It was early afternoon, but it was a misty day in November, which meant the harbor was basically deserted. Currently, there wasn’t any fishing going on in the bay, so besides a few commercial fishing operations there wasn’t a reason for anyone to be here. And unfortunately, it was too early for Kenny to have returned from fishing, or probably anyone else.
Sting Ray pushed me in front of him. “Go.” He gave me a shove, propelling me down the metal gangplank toward the dock. With my mouth gagged, I couldn’t ask where he was taking me, but I had a strong premonition it involved water.
Tears welled up as I thought about all the people I was going to miss: my parents, brothers, nieces, and nephews. I’d never see them grow up. And Fern. She would be devastated, probably more than anyone. And she’d blame herself, even though it wasn’t her fault.
I’d never have the chance to fulfill my dream of having my own business. A few blocks from here was that vacant storefront Fern had showed me less than a week ago. It could have been mine. But now I’d never have the chance to…
“Charlee!” a man yelled, breaking through my dire musings. Cole?
Hope flickered briefly, just as we made the ninety-degree turn at the end of the dock. Behind me, Sting Ray swore and gave me a hard shove, pushing me headfirst into the bay.
Chapter Twenty-two
I hit the frigid murky water at an odd angle, which felt more like a belly flop than a dive. Having my hands bound really made everything much more difficult. Weighed down by my leather boots, jeans, and wool coat, I sunk like a rock. I began to flail wildly.
Kicking my feet helped a little, but trying to use my arms was a wasted effort. I felt myself sinking further. This part of the harbor couldn’t be more than ten to fifteen feet deep, but that was plenty deep enough to drown in.
When I’d returned to Rockfish Bay just over a week ago, I never would have imagined I would actually succumb to my death in its namesake. Water seeped through the handkerchief gag, filling my mouth. I coughed, which only seemed to make it worse.
But I wasn’t going to give up. I continued to thrash about, then I felt an arm wrap around my rib cage, pulling me against someone. Instinctively, I wanted to keep fighting, but forced my body to relax.
If someone was going to jump in this icy water, they must be trying to help, and without them I was as good as dead. Soon after, my head broke through the water to the surface.
“Charlee,” Cole gasped by my ear. “I’ve got you; it’s okay.”
I sagged against him, completely spent, still trying to catch a breath. He tugged the fabric from my mouth, allowing me to inhale, then I began coughing violently.
“Hold on. We’re almost there.” His grip around me tightened, and I sensed he was trying to hurry.
“Here, Sheriff. I’ve got her,” another man said nearby. Then I felt another pair of hands grab underneath my arms and pulled me from the water. Unable to stabilize myself with my hands, I rolled onto my side and continued coughing, until the water I swallowed was dislodged and I could halfway breathe again.
“Charlee, I’m going to cut off those ties, so please try and hold still for a second,” said the deputy who’d pulled me from the water.
“Russell,” I rasped, my voice hoarse. “It’s Russell Jenkins.” The deputy sliced through the zip ties with a knife, allowing me to push myself up on my hands.
Cole appeared beside me, sitting awkwardly in his drenched uniform, breathing heavily. “I know. We got him. And Anton Parks too.”
I took several deep breaths, the reality of the situation sinking in. It was over. And I was safe. As the shock began to wear off my teeth started to chatter. “How d-d-did you know?” I asked, shaking.
Cole edged beside me and pulled me close to his side. He was just as wet as I was, but for the moment it felt nice just to be held.
“Fern called me. We got to Russell’s just after Sting Ray had left. Russell gave up your destination.”
“I’m s-s-sorry,” I managed to get out through emerging tears.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He squeezed me tighter. “I’m just relieved you’re all right. We should get you out of here. Are you okay to walk?”
“Yeah,” I nodded shakily.
“Charlee! Charlee!” My aunt raced down the dock toward us, nearly shoving a deputy out of the way. She kneeled before me, taking in Cole and my soaking wet state, then pulled me into a tight hug. “I was so worried. Are you all right?” She pulled back slightly, searching me for injuries.
“I’m okay.”
She frowned. “You’re going to catch your death! We need to get you home.”
Just then more commotion ensued as I spotted my parents charging down the dock, my dad barking orders. “Where is she?” he hollered.
“Charlotte!” my mother called from about twenty feet away, then immediately burst into tears.
“Sorry, I called them,” Fern said guiltily. “Hey, I figured they should know.”
“It’s all right.” I wiped at my eyes, still leaking a few tears.
My mom stopped just short of giving me one of her delicate hugs when she realized I was completed soaked. “Oh, Charlotte.” She pulled out a tissue and dabbed her eyes. “What happened? Oh,” she wailed, “you could have been killed.”
“Now, now, Maggie.” My dad put an arm around my mom’s shoulder. “She’s going to be just fine.” He cast a stern glance at Cole, almost as if he blamed him, or would have if I’d been harmed.
“What happened to your face?” Fern leaned closer.
I carefully raised a hand to my cheek and winced. “I, uh, it’s nothing.” I turned slightly to look at Cole, noting his mouth set in a worried line.
“Well, it doesn’t look like nothing.” My
