She was fucking shooting at him.
The woman was leaning over the side of the boat, obviously scanning the water for him. She waved the gun in one hand. “Get a fucking flashlight!”
Todd used his abs to dolphin kick, trying to put some distance between him and the boat. The greater the distance, the less accurate a handgun was to shoot.
But he had only one option. If he stayed above the surface, she would see him. Then she would shoot him. Then he’d definitely drown.
To save himself, he’d have to do the one thing his body was fighting against.
He had to go under.
Todd exhaled. With the air out of his lungs, his lean body sank. The water closed over his head. An odd calm washed over him as he watched the moonlight fade.
A second shot rang out. The bullet hit the water with a quick splash. Todd slowly kicked away from the sound.
The blackness had seemed terrifying just a moment ago. Now he was hoping it was dark enough so she couldn’t see him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Matt watched the silhouettes struggle, saw the body go into the water, heard the sound of gunshots. He needed to go in after Todd. But he couldn’t see him.
“Can you get me closer?” he shouted at Juarez.
With a nod, Juarez eased the throttle forward, and the boat surged faster. The AR-15 strapped to the deputy’s back swung. He steered to the right to give the area where the person had gone into the water a wide berth. The boat leaned into the turn. They crossed over the wake of the lead boat. Their bow porpoised, the hull slapping on the water after it topped each wave and crashed down.
Stephanie’s boat surged ahead. Were they making a run for it?
Fighting for balance, Matt grabbed the life ring from the back of the seat and staggered to the side.
Next to him, Bree gripped a rail with one hand. Her feet were spread for balance. Matt handed her Collins’s AR-15. Bree rested the rifle across her body. Her eyes were on the water. She shouted, “Could you see if it was definitely Todd who went into the water?”
“No. Too dark.” Matt’s gaze swept the water, looking for a face. But all he could see was darkness and more darkness.
“There!” Bree pointed. A pale face appeared above the surface. Then he went under again.
Matt looped one arm through the life-ring rope and brought one foot up onto the side of the boat. The boat rocked as he pushed off without waiting for it to stop. He dived into the lake.
The water closed over him. Towing the life ring, he stroked toward the spot where he’d seen Todd. When he reached the approximate location, he spun, treading water, looking for Todd.
A head popped up a dozen feet away.
“Todd?” Matt yelled.
The head went under.
By the time Matt swam to him, he’d surfaced again. Hooking the life ring under one arm, Matt grabbed him with the other. It was Todd, and he was alive. Relief almost made Matt weak. “Grab the ring.”
Shivering, Todd gurgled an answer.
Holy shit.
His arms and legs were bound. He couldn’t hold on to the ring.
How was he even still alive?
“It’s OK. I’ve got you.” Matt couldn’t free Todd’s hands and ankles. The best he could do was keep both of their heads above water until Bree and Juarez could swing around and pick them up. Todd was pale and gasping. His face was beat to shit. Probably the rest of him too.
An engine screamed toward them. Matt turned, hoping to see Juarez at the wheel. Panic bolted through him as he realized it was the wrong boat. Stephanie Crighton was headed right toward them. There was no way for Matt to get them out of the boat’s path. He couldn’t swim fast enough with a fully bound Todd and a life ring in tow.
“We have to go under.” Todd spit out some water. “Let me go.”
Matt had no choice. If they stayed on the surface, they’d die.
“Deep breath.” Matt shoved the ring away and dived down. Exhaling as he swam down, he tried to keep hold of Todd. He would not lose the chief deputy, not after finally getting him back. But Todd wiggled out of his grip, dolphin kicking toward the bottom. Thankfully, neither of them had much body fat. They both sank like bricks.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Todd lost control of his respirations. His heart sprinted wildly. Below the surface, he forced himself to swim down. Down. Down. Until his feet hit the bottom. He kept going until his ass landed in the mud.
Oxygen starved, his lungs were on fire. Dizziness disoriented him.
His instincts screamed to surface. To swim toward the light. Toward air.
He heard the engine whine and felt the disturbance in the water as the boat passed over him. He counted to three, not wanting to get sliced by the propeller.