Peering over the cliff, she saw Boyd and Aaron fall. They disappeared into the dark water.
Sloan waited.
She watched.
She yelled Aaron’s name.
And she prayed.
Neither Aaron nor Boyd came up.
EPILOGUE
Later…
THE DARK CLOUDS COVERED THE SKY as he tied the last lure of the day. This was it. He was finally catching a fish. The weatherman said it would rain and rain hard this afternoon. Probably even flood. This close to the river, he couldn’t chance it. As bad as he hated it, this was the end. This mini-vacation had been very much needed. He couldn’t take his wife’s accusations that he’d caused Boyd’s accident. And he couldn’t stand the fact that Boyd was in a wheelchair. Sure, he was glad the boy wasn’t dead, but he hated that his life had led to this.
This fishing trip, this business trip had been much needed. Much needed and much enjoyed. He only had a little guilt for leaving the wife and Boyd, but only a little.
And the best part of all. No cell service.
Mr. Lawrence grabbed his tackle box, bucket for the fish, and his pole. He headed down the river to his favorite fishing spot, the one with the best view of the Falls.
He hadn’t cast the first line when he saw something on the side of the bank. It looked like a body.
Mr. Lawrence hurried over and pulled it up on the bank. He rolled it over and stopped.
“What are you doing out here, son?” He gasped as he helped the boy cough up water.
Mr. Lawrence sat him up and helped him clear his lungs. “We need to get you help,” he said and tried to help him up. The first raindrops fell on his face as the thunder started crackling overhead. “Can you move?”
He shook his head.
“Do you know where you are?”
Again, another shake of the head. Another cough.
“Son, you need help before the storm comes in. Come on.” He tried to raise him up again, but that didn’t work. It was like lifting dead weight.
The boy pulled Mr. Lawrence down to him. “He needs help more than me.”
“Who? Who needs help?” Mr. Lawrence shook him. They really had to get out of there before the weather picked up.
“My brother,” he said weakly, trying to stand up. He was bloody. Beaten, obviously. And he had on a soaked, tattered black suit. “He’s been shot.”
“Where?” Mr. Lawrence put his hands under the boy’s arms to help him stand.
“At the Falls. He needs help. The girl. She saw… she saw it.”
“Okay. It’s okay. Calm down. We’ll get them help too. Just tell me your name.”
His breathing became more labored. “Aa-Aaron.” The boy’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed on the ground.