facing it. Now!”
As Wards moved to comply, Ray turned his attention to the Mexican, Jose. “Go over to the front of the truck and lie down. Get yourself face down and don’t move a muscle until I tell you to.” He looked back at Lee. “Come on down here, Lee.” He bent over and picked up Jose’s rifle and tossed it into the pickup bed.
Lee scrambled around the pickup door and slid down to the road. He kept the rifle pointed loosely at Wards, who was carefully checking his surroundings, obviously weighing his options for escape.
When Lee was down and situated, Ray looked at him and grinned. “Okay my friend, watch that one, will you?” He pointed at Jose and tossed Wards’ pistol into the pickup where it clanked against Jose’s rifle. He turned toward where Wards was standing.
Lee was startled. “What’re you gonna do, Ray?”
“Something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.” Ray answered with a huge grin. Any resemblance to the injured man he had been pretending to be was gone now.
Sensing his approach, Wards turned to meet him just as Ray let loose with a huge roundhouse right that caught Wards squarely on the nose. He followed with a left that caught the bigger man in the belly, driving the air out of him in an audible “whoosh”. Then Ray just stepped back and waited. “Those were for my wife. I’d say that makesus about even. Do you have the guts to take me on when I can fight back, Mr. Wards?”
Lee looked on in amazement. Both of these men were massive and both looked very fit. Either of them could probably break him in half without trying. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement from Jose and turned back to cover him. Still alert, he moved around to where he had all three of the men in his line of sight.
Wards had straightened and was looking down his long, bleeding, nose in an arrogant stare at Ray, who hadn’t moved since issuing the challenge. Wards mouth curled into a sneer as he brought his fists up. “You little asshole.”
He charged, his right fist flying at Ray’s head. But Ray wasn’t there when he arrived. Stepping to one side, Ray brought another roundhouse right to the side of Wards’ head as he passed by. Then a straight right to Wards’ bleeding nose. Ray stepped back a pace and, visibly gathered his strength, came forward with a solid kick that caught Wards in the shin. Wards gasped and stumbled forward when the big work boot caught his leg. Ray was on his toes now, dancing to the left around Wards, peppering him with hard shots to the face, each of which seemed to draw blood. Wards tried to turn to face him, throwing wild roundhouse punches. But Ray kept dancing, bobbing and weaving, throwing more and more shots to the face of Wards. Finally Ray suddenly stopped and rocked back on his heels. Reaching as far back as he could, he brought a hard right over his shoulder in a massive swing that, once again, caught Wards solidly in the center of his face. Lee could hear the smashing sound as the bones in that long, arrogant, nose were crushed. Wards went to his knees, his hands cupping his face, as Ray stepped back again.
Then Wards proved that he was still in the fight. From his doubled-over position, he launched a tackle that caught Ray by surprise and took him to the ground with Wards on top of him. Wards’ clawed fingers scraped Ray’s face, digging toward his eyes. Ray grabbed the clawing hand and bent the fingers back hard. There was a sharp crack and Wards let out a short yelp, then swung his other hand at Ray’s head, drawing blood from a split lip. But Ray, with a mighty heave, threw Wardsoff and rolled swiftly away from him. Both men were on their feet instantly. Wards tried a kick at Ray, but again was too slow. Again he was rewarded with one of those punishing overhand rights to the face. His face was a solid mask of blood.
The two circled each other, both looking for an opening. Ray’s face was scratched and bleeding, but Wards looked worse,
As Wards moved to comply, Ray turned his attention to the Mexican, Jose. “Go over to the front of the truck and lie down. Get yourself face down and don’t move a muscle until I tell you to.” He looked back at Lee. “Come on down here, Lee.” He bent over and picked up Jose’s rifle and tossed it into the pickup bed.
Lee scrambled around the pickup door and slid down to the road. He kept the rifle pointed loosely at Wards, who was carefully checking his surroundings, obviously weighing his options for escape.
When Lee was down and situated, Ray looked at him and grinned. “Okay my friend, watch that one, will you?” He pointed at Jose and tossed Wards’ pistol into the pickup where it clanked against Jose’s rifle. He turned toward where Wards was standing.
Lee was startled. “What’re you gonna do, Ray?”
“Something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.” Ray answered with a huge grin. Any resemblance to the injured man he had been pretending to be was gone now.
Sensing his approach, Wards turned to meet him just as Ray let loose with a huge roundhouse right that caught Wards squarely on the nose. He followed with a left that caught the bigger man in the belly, driving the air out of him in an audible “whoosh”. Then Ray just stepped back and waited. “Those were for my wife. I’d say that makesus about even. Do you have the guts to take me on when I can fight back, Mr. Wards?”
Lee looked on in amazement. Both of these men were massive and both looked very fit. Either of them could probably break him in half without trying. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement from Jose and turned back to cover him. Still alert, he moved around to where he had all three of the men in his line of sight.
Wards had straightened and was looking down his long, bleeding, nose in an arrogant stare at Ray, who hadn’t moved since issuing the challenge. Wards mouth curled into a sneer as he brought his fists up. “You little asshole.”
He charged, his right fist flying at Ray’s head. But Ray wasn’t there when he arrived. Stepping to one side, Ray brought another roundhouse right to the side of Wards’ head as he passed by. Then a straight right to Wards’ bleeding nose. Ray stepped back a pace and, visibly gathered his strength, came forward with a solid kick that caught Wards in the shin. Wards gasped and stumbled forward when the big work boot caught his leg. Ray was on his toes now, dancing to the left around Wards, peppering him with hard shots to the face, each of which seemed to draw blood. Wards tried to turn to face him, throwing wild roundhouse punches. But Ray kept dancing, bobbing and weaving, throwing more and more shots to the face of Wards. Finally Ray suddenly stopped and rocked back on his heels. Reaching as far back as he could, he brought a hard right over his shoulder in a massive swing that, once again, caught Wards solidly in the center of his face. Lee could hear the smashing sound as the bones in that long, arrogant, nose were crushed. Wards went to his knees, his hands cupping his face, as Ray stepped back again.
Then Wards proved that he was still in the fight. From his doubled-over position, he launched a tackle that caught Ray by surprise and took him to the ground with Wards on top of him. Wards’ clawed fingers scraped Ray’s face, digging toward his eyes. Ray grabbed the clawing hand and bent the fingers back hard. There was a sharp crack and Wards let out a short yelp, then swung his other hand at Ray’s head, drawing blood from a split lip. But Ray, with a mighty heave, threw Wardsoff and rolled swiftly away from him. Both men were on their feet instantly. Wards tried a kick at Ray, but again was too slow. Again he was rewarded with one of those punishing overhand rights to the face. His face was a solid mask of blood.
The two circled each other, both looking for an opening. Ray’s face was scratched and bleeding, but Wards looked worse,
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