“Look.” I pointed at him for Yalta and spoke in Mongolian. “He favors his left leg. I wonder if he injured his right one yesterday?” Sure enough, as he turned, we saw a large bruise darkening his right calf. Yalta told Zolbin to use his foot to hook him on his sore leg and bring him down. When it was Zolbin’s turn, the match lasted all of one minute.
I felt better standing in the sun and being useful. The day’s competitors were seasoned, and these bouts took longer. Zerleg barely managed to squeak through his first event, but he won and that was what was important. The boys were scheduled for their second competitions at the same time before noon. Yalta and I split up, and Zerleg and I walked to the opposite end of the field for his match.
“Nervous?” I asked as I stripped off his deel.
He was looking anxiously at the stands. “Yes.”
I admired the honesty of these people.
“Don’t win for Opia,” I said. “Win for you.” When I noticed he was still staring at the bleachers, I added, “Or don’t win, and you can spend the rest of the day charming her with poetry.”
Zerleg laughed at this as the judges indicated they were ready. I stood still as the kid did his eagle dance around me, and it hit me what an honor this was. He considered me his zazul and was showing me his respect. I felt a sense of pride others might feel when their son hit a home run or daughter aced that spelling bee. Wow. I didn’t see that coming.
The opponents squared off, and I had to stow my feeling of euphoria. It was time to help him from the sidelines. And strangely enough, I really enjoyed it.
“Watch his left arm!” I called. Zerleg didn’t have to acknowledge this. I knew he understood. I don’t know how I knew, but I did. Zerleg shifted to the right as his opponent tried to sweep his legs using his left arm. The dodge worked. The young men locked their shoulders and began to strain. They appeared evenly matched for strength. Zerleg would have to win on his brains this time.
Chudruk appeared at my side and the two of us continued to shout encouragement. We watched as the two wrestlers moved back and forth, appearing to rock each other. Neither side gave one inch. This was going to be a long match. As Chudruk made suggestions, I realized that all I’d had was one minor glimpse into the world of this sport. There was so much more I would need to devote my life living here to learn. I froze on the spot.
Zerleg went for his opponent’s knee. This was the big moment. His competitor somehow managed to step back, saving himself. Zerleg had overestimated his strength and stumbled forward, his right hand catching the ground. It was over.
“You did great, kid.” I patted him on the back.
Chudruk smiled at his nephew. “You made us proud!”
Zerleg grinned. It wasn’t all about winning here. He had done well. And his prize was a pretty, educated girl beaming at him from the stands. I noticed that as he walked over to her, he didn’t even bother to cover up with his deel. Tonight he would be celebrating a victory of sorts.
We walked back to the others to find that Zolbin had lost his match too. But Yalta was grinning ear-to-ear. For us, this competition was over. And everyone was happy.
I checked in with the others before heading back to my ger. I still had one thing left to do. Dekker would be getting ready to leave. And it was my job to make sure he didn’t.
I still didn’t have a plan for the hit. Before I formulated one, I’d need to know where Dekker was staying. I really didn’t want Veronica to have the answer, but she was the best lead I had at the moment.
“Have you seen Ronnie?” I asked one of Sansar-Huu’s children. They were playing in the grass with Sartre.
The girl nodded, then in Mongolian told me that she had gone east, toward the steppes. I winked and left them to their play.
The campground faded into a large, grassy meadow on the edge of the city. For a moment I wondered if I had misunderstood the kid. I couldn’t see anyone. I decided to keep walking for a while before turning back. The grasses were tall, and if Ronnie was sitting on the ground, I’d have a hard time seeing her.
It was the giggling that kept me from turning around and going back. She was here, all right.
“I can’t believe you did that! Did you really blow up a plane by accident?” I heard her say.
My blood turned to stone. There was only one person she could be with.
I saw her hair rising above the sea of grass. Then I saw him. Veronica was sitting on a blanket, holding a pen and notebook, while Arje was stretched out on his side next to her. My hands formed fists. I was going to kill him right in front of her.
“Cy!” Veronica jumped a little. That was somewhat satisfying. “What are you doing here?”
Dekker didn’t bother getting up. “ Bombay,” he said gruffly.
“I was told to find you for our interview,” I said grimly.
“Oh.” Ronnie stared at me, her mind trying to work out when she had said this and to whom.
I sat down and joined them. “Sounds like you’ve started without me.”
“How did Zerleg and Zolbin do?” Ronnie asked, her voice quavering a little. Did she feel guilty? I wondered how she was going to feel when she watched me rip Dekker’s throat out in front of her.
“They both lost.” I wasn’t interested in making her feel better about playing hooky.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said quietly, avoiding my eyes.
“I was just telling Ronnie about my work.” Dekker’s voice had a strange edge. He was challenging me. But for what? Ronnie? Or just that need men had to best an opponent who had taken them down?
I took a deep breath. If I was going to kill him, it had to look like it wasn’t premeditated. I replaced my naked fury with a relaxed smile.
“I bet you have some good stories,” I said.
Dekker did not relax. You couldn’t cut the tension with a Ginsu knife. Ronnie’s skin flushed red. It was clear she had never been in a situation like this before.
“Really, guys, this is no big deal. Maybe we can meet up for dinner or something?” She tried to smile but was too nervous. For a moment I allowed myself the luxury of wondering what she was thinking about.
“I don’t think Bombay is interested in talking.” Dekker’s voice was rough…ugly with intent. He rose to his feet, fists clenched.
I remained seated but slowly took off my deel. It was a gift, after all, and I didn’t want it ruined by what was about to happen. I’d been fighting men all of my life. I could spot a gauntlet being thrown down a mile off.
“And why is that?” I asked, feigning innocence.
“I think you know why.” He spit the words. There was no mistaking his intent. But where did this come from? Was he fighting because he wanted Ronnie? Or did he know why I was here?
Fighting men have a sixth sense. It is something that has kept them alive on many occasions. The failure to develop this ability means certain death. The sixth sense is one of self-preservation under dangerous circumstances you set in motion yourself. If I survived this, I made a mental note to tell Ronnie so she could use it in her thesis.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to think about it, because Dekker charged while I was still on the ground. I would’ve rolled neatly to the side, but Ronnie was behind me and would bear the brunt of his weight. I lay back, and, using my right arm to shove her away, I brought my feet up and lifted Dekker up and over to the ground behind me.
I was on my feet before he could recover. Ronnie wisely ran off to a safe distance.
“Go back!” I shouted before Dekker charged again. He came at me like a linebacker, his shoulder lowered. Apparently he was going for a “ground and pound” play. I stepped to the left, swiveled and kicked him in the ass.