Chapter 19 - THE FINAL RECKONING
Lily scrambled forward on her hands and knees, crying out, "Mommy!" I sprinted across the rocky terrain, scooping her up into my arms and shielding her face just as Toby lunged toward me from behind with a hidden pocket knife. I spun around, sweeping my leg out with all the fury of a mother protecting her cub, catching Toby squarely in the chest. He lost his footing on the slick, wet grass near the edge of the cliff. For one agonizing second, he windmilled his arms, gasping for air, before gravity pulled him over the precipice. A muffled thud echoed from the rocks far below as the waves crashed ruthlessly against the shore. Sirens began to wail in the distance—not local police this time, but federal marshals and state tactical units coordinated through Agent Miller’s backup tracking beacon hidden in my car’s ignition key. The nightmare was finally colliding with reality, and this time, we weren't running anymore.
