Alone (Bone Secrets, #4)(83)

They reached the SUV and Victoria jumped out, ripping the rope off Trinity. “Are you okay?”

The girl’s teeth chattered in answer, but she nodded. Seth’s teeth were chattering, too. With numb hands, he tried to tie the rope around his waist again. He felt like he’d run a marathon.

“Just throw him the rope,” Victoria suggested. “He’s a big kid. He can tie a knot.”

Seth looked at the kid. He was already outside the car in the water, hanging on to the door for balance as the water rushed around his lower thighs. He was a lot taller than Trinity. Victoria grabbed the rope out of Seth’s hands and flung it in the kid’s direction. The rope landed in the water and was instantly swept into the teen’s hands.

“Jason! Be careful!” Trinity shouted, cupping her mouth. Jason looked up and nodded, rapidly tying the rope around his waist.

Seth watched him. Knot it again. He gestured for Jason to tie it better, but the teen wasn’t looking at him. He let go of the car and moved forward. Shock crossed Jason’s face as he realized how difficult it was to push against the current. He tightened his grip on the rope and pulled, his legs slowly moving through the fast water.

Victoria climbed back in the driver’s seat, her gaze locked on Jason. Trinity clasped her hands together below her chin, shivering. Seth grabbed the rope at the SUV, pulling the boy closer.

Jason wobbled, lost his balance, and fell. The rope was yanked out of Seth’s hands. Jason vanished under the water, but his head bobbed up, mouth gasping for air. The water pushed up into his face as it streamed past him.

“Stand back!” Victoria shouted. Seth and Trinity jumped out of the way as she backed up the vehicle. The water formed a wake around Jason as Victoria dragged him into shallow water. Seth pulled him up out of the cold, shivering and sputtering.

“I tripped.” Jason spit out a mouthful of water.

“We noticed,” Seth said as he inspected the teen. His jeans were ripped at the knees and fresh blood flowed, but he didn’t seem too hurt.

“Are you okay?” Trinity untied the rope with shaking hands. “You’re bleeding.”

Jason looked at his knees. “I can’t even feel it.”

“We need to get him to a hospital,” Victoria announced. She pulled off his wet coat. “Take off your shirt.” She shed her thick jacket and held it out to him. Jason stripped to his bare chest and pulled on her jacket. The teen shivered violently.

“I don’t need a hospital,” he argued. “I’m just wet.” He inspected a knee. “These are scrapes, nothing bad. My grandfather lives a hundred yards away. I can dry off there and get warm.”

“How far is the closest hospital?” Seth asked.

Victoria shrugged. “Back in town. There’s probably an emergency care center in Seaside.”

“I’m fine,” Jason insisted through blue lips. “I just need to get dry and warmed up.”

“Wait, your grandfather lives up the road?” Victoria asked.

“Yes, he was expecting us. That’s where we were headed when her car got swept off the road,” Jason added, rubbing his hands up and down his arms through Victoria’s coat. Trinity nodded in agreement.

“Does he have an old barn?” Victoria questioned.

Jason’s teeth rattled as he bobbed his head.

Seth couldn’t feel his feet, and Jason had to be colder. The sooner they warmed up the better. “Sounds like we’re headed to the same place. Let’s go.” He eyed the water level across the road. “I think we’re good. This thing is a lot higher off the ground than Trinity’s car. The deepest part is the hollow Trinity’s car swept into. Stick to the opposite side of the road.”

They piled into her SUV, and Seth cranked up the heat to full blast. Victoria slowly drove through the rushing water. Her vehicle’s heavy weight keeping the tires securely on the road. Seth exhaled as they broke out of the water. “Christ. I don’t want to ever swim again.”

“Me neither,” added Jason from the backseat. “You’ll see my grandfather’s place a ways up on the left.”

“Anyone else live out here?” Seth asked. “This is really secluded.”

“There’re a few homes. You’d have to drive another mile or so.”

“Over the river and through the woods,” muttered Victoria. Seth snorted.

“There it is!” said Jason.

Seth spotted a faint light ahead on his left.

Please let the heat be working.





Mason was ready to leave the office and call it a day. Ray was on the phone, getting a grocery list from the wife for a stop on his way home. Mason knew he still had at least a dozen frozen dinners and pizzas in his freezer, so he had no need to stop at the grocery store. As long as he had something to put in the microwave and coffee for the morning, he was good. There’d been a time when he and his ex had discussed dinner plans every day and what to feed Jake. He didn’t really miss it. Food should be uncomplicated, not requiring thought and planning. Sure, he was shoveling chemicals and processed crap into his body. But who wanted to live forever?

He’d passed on the description of Katy’s car, but outside of recommending a BOLO, there wasn’t a lot he could do. He was slipping his coat on when his desk phone rang.