“Thanks.” Kane tossed him his keys. “Duke will be glad of the company.”
After pushing on the helmet and fastening the chinstrap, Jenna climbed on behind Kane and they took off at breakneck speed up the trail. She clung on to him as the powerful bike bounced over the uneven ground littered with tree roots. How people ran up here, she’d never know. The cool evening air seeped through her jacket and she wished she had thought to pull on a pair of gloves. The dirt bike’s engine sounded louder as they moved deeper into the forest, and although the trail was wide, as the light dimmed the tall pines seemed to close in around them, bringing back horrific memories of atrocities she’d witnessed in this forest since arriving in Black Rock Falls.
“I see them.” Kane’s voice seemed to catch on the wind, and she would have missed it if she hadn’t been stuck so close to his back. “Just ahead.” He slowed the bike and then stopped it some ways from a crowd.
Legs still trembling from the vibration, Jenna climbed awkwardly from the seat and glanced up at him. “Let’s hope we can defuse the situation and let them go with a warning. I don’t like the idea of making an arrest then trying to get them back to town this late in the after
noon.”
“It will be slow-going.” Kane headed toward the crowd. “Sheriff’s department. Break it up, folks.”
The wind had picked up and a cloud of spray from the roaring falls washed over Jenna as she headed after Kane. Ten or more young people, all dressed for running, stood in a circle in a small clearing close to the edge of the rapids. She heard the sound of a slap and inwardly groaned; it sure sounded like a fight. Resting one hand on her weapon, she followed Kane through the small gap in the crowd. “Come on now, people, it’s getting late. Get on your way and give these folks some air.” She pushed between two tall, young men and took in a brawl between four others. She recognized all of them: Owen Jones, who they’d interviewed earlier, and Seth Lyons, Pete Devon, and Dylan Court, who they’d met at Lyons’ house. She raised her voice above the noise of the water. “Hey, break it up.”
Seeing Kane moving to the left, she moved to the right, circling the fighting men. The roar of the rapids rushing down the mountainside was deafening, and it was likely none of the men could hear her. The fight was anything but fair: Lyons and his friends had Jones cornered, and he’d become a punching bag. Ignoring the wet grass and slimy rocks, Jenna took a dangerous path closer to the edge of the rapids to avoid them. She edged closer so Jones could see her. Using her harshest voice, she yelled at them. “Hey, that’s enough! Break it up!”
“You should learn to keep your mouth shut.” Lyons aimed a punch at Jones’s stomach. “I wouldn’t want you to have an unfortunate accident.”
Owen Jones dropped his hands and, astonished, turned to see the sheriff heading his way. The next moment, Seth Lyons moved in with an uppercut. The impact radiated through his teeth. The follow-through was a hard push to his chest. He staggered back, and as his feet slipped on the mossy wet rocks, he went into an uncontrollable slide toward the rapids. Arms flailing, he grabbed desperately for the soaking branches, but to his horror, they slipped through his fingers like wet spaghetti. The roar of the falls was deafening but he could hear raised voices from above him. Unable to stop his momentum toward the gaping abyss behind him, he cursed as the ground under his feet vanished.
Airborne for a millisecond, he seemed to hang above the churning water and then dropped fast. Air and water buffeted him and fear froze his senses for a split second, but he’d skied on higher slopes than this. The next moment, the instinct to survive broke through and he sucked in a deep breath before hitting the freezing water. The air rushed out of him on impact and the bubbling depths enclosed him. Lungs bursting as white, foaming water surrounded him, and unable to determine which way was up, he forced himself to relax. The moment his body started to rise, he kicked madly, broke the surface, and gasped for air.
Ice-cold, churning water slammed down on him as he kicked hard, but a current strong enough to shred clothes had him in its grip. He had no chance of swimming wearing shoes and kicked them off. When he broke the surface again, he realized he’d landed where the water pooled before it raced a hundred feet or so to plunge over the rapids. Bobbing in the rushing water like a cork, he tried desperately to grab at rocks but the icy depths had him in their grip and it was like fighting against the strength of an elephant.
Cold seeped into his bones, and with his strength deteriorating, he had to make a choice. Die here or live. There was only one chance of survival: he had to go over the edge and ride the rapids. He’d watched people in kayaks maneuver their vessels over the waterfall. Downstream the water was wild but not deep. Taking a few deep breaths, he surrendered to the current, folded his arms over his chest, and allowed the water to hurtle him to his fate.
Eighteen
Heart racing, Kane dashed to the edge of the falls, concerned for the young man. He stared into the swirling rock pool below and heaved a sigh of relief. Jones had survived the fall but was flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to swim to a rock. He turned to Lyons. “Did you push him?”
“No, and I have witnesses.” Lyons waved to his friends. “Don’t try to pin this on me. Owen started it, ask anyone.”
Kane hurried downstream, unfastening his belt and intending to dive, but stopped when Jenna ran up behind him and grabbed his arm. “What?”
“It’s about six feet deep down there—you dive in, you’ll break your neck.” Jenna pointed down the trail. “There’s another access point on the big sweeping bend. It will take him time to maneuver around the rocks. If we ride down there, we’ll be able to catch him before he reaches the next falls.”
Kane gave her a nod and they took off running. He had the dirt bike hurtling down the trail at full throttle in seconds. Behind him, Jenna clung on tight, moving with the bends. People heard them coming and pressed into the trees as Kane dropped one boot to the ground to slide the bike around the tight bends. Trees flashed by in a blur of green and the bike bucked dangerously over the uneven ground, but he pushed the speed to the limit. “Come on, come on.”
Ahead he could see the sweeping bend. “Hang on.”
Kane took the turn so fast and low, his knee brushed the ground. When they reached the bend, he could hear Jenna yelling behind him to stop. They leapt from the bike and he took off, stripping off his weapon and jacket. He kicked off his boots and waded into the deep, swirling water. Behind him, Jenna followed suit, gripped tight to the waistband of his jeans and followed him. The current was fierce, and every step felt as if he had great weights tied to his legs. They stood together with a huge boulder at their backs and stared into the light. He set his feet apart to keep his balance and then looked up at the swirling water tumbling down the mountain. “Can you see him?”
“Has he gone past?” Jenna was already shivering.
Kane turned and searched the lower reaches but could only see white water. “I don’t think so.”
Anxiety gripped him as he scanned the swirling bubbles trying to catch a glimpse of Jones. Seconds ticked by, each one stretching like a lifetime, and then out of the swirling, misty haze, a head popped up. “There.” He pointed as Jones came hurtling toward him at speed. He gritted his teeth and then lunged at him, snagging one flailing arm. It took all his strength, but with Jenna’s help, he dragged him onto the boulder.
The young man coughed, spluttered, and then spewed. Kane helped him to sit up. “Where does it hurt?”
“Everywhere.” Jones’s voice was a husky squeak and his teeth chattered violently. “I’m s-so cold.” He looked at Kane. “Thanks for saving me. You too, Sheriff Alton.”
“If you’re okay, let’s get out of this freezing water.” Jenna squeezed Kane’s arm. “Oh good, help has arrived.”
Kane heard someone yelling close by and turned to see a chain of college students making their way through the turbulent water. He grabbed hold of Jones’s arm, and with the students’ help, they staggered out of the rapids and collapsed on the riverbank. Jones’s friends surrounded him, offering him towels and thumping him on the back.
“I’ve called the warden.” A bright-faced young man smiled at Kane. “He’s just up the mountain a ways. The paramedics are on their way too. The warden said he’d take Owen down the mountain to meet them.”
“Thanks.” Kane rolled over to see Jenna shivering beside him. “You should’ve stayed on the bank.”