Page 80 of Undefeated

I screeched as Shane hit the mat. The referee waved his arms, ruling it a slip.

“Oh shit, Kelsey’s hollering for me, I’ll be right back,” Ripp said as he stepped out of his seat and walked to the corner of the ring.

Ripp and Kelsey talked as Shane and Mc Claskey traded punches. Kelsey screamed at Ripp, pointed at Shane, and pointed at me. I could not tell what he was screaming about, but he seemed very angry. Ripp came back to his seat looking frantic.

“Kelsey wants us to find someone with dog tags, shorty. We need to find someone with dog tags quick. Kelsey wants to try and get Shane back in this fight, and he thinks Shane not having his dog tags is the difference,” Ripp pleaded as he looked around the arena.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

“I have Shane’s dog tags,” I said as I reached into my pocket.

“The dog tags?” he asked.

I nodded, somewhat embarrassed, “Yes, I dug them out of the trash.”

“Holy fuck. C’mon,” he demanded as he grabbed my arm.

As we started walking toward Kelsey, I pulled the dog tags from my pocket. Ripp took me right to the corner by Kelsey. I was embarrassed and filled with shame.

“Boss, she’s got Dekk’s dog tags. The tags,” Ripp said as soon as he grabbed my wrist, holding my hand up for Kelsey to see.

“Praise the fucking Lord. Alright, listen to me,” he demanded as he grabbed my face with his hands.

“Fucking listen,” he screamed at me as the bell sounded.

Ding!

“We’ve got one fucking minute, you’ve got about thirty seconds of that minute. Say something meaningful – and god damn it Kace, make it count,” he said as he turned back toward the ring.

I looked up as Shane came to the corner.

Kelsey screamed at Shane and Shane spit in the bucket. He gave Shane water from the bottle and I stepped toward the ring with the dog tags in my hand.

“Shane, lookie here,” Kelsey said as he stepped to Shane’s side and pointed toward me.

“Shane,” I said quietly, getting Shane’s attention.

Without thinking, I held the dog tags behind my back and started talking. I let my mind and my mouth just flow, saying whatever came to my mind. For once in my life, what I thought, felt, and said were the same. Nothing got jumbled, and everything just came out.

“Your father fought his demons in the war. He made peace with himself, God, and probably your mother before or maybe just as he died. He fought in that war to make everything that was jumbled up inside his head make sense. You fight your demons in the boxing ring, Shane. You wore these dog tags for years as a tribute to your father. The person he was hasn’t changed. It’s just your perception. He chose to fight in that war. He volunteered. He did it to make you proud of him. Now, it’s your turn. Do your god damned job. Make him proud,” I held the dog tags in the air as I cried.

Sitting on his stool, Shane looked at Ripp, turned to Kelsey, and pounded his fists together, holding the dog tags between his gloves.

Kelsey reached toward Shane’s mouth with the mouthpiece. Shane shook his head, released the dog tags into my hands.

“I got this,” he said toward Ripp and I.

He turned to Kelsey, “My way.”

Kelsey shoved the mouthpiece into Shane’s mouth as the bell rang.

Shane jumped up and shuffled to the center of the ring.

Ripp and I hurried back to our seats. As we got into place, Ripp turned to face me.

“You damn near had me in tears, shorty. You did real well. Now, hold those things tight in your hand,” he motioned to the dog tags hanging from the chain in my hand.

I gripped the dog tags and turned to face the ring, Shane was fighting in close with Mc Claskey. Mc Claskey was pounding Shane just like in the other rounds – beating his mid-section and arms. Mc Claskey swung a wild uppercut and missed Shane’s chin by and inch as Shane leaned back away from the punch.