Page 107 of Night Watch
“I’ve got her,” Erik yelled. He climbed to the back of the slippery boat as Drake continued upriver so he could talk to his brother without shouting. “They stopped in the middle of the river. She just dropped the anchor.”
He shifted so Drake could see the live feed just as Kennedy leapt off the boat and into the water. She disappeared below the surface.
Erik’s heart refused to beat.
“Water’s too cold for her to last long,” Drake said, his hand still on the throttle and powering their boat forward. “We need to hurry.”
Erik had his focus glued to the screen and finally saw Kennedy battling the strong current near the motor. “She’s okay.”
“What in the world is she doing?” Drake asked. “Edwards has a gun, and he’s making his way to the back of the boat. He could shoot her.”
She disappeared under the water with the branch just as Edwards reached the back. He stood to survey the area, slapping the rain from his face and holding a hand over his eyes. He dropped to his knees on the seat and set the gun down to reach for the anchor rope.
“No time to call the coast guard,” Erik said. “We have to hope Kennedy swims to shore. We’ll ram the boat. Or shoot the guy. Move.”
Drake pushed the throttle harder, and the boat lunged forward. Erik slid back on the slippery seat and, as the boat rose in the churning water, continued to watch the screen.
“She surfaced and is swimming for shore,” he shouted. “We can hit the boat with no problem.”
“Roger that,” Drake said.
On the screen, Edwards pulled the rope, hand-over-hand. He’d soon have the anchor up. But too soon for Erik and Drake to take him out?
Erik didn’t know. Wouldn’t know until they were right up on the guy.
The cold water threatened to numb all Kennedy’s muscles, the rain obscuring her view, but she could still save herself. She’d moved far enough away from the boat that she hoped Edwards thought she was swimming for shore, then behind him and out of his view, she cut back to the other side of the boat.
Her injured hand ached, but it seemed like the cold and adrenaline kept the pain under control. Near the boat, she located the perfect branch and rested it under her chin.
Choppy river waves lapped at her face and mixed with the rain. Gagged her. She coughed. Cleared her throat. Wanted to give up. The cold telling her body to give in.
No. Not today. Keep moving.
She fought the current. Fought the cold. Fought the desire to give in. She had so much to live for. Erik. Finley. Somehow, she would be with them both. They could figure it out. If he’d have her.
She reached the boat. Saw Edwards pulling up the anchor as she suspected he would do to come after her. He was off balance. Perfect. She surged up on the boat and hooked her elbows over the edge for support. With her good hand, she grabbed a branch from the water. She thrust it into Edwards’s backside and sent him toppling over the edge as the force propelled her back into the water.
She let her adrenaline fuel her and pulled herself back into the boat. She lay in the cold bottom unable to move and prayed with everything she had that God would send someone to rescue her.
“Kennedy’s something else,” Drake said.
Erik agreed. She’d knocked a recently armed man from a boat and had gotten back in. “Pull up alongside, and I’ll board.”
“What about Edwards?”
“Drop me off in their boat and check on him.”
Drake nodded and eased their boat alongside Kennedy’s while Erik brought the helicopter in to land.
“But be ready if we need to use this boat to take Kennedy in. With the bigger motor, we’ll get back to her place faster.” Erik grabbed an emergency blanket from the kit that Villanueva had provided and leaned over to grab Kennedy’s vessel.
He hopped into the boat toward the bow so he wouldn’t risk stepping on her. His feet slipped on the slick bottom, but he grabbed a seat to stop his fall.
“Honey,” he called out through the still pounding rain. “Are you okay?”
“Just c-c-cold.”
His heart soared at her voice, but he didn’t like how cold she seemed. He climbed over the seats, wanting to focus only on her, but kept his eyes out for Edwards. Erik grabbed Kennedy’s gun and stuffed it in his pocket, then dropped to the bottom of the boat in the middle where he could see both sides.
