Bounty Hunter [REWRITTEN VERSION]

Chapter 35: So Much For Getting To Know Our Names

MAIZE

After exhibiting the extent of their situation, it didn't take that much more convincing before she got the agreement out of Ryder, though he didn't bother to hide his reluctance to the idea, he agreed not to kick all enforcement officers from his house immediately.

Granted that Maize was not spared by the rant that took place shortly after, disclosing how Ryder couldn't believe she was forcing him to help cops to begin with.

He was not at all thrilled by the idea and he made sure to let her know it.

However, all things considered, it was a mild reaction on his part compared to what she had been prepared to deal with—which she supposed that might have been because he felt a small twinge of guilt that he hadn't been able to help her back then. Though if the look in his eyes said anything, it was that he would do whatever he could to help her now.

She just wasn't sure if his sense of hospitality extended to the law enforcement officers still waiting within his house.

Either way, she would find out. Sooner rather than later. Because as the sun lowered and the dark brought forth a colder chill, they made the wordless agreement to head back inside.

Not that the colder temperature would have really bothered Ryder, despite the thin black shirt he wore, he was unaffected. Seasoned, conditioned, bred for this kind of survival. In fact, the man thrived in this kind of environment. Sure his type of work took him everywhere, and while he was good at what he did in a city, if you were to ever find yourself being hunted by him in these woods—the place he no doubt scoped until he knew every inch like the back of his hand—then he was a force of nature to be reckoned with. Maize doubted even she would be able to evade him if it came down to it, he was just that good.

Luckily it had never come to that, though quite honestly, she wondered how long she could last before he found her.

How long would a bounty Hunter be able to evade a seasoned tracker?

She always mused the thought that Ryder would make a terrific bounty hunter, he had the tracking skills and the mental capability for it—if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't have the patience, tolerance, or self-control the moment someone did anything to piss him off. He was a chaotic character underneath the steel demeanour he wore, it just took the right aggravating person or situation for him to slip up and show it.

Also, Ryder wasn't a people person. He wouldn't have the inclination to drag some poor scumbag all the way back to whoever contracted him, he would much rather just teach them a lesson and be done with it.

That was just Ryder.

He was better at taking names and breaking down doors with that canine of his than anything else.

He could find anyone if he had enough conviction for it, and again Maize wondered if the thought that she was dead had stopped him from ever trying to locate her—after all, if anyone on the planet could have done it, it would have been him.

Nevertheless, he didn't complain about returning back inside despite his indifference, his excuse was that he claimed he needed to head in either way to meet the other 'trespassers'.

"I need to see their faces so that if I happen to walk into them in the middle of the night or something I don't end up shooting them by accident..." he had told her, without a hint that he was being anything other than one-hundred percent serious.