Submerged

She disconnected the call, then looked over her shoulder and caught sight of her son’s terrified expression. She gave Colton a shaky smile. “When Marcus breaks my window, I want you to grab your sister and hold your breath if the car fills up.” The fear in her son’s eyes nearly choked her, but she pressed on. “Marcus is going to rescue us. Understand?”

“Okay. I’ll hold on to Ella, and I promise I won’t let go of her.”

“Marcus says we’re really close to shore. Do you think you can swim with your sore leg?”

Colton nodded and swiped at the tears on his cheek.

The car shuddered, and they shrieked as they were jerked forward.

She took a deep breath. “The car’s going to fill up with water really fast, Colton. You’re going to have to hold your breath, but not for long. Marcus has oxygen tanks. You know, like scuba gear. He’s going to give me the first tank as soon as the door opens. Then he’ll give you and Ella one.”

“Scuba tanks? Cool. What about you, Mom? You’re stuck. How will you get out?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.”

“And we have the superhero,” Colton said with a wide grin.

“Yeah.” She winced as a heat flared in her chest. “Just promise me you’ll be brave.”

“I promise.”

“I love you, honey,” she said, gulping back a sob.

“Love you too, Mom.”

“I am so proud of you, Colton. You are so strong and—”

They were thrown into utter blackness.

Colton let out a screech. “Turn the lights back on!”

Rebecca slammed her hands against the dashboard controls. “Come on!” she cried between gritted teeth. “Turn back on!”

The lights blinked on, off, then on again.

She covered her mouth with one hand. She was afraid to move or breathe. If she was this frightened of being left in the dark, she could only imagine her son’s fear. Get it together, Rebecca.

“Colton, I’m going to give you my cell phone. If the lights go out, you can open it and turn it on. Okay? I’m going to have to throw it to you.”

“I’ll catch it.” The brave resolve in his voice made her smile.

Turning, she stared into Colton’s eyes. Her hand trembled as she gripped the phone. It had been her lifeline. Literally.

You can do this.

She tossed the cell phone and breathed a sigh of relief when he caught it.

“When we get out of here, maybe you should take up baseball,” she said, trying to inject some humor into an otherwise bone-chilling situation.

“Can I call Dad?” Colton asked, his voice trembling.

“You can try.”

She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying. There was no point in saving the battery power now. Colton needed to hear his father’s voice. To say good-bye.

She gave her head a sharp shake. No! We’re going to survive.

“Dad’s not picking up,” Colton said.

“Leave him a message.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

There was silence in the back seat.

“Colton?”

“I hung up. I didn’t know what to say.”

“That’s okay, honey. He knows you love him. And Daddy loves you.”

Colton began sobbing.

“Please stop crying,” she said, wishing she could hold him in her arms. “I know you’re scared, honey. So am I. But we have to have faith. We have to believe that we’ll be out of here soon.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, I do. Be brave, honey.”

Hearing his sobs made her angry. Not at him, but at her own uselessness.

Seething with frustration, she grabbed the steering wheel and pushed it up with all her strength. With her children’s faces in her mind, she attempted to wriggle free. But every movement sent severe knife-pains through her ribs.

Her eyes streamed with tears, and she was drained of all energy. As her emotions collapsed, she cried as inaudibly as possible so that Colton wouldn’t hear. There was nothing more she could do except pray for a miracle.

Chapter Twenty-One

Near Cadomin, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 12:11 AM

Another jagged flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a sharp crack came about five seconds later.

“Damn,” Marcus muttered. The storm was getting closer.

He opened the car door, ripped the Bluetooth off his ear and tossed it on the passenger seat next to his cell phone. Stripping off his shirt, he slung the straps from the tanks over his shoulder. With a flashlight in hand, he waded into the river. The water was frigid, but he pressed on. The ground sloped sharply. He dove in and swam toward the car. It took less than five minutes.

As he reached for the driver’s door, the boards beneath the front end gave way and the car slid further into the river.

Shit!

He rapped the flashlight on the top of the car and heard a muted reply.

How much water is inside?

The door handle was out of reach, so he dove below. He didn’t bother with the mask. This was a reconnaissance dive. Plus, he needed to conserve the air in his tank, in case he couldn’t get Rebecca out right away and had to leave it with her.

The door didn’t budge. He shone a flashlight into the window. The sharp angle of the car had forced Rebecca over the steering wheel.