Bounty Hunter [REWRITTEN VERSION]

Chapter 1: The Ember Bounty Hunter

MAIZE

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Eyes like small crisp flames burned bright against the dark of the city night as the slender shadow of a figure observed from afar. Amber eyes, gleaming with triumph as they set sight upon their unsuspecting new prey. One lone individual that walked along the sidewalk below, completely unaware of the hunter trailing his every move with their eyes—just awaiting the right moment to strike.

Exactly three weeks, four days, and eleven hours spent tracking this particular suspect, anticipating the day he would finally resurface from the rock which he had been hiding under. The convicted felon—ranked high on the NYPD high priority list—had finally made an appearance. Which meant his arrest would come with a hefty price for any bounty hunter on his trail. Or in other words, for Maize Ember.

The young woman continued her analysis from her perch upon the low one-story building rooftop. The man she regarded appeared to be in his mid-forties—to put it generously, consisting of the distinct features of a rather dark goatee beard, ashen pale skin beneath the heavy grey jacket he wore, and a black tuque that covered the top of his head. A nearly identical match to his photograph, the photograph currently clutched in the hands of the bounty hunter as she made the comparison.

No doubt about it.

This was her guy.

Police reports classified him as extremely dangerous—a man who gave no regard for the number of lives he had taken. His case file declared he had been owned gambling debts from a small-time business lawyer—who, at the time, had no idea who he was dealing with. The result had been his murder, along with the rest of his family. The bounty hunter did not know the whole story in its entirety, but she was aware of one simple fact; that man had gotten away with the murder of two young children, innocent lives. He had gone and disappeared before authorities had even gotten to the scene from a call from neighbours. Something like that...was unforgivable in her eyes. Which is why this would be the last night he ever walked free. Maize would make sure of it.

Pushing back the strand of silky black hair that had brushed past her eyes in the breeze, she let out a small breath of air that became was visible in the chill temperature of the night, followed by a sigh of satisfaction. Perching on rooftops, tracking lowlife criminals. Just a typical night in the city for the Ember bounty hunter—a name given to her from the rumours on the streets. In truth, she rather liked it.

Her suspect was getting closer now. Heading for the alleyway that cut into the next street over between two establishments—one being a small-time Vietnamese restaurant that served quite the good meals, and the other, the small apartment complex that Maize observed from.

This is my chance.

Taking one last breath of the cool night air, the bounty hunter waited half a second, before she sprang forward on her heels, swinging her body over the side of the ledge in one swift motion. She landed in a crouch on top of a white delivery truck that had been parked there, as graceful as a cat and startling a shocked jolt from her prey before she launched forward and tackled him straight to the cold hard pavement.

Faster than the convict could react, the woman had him flat on his stomach with his arms pinned securely behind his back, kept there by the force of her knee as she held his face to the ground.

"So...you're Antonio Marcus," she stated, his name coming out cold and unpleasant on her tongue.

The felon struggled in her grip. "What the blazing hell woman?! Who the fuck do you think you..." He turned and froze. The words seemed to die on his lips as he managed to cast a sideways look over his shoulder and saw her face, especially those amber eyes of hers. His face paled. "I-its you..." the whisper left his mouth now with a slight tremor. What happened to the stone-cold killer?