Chapter 24
The three-vehicle convoy tore through the dense coastal fog, flying eastward along the deserted stretches of Sunrise Highway. Outside, the downpour had subsided into a biting mist that slicked the asphalt. In the rear cabin of the lead SUV, Sophia lay curled on the leather bench, her head pillowed in Maya’s lap, lulled into an exhausted sleep by the steady hum of the engine.
Suddenly, the lead vehicle slammed its brakes. The heavy tires shrieked violently against the wet road as the SUV swerved, throwing Maya forward against her seatbelt.
"Blockade ahead!" Matteo’s voice roared through the tactical radio. "Two commercial flatbeds jackknifed across the overpass! We're boxed in!"
Before the transmission ended, high-intensity halogen floodlights erupted from the tree line flanking both shoulders. Automatic rifle fire ripped through the stillness of the night. Dozens of armor-piercing rounds hammered the SUV's reinforced chassis, leaving white starbursts across the ballistic glass.
"Get down!" Dante shouted. In a fraction of a second, his massive frame lunged over the seat, his wide shoulders forming a human shield that completely blanketed Maya and Sophia.
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Maya curled around the little girl, pressing her back against the floorboards. Sophia woke with a terrified shriek, her tiny hands clawing at Maya’s blouse. Maya’s heart hammered violently, but she pressed her lips against the girl's temple, humming the gentle lullaby she had used at the restaurant, refusing to let the gunfire drown out her comfort.
"Barone's hit squad and Luca's remaining precinct contacts," Dante growled, drawing his custom semi-automatic sidearm. The fury in his eyes was volcanic. He clicked his comms open. "Matteo! Flank right with vehicle two and unleash the heavy ordnance on those flatbeds! We punch through the ditch on the left! Leave none of them breathing!"
