Rick kept his eyes squeezed shut, weeping hysterically.
"Look down," I repeated, my voice dropping an octave, radiating absolute authority.
Rick opened his eyes and looked at the courtyard below. He let out another loud sob.
"That," I said softly, "is what my son saw. You like the view?"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I swear to God!" Rick screamed, clutching his own leg, trying vainly to pull himself upward against my unyielding grip. "My dad will pay you! Whatever you want, please!"
I looked slightly to the right. Leo's red superhero backpack was resting on a narrow concrete drainage ledge on the outside of the railing, about an arm's length from where Rick was dangling.
"Grab the bag," I told him.
"I can't reach it!" Rick sobbed.
I loosened my grip on his ankle by a fraction of an inch, letting him slip exactly two inches downward. Rick shrieked again.
"Grab. The. Bag."
Rick stretched his shaking arms out, blindly feeling for the ledge. His fingers brushed the nylon fabric. He grabbed the top handle of the bag and clutched it to his chest, weeping uncontrollably.
With one smooth, powerful motion, I pulled backward, hauling Rick's entire body weight up and over the railing. I threw him onto the gravel roof. He curled into a pathetic ball, clutching the red backpack, coughing and crying as he gasped for air.
Tyler and Bryce were completely paralyzed. Bryce had tears leaking down his own face just from watching.
"Get up," I ordered Rick.
Rick scrambled to his knees, his hands shaking so violently he could barely keep himself propped up.
"Give the bag to my son," I said.
Rick crawled across the gravel, not daring to stand, and slid the red bag across the roof until it bumped gently against Leo's feet. Leo hid behind my leg, staring at the older boy.
I pointed at Tyler and Bryce. "You two. Take your bags off."
The two boys didn't hesitate. They frantically unzipped their jackets and stripped off their $500 designer backpacks.
"Throw them over the edge," I commanded.
"My laptop is in there," Tyler whispered, terrified.
I took one half-step toward him.
Tyler practically sprinted to the edge and hurled his bag out over the courtyard. Bryce immediately followed, throwing his bag next. We heard the distant, satisfying crunch of expensive electronics shattering against the concrete five floors below.
"Now," I said, looking down at the three of them. "You will kneel right where you are. And you will apologize to my son. You will look him in the eyes, and you will tell him you are sorry."
They lined up on their knees in the gravel. Rick, still trembling, looked at Leo.
"I'm sorry," Rick sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Leo."
Tyler and Bryce echoed the apology, their voices shaking.
I pointed toward the stairwell door. "If you ever look at him again, if you ever breathe in his direction again, I will not catch you next time. Go."
They didn't need to be told twice. All three teenagers scrambled to their feet and sprinted for the heavy metal door, tripping over each other in their desperation to get off the roof. The door slammed shut behind them, leaving only the sound of the wind.
I immediately knelt down in front of Leo, checking him over. "Are you hurt, buddy? Did they hit you?"
"No," Leo sniffled, wiping his nose. "I'm okay, Dad. But I was so scared."
"I know," I said gently, pulling him into another hug. "I was scared too. Let's go home. We're done for the day."