Knowing well that Cat was sitting right next to her, she turned and dropped her lover a wink, the only display of any type of emotion she?d thus far shown. For Cat, it was as good as a grin, and she grinned back, patting Dylan?s thigh just as the whistle blew for the resumption of play.

As she took the court, Cat noticed something by the Lightning bench and reached out to place an arm on Dylan?s wrist. Cold blue eyes looked down at her like a laser, and Cat swallowed hard. “I noticed something,” she said as softly as she could manage, given the crowd?s noise.

Dylan?s eyebrow rose in question.

“Gibbons is putting in Tanya Stephenson.” Her fingers went up in quote marks, though she was deadly serious. “The Enforcer. Please, watch out for her, alright? I?ve got your back, and so does the rest of the team, but?.”

Dylan?s smile was, if possible, colder than her eyes. “Oh,” she purred, voice dark and deep, “I plan to.”

Cat blinked, then nodded as Dylan walked away, setting up to guard against the inbounds pass. The guard exchanged a crosscourt look with Chaney, who gave her an evil little grin and a ?thumbs up? gesture that let Cat relax, at least a little. Shaking her hands out, she went chest to chest with Blevins who was looking to take the outlet from the sideline.

“I guess we?ll see if Coach Gibson?s sideline pep-talk was effective, Lori.”

“If it isn?t, putting Stephenson in for Gathers may well be, Ted.”

“This is true, Lori. Stephenson certainly isn?t known for her shooting ability, and with an average of four fouls per game, it?s quite obvious, at least to me, what her role is going to be these next few minutes.”

“It sure will be interesting to see how it plays out, Ted.”

“We?ll just have to watch and see, Lori. The referee has just handed the ball to Holloway, who is closely guarded by Lambert. Holloway gets a pass in to Blevins, who dribbles, then passes to Stephenson, back to Blevins, over to Race, who sets up a half-court offensive play. The Badgers are still in their box-and-one with Hodges now guarding Race.

“Race takes her time, waiting for the play to set up. Holloway moves in toward low post, then back out. She takes the pass from Race?it slides off her fingers, ball?s loose, Blevins recovers and shoots it out to Race. Race dishes it back to Stephenson a few steps in from half-court as the rest of the players reset. Stephenson passes to Blevins, back to Stephenson, who drives toward the paint. Chaney slides over to help Lambert. OH! Write MasterCard all over that one, folks! She wasn?t even trying for the basket!

“Lambert and Chaney are down. Chaney pops back up?”

“Flagrant, ref!” Chaney shouted. “Flagrant! You saw what she was tryin? to do!”

Smiling a little, the ref shook her head and called the charge as Cat ran over to Dylan. “Are you alright?”

“I?m fine,” Dylan replied, shrugging off Cat?s hand and standing on her own. She looked over at Stephenson, who was smirking at her, and held up one finger. “That?s one,” she mouthed, pleased when the smirk faded a bit from the red-headed giant.

“You?re fucked, meat,” Chaney said, going chest to belly with the much taller Stephenson.

“You ain?t pretty enough, Chaingang,” Stephenson replied, blowing the smaller player a kiss and trotting off, laughing.

“Well, Stephenson?s showing her true colors early on, Ted.”

“You?re right about that, Lori. The referee must have been inclined to give out a freebie, because that?s about as flagrant as it gets.”

“The Badgers managed to hold their poise, though, so I guess we?ll see what else The Enforcer has up her sleeve. Cooper takes the ball and passes off to Hodges, who dribbles downcourt and rifles a pass off to Anya, who shoots it over to Chaney. Chaney looks, dribbles, oh, Blevins steals the ball and heads downcourt! Holloway is pacing her, but she takes it all the way, stops at the line and shoots! Score another three for Taretha Blevins. And the Lightning crowd comes to its feet, their lead suddenly back to eight points.”

“That was a beautiful play, Ted. Blevins is the league scoring leader, and it?s because of plays like that one. She?s got the eye and the range, that?s for sure.”

“Lambert takes the in-bounds pass from Hodges, then gives it back to her. Hodges passes crosscourt to Cooper, back to Hodges, over to Chaney. Lambert moves to low post, receives the pass and kicks it back out to Hodges. Hodges to Chaney, down to Anya who shoots a short range jumper that rattles off the rim. Lambert up for the rebound?and Stephenson cuts her legs out from under her! Oh, that was a nasty play! Looks like Lambert might be hurt. No, she?s up, and boy is she cool as ice, folks! Anybody else would probably have taken a swing, but the Goddess is earning her name out there today.

“She steps up to the free throw line. Apparently, this time the official saw the flagrant foul, though it would have been pretty hard to miss. She takes the ball. It?s up, and in. Her freethrow style certainly hasn?t changed. No dribble. Just up and?in again. Four points so far for Lambert this game. And the lead is now down to six.

“Race dribbles down the court, guarded closely by Hodges. She dishes off to Holloway who tries a twelve footer. No go. Lambert up again for the rebound. She gets it and absolutely wings a pass to Hodges streaking down the sideline. And it?s an easy layup from the little guard from UCONN, cutting the Lightning lead to four points. Very impressive.”

“That was a very impressive pass, Ted. Not many women in the league have the arm strength to throw the ball that hard and that far down the court, especially with such pinpoint perfection.”

“Could be why she?s the Goddess and the rest of us are just mere mortals, Lori?. Holloway takes the pass and hands it to Race. Race tosses a long cross court pass to Stephenson who dishes it to Blevins. Blevins starts in, then steps back. Hodges is all over her like cheap perfume tonight. Looking?looking?she dishes off to Holloway, back to Race who resets the play. Race fakes to Stephenson, then bounce passes to Toomey who?s in the paint. She lays it up?it bounces off the rim, and back in again for two points. The luck of the Irish was with her on that one. The lead is back up to six with time slowly counting down.

“Chaney takes the pass from Anya and hands it off to Hodges. Hodges dribbles freely down the court, setting up her play. She passes to Cooper at the top of the key. Cooper turns and fires one over the heads of everyone, right into the hands of Lambert, who?s being extremely closely guarded by Stephenson. There?s a little pushing and shoving. Lambert dribbles, nice crossover, moves to her left, off a nice pick by Chaney, who rolls back, takes the pass from Lambert and shoots a midrange jumper that sails through for two and the lead, yet again, is back down to four.”

“Pick and roll, baby. Pick and roll. I?ll be doin that to you allll night, meat.”

“Go fuck your mother some more, bitch,” was Stephenson?s smart retort.

“Nah, she doesn?t scream for it like yo mama do, meat.”

“There?s some trash talking going on down there, Ted, between Chaney and Stephenson. Apparently, Chaney?s taken exception to the Enforcer?s treatment of her teammate and coach. Lambert moves in and pulls Chaney away, settling her player down somewhat.”

“Stephenson flicks a lazy pass to Toomey, who puts it down on the ground and is pickpocketed by Hodges. Oh, what a beautiful move. She?s dribbling down the court, tailed by Lambert and Chaney. Passes to Chaney, who dishes it off to Lambert who goes over the head of Stephenson for a JAM, ladies and gentlemen! The first dunk of the season, and it comes in this semifinal match.”

“That was a thing of beauty, Ted, and the look on Stephenson?s face right now?well?if revenge is a dish best served cold, she just got a heapin? helpin? of ice cubes shoved right down her shorts.”

“Stephenson isn?t very happy with events, Ted. She?s stalking after Lambert, who has her back turned and?oh! Stephenson gets absolutely bulldozed by Chaney and Hodges! Lambert steps in again, grabbing the two guards by the back of their jerseys while Toomey and Holloway restrain Stephenson who looks like she?s ready to do some serious damage right about now.”

“The officials have stepped in. Let?s see if they?re going to assess some technicals to these players. Fighting is very frowned upon in the league after last year?s debacle that cost Myrna Hamilton her sight. No?looks like they?re just going to let play resume. I guess that was a warning shot over the bow, Lori.”

“Well, no fists were thrown, so I?m guessing they?re going by the letter of the law here, Ted. I?m not sure I like what that says about tonight?s officials, though.”

“Look,” Dylan said, hands still full of jersey, “I appreciate what you?re both trying to do, but you need to let me handle this my own way, alright?”

“She?s tryin? to kill you out there, Coach!” Chaney protested. “Motherfucker!”

“I understand that. But if either of you gets ejected, we are going to lose this game. So just keep your cool and let me handle Stephenson, alright?”

“How?s your knee?” Cat asked.

“My knee is fine,” Dylan replied through gritted teeth. “You?re the team captain, Cat. Start acting like one and not like a thug, alright?”

Cat blinked, stung by her lover?s words. “But—.”

“I?m serious, Cat. You let me worry about Stephenson. You worry about this team.”

“But you?re part of this team!”

“Yeah, I am. A small part.” She sighed. “Listen, Cat. I can handle her. She?s nothing but an overgrown bully who thinks she?s the top dog in the pen. You two start acting like dogs, she?s gonna come after you. Let me handle this, alright?”