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“Jalik! It’s me!” I suddenly realized it was Koda’s voice calling over the crowd. “I need to –!” His voice was then drowned out by the crowd trying to get my attention.
If Koda needs to see me this urgently… Fuck, something could be wrong with Serena.
“Everyone, silent!” my voice boomed over everyone. “Let him through! Let him through!”
Everyone in the crowd instantly obeyed and quietly parted to the sides. Koda then easily hurried to me, finally making it past the crowd in the hall and into my dressing room.
“Jalik…”
“What is it, Koda?”
“I lost her.”
“What? What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Serena. I lost her.”
If the crowd of people weren’t already scared into silence by me, I don’t think I’d have been able to hear them in the moment anyway. All I could hear was sirens blaring in my head. All I could see was the shitty and pathetic apologetic look on Koda’s face.
But flying off the handle at Koda in front of all of those people would not be good. So, I took a deep breath. I centered myself, like how I might during a particularly difficult boxing match. Just like then, I needed to focus on the singular issue at hand.
“How did you lose her?” I asked as calmly as I could muster.
“After the match, we left the area… and the crowd… I just lost sight of her for barely a moment and then she was just gone.”
“Fuck, Koda. She better be in one piece when we find her or I’ll personally see to it that you aren’t. Understand?” I didn’t wait for his response and turned my attention to the crowd. “My apologies to everyone. An emergency has arisen that I must see to. Please, come see me after a future match and I’ll make it up to you.”
Groans erupted from the crowd, but I didn’t listen to any of it. I needed to find Serena. I needed to make sure she was safe.
“Come on, Koda,” I called back as my feet moved. “There’s no time to waste.”
I barreled out of my dressing room and into the hallway. I don’t know if the people waiting in the hall didn’t hear me or didn’t care, but some of them still tried to get their moment with me.
“Great fight, Jalik!”
“Best fighter I’ve seen this side of the galaxy!”
“Can I get a recording of you saying happy birthday to my wife? She’s a big–!”
But I ignored all of them and pushed my way past without a care. However, part of me wanted to turn around and knock a few of their teeth out after they complained.
“Asshole,” one muttered.
“Too big to talk to fans now, I see,” one called after me.
Koda and I pushed our way out of the hallway and into the main floor of the casino. Just to be accosted by even more fans wanting to congratulate me on the win, or thank me for the bet they just won, or offer unasked-for advice for the next fight.
Once again, I tuned it all out. I shook them off as best I could and began my search for Serena. I could already tell it wouldn’t be easy. The place was packed.
“Koda, you start searching that way, I’ll go this way.”
Koda nodded and was off, disappearing into the crowd in the blink of an eye.
It took only a few moments for me to understand how easily Koda could lose Serena, though I didn’t get any less angry. This place was a madhouse. It just proved why I liked to stay in my dressing room for a few hours after each match. It was the only way to avoid all of this.
I searched the now-empty rehearsal area, only finding a few janitors left inside. I then looked by the bar and was greeted with just a bunch of drunk assholes wanting to fight me. Finally, I checked the slot machines, which were surprisingly the calmest with everyone focused on their games.
But still, no Serena. I then retraced the steps Koda said he took with her over and over again. Still nothing. The realization started to set in that perhaps she was taken. Whoever left that note found their opportunity and took it.
