Were the safety lines in place between the two divisions on either side of the river?
Papa, help us bring them both home safely!
Once he reached the end of the ladder and stopped moving, he assumed Rafe gave Brad the signal because the engineer slowly rotated the ladder closer to the target. A quick glance to the eastern bank turned up no evidence of the water-rescue team’s arrival yet.
We need that damned boat crew!
Realistically, they’d only been here ten minutes, even though it seemed longer. The water-rescue crew was still six or seven minutes out according to Rafe.
A large branch hit the SUV. The toddler’s eyes grew as round as saucers and the woman screamed, her eyes pleading for help. The SUV held its position, thank God.
Suddenly, a wall of water and thick debris engulfed the cab of the vehicle, all but submerging its roof. The thunderous roar of the raging river drowned out everything else, including any instructions Rafe might have given him. There was no time to wait.
No time to get PFD vests on the victims, either, but if he could wrap them both in his arms, the crew could pull all three to safety.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw a large tree trunk headed straight for them.
No! They’re still too far away. I need more time! Do something!
Trusting his safety line, Tony jumped off the end of the ladder onto the roof seconds before the tree hit the SUV.
Chapter Four
Tony landed safely on the roof and immediately grabbed the woman’s outstretched hand. “I’ve got you!” he shouted as he pulled her toward him.
Her hand was ice-cold. She had a death grip on the toddler, so Tony remained focused on getting the mother close enough to wrap his arms around them both.
Almost there.
But the massive tree trunk rammed the SUV, knocking all three of them into the frigid water. The mother’s hand slipped from his grip.
Shit!
“Tony!” Rafe must have grabbed for him but the force of the jolt was too violent.
“Mommy!” The water muffled the toddler’s cry, and the mother screamed just before both went under.
Tony became submerged momentarily too, surrounded by the loudest silence he’d ever heard. When his head broke the surface, he oriented himself and zeroed in on the two. The mother still held on to her daughter and tried to latch on to the SUV but missed. The lethargic way she moved her arm told him hypothermia had begun from their prolonged exposure to the rain and cold air. They wouldn’t last long in this water.
I won’t let them drown.
Still tethered by his safety rope, Tony swam as hard as he could, hoping to reach them before they went underwater again.
You’ve got this!
When his line went taut a few feet short of them, Tony didn’t give it a second thought and pulled the quick release on his safety rope.
“Mayday-mayday-mayday!” Rafe’s firm but calm distress call made Tony wonder if his brother had jumped in after him, but he couldn’t worry about Rafe right now.
Despite his best efforts, the mother and toddler were being swept away from him faster than he could swim. His boots became increasingly heavy, slowing him and threatening to drag him down. Debris slammed against Tony’s arms, torso, and legs, making matters even worse.
He spotted the woman’s orange T-shirt several yards from him now but drifting farther away. The roar of the water was the only sound he heard. No more screams. Were they still conscious? Debris continued to pummel them.
A large tree branch drifted by Tony, and he momentarily lost sight of the woman’s shirt.
Time was running out for him to find them before he’d be forced to grab on to the safety ropes that rescue personnel downstream had stretched across the river at regular intervals. How many ropes could he count on being there? Hurtling haphazardly through debris-strewn flood waters was not an acceptable risk according to his training. In fact, he’d broken protocol already when he pulled the quick release on his safety line. Both Rafe and his own shift lieutenant were going to ream his ass out good. Maybe the battalion chief would, too.
But he couldn’t let them die.
Unwilling to give up, Tony continued to scan the turbulent waters for a glimpse of the woman’s brightly colored tee. Nothing. Time slowed to a crawl as his last hope faded.
It’s over.
Tony steeled himself to make the toughest decision he’d ever had to make in his career as a firefighter—abandon someone depending on him to save them. He’d have to turn the mission over to rescue personnel farther downstream. His part in this rescue had come to an end. He’d catch hell if he put himself in any more danger.
Defeated, Tony rolled onto his back the way he’d been taught to approach a safety rope. If not for the roar of the water, he’d probably hear rescue personnel yelling at him that he was fast approaching one. The mother wouldn’t have been able to hear them either, but she wouldn’t have known to look for the ropes, either. He hoped she did, though, and that she was out of the water already.
Floating with the help of his PFD vest, he lifted his head out of the water and zeroed in on the white rope as it came into view between his upturned feet.
Ten feet.
Five feet.
Two!
With tremendous reluctance, Tony reached out of the water and grabbed for what might be his last safety line.
Holding on tight to the rope stretched diagonally across the river, Tony sucked much-needed air into his lungs. Had he been holding his breath? His gaze remained laser-focused on the raging river in the direction the victims had been swept away. If he spotted either of them again, would he
