BlackMail

The response

"Jack, get your ass down to the ring, I got a proposition for you." Coach Hudson Lace demanded, slightly hollering through the phone.

Not quite sure how to respond towards this the right way, shunning Hudson's enthusiasm, Jack answers. "Coach, I don't want to start my boxing career anytime soon, don't bother me about it."

Slightly yelling a bit more now, Hudson cites. "I didn't ask your ass if you want to fight, you don't have to. We have three new apprentices here so come down and have a look.

...

"These are our apprentices." Hudson revealed, pointing at two white men and a black man too. "Do they look like our kind?"

Not quite liking how practical strangers are joining the group, Jack feels it necessary to point out. "The only way they can become our kind is through loyalty and discretion, fighting and muscle comes after."

Tapping Jack's shoulder, coach adds. "Oh don't worry about that, I called our lawyer and asked him to add something new on the contract for newcomers like these."

Able to catch up, but still wanting to make sure, Jack questions. "About privacy?"

Nodding, trying to assert authority, Hudson reminds. "Yes, they can't say a word about you or this gym even if they want to. Would get their asses down to jail for 7 years."

"I don't need to say a word, I'm here for money and wouldn't fuck that up." One of the white man adds, feeling tad offended and wanting to prove loyalty.

"Oh I like him, what's your name?" Jack questions, admiring the motive and tolerating the wordplay.

"I'm William Sage." The white man answers, quite proud of his name.

This young man along with the rest gives a vibe that they're in their early twenties. That's good for a beginner, the body is at it's pique and ready to take challenges.

Wanting to give a fellow boxer advice, Jack recites. "Keep that fire in you boy, money can open many doors for you but don't let it be your only motivation or you'll dry out."

Looking at coach, Jack asks immediately after. "Why did you bring me here though? You said something about a proposition?"

Sighing, the coach rushes through a sentence right after. "Right. I want you to coach these three apprentices, teach them everything you know."

"That's not for me, I don't know how to coach." Well this answer was expected, everyone here pretty much expected it.

"Son, Brian Gale made you look like a fool. This is your chance to build a better reputation, you'll be bringing in new breaths here, people will start respecting you again." And of course the coach knows which strings to pull for the sake of convincing.

Not liking how the coach indirectly revealed Jack's identity here as the 'Masked Crusher', he lets out a heavy breath and replies. "I don't know, it was draining enough to be a boxer. Can I cope with managing 3 men?"

Never liking excuses and even often yelling against them, coach adds. "Stop bitching boy, I'm managing an entire gym, what are 3 fighters for you?"

Before Jack was about to answer, disagreeing once more no doubt, a middleweight boxer runs towards Hudson and alarms. "Brian Gale has responded to the broadcast!"

Playing it out loud, Jack doesn't even lend an eye to the video and just hears the maniac yell out. "Pussy boy! He wasn't jumped and let me guess... the next day he's going to yap about me hiring the thugs ha?"

At this point, the whole gym went private, well at least these are people who all behave like a team, all contracted with Hudson's help.

Now they can hear Brian Gale's banter a bit better, and there certainly is more to lend an ear on. "He was scared of me and now is making up a bunch of excuses. That coward should just admit he was scared to keep the little respect he has left."

"Turn that off." Jack demands, walking a step away from the phone and syncing into thoughts.

"If I may add, Brian Gale is posting a lot of disrespective stuff on social media." A lightweight fighter broke the short lasting silence.

Yanking his phone, Hudson scrolls down a few images and declares. "Oh look, you've become a laughing stock. He's putting your mask on small monkeys or cats."

"I will coach them." Jack interrupts, not wanting to discover what a loud mouth is yapping about him on social media.

"That's the spirit!" Coach Hudson yells out, his arms jerked up out of joy and the phone flying. "Oh... sorry about that boy, I'll get you a new one."

Turning his attention back to Jack, the coach explains. "You know the drill, training starts at 8 and ends at 4. Be here tomorrow morning so we can get this shit started."

"Alright." The Masked Crusher answers shortly and walks towards the apprentices.

Knowing the procedure, wanting to motivate them, Jack pitches. "I think coach told you about the pay, you aren't supposed to get any doe without winning a fight. That's how things go here but since you are my fighters, I can shift the rules a little bit."

Their attention indeed grabbed, silence stretching for a few seconds, Jack continues. "I will pay you £2k a month each until you get in the ring, I want you to wake up motivated if we're going to outshine our opposers."

"Thank you coach." The three men answered, almost at the same time.

Not wanting to spoil the party but not willing to allow emotions robbing the man blind, Coach adds. "Are you sure about that Jack? Might take a while until they're ready."

"I just need 2 months." Another white man feels obliged to weigh in.

This one, well he's indeed unique. There's a smile on his face all the time, but not the nice kind. It's a smirk that would freak one out, his eyes contribute to the vibe, the pupils are too small.

"Take 2 years if you want to, I have money." Jack assures which blew a lot of ease over the fighters.

Pulling the black boxer in for a hug around the shoulder, Jack offers. "Now all 3 of you, go change. Let me treat you with a meal so we can know each other, there's a long journey in front of us."