Stories published in my book "Para Vivir Seguros (2005) If you missed the previous story, here it is: ##565740

The Lombardi family's car started making an unusual noise as they passed the highway toll. Leonardo Lombardi was distressed by the creaking sounds that occurred when he turned the steering wheel. He thought that after a day at the beach, when all they wanted was to get home, shower, and rest, it would be incredibly bad luck if their Renault Megane broke down.

"As long as it's not the CV joints," Leonardo said to his wife Marisela. "I've been hearing a little noise for days now..."

Lombardi shifted to third gear and accelerated. The noise continued and suddenly increased. They felt something break and the car began to lose speed. He managed to pull over to the right side and stop. He turned off the engine and turned it back on. But when he tried to shift into first gear, there was a loud noise, he released the clutch, and the car didn't move. The drive wheels were disconnected from the engine.

Leonardo Lombardi knew that a CV joint had broken and that it couldn't be fixed there on the highway. He turned on the hazard lights and looked at his wife.

"Well, we have a problem. The car won't move. We're going to need a tow truck. Stay in the car and keep the kids calm. Tow trucks should pass by here... I'm going to set up the safety triangle."

Mrs. Marisela felt her husband open the trunk and move the beach bags until he found the safety triangle. She checked her watch. It was 9:40 PM. There were still many vehicles and buses speeding down the highway, indifferent to the fate of the broken-down Megane. Despite the nearby traffic, Mrs. Marisela felt very vulnerable in the semi-darkness. She looked at her three small children, asleep, leaning against each other. As long as they didn't wake up, get scared, and start crying. She looked around. They had just passed a pedestrian bridge. To the left was a hill covered with shanties... To the right, she couldn't see anything but guessed there was a slope. In the distance, the lights of the shanty towns and the glow of the city. She saw Leonardo return after placing the safety triangle. She thought the danger could come from that area of shanties or from a car stopping to rob them... Her husband was by the Megane and leaned in through the window.

"Now to find a tow truck. Are the kids still asleep? Stay in the car."

"My love, be careful with that neighborhood over there..."

"Yes, I'm very alert."

Several minutes passed. Marisela Lombardi felt growing anxiety and tension. She breathed a sigh of relief when a tow truck stopped in front of them. She saw Leonardo run to the tow truck driver and have a brief conversation. Then he came back to the car.

"My love, it's all sorted. The man is going to help us. We'll take the car home. You don't need to get out."

The tow truck began to reverse until it was close to the Megane. The tow truck driver started his hooking operations while Leonardo supervised. Suddenly, Marisela Lombardi felt a deep sense of discomfort and something told her not to stay inside the car. Ignoring her husband's instructions, she opened the door. She thought the fresh air would calm her. She took two steps towards the slope and froze. A few meters below, shapes were moving in the darkness, quickly climbing towards them. They were two men, crouched, climbing the slope. Mrs. Lombardi turned around. She immediately assessed that the car hookup would take longer and the two men would reach them... She took two steps back and shouted.

"Leonardo!"

Her husband looked up and gestured for her to wait. He was directing the reversing tow truck. Marisela ran towards her husband.

"Leonardo! Two guys are coming up the slope... They're going to get us! The kids! Do something."

This time Leonardo Lombardi reacted. He drew the Taurus .38 revolver he had at his waist and ran to the spot his wife indicated. He reached the edge of the slope seconds before the two strangers finished climbing. He felt his heart rate increase. He pointed the gun at them, holding it with both hands.

"Stop right there!"

The two climbers looked up and saw the silhouette of the armed man pointing at them. They froze.

"Don't move or I'll shoot!"

One of them managed to say:

"But, friend, calm down, we were going to..."

"Nothing of 'friend.' Not another step or I'll shoot. Very slowly, without making any sudden moves, you're going to go back down... Go on, move!"

"But, don't get mad..."

Leonardo Lombardi cocked the revolver. The two men heard the metallic click and slowly began to descend the slope. The tow truck driver had approached. When Lombardi judged they were at a safe distance, he shouted:

"Now, stay there until I tell you to move."

In a low voice, he told the tow truck driver:

"Finish hooking up quickly. Those guys were going to rob us..."

Five minutes later, they were rolling in the Megane, with the front lifted, being towed home. The Lombardi couple sighed with relief.

"That was a scare. Hey, my love, how did you see those guys?"

"I swear I don't know. It was very strange. I felt very anxious and something inside me told me to get out of the car. As soon as I did, I saw them..."

"Well, thank goodness you thought to get out... What a coincidence, right?"

"It wasn't a coincidence, Leonardo. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't a coincidence..."