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<div style="margin:auto;
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font-size: 13px;"><i>A fair amount.</i><br/>
<br/>
He wondered if she were telling the truth.  The answer was vague, without definitive number that he was sure she would be aware of. Was she fearful, defiant? Plotting her escape and going to lead him astray? Ryke’s jaw tightened, as did his grip on the pistol. He considered pulling the trigger then and there, leaving nothing but another name to his kill list and a puddle of sticky sanguine blood at his feet. But he didn’t. <i>Why was he hesitating? </i><br/>
<br/>
No. He hesitated because he wasn’t instinctively a bad person. He was driven by the desire to achieve results, hit the targets he was given. She wasn’t a target — hell, she probably wasn’t even a bad person. Just someone trying to do their job, just like he was. It was unfortunate that she just happened to be one of the many barriers he faced when trying to execute his job properly. <br/>
<br/>
The inner monologue that tossed back and forth through his mind was interrupted as he noted the sudden movement of her hand dive up towards her face. Brow furrowing, Ryke tensed, noting the leakage of blood that seeped from her nostril. Her sharp cry pierced the air, causing a bout of confusion to hover through his mind. What the fuck — a <i>nosebleed? </i>There was nothing he could attribute to why she had gotten one, other than potentially stress or a strange random occurrence. And although unplanned, it had caught him off guard. Enough to switch the roles as he became the unfortunate victim of a heavy stream of pepper spray aimed for his eyes.<br/>
<br/>
“Ahh!” Ryke grunted, eyes immediately snapping shut as an onslaught of pain seared through his sockets, “You little fuckin’ bitch.” The remnants of heat from her body had dissipated into the chill of the night air, his body no longer pressed against the soft, lithe frame of the female. The pistol hung by his side as a hand dropped before he assumed a crouched position. Quickened footsteps became more distant as she sprinted away from him after wriggling from his grasp. Although he fuckin’ hated the rain, at this point in time, he was incredibly thankful. With his free hand, he splashed it in the puddle of water, which was likely contaminated with the blood of his latest victim. The rainwater puddled in his cupped palm, before he continually splashed it against his eyes to wash away the potency of the spray. <br/>
<br/>
Recognising he had to act quickly, with one last splash of the spray over his eyes, Ryke cracked his eyelids open enough to test his vision. Painful, but not nearly as bad. His vision had blurred significantly, but not enough to <i>not </i>see the figure several meters in front of him sprinting in the direction of the back alley. Feet sprung to life as he launched forward and broke into a sprint. The military had taught him about focus, about determination and mental control, in which he channeled to push forward despite the hindrances that had stirred. His eyes burned, yet his pace quickened, drawing closer and closer to his newest victim as his lengthy stride gained on her smaller stride relatively easily. All he hoped was that the rest of her crew weren’t nearby.<br/>
<br/>
For a moment, Ryke considered stopping and shooting her. In the leg, in the arm, the <i>head. </i>It’d be easier long term. Another dead body was far less work than a hostage. He shook his head to dismiss the invasive thoughts. Through his blurred vision, he spotted a loose plank of wood settled on the side of the alleyway, having recently fallen from a boarded up window above. The man scooped up the item as he ran, slowing momentarily as he drew the item above his shoulder, before flinging it towards the blonde’s legs. If he wasn’t going to trip her, he sure as hell planned to hit her with enough force to break her speed. <br/>
<br/>
The item connected with her lower limbs and Ryke used the impediment to drive himself forward, digging his heels in to gain extra speed along the wet, cobblestone road. Seconds later, he was behind her.<br/>
<br/>
He reached out to secure a hand around the back of her neck, the other grabbing her shoulder, forcing her to slow. With the leftover momentum, Ryke stepped sideways, using her forward movement as an advantage to redirect her feet with his steel grasp and shoving her firmly against a brick wall that lined the alleyway. The man was quick to follow, pressing his chest to her back as he pinned her with her face against the wall. His breath came heavy in her ear, misting her in a light wash of mint. <br/>
<br/>
“I told you <i>not </i>to do anything fuckin’ stupid,” he snarled, reaching down to pluck her pepper spray from her vest, along with her radio. He couldn’t help but wonder what else she had hidden. “I would say eye for an eye,” Ryke husked, as he juggled the pepper spray in his hand, “But I think smacking you against a wall qualifies enough.” As if to demonstrate his fury, he smashed the radio against the brick wall with enough force to shatter the screen. With his hand still closed around the nape of her neck, Ryke peeled her from the wall with enough strength to force her to rock on her feet. It wasn’t his intention to hurt her, but he had no other option if she planned to defy his demands. He bent down, tugging her with him, lifting the grate of a street drain beneath his feet where rainwater steadily flowed into, dumping the radio and pepper spray into the sewerage connection below. <br/>
<br/>
Fingers curled into her flesh, Ryke blinked rapidly, attempting to speed up the process of the pepper spray clearing from his vision. He could make out the street sign above them, but barely. <i>York Street. </i>They had a safe house at the end — the city often proved to be a dangerous playground for organised crime groups, therefore having safe houses dotted through the suburbs was essential. For now, he’d take her there until he figured out what the fuck his next steps were.<br/>
<br/>
“Walk. Down York street,” he ordered through gritted teeth, “You’ve fuckin’ tested me enough.” Ryke’s hand gripped tighter as he drew in behind her, his body hurling forward and forcing them into a hasty shuffle. <br/>
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