“I will get them out,” Gideon said, voice hard with resolve.
The cop blinked, gave one sharp nod, and slapped the keys into Gideon’s hand. “I’ll move her to safety and come back and assist.” He continued urging his terrified prisoner to the door. “We’ll swim to the bridge support and you’re gonna hold on there. Help is coming.”
Whoever was en route would not arrive fast enough. Gideon turned back to the two remaining women. The water level had risen and they both had to strain, heads craned toward the precious pocket of air. Mackenzie thrust out her chin again, this time indicating he should release the braided woman.
Still giving orders. He didn’t need her direction.
In any case, he did as she suggested because the freckledlady was clearly starting to panic, breathing fast, inhaling snorts of water that made her cough.
He swam over, dove down, found the wrist cuffs, and unlocked them. She immediately bobbed up into the narrowing pocket of air where he joined her.
“Can you swim?”
She nodded, sucking in huge breaths.
“Okay. Swim the direction you saw the cop go. It’ll be hard work, but you can do it. Kick clear of the van when you get out.” He didn’t want her getting sucked in as the water completely claimed the vehicle.
Her face was dead white, lips bluish. “I can’t. I’m scared.”
“You can,” he snapped, “or you’ll die.”
She pressed her lips together and started to cry.
She wasn’t going to move unless he figured out how to convince her.Patience, Gideon. She’s a civilian, remember?He said more gently, “What’s your name?”
“L-Lorraine.” Her voice was barely a whisper, wet lashes spiky around her terrified eyes.
He took her hands. “Listen, Lorraine. This is scary, for sure, but you have someone who needs you, right? Someone who’s going to be mourning you forever if you don’t get out of here?”
She nodded, and a gleam of determination infused her eyes.
“You can do this. I’ll be right behind you in a minute, and I’ll help you if you need it. I’m a stranger, I know, but you can trust me. You’ve got to.”
She gave him a tiny nod.
He squeezed her shoulder, assisted with a push that propelled her toward the driver’s compartment.
He couldn’t spare any more attention on her because the water was now lapping at Mackenzie’s upper lip. She was not yet in panic mode, but her nostrils were flared, muscles straining.
He dove, following the feel of her arm to the restraints. It required more seconds than it had for Lorraine because he was almost completely numb and his movements clumsy. Praying he wouldn’t lose his grip, he inserted the tiny key and unlocked the cuffs. With one swift kick, she bobbed up to the air pocket. He joined her there just as the van lurched and began to fill in earnest. They had seconds, no more.
“Big breath,” he called over the rush.
They inhaled as deeply they could, dove, and kicked their way toward the driver’s compartment.
When she began to fall back, he took her arm, tugging her next to him. The force of the water shooting in required their combined strength to fight, and she had been in the water longer. By the time they made it, the driver’s area was fully engulfed, so they bobbed to the roof where there were a few precious inches of air. They gulped it in.
He pointed, directing her to shove off the seat to get momentum enough to clear the open window. There wasn’t a spare moment to tell her to swim as far from the vehicle as possible, but her cop training should help unless she completely freaked out.
He didn’t think she would. Mackenzie had grit, no matter what she lacked in judgment.
Without hesitation, she disappeared into the void. The moment he kicked off in her wake he felt powerful suction as the van sank behind him. He powered hard, fightingcold and fatigue, straining with each stroke until he broke the surface. As he blinked away the blur, he caught sight of the cop and the two prisoners clinging together atop the cement platform of the bridge support pier twenty feet from his position. The women’s arms were linked together as they stood, shivering, Rodriquez with them, watching the surface of the water.
Two women.
Where was Mackenzie? He pivoted in a circle without spotting her.
Gideon caught the cop’s attention.
