Chapter 9 - The Edge of the Cliff
Reena stood swaying behind the federal van, clutching a bleeding gunshot wound on her shoulder while wrapping her other arm tightly around Lily's throat.
She had miraculously survived the shootout upstairs and snuck down the secondary service elevator to enact her final, desperate revenge.
Lily let out a terrified, breathy whimper, her tiny hands weakly clawing at the cruel arm that was slowly choking the life out of her.
Peter froze completely, his hands raised in absolute surrender as the corrupt police chief slowly climbed back to his feet with a furious sneer.
Reena laughed hysterically, spitting blood onto the concrete as she dragged the crying three-year-old toddler toward the massive open loading dock door.
Beyond the open dock lay a treacherous, eighty-foot drop directly into a raging, icy river that bordered the hospital's rear property.
She promised the chief that she would dispose of the girl in the frozen water if he simply executed the uncle and the boy right now.
Peter knew he had less than a fraction of a second to save both children before the nightmare claimed them all permanently.
He loudly bluffed, screaming out that the tiny memory card from Aaron's watch was already live-streaming the entire garage directly to national news servers.
The chief hesitated for one fatal second, his greedy eyes darting nervously toward his own expensive smartphone to check the internet.
That single, microscopic moment of doubt was all Peter needed to launch himself across the loading dock with reckless, terrifying speed.
He tackled Reena with the brutal force of a freight train, intentionally throwing both himself and the murderous stepmother over the dark, open ledge.
They plummeted together into the freezing, empty air, but Peter managed to rip Lily from Reena's grasp during the chaotic fall.
He twisted his body violently in mid-air, throwing the tiny girl safely backward onto the solid concrete floor of the loading dock.
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Peter closed his eyes, fully prepared to hit the freezing, deadly water below to ensure the absolute safety of his brother's children.
Just as gravity began to claim his life, a massive, heavily armored hand reached out over the ledge and grabbed his wrist with bone-crushing strength.
