The world tilts for a moment. My head snaps forward, the seatbelt biting into my chest.
And then, silence.
The car teeters on the edge of the cliff, its nose precariously jutting out over the abyss.
“Everyone okay?” I rasp, unbuckling my seatbelt.
“I’m fine,” Marco grunts, already reaching for his gun.
“Leo,” Valentina’s voice cracks from the backseat. “Baby, are you okay?”
Leo whimpers but nods, clutching his toy car like a lifeline.
I twist around in my seat to check them, relief flooding me as I see them both relatively unscathed.
“Stay here,” I tell Valentina, already pushing the door open.
“Luca, wait!” she protests, but I’m already out.
The cool night air hits me like a slap as I survey the area. Marco is beside me in an instant, his gun raised, his body tense.
“They’ll be watching,” Marco mutters, his voice low. “There’s no way in hell this was unplanned.”
“Then let’s give them a show,” I growl, motioning for him to cover me as I step away from the car.
Every shadow feels alive, every flicker of movement a potential threat. My pulse pounds in my ears as I scan the surrounding cliffs, the dark horizon offering little comfort.
And then I see it.
A glint of light, barely visible in the moonlight, from a ridge overlooking the highway.
“Sniper!” I bark, diving to the ground just as the first shot rings out.
The bullet slams into the car’s hood, narrowly missing the windshield.
Marco returns fire, his aim precise as he tracks the shooter. “Get them out of here!” he shouts.
“Stay down!” I yell to Valentina, running back to the car.
Her eyes are wide with terror, but she’s already unbuckling Leo’s seatbelt. “Luca, what’s happening?”
“No time to explain,” I snap, grabbing Leo and cradling him against my chest. “Marco, cover us!”
Another shot rings out, this one ricocheting off the road just inches from my feet.
Marco fires back, his movements swift and controlled. “Go!”
I grab Valentina’s arm, pulling her out of the car. She stumbles but keeps up as we sprint toward the rocky outcropping nearby, using the jagged terrain as cover.
Behind us, the car creaks ominously before finally tipping over the edge of the cliff.
The sound of it crashing onto the rocks below is deafening, the explosion lighting up the night sky.
We huddle behind the rocks, Leo whimpering softly against my chest as Valentina clings to my arm.
“Everyone okay?” Marco asks, his voice rough.
Valentina nods shakily, clutching Leo to her chest. His small face is buried in her shoulder, his muffled sobs cutting through me like a knife.
