Page 136 of Veil of Silence

Near the opposite bank, Cross broke the surface and grabbed a low branch. His fingers slipped. The water spun him sideways and slammed him into a fallen tree farther downstream.

Nothing moved where Christian had disappeared.

Pressure tightened around Austin’s lungs. He scanned the creek, refusing to count the seconds the teenager had been underwater.

“There!” Prine shouted.

She pointed toward a half-submerged section of railing. A hand had broken the surface beside it.

Austin slid down the bank and plunged into the creek.

Cold water closed around his legs and knocked them from beneath him. He caught a tree root with one hand and reached for Christian with the other, but the current swept the boy past him.

Austin released the root and pushed away from the bank.

The water carried him several yards before his fingers closed around the back of Christian’s jacket. Christian twisted toward him, coughing and fighting blindly.

“It’s Austin.” He tightened his grip. “Stop fighting me.”

Austin managed to wrap his arm around Christian’s chest from behind.

The panicked movements slowed, but Christian’s weight dragged them both deeper. Austin kicked toward shore while the current fought to carry them downstream.

A rope landed across the water.

Austin caught it with his free hand. Luke and another deputy began hauling them toward the bank.

Then Christian jerked backward.

Cross had surfaced behind them and locked both hands around the teenager’s ankle.

Christian cried out as Cross tried to pull him from Austin’s grasp. The gun was gone, but fury had stripped away the last of Cross’s control.

“You belong to us,” he gasped.

Still gripping Christian and the rope, Austin drove his heel into Cross’s shoulder.

The blow broke Cross’s hold. The current caught him and spun him downstream toward Nash and a deputy, who had braced themselves in the shallows near the fallen tree.

They seized Cross as he struck the trunk. He fought them, but the creek had taken most of his strength. Nash forced one arm behind his back while the deputy secured the other.

Austin turned his attention to Christian. “Hold on. We’re almost there.”

He kept his arm locked around Christian’s chest and held tight as Luke pulled the rope. Mud replaced water beneath Austin’s knees, and several hands reached from shore to drag them both up the bank.

For several seconds, Christian didn’t move.

Austin rolled him onto his side. “Breathe.”

A cough tore through him. Creek water spilled from his mouth before he dragged in a ragged breath.

Relief hit Austin so hard he had to steady himself with one hand against the ground.

Paramedics hadn’t reached the property yet, but one of the deputies knelt beside Christian and began checking him for injuries. Austin sat back, water streaming from his clothes, and looked downstream.

Nash and the other deputy had Cross face-down on the bank. Blood streaked one side of his forehead, but he was conscious—and alive. He stopped struggling as handcuffs closed around his wrists.

Prine’s radio crackled.