Chapter 5 - The Ambush at Sunset Park
After two weeks of quiet progress, Leo finally asked to see the grass outside. Rico reluctantly authorized a guarded trip to a secluded park overlooking the bay in Brooklyn. Four black SUVs escorted Clara, Leo, and Rico to the private grounds.
For an hour, life felt almost ordinary. Leo ran across the lawn, chasing pigeons while Clara laughed, catching him whenever he stumbled. Standing fifty yards away near the tree line, Rico watched them, his rigid posture softening as the sound of his son's bright laughter drifted across the open field.
Then, the crack of high-caliber gunfire shattered the afternoon.
A bullet struck the stone fountain two feet from Clara, spraying shards of limestone. Before Clara could scream, a heavy weight slammed into her. Rico tackled both Clara and Leo to the damp grass, shielding them with his broad body as automatic fire raked the pavilion.
"Get down! Keep your head low!" Rico commanded, drawing his customized semi-automatic pistol with deadly precision.
Dante and the security team returned fire instantly, creating a perimeter of lead and smoke. Rico fired three calculated shots toward an unmarked van across the perimeter road, disabling the driver.
"Clara! Take Leo to the armored Suburban! Now!" Rico barked, reloading smoothly under fire.
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Clara clutched Leo tightly against her chest, sprinted low across the smoking pavement, and dove into the back of the fortified vehicle just as Dante slammed the armored door shut. Through the bulletproof glass, Clara watched in terror as Rico eliminated the remaining gunmen before striding back toward the car, bleeding from a graze on his forearm.
He didn't check his own wound. He tore open the door, his eyes wild with adrenaline until they landed on Leo and Clara, unharmed.
