Daredevil’s Run

with the strength of his arms so he could see what everyone else had seen already. It took him seconds to find it- the spot of dark in the sea of white. Tahoe’s head, barely keeping above the water, sometimes dipping under.

Matt yelled, “He’s lost his vest!” at the same moment Alex started shouting commands-commands mixed with some passionate swearing.

“He’s not buoyant, may not be conscious, might not be able to grab the rope! Get those paddles in the water, dammit! Now!”

Matt knew what had happened, and he was sure Alex did, too. Tahoe’s life vest had evidently gotten caught on something underwater. Anybody with less experience, less presence of mind than the guide, would have been dead, but somehow the man had managed to keep his head, extricate himself from the vest and get his head above water. Problem was, without the buoyancy of the life vest, he was at the mercy of the river’s hydraulics-the action of the water. No way to keep himself from being bashed and battered against the rocks.

Alex was right. He might be barely conscious, unable to grab hold of the line.

Matt knew what needed to be done and didn’t stop to ask permission. He knew he was the only one who could do it. Grabbing hold of the boat’s fat slippery tube, he hauled himself up and over the side, and slid headfirst into the river.

Chapter 5

Matt heard the shouts as he went over the side, and ignored them.

Surfacing, he yelled, “Throw me the line!” He shut out of his mind the vision of his brother’s face peering down at him, pale with shock and fear, and focused on Alex’s furious one instead. “Dammit, Alex, give it to me- now!”

Then the bag was arcing through the air above him, and he reached up and snagged the line and got it around his chest and snugged up tight. He got a bead on the head he could just see drifting toward him, riding the current at what seemed an impossible speed, and struck out swimming crosscurrent to intercept. Swimming harder than he’d ever done in his life, knowing if he missed the rendezvous…

Missing the rendezvous wasn’t an option.

Then he had the man in his arms.

“Hold on, buddy-I’ve got you.” Did he say it out loud, or only in his mind?

He felt Tahoe’s broad body, slippery and cold in its wet suit, turned him and hugged him tight to his own chest. He felt the pull of the rope fighting hard against the pull of the river, and let others fight that battle while he concentrated on keeping the river guide’s head above water. He could hear yells of encouragement above the rush and roar of the river, coming closer and closer, and then hands were reaching for him, reaching down to grab hold of Tahoe’s arms.

Matt lifted from below with all his strength, and with everyone pulling from above, they managed to pull the big man into the boat without capsizing it. For a moment, then, Matt clung to the side of the boat and rested his forehead against the giving rubber fabric and hauled air into his lungs in great hungry gulps. Then he let himself lie back in the cradle of his life vest and give in to the rocking of the current, while a wave of euphoria washed over him.

You did it, man. You’re not done yet. Not by a long shot.

“Hey, buddy, were you planning on getting back in the boat?”

It was Cory, grinning, reaching down to him. He reached up with his gloved hand and took his brother’s hand and felt a leap in his chest because that felt so good. Then Sam was there, too, grabbing hold of his life vest, and with the help of the two of them, Matt got himself hauled up and over the side. Sprawled in the bottom of the boat and breathing hard, he threw off the safety line, raked back his wet hair and said, “How is he?”

Alex didn’t answer. She had the first-aid kit open and was trying to stem the flow of blood from a gash in the big man’s scalp with a wad of gauze bandage. Trying to keep her hands from shaking.

She’d never lost a client. Or a guide. But today-

Today you would have. She tried the mental equivalent of clamping her hands over her ears, which didn’t keep her from hearing any better than it did in the actual physical world. If it hadn’t been for Matt.

Tahoe lifted a hand to his head and growled feebly, “Cut it out. I’m okay-just a scratch.”

“Like hell,” Alex growled back, batting his hand away. “This is gonna need stitches-at least. Probably a concussion. And look at your arm. No-jeez, don’t move it! Looks like it could be broken.” She threw a furious look over her shoulder at the rest of them. “Get those paddles in the water. We’re taking out. There’s a spot just downriver. I’ll need to call for a chopper. No way he’s gonna be able to finish the run.”

“What? Hey, wait-I’m okay, Alex-”

She jerked back to Tahoe. “Shut up-I mean it. I’m your boss, remember? One more word and you’re fired. I swear to God.”

You almost lost him, Alex. You couldn’t have reached him with the boat in time, not with only three other paddles in the water. If Matt hadn’t gone in…

If Matt hadn’t been here…

We wouldn’t be on this damn run!

Furious, she snatched up the oars. “Forward-right! Left-back! ”

She’d let the roar of the river and the splash of the oars and the rush of her blood through her veins drown the voice in her head. The one that kept saying his name.

Mattie…Mattie…

Matt knew the spot where they took out for the emergency pickup. He wondered if Alex remembered.

They’d scouted it, the two of them, back when they were first talking about adding the Class V run. They’d decided it was too small and too close to the start of the run for a camping spot, but would do for an emergency take-out. Like this one.

They’d also discovered a cozy little nook behind the boulders that lined the river’s edge. A protected spot, with a thick carpet of sun-warmed pine straw over which they’d spread every article of clothing they had, and it had still been prickly as hell. Matt had done the chivalrous thing, of course, which Alex gave him no credit for since she liked being on top anyway. But afterward, she’d made him roll over and she’d kissed the places where the pine needles had left their marks on his skin. Kissed and licked them…every single one.

He wondered if Alex remembered. He sure as hell did.

He’d elected to stay in the boat with Tahoe while Alex hiked up to higher ground to find a signal for the satellite phone. Cory and Sam had gone off in opposite directions to find some privacy, after having been reminded of the two basic rules of wilderness comfort stops: One, watch for rattlesnakes, and two, leave no trace. Matt and Tahoe had made desultory conversation for a while, until it became obvious the guide was in some serious pain and not really up to the effort.

So he’d had plenty of time to think about it. To remember.

To remember making love in the warm pine needles and then swimming naked in the icy-cold river, whooping and shrieking like kids. Lying on the rocks in the sun afterward to warm up, and forgetting to put sunscreen on the exposed places. Singing Bruce Springsteen songs and Alex teasing him about being old enough to remember when “Born to Run” first came out…

To remember the day the memories always returned to, sooner or later. Their last day, as it turned out.

It was a good day. We were so excited, driving up to the meadow. Talking about how great it was going to be, adding rock climbing to Penny Tours’s schedule, and how the meadow would make a great base camp. We spent the night there in the shadow of the Devil’s Fortress, made love under the stars. I can still remember the way her skin smelled…the way her mouth tasted. We were good together, when we weren’t arguing.

It had been so good that day. Which was probably why he’d gotten to thinking about making it official.

Thinking about it, he could probably have gotten away with. Talking about it-that was his big mistake.

He could see Alex coming back down the hill in a hurry, slipping and sliding around the boulders and bull pines.