Page 356 of Rangers Mountain Rescue

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Controlled violence.

No wasted movement.

No hesitation.

“You don’t even know what this is,” he says, dodging, striking back.

I take the hit.

Ignore it.

“You move people,” I say.

“You sell them.”

“You destroy them.”

He laughs.

Sharp.

Cold.

“You think that’s all this is?”

Rage spikes.

But I keep it tight.

Always tight.

“Doesn’t matter,” I say.

“It does,” he fires back, slamming into me, driving me into the wall.

The air punches out of my lungs.

But I don’t go down.

“You shut this down,” he continues, breath controlled, eyes sharp, “you don’t stop anything.”

I shove him back.

Hard.

“You just create a vacuum.”

We circle.

Tight.

Deadly.

“Men like me?” he says. “We fill that vacuum.”

I shake my head once.

“No,” I say.

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