Page 74 of Fast Justice

Then, just when her limbs were about to give up, just when she couldn’t take it another second and her body was about to take over and suck in a breath of water, her head broke the surface.

She hauled in a ragged, life-saving gasp of air, almost a sob, and kept moving her limbs weakly. Her head swam, the shock hitting her like a truck. Over and over she dragged air into her starving lungs, her body so cold, numb.

I’m alive.

It didn’t seem possible. She couldn’t feel her arms or legs. Could barely move at all. But she was breathing. Somehow she’d made it.

Moving weakly, she searched for the shore. The port was to her left, but it seemed an impossible distance and the current was dragging her farther and farther away from shore every moment.

Her frantic gaze snagged on something in the water not too far away. Something bright red. She swam toward it, her exhausted body threatening to shut down.

When she got close she threw out an arm. Her hand was too numb to grasp the metal frame of whatever it was. It slipped and fell into the water, as if her arm weighed a ton.

No!She hadn’t survived everything else to quit now.

With a low growl of determination she threw her arm out again, managed to hook her forearm around the metal as the water tried to push her past it. The force pinned her against the metal for a moment. She struggled to hook her legs through it and hung on, shaking so hard it hurt, her body going limp.

Her eyes slid closed. Shock and horror swamped her. Tears burned her eyes. A sob tore loose, shuddered through her. In all her life she’d never felt so small and helpless, so alone.

Come on, Rowan. Fight. You’ve made it this far.

She choked back her tears. She couldn’t think about what had just happened. But when she summoned the strength to raise her head, she wanted to cry again. The shore seemed so far away right now. She had to get off this thing and get to shore, but she was too tired and no one seemed to have noticed her, not even the helicopter circling the port. She’d never make it.

The metal frame she clung to gave an ominous shudder. Rowan stopped breathing, automatically tightened her hold. Whatever it was started to tip sideways.

She cried out in alarm as she began rising, foot by foot, higher and higher out of the water. Oh God, if she slipped and fell from this height, she’d drown. She didn’t have the strength to swim anymore. And if it fell and turned over into the water, it would take her down with it.

Her heart shot into her throat, stayed there as the metal frame jerked to a sudden halt, the metal arm vibrating. She slipped, swallowed a scream and hung on, her exhausted muscles failing bit by bit. She looked down at the freezing water beneath her, knew instinctively that she couldn’t survive it if she fell in.

Over the roar of the blood in her ears, the sound of a loud motor registered. Searching for the source, she spotted a sleek, small black boat approaching her. Men were in it.

She didn’t dare let go with one arm to try and wave them down. Clinging to the metal, she locked her eyes on it, urging them to see her. Save her.

Then a voice called out over the noise as the boat began to slow. “Rowan!”

Her focus sharpened, a flare of hope igniting. Malcolm?

“Rowan!” He was at the bow now. She could see him waving his arms at her.

A rush of tears blinded her. “Malcolm…”

“Hold on. Just keep holding on,” he shouted.

She nodded, barely able to make her head move. It was like her body was shutting down, the surge of relief sapping what little strength she had left.

The boat slowed and maneuvered into place directly beneath her. A few of Malcolm’s teammates were with him but she didn’t look at anyone but him. Couldn’t. “I c-can’t get down,” she called down. “C-can’t hang on much l-longer…”

He was standing at the very point of the bow, his gaze locked on her, the sight of him so incredible she wanted to cry. “It’s too risky for me to climb up to you, the crane could shift at any moment and throw you off.”

A crane? That’s what she was on?

“I don’t want to bring in the helo, because the downdraft might make you slip.” His expression was concerned, yet calm. “You’re gonna have to jump.”

Jump? Rowan measured the distance between her and the boat. It was too far. “I c-can’t.”

“Yes you can. We’re right underneath you. Unwrap your legs one at a time. I’m gonna get in the water. Then you’re gonna jump and I’ll grab you. It’s the only way.”

She shook her head, the motion involuntary.

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