The convoy glided through the streets with practiced precision. The lead SUV, driven by Rafael himself, drove seamlessly while two armored vehicles followed closely behind and another took the rear.
Every corner had already been cleared by advance security. To an ordinary passerby, it looked like the escort of an important politician.
To those who knew...
El Diablo was on the move.
Inside the SUV, silence remained.
The only sounds were the steady hum of the engine and the occasional crackle from the radio clipped to Rafael's shoulder.
Isabella folded her hands in her lap. She had imagined this moment for days. She thought she would be excited.
Instead...
Don't get her wrong, she is excited but also nervous. Very nervous.
She stole a glance at Rafael. His eyes never left the road. Now that's she was behind him, she oukd clearly see the black tattoo behind his ear. It looked like spade.
One hand rested confidently on the steering wheel while the other remained close to the pistol holstered beneath his jacket.
Even while driving... He looked very alert as though danger could appear from anywhere.
She finally broke the silence. "...Thank you."
Rafael didn't answer immediately but did eventually "For what?"
"For allowing me see my dad."
His expression remained unchanged. Another minute of silence followed.
"I just didn't think you would."
His answer was simple. "I don't make promises I can't keep"
Something about it made Isabella smile faintly. "You really don't talk much." Isabella dared to say.
A corner of Rafael's mouth almost moved into what looked like tiny smile. "I talk when necessary."
She sighed dramatically. "That explains a lot."
He didn't say anything.
She laughed quietly to herself. "I don't know how Caleb has survived working with you all these years."
Yet he said nothing. She glanced sideways again.
"Do you ever smile?" She asked.
His eyes remained on the road. "I just did."
She blinked. "What?"
"You missed it."
For the first time....a real laugh escaped her. One that El Diablo actually heard for the first time. It sounded beautiful and it came so natural that It filled the SUV for more than five seconds before disappearing.
Rafael didn't say another word and somehow, the silence didn't feel uncomfortable anymore.
Outside, the convoy left the busy streets behind. The buildings gradually gave way to wider roads bordered by hills and scattered trees. Rafael's fingers tightened ever so slightly around the steering wheel and his eye on the road. They had mapped out a different route to Isabella's house to avoid eyes or enemies or whatever could be lurking in the streets. But something felt wrong.
His eyes flickered to the rearview mirror. The escort vehicles were exactly where they should be.
He looked ahead. It was clear.
Then.....out of nowhere, a black SUV appeared several hundred meters behind them.
He watched it.
Nothing unusual. His men doesn't seem to have noticed.
It maintained its distance. After another curve in the road... It disappeared.
Rafael looked again, perhaps he was imagining things.
Then another mirror check, the SUV was back.
This time... even closer.
His expression hardened almost imperceptibly. He pressed the button on the communication panel.
"Marco."
The response came instantly. "Boss."
"You've got company."
A brief pause. Marco looked back. "We see it."
"Keep your eyes open."
"Already on it." The radio clicked off.
Isabella noticed the subtle change in his face. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
She frowned. "That doesn't sound like nothing."
He didn't answer. Instead, his gaze swept across the mirrors again. The black SUV accelerated.
Another one emerged from a side road. Then another. There were three vehicles now.
Rafael's instincts exploded. "Down!" The command came like thunder.
"What..." Isabella asked out of fright.
"DOWN!" Without thinking, he stretched back and pulled her head down swiftly but carefully.
The very next second, BANG!!. The glass behind Isabella shattered as bullets ripped through the armored glass. Isabella's scream echoed inside the vehicle.
Gunfire erupted from every direction.
BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!
"Ambush!" Marco's voice exploded through the radio. "Protect the Boss!" The escort vehicles immediately spread into formation. One swerved across the road to shield Rafael's SUV. The guards leaned out of windows, returning fire. The peaceful morning vanished in an instant. Rafael's expression remained frighteningly calm.
His left hand controlled the steering wheel. His right reached beneath his jacket. In one smooth motion... his gun appeared.
He lowered the driver's window lowered halfway.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three precise shots.
The driver of one pursuing SUV jerked violently. El Diablo had shot him and his tires too. The SUV slammed into a tree before flipping onto its side. Smoke rose into the air.
"Boss!" Marco shouted through the communication panel. "More incomiing"Another vehicle roared from the opposite direction.
Its passengers leaned halfway out of the windows.
Gunfire rained toward the convoy. Bullets sparked against the armored body of Rafael's SUV. Rafael made sure Isabella was safe. The entire vehicle shook. Isabella covered her ears. Her breathing became erratic. She had never heard so many gunshots. Never smelled gunpowder. Never imagined death could arrive so quickly. She just wanted to see her father not die on the process.
"Stay down." Rafael's voice cut through the chaos.
She obeyed immediately. The convoy continued exchanging fire. One of Rafael's escort vehicles suddenly lurched sideways. It's front tire exploded. It rolled twice before crashing violently into a ditch. The impact echoed. The gunfire continued, the second pursuing SUV driver was hit, one of the shooters was shot.
Rafael's jaw tightened. His foot slammed harder against the accelerator as he shot again. He shove his gun aside as he bullets finished and picked up another one.
One enemy vehicle drew alongside them. Its passenger raised a rifle. Rafael saw it almost too late. The shooter shot at them, a deafening burst shattered the side window.
Instinctively, he threw his arm across Isabella shielding her. Pain exploded through his left arm. A bullet grazed his arm. Blood immediately soaked through the sleeve of his black shirt.
Isabella gasped. "Rafael!"
"I'm fine." He didn't even look at the wound
Another truck attempted to block the road ahead. Rafael's eyes narrowed. He knew what they wanted to do so he gripped the steering wheel with both hands despite the burning pain.
"Hold on." He said roughly.
Before Isabella could react, he stepped on the accelerator pad and shot at the pursing car's tire. The vehicle's driver hit the brake almost immediately and dust filled the air and because he couldn't see clearly, the car crashed into a nearby tree across Rafael killing the driver immediately and an explosion followed. Isabella has never seen such violence in her life before. Her heart fell into her stomach as her entire body shoke.
The radio crackled frantically.
"Boss!"
"We've lost two men!"
"One vehicle is down!"
Rafael didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the road.
Getting Isabella home safely was the utmost priority. That was all that mattered now. More bullets hit the back of the SUV.
After a while, the gunfire stopped. The remaining attacking vehicle had fallen back. Either they got what they wanted or their ammunition had finished, nobody knew.
Several minutes passed before anyone spoke. Isabella slowly lifted her head visibly afraid of her head being blown off.
Her face had gone completely pale. She looked at Rafael. Then at the blood running steadily down his arm.
"Oh my God.... you're bleeding"
He ignored it. His breathing remained steady and his focus unbroken still on the road as they drove back to the estate. Marco's damaged SUV was a distance ahead of them. Rafael drove faster and pulled up alongside him.
"The road's clear, Boss." Marco said, his face was covered in dust and blood that wasn't entirely his.
Rafael nodded once. The estate gates finally appeared in the distance. The massive iron gates swung open almost immediately and they drove in. Only after the gates slammed shut behind them did Rafael finally allow himself to breathe.
The courtyard erupted into chaos. Guards rushed toward the damaged vehicles. Isabella remained frozen inside the SUV. Her hands trembled uncontrollably. She had left the estate expecting to see her father. Instead... She had watched men die.
Rafael climbed out of the vehicle without a word. Blood dripped steadily from his arm onto the stone driveway.
Marco hurried toward him. "Boss..."
Rafael's voice was cold. Colder than it had ever been. "They knew.....they knew we'd follow that route."
Marco lowered his head. "...Yes."
Rafael slowly looked toward the bullet hole covered SUVs.
His expression became unreadable. "This wasn't luck."
A long silence followed. Then he uttered the words that sent a chill through every person standing in the courtyard.
"Someone knew our route."
No one spoke. No one dared to.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
There wasn't just an enemy outside the Navarro estate.
There was one inside.