Of the Trees(83)

“Has the water been rising all this time?” Ryan asked, his voice shaky.

“Slowly, but yes,” Cassie answered. Shivers had taken over her body, her teeth clacked together when she spoke.

“I don’t know how high it will go,” Ryan said. He grabbed at Cassie’s arms and pulled her back into his chest. “The water table shouldn’t be too high, but it’s been raining lately. I’m just not sure.”

He sounded helpless. It unnerved her.

“I want you to climb up me,” he said suddenly, grabbing her low on her waist and moving to lift her. Cassie gripped his arms and stilled him. “See if you can grab anything, up higher it might be more firm. You can run for help.”

“Ryan, I can’t.”

“Look. I’ll swim if I have to,” he said. “But one of us needs to get out of here and get help.”

His fingers were firm and insistent on her waist, yet she could barely feel them through the numbing cold. He bent in the water, one hand tracing down over her hip and under her bum. “C’mon,” he murmured, “up you go.”

Water sluiced from her body, draining from her clothing and jacket. It soaked Ryan through as he lifted her. She dug her knee into his collarbone, ignoring his grunt as she climbed up to stand on his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” Cassie asked. She was shaky. His hands came up to wrap around her ankles as he grunted an affirmative. She stretched up, reaching as high as she could. He wavered underneath her. The dirt was soft but dry. She reached up to grab something, anything she could find to hoist herself out of there.

A dark arm appeared before her, a head silhouetted by the moonlight above. “Grab it, sweetheart,” he murmured, reaching for her outstretched arm. “Come to me.”

Every muscle in her body locked. Above, the shadow hovered almost blocking out the moon. He was ringed in silver, his head tilted in consideration. She saw him. She heard him. A menacing force that would drown her best friend. She remembered the feel of his skin, too warm and too soft. He wanted her to touch him again, to link fingers and let him drag her from the earth and into his arms, into a future she didn’t understand and didn’t want.

If she grabbed that hand, if she admitted that she saw them, they won.

“Cassie,” Ryan called out from below. “Can you reach anything?”

“There’s nothing,” Cassie whispered, staring up at that darkened face. Low and almost indecipherable, a growl emanated from his chest.

“You see me!” he screamed, his rage echoing around the narrow well. “You’re a liar!”

Above him, in the cuts of moonlight, the trees began to sway. Softly at first and then violently, vicious lashes against the sky. Cassie stiffened and nearly fell. Ryan’s grip on her ankles grounded her. Before Aidan could reach in and grab her, Cassie dropped back down to Ryan. She was immersed in water that nearly hit her chin and she shuddered forcefully, gasping as the freezing water soaked her through again. Above her the sky was revolting, lightning flashed, and thunder sounded. She could hear the breaks in the tree branches as they thrashed. Wind gusted from the ground and flew down the well, a mini twister that whipped Cassie’s wet hair and froze her face. She huddled against Ryan, his face tucked into her shoulder, as the forest raged above them.

“What the hell is happening?” Ryan yelled, his voice barely audible over the sudden storm. Cassie shook her head. The water crept up, and she was suddenly buoyant, her feet lifting from the muck. It got into her mouth, and she spat, pressing her lips tighter together. Ryan stood firm, taller than she was, and she kept her hand fisted in his jacket in an attempt to stay close.

Chunks of earth fell from the opening of the hole they had been forced into. They landed with splashes all around them, raining mud over their heads. Lightning illuminated the sky and in the bare moments of light, Cassie saw him watching her. His eyes, sharp and blue, penetrated her mind, pinned her in the water. He knew. He knew she saw him, was willing to kill her rather than let it go.

“Help us!” she called out. He smirked, but the water kept rising, thunder boomed over the violent sway of the tree tops. Cassie closed her eyes in defeat.

A different flash, softer and warm, cut through the darkness of the hole.

“Cassie Harris! Ryan Buckner!” a voice called out. “Boys, over here!”

As quickly as it began, the storm above died down. A new head peered over the edge of the hole, shining a harsh beam of light into her face. It wasn’t until Ryan called out that she dared to believe.

“We’re here,” he shouted. To Cassie he said, “Climb up, get us out of here.”

Cassie scrambled back onto his shoulders. She heard the gasp of his last breath as the water covered his mouth and knew she had to hurry. Officer Gibbons stared down at her, his arm outstretched. She grabbed at his hand, her fingers stiff and numb. He pulled her out like she weighed nothing. Ryan spluttered as he broke the surface of the water and took a deep breath.

“We have to—” she started to say, scrambling back to the edge of the hole. She could just see the top of Ryan’s head. “Do you have a rope.”

“No,” Gibbons replied, already stripping off his belt, “but we have clothing. Help me out.”

He called out for the other officers again, his words coming in harsh, barking commands. Cassie peeled off her jacket and then her shirt, offering the ends of the sleeves to the officer. He tied them together with his belt, calling out assurances to Ryan. The forest to her back felt menacing, but she had no attention to spare until Ryan was out safely.