Down she goes. And in a simpler moment Gabe would just kick her in the gut and keep on kicking her until she goes stops thrashing. Get on top and smash her head into the ground until it’s done. You can’t hesitate with these things. You have to go for fucking broke or the enemy will mess you up and there’ll be nothing you can do to stop it. In a simpler moment, he’d end it fast.

In this one, she recovers quick and bounces to her feet. Woman knows how to take a hit, he thinks, and he shifts into a guard stance. Teeth bared.

Oh, she’s a scrapper, huh?

“C’mon,” he taunts, and he swings the stick at her goddamn face. He either needs to keep her at a distance or get close enough to put her into a sleeper—and quickly. Otherwise, she might start to realize certain things.