Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Rearview
A week later, baby Leo needed an urgent pediatric checkup and vaccinations after surviving his ordeal in the blizzard. Despite taking every security precaution, the trip into the local town clinic caught the eyes of Derek's spotters.
On the return drive along a narrow two-lane canyon road, two blacked-out SUVs burst out from a hidden logging trail, attempting to ram Brick’s heavy armored SUV off the steep embankment.
The screeching sound of grinding metal echoed through the canyon. Brick—at the wheel of the lead vehicle—held the steering wheel with an iron grip, effortlessly counter-steering through the impact.
"Khloe, cover Leo!" Brick barked.
In that life-or-death second, Khloe didn't freeze. The helpless girl sitting on a milk crate in a gas station was gone. She threw her own body over Leo's car seat, acting as a human shield, keeping her eyes locked on the rear window. She saw the passenger in the chasing SUV raise a heavy handgun.
"Left side, Brick! He's targeting the rear tire!" Khloe yelled out.
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Warning heeded, Brick slammed on the heavy hydraulic brakes and swerved sharply, dodging the gunfire and driving his front steel bumper directly into the side of the attacker's SUV, sending it spinning wildly into the ditch below. The second vehicle turned tail and fled down the pass.
Khloe panted, clutching a crying but completely uninjured Leo. Brick glanced in the rearview mirror, his dark eyes filled with genuine respect. She was no longer just surviving—she was fighting for her family.
