Page 111 of Solid as Steele
25
“No!” Owen shouted
Leach cackled like a madman and paddled away. Owen’s brain screamed to chase Cassie’s killer. His heart screamed to save Mackenzie.
Mackenzie.She had to come first.
The large rock loomed ahead. Owen threw the motor in reverse and kept his eyes on the water, watching for Mackenzie to surface. He knew she would. The life jacket would ensure that. For now.
She popped up, coughing and gagging. Sputtering.
He held out an oar and slowed the engine to a crawl.
She reached up. Missed it. The oar passed her by. He dropped it into the boat. Bent over the side. Grabbed hold of her hand and lifted with every ounce of his strength. The current threatened to rip her free. He held fast, and with his free hand revved the throttle to reverse against the demanding current.
The large boulder loomed ahead. The boat inched back, but the current wanted to drag them forward.
Mackenzie clutched his wrist with her other hand, looking at him. Pleading for help.
His arm strained under her dead weight. “I won’t let you go.”
“The water is freezing,” she got out between chattering teeth.
His heart broke. Shattered. He had to do better for her. Just had to.
He pushed the motor harder. Got the boat into a position to angle into shore. Lifted his arm to bring Mackenzie higher out of the water. She was like an anchor. Ripping his muscles. Burning, straining.
He changed the motor to move the boat forward and pointed the bow toward the shore. He rammed into the rocky soil. Mackenzie’s body grew lighter. She must be touching bottom.
She released him. “Go ahead and let me go. I can get to shore now.”
He let go, the remaining pieces of his heart shattering. She clambered onto the rocky beach. Had the remaining strength to grab the boat bow and direct it into a dry spot, then she collapsed.
Killing the motor, he catapulted over the seats and out of the boat to tug it further up land so the current couldn’t sweep it away.
He bolted over to Mackenzie and looked her over. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Just my pride.” She shivered like a frightened animal.
“Your hand is okay where he hit it?”
She looked at it. “It’s sure to bruise but nothing’s broken.”
“You have to get out of those wet clothes.” His anger at Leach tripled. “I’ll get the blankets and give you my rainsuit. You can go behind the trees and change into it.”
She nodded.
He grabbed the dry bag containing the blankets, thankful for the supplies they’d bought and for the bags Grainger had provided. He raced back to Mackenzie and shed his rainsuit.
She had the SAT phone in one hand and her cell in the other. “I’ll call Ryan. They can intercept Leach downstream.”
She looked at Ryan’s number on her cell, then stowed it, and with a shaking finger she dialed the SAT.
Owen held out his hand. “Give me the phone and get changed.”
She handed it over without comment and gathered up his suit and took it and the bag with blankets toward the trees.
He faced the water.
