A cold December night and as usual in this region of Russia, the people usually went indoors and stayed there, keeping well out of the biting, cruel cold of Moscow. But not everyone. No. Some preferred the night and one of the best ways to keep your blood warm was by watching someone else lose theirs. The Caldrega Club was one of the best places to catch a brutal fight in these parts. You could guarantee that at least one fighter wouldn't get to live through the night and that in itself brought the punters in masses.
Mikhail Vachensky owned this club and he ruled above all and no one dared question him. A former KGB colonel and now a notorious and deadly gangster this man was not to be crossed. He loved to watch women fight and be torn apart and there were no shortage of willing and desperate women who needed the prize money on offer, even if they had little or no fighting experience then pure hunger and need would bring them in and make them step into the ring.
Ludmilla Kuschev was one of those girls tonight, nineteen years old, she had seen her fair share of struggle and hardship. Her brother had been killed in a similar club a few years ago and that had left her at 14 with a sick mother and no real way to earn anything to feed the family and keep a roof over their heads. Her mother was dead now and she was all alone. She worked out and ran a few miles each day, she had been fighting with some of the local women, purely for enough money to feed herself each day. She wasn't an unnattractive girl but the hardship had carved lines into her face. This fight would most likely cut some scars into it as well.
The assembled crowd was a mix of locals, gangsters, some police and various street scum, all looking for their fix of brutal violence and a chance to keep out of the cold for a few hours.
Ludmilla walked through the crowd, some of them patted her on the back, others jeered and mocked her. She wanted to eat today but she also wanted to run out of here, but she knew that if she tried to do that then she would be found floating in the river by morning. Her deep brown eyes teared up, this was to be the test of her life and now she wondered what the hell she was doing.
She stepped through the ropes and she was shown to her corner by an elderly man. He reminded her of Gorbachev, only not as drunk. A cheer went up in the crowd and some of the people parted. Ludmilla could see a woman coming through, she was easily six feet two and powerful looking. She had short hair and a real mean look, Ludmilla felt nervous now and it took all she had not to run out of here.
Vachensky watched as her fighter, Irena, climbed into the ring. She was a powerhouse and a vicious, dirty fighter. In this month alone he had seen her wreck and demolish seven other women, killing one. There was always the river to dispose of any unwanted trash. The chair he sat in was handcarved and the clothes he wore were of the highest quality and expense. His silver hair was shaved short and a trimmed goatee made him appear sophisticated. His right hand gripped a hammer, his knuckles whitening with the intense grip.
Irena Kovesk was a machine, a real piece of work. She bounced up and down, all the time keeping her eyes on the young girl at the other side of the ring. She didn't look like much, Irena thought, shouldn't take too long to destroy her. Irena liked to cripple and retire other fighters, she didn't like competition.
Both of the women's hands were taped up so it wasn't strictly bare fist fighting but it was close enough.
The massive room went quiet and everyone looked up towards Vachensky, he stood up and looked around the room like a king keeping court. He then slammed the hammer down on the arm of the chair and the crowd roared. Ludmilla looked at the woman across from her and she knew that she had to survive just three rounds for the money. The equivalent of a thousand dollars, with that she could buy the passport she needed and the airfare and finally get out of this god foresaken country and go to the US.
Irena moved around the ring and Ludmilla tried to mirror her movements, the bigger women smiled at the young girl.
"Don't worry, sweetie, this won't take long." Irena mocked and then moved in, fast and hard. She jabbed at Ludmilla's face and her nose let out a couple of spots of blood. Ludmilla shook her head and put her taped fist up and on it she saw blood, no one had ever been able to make her bleed. She punched at Irena's face and missed. She thre another and moved in, the punch caught Irena in the mouth and her top lip was cut open.
"Whhhooooooooh!" Went most of the crowd and Vachensky smiled.
Irena could feel her lip burn and blood trickle down her chin, she could taste in her mouth. Ludmilla brought a fast elbow round and it impacted on the bigger woman's right cheek, her head snapped back and she could feel the ropes at her back.
No fucking way was this kid gonna get the upperhand on me, she thought. And she smashed her forehead cruelly into Ludmilla's nose.
CRUNNNNNCCCHHHHH!! The nose bust open and blood poured right down Ludmilla's face and onto her generous tits. Ludmilla's knees wanted to give way but for some good reason they didn't betray her. She stumbled back though, a few feet and then she got her bearings and shook her head. Irena smashed a right and then a left into Ludmilla's face, her head snapped from one side to the next and she felt sick.
Ludmilla knew she had to do something. She felt something on her back, one of the crowd had spat on her. She moved back and kicked out at Irena's knee, the older woman caught the foot and she smashed her left elbow down hard on the right knee.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAACCKKKKK.
Ludmilla screamed out and Irena let the foot go. Ludmilla held her knee and she looked up just in time to see a blistering uppercut. It hit right on the button and lifted Ludmilla off her feet and onto her back. The impact pounded the wind right out of her and she looked up. Her senses were reeling and she tried to focus. She was being torn apart and she knew it. She knew she had to get up. A beer can landed near her head, she heard a bottle smash nearby. The crowd wanted blood and they were rarely disappointed in here. She tried to get up, pushing up on her elbows, her right knee was damaged and it burned like hell. She rolled to her side and grabbed one of the ropes, trying to pull herself up, she grabbed the next one. She was halfway up. She could sense Irena near her, moving in for the kill.
Ludmilla was desperate, hurt and scared. She could feel her vicious opponent about to grab her and so she hit out with her right, still holding onto the top rope with her left hand.
The backhand caught Irena hard and fast and she spun around and fell to her knees, her back to Ludmilla, blood poured from her broken nose. The crowd showed their appreciation and one fan threw a bottle near her, the ring was becoming a dangerous place in more ways than one now. She shook her head, how the fuck had that kid hit her like that?
Ludmilla pulled herself up and turned around just in time to see Irena getting up off her knees. She moved over and got her left arm around Irena's throat and pulled her up. Ludmilla then slammed four brutal and punishing rights into her face from behind. Irena's right eye was cut and another three punches made it a complete mess. Irena struggled and she clawed at the arm, her knees went weak again, she was bleeding badly and her face was damaged.
Irena realised what she had to do. She kicked back and dug her foot into the damaged knee...and then again and then once more. Ludmilla cried out and let go, holding her knee. Irena turned around and the look on her face was classic, she wanted to kill this young cunt. She grabbed the hair and she brought her knee up into Ludmilla's face. The young woman's knees went weak. The right knee came up again and opened up the right eye, just as she had done to Irena. Ludmilla's arms hung loosely at her side and her knees gave out. The only reason she wasn't on the canvas was because Irena held her up.
Irena looked up and saw Vachensky. She smiled, through the blood, she looked like one evil bitch. She looked back at the girl she held in her hands and she brought her knee up again, at the same time letting go of the hair. The impact was cruel and brutal and so hard that it spun Ludmilla over, she bounced off the ropes like a limp doll and landed back on her face. Blood smeared on the canvas, along with the stains of previous fights and losers.
Irena moved in for the kill, She grabbed the broken girl's hair and pulled her to her knees. Ludmilla's shattered knee sent screaming pain into her skull. Irena let go of the hair and she grabbed her opponent's tits and Ludmilla screamed and clawed and beat at the tough, scarred hands. Irena pulled up, squeezing tighter. Ludmilla cried out again. It echoed all around the former music hall. Irena's nails dug into the nipples and she twisted and dug in, she looked into the broken, battered face of this young woman and she smiled. She then smashed her head into the face. Ludmilla's head snapped back, Irena had another cruel headbutt ready as her head came back up.
The sadistic and bloodthirsty crowd were in paradise.
Irena let go of Ludmilla and she pushed her with all her strength into the ropes. Ludmilla fell back and she bounced off the ropes. She was half out and her nerves were wrecked and torn apart. She moved forward, as if she was in autopilot.
Irena knew that this move would finish it. The finisher had never failed. She jumped up and timed it perfectly. Even Vachensky stood up and threw his fist in the air.
The knee hit Ludmilla just under the chin and it spun the young muscovite around. Ludmilla hung for a moment, knocked out on her feet and then, mercifully, she fell forward and bounced off the canvas with her face. Blood pooled around her head. Irena walked over and viciously kicked the unconscious woman in the face. The crowd cheered and clapped. Irena threw her hands in the air and walked around the ring, this was just another victory and she expected to have many more.
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Ludmilla was carried out by two of Vachensky's goons and dumped her around the back of the club. Fifty roubles were thrown on top of her and her hooded top was tossed with it. She had enough to eat but it would take a lot more than that to repair the damage done by Irena.
