your guys would win, if the fight was now that is.” I hesitated to tell him what I was thinking.
“Go on kid.” Pauli encouraged me to tell more.
“Well, they have five trainers and they are tough, they never even looked tired after sparring. I think they might be in better shape than some of your trainers.”
Pauli looked around the room. Several of his trainers were carrying extra weight around the middle and that ended today.
“Okay kid, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to make a list of all my guys and trainers and tomorrow you’re going back over there.”
I flinched at the thought and Pauli saw this.
“I only need you to spy once in a while, before a big fight. I have a lot riding on our next fight. It’s in ten weeks and we stand to either make a lot of money or lose a lot of money. Understand?”
“What am I supposed to do over there?” I asked, fumbling with my coat button.
“I want you to take our list and make some physical notations about each of their guys, are they lefty, do they have a strong right, how is the defense , who is quick, who is slow, who could knock us out in one punch. Got it?” he asked, waiting for my reply.
“I think so. But how does this help you?” I wondered out loud.
“You leave that to me, kid, once I know their strengths and weaknesses I can better prepare my team.”
Pauli had softened a bit, he told me I did a good job and set me up with a cot and blanket in a room far away from the gambling scene.
In the morning I woke up and pissed off the window ledge before heading to the other side of town. I took my time, checked my back to make sure no one was following me when finally the collapsing building was in view. I watched the building for activity before sneaking towards the entrance. No one was in sight; it was quiet. I snuck in and made my way through the narrow hallway until I reached the rafters. I hunkered down and waited. I waited for hours until anything happened and my stomach was already growling from hunger. I didn’t get breakfast from Pauli who was still asleep when I left and couldn’t beg any on my way over. I checked garbage cans but only found last night’s vomit and watery shit on the streets, which did not inspire my appetite.
After too many hours several kids came into the gym. They were already sweating and it appeared they had been running. A few of them were holding their stomachs as if they had cramps and one was puking in a bucket.
“Damn, five miles before noon. That’s harsh, man.” It was the red headed kid who puked and complained. He was scrawny, but tall, five feet, eight inches, maybe a buck ten.
“Quit your bitching before I get you a skirt you pansy.” A short dark skinned kid who I didn’t recognize from last night whipped him with a towel.
The group stood around waiting and finally one of last night’s trainers walked in.
“Time to spar, fellas.” He matched the boys into pairs and had them going in two of the four rings.
The red headed kid was lanky and his arms had a long reach. He didn’t look strong but when he punched his opponent with his left, the kid stumbled. I wrote this down.
The kid with the darker skin was slow. He had no footwork and kept his hands up in defense exposing his body. I wrote this down too.
The ink from the steel pen Pauli gave me tickled my nose. I stifled a sneeze but before I could stop myself I let out another one. All the fighters stopped what they were doing and looked around. I shrunk further into the corner and prayed.
The trainer looked around the gym and gathered the boys closer to him. They all dispersed and I thought I got lucky. Then I realized the trainer sent them to investigate the sneeze. I heard footsteps climbing the rafters and pissed myself.
“Gotcha.” The red headed boy pulled me up from my crouch and dragged me down the short set of stairs throwing me in front of his trainer.
“Well, well. What do we have here? Search him boys.”
“Go on kid.” Pauli encouraged me to tell more.
“Well, they have five trainers and they are tough, they never even looked tired after sparring. I think they might be in better shape than some of your trainers.”
Pauli looked around the room. Several of his trainers were carrying extra weight around the middle and that ended today.
“Okay kid, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to make a list of all my guys and trainers and tomorrow you’re going back over there.”
I flinched at the thought and Pauli saw this.
“I only need you to spy once in a while, before a big fight. I have a lot riding on our next fight. It’s in ten weeks and we stand to either make a lot of money or lose a lot of money. Understand?”
“What am I supposed to do over there?” I asked, fumbling with my coat button.
“I want you to take our list and make some physical notations about each of their guys, are they lefty, do they have a strong right, how is the defense , who is quick, who is slow, who could knock us out in one punch. Got it?” he asked, waiting for my reply.
“I think so. But how does this help you?” I wondered out loud.
“You leave that to me, kid, once I know their strengths and weaknesses I can better prepare my team.”
Pauli had softened a bit, he told me I did a good job and set me up with a cot and blanket in a room far away from the gambling scene.
In the morning I woke up and pissed off the window ledge before heading to the other side of town. I took my time, checked my back to make sure no one was following me when finally the collapsing building was in view. I watched the building for activity before sneaking towards the entrance. No one was in sight; it was quiet. I snuck in and made my way through the narrow hallway until I reached the rafters. I hunkered down and waited. I waited for hours until anything happened and my stomach was already growling from hunger. I didn’t get breakfast from Pauli who was still asleep when I left and couldn’t beg any on my way over. I checked garbage cans but only found last night’s vomit and watery shit on the streets, which did not inspire my appetite.
After too many hours several kids came into the gym. They were already sweating and it appeared they had been running. A few of them were holding their stomachs as if they had cramps and one was puking in a bucket.
“Damn, five miles before noon. That’s harsh, man.” It was the red headed kid who puked and complained. He was scrawny, but tall, five feet, eight inches, maybe a buck ten.
“Quit your bitching before I get you a skirt you pansy.” A short dark skinned kid who I didn’t recognize from last night whipped him with a towel.
The group stood around waiting and finally one of last night’s trainers walked in.
“Time to spar, fellas.” He matched the boys into pairs and had them going in two of the four rings.
The red headed kid was lanky and his arms had a long reach. He didn’t look strong but when he punched his opponent with his left, the kid stumbled. I wrote this down.
The kid with the darker skin was slow. He had no footwork and kept his hands up in defense exposing his body. I wrote this down too.
The ink from the steel pen Pauli gave me tickled my nose. I stifled a sneeze but before I could stop myself I let out another one. All the fighters stopped what they were doing and looked around. I shrunk further into the corner and prayed.
The trainer looked around the gym and gathered the boys closer to him. They all dispersed and I thought I got lucky. Then I realized the trainer sent them to investigate the sneeze. I heard footsteps climbing the rafters and pissed myself.
“Gotcha.” The red headed boy pulled me up from my crouch and dragged me down the short set of stairs throwing me in front of his trainer.
“Well, well. What do we have here? Search him boys.”
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