Ryan spread his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. “I have no idea, but I wouldn’t recommend pinning your hopes on anything Jamie said. The police will let you know if there’s anything new related to your case.”
Tommie shrugged and exhaled. “Well, I ain’t going anywhere, that’s for sure. If you find out anything, I’d like to know.”
Ryan pushed to his feet. “We’ll do that. Thank you for seeing us today. And take care of yourself in here.”
A sad smile pulled at Tommie’s mouth. “I do that all the time. I got friends, and we watch each other’s backs. Sometimes it don’t help, though, and I think about giving up.” His eyes hardened, and he glared at Ryan. “But I ain’t guilty of killing those folks in Memphis. I got a son and I want him to know it, too. So I keep hoping.”
“Then don’t give up, Tommie,” Jessica said.
Tommie looked at the two of them, gave a nod and walked back to where the guard was standing. He went out the door without looking back.
Ryan took Jessica by the arm and they made their way back to the checkpoint to return their visitor badges and exit the facility. When they were in the car again, Ryan turned to her. “What did you think?”
“I think we need to find Kenny Macey and see if he’s ever heard of Lee Tucker.”
“I think you’re right,” Ryan said as he started the car and pulled into the Saturday afternoon traffic.
Within minutes they were back on Interstate 40 headed west to Memphis. As they discussed the visit to the prison, Ryan was struck by the easy way in which they were able to talk, not at all the way it had been just a few days before when he’d encountered Jessica at the convenience store. Even though he was worried about Jamie and irritated at him for getting himself involved in something that needed to be left to the police, he couldn’t help but be thankful that his brother’s actions had been the catalyst that brought about his renewed friendship with Jessica. He’d wanted that for so long, and at last it seemed to be what she wanted, too.
He tried to shake thoughts of Jessica from his mind and concentrate on the traffic. Interstate 40 was the third-longest in the nation and the major east–west highway for truckers traveling from anywhere between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Barstow, California. Drivers along it had to be wary of the heavy transport trucks that traveled the route.
And today was no exception. One after another, 18-wheelers passed them on their way west, and Ryan kept an eye on the speedometer to make sure he wouldn’t become the next one pulled over by a Highway Patrolman trying to keep travelers safe.
Another large truck passed, and his car vibrated from the rush of wind generated by the vehicle. He slowed a bit and caught sight of the entrance of a bridge across one of the rivers along the route.
As the car approached the midpoint of the bridge, Jessica, who for the past few minutes had been staring in the side mirror mounted outside her window, sat up straight and frowned. “That SUV behind us is getting a bit too close.” She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. “Oh, he’s going to pass us.”
Ryan glanced to the left as the SUV, in a burst of speed, pulled even with them. Then he gaped in horror as the vehicle swerved toward them, knocking them against the passenger side of the bridge. Jessica screamed at the sight of sparks flying along the railing where the car sideswiped the surface.
The SUV veered away from their car, and Ryan wrestled with the steering wheel as he tried to guide the car back into the middle of their lane. But suddenly the SUV swerved back toward them and knocked them against the railing once more.
The railing shattered, and with a sickening thud the front end of their car crashed through the barrier. One hundred feet below, the river raged. Ryan only had time to offer a quick prayer and grab Jessica’s arm before he closed his eyes and waited for them to nose-dive into the murky waters.
SEVEN
Jessica felt Ryan grab her arm, and she braced herself for the drop to the river below. The front of the car tilted forward, and then it bobbed to a stop in midair as if it were suspended on a giant crane. Her head jerked forward and then slammed back against the seat, her breath shattering in her chest.
She shook her head in an effort to clear the blood pounding in her ears and took a deep breath as she stared through the windshield at nothing but a white void and the sky above. A muffled scream rose in her throat at the reality of their situation. They had crashed through the barrier and were now teetering on the edge of the bridge toward the river below.
Ryan’s hand on her arm tightened, and she twisted in her seat to get a better look at him. The front of the car dipped forward and then stopped as if balanced on an invisible platform.
“Don’t move.” Ryan spoke calmly, although she heard fear in his voice. “The back of the car must be caught on something that’s keeping us suspended in the air. The slightest movement could cause us to crash to the water.”
Jessica started to nod but thought better of even that slight movement. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “What do we need to do?”
“Keep still until help arrives. Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll be out of here in no time at all.”
She was still facing him as she opened her eyes and saw the look of concern that flashed across his face. A nervous smile pulled at her lips. “You don’t have to put up a good front for me. I understand what a precarious position we’re in right now. We’re going to go over the side any minute. I know what will happen when we hit the water below. If I don’t make it and you do, tell my family I love them.”
He still had his hand on her arm, and he squeezed it tighter. “Don’t talk like that. We’re going to make it out of here.”
“I don’t think—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a voice rang out from behind the car. “Are you all right in there?”
Ryan stiffened, but he didn’t let go of her arm. “We’re fine for the moment. Who are you?”
“My name is Pete Harper. I’m a truck driver, and I saw that SUV force you into the side of the bridge. I’ve called 911, and they’re sending emergency crews. They should be here soon.”
“Good!” Ryan yelled. “Is there anything we can do?”
“Just sit still and—”
A sudden screech split the air and the car dipped forward. Jessica screamed and braced her feet against the floorboard. “What happened?”
“The car slipped forward a little,” Pete yelled back. “Don’t move. One of my trucker buddies just stopped. We’re gonna try something.”
Jessica closed her eyes and thought of her parents and her brothers. How would they react when they heard of her death? Especially her dad. As the only girl, she’d been the apple of her father’s eye since she was little, and he had been the most outspoken about her decision to enter police work and then to join the family’s bounty-hunter business. He’d always wanted her to have a safe profession like her mother, who was a nurse. But that hadn’t been Jessica’s choice. Would he blame himself for allowing her to get into a career he felt was too dangerous for her?
“Ryan, tell my father—”
“Stop it, Jessica,” he ordered. “I don’t want to hear any of this. We’re not dead yet, and if that’s what happens, I don’t want us to spend our last few minutes together dwelling on sad thoughts. Let’s think of something good. Maybe... Why don’t you tell me about one of the happiest times you’ve had in the last year.”
She frowned. “The happiest time?”
“Yes. Think of something that made you happy and tell me about it.”
She thought for a moment before she smiled. “I guess one of the happiest times was when my brother Adam married my best friend, Claire. She and I have been friends since middle school, and she always seemed like a sister to me. When she and Adam finally worked out all their problems and married,
I truly had a sister. The wedding was beautiful, and I’ve never seen a happier couple.”
“Mac told me about the wedding. He was there.”
“Yes, he and my parents have been friends since I was a little girl. In fact, I even persuaded him to dance with me at the reception.”
“He said you were beautiful that night in your blue bridesmaid dress with a simple bouquet of stargazer lilies. I asked him how your hair was fixed, and he said you wore it loose around your shoulders. That’s the way I always liked it.”
His words shocked her, but she tried not to move. “I can’t believe Mac took such notice that he could describe what I looked like.”
Ryan chuckled under his breath. “He noticed because I asked him to tell me how you looked. He said you appeared to be happy, and I was glad.”
“I was happy for my brother and Claire.”
The memory of Claire telling her she could bring someone with her to the wedding flashed into her mind, and tears pooled in her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to bring anyone because in her heart she’d known there would never be anybody who could compare to Ryan.
A tear rolled down her cheek. “Don’t cry, Jessica. Everything is going to be all right,” Ryan said.
She turned her head slightly so she could get a better view of his face. “No, it’s not going to be all right, Ryan, and I need to tell you something while I still have time.”
He tilted his head to one side and studied her carefully. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He frowned. “For what?”
“For all the time I wasted being angry with you. For not letting you explain your feelings to me. But most of all, for not being there for you when you needed me. I’m to blame for the four wasted years we’ve spent going our separate ways. Can you ever forgive me?”
A sad smile pulled at his mouth, and he stared into her eyes. “There’s nothing to forgive, Jessica. I was more to blame than you.” He gripped her arm tighter. “But I won’t let you give up. No matter what happens I will be here with you. We’re still a team. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from his face. After a moment, she swallowed and forced herself to speak. “And what about you?”
“What about me?” he asked.
“Tell me something that made you happy this past year.”
He was silent for a moment. “I suppose the happiest I’ve been in a long time was when I walked into that convenience store and saw you. I felt like God had given me a double blessing that day. Not only were you standing in front of me, but you also had saved Jamie’s life. I’ll always be thankful for both things, Jessica.”
Her skin warmed, and she tried to pull her gaze away from him, but it was no use. “As for my saving Jamie, it was really just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.”
“You may think that, but I like to think that God put you there to save my brother and to give us a chance to work out our problems.”
“Maybe so,” she whispered. Neither one of them spoke for a moment but seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Then a sound at the back of the car caught her attention as the vehicle shook. She stiffened and frowned. “What was that?”
“I don’t know.” The car vibrated again, and Ryan’s fingers dug into her arm. “Pete,” he shouted, “what’s going on back there?”
“We’re trying to stabilize the car,” Pete yelled back. “We’ve hooked a cable to the back of your car and the other end to the front of my friend’s truck. He’s going to back up until the chain is taut so that your car won’t go over. Then we’ll see about getting you out.”
“That sounds like good news to me,” Ryan called. He glanced at Jessica. “Maybe we’ll be out of here in a few minutes.”
The sound of a revving diesel engine echoed in the car, and she felt the vehicle shudder as the truck backed up. There was a sudden jerk as the car steadied itself, and the front end leveled off.
“Hey in there, can you open the sunroof?” Pete called.
“Yeah,” Ryan yelled back as he pushed the button. The sunroof slid back with a swish, and cold air flowed inside.
Jessica looked up through the opening to see a man looking down at her. At first she wondered what he was doing. Then it dawned on her he’d climbed onto the roof of the car and was extending his arm through the opening.
“Ma’am, undo your seat belt and grab my arm. I’ll help you through.”
Ryan let go of her arm and hit the release on her seat belt before she could reach for it. “Go, Jessica,” he urged. “Hurry!”
She gave him one last look before she pushed up on the seat and grabbed for Pete’s hand. Then she was climbing through the opening and onto the roof of the car. Several men standing beside the car reached for her and helped her to the ground, then hurried her away from the wrecked vehicle.
She turned back to the car and pointed. “Ryan,” she gasped. “Please help him get out.”
The words were no sooner out of her mouth than she saw Ryan climb through the sunroof. It seemed an eternity till he jumped to the ground. He looked at her and took a step, but before he could move, she ran to him and threw her arms around him.
He pulled her close, and she buried her face in his chest as she began to cry. His hand stroked her hair. “Shh,” he murmured. “It’s all right now. You’re safe.”
She looked up at him, his face blurry through the tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry to fall to pieces like this, but I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whispered.
After a moment, he released her and they turned to the trucker who had risked his life to help them. Ryan grabbed his hand and pumped it. “Pete, I assume? How can we ever thank you for saving our lives?”
Pete scratched at the beard that covered his chin and grinned. “Didn’t do nothing out of the ordinary,” he said. “I’m just glad we had that strong cable. When I first got to you, I figured you’d go over any second. Glad to see I was wrong.”
“And so are we,” Jessica said.
The sound of sirens interrupted Pete’s response, and they looked back down the interstate as a Highway Patrol car, followed by several rescue vehicles and an ambulance, sped along the road’s shoulder around the lanes of stopped traffic. Ryan stepped forward to speak to the first officer to climb from his car.
She didn’t know what was said, but within minutes she found herself on a gurney being rolled toward the open back door of an ambulance. She pushed up on her elbows and frowned at the young EMT who hovered over her. “Where are you taking me?”
“Your friend thinks you need to be checked out at the hospital. He’ll be joining you as soon as he gets through giving his statement to the police. Now take it easy, and everything will be fine.”
“But there’s no need for me to go to the hospital,” she argued.
The young man smiled. “It’s standard procedure, ma’am. The police have requested it, and we just want to make sure you’re all right.”
“Ryan!” she called out, but it was too late. The ambulance door slammed shut, and the wail of a siren split the air as the vehicle started to move.
All she could do was lie back and make the best of the situation. Ryan would be at the hospital before long. Then maybe they could call someone to come get them.
As the ambulance roared toward its destination, Jessica lay still and replayed in her mind those moments inside the car when she had thought they would plunge into the river below at any minute. Ryan had done everything he could think of to keep her mind off what was going to happen, even to the point of getting her to recall the happiest time she’d spent in the past year.
She tingled with pleasure when she remembered how he had described the way he heard she looked at the wedding. And the way he had stared into her eyes had
made her forget everything but the fact that they were together at that moment.
Now as she lay quietly in the back of a speeding ambulance next to an EMT who checked her vitals every few minutes, she realized that something had happened to her during that time she and Ryan had spent together suspended over the river. And a new happy moment had emerged in her life. One that she wouldn’t soon forget.
* * *
Ryan couldn’t wait to get to the hospital. As soon as he’d finished his statement to the Highway Patrol and seen his car loaded onto the flatbed wrecker, he’d been whisked away by one of the officers to the hospital where Jessica had been sent. The officers had insisted he be checked out as well.
Now, after an hour of being poked and prodded and finally given a clean bill of health, he was on his way through the emergency room to the cubicle where she was waiting for him. He spotted the curtained cubicle where he’d been instructed to go, but as he neared it, his steps slowed.
He came to a halt, leaned against the wall and covered his eyes with his hands. His legs shook, too unstable to hold his weight, and he braced himself to keep from sliding down the wall and ending in a heap on the hospital floor. Now that he knew they were both all right, the tension of the bridge incident hit him like an 18-wheeler. He felt as if he was losing it.
There had been many near escapes in the years he’d been working as a police officer, but nothing like today. When the front of the car had first burst through the guardrail on the bridge, he thought it was the end for both Jessica and him. Thankfully, it hadn’t been. God had watched out for them today, and he said another prayer of thanks.
After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and straightened. He needed to see how Jessica was making it. The doctor had assured him she had no injuries other than a bump on the head, but he wanted to see for himself. If anything had happened to her... He couldn’t even finish the thought.
Now that Jessica had reentered his life, he realized it had been a big mistake not to try to clear up the misunderstanding between them long ago. He was grateful that they’d done so now, that it wasn’t too late to regain the closeness they’d once had. But, he told himself, that had happened at a risk to her safety.
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