Milton sprang forward, raised the bag and flung it, sending it across the room in a flat arc. It slammed into Katsuro as he was about to aim for a second time. Milton ran, head down, closing the distance between them. He lowered his shoulder, but Katsuro had turned and was braced for the impact. The two men crashed together, Milton grabbing for Katsuro’s gun hand and forcing it up into the air. The pistol fired again, the shot blasting into the ceiling. Milton isolated Katsuro’s fingers and twisted them back until the gun fell to the floor. Milton kicked it with the toe of his boot, sending it spinning across the room.

Katsuro butted Milton to free his hand, then wrapped his arms beneath Milton’s torso and twisted, using Milton’s momentum against him as he flung him against the window. The glass was reinforced and Milton bounced off it, straight into a right-hand punch that Katsuro seemed to have conjured from nowhere; there was almost no preparation, no drawing back of his fist, just a lightning-fast blow that cracked against the point of Milton’s chin. He fell back against the window again, Katsuro following up and fastening both hands around Milton’s throat. Katsuro lifted Milton up, apparently without effort, and held him against the window as he tightened his grip around his throat. Milton felt the strength in Katsuro’s hands, tried to jam down with his forearms in an attempt to break the hold, but his opponent’s arms were like iron rods, hard and unyielding. He drew back his right hand and punched Katsuro in the face, but the blow had no effect. Katsuro tightened his grip and, unable to break free, Milton drove the point of his knee into Katsuro’s groin. His grip weakened and Milton kneed him again, and then again; Katsuro grunted, spun on his heel and flung Milton across the room.

Milton crashed into the desk, which collapsed beneath his weight. Katsuro followed and Milton kicked out at him. The Japanese caught his ankle and yanked hard, pulling him from the table and onto the floor. Milton scrambled up, but again Katsuro was onto him, both hands knotted into his shirt as he heaved him up and threw him against the wall. Milton saw Katsuro’s gun on the floor and grabbed it, bringing the extended barrel around, but not fast enough. Katsuro slapped the weapon out of his hand; it spun through the open balcony door and fell out of view. Katsuro grabbed Milton again, dragging him up and spinning, throwing him against the wall for a second time. The impact was harder; Katsuro’s momentum had increased, and the wall had already been weakened. Milton crashed through it, landing on his back amid a pile of fractured plasterboard.