L EVI WASN’T EAGER to leave Jenny’s apartment but
he knew they’d be in even more danger if the lamp was
near them. After all, it was the lamp that Dev wanted
and he was clearly willing to kill in order to get it. Levi
knew why the lamp was attractive. He had seen it heal
a paralyzed little girl and breathe life into a man who
was nearly dead in an elevator. That the lamp was
impressive, he understood. But what puzzled him was
why he’d been chosen for the task. K.S. seems like the
type of person who could easily handle his own affairs,
so why bring in some ex-boxer and then handcuff him
by telling him not to fight back?
“Or did he?” Levi wondered aloud.
Did he say not to fight back, or not to fight back with
my fists? Certainly, there are other ways to fight back,
Levi reasoned, as he rounded the corner to his street at
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three in the morning. That’s when he noticed
something a bit odd. The street lights, which were
positioned equally among the buildings, all seemed to
be working — except for his. The light in front of his
stoop must have shorted out.
He saw that the graffiti warning on his door was now
absent. It seemed doubtful that someone would have
re-painted that part of the door for him. But it looked
like new. And now that familiar feeling of immediate
danger loomed in his gut. He reached a hand into the
utility bag and touched the lamp. Surprisingly, it felt a
little warm. He moved his fingers across the amber
glass and let the warmth fill his body with courage. He
was not afraid, and, thus inspired, opened the door to
his apartment and stepped inside.
Levi slept well, better than he’d slept in years. He
woke up refreshed and ready for work, only to realize
that it was his day off. “Well, that figures,” he thought.
“Finally get a good night’s rest and I have nowhere to
be.”
He stepped onto the porch and let the warming glow
of sunlight kiss his face. He sat on the concrete
landing and sipped instant coffee. A neighborhood kid
rolled by on a pair of skates and Levi heard the chatter
of children a block away, their voices mixed with the
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songs of the morning birds. A deep peace had formed
inside of him and for once, the weight of the world and
all its burdens felt lighter somehow.
It would be short lived.
Levi’s thoughts turned to Violet, the stricken girl
who’d lost everything. Then to Jenny, their lives now
intertwined by circumstance. The complications of his
life began to creep in and threaten the peace he’d been
enjoying. He’d gotten both of them involved in his own
mess and he just hoped that K.S. would not be pissed-
off about it. “People are dead,” he thought. “And Dev is
still out there.”
“Hey, hey!” Levi heard in the distance.
He turned and saw Charles strolling toward him with
a shyster’s grin. Levi had known Charles for half of his
life and knew very well that the man couldn’t be
trusted with anything important. He was a lousy friend
and only saw dollar signs when he looked at Levi. But
there’s a reason Levi tolerated him and it was because
he represented something attractive. Charles might
have been a scumbag but he had managed to land Levi
a title shot in a former life and knew how to shake and
bake a deal. To Levi, he now represented a ray of hope
— a chance at normalcy. A simple life.
Charles had already offered him a deal to fight
overseas, an easy paycheck. Sure, Charles wanted his
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usual fifteen percent, but that’s a drop in the bucket as
far as Levi was concerned. Through his eyes, Charles
was his shot at a simple life — a life without financial
worries, a life of stability which might even include a
family. It was everything he wanted these days.
“Not a bad day to be alive, huh?” Charles said as he
invited himself onto the stoop and sat down beside
Levi.
“How’s the bar?” Levi asked.
“What can I say, people are still drinking.”
Levi knew the order of business but had to suffer
through a few seconds of small-talk to avoid coming off
as utterly impatient. Charles was thinking the same
thing.
“So,” Charles began. “Given any thought to what we
spoke about the other night?”
He doesn’t waste any time, Levi mused.
“I’m in a bit of a situation right now, old friend. How
long do we have?”
“I don’t know,” Charles replied. “Not too long
though.”
“I still need to think about this. It’s a big decision. I
need more time.”
“We have a week, Levi,” he said, getting to the point.
“The promoter told me he needed an answer by next
week or there’s no deal.”
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“Well, I guess that gives me a week to think it over.”
“Don’t wait until then, pal. The way these things
work, you might be old news by then. I think we need
to make a decision. Come on, what’s holding you back?
You’ve been wearing the same shirt every time I’ve seen
you. Isn’t it time to get it all back, like it used to be?
How many people get this chance, Levi? Do you know
how lucky you are to not just be out of prison, but to
have an opportunity like this?”
“I know,” he said. And he meant it.
“So why wait? Let’s jump on this offer while it’s still
hot.”
“How do you know this promoter again?” Levi
wondered.
“You know how it works. He’s a friend of a friend of a
friend. Don’t worry about all that, the guy is legit. I met
with him myself. He sat at the bar and we had some
drinks. This guy is connected like you wouldn’t
believe.”
“I need more time, Charles.”
Sensing that he wasn’t getting anywhere, Charles got
up and dusted his hands off on his pants.
“I hear you,” he said. “I hear you.” Charles made his
way onto the sidewalk and gave Levi a short wave.
“Just don’t wait too long, champ. You know where to
find me.”
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Levi nodded.
“And for crying out loud, get a cell phone like a
normal person.”
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