“Chopper,” Gideon said suddenly.
Chopper? She thought she’d imagined him speaking until a light shone down, roving the darkness, blinding them. Gideon waved his arms and she did the same, as much as she could.
“It’s Jake all right,” Gideon said, his tone ecstatic. “He’s dropping a line.”
A line. Survival. Escape. A dream? A last-minute reprieve?
It took several passes before Gideon grasped a nylon rope from the helicopter and six tries before he got it tied around them.
“Ready for a wild ride, Zee?”
It could not possibly be wilder than what they’d experienced since the moment she crashed his wilderness class.
“Why not?” she whispered, her strength almost gone.
She clung to him as they were hauled upward and flown out over the raging waters.
Epilogue
On a blazing August afternoon,Mackenzie walked out of the judge’s chambers with Gideon beside her. The sunshine was glorious, but she buttoned her suit jacket anyway. Warmth was a commodity she could never seem to get enough of.
Six months after their ordeal in Oakleaf, and she was almost healed from the bumps and lacerations and pneumonia she’d contracted after they were airlifted out of the flood zone. Gideon had fared better, but he was several pounds lighter and his face still had a slightly hollowed look. Even after another surgical repair, his shoulder pained him, though he wouldn’t let it show.
A weight had been lifted off her when the robbery charge was dropped in lieu of community service. The court was lenient since Gideon vouched for her and she was cooperating with the police in all parts of the investigation. Sergeant Rodriquez put in a good word for her too. Her punishment was minimal.
Frank Soliel’s body had finally been unearthed from where it was entombed under a massive fallen tree a fullmonth after their rescue. Mackenzie knew his crime ring might not have died with him. Another criminal could have stepped in to take his place. The authorities had asked her not to share any details on social media while they continued their investigation.
She’d acquiesced and paused her podcast with a short broadcast relating the facts about the flood and Bullseye’s death but omitting any reference to Cordelia and Katie. Her days as a social media crusader would continue, she’d decided. There were many cold cases left to be solved, but the inquiry into Frank Soliel’s drug trafficking activities belonged solely to the police now.
Sergeant Rodriquez had been instrumental in having the charges against her contact Lorraine dropped. Mackenzie had visited her after her release and followed through on her promise to help both Lorraine and her mother relocate to Jamaica, where they’d have a fresh start. Kevin was rebuilding his family home. Mackenzie wondered exactly how he had explained everything to the wife he adored.
Gideon took her hand and kissed it. “You look pretty sharp in that silk suit.”
She pulled her hair loose from the neat bun and let it fan out around her face. “I can’t wait to exchange this outfit for jeans and waders. You promised me a fishing trip after things were settled, and my calendar is now officially clear.”
“I’m ready when you are. We can go right now, if you want.” He waved a thermos. “This contains Hearty Chicken Gumbo. It’s the second recipe in chapter five from theThree Hundred Sixty-Five Soup Recipesbook.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m beginning to wish you hadn’t located another copy of that thing.”
“Well, mine was lost in the wilderness, as you know, so it was purely due to my cyber diligence that I found another. This baby is out of print so it’s a collector’s item coveted by soup lovers everywhere.”
“Just how much soup can a person be expected to consume in one lifetime?”
“There’s no limit.” He arched a brow. “You’ve loved all the soups I’ve made so far.”
“Not exactly. The gazpacho wasn’t a winner.”
“Humph. You’re a robber, so what do you know about fine dining?” He assumed a wry expression. “And I’d like to register a complaint. The justice system has become entirely too soft. A couple days of community service was a puny punishment for a woman who knocked me down and demanded my wallet.”
She laughed. “I’m reformed, I promise. And I’m going to work with the cops on solving their cold case backlog until I figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”
“That sounds safer, though I’ve no doubt you’ll find a way to get into trouble.”
She pushed her hair behind her ears. “Will you be there to get me out?” She shot him a quick side-glance, gratified when he tugged at their joined hands.
“You know I will, Zee.”
It was her turn to smile. And blush. They strolled out into the sunny parking lot. “What’s the latest word from Cordelia?”
