Lisa twisted her body in the harness, using core strength developed from thousands of hours on climbing walls.Her abdominal muscles screamed in protest as she bent backward at an unnatural angle, reaching up toward the nearest rope.The harness cut into her ribs and hips, and the wind made it nearly impossible to maintain her position.She grabbed the rope closest to her arm and yanked it down as much as she could.She craned her neck and did a sort of sloppy one-handed pull-up.
Her teeth closed around the first rope.It tasted like chemicals and dirt, and the texture was rough against her lips.She bit down hard and pulled, using her neck muscles to create tension.The rope resisted at first, then began to fray.Lisa ground her teeth together, ignoring the pain as the rope cut into the corners of her mouth and as her teeth ground desperately together.
Blessedly, the rope snapped.
The harness jerked slightly as one balloon broke free, but the others held her weight.Lisa did not have time to celebrate.She twisted again, reaching for another rope.This one was harder to reach, and she had to arch her back even further.The muscles along her spine burned, and her lips were already bleeding from the rough fibers.She tasted her own blood in her mouth as it trickled over her tongue and down her throat.
She bit down on the second rope and pulled.The wind buffeted her, making it difficult to maintain her grip.She could taste blood mixing with the chemical residue from the rope.The reservoir was getting closer, but she was still too high.If she fell now, the impact would shatter every bone in her body.She figured she had to be at least five hundred feet up by now.
Lisa released the second rope without breaking it and twisted to reach a third.The movement sent fresh waves of pain through her core, and her vision blurred from the effort.She had spent years training her body to handle the physical demands of climbing, but this was beyond anything she had ever experienced.Every muscle in her torso felt like it was tearing apart.
The third rope went between her teeth.She bit down hard, sawing her head back and forth to create friction.The rope cut deeper into her lips, and she could feel blood running down her chin.But the rope was fraying, weakening with each movement.And then it snapped.
The harness jerked again, more noticeably this time.Lisa was descending now, but not fast enough.She needed to break more ropes, needed to time it so that she hit the water at a survivable speed.She reached for a fourth rope, her abs cramping from the sustained contortion.The reservoir filled her vision now, dark water stretching across maybe two acres.She could see lights from buildings along the shore, but the center looked deep and empty.Lisa bit into the fourth rope and pulled with everything she had left.Her neck muscles strained to the point of nearly tearing.The rope resisted, holding strong despite her efforts.She adjusted her grip and tried again, feeling her teeth grinding against the fibers.The rope was digging into her hand, tearing open the calluses that had accumulated there thanks to the rock walls.
The rope snapped suddenly…and Lisa fell.
The harness jerked violently as the remaining balloons struggled to support her weight with fewer ropes.She was descending faster now, the water rushing up to meet her.Lisa twisted one more time, reaching desperately for another rope.If she could break just one more, it might be enough.
Her teeth closed around the fifth rope.She didn’t have time to saw through it properly.Instead, she bit down with all her strength and yanked her head backward in one sharp motion.
The rope gave way, and her bottom lip was torn open.
Lisa plummeted toward the water, the wind screaming in her ears.The remaining balloons trailed above her, still attached but no longer able to support her weight.She knew they would soften her impact but maybe not enough.She’d find out soon enough, she guessed; She had maybe three seconds before impact.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make her body as streamlined as possible, arms tight against her sides and legs together.She’d jumped into water from high places before, knew that hitting at the wrong angle could be just as deadly as hitting concrete.She drew in a breath and then slammed into the water.
Again, the world went dark and the last thing she was aware of was cold water and even more blood filling her mouth.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
David Starr walked along the eastern perimeter of the Silver Lake Reservoir with his flashlight beam sweeping across the water's surface.The night shift was usually quiet, which suited him fine after twenty-three years working maintenance for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.His job involved checking the pump stations, monitoring water levels, and making sure nothing was blocking the intake valves.Most nights he completed his rounds without seeing another person.
The reservoir stretched out before him, dark and still under the night sky.City lights reflected off the water in scattered patches, but the center remained black and opaque.David checked his watch and saw it was 11:15.He had two more inspection points to check before he could head back to the maintenance building and finish his shift.
He was walking toward the pump station near the eastern shore when he heard it…a sound like something heavy hitting the water.David stopped and turned toward the noise, raising his flashlight.He scanned the water with the beam for about seven seconds before he spotted what had made the noise.
What he saw made no sense.
A body had apparently fallen from the sky.David saw the body silhouetted against the reservoir water about fifty yards from where he stood.The splash was enormous, sending up a column of white water that caught the light from nearby buildings.
“Jesus…” he hissed.He ran toward the impact point, his boots pounding against the concrete path that ringed the reservoir.His flashlight bobbed wildly as he ran, and his breathing came hard and fast.He had worked at this reservoir for over two decades and had never seen anything remotely like this.
When he reached the spot closest to where the person had hit the water, David stopped and swept his flashlight across the surface.For a terrifying moment he saw nothing but ripples spreading outward from the impact point.Then the beam caught something pale floating near the eastern edge.
A woman.She was face-up in the water, her arms spread wide and her body motionless.David could see dark straps across her torso that looked like some kind of harness.And was that a parachute lying in the water like a discarded skin a few feet away from her?No…not a parachute.Something else…something his brain couldn’t quite identify in this surreal moment.
David did not hesitate.He dropped his flashlight on the concrete path and kicked off his work boots.He jumped into the reservoir feet-first, and the cold water shocked his system despite the mild night air.The water was deeper here than it looked, maybe twelve feet, and he had to kick hard to stay afloat.
David swam toward the woman with strong strokes, covering the distance in less than thirty seconds.When he reached her, he grabbed the harness and turned her so he could see her face properly.She was young, maybe in her thirties, with brown hair that floated around her head like seaweed.Her eyes were closed and her lips looked blue in the dim light.
But her chest was moving.She was breathing….thank God.
David hooked his arm under her shoulders and started pulling her toward the shore, keeping her face above water.The harness made it difficult to get a good grip, and the straps dug into his arm as he swam.His legs kicked steadily, propelling them both through the dark water.The concrete edge of the reservoir wasn’t far away—maybe twenty yards, but it felt like miles.David's clothes were soaked and heavy, dragging at his movements.The woman's weight pulled against him with each stroke.He focused on keeping both their heads above water and moving forward.
When he finally reached the edge, David grabbed the metal ladder that led up to the path.He positioned the woman so her harness caught on one of the lower rungs, keeping her head out of the water while he climbed up.His arms shook from exertion as he pulled himself onto the concrete.When he was up, he knelt and reached down to grab the woman under her arms.He pulled her up the ladder, trying to be gentle but knowing speed mattered more than comfort.Her body was limp and unresponsive, and water streamed from her clothes as he lifted her onto the path.
He laid her on her back and checked for breathing again.Her chest still rose and fell, but the movements were shallow and irregular.But her eyes were still closed and he thought she might be knocked out.David pulled his phone from his pocket, grateful that the waterproof case had done its job.Water dripped from his hands as he dialed 911.
