The Girl, On The Bike

"No, not for me. I'm not into drugs." I spluttered, trying to stay calm. "What would happen if I got drug tested?"

"Oh, come on. The authorities aren't interested in small fries, mate. They're after me, but they don't care about guys like you."

I shook my head. "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I'll stick to booze. It gets me going."

"Oh man, you're missing out, bro." Roberts sighed. "I'm telling you mate, with this stuff, you can fuck all night."

"No, as I said, I appreciate the offer, but it's not who I am."

"Suit yourself, bro. But don't wuss out on us. A little snort of this before you go in the ring, and you'll feel like you could kill somebody. Shit, with your fists, you probably could."

I watched as they all snorted up the coke. I was a bit worried that one of the girls looked very young, like underage young. She looked wasted, as well, totally out of it. As everybody sat back to let the drugs do the trick, I reached for Glover's arm. "Can I talk to you Naylor?"

He stood up, and we walked away from the others. "What's on your mind, kid?"

"The young Maori girl. Is she with you, or Selwyn?"

He gave me a funny look. "Na bro. She's just a bit of fluff. If you want her, take her. Consider it a gift."

"Thanks, mate." I mumbled, wondering what the hell I was doing.

When we walked back to the others, I reached for the girl's hand. "Do you want to get a drink?"

She smiled. "Yeah, sweet, that'd be choice."

Out in the main room, another couple of young girls rushed over and they all started giggling. Before I knew what was happening, we were all dancing. It took me a while to get her alone. "I was wondering if you would like to stay at my place tonight?"

"Dude, are you asking me to sleep with you?" She giggled. Christ, she was making fun of me.

I managed to get her outside and into a taxi. She was that wasted now, she could barely keep her eyes open. "Where do you live, Mata?"

She mumbled an address, and I got the taxi to drive us there. We pulled up outside a run-down house in Manuwera. I helped her to the front door. She fumbled in her clutch for some keys, but the door flew open and a large angry woman appeared. "What the fuck is going on here?" she screamed.

"I'm just bringing your daughter home."

"You better not have done anything you, arsehole. She's only fifteen."

"Nothing sexual happened. She had too much to drink. She can tell you all about it."

I escaped back to the taxi, leaving a very angry mother screaming at me.

At home, I couldn't wait to check the files and see what sort of footage my phone got. I couldn't believe my luck. The video was clear and showed both Roberts and Glover, and the audio was clear as well. The first bit of usable evidence that would support Sarah's claims.

I slept soundly, but was woken by noises I couldn't explain. Still groggy from the night before, I stumbled out to find the source of the racket. What I found was Sarah, working on the punching bag. I watched from the doorway, directly behind her. I looked on admiringly. She moved well, unlike the first time. She remained up high, bouncing as she transferred weight, swinging harder, and now there was a little sting in her punches, now she had some bite.

"What are you doing?" I barked in mock anger.

She jumped, startled. Turning to see me staring at her, she gasped. "Christ, Ross. You could have warned me. You scared me."

"Sorry, but you woke me up."

Her worried expression softened. "Its after nine-thirty. You never sleep that late."

"Yeah, well, after last night. I needed it."

Concern crept into her look, as she asked softly. "Are you okay? I watched the fight. He didn't seem to hit you very hard."

"It was the after fight shit that wore me out. I had way too much to drink."

"Oh dear, does doodums have a hangover?" Her mock concern annoyed me.

"Yes, I do actually. I'm getting breakfast, do you want something?"

She shrugged. "A cup of tea would be nice, perhaps lemon."

I made breakfast, coffee for me, and lemon tea for Sarah. I munched through my cereal and toast before she came in to join me.

"Ross, that was a pretty impressive fight last night. You really beat that guy up."

"Yeah, I can't believe he has had so many wins. He wasn't really that good."

She sipped her tea thoughtfully. "Or, perhaps you are better than you think. You always do that, you know. You undersell yourself. The way you beat up on him was pretty well planned. Dad said to offer his congratulations."

"Thanks, the only reason I'm doing this is to get info."

"You can be honest with me, Ross. There's more to it than that. You enjoyed it. Even Dad commented on it. You were into it."

Reflecting back on my own thoughts, I nodded. "There's an element of truth in that. I do enjoy it, and I've never been this fit before. I think that helps."

She giggled. "Yes, even your muscles have muscles. It suits you."

"Thanks."

We finished our drinks before she asked, "Did you find out anything last night?"

I walked over and got my phone. I opened up the video. I saw the shock on her face as she watched. "Oh my god. They are so open about it."

"Not really, we were in a separate room. Although, there were plenty of others doing the same thing."

"That dark girl, she looks so young." she whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, she was. I took her home, don't ask me why. I was trying to do a good deed. I hope she wakes up this morning thinking better of it."

"I'm not so sure, Ross, the way she snorted up that coke, she has done that before."

"I suppose. Her mother was angry as hell. She must have snuck out."

Sarah jumped over the table and kissed me. It was a deep passionate kiss, her hands clasping my head tightly.

As we parted, she said softly. "Thank you for at least trying. I hope you are right."

She went to move, but I pulled her back onto my knee, and now it was me kissing her. It wasn't a fight; she wanted it as much as I did. Our arms wrapped around each other. Our mouths wide open, feasting hungrily on the other. Our tongues fought playfully. Our bodies mashed together.

The tension was too much. I lifted her into my arms and carried her up the hallway.

"What are you doing, Ross?" she squeaked.

"I'm going to make love to you. I hope you have nothing planned."

Her mouth crashed against mine, our kiss re-igniting.

It was late in the afternoon, and we lay together in the bed, panting wildly. "Oh my god." Sarah sighed.

"Exactly," I replied breathless.

She snuggled against me. "What are we going to do, Ross?"

"First and foremost, we have to clear your name so you can get your life back."

"Why do you care?" she mumbled, her words muffled by her lips as she kissed my shoulder.

"I want you to be happy."

"Why? You hated my old life. Maybe it's better this way. At least we could be together."

I rolled towards her so I could peer into her eyes. "Sarah, I love you. I have always loved you. I never hated your career. All I wanted was for you to take some time out of your schedule for us. Call me selfish, and probably needy. All I wanted was to spend some time with you."

"You are right. I should have made time, I got swept up in my own success."

"No, you should be proud. God, I was. I loved how passionate you were about cycling, and I admired your drive and enthusiasm. I wanted you to be the best you could be. I realised afterwards, I was probably just a little insecure, envious."

"Why, was I a demon or something?"

"No, but it is hard when your partner is so successful and you're just an ordinary guy. You were travelling the world, winning everything you competed in. It made me feel a little vulnerable, insignificant. I projected my personal fears onto our relationship."

"Ross, I loved you, I still do. I was blinded by my own success. I now see how fleeting that can be. I missed you. I felt terrible without you in my corner. I was too stubborn to realise it. Mum and Dad tried to get me to talk to you, but I decided you had to apologise first."

"I'm not apologising for my concerns, or what I said. I will apologise for not communicating better and being afraid to tell you how I felt. I let that colour my decisions. I was just being proprietorial."

"Can we just say we acted rashly, and try again?" she asked expressively. "My life felt empty without you."

"Nothing would please me more, but first things first. We have to get you cleared."

"How?"

"I keep worming my way in and dig around. I was talking to some of the other boxers at the gym. They were more open about using steroids, just not where they get them. I have to figure out a way to record those conversations."

"Why is that difficult?"

"The lack of clothes makes it difficult. Nowhere to hide the phone."

She sniggered. "I could suggest somewhere, but you would probably like it."

"Who knew my girlfriend is kinky."

"Girlfriend?" She repeated shocked.

"Well, if we are going to make a go of it, then we have to start somewhere."

"Wow, talk about demotion, I went from fiancee, to girlfriend."

"No, you went from house breaker to girlfriend. I mean, I could have rung the police this morning."

She giggled softly, wriggled and nestled in closer. "Maybe set up a meeting with one of them somewhere you can set up a camera."

She made good sense, and gave me a good idea. The rest of the day was just a snuggle fest. We got out of bed to cook some food, before sliding back under the covers.

It felt so good to have her back in my arms, she smelt nice, her succulent body melded to mine felt like I was alive again.

Waking up was blissful, her lips glued to mine, her tongues sliding wetly over my dry lips, her morning breath mingling with mine. There really is nothing better than waking up with your lover in your arms.

Walking into the gym was a moment I will remember for a ling time. I felt the eyes following me. No longer resentful, no longer an intruder. They watched me, acknowledged me, nodded appreciative looks of greeting.

The distance closed and respect filled the void. I have to say it was a shared respect. I had come to understand these hard men, tattoo covered bodies. Their lives were hard, they were products of that world. In here, we were all equals, and now, after my last fight, they finally accepted me into their environment.

They excused that I wasn't of their world, but they accepted that part of me was the same as them. We talked, and they opened up. Some were fresh out of prison, some with no families. Some that wished they had no family. Life was hard for these people, and for me, this was a lesson, that we aren't all equal, and I lived a privileged life because of the life I was given by parents, who loved and cared for me. It was their love and encouragement that gave me the tools to succeed.

So many of these twisted souls didn't have the same opportunities. That created a sense of unease inside. It made me want to do something, somehow help them. The reality, of course, was that I was plotting to take this away: the one crutch that kept them out of jail, or sleeping rough, was this institution.

Glover, for all the wrong reasons, was giving these people a chance to live, to do something. Those thoughts gave me no pleasure whatsoever. As I worked through my warm-up routine, a few of the guys who had never bothered in the past came over for a chat and to congratulate me.

When I walked into the boxing area, Tom came over and we shared a few laughs as I started working on the bag. We continued that way until Glover walked in a bit later. There were lots of warm greetings for him, because I wasn't the only fighter who had a win. It turned out to be a good night for the whole gym. We had won six of the nine fights.

Glover waved me over for a one on one. "Rosco, me old mate. I have a proposition for you. We have been offered a fight in Aussie for you."

"In Aussie, shit, that seems a bit quick. Sorry, Naylor. I think I'll give that one a miss."

"Bro, this is a good opportunity. Not many new fighters get this sort of publicity so early in their career's."

"Naylor, I wasn't looking for a career. The fighting has been fun, but I'm not looking to make this my life."

"Bro, this is a big chance. The prize money is ten grand. Win it, and you could be catapulted a long way forward. "Fidman, the guy you'd be fighting, is talked about as a possible title contender. You knock him on his arse, and you could surpass him."

"If he's a title contender, why not take one of the other boys? They would jump at the chance."

"Off course they would, but none of them are good enough. You, my boy, are the real deal."

Shaking my head, I replied with a deep sigh, "I will consider it, but that's all I will promise."

"Good on yah, mate," he said happily as he patted me on the back.

Tom obviously knew about the offer, and as he held the bag, he said, "Well, what's your thoughts, dude?"

"Its too soon for me. I don't think I'm ready."

"Rosco, you're fucking ready. Don't second guess. I'll tell you this, you are so fucking ready."

"I don't feel like it. I said I would think about it."

We worked casually, and he decided we would take our time.

Once the news of the fight crept out, everybody wanted to congratulate me. They all had their own ideas, but everybody pushed me towards it.

I started asking around the gym, trying to see if they would spill. A few let out little tit bits, which I managed to record. Each time, I dug a little deeper, prising open the locked lips. A picture of what was going on emerged, and it wasn't good. I was starting to compile a really good dossier. Who was using, where they were getting them from... It was damning evidence. It painted Glover in a very bad light. It would certainly get him and Roberts locked up.

As the pressure to make my mind up grew, Simon, one of the experienced fighters came up to me, and said, "Talk to me tonight, in the locker room."

I met him after we had all showered, and were ready to leave. Again, I left my phone in my shirt pocket, with the video camera on. "What's up Si?"

"Bro, I wanted to talk about the fight you been offered."

"Yeah, what about it?"

He looked up, and I saw him squint, his eyes focused on my phone, then rolled back in disgust. "Oh fuck no. Are you trying to record this?"

"No," I spluttered, trying to think of an excuse.

He shook his head, muttering. "Turn it off, dipshit."

I reached up and turned it off. "Simon, I can explain."

"Shut up, just shut the fuck up." He stood up and walked around the room, smashing and kicking the lockers. He came and sat down right in front of me. "Okay, Ross, what are you doing?"

"My girlfriend was framed by Roberts for importing drugs. She didn't do it. The prick framed her. I'm just trying to get evidence to clear her name."

He snarled. "You're talking about Sarah Sanders?"

"Yes, how the hell did you know that?"

"Ross, I'm a cop. I am working undercover. We have been after him for a long time. This operation is getting close to completion. We are about to spring it. You were going to be our final piece of the puzzle."

"Me," I gasped. "Where do I fit in?"

"This fight, in Aus. We think he was going to use you to carry some stuff back for him."

"You think he would have set me up?"

Simon laughed. "Actually, you've been so buddy buddy with them. We thought, he might just come out and ask you."

"What? No way would I do that."

"Whoa, slow down, mate. That was before I knew what you're up to."

"All I want is to clear Sarah's name, so she can get her life back."

That's a good goal, Ross. Maybe if we work together we can get him locked up and clear her name at the same time. Two for the price of one."

"How am I going to do that?"

"Play along, take the fight, get close to them. We'll set you up with a proper wire."

"I don't want to go to Australia. Over there, anything could happen. At least here, I can walk away."

"Its a risk, that's for sure, but if you want to help Sarah, then help us."

"Why? If you know what he's up to, then Sarah is already safe."

"Oh no. It doesn't work like that, Ross. We don't know she wasn't mixed up with them. There's no proof."

"You bastard, you know damned well she's innocent."

He sneered, looking every bit as evil as the bad guys. "Yeah, its true. Look, Ross, all I want is your help. I'll make sure that Sarah gets a clean bill of health. All I need from you is a promise to help."

When I got home, Sarah was there and dinner was already cooking. She met me with a beautiful, sensuous kiss and cuddle. "How was your day, babe?"

We moved into the kitchen, as she got us both a drink. "Sarah, the cops are in the gym. They have been running an undercover investigation on him."

She staggered back, her hands coming up quickly to cover her face. "You are kidding, right?"

"No, honey, they already have a fair amount of info on him. They're getting ready to slam the door on him."

She jumped into my arms, tears flowing uncontrollably. "Oh god, I can't believe it's over."

I held her tight, her wet cheeks rubbing my own. "Its not over just yet. They want me to take this fight in Australia, because they think Glover will ask me to carry stuff back for him."

"But it doesn't matter, Ross. If they know all this, then the charges against me will be dropped. Surely?"

"No, they are twisting my arm, sort of blackmailing me to help them. Simon said If I don't help them, they will just say they didn't know you weren't working for them."

"But that's wrong, they must know that?"

"They do, honey, but they want my help. It's their way of guaranteeing it."

"That's terrible. They are as bad as the criminals."

"Yeah, I think you're right, but Simon did say if I help them, he will personally guarantee he will get the charges against you dropped and your reputation cleared."

"Ross, I don't want you to take any chances."

"Trust me, Sarah."

She looked worried. "I do, but I am so scared. What if something happens to you?"

"I can take care of myself. Plus, Simon said he will hook me up with the Aussie cops."

"I am not sure that is a positive thing. The Aussie cops are corrupt, if you believe what you read in the papers."

"Yeah, I think so, as well. They're as bad as the crims."

We finished dinner in silence. She was plainly now very worried. I think it was starting to sink in. Of course, guys like Glover and Roberts weren't going down without taking down those who caused their pain.

I tried to cheer her up, but she appeared deeply conflicted.

Work was a long tiring day. I couldn't clear my mind; all I could think about was what to do. As I went through my warm up, Tom walked in wearing a huge smile. "Hey, bro, ready for a big workout?"

"Yep, lets do it." As always, we chatted and shared a few laughs. Once we got into the boxing for real, he stepped things up a little, pushing me harder, urging me to go harder.

Glover walked in as we worked. "Yo, Rosco, me old mate. How's it hanging?"

"All good, Naylor," I replied, as I stopped the workout.

"You thought about the fight?"

"Yeah, I'm prepared to give it a go, although I'm sceptical. Not sure I'm ready to fight somebody with his skills and experience. I reckon I'll get my arse kicked."

"Jeez, stop being so bloody negative. You can take that clown." He glanced at Tom for some support.

Tom nodded. "He's right, bro, you can do it." He tried, but I sensed the apprehension. He was as nervous as I was.

"You sure?" Glover asked.

"Yeah, like I said, I'll give it a go."

Glover slapped my back heavily. "Good on ya, Rosco. I'll go and get the paperwork ready. We have a month to get our shit together. Tom, you need to step things up. It's gonna be your job to get him ready."

Tom gave me a glare. "You ready, bro, we will have to put together a plan. I'll get some footage of Fidman, and we'll see where his weaknesses are. Once we sort it, that's where we'll focus our attack.