Page 137 of The Fourth Option
You need a weapon.
His hands reached up and found the Riffe speargun attached to the transition sill where the side of the van met the ceiling. He pulled it free.
Then, taking a huge gulp of air, he held his breath and swam through the van and out the open driver’s-side window. Once clear of the watery tomb, he blew bubbles and slowed his ascent as much as possible to avoid the dreaded bends.
He surfaced seventy feet offshore, sucking in the humid night air, frantically searching for Paladin, looking for a splash, listening for the familiar bark.
Nothing.
He was drifting in the current at what he guessed was about seven knots, the lights of the riverbank sliding past like passing ships. Ahead, the Dorado pier loomed, the pier where Paladin had saved his life.
With his speargun in hand, Walker began swimming for shore.
CHAPTER FIFTY
“SEE ANYTHING?” GROMLEYasked, peering into the darkness, rain soaking him to the bone.
“No. That piece of junk sank fast as fuck,” Dupuis replied.
“Don’t you have any night vision in that truck of yours? You’ve spent enough on your arsenal in that thing.”
“They are on my list for our next real payday.”
The two police officers stood at the water’s edge looking out over the Mississippi. Dupuis held a spotlight in his right hand, his Sons of Liberty AR was in his left. He had affixed a SureFire light and Aimpoint red dot optic and Vickers Blue Force Gear sling just like he had heard spec ops did on some podcast.
They turned toward a splash upriver.
“What was that?” Gromley asked.
Dupuis clicked a button on the handheld spotlight and turned it toward the noise.
“Just a fish.”
Gromley hitched up his pants over his protruding belly.
“You stay here. Give it an hour.”
“Come on, Hound, no one can hold their breath that long. He’s gone.”
“Yeah? Well, you damn well better make sure.”
The older detective turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m getting out of this weather. Hang out so we can tell Bates we observed the area for an hour. Just fucking do what I say.”
“Yes, sir,” Dupuis said, the sarcasm heavy.
Walker swam at a slight downstream angle. It meant he would have a longer patrol to his destination, but he would get to shore faster and wouldnot waste energy fighting the current. Instead that current would be an asset.
He dragged himself ashore and turned to look at the night sky, catching his breath.
Paladin.
“Pal,” he whispered.“Heir.”
Nothing.
