A Year's Worth of Workout

[36 Riley Drive | 1120 Central Time, Day 1]

So, the chase is on.

Mendez caught this Becks characters storming out the door, glimpsing his trainers.

It appears that he went right from the doorway.

Mendez exited the empty apartment and discovered a narrow hallway spanning both sides. Without even stopping to look for Becks, he darted right and caught his would-be assailant turning left at the end of the hallway.

As Mendez turned where Becks had turned, he found a stairwell leading up to a door. An open door to be exact, since that's how Mendez had found it. Rays of sunshine made their way to Mendez who made his way up the stairwell, leading him to deduce that the stairwell leads to the building's roof.

After he busted his way to the sunlit roof, Mendez glanced around for Becks. He shouldn't be too far, Mendez thought.

And there he was, still on the run, appearing next to a water tower on the roof next door.

Interesting, Mendez mused. How did he get there so fast?

The distance between the roof doorway and the water tower next door wasn't so far off by any means, it's just that the straight path was littered with obstacles: a couple of AC units on this building, a half-meter gap between the two buildings, and a patio table before one arrives at the water tower.

Mendez himself ran the obstacles with little problem, in actuality. He circled the first AC unit, vaulted the second, made the leap across the two buildings with a very convincing landing on the other side, and again, circled the patio table. Going through these hurdles wasn't much of a problem for Mendez, but going through these hurdles AT THAT PACE? Now that Mendez didn't get.

When Mendez reached the water tower, that's when he saw Becks again.

That's also when he got his answer on Beck's pace.

Becks was easily hopping across the rooftop cafe on the next roof like a grasshopper. He skipped from table to table, tiptoe-like, almost as if he was skipping across a freshly-mopped floor. When the row of tables ended, he leaped off with a roll and went for the next obstacle without any pause. Anything on his way, he either went under or over in the slickest way possible, doing it all with no wind-up or even a split-second pause. It's almost as if he'd mapped his route through the rooftop cafe before landing his first foot.

Parkour. But of course, Mendez thought.

It was a long rooftop cafe, easily spanning twice the length of the previous roofs, but by the time Mendez set foot on the cafe, Becks was already three-quarters through.

There's no way I can catch up, concluded Mendez.

Mendez didn't slow down, but now aside from keeping them on Becks, his eyes started to look for a way to break Beck's pace. Or at the very least, quickly gain some much needed ground on Becks.

Without thinking twice, Mendez leaped off the rooftop cafe and onto the next roof. This time he focused less on landing on two feet and more on gaining as much distance as possible, knowing that he would've lost Becks if he played it safe.

Once he landed, Mendez caught a glimpse of Becks again, this time veering to the left side of the roof. Noticing a fire escape at the direction Becks was heading, Mendez sprinted diagonally to the same fire escape.

Before Mendez could reach the fire escape however, Becks had already vaulted off the fire escape, seemingly jumping straight down to the concrete below.

Setting foot on the fire escape, Mendez stuck his head off the railing to find Becks--and to figure out where he was likely to be heading next.

The next building seems to be the last building on the block. Beyond that, an intersection between Riley Drive (where the meeting warehouse was located) and another road, Tack Street. The last building was not squeezed between two streets, instead it was squeezed between Riley Drive and another building to its left, forming an L-shaped line of buildings. On the side of the adjoining building is a red fire escape leading down to the concrete ground with a sedan parked at the base of the fire escape.

Mendez then saw Becks leaping at the red fire escape, grabbing hold on to its railings and looking to climb down one level at a time.

That's when Mendez thought of it.

Still looking at the red fire escape, Mendez stepped away his own fire escape.

Then without a moment's pause, he sprinted diagonally towards the red fire escape where Becks was making his way down.

Once at the building's ledge, Mendez jumped.

***

Becks was climbing down one level at a time. Hanging on the fire escape rails, a quick look down, releasing his grip, grabbing hold of the rails directly below it mid-air, rinse and repeat.

This blond smooth-talking dude chasing him was fast, but Becks was faster.

There's no way he could've caught up.

THUD!

The fire escape rattled like a cage, interrupting his thoughts. It was almost as if something heavy had crashed into it.

Becks looked up.

A dark figure was hanging by the rails two levels above him.

Was that--?

As Becks was pondering, the dark figure suddenly let go of its grip on the fire escape rails, dropping to the alleyway below. It didn't like it slipped and lost its grip, it was almost as if the dark figure deliberately jumped off the rails.

By the time Becks figured out why the figure let go or what--or who--the dark figure was, it was too late.

As the figure fell, it violently grabbed onto Becks, pulling him off his clasp on the railing and taking Becks alongside it down towards the alleyway below.

***

Got him? Good.

The two figures crashed on the sedan parked at the base of the red fire escape, sending shards of glass towards the concrete.

Mendez couldn't believe that worked. His diagonal detour plan of catching up to Becks had worked so smoothly. In all honesty, Mendez had faith that this will work; it's just that he didn't have full faith. If he was to put it into numbers, he'd probably end with a 40% confidence that it'll work.

But it did work, and that's all that mattered.

All these thoughts flew across Mendez's mind as he lie on the roof of a mangled sedan parked at the base of the red fire escape he saw--and jumped to--earlier.

Mendez looked to his right. There lies Becks trying to pull himself from the wrecked sedan roof, obviously still dazed and confused after what had happened.

Mendez himself was still feeling drowsy, but his lead is now closer than ever. He simply can't let this opportunity slip by.

Sitting up, Mendez noticed that his vision has a visible crack. He then took off his aviators and slipped them onto his shirt collar. The crack disappeared.

Looking to his right, Mendez saw Becks trying to walk his way from the sedan wreckage. Truly fascinating, still trying to get away after a fall like that, thought Mendez as he pulled out his revolver from its holster.

It's not like Mendez's body wasn't screaming in pain, but Becks took the fall a lot better than he had expected. Sure, he was clutching his left hand as he walked slowly from the wreckage, but the hooded man didn't appear to be limping or losing his balance as he walked away. In other words, the man was still in a good condition to talk, that is if he wanted to talk anyway.

After catching up to Becks, Mendez pressed his Raging Bull against the back of Becks' head.

"Becks, right?" asked Mendez. "You wanna talk now?"

There was a movement on Becks' part. That Mendez noticed.

It was a spinning backhand meant to knock Mendez's gun from his right hand. That Mendez didn't notice.

Not a split second later Mendez was unarmed, his revolver sliding across the concrete far off where he stood.

Taking his attention off the revolver, Mendez turned to see Becks leaping at him. Only that it wasn't a leap to tackle Mendez down or some sort of flying superman-style punch, since Becks kind of went... feet first.

It was a double-leg dropkick, and Mendez simply didn't have time to react properly. No time to sidestep it, roll out of its way, or even a simple duck to avoid the wrath of Becks' sole.

Instinctively, Mendez blocked the kick with his arms in front of his face, his forearms taking the full force of the dropkick.

And a powerful dropkick it was.

Mendez was pushed back, all the way back to the mangled sedan behind him. He can feel his back colliding against the sedan's door. Not enough to stun him, but he felt that alright.

Apparently Becks wasn't done yet, as the moment Mendez opened his arms, he caught Becks swinging his right fist at him. This one's easy--his left arm staying up to block, a counter with his right fist, and then followed by an right elbow, and finally a cross hook to knock Becks' offense off.

Mendez saw the right hook coming. Blocked.

Counter hit, elbow, then the cross.

But the cross hit nothing.

That's problematic, Mendez thought in the split-second as he received a right jab towards his diaphragm. Pain surged through Mendez's body, but at least Becks didn't know of his bullet wound.

Mendez's face reared back as he received a jab across his face following Becks' counter-attack, knocking him back to the same sedan as before.

Now there's a good distance between the both of them. Mendez noticed Becks charging at him, however this time there's no indication of where his punch is coming next.

Oh well, thought Mendez in that split-second, as he launched a quick jab aimed towards Becks' cheek.

It was a hit. On both sides.

Turns out Becks was looking to launch a quick jab aimed towards Mendez's cheek as well, and for some reason both jabs connected squarely on each of their targets, knocking the two fighters back.

"Impressive," quipped Mendez as he wiped blood off his mouth.

Looking at Becks, he is now fuming with visible fury. Probably thinking about why this blond prick is so damn hard to shake off.

"Fuck off," cussed Becks.

"I will once you tell me who you're working for," answered Mendez lightly. "On second thoughts, maybe you wanna--"

Hold that thought, 'cause Becks is going for round two.

Putting his arms up, Mendez blocked Becks' punches: left, right, left, right, each punch weaker than before.

Now it's a left. Blocked.

Mendez responded with an elbow, which connected to Becks' jaw.

The momentum is now on Mendez's side. He grabbed the back of Becks' neck with with his two hands, putting him in a clinch.

Right knee to his diaphragm. Then another one.

Still clinching Becks, Mendez turned and shoved Becks against the car, trying to slam his head against the sedan's door.

Emphasis on 'try'.

In a ridiculously flashy move, Becks ran up the sedan, somersaulted--freeing himself from Mendez's clinch--and landed squarely on his feet just behind Mendez!

Fortunately Mendez was quick enough to turn after the somersault--but unfortunately he wasn't quick enough to anticipate Becks' front kick to his chest.

Mendez crashed his back against the sedan. This time he was the one dazed and confused, though it's more because of the somersault and less of the chest kick.

Yet again Mendez saw Becks charging at him, and yet again--to Mendez's advantage--Becks looked to launch his right fist at Mendez.

Ever heard of alternating your punches, Becks? thought Mendez.

Mendez weaved to his left, Becks' fist whiffing just above his head.

Now positioned directly to Becks' right side, Mendez launched his boot towards Becks' thigh, bringing the latter down to his knees.

Mendez then grabbed the back of Becks' head and slammed it against the car door.

That brutal hit stunned Becks, but Mendez noticed the free-runner isn't down for the count yet.

So he launched his knee square against Becks' face. Mendez could feel Becks' face cracking from his knee.

The next thing Mendez saw was Becks lying on the concrete alleyway, groaning in pain as he was holding his bloodied face.

Becks is down.

Drawing a deep breath, Mendez concluded that Becks wasn't going to get up and run away anytime soon.

With that in mind, Mendez went and picked up his gun, and then made his way back to Becks.

"As I was saying," said Mendez as he trained his gun to Becks' head, his boot pressing on Becks' chest, "You ready to talk now?"