38 If ever there had been a time in my life when I needed to do the unexpected, it was then. Even though my leg hurt like hell I was confident I was quick enough to stay out of Bar-Ree’s clutches at close range if I played my cards right so I ran directly at him with a yell. The crowd let out a roar of delighted surprise. Bar-Ree, equally surprised, grunted, spun sideways and aimed a snapping sidekick at my hip with one of those heavy leather boots. It grazed me as, anticipating it, I spun off to the left. If it had connected, my hip would have been broken. But I’d avoided it. Kicking and even punching was fine but grappling with this beast of a man would be fatal. Staying close to him in a bid to lure another of those clumsy kicks, I stepped to one side and dealt him an open-handed sla

