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Pitt coughed once, twice, then spit a gob of blood on the guard's boot, taking grim satisfaction that it was no accident He rolled over onto his side and looked up at Rondhei over him
Rondhei awake in class, Major Perhaps you are beco bored"
His voice suddenly chilled "Stand up! You have yet to finish your-ah-course of instruction"
"Course? Instruction?" Pitts words cah his bloated, broken lips "I don't get what youit in Pitts groin Pitts whole body shuddered and he groaned, the agony tearing him apart
Rondheim spat on him "I said stand up!"
"II can't"
And then Rondheim leaned down and struck Pitt with a shuto blow to the back of the neck There was no fighting it, no faking it this time: Pitt blacked out for real
"Bring hiain!" Rondheim yelled insanely "I want him on his feet"
73
The guards stared unco to tire of Rondheiame But they had little choice except to work over Pitt like a couple of trainers over a punchdrunk boxer until he ens of consciousness It didn't take a medical specialist to deteruards, each with one ar between the of Portland cement
Rondheii was soaked through with sweat, the front splotched with blood
Pitt, in those tortured rip of any e to fade into one ht He'd never have been able to survive up to this point, taking so , if it hadn't been for the alcohol's nu effects Now he didn't need it His physical resources were nearly gone, hiscontact with reality, and theabout it
Rondheim threw a particularly vicious and accurately aiht passed frouards released their grip, letting his limp body drop to the mat, the sadistic lust on Rondheim's face slowly faded He stared vacantly at his bloody and swollen knuckles, his chest heaving as his breath came in quick pants frorabbed Pitt by the hair, turning the head so that the throat was exposed, and then he lifted his right hand, pal stroke, the coup de grdce, a killing judo chop that would snap Pitts head backward, breaking his neck
"No!"
Rondheim kept the hand poised, and slowly turned Kirsti Fyrie stood in the doorway, a look of fear and horror on her face