Taking One for the Team Read Online Free PDF Page A

guarantees, and . . . hell.  If it weren't for dispute matches, both sides would be gearing up for a war.
    Normally, Cowport would've hired one of the top-ranked league teams for a fight like that one.  Could be they'd gone with the Bobcats because Raven'd been playing well; could be they'd gone with the Bobcats because they were down the cost of three thousand head of cattle and couldn't afford the Devilfish or the Blades, and Equinox had already been hired.
    Didn't mean the negotiations went down smooth.
    Delegation from Cowport came down when Born and Raven were working on close-in scoring and close-in blocking, and coach was sitting at the side eating his lunch, so she got to hear the case, and the costs.
    It was two thousand gallons of trade, held in Newport banks, win or lose, and another thousand gallons and three hundred head of cattle on a win.  Which was a hell of a lot for a match, either way.
    "Course," said the delegate, after he'd laid that out, "be a hell of a thing if you lost."
    Coach shrugged.  "We're 1-17 against Equinox for the last three years.  Want someone who the bookies will like, keep looking."
    "0-1 this season," he said.  "And bookies have been adjusting your odds up the last few weeks.  But if you lose, there'll be a to do.  If you folks will take a punishment on a loss, that'd ease a few minds on the possibility of collusion, is all."
    Katy had told her about punishment clauses on contract matches.  Bit like what she was going through for missing her targets, except instead of it being the team, it was the whole damn town that had hired them.  And instead of trying to teach something, it was just . . . well, punishment.  Hence the term.
    "Permanent damage fines?" asked Coach.
    Delegate shook his head.  "Be a lot of angry people.  Can't guarantee—"
    "Then no," said Coach.  "We got a good season coming up, and I'm not risking it."
    "Four thousand gallons of trade," said the delegate.  "Not counting the cattle."
    "We'll do better'n that in a month."
    "You can—"
    Coach put his sandwich down.  "We're both busy.  We say no, you gotta go out to where the Rain are playing, see if they'll bite.  Me, I got a team to coach.  What's your actual offer?"
    "Punishment for three of your team.  Any of those three get permanent injuries, we pay you a thousand.  Career enders, five thousand, deaths, ten.  And that's it."
    "Which three?" asked coach.
    "You, obviously," said the delegate.  Coach nodded.  Yeah, if there was one guy in a position to make the team try to lose rather than try to win, he was it.  "And them two," he added, pointing his chin out to Born and Raven.  "They're the best you got, least according to scouts.  Money'll be hitting there if it hits anywhere."
    Coach thought about it, called over to Raven.  "What do you think?" he said.  "Take it?"
    "Pick someone else besides Born," she said.  "Otherwise no.  How the hell do you think Longkey and Ratmouth are going to bribe a guy who can't talk?"
    "With money and gestures," said the delegate.  "Same as everyone else."
    "Besides," said Raven.  "You can't count on a tower to lose a game for you.  Maybe he'll let in a few more goals than he should.  But a runner playing for the wrong side is a threat all over the field."
    Born was just standing on his stump, left hand chain coiled, right hand chain still making lazy circles.  He was listening, but he wasn't reacting any.
    Delegate considered, shrugged.  "Hell if it matters, but the other wing, then.  Not as good, but I guess he could mess more shots.  Better off if you don't lose, either way."
    "The game is a game," said Coach.  "It don't care if you're right or honest or anything.  Just if you can hit a target with a ball more often than the other guy."
    And that was it.  They were going to be playing Equinox again.  And while Raven had said that towers didn't lose games, that didn't include monsters like Equinox's center.
    Whiterock was fifty miles inland