He waded in. The biting cold water took his breath. As a former water-rescue professional with Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, he knew that going into this water without a wetsuit at this time of year could result in death in a very short period of time. He had to be careful not to submerge his full body and not stay in the water too long. But he wouldn’t risk waiting for him to swim to shore. The intruder could turn and swim off faster than Dev without fins could catch him, and Dev would lose their suspect.
He panted a few times to catch his breath, then moved ahead.
The dark figure inched closer and closer, slickly gliding through the still water, leaving ripples behind. He suddenly stopped. He’d likely made out Dev’s approach.
Good. Now Dev could take him down.
The black head didn’t surface, leaving the slick top of his skull unmoving and just cresting the water.
Dev waded in closer, readying himself for an assault. The water gently lapped at his waist, and the cold numbed his legs.
Something whooshed through the water, aiming directly at him. A sharp barb pierced his hip. Severe pain stabbed him, radiating up his body. He fought through the pain to stay upright.
He reached down. Found a spear from a speargun piercing his hip. He let his fingers trail around to the back. The sharp spearhead had gone straight through. He knew enough first aid and anatomy to know this could’ve ripped through his femoral artery. He could be bleeding out. He would check, but it was too dark to see if blood filtered through the water. If he was bleeding out, he would soon lose consciousness.
Get out of the water. Now. You can’t do battle with this guy until you assess your wound.
He started to back up, his bare feet sinking in the silt and slowing him down.
The spear on his hip was ripped forward. Dev stifled a shout of pain.
His assailant must have left the line attached to the spear and was jerking him into the water. Dev stood his ground, but the pain threatened to take him down. Bury him in the water.
Another jerk of the line. Another wave of excruciating agony. Injuries that contacted both muscle and bone created the worst kind of pain, and extreme anguish told him the spear put him in that category.
The assailant pulled again. The pain consumed Dev. He reached for his sidearm. The area spun around him, and he lost his balance, falling. The water slapped into his face. Cold. Numbing.
His assailant lunged out of the water. Muscular. Moving fast. He flipped Dev over. Dev saw black with the pain, and his sidearm slipped from his hand. The assailant shoved his arm under Dev’s shoulder, then wrapped the line from the spear around his neck.
He tightened the hold, cutting off Dev’s oxygen supply. Dev had no weapon. No defense. He clawed at the line but couldn’t get his hands under the cord. A jerk of the line from the assailant, tugging on the spear froze Dev’s muscles, and he couldn’t continue to fight.
The area around him turned black. He was losing consciousness.
Please don’t let this happen. Please don’t let this guy kill me and get to Kinsley. Please protect her, Lord, please.
And with that prayer, the night went black.
