Her hands were quick and sure.
One more buckle…
Jett submerged for a final time, reaching for the last strap she’d just thrown over the moose’s back. She felt it click into place, secured, when all of a sudden, the large bulk of bull shifted and…
Shit.
She was pinned from neck to waist
Calm. Stay calm.
Jett tried wiggling to no avail.
She attempted pushing at the massive torso, but she had no leverage.
Don’t panic, she told herself again.
From experience, she knew that she could hold her breath for ninety seconds if she remained relaxed.
She could do this. She wasn’t alone. There were a bunch of firemen up above. Surely one of them?—
Jett felt a large splash, and looked over to where the disturbance had occurred, almost sucking in a lungful of water in her surprise.
Trask.
Without protective clothing.
Without a mask.
Well, crap. The foolish man had just jumped in to save her.
As she watched in awe, he kneed the huge beast in the side with no luck, then he ducked down and took a look at her work,yanking on the lines to signal to the people above that the moose was ready for hoisting.
He kept his face right in front of hers, leaning his weight into the moose until?—
The pressure on Jett’s body disappeared.
Trask grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, avoiding the now dangling legs of the moose. Breaking the surface with both their heads, Jett gulped air into her starved lungs.
Yes.
She was alive. Thanks to Trask, but…
The foolish man was going to be a freaking popsicle.
Once the moose was out of the way, another line, already looped, hit the water, and without hesitation, Trask wrapped it around both of them. Hugging her tightly, they were dragged from the well.
“What were you thinking?” Jett scolded in a shrill voice as she loosened the line from around them after they’d both flopped on the ground. She sat up and began scrabbling with his clothes, knowing they had to come off. “Somebody get me some dry things,” she demanded loudly.
Trask sat too, with difficulty, and slapped her hands away.
“I’m fully capable of doing this myself,” he said, but his teeth were beginning to chatter and he didn’t seem like he was moving very fast.
“You crazy man,” Jett admonished. “You couldn’t have waited another minute to see if I could get myself free?”
“Not a chance,” he told her, a shiver wracking his body as someone handed her a towel. She stood, and from above began vigorously scrubbing his head dry as the stubborn man’s fingers fumbled on his shirt buttons, unsuccessfully.
“Oh, here,” she huffed. “Let me.” Castigation in her voice, she dropped the towel to bend down and take over.
