Destination Read Free Page B

He’s got juice. Morales fires weak.
    The bell. A peep. One heartbeat heard.
    I watched the prompters. I got close-ups.
    I saw welts. I saw bruises. I saw deadpan will.
    Round 6:
    Slow-mo now. Save it. Sync the breather.
    Jabs. Center ring. Barrera’s lead right.
    It’s weak. Morales taps the ropes. He’s weak. He pushes off.
    He jabs. He lands. His jab looks weak. His arms look heavy.
    Barrera hooks to the body. Barrera hooks twice.
    Morales hooks to the body. Morales hooks twice.
    They separate. They pause. They
breathe.
    Barrera lands. A right. A left. Body rockets.
    Morales measures. Morales jabs. Morales uppercuts.
    Morales stuns Barrera. Morales pushes him back.
    The bell. Loud now. Loud against held breath.
    Six down. Six to go. My card: three rounds each.
    The noise notched down. The noise went hoarse. The noise deleveled.
    Round 7:
    They meet. They square up tight.
    They brush heads. They trade body shots.
    They work. They rest. They breathe. They claw at momentum.
    Barrera’s stronger. Barrera lands a right.
    Morales jerks back. Morales moves back. Morales hits the ropes.
    Barrera’s on him. His head’s down. He’s landing combinations.
    Morales rests. Morales reaches. Morales rallies back.
    He comes off the ropes. He lands a right. He rocks Barrera.
    Barrera takes it.
    Barrera reaches.
    Barrera rallies back.
    Barrera rocks Morales.
    The crowd yells. The crowd stomps. The crowd outrings the bell.
    It was Barrera’s fight. Barrera made Morales fight it. Morales wanted to fight it. Barrera made him. Barrera stamped the ticket. Barrera defined their mutual will.
    Round 8:
    Barrera moves in. Morales moves back.
    They jab. They exchange. Barrera lands a one/two. Barrera rocks Morales.
    Morales moves back. Morales hits the ropes. Barrera works the body.
    Four shots. Evil. Evil shots back.
    Morales shoves off. Morales lands lead rights. Morales lands uppercuts.
    Barrera eats shots. Barrera goes low. Barrera lands to the liver.
    They stand.
    They deliver.
    They launch arm shots.
    They land and miss.
    The noise schizzed on me. The roar went normal. Time schizzed. Three-minute rounds took six seconds.
    I checked the prompter. I caught the damage.
    Barrera bruised light. Morales bruised dark.
    Dark rings. Sharp cheekbones. A ghost effect.
    Dark eyes. Both men. Will smashed insensate.
    Round 9:
    Center ring. Exchanges. Barrera’s advantage.
    Morales hits the ropes. Morales flurries. Morales rallies back.
    Barrera rallies back. Morales hits the ropes. Morales rallies back.
    He finds some snap. He dredged it. Barrera takes it.
    Sync:
    They’re both fried. They circle. They buy some breath.
    Barrera charges. Barrera knocks Morales back.
    They both flurry. They both miss. They both land.
    They rest. They regroup. They earn breath.
    They’re slack. They’re arm-shot. They’re on deficit.
    Barrera comes back. Barrera lands. Barrera hurts Morales. Barrera pounds him to the ropes.
    The bell rang.
    Fans screamed.
    Fans screamed “Morales!” Fans screamed “Barrera!”
    The syllables blended. The names clashed. The names unified.
    Round 10:
    Center ring. Wide punches. Misses.
    Exhaustion. Bilateral. Cumulative.
    They come close. They lean close. They brush heads. They punch way wide.
    They breathe. They dredge.
    Morales gets air. Morales lands three rights. Morales hurts Barrera.
    Barrera sways. Barrera wobbles. Morales loads up.
    He’s fried. His tank’s dry. He stands still. He moves back.
    They rest. They breathe. They dredge.
    Barrera gets air. Barrera gets legs. Barrera drives Morales back.
    Morales stands. Morales swings. Barrera swings back.
    They’re insensate. They’re on Queer Street. They’re the standing dead.
    The bell. A peep in screams.
    I checked the prompter. I caught close-ups.
    Barrera bled. One sliced bruise. Morales wore black hollows.
    Round 11:
    They trade jabs. They trade rights. They plant and hold.
    Barrera lands body