The masked man slowly straightened, his chest barely rising and falling as he regarded Ryder, not with the usual shock victim might have, but with cold curiosity.
"You're persistent," the man's voice was low, laced with an almost amused tone.
Ryder couldn't respond, but before he could move again, the man lunged, his body twisting in a blur of speed. The dart that had vanished earlier reappeared once more, this time aimed directly at Ryder's heart.
Ryder flashed out of his way, turning mid-step and slamming a palm into the man's chest.
Air surged from nowhere as the man's chest caved in.
The force of Ryder's strike sent the masked man hurtling backward, crashing into a stack of the stone desk. A loud boom with the sound of bones cracking filled the air. For a moment, he lay still, his body crumpled at an unnatural angle, his breathing shallow but steady.
