Читать книгу No Way Out - David Kessler - Страница 29

‘There goes Uncle Tom.’

There was mocking laughter and jeering as Elias Claymore shuffled his way to the end of the table.

‘Watch where you’re sitting!’ snarled the man next to him, as Claymore barely brushed against him when he sat.

Claymore tried to ignore the taunts. But when he raised the food to his mouth, he felt a sharp elbow in the rib cage, making him drop it. He knew that this was the first and final test. If he showed weakness now, they would make his life a living hell. He had to stand up to the bullies before they saw him as easy prey.

‘Look, cut it out!’ he shouted, leaping to his feet and turning to face his attacker.

The man rose to face Claymore. They were evenly matched for size, but the man was a lot younger and probably a lot fitter.

‘You talkin’ to me, Tom?’ The words were backed up by an open-handed shove.

‘Yeah, you!’ Claymore shot back, shoving the man equally hard.

The man took a swing at Claymore. Claymore ducked and dove in under his guard, clamping on a side headlock and hooking his right leg around the younger man’s left leg in a grapevine. The other man took a swing at Claymore with his left fist, which Claymore deflected with his open right. But he couldn’t avoid the younger man’s rabbit punch to the back of his head, a second before he swung the man round and grappled him to the ground.

The whole place erupted into pure chaos as a nervous guard hit the panic button.