As he headed out of town, he called dispatch to let them know where he would be. This kind of intense storm would cause problems across the county. Even though he was off for the weekend, it might be an all-hands-on-deck situation.
He called Merry again to let her know he was moving slowly, but he'd be there as quickly as he could.
"Don't worry about me," she told him. "Be safe, take your time. I'm getting some work done while I sit here. The rain's kind of soothing if I don't think about how the water level's rising in that ditch next to me."
"Call me if it gets worse and I can radio to see if someone's nearby. But the department's going to have its hands full with this weather, so I'd rather not."
"Oh my God, Will, no, forget about me. You should be out there helping. I'm fine."
"I may have to if they call me in, but first I'm getting you out of there. No arguments." And he hung up before she could argue about the "no arguments" ban.
On the way, he helped two stranded motorists, gave a hitchhiker a lift to a very crowded gas station, and nearly hit a panicked deer crossing the road. The rain was relentless. It came in waves, sheets of water sweeping across the road, turning visibility to crap. He kept the windshield wipers at full blast the entire time, and still squinted through a distorted layer of water to see where he was going.
By the time he reached the turnoff to Route 68, evening was closing in, adding to the darkness of the cloud cover. This road was narrower, and as Merry had mentioned, the drainage ditches were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water. From what he could see, they were filling up fast and close to overflowing.
Finally, with his shoulders aching from their hunched position over the wheel, he spotted blinking red hazard lights ahead. As he closed in, he recognized Merry's Corolla and saw the dim outline of a figure inside. Relief sent his heart soaring. He pulled up in front of her car. The door opened and she ran out, holding a red rain jacket over her head.
"Perfect timing," she yelled over the din of the rain still coming down. "My battery's dying."
"Hazards going out?"
"No, my laptop battery. The car's fine." She laughed, then ran around the hood of his truck to reach the passenger side. The door opened in a splatter of rain drops and there she was, her damp face glowing with exhilaration. Along with the red slicker, she wore a pair of velour sweatpants and running shoes. Her sudden presence, all light and life, snatched his breath away. "I know this sounds wrong, when people are probably getting stuck in the mud and I might never drive my car out of here, but I love storms."
Her breathless excitement made him smile. "I always look at them as public emergencies, but I guess I can see your point."
She laughed. "I like chaos, I think. That's when things get interesting. As long as no one gets hurt."
"Since I haven't been called in yet, the damage must not be too bad." He looked at the rain still cascading down outside. "I can't do anything for your car right now. We can wait here until the rain lets up, or we can find a place nearby to hunker down."
"I vote for door number two. I'm starving. If we keep going down this road, we should get to that lodge where Buckaroo stays."
He glanced at her sharply. She blinked at him innocently. "Are you still trying to investigate this story?"
"I'm just trying to stay out of the rain." With a beguiling smile, she added, "They probably have a bar. I'll buy you a hot toddy."
"I'm not buying your innocent act. You came all the way out here and you want to see what you can learn."
She gave up with a shrug. "I wouldn't mind. But it's the closest shelter I know of, and I'm chilled and wet and if they have any rooms available, I'd love a hot shower. And I'm serious about that drink, or whatever else you'd like. But it's cool if you don't want to. I get it."
"Get what?" Scowling, he turned his key in the ignition.
"You don't want me to figure out that you sent me that tip about Buckaroo."
He threw his head back and let out a long laugh. "When did you know?"
"Are you kidding? Right away. But it's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." As they pulled back onto the road, she scooted closer to him and rubbed her arm against his. "Even sweeter than tiger lilies and lattes."
"Yeah, well, I didn't expect you to go dig up some middle-of-nowhere lodge and drive out there in a storm," he grumbled. "Fine way to repay my generosity."
"It's a lodge. How dangerous could that be?"
15
But when they pulled into the parking lot of Sweet Mountain Lodge, her words seemed almost prescient. A river of water cascaded down the hillside behind the stately building. It poured into the creek that ran behind the lodge, its banks overflowing. At a guess, the creek was at least five feet deep. And on the other side, a boy hopped from foot to foot.
A group of people had gathered on the lodge side of the creek. They were waving and shouting at the boy, who was crying hard. Will guessed he was probably around nine years old.
"Shit. Do you see that kid?" He checked his phone; no service. "Do you have a signal?"
Merry checked her phone too. "No. Totally dead. What should we do?"
"I'm going to go get him." He steered the truck toward the group standing on the bank of the creek and parked as close as he could. "You can stay inside if you want."
"I want to help. What can I do?"
He glanced at her. By the determined set of her chin, he wouldn't have much luck talking her out of helping, and he could use a level-headed person around. "Can you drive a stick shift?"
"Of course."
"Then I want you to take the wheel after I get the truck into position. I need to attach a safety line to the hitch. I may need you to pull forward or back. Can you do that?"
"Absolutely."
He turned the truck and backed it up as close to the overflowing creek bed as he dared. Merry slid over to sit behind the wheel. He showed her the signals for forward and backward, then pulled up his hood and launched himself into the storm. He approached the group of onlookers. A quick glance told him which were the family members of the stranded boy and which were looky-loos throwing out bad suggestions.
"Deputy Knight from the Jupiter Point Sheriff's Department," he called. "Whose child is that?"
A young woman ran toward him. "He's ours," the woman sobbed. She gestured toward a man by the shore who refused to leave his spot. He was completely soaked down to the skin. "My husband tried to cross but the current is too fast and he slipped and nearly drowned. Can you help him?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm going to do my best. I'm going to fasten a safety line to my truck and go across."
He assessed the water still pouring in from the hills. "The quicker the better. The level's still rising and it's getting dark. Has anyone called for help?"
"Yes, but they said it's going to be at least half an hour before they can get anyone out here. He was playing in those woods, he said he fell asleep." The young woman's face was white with fear. "I think he's getting cold too. I saw him shaking."
"We'll get him back, don't you worry. Go tell him who I am and that I'm coming across to get him. What's his name?"
"Nick."
The woman ran back to her husband and they both waved and called across the water to Nick. Will opened the crew cab door of his truck and fished out the cable he kept back there. Merry twisted around to watch him. "Are those the boy's parents?"
"Yup." He did little more than grunt as he planned out exactly how to accomplish the rescue. Merry seemed to understand and didn't say anything more until he had what he needed.
"Stay safe, Will," she said softly.
"Just keep a close watch, okay?"
"I will."
For two pretty verbal people, they both seemed at a loss for words. He caught her gaze for a moment and let their unspoken communication take over. I care about you. Don't get hurt. Not when we're just getting started…
Then he slammed the door shut and half-jogged, half-slid to the back of his
truck. He anchored one end of the cable to the trailer hitch, then clipped the other end to his belt. He didn't have a rescue harness with him, so this would have to do. In a rushing river, he wouldn't risk it. But a rising creek with a panicked boy—worth the discomfort.
With the line well-secured on both ends, he trudged through the mud to the edge. He waved at the boy, who had climbed onto the tallest rock he could find. The kid was shivering in his thin Incredible Hulk T-shirt. He was probably wishing he was the Hulk right about now.
With one last nod at the parents—Nick's father had his arms wrapped tightly around his wife for comfort and warmth—he waded into the chilly water. The current tugged at his legs as if it was trying to push him over. The muddy bottom sucked at his boots. Each step had him sinking deeper into the muck. He would make better progress if he swam, but the flow was strong enough that he might get carried too far down and have a hard time fighting his way back.
So he took it step by step, grateful for the cable tethering him to his truck. To Merry. He felt her gaze on him, felt her support urging him onwards. Of all the ways they'd communicated, this one was new. But it was real. Without doubt, he knew she was right there in the water with him, in spirit.
At the midpoint of the stream, the water came to his armpits. Each step became more of a challenge as his body took precious energy to maintain his core temperature. Nick came closer to the edge, then jumped back as a wave splashed him.
"Nick, can you hear me? Stay right where you are," Will called to him. "I'm coming to help you, but I need you to stay put." If he slipped on the rocks, all bets were off.
"I can't really swim," the boy told him in a high, anxious voice. "I been taking lessons but that water's too fast."
"It's okay. You won't have to swim. My feet are on the bottom right now. All you'll have to do is hang on to me. Got it?"
He nodded, then folded his arms across his chest, shivering. "How cold is it?"
"Damn cold," Will muttered as he pushed his chest through the rushing water. He felt like the prow of a ship cutting through the waves. When he was about two feet from the other side, the cable reached its end. He felt it tug against his belt. Should he ask Merry to back the truck closer to the water? No, too much risk of it getting stuck in the mud. Besides, he could feel the water still rising. It was lapping against his chest, and for sure he didn't want to be neck-deep in this torrent.
"Okay, dude," he said to Nick. "This is as far as I can come. But it's plenty close enough. Just jump toward me and I'll grab you. Just try not to land on my head, would you? I know it makes an easy target."
Nick hesitated, judging the short distance between the rock he stood on and Will's open arms. "Just jump?" he asked, screwing up his face.
"Just jump." Will braced his legs in the muddy bottom. His body was really feeling the strain of fighting the nonstop current, and he needed all his energy for getting back. "Any time now. It ain't exactly warm in here."
He gave the boy an encouraging smile, but still he didn't move.
"Your mom is really worried," he said softly. "She can't wait to get her arms around you. Your father too."
Nick chewed on his lip and stared down at the water. Will cast around for something else to inspire him to jump.
"Know what else? There's a reporter in that truck. She's going to want to interview you, I can guarantee it. Would you like to be in the newspaper? I bet she'll take your picture too."
Finally, he brightened. "Can I be on TV?"
"Maybe. I can't say for sure. But she's waiting back there and I know she'll write you a great story. But we have to do our part, right? Okay now, don't think, just jump!"
He put all his authority into that last word. Since he'd been speaking evenly up until then, it shocked Nick enough so he launched himself into the air. He landed with a big splash right on top of Will, nearly knocking him over.
Will wrapped his arms around the kid and staggered backwards. He managed to regain his footing before the current grabbed him, but the slip scared the hell out of him. He was tiring, his arms sore, his thighs on fire. "You're going to ride piggy back. Wrap your arms around my shoulders, not my neck. Got it?"
Nick was holding on to him like a monkey and seemed unable to follow any commands, so Will turned and began the trek back, his arms filled with shivering child. One mucky, watery step, then another.
On the shore, Nick's family was jumping up and down, shouting and clapping. This time when he reached the halfway mark, the water came all the way to Will's shoulders. Nick clambered farther up his body, grabbing onto his head.
For a micro-second, Will couldn't see a thing because Nick's arm blocked his vision. It wasn't long, but enough to make him lose his footing again. He lost his balance completely and toppled into the churning water.
Nick shrieked and clutched him even more tightly. Water closed over Will's head, frigid and fast, so fast. He fought to find the bottom, fought to hold on to Nick, fought to breathe. He dug his steel-toed boots into the muddy bottom. Between the drag of his boots and the cable around his waist, he was able to fight the force of the creek somewhat. But not quite enough. He kept stumbling and going under, then surfacing for just enough time to haul in a breath of air before the water pushed him over again.
And then—a miracle. Something was helping him. Pulling him toward the shore where the water was less deep.
Not a miracle. Merry.
He lurched through the tumbling water, drawn by the cable as if it were an umbilical cord attached to his middle.
Nice and slow, Merry, he thought, just in case their silent communication was still working. Maybe it was, or maybe she was just a smart girl, but she kept the pace of the truck's forward motion exactly the way he needed it. Slow, with the occasional pause for him to catch up.
As he got closer to the shoreline, Nick's father plunged into the water, holding on to the cable to keep from getting swept away.
When he was close enough, Nick squirmed out of Will's grasp.
"Hang on, kid," Will gasped. "Let's get a little closer to him. We're almost there."
But he was too excited to listen, and the next thing Will knew, Nick wriggled into the water and splashed toward his father.
"Daddy, daddy!" His father swept him up into a tight embrace, then waded back to shore.
"Be right back," he called to Will.
Will didn't have the energy to tell him not to bother. He kept his entire focus on moving toward the shore, toward Merry. He could see her now, looking over her shoulder as she inched the truck up the incline toward the lodge. His feet were solidly under him now, the water only reaching his knees. He gave her a weary signal to stop the truck. She did so immediately. The cable slackened as he trudged the last few feet to the bank of the creek.
As soon as he took the last exhausted step onto solid ground, he fell to his knees. He sat on his heels, drawing in air in huge gulps.
The door of the truck swung open and Merry ran down the embankment toward him. She dropped onto her knees next to him. "Are you okay?"
He lowered his head to her shoulder, too exhausted even to keep his head up any longer. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her hands up and down his back.
"Oh my God, you're freezing. Can you make it to the truck? We have to get you out of these clothes. You're shaking."
"Fine," he said in a gasp. "Just give me…minute. Take the cable." He gestured to the carabiner on his belt. She reached toward his waist to unhook the cable, just as a dark-haired woman came jogging over to them.
"Hi there," she said. "I'm the manager here. I saw what you did and wanted to offer you a room for the night, gratis. You're a hero. That poor kid, plus the bad publicity if anything had happened to him, and I don't even want to think about the liability. But mostly, we're just so glad he's okay."
Will blinked at her, then at Merry. His lips were too cold to form words and his mind wasn't quite back up to speed yet.
Merry stepped in. "You're say
ing he can stay the night here?"
"You both can. Hot bath, room service, the works. Courtesy of Sweet Mountain Lodge. Just a small gesture of our appreciation."
"Wow, that's really generous." Merry glanced his way, but he was too exhausted to have an opinion. She turned back to the manager. "We accept. I just have to get him to the door, that's all."
"I can send some of our kitchen crew down…" she began dubiously.
Finally, Will found his voice. "I'll be fine," he said through chattering teeth. "But thanks."
The manager presented them both with a practiced smile. "Again, our deepest thanks. Just tell the front desk that Holly comped you a suite for one night, along with anything you need from the restaurant." Tucking her hands in the pockets of her raincoat, she hurried back to the lodge.
"Wow, I wonder if she knows I'm a reporter," said Merry wryly. "I usually get booted, not comped."
He chuckled, though it sounded more like a watery gurgle. "You're with me now. And you did great. That was good thinking, to start the truck up. Gave me that little boost I needed at the end."
"You scared the living crap out of me, Will." She placed her hands on his wet, numb cheeks. Even though he couldn't feel much, it felt good. Which made no sense, just like everything else related to Merry.
"I nearly dove in after you, but I came to my senses in time," she said. "And really, all I did was drive about two feet. You risked your life for that kid. My heart was in my mouth the entire time. I was so scared."
"I told Nick you'd put him in the newspaper. That's how I got him to jump."
"Of course I will. Maybe I can get an exclusive with the hero who rescued him too." The warmth of her hands was finally penetrating through the chill. It gave him a sense of comfort, of coming home. "You really need to get inside. Do you think you can walk yet?"
"Worth a shot."
16
That short rest on the mud banks did wonders for him. He felt better as soon as he was standing. Since he was still wobbly, Merry slung an arm around his back and supported him all the way to the truck. He definitely didn't object to that. He'd dive into a dozen icy creeks to get Merry's arms around him.
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