Chapter 13 - MR. HOPS
Andrew ran.
Lucinda fired first.
The bullet struck David in the shoulder.
His gun discharged into the dock.
Alex screamed.
Andrew grabbed his son and threw them both behind a stack of crates.
Police opened fire.
David jumped over the railing.
He hit the water.
Sarah shouted, “Hold fire!”
Officers rushed the edge.
The river was black.
Empty.
David had disappeared beneath the dock.
Lucinda dropped her gun.
Officers surrounded her.
She raised both hands.
“I surrender.”
Andrew held Alex tightly.
“You were supposed to stay in the car.”
Alex cried.
“I thought you were leaving.”
Andrew closed his eyes.
“I’m not leaving you.”
Elizabeth rushed to them.
Mia followed.
Sarah ordered divers into the water.
Then Alex looked down.
His rabbit was gone.
“Mr. Hops?”
Andrew looked around.
The toy lay near the edge of the dock.
Alex pulled away.
“Alex, no!”
The boy ran toward it.
A hand shot up from the water.
David grabbed Alex’s ankle.
Alex screamed.
Andrew lunged.
David pulled.
Alex fell.
Elizabeth grabbed Alex’s arms.
David dragged from below.
“Help!”
Andrew caught his son’s jacket.
For one terrifying second, Alex hung between the dock and the black river.
David surfaced.
Blood covered his shoulder.
His eyes were wild.
“If I’m going down, somebody’s coming with me!”
Lucinda screamed.
“Let him go!”
David laughed.
“You care about him now?”
Lucinda ran.
A police officer grabbed her.
She twisted free.
She hit the dock on her knees and grabbed David’s injured arm.
David screamed.
His grip loosened.
Andrew and Elizabeth pulled Alex up.
David grabbed Lucinda’s wrist.
Her eyes widened.
He pulled her toward the edge.
She looked at Andrew.
For one strange second, he saw Caroline in her face.
Same eyes.
Same fear.
Then Lucinda whispered, “I’m sorry.”
David yanked her into the water.
Both vanished.
Sarah ran to the edge.
Divers jumped.
Andrew held Alex.
Minutes felt like hours.
Finally, a diver surfaced.
He had Lucinda.
She coughed violently as they pulled her onto the dock.
Another diver appeared.
Then another.
No David.
Sarah shouted, “Where is he?”
A diver shook his head.
“Current took him.”
Andrew looked toward the dark river.
Lucinda lay on her back, gasping.
Alex picked up Mr. Hops.
The rabbit was soaked.
The green ribbon was gone.
Alex stared at Lucinda.
She opened her eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Alex looked at her for a long moment.
Then he said something that made Andrew’s chest ache.
“I wish you were sorry before.”
Lucinda began to cry.
Sirens echoed across the marina.
Sarah cuffed her.
Andrew believed it was over.
Then one of the officers shouted from the riverbank.
“Detective!”
Sarah ran.
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A bloody trail led from the water into the trees.
David Mercer was still alive.
