Still the bookcase did not move.
Mackenzie stared at Frank. “You’re not leaving here.” The water was up to her waist. She stood between Frank and the hallway he’d been heading toward to make his escape, the glass shard gleaming in her hand.
Gideon fought to make himself heard. “Cordelia can’t hold on to Katie much longer. You have to come help me.”
Mackenzie shot a look at him, agonized. “He can’t just get away without paying for what he’s done. He killed my brother.” She refocused on Frank. “You’re going to stay with me all the way into a jail cell or until we drown. Whichever comes first.”
Gideon repositioned his grip on the bookshelf. “Mackenzie,” he said through gritted teeth, “this isn’t who you are.”
Cordelia’s arms were shaking around Katie. Gideon’s repaired shoulder felt as if it was going to snap.
“Please, help me, Zee.” And then he let his desperation leak into his voice. “I need you.”In so many ways.
She shot a look at him, agony painted on her face. Hisstrength waning, he saw her drop the glass, straighten, and spin around toward him, Cordelia, and the wailing child.
He heaved at the stubborn wood. A corner of Katie’s sleeve pulled from Cordelia’s grasp as the water thundered around them. Water sluiced across the little girl’s face. She coughed and gagged.
Cordelia staggered toward him with her precarious hold on Katie.
“Don’t let them die,” Frank called, his gaze on his struggling daughter.
When Mackenzie made it to Gideon’s side, the water was up to their chests. She grabbed the bookcase, and inch by inch they shoved it just enough to open a narrow gap to the stairwell. While he anchored it in place, Mackenzie swam to Cordelia and escorted her and Katie to the foot of the stairwell.
“Get to the roof,” Frank called across the space, then he hurtled away down the rear hallway.
Mackenzie pushed Cordelia and Katie up the submerged steps.
Gideon nodded at her. “Go. Tell Jake we’re on our way.”
Cordelia held her daughter as high as she could and staggered up the stairs.
Mackenzie looked at the spot where she’d let Frank go.
“Come on,” he said over the rush, giving the bookcase a final shove to secure it in place.
Her expression was pure pain as she joined him, and he couldn’t bear it, not for a second longer. He took her face in his palms and kissed her cold lips, wishing he could absorb the agony she was experiencing. Her grief appearedas acute as the day she’d told him her brother had been murdered.
His forehead pressed to hers, he said, “You did the right thing, Zee.”
Another assault of water shattered the remaining picture window, sending more furniture tumbling with a cascade of glass. Together they squeezed into the stairwell. It was a race against the rising water as they pulled themselves up three agonizing flights, chased the whole way by the reckless flood. The last few steps they had to hold their breath and swim through the stairwell.
They burst out of the final threshold and exited onto the roof, which had become a shallow lake with water up to their shins, rising with every passing second.
Cordelia peered out from the helicopter. Her terror morphed to relief as she saw them. “Hurry! Jake’s got to lift off.”
He pushed Mackenzie ahead. She was as exhausted as he was, running on a whisper of adrenaline, but rescue was within inches. She’d reached a hand up to propel herself into the chopper when another door opened at the far end of the rooftop. Frank charged through and ran toward the chopper. He wielded a fireplace poker like a club.
Of course he wasn’t going to let his family go. Why hadn’t Gideon anticipated the attack?
Before Gideon could hoist Mackenzie aboard to safety, Frank slammed the poker into his compromised shoulder. The agony lit Gideon’s nerves on fire, and he fell face down in the water.
Sparks of pain burned inside him, and he swallowed amouthful of water as he struggled upright, gasping for breath. His vision was blurry, and he fought to keep from collapsing again. As he dashed the water from his eyes, he saw that Mackenzie had desperately clutched Frank around the legs. Furiously, Frank kicked out.
One of his heels caught her in the cheekbone and rocketed her head backward, but she didn’t release her grip.
Jake lifted the skids from the roof, rotors spraying foam. Taking off or trying to dislodge Frank?
Gideon threw himself at Frank’s torso, pulling on his shoulders, adding his weight to Mackenzie’s. Cordelia screamed.
