friends or family, the gym was the only other place to go but home.

Keep going, Tommy told her. Tilt your knuckles forward a little…now throw a big one with your right…but really turn into it, put your whole body behind it.

When Gina had first told him she was coming back to Mexico with him, Tommy couldn’t have been happier. But as they drove across that desert highway, his stomach began to churn. What was he taking her to? He had nothing. He had less than nothing. What were they going to do? Hang out with Esteban and his mother in their tiny home? He knew straight away she wouldn’t be able to stay. She wouldn’t be able to handle it. The Rat Shack behind the gym in Las Vegas was one thing – that was meant to be dirty and poor and desperate. But this was his home. Even in the poorest parts of America he didn’t think they lived as his family did. And it wasn’t only their poverty; it was everything about his life. He was a loser. Sure, maybe in Las Vegas he was beginning to become somebody – at the gym he was quickly becoming the number-one star – but back in Mexico, he was only Tommy.

As they drove on and on, he realized how much he had changed since he’d left. He couldn’t believe he’d thought about running back home at one stage. Thiago had been right to question what lay behind. There was almost nothing. At first, what he was so excited about he began to dread. What really did wait for him back home? Haunted dreams, enemies in the streets, and lonely memories.

But when he did finally arrive back home, it wasn’t that way at all. Life