The Riders Arrive Quietly
They did not arrive like a scene from a film.
No wild shouting. No chaos. No reckless aggression.
They came quietly, from gas stations, side roads, ramps, and rest stops.
One rider merged ahead.
Another held two cars behind.
Two moved into the right lane.
Another held the left.
To everyone else on the road, it looked like ordinary traffic.
But to the driver of the SUV, the highway was slowly narrowing around him.
Rook moved ahead and held a steady pace.
Cole appeared to the right — calm and unreadable.
A broad-shouldered rider named Dean settled into the left lane.
The SUV had nowhere easy to go.
The driver noticed.
His hands tightened on the wheel. The man beside him leaned forward and said something Leah could not hear.
Then the SUV accelerated.
Leah grabbed the seat, her heart hammering.
Rook saw the move before it happened.
He kept his bike steady, matching the vehicle without panic.
Cole spoke through the radio.
“He knows.”
Rook answered, voice low.
“Then we keep it clean. No hero moves. Just hold the road.”
