“Si.”
She shivered and said, “Okay.”
“You speak English?”
“Yes.”
Hunter felt her body tiring as she said, “We’ll find her, and I’ll keep you safe. Okay?”
Her small lower lip trembled and a fat tear dropped from the long lashes of one eye, but she didn’t cry or become hysterical.
“What’s your name?”
“Anita.”
“Okay, Anita, my name is Hunter. I don’t see a boat coming to help us, and I’m getting a little tired treading water, so how about I swing you onto my back? You can hold my neck while I swim and take us to shore.”
Anita nodded and moved to Hunter’s back, putting her small arms around the woman’s neck. She said in a shivering voice, “Okay.”
Hunter began with a breast stroke and started toward the eastern shoreline. After a few hundred yards, the shore looked as if it had retreated. Hunter said to Anita, “I’m going to pick up the pace and get us there faster, okay?”
“Okay.”
The kid was tough, although she did choke her rescuer a couple of times by squeezing too tightly around Hunter’s neck as she swam. Hunter had to squawk at her to not hold so tight, and Anita loosened her arms.
Ten minutes later, Hunter heard an engine and some music coming from behind her, so she turned to see a large pontoon boat coming towards them, with a half-dozen people on it, all staring at Hunter in the middle of the lake as if she was a unicorn.
The boat idled to a stop beside her and a couple of the m
en on it reached down to help the child off her back and into the boat first, then Hunter. The tall guy driving the boat said, “You and the baby just jumped off the bridge, or did you fall?”
“We didn’t fall. She was thrown over, and I jumped after her.”
His face showed surprise and concern, “Somebody threw a baby off that, and you jumped, from way up there? Son-of-a-bitch. They deserve to be put under a jail.”
“I’m hoping.”
“My name’s Keith. Where do you want me to take you?”
Hunter pointed to the shore on the east side, “I’m Hunter, and over there would be great.”
“You’re not local, are you?”
“No, on vacation and visiting my friend who lives here.”
Keith said, “You might find some less adventurous activities to do while you’re here.” He grinned.
The boat reached the shore ten minutes later and Hunter thanked the boat people before stepping to dry land with Anita in her arms. She took her time as she looked for any trouble. She felt tired, but not exhausted. Anita wanted down, so Hunter put her on the ground to walk. Anita stayed close as Hunter watched for Norma. Anita shivered so hard that Hunter heard her teeth chattering, so she pulled off her tee shirt, leaving Hunter in her bikini top and said, “I’m going to lay this on that big rock over there. The sun will have it warm in no time. Then you can put it on.”
Hunter placed the shirt flat on the rock, then she squatted on her heels and leaned back so the sun warmed her, too. Anita cuddled to her for warmth. Both stopped shaking after a few minutes and Hunter slipped the big tee-shirt on the six-year-old.
By the time Norma showed up, landing on shore in her bass boat no less, Anita and Hunter had dried. Hunter said, “What’d you do, fish in a tournament before you came for us?”
“It was already docked at the marina, and I thought it might be faster to find you instead of driving here in the truck. I figured you were still treading water out there.”
“Any more treading and I’d be a floater.”
They slipped into the boat and roared toward the marina where Norma had parked her pickup. Norma said, “The authorities will be waiting.” She glanced at Anita’s small form and said, “Her mother will be there, too.”