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“Can I come with you?” she asks, slightly out of breath from paddling furiously to catch up with us.
“You’d better go back and wait with your dad.”
“Please,” she says cajolingly. “They’ve been talking about fishing the whole time, and I’m bored to tears.” She rolls her eyes. “I won’t be any trouble, I promise. I’ve kayaked a lot in Maryland. And I’m almost twelve.”
My heart squeezes. I can’t help but think about Maggie. It’s why I try not to spend too much time with kids; it’s just too damn painful.
“She can come with us, right?” McKenzie says, adding her pleading blue eyes to the girl’s hazel ones.
“Fine.” I relent, glancing back at the men. They shouldn’t be too much longer anyway. I point to the girl and give them a thumb’s up to indicate we’ve got her, and we turn the corner out of sight.
The water’s calm as we guide our kayaks around the karsts that look just like the dozens we’ve passed today. McKenzie spots the cavern opening in the wall first.
“There it is.” She starts to paddle toward the cave, the girl close behind her.
“Let’s wait for Jake and the girl’s dad before we go in,” I warn.
“Her name is Paige.”
“Whatever. Just wait.”
She flashes me a smile. “Yes, sir.” Her eyes are dancing. “We’re just going to peek in from the outside.”
It all happens in slow motion. One minute she’s sitting in her kayak, the sun glinting off her blonde hair, and the next her kayak is being sucked into the opening of the cave, with the girl’s right behind. There’s a sharp crack, a scream, and suddenly, I’m reliving my worst nightmare.
