Chapter 8 - Steel and Bone
The impact was catastrophic. The armored quarter-panel clipped Julian's left handlebar, sending the motorcycle into a violent, uncontrolled spin. Julian had just enough presence of mind to kick himself free of the machine before it flipped end-over-end, crashing against the cliff wall and exploding into a bright ball of orange flame.
Julian hit the asphalt hard, rolling across the rough aggregate, the friction burning through his clothes and skin. He came to a halt against a concrete barrier, gasping for breath, his left shoulder dislocated and screaming with agony.
Fifty yards ahead, the collision had forced the Range Rover off the road. The vehicle had smashed through the rusted guardrail, its front wheels hanging suspended over the gorge, teetering precariously on the edge of the precipice.
Julian forced himself up. The pain in his shoulder was blinding, but the sight of the hanging vehicle burned away all weakness. With a sickening grunt, he slammed his shoulder back against the concrete post, forcing the joint back into its socket with a dull thud.
Drawing the pistol that had remained tucked in his waistband, Julian limped deliberately toward the wreck.
Steam was hissing violently from the Rover's crushed radiator. The engine was dead. Inside, the airbags had deployed, filling the cabin with white chemical powder.
Julian wrenched the passenger door open.
""Lily!"" he choked out.
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The child was unconscious, slumped against the seatbelt, blood trickling from a minor cut on her forehead, but her chest was still rising and falling. Julian pulled a pocketknife and severed the seatbelt, pulling her limp body gently out into the rain that was beginning to fall.
As he turned to lay her safely on the gravel, a heavy hand grabbed the collar of his shirt from behind. A jagged piece of broken glass drove deep into Julian’s upper back.
