Chapter 18
Eighteen
A roll of thunder and the zigzag of lightning made Kane glance up.
He didn’t hear Jenna’s words, but her voice carried on the wind.
Behind her a wall of water headed toward them.
He gasped in horror as it washed Jenna and Jo off their feet and they vanished into the torrent.
He could do nothing to save them, for a second later the wave hit him.
It lifted the back of the sedan higher into the air and then tossed it right-side up.
Beside him, Carter also had a firm grip of the roof rack but they’d both lost hold of the woman.
The rope they’d tied to the bumper snapped and the vehicle floated away at high speed along the river.
Legs trailing in the torrent, Kane grit his teeth and climbed onto the roof of the sedan.
He took a firm grip of the roof rack and hauled Carter up beside him and they raced along the river.
“What the heck just happened?” Carter raised his voice above the thunder and stared at the riverbank. “Where’s Jo and Jenna?”
Trying to push words out, Kane turned to look at him. Something inside him had broken. A cold numbness seeped through him. All he could see was the river swallowing up Jenna. He shook his head, grief slamming into him. “They’re gone.”
“What do you mean gone?” Carter glared at him. “Did they fall into the river?”
The sedan lurched and spun, and Kane hung on, desperately searching the riverbank for any signs of life.
He nodded, his throat sore from shouting.
“They were washed away seconds before we got hit by the wave. There must have been a mudslide or the catchment wall has collapsed. It’s slowing a little now.
We need to get off this raft and get to the bank and start searching. ”
“Look ahead, there’s boulders.” Carter indicated with his chin, his voice barely audible above the rolling thunder and raging river. “With luck it will stop us and we can use them to get to shore.”
Mind reeling, Kane pushed into the zone, it was all he had right now.
He needed to think straight. He’d given Jenna all his belongings and she’d placed them in the truck.
He had no phone, no means of communication.
He shook his head and berated himself for his stupidity.
I do have a means of communication. He touched the silver buckle on his belt, a gift from Jenna for Christmas a couple of years ago and Kalo had fitted it with a tracker.
If it hadn’t been damaged by the water, and he doubted it, it should work.
He let go with one hand and pressed the buckle on his belt, feeling it click.
It was something he hoped he’d never need—his instant communication with Jenna and Wolfe.
The moment Wolfe received the call, he would alert Rio and Rowley and they’d find them.
The storm raged around them, lightning flashed, leaving red trails in his eyes, but he made ready for when the sedan hit the boulders.
In a grind of screaming metal, the vehicle slammed into the huge rocks and stuck fast. The jolt went through him, tearing at muscles as the unrelenting water threatened to rip off his arms rather than allow him to escape its watery grave.
A brown swirling mass rose up around them and they leaped together, scrambling onto slippery moss-covered boulders.
He dug in his fingers and toes and dragged himself out of the river.
Beside him, Carter scrambled up the rock like a frog and balanced as if on a surfboard, water running down his face.
Kane recognized the area. Blackhawk had called this place the Devil’s Marbles.
It was a great fishing hole and had just saved their lives.
They climbed across the rocks and then staggered onto the riverbank.
Breathing heavily, they waded through the flood and dropped onto a nearby boulder.
“Now what?” Carter leaned closer. “Where are we? We need help. They could be anywhere by now.”
Gathering his thoughts for a few seconds, Kane sat in the pouring rain.
He’d seen Jenna go underwater, but the swell had picked them up and they’d surfed along.
She hadn’t passed them. Most times bodies float and he’d been watching.
“They didn’t go past us and help is coming.
My belt has a tracker. I initiated the alarm.
” He stood, ignoring the stiffening damaged muscles.
“We need to keep moving. This storm isn’t easing. All we can do is search the riverbank.”
“Let’s go.” Carter took off running, his blond hair darkened by the pouring rain.
Kane followed close behind, stopping to search any piles of debris alongside the river.
Floodwaters had spread across a wide area and were knee deep in places.
He heard Carter yell out and then splash toward a fallen log floating in the murky water.
He ran after him and the yellow markings of an FBI jacket glowed in the half-light.
They’d found Jo, her arms wrapped around a log, her slicker ripped into shreds.
Kane’s breath caught in his throat as Carter lifted her in his arms. “Is she alive?”
“Yeah, thank you, Jesus. She gasped when I lifted her.” Carter waded to a boulder and sat down. “Check her out.”
With freezing fingers, Kane removed one glove and pressed his fingers to her neck.
He nodded. “Her pulse is a little slow. She’s hypothermic.
I can’t find any major injuries. Try and wake her.
” He stared ahead. “We need to find Jenna.” He pulled his soaked glove back on.
“You’ll need to get Jo moving or she’ll die. ”
“I know that. Go, I’ll be right behind you.” Carter patted Jo’s cheek. “Jo, wake up. Open your eyes. You can’t sleep here. I need to get you warm. Jo.”
When Jo moaned, Kane took off. He raised his voice above the storm. “Jenna… Jenna… call out. I’m coming.”
No voice came on the wind.
The storm, flood, and cold didn’t worry him.
He’d been trained to withstand much more than the current conditions and had survived worse.
He moved swiftly, trying to avoid the dead animals and tree branches floating past. Ahead, the river had forced its way through a bridge.
Underneath, it lapped boulders leading to a high brick plateau.
He headed that way. It would be a place of shelter if Jenna had made it that far.
If she’d initiated her tracker ring, everyone would be heading her way.
He searched into the distance for any sign of flashing lights and could only see a wall of rain.
Wading through the fast-flowing floodwater, he gripped the edge of the bridge and climbed the boulders to the plateau.
Water lapped the edges and he choked back a cry at the sight of Jenna, pale as a ghost and sprawled out on her back, eyes closed and arms spread out as if she’d been thrown there.
He scrambled to her side and his hand trembled as he removed his soaked glove to check her pulse.
Under his fingers, life fluttered. Mud covered her face and twigs had stuck in her hair, but she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Meticulously searching for injuries, he ran his hands over her.
She had superficial cuts all over, but her left arm looked wrong.
He ran a hand under her jacket and grimaced.
She’d dislocated her collarbone. With care, he removed her arm from her jacket.
In normal circumstances he’d call for a medic to fix it, but he couldn’t wake her and expect her to walk or be carried.
The pain would be excruciating. He’d performed a relocation in the field once or twice in an emergency and, biting down hard on his cheek, gently manipulated the bone back into place.
As it popped, Jenna screamed as if he’d shot her point-blank and tried to get away. He pressed her down and her eyes shot open and blinked frantically. “Jenna, easy, you’re okay. I’ve got you.”
“Dave? Thank God, you’re alive. The wave—it came out of nowhere.” Jenna burst into tears. “My chest hurts—have I been shot? Are you okay? Jo, Carter?”
Kane held her close and rocked her. “You’ll be fine. Yeah, they’re okay. Banged up some but breathing. Carter is not far behind me. This is gonna hurt. Take a few deep breaths.” He eased her arm back into her soaked jacket and helped her to sit up.
Her teeth chattered like castanets and he needed to get her warm, but it would be impossible.
Dressed in only in a T-shirt and jeans and soaked through, he had nothing to give her to help.
He’d need to make his own heat and sitting here wouldn’t cut it.
When her head dropped and her eyes closed, he gave her a little shake.
Keeping her awake was essential. He frowned.
“We lost the woman in the sedan and haven’t found her body.
She was dead when we pulled her out. We’ll get search and rescue onto it.
Right now, we need to move or we won’t make it back to the boys.
Can you stand? Once we’re off this ledge, I’ll carry you. ”
“I think so.” Jenna groaned when he helped her to her feet. “I’m bruised all over.”
Kane lifted her down from the plateau and they waded to safer ground. He scooped her into his arms and kissed her cold lips. “Snuggle up to me and keep warm. I’ll carry you back to the Beast.”
“It’s miles away.” Jenna pressed her head against his shoulder. “You can’t carry me that far.”
Kane smiled. “I can and I will. I know Carter and Jo are just ahead of us and Wolfe will be on his way. All we need to do is follow the river back toward town and he’ll find us.
Keep talking to me, Jenna.” He wrapped his arms around her and waded through the water.
“Don’t worry, everything is gonna be fine. ”