Nadia nodded quickly, left Dominic with Ghania, and climbed into the car. Dominic was surprisingly mature. Even though his dad was nowhere in sight and his mom was leaving, fear and unease churned inside him, but he didn't cry, fuss, or say a word. He just let Ghania hold his hand, staring bravely at his mother as she drove away. They drove Natalie's Ford Transit along the main road. Knowing Roderick and the others definitely weren't up on the hillside, Cassian kept the van steady but moving fast. Soon, they reached the security gate at the entrance to the Hillside Villa District. The heavy fog made visibility terrible, so Cassian slowed, carefully guiding the van along the winding mountain road. Everyone else kept their eyes on the surroundings through the windows, scanning for any sign of Roderick and the kids. After a while, Natalie, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly straightened and pointed ahead. "There. Someone's there." Cassian grunted and eased the speed down even more. A shadow moved ahead, a lone figure. From the shape alone, they couldn't make out the clothes or details to tell who it was. From the back seat, Harold leaned forward. "The numbers aren't right. It could be someone else. Stay sharp." Natalie said calmly, "If it seems off, just run him down." Cassian nodded. "Got it." Normally, there was nowhere to live on Greenhaven Mountain except for the Hillside Villa District. Anyone out here was almost certainly an intruder and probably dangerous. Running them over wouldn't be a problem. Everyone stayed tense as the shadow drew closer.Then Nadia's eyes lit up, and she shouted, "Roderick! It's Roderick!" She'd never mistake her husband's walk. Sure enough, as they got close enough to see his face, the others realized it too. "It's really him," someone said. Cassian stopped the van. Nadia, overcome with relief, flung the door open and ran forward. "Honey!!" Roderick looked startled as she threw herself into his arms. "Babe? What are you doing out here?!" The panic that had lodged in her throat finally eased. Her voice shook with tears. "Where did you go?! You scared me half to death!" Roderick started to answer, "I was just ... " But then he saw Natalie and Cassian stepping down from the van. He quickly greeted them, "Mr. Holland, Ms. Ashford." Then he asked, "I heard nonstop gunfire from the hillside. Are you all okay?" Nadia shook her head. "We're fine. Mr. Holland and the others had assault rifles. They wiped out all the intruders." Roderick let out a long breath. "Thank God ... I kept praying when I heard the shots. I'm glad you're all safe." Cassian looked him over. There was dirt on his face, dusty clothes, and a hole ripped in his pants at the knee. He looked like a total mess. "What happened to you? He glanced behind Roderick. "And where's Lucky and the others?" Natalie, tense but calm, stared Roderick down, waiting for answers. Roderick looked uneasy. "I tripped ... Lucky and the others ... I lost them." Natalie and Cassian said at the same time, incredulous. "Lost them?!"Even Nadia's eyes widened. "Honey, it's such a short distance from Villa 1 to Villa 5. How did you lose them? What happened? And why are you even out here?" Natalie and Cassian were waiting for the same answers, their eyes fixed on him. Roderick blinked, overwhelmed. "I ... " Olivia's head popped out of the van. "Get back inside. Talk there." Harold added, "Yeah, it's too dangerous out here. Get in." The thick fog hid everything around them, making unseen dangers easy to spring. Natalie glanced around, then nodded. "Back in the van." They all climbed in. Roderick took a moment to gather himself before explaining. After tricking the three little ones into following him, he headed toward Harold's house. Just as they left Villa 1, he heard an explosion. Lucky bolted down the main road toward Villa 5, with Baron and Cash right behind. Roderick chased after them, and soon, they reached Harold's front yard. The courtyard was full of black smoke, and the gate was badly damaged. "Villa 5 got blown up? Who did this?!" Roderick gasped. Luckily, the doors and windows were intact, and the walls hadn't collapsed. Roderick looked around but saw nothing—just endless fog. Then Lucky sniffed the ground and led Cash and Baron forward, tracking something. Roderick knew Lucky's nose was sharp. He'd picked up a scent and was following it.