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I thought it was bad. This is so much worse.
The shooter is still out there. We’re out in the open. And Ari’s in the pond, freezing.
“Okay, hun.” I channel all my experience as a firefighter—soothing terrified accident victims, calming a frightened child trapped in a fire. But this is Ari, and it’s so much harder to push back my fear.
I’m shuffling closer to Ari; at this point I’m willing to risk falling through the ice myself. “Can you stand?” She shakes her head, already shuddering with cold. “Okay, take off your jacket. It’ll make it easier to tread water.”
She’s scared, but does exactly what I ask. “Be careful,” she whispers through chattering teeth.
It feels like an eternity before I reach the edge. Ari is still paddling, though her movements are sluggish. “You can do it,” I croon, sounding calm though I feel moments from a heart attack. “Focus on breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth.”
I’m still bracing for the inevitable gunshot, the flare of pain, a cry of agony, but for once in this horrible situation, my luck holds. I grab Ari’s hands, then her forearms, and I pull her back up on the ice.
As much as I want to check her condition, I can’t. We need to get to cover.
Once I get her to the edge of the pond, I have a decision to make. Go for the safer route, staying low and crawling to the trees? Or pick up Ari and make a run for it, the faster but more dangerous choice?
If Ari wasn’t blue-lipped and shuddering with cold, I wouldn’t even think about it. But she’s probably hypothermic already and I can’t waste any more time.
So I yank off my skates and scoop her up in my arms—she’s so weak, so pale, please be okay—and I sprint for the trees.
Please let us make it.
Please let Ari be okay.
When we make it to the cluster of pines without any gunshots, I nearly burst into relieved tears.
Except it’s only one part down. I need to take care of Ari andcall the police.
I can’t risk running all the way to the house; it’s a good quarter mile and if the shooter is using a long-range rifle… he could pick us off easily.
So I need to start warming up Ari here. And get help on the way.
I yank my phone out of my pocket and dial 911, then put it on speaker. While I talk to the operator, I peel Ari’s clothes off her, wincing at her pale, blue-veined skin.
“Cash.” It’s barely a whisper. Her eyes are dazed, unfocused. “I fell in the pond.”
“I know.” I dry her off with my fleece, rubbing her arms and legs to help with circulation. Then I dress her in my shirt and pants, leaving me in my long-underwear and a T-shirt. Tucking her against my chest, I wrap my jacket around both of us, holding her shaking body against mine.
“Police are just a few minutes out,” the operator tells me. “Ambulances are just behind. We’ll have help to you soon.”
“I’m so cold,” Ari slurs, and my heart wrenches painfully.
Tucking her head into my neck, I kiss her damp hair. “I know. I’m so sorry. But it’s going to be okay. Soon we’ll get you all warm. I promise.”
Sirens draw closer while I rub Ari’s icy skin, using friction to give her some warmth. Almost drunkenly, she mumbles into my neck, “Can we… have a fire? And… hot chocolate? And… cookies?”
“Yes, hun.” I gather her even closer, kissing her again—if I could tuck her inside me, I would. “Of course we can.”
A cacophony of sound approaches. Familiar voices, commanding and urgent. A flurry of footsteps head toward us. Flashes of red bounce across the sheet of snow.
So soft I can barely hear her, Ari whispers, “Are we safe now?”
Pain slashes through me. I thought weweresafe, and Ari was nearly killed.
“You’re safe,” I promise her, as the police and EMTs surround us. “It’s going to be okay.”
Chapter 15
