One Request

Chapter 58 - One Request

Mike walked into the gym the next morning with almost no sleep behind him and a single thought occupying his mind. He had spent most of the night going over everything that had happened at the park, replaying the stranger's movements, Mia's reaction, and the small box she had taken from him. Every time he tried to convince himself that he was overthinking it, another detail pulled him back to the same conclusion.

If the man really was Danny, Mike needed proof.

The gym was already busy when he entered. The familiar smell of sweat, leather hung in the air, while the steady rhythm of punches against heavy bags echoed through the building. A few fighters were warming up in the ring, skipping rope or stretching against the walls, but Mike barely noticed any of them. He walked straight toward the small office at the back of the gym where the records for every member were kept.

The door was locked.

Mike tried the handle once, then again, harder this time, before stopping himself. He glanced down the hallway and checked the main training area, looking for Coach Durren. He wasn't there.

Mike approached one of the boxers who was sitting on a bench and wrapping his hands.

“Where's Coach?”

The boxer looked up briefly. “He's at the amateur cup event. Said something about checking out your next opponent.”

Mike nodded, although the answer only made him more impatient. He turned toward the main floor, already knowing who he needed to talk to for gaining the access.

Vanessa was standing near the weight racks with a clipboard tucked against her side while speaking to one of the boxer. Mike waited just long enough for the trainer to finish before walking over.

“I need to see the new-joinee records,” he said.

Vanessa looked at him with a faint frown. “Good morning to you too.”

“Sorry, but I really need to see them.”

She shifted the clipboard in her hands. “Why?”

“I need to check something about one of the new boxers.”

Vanessa studied his face for a moment, apparently noticing that he wasn't joking. “Mike, those records aren't available to students.”

“I know.”

“Then you also know the answer.”

Mike lowered his voice. “This is important.”

“So you said.”

“I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't.”

Vanessa gave him a firm look. “And I can't give you access just because you think something is important. Those files contain personal information, and students aren't supposed to go through them.”

Mike looked toward the locked office and then back at her. He could feel his frustration rising, but he knew getting angry wouldn't help.

“I just need to confirm a name.”

“You can ask Durren when he gets back.”

“I can't wait.”

Vanessa's expression changed slightly at that. “Why not?”

Mike hesitated.

He couldn't tell her about Mia. He couldn't tell her about the system warning, the man at the park, or the box. Saying any of that aloud would make him sound paranoid, and worse, it would force him to explain things he wasn't even sure he understood himself.

“Because I think someone at this gym isn't who he says he is,” he finally said.

Vanessa stared at him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Around them, the gym continued as normal, with gloves striking bags and trainers shouting instructions, completely unaware of the conversation taking place beside the weight racks.

Vanessa's voice became quieter. “Who?”

Mike looked toward the ring, then back at her.

“The new boxer.”

It seemed to catch her attention. Her grip tightened slightly around the clipboard, and Mike noticed the change immediately.

“Why are you asking about him?” she said.

Mike's suspicion sharpened. “You know him?”

Vanessa didn't answer right away. She glanced toward the office, then across the gym as though making sure no one was listening.

“I didn't say that.”

“But you reacted.”

“I reacted because you're asking questions you shouldn't be asking.”

Mike stepped slightly closer. “Vanessa, please. Just let me see the file.”

She shook her head again, but this time there was uncertainty behind the refusal.

“Rules are rules, Mike.”

He held her gaze.

“Then tell me something without breaking them. Just the name of new boxer."

Silence.

Mike glanced toward the busy gym floor before reaching for Vanessa's wrist and guiding her toward the quiet corner behind the tall storage cabinets. Once they were partially hidden from view, he turned to face her, keeping his voice low enough that the sounds of the gym swallowed their conversation.

“It’s really important,” he said. “Please help me this time, and I’ll fulfill one request from you.”

Vanessa studied him for several seconds, clearly weighing whether she should trust him. “Any request?”

Mike gave her a cautious look. “A reasonable one. I’m not Durren.”

A faint smile touched her face, but she still seemed uncertain. Finally, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a small key, and placed it in his palm.

Mike looked down at it, surprised that she had actually agreed.

“Thank you.”

“Make sure you put everything back exactly where you found it,” Vanessa warned him. “And if anyone asks, I never gave you that key.”

Mike closed his fingers around it and nodded before turning toward the office.

He moved quickly through the gym, keeping his head down as he crossed the floor. The key slid smoothly into the lock, and within seconds he was inside the small records room with the door pulled shut behind him. Rows of folders filled the cabinets, each labeled with names and dates, and Mike immediately found the section containing the newest members.

He pulled out the file he was looking for and opened it on the desk.

His eyes moved across the first page, searching for anything that could confirm what he had been thinking since the night before. He had barely begun reading when something caught his attention through the office window.

Mia.

She was walking across the far side of the gym floor, moving between the equipment with her head slightly lowered.

Mike's attention immediately left the folder.

He looked back at the records, knowing that whatever was inside could finally give him the answers he wanted, but the opportunity to speak to Mia was standing right there and could disappear just as quickly as she had at the park.

Without thinking twice, Mike closed the folder, left it on the desk, and hurried out of the office.

He locked the door behind him and headed straight toward Mia, determined that this time she wasn't going to disappear before he could find out what was really happening.

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