The gym downstairs in the apartment building had only one other occupant at this time in the morning – a woman jogging on a treadmill, earbuds in her ears. Knight went to the barbell set and started adding weights: fifty kilos each side.
Knight started to bench press. The very moment when he felt one arm shake, he placed the weights on the rack, and took some deep breaths. He got up, stretched a bit, then went to the punching bag. He pulled his punches as he hit it, knowing if he let go with all his strength, he might put a hole in it. It was more difficult to pull punches.
He felt, rather than saw the woman leave, and felt someone come in after her. He turned to look – another man in shorts, heading over to the bench press.
Next Knight went to the rowing machine, so he could see the room better. The clock above said eight a.m., so he thought that was good enough time to take a shower, eat, and pack to ride.
Since the visit with Kord the night before, Knight felt much better. “I am the King’s champion, ready to fight,” he kept saying to himself, thinking to himself whenever he had a spare moment. “Mal will return to me, like he promised. I need to wait and be ready.”
However it didn’t hurt that he kept putting calls into Flux-Carson and still checked Mal’s usual haunts. Instead of thinking that Mal had died, he thought that somehow Mal’s bite mark got cut off, or that somewhere he was passed out, that some hero was looking for him. He had to hold down the fort. He had to be ready in case whatever took Mal out of commission – and it was sounding more and more like Gabriel – in case that he would come after him. He needed to shift at a moment’s notice, and had practiced this morning before going down to the gym. How fast could he shift? Could he be ready with fang and claw within seconds? It was taking him minutes now. He needed to shift faster, and be ready faster.
He loaded up the bike with a gun with “Hand of God” rounds that Brixl had made for him a long time ago. He headed to work, and got a text, “Come see Kitty when you can, B.” Knight grinned; Kitty’s frame must be ready. He stopped on the side of the road, texting back, “Will come at lunch.”
Knight picked up Valko, who was smiling as he climbed aboard the back of the bike. He held on tight as Knight ate up the miles and the time heading back downcity. He parked the bike in the alley, checked his phone – no texts, no nothing – and went in to work with Valko.