“Do you really think I’d force you to go out there, if it didn’t mean the difference between life and death?” Again, his expression didn’tchange.
“No, Idon’t.”
“And do you think I’d take Trigger out there strapped down like this, unless it was absolutelynecessary?”
Frustration teemed through her veins. More than anything in her life, she wanted not to go into that water, but it wasn’t just her life they were talking about. Not by a long shot. “I don’t understand, how can you be socalm?”
“It’s my job. And I’m very good at what Ido.”
“So, you are military,” she blurtedout.
“Not anymore. And I’m not going to be alive much longer if we don’t move. C’mon, Audra. You can dothis.”
She knew she had to go in the water, even though every cell in her body was telling her to run. She blew out a breath. “Okay, forTrigger.”
Diggs nodded and echoed, “For Trigger.” And then, still gripping her hand in a gentle yet inescapable clasp, Diggs led her back to where they’d set down the dog. “We’re going to walk straight through those reeds. Do your best to stay as quiet aspossible.”
Why did they need to be quiet now? Was anyone here yet? And then, as if on cue, headlights arced over the tree line and the sound of engines swarmed herhearing.
“Let’s go. Remember, stay quiet. If you start to panic, focus on me. I will not leave you.” Then Diggs leaned down to pick up the carrier, leaving her no choice but to do thesame.
The plastic handles felt measurably heavier this time, and she had to strain her muscles to keep up across the few feet to the tall marsh. She was surprised by the thickness of the grass and the sharpness of the blades, like tiny knives slicing across the exposed skin of her legs. Everything about this place screamed danger, and they were walking right intoit.
Diggs entered the water first, striding straight in without any hesitation. Audra had to keep up or risk dropping the dog. Trigger was still awake, his eyes fixating on each and every little thing around them as if he too were assessing threats. When the water hit her ankles, she froze. Her entire body shut down, no matter how loud she screamed in her head to keepmoving.
“Audra, eyes on me.” Diggs was looking at her, even though she knew he heard the sound of car doors slamming and men issuing orders in front of thehouse.
Wishing she was brave like him, knowing how much of a coward she actually was, Audra nodded and focused on getting one foot in front of the other. Diggs didn’t rush her. He moved with her, his breathing the same as before. Steady and measured. She hesitated only once, when the water was up to her neck. Trigger floated on top of the water, just like Diggs said he would, and unlike her, Trigger didn’t whine or flinch. She got the feeling he was in the same mode as Diggs, neither of them afraid ofanything.
The thick sucking mud fell out from beneath her feet, and she dropped beneath the surface of the water. She couldn’t see anything, hear anything. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart was pounding in her ears. This was it, she was going todie.
Suddenly, a strong hand gripped her arm and yanked her above the surface. She came up sputtering and coughing. Diggs immediately covered her mouth with his hand and held a finger to his lips. His head was barely visible above the surface of the water, like he was one with the darkness that was slowly chokingher.
She couldn’t do this. She’d told him she couldn’tswim.
She wasn’t just going to die out here, she was going to take Trigger and Diggs down with her. The thoughts in her mind were reeling as she tried to kick away, but Diggs held on tight, unwilling to let hergo.
* * *
Audra had panicked.He could see it in her wild-eyed expression and the way her pupils dilated and rolled around in her head like she’d completely lost her bearings. He’d seen her slip under the water and yanked her up immediately, holding Trigger with his other hand. But when she’d come up fighting, he’d been forced to let the dog float on hisown.
He could hear the men combing through the house, quickly and efficiently. The new team wasn’t messing around. Diggs could smell their deadly determination—they were here to kill. If Diggs didn’t get them the hell away right now, they were all as good asdead.
“Can you hold onto myback?”
When she didn’t hear him, he knew terror had its grips on hermind.
Diggs yanked her to his chest, flattening his palm against her back so that she was pressed fully against him in the water. “Feel me breathing. Slow your breaths. Match mine.” When she didn’t try to jerk away from him again, he continued in that same slow melodic voice. “You can do this, Audra. You can do it for yourself, and you can do it forTrigger.”
The house up the slope had gone completely silent and Trigger was now a good 10 feet away from them. They weren’t even halfway across the lake yet, completely exposed in their current position and more than likely seconds from beingspotted.
“I’m going to turn around. I want you to roll onto your back and grab the handle on my pack and don’t let go. Just float. You don’t have to swim to dothat.”
“Diggs, Ican’t.”
“You can. I told you I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Even if it’s only until we get out of this lake, I need you to trustme.”
He’d saved her life – she should trust him. She did trust him. She did. Now, if she could just get her heart to slow down and listen she might actually be able to put herself in that dreadfulwater.
