CHAPTER 64

THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON Michelle was trying to find Viggie, only no one knew where the girl was. Alicia was at her hut working, and the guard assigned to watch Viggie had somehow lost track of his charge. However, something Viggie had said earlier came back to Michelle and she set out at a dead run for the river.

Five minutes later she reached the boathouse and right away noticed that one of the kayaks was missing. Her gaze swept the river. A storm was rolling in, the wind was gaining strength and the water current was fast. A rumble of thunder reached her ears and the smell of rain coming swiftly was suddenly thick in her nostrils.

The next sound she heard froze Michelle.

“Help me! Help me!”

Michelle grabbed a two-person kayak and paddle from the holder next to the boathouse, threw a loop of rope in it and raced down to the end of the dock. A few moments later she was in the kayak and cutting through the frothing chop of the river with each stroke.

“Help me!”

She saw the speck of red in the distance. As Michelle drew closer she saw that Viggie’s kayak had capsized. The girl was clinging to it, but she was being swept along by the accelerating river current. Michelle redoubled her effort and the kayak flew through the water. Michelle hadn’t rowed this hard for many months and even for her, the pace was grueling. A moment later she had all the incentive she needed. A lightning bolt struck the other side of the river with such force that the ground shook. This was followed by a deafening crack of thunder.

Viggie’s shrieks became louder now. Michelle kept her gaze steadily on the girl, letting the muscles of her arms, back and legs do the rest. Five minutes, and several hellish cracks of thunder and vicious lightning strikes later, Michelle pulled alongside the girl. As she put out her paddle for Viggie to grab the skies opened up and the rain came pelting down with such force it stung their faces and arms.

Viggie didn’t even make a grab at the paddle; she clung stubbornly to the side of her overturned kayak.

Michelle said as calmly as she could, “Viggie, I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. Do you understand?”

The girl shook her head. She said in a trembling voice, “I’m going to drown. I don’t have a life jacket on.”

“You’re not going to drown. Take your free hand and grab hold of the paddle.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can, Viggie.”

Lightning struck so close to them that the hairs on Michelle’s neck stood up.

“Viggie, grab the paddle. Now!”

Viggie didn’t make a move, but the current did. It ripped the kayak out of her hand and sent it spinning off. She screamed and started to go under.Michelle tied the coil of rope she’d thrown in the boat around one of her ankles and attached the other end to the carry loop on the kayak.

“Help me!” Viggie screamed as she floundered in the water and then went under.

Michelle dove in and shot under the surface. The water was murky and Michelle was searching more with her hands than her eyes. Finally, she felt her. Gripping the girl by her hair, she pulled her to the surface. Viggie was kicking, screaming and coughing up dirty river water.

Michelle looked around. Her kayak was twenty yards away and moving fast. The length of rope attached to Michelle’s leg was almost taut.

She forced Viggie to lie on her back, placed her arm around the girl’s chest and said as calmly as she could, “I’ve got you, sweetie. You’re okay. I’m going to get you to the kayak and then we’ll be fine, okay? You just have to relax. If you fight me, it just makes it harder. Just relax. I’ve got you.”

Realizing that she was not going under, Viggie grew still. They were not out of danger yet, Michelle clearly understood, because the kayak was moving fast and pulling them along with it. She had two options. She could cut the line and swim back with Viggie, or she could try to pull the kayak to her with her one arm and attempt to get her and Viggie in it. Neither option was without its complications. Meanwhile, the storm was only getting worse.

Michelle was a very strong swimmer, but she could already feel herself growing a little tired. And it was a long way to shore. She could swim with the current, but at some point she’d have to cut against it to get to land. By then she might not have the strength to do it. She was not going to let this come down to choosing saving herself over Viggie. As soon as she had jumped in the water Michelle had made up her mind that it would be both or none.

The rope tied to her leg was pulled so taut that it made it impossible for her to keep a good grip on Viggie. She finally kicked the rope free and the kayak sailed away from them.

Michelle eyed behind her. She had to get them to shore, fast. She gripped Viggie tighter with one arm, kicked hard with her legs and pushed against the current with her free arm. It was no use. She simply couldn’t swim across the current while holding on to Viggie.

The storm was right over them now. All she could hear were the cracks of the thunder, the swirl of wind and the groan of the trees as they were bent back and forth. Viggie started to squirm, perhaps sensing the rising panic in Michelle’s tense limbs.

She never heard the sound of the motor until it was right on them. Strong hands reached down, grabbed Viggie and pulled her up. Then Michelle was being pulled in as well. As she perched on one of the seats, her arms around a whimpering Viggie, Michelle looked up at Champ Pollion, who had turned his attention back to piloting the boat. He set a direct course back to Babbage Town’s dock.

After making sure Viggie was all right Michelle rose and stood beside him. “Thanks. It was getting pretty crazy out there.”

“I was out for a walk; saw Viggie capsize first and then you heading out to rescue her. That’s when I ran to get the powerboat. I figured the best way was to grab you both as fast as I could.”

He smoothly docked the boat and helped Michelle get Viggie off. The girl was still pretty much deadweight at this point.

“Sure she’s okay?” Champ said anxiously.

“Yeah, just scared.”

“Can’t blame her.”

Michelle took Viggie gently by the shoulder and led her up the path to Babbage Town. Champ walked with them to Alicia’s cottage.Michelle said, “If you pilot a plane as well as you do a boat, tomorrow should be very pleasant.”

“Uh, do you mind if we push our flight back a day? Something came up.”

“That’s fine, Champ. Whenever.”

Champ smiled shyly, mumbled something incoherent and hurried off.

“You saved my life, Mick,” Viggie said after they had both changed into dry clothes.

“Mr. Champ deserves a lot of the credit,” she said. “And what were you doing out on the river all by yourself?” she added in a scolding tone.

Viggie studied her hands, her face drooping like a rain-soaked flower. “I… I just wanted to be by myself.”

“I can think of lots of ways to do that that don’t involve putting yourself in danger.”

“Thank you for saving my life,” Viggie said.

“I’m just glad I was there.”

Viggie stood, went over to the piano and started playing. Softly, not frantically, as she had last time. The notes were slow, almost mournful. She looked up at Michelle as she played, her features inscrutable.

After she finished, Michelle said, “Thank you, Viggie, that was beautiful. What was it?”

Viggie didn’t answer. She turned and walked up the stairs. A moment later her bedroom door closed.

Back out on the York River, a twenty-foot RIB or rigid inflatable boat, the backbone of the military’s light amphibious assault teams, was cruising around, Ian Whitfield at the wheel. The man seemed oblivious to the storm raging around him. On the deck of the RIB was Michelle’s kayak, with the rope still attached to its stern ring. He hit the throttles and the RIB sprinted toward the Babbage Town side of the water. He docked the boat, climbed out and slid the kayak up onto the floating pier. He grimaced a bit as he jumped back into his vessel. He wore a yellow rain slicker and khaki shorts. His lower legs were muscular and deeply tanned. The right one, though, was also heavily scarred. Chilly rain always made it throb.