The man approached a drawbridge. Traffic had stopped at the lights. Cyclists and the foot traffic paused too. The drawbridge had already started lifting, but that didn’t deter Merrick.
Would the bridge operator stop the process? Could he? Cole had no idea.
“You can’t make that. You’re not going to make it!” Cole shouted, but he, too, continued forward.
The bridge became unnavigable, and Merrick appearedto only now realize his mistake. He turned to face Cole instead. Brandished his knife. He’d lost his gun at the library.
Cole still had his. “Give it up, man. You’re done. It’s over. Police everywhere are looking for you. I know you’re working for Martin.” He wouldn’t make promises. He wasn’t a lawyer. But bring this guy in, and he could roll on his boss’s crimes.
“You got me all wrong,” Merrick said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
There was that aspect too—he’d been hired to do a job. But Cole doubted that was the case here, given the connection. And with the words, vessels were lining up to pass under the drawbridge as it continued lifting. Cole was no fool, and he started backing down the ever-increasing angle of the lifting drawbridge.
Knife in hand, Merrick suddenly ran toward him. Cole realized that law enforcement vehicles had approached. Officers had accumulated at his back. He lowered his gun.
“Look, put the knife away,” he said. “I don’t want to shoot you. I don’t want either of us to get shot.”
The man suddenly veered toward the rail, surprising Cole with his intention.
“No! Don’t!” Cole shouted.
Merrick jumped over before Cole had even finished shouting.
Oh,for crying out loud.
“You think that’s going to stop me? You’re in for a rude awakening. I’m not afraid of the water.”
But that wasn’t true.
He’d hated it ever since the helicopter crash. He’d hated it after being stranded on the rocks with the king tide coming toward him. The ocean had nearly taken Jo from him. But Merrick had been the one to send her off that ferry.
And Cole would end this.
For Jo.
It was now or never. His cell phone was going off. Text alerts and rings. Yeah, that was about to end.
Cole raced toward the edge, peered down to make sure this wasn’t a suicide jump, then gripped the rail and jumped over too.
Into the darkest fear he’d ever known.
35
Jo stood under an awning, shivering, even with a blanket over her jacket. Police cruisers were all along the street. A couple of fire trucks too.
Fear for Cole squeezed her throat. Detective Sanders stood near and spoke to the WSP detective. She couldn’t even think of his name right now. Nor could she make out their words with all the street noise.
The wind and rain.
Sanders moved closer, leaned in, and said, “I wouldn’t worry. Remember, he was special forces. He’s been trained to survive the most extreme circumstances.”
If only she could trust Cole’s training and skills. She’d sensed that he struggled with water. Oceans, lakes, and rivers. And for good reason. He’d been through a lot of bad that was associated with large bodies of water, not the least of which was last week, when he’d pulled her out of Puget Sound. She could have died. He’d risked his life to rescue her. In the past, he’d never said much about his fears, but she’d seen his reaction every time she mentioned wanting to go on a long walk on the rocky beach, whichshe absolutely loved. Cole was as strong and as sharp as any man she’d ever met, and he hid his fears well. He was determined to overcome them.
“I don’t understand, though,” she said. “How did he end up in the water?”
“Police say he jumped in after Merrick.”
“But why? Why would he do that?” He risked his life. He could have waited for a better chance to catch him. Her fury over his decision nearly overshadowed her fear for him.
