Thread: Pieces of Eight {Leroco / Symphony}

Mark cursed again as he took into a sprint after the stumbling woman. One large stride. The woman found her pace as well, making fast progress down the alley. Two strides. The woman's body was alight with light from the street, nearly at the end. Three more strides, and Mark realized he was in the clear, and laughed again as the woman slowly stumbled away from him. With a smooth motion, Mark's entire body weight came down on the woman's legs in a tackle, forcing her onto the ground. He had been in a situation like this only once before in his career, when he had been foolish and without a plan. It was unlike him to be in the situation he found himself in, cowering in an alley as police raced back and forth across the streets. That, at least, had been in a third world nation, where the police were easily threatened with a weapon and a hefty bribe. Flashing colors could be seen on the sides of the alley, the police were close by, and it wouldn't be long for them to narrow down on his position. Quickly, Mark pulled himself atop the woman, his weight forcing her to stay pinned to the ground as she slowly recovered from the shock of her fall. With strong arms he forced the woman's arms behind her back, and with the benefit of leverage managed to hold them in place while he wrapped them in a layer of tape. Her arms restrained, and still pinned under his weight, Mark noticed that the woman's efforts to get away were increasing. Carefully, to ensure no repeats of previous events, he moved to the woman's legs, and hastily wrapped them a few times with tape. With a small groan of exhaustion, he pulled his bodyweight off the fully restrained woman, observing her from a close distance for the first time. She was clearly a woman who had spent quite some time on the run, but had the civilities and decencies of a person used to a comfortable life in the suburbs. She was small in stature, but her attitude seemed to make up for it to the casual observer. She appeared smaller than she once had as she struggled against the tape holding her still on the ground. Her hair, although quite disturbed by recent events, showed signs of bare-bones care applied to it, likely with the use of hotel room supplies. Her clothing was ripped in numerous places, and the large gash on her leg would have to be taken care of once he had a moment to think. Mark leaned down next to the newly restrained woman, flipping her onto her back and reaching into her pocket. You've caused me a lot of trouble, you know that? He said quietly in her ear, his voice somewhere between exhausted and venomous. Hands used to manipulating fine objects were fast to withdraw the entire content's of the woman's pocket. Wallet, pen, and a notebook full of writings which he lacked time to read. Other materials were held within his grasp, however he lacked the time to study them in any detail. He shoved the contents into his own pocket and leaned down next to the woman. Slowly, and avoiding any possibility of being smacked in the head, Mark lifted the woman in his arms, one arm around her shoulders while the other restrained her legs. Slowly, he backed into the alleyway he had come from, listening as the police sirens passed the other way, lights reflecting down the dark alleyway once again. Well hidden in the shadows, Mark calculated his possible escape routes. The police would be coming down the alleyway at any moment, and he had to escape before they caught sight of him, a chase would mean almost certain death. It would be easy to drop the woman and walk away, but something held Mark back from that option. Money, he told himself as he evaluated the situation further, keep your eye on the money. Finally, Mark spotted an exit. A door which had appeared sturdy at first, but whose frame had been neglected over the years, developing a series of cracks and fractures that signified a lack of structural integrity. With a solid kick, the door came down with a booming sound that echoed through the alleyway and into the streets. If anyone was around to hear, they would be arriving in moments. Rapidly, and ignoring the muffled protests while doing his best to keep the woman in his arms still, Mark ran into the building, passing through hallways and shabby offices before he emerged in a nearby street, not too far from his car. Quickly, Mark walked over to the still open door, noting that the few things that had been left in the vehicle had already been stolen, and quickly tossed the woman into the passenger seat. Making sure to buckle both the passenger and driver's seatbelts before turning the car on and heading down the road, looking over his shoulder for any police that could have spotted him.