Lion in the Ring

By David Holmberg

In his second published adventure, young Christian believer and martial artist Daniel Lyons is contracted to protect the Royal Couple during the Quebec City stop on their North American tour. Unbeknownst to him, a madman and potential assassin poses a real threat at a public venue. Plans go awry, a nosy reporter makes trouble, and soon Daniel must face the fighting challenge of his life. To protect the Royal Couple, Daniel must risk being exposed and becoming famous.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Holmberg
• Release date: Jan 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463400661

David Holmberg

David moved to Maine over thirty years ago, after college. He has studied martial arts for years and holds a high degree black belt. A veteran of over 20 medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic, he is also a Sunday School teacher, an avid photographer, and an obsessive reader. Having consumed over 5,000 books by his own estimate, David felt it was time to give back and write his own book at last. He and his wife, Peg, have a grown son. Peg read an early draft of his first book and said it sounded like it was written by a Sunday School teacher who read too many detective novels. Truth in advertising.

Book preview

Chapter 1   The Boxing Club

Daniel circled to his right, looking for an opening. He maintained his distance, just out of his opponent’s reach. Sweat running into his eyes, he squinted to clear his vision. The opponent moved forward, probing toward Daniel with his left hand.

Thwap! The sharp sound of leather slapping leather. Daniel’s right gloved hand had shot out and palm blocked the opponent’s left hand horizontally to the side, then followed up in milliseconds with a left-handed back fist to his ribcage.

The opponent groaned loudly and clutched his ribs.

Tweet!! The shrill sound of the whistle sounded the end of the round. Eddie Maloney, the boxing club head trainer motioned the two fighters back to their respective corners of the boxing ring. Time, gentlemen! Good work out there. Really got the sweat rolling, did we? I’m afraid that’s all we have time for today. Time to hit the showers. Eddie looked at the young heavyweight, standing in his corner and rubbing his ribcage. Shake it off, big guy. He didn’t hit you that hard. Just surprised you with that shot to the ribs at the end. I told you to watch him, that he’d be slippery and find ways to reach out and touch you. Looks like he did, alright.

Eddie walked over to Daniel’s corner and helped him untie his boxing gloves. Good show there today, Daniel. Glad you could join us here in the Portland Boxing Club for a little workout, a little dance around the ring with some young talent. I know I can always count on you to show these guys something.

"Don’t mention it, Eddie. Tell the truth, I could use the work myself. I need to stay in fighting shape, keep my reflexes sharp with some full contact, full speed sparring. And I can always count on finding that here at the club, right?

You got that right. I’ve got a full stable of young talent here, middleweights, light heavies, and heavyweights. Several have amateur Golden Gloves experience. Joey Fico, that heavyweight you just finished abusing for three rounds, has legitimate pro prospects. He’s young, not a lot of amateur fights, but in a couple years you’re going to see him on an undercard at Madison Square Garden. If he sticks with it and puts in the work, I can see him ranked as a Top Ten contender.

Yeah, he’s a tough kid, alright. His left jab was sharp, and his right cross could drop a charging bull. But he wore down as we danced. His footwork was solid, if a bit slow. If he dropped a couple pounds, his feet would move a little quicker and he wouldn’t be gassed at the end of three rounds.

You’re telling me? I’m the boxing trainer here, I work with this kid every day. I know his strengths and weaknesses, believe me. You’re right, he’s got work to do. He’s been in the ring with every heavyweight I’ve got, and I’m afraid he’s learned all he can from them. He’s moved beyond that level, and needs to be challenged. Harder. That’s why I asked you to come down and go a few rounds with him today. You really showed him some new looks in the ring, what with that chop-sockey kung fu hand fighting you do. That block and back fist right at the end of the round weren’t quite kosher, not Marquis of Queensbury boxing. But that’s OK, Joey’s got to see unorthodox stuff like that thrown at him live in the ring. If you fight for a championship belt, your opponent is going to throw everything he’s got at you. You’d better be ready.

Always glad to provide a little cross-cultural enlightenment for your young toughs. You know, I do have a background in an amateur boxing club some years ago. I know the rules, the do’s and don’ts of the sport of boxing. It’s just that I know so much more about hand fighting, I can’t help but push the limits a bit and dish it out.

Exactly why I invite you down here, Daniel. A few rounds with you gives these guys of mine something to think about, a little concentrated real world fighting they can’t get in most boxing gyms. They have to learn to be hit, to be surprised by stuff they haven’t seen, in order to go on and win in the ring. Gives ‘em valuable experience.

Eddie watched Daniel towel off, then sit on the stool and begin unlacing the high boxing boots. He knew that Daniel normally trained fighting barefoot, and removed the boots as soon as he could, preferring to walk barefoot to the locker room after his bouts. He brought up a topic that had been in the back of his mind for some time, Have you ever fought any pro bouts, Daniel? I’ve seen you spar my guys maybe a half dozen times, and I’ve never failed to be impressed. You’re skilled with your hands, hitting with power from either side, and your jab is lightning. I don’t even see it sometimes, but I see the effects. You’re physically tough, you shake off most punches, never run down in energy. Your martial arts training makes you highly unorthodox and surprisingly effective against these boxers.

No. Never competed before. Oh, I’ve sparred in many dojos and gyms: boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, ju-jitsu, you name it. But I’ve never fought any pro bouts or gone into any type of competitive tournaments. To tell the truth, I’m not really interested in competing or turning professional. The lure of championship belts and big dollar paydays doesn’t do it for me. I’m quite comfortable, thank you.

That’s too bad. You’ve really got potential. With a little polishing and a decent trainer, you could be fighting for the middleweight championship in a year, maybe less. Uh, you are a middleweight, aren’t you, Daniel? Unlike most other fighters in his club, Daniel had avoided stepping on the scale. A couple out-of-shape heavyweights were shy about getting weighed, but that didn’t matter, it was obvious what class they were in. The lean and mean guys didn’t mind letting their bodyweight be known, with the exception of Daniel, it seemed.

I’m like a teenage girl, I don’t like to discuss my weight. Not really touchy about it, I guess, but it’s not really advisable in my line of work to let that kind of thing be public knowledge.

What kind of work is that? I’ve never heard of such a thing in my life.

Let’s just leave it that way. The less said, the better I like it. I feel good about climbing into your ring with anyone from about 160 lbs on up to the really big heavyweights. No problem there. The heavier they are, the more powerful the punch, but the slower the hands and feet. I can take them all on, anytime, for a good workout.

If you ever change your mind about a pro boxing career, be sure to look me up. I’m the guy that can get you into that world, get you bouts with contenders, line you up for a title shot. Don’t forget, I’m serious here. I’d love to launch your career.

Daniel climbed through the ropes and stepped out of the ring. As he turned to walk toward the locker room, he spotted a familiar face entering the front door. The Preacher! What on earth was he doing here? How had he tracked me to the Portland Boxing Club?

Chapter 2   Greetings from the North Country

The Preacher had sought Daniel through the contact number he had left. By the three-digit exchange, he knew it was in the greater Farmington area of Franklin County. Calling the number had connected him to an answering machine a couple times, but on his third try he spoke with a Mrs. Goldsmith, who described herself as an old friend of Daniel’s family.

Why yes, Daniel Lyons lives here. Mrs. Goldsmith knew that Daniel was known by several family names, but was wise enough to not let on. If Daniel was using alternate identities, she was sure he had good reason. She went on, The young man is not here presently. He left yesterday for Portland, probably won’t be home for a day or two. He likes to fight at the boxing gym down there. Portland Boxing Club, I think it’s called.

The Preacher had politely signed off, got in his car and made his way some 90 miles south to Portland. He was on good terms with the chief of the Portland Police, so stopped in for a courtesy call and a little information. As a private security contractor, as well as an ordained Christian preacher, the man known simply as, ‘The Preacher,’ maintained a wide network of contacts in the law enforcement and intelligence communities.

Portland Police Chief Lavigne was pleasantly surprised to see The Preacher in person. The two of them had worked together several times and had a mutually beneficial relationship. Chief Lavigne turned out to be an excellent source of information about Eddie Maloney and his Portland Boxing Club, down on lower Congress Street. He was quick to tell The Preacher that the boxing club enjoyed an excellent reputation. Eddie had taken the club over just a couple years ago, but he had already trained several Golden Glove finalists and had a couple pro prospects in his current stable of fighters. The club was beginning to show on the radar of the boxing world. Oh yes, it was a completely legit, above board boxing gym.

This surprised The Preacher to hear. He had signed Daniel some months ago to a retainer, which gave him first call on his services as a private security operator. In fact, he had called upon Daniel almost immediately after signing him up, to undergo a covert law enforcement operation. In that operation, known unofficially as ‘Operation Ghost Walker Return,’ Daniel had been instrumental in returning a dangerous fugitive to custody in Canada. In doing so, Daniel had displayed a truly awesome and fierce ability to fight. He had singlehandedly, and unarmed, taken on and prevailed over the man that Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force, considered an unbeatable legend. Earlier, a trio of dangerous and armed street thugs made the mistake of trying to mug Daniel, but he had shrugged it off as barely a workout, no challenge at all.

In researching Daniel, The Preacher had uncovered evidence that Daniel was a master martial artist, an extremely well versed and trained fighter in a wide variety of recognized martial arts styles, with fifteen years of training military special operations forces. But boxing? In a conventional boxing gym? Daniel had mentioned training in a boxing gym as a child, but that was years ago. Surely, Daniel was years beyond learning anything from a boxing trainer. What could he be doing spending his time here?

Daniel explained. He considered boxing to be a legitimate martial art. Although codified with restrictive rules and referees and timed rounds, the action taking place in the ring was full speed and full power contact. You climbed into the boxing ring with a determined opponent, and you were in for a high quality workout, one that tested your speed, reflexes, and conditioning to the full extent. You used all your strategy and skill to out point, out fight, and knock out your opponent. In his considered opinion, Daniel felt that boxing training was an excellent supplement for any traditional martial artist. Too many Asian martial arts dojos did little or no full contact sparring. He respected judo because its practitioners worked out at full speed against uncooperative opponents. They knew their techniques were effective in the real world. But too many of the Asian striking arts, typified by karate, did almost no full contact work. As the iconic martial arts legend Bruce Lee had observed, learning to fight without doing full contact sparring was like trying to learn how to swim without getting in the water. It defied common sense, and Daniel fully agreed.

Daniel studied and practiced the striking arts, and understood the legal liability reasons why most dojos did not offer full contact sparring. You can’t run a successful commercial karate school if you’re always getting sued by injured students and your insurance premiums are through the roof. No, Daniel had long ago recognized that he needed to supplement his traditional martial arts training with boxing work outs. In the boxing gym he could get real contact work. His sparring rounds with boxers kept him fit and sharp.

The Preacher considered this explanation. It made sense. As always, Daniel had taken a practical approach to acquiring and honing his fighting skills. As he explained, the sport of boxing closely resembled actual combat in terms of hitting moving targets, using footwork to maneuver into and out of range, and using effective defense to avoid being hit. A good boxer had skills that translated well to fighting on the street in many ways. Yes, Daniel was right, of course. But it was now time to explain why he had tracked Daniel down. Time to get down to business.

I have another offer for work, Daniel. Yes, I know it’s remarkably soon after our initial operation, but that’s the way it is sometimes in this business. Have you heard of the current Goodwill Tour through North America by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana? Of course you have. It’s a huge deal up north in Canada, as you can imagine. A ticket to an indoor venue for an appearance by ‘Chuck and Di’ is almost impossible to come by. They’re a bigger draw than major rock bands. I hear the scalpers are having a field day.

Daniel was dumbfounded. Surely,The Preacher had not driven some ninety miles south to Portland to tell him something everyone across the country knew. I truly don’t see what that could possibly have to do with me, or with you for that matter.

"Hurry up and shower, Daniel. I know you caught a ride down here, so I’ll give you a ride back up to Farmington. I’ll explain the operation to you on the way, it might take a while. By the time we hit the Franklin County line, you’ll know if you want to accept or not. If you do, and I certainly hope so, we’ll have to pack quickly and head north. Yes, north, as in back to Canada. The North Country sends its greetings.

Chapter 3   The Right Man for the Job

The Preacher was good for his word. He talked non-stop for almost the entire ride home to Farmington, explaining in what seemed to Daniel to be excruciating detail all the parameters of this most recent job opportunity. It was complex, to say the least, making their recent effort to run down the fugitive Armand Levesque positively basic by comparison.

It started with the Canadian leg of the Royal couple’s goodwill tour, and of course it involved threats to their safety. As anticipated, any public appearance of such luminaries drew crackpots out of the woodwork. But beyond the usual lunatics, there were a number of credible threats involving rogue IRA elements and PLO splinter groups. Charles and Di were, for better or worse, the very living symbols of the British Empire. And because the Royal couple was on Canadian soil, it was now Canada’s problem to keep them safe and sound.

Canada was up to the challenge. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was one of the most effective law enforcement organizations in the world. The Ministry of Defense had put virtually all the resources of the Canadian Armed Forces at RCMP disposal for the duration of the goodwill tour. Even Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force of Quebec, had been called in for the portion of the tour across the francophone region in the geographic center of the country.

Yes, Daniel, our friend Inspector Fourcade has another ‘situation’ on his hands. He has been given responsibility for part of the security force that is to be deployed in the city of Quebec. It seems that Charles and Di will make an appearance at Laval University, specifically, at a demonstration in the Physical Education Complex. RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces have most of the university, and the entire city, under careful watch. Hundreds of uniformed RCMP troopers, and even more plain clothes RCMP and SQ troopers are crawling everywhere. The security forces have everything sewed up pretty tight.

So why are we being contacted? I know you contract for bodyguard services, but I wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket at Laval U. If they’ve already got hundreds of armed professionals already on the job, what good would adding one more body possibly do? Not to mention the fact that I’ve never actually done any bodyguard details for you.

"I knew this wouldn’t be easy to convince you, but here goes. The Royal couple is