Any other person would have dismissed the sound, thinking it was a rat or a stray cat or dog. Not Azriel. He firmly believed that there was someone there, hiding away. Time would tell whether or not this person was just someone, maybe a homeless person, just hanging out.<br/><br/>His brow furrowed and he held still, trying not to draw their attention. His jaw clenched as he felt the tension he’d expelled build right back up inside of him again. It could be that he was just paranoid; his senses were heightened, actively seeking out any sort of disturbance. What if it was those men again, waiting for him? A distraction, perhaps? He contemplating reaching for his gun, thinking that it was better to be safe than sorry, and found himself taking slow steps toward the alley.<br/><br/>He continued to listen.<br/><br/>Azriel caught something out of the corner of his eye -movement outside of the alley. He didn’t bother to look over his shoulder, he knew deep down, it just had to be those men. It was then that he noticed some blood on the ground. This was yet another thing, easily missed by someone just passing through. But a trained eyed could easily pick up a sight, even if it was not well hidden.<br/><br/>He bent down and touched it. Was it human blood, or the blood of a dog or cat? Something told him it wasn’t the blood of some small rodent. However, the footsteps behind him told him he needed to keep moving. There was no time to keep stopping, he reminded himself. He would figure out where that blood came from sooner or later; if they were injured, they probably weren’t moving that fast.<br/><br/>Perhaps, sooner than he expected. Someone darted out from behind the boxes a few feet ahead of him. He jumped, and reached for his gun, prepared to shoot.