Chapter 8 - THE SHIFT IN POWER
Luke took one step forward as well, closing the distance, his broad chest expanding as he put every ounce of his massive physical presence into blocking the sergeant’s view of the child.
"I said," Luke growled, his voice vibrating so low it shook the metal sheet resting beside them, "leave her out of it."
One of the bikers—a tall, scarred man named Vance—stepped forward, his knuckles white around the handle of a heavy steel wrench. "You're in no position to make demands, President. You've got one working shoulder and no gun."
"I don't need two shoulders for you, Vance," Luke replied, his voice terrifyingly calm.
The sergeant raised his free hand, holding Vance back with a gesture. He looked past Luke’s broad shoulder, his eyes locking onto Sofia’s small, dirt-smudged face.
"What's your name, little girl?" the sergeant asked, his voice adopting a fake, oily softness that made the hair on Sofia’s arms stand on end. "Where do you live? Is your family nearby?"
Sofia remembered Luke’s warning.
She remembered the way his grip had felt on her wrist, the genuine terror in his eyes when he saw the police lights, and the absolute certainty in his voice when he had told her to protect her grandmother.
She didn't step out from behind Luke’s leg. She didn't reveal her name. She reached out with her right hand, grabbed the handle of her heavy canvas scrap bag, and pulled it closer to her shoe.
She looked the police sergeant directly in the eyes, her voice small, cold, and clear.
"I don't know you," Sofia said.
The sergeant’s fake smile vanished. His eyes narrowed into two bitter slits as he realized the nine-year-old girl was not going to cooperate.
"Smart kid," Vance sneered, raising his iron wrench. "Makes things simpler."
Luke didn't wait for Vance to swing.
Even with an injured shoulder, Luke moved with terrifying, explosive speed. He drove his right fist forward like a battering ram, striking Vance squarely in the center of his chest.
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THWACK.
The massive biker was launched backward, his iron wrench flying from his hand, slamming heavily into a stack of aluminum cans with a crash that echoed across the entire six-acre recycling yard.
