She nodded, hair plastered to her face. “Then what?”
Isn’t it obvious?“Then we wait for rescue. Gonna hopethe cop’s got reinforcements rolling and your would-be assassins are gone.”
She cocked her head. “I’ll go back to jail.”
Anger chewed his gut. “But on the plus side, you won’t be dead,” he snapped. “Nor will they.”
She actually looked contrite. “I didn’t mean to put anyone else in danger.”
He figured with everything going on, he wasn’t required to listen to her lame apology. “We’ll edge around this pile and then we kick off in that direction.” He pointed. “Hold on to my belt. Ready?”
She looked as though she wanted to say something, but instead she clasped his belt at his lower back when he turned. He was so cold he felt only the barest hint of her touch. His limbs were numbed, hers too, their reflexes slowed. As their core body temperatures dropped and hypothermia set in, decision-making, reaction time, and even their ability to communicate would be impaired.
Move it, Landry.
“We’ll get around this pile and then the challenge will be not letting ourselves get swept past the pier.”
He grabbed at the branches, broken ends threatening to puncture his palms. Not that he’d likely feel it anyway since they were submerged in an ice bath. She clawed her way too—trying, he supposed, not to add to his exertion by being a dead weight.
When we’re out of here, I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel about this situation you’vedragged us into, Zee.
The pier seemed impossibly far away when they reached the edge of the tangle. He didn’t stop to let that sink in. Movement was the only thing keeping them alive. He dida visual check to make sure she was still hanging on since he could no longer trust his frozen senses and gestured to communicate it was go time.
He swam for all he was worth, Mackenzie doing the same. Every single moment of physical training he’d forced upon his body paid off as he crossed the treacherous distance, though his right shoulder felt like it was going to snap off. She cleaved the water as cleanly as a half-frozen person could. The waves roiled and sucked at them, and once they had to reroute around a sharp spine of rock that protruded in their path. It was so taxing he prayed they’d have enough strength to haul themselves up the slippery cement pedestal.
Focus on the now.
For an eternity it felt as if the river would win, but inch by inch they extracted themselves from the tumult and finally reached the pier.
When they made it, gasping and panting, he found a series of metal pins embedded in the cement that provided footholds. He insisted she climb first.
She shook her head.
“Not in the mood, Zee,” he snarled. “Out.”
She must have been too cold to argue with her usual bullheaded vigor because she followed his command, leaning on his knee for leverage. When she was clear, she reached a shaking hand to help him. He ignored the gesture and used every last bit of strength to extricate himself.
They crouched on the narrow concrete lip that was no more than eight inches wide, the water pouring off their clothing. When he could force himself to move, he slithered around a couple feet to a spot where he could get avisual on the cop. He waved, almost losing his balance and toppling in. Rodriquez finally spotted him and offered a thumbs-up. The guy probably couldn’t believe they were alive. Gideon could hardly comprehend it either.
“Backup coming?” Mackenzie said in his ear.
He jerked. He hadn’t realized she’d moved so close to him. “Likely.”
He checked his waterproof watch. Twenty-five minutes since he’d entered the water. Backup should have already arrived, even in this bad-weather condition. But it was a scant police presence in a small town with a dam failure looming in addition to the flood—and a whopper of a complication when the two trucks had taken out the prison van. During an emergency, people had to be ready to take care of themselves. He wasn’t at all sure how that was going to work since the cop and the other two women were likely as close to hypothermia as he and Mackenzie.
The two stood shivering, limbs quaking. She swayed. It was becoming difficult for her to maintain her balance on the narrow rim, so he looped an arm around her and pulled her to his side. She did not resist, a clear indication she was starting to succumb. He had no dry clothes he could share in their precarious position, no escape from the frigid temps, only the scant comfort of a shoulder to steady her until help arrived. They half leaned, half stood, the minutes ticking by in excruciating slow motion as the cold knifed into them.
If rescue didn’t arrive soon, it would be too late.
Over the cacophony of the rushing water, he heard the thin wail of a siren. “Cops, finally.”
“One squad car?” She squinted through the spray. “How’s that going to help?”
Before he could answer, a red boat withRescueon the side motored into view with lights strobing. Two life-jacketed men stood on deck, another at the controls, scanning the water with binoculars. His worry ebbed away in a rush of euphoria. He muttered another prayer of thanks as he watched the vessel. The twenty-three-foot Zodiac was made for complicated rescues, with plenty of room for all of them and two motors that would provide enough horsepower to easily handle the current. Never had he thought a boat beautiful before, but this one deserved its own magazine cover.
Mackenzie grinned. “Chic. I would have settled for a rowboat.”
“Me too.”
