Chapter 8 - BURIED UNDER BLACK WATER
Cold water exploded through the broken windshield.
Willa couldn’t breathe.
For one second, she didn’t know which way was up.
Then Everett’s monitor struck her shoulder.
She remembered.
Everett.
She kicked toward the stretcher.
The emergency straps had held him in place.
Water climbed around his chest.
“Everett!”
His eyes were open.
He couldn’t move enough to free himself.
Willa reached for the buckle.
It jammed.
The water reached Everett’s neck.
Tomas surfaced beside her.
“Back doors are stuck!”
“Help me!”
Together they pulled.
The buckle released.
Everett slipped downward.
Willa caught him beneath the arms.
The van groaned.
Water reached the ceiling.
Tomas shouted.
“Side window!”
He kicked repeatedly.
Nothing.
Willa’s lungs burned.
The last pocket of air disappeared.
Everything went black and silent.
Willa held Everett.
She felt his heartbeat against her arm.
Weak.
Slowing.
Then the side window shattered.
Tomas pushed Everett through first.
Willa followed.
The lake swallowed them.
She kicked toward the surface.
Everett was dead weight in her arms.
Ten feet.
Maybe fifteen.
Her lungs screamed.
Then her head broke through.
Willa gasped.
“Tomas!”
“Here!”
He helped drag Everett onto the overturned section of the van still above water.
Everett wasn’t breathing.
Willa’s heart stopped.
“No.”
She positioned him.
“Everett!”
Nothing.
She began rescue breathing.
Once.
Twice.
Tomas looked toward shore.
“We have company.”
Headlights appeared on the road.
Willa didn’t care.
“Everett!”
She gave another breath.
His chest jerked.
Water spilled from his mouth.
He coughed.
Willa rolled him to the side.
“That’s it.”
“Come on.”
Everett sucked in air.
His eyes fluttered.
Willa nearly collapsed from relief.
Sterling surfaced ten yards away.
“Help!”
Tomas looked at him.
Sterling struggled in the water.
“Help me!”
Tomas stared.
For one moment, Willa thought he might leave him.
Then Tomas jumped back in.
Willa watched in disbelief.
“You’re saving him?”
Tomas dragged Sterling toward the wreckage.
“Everett will want to question him.”
Sterling coughed violently.
“Touching.”
Whitfield was nowhere to be seen.
Willa looked around.
“Doctor!”
No response.
Then Tomas saw movement near the shore.
Whitfield was swimming away.
“Son of a bitch.”
He raised his gun.
Water had ruined it.
Whitfield reached the rocks.
A black SUV stopped above him.
The door opened.
Someone pulled him inside.
The vehicle disappeared.
Sterling smiled.
Willa saw it.
“You knew.”
Sterling said nothing.
“You knew Whitfield would be rescued.”
No response.
Everett slowly opened his eyes.
His voice came as a whisper.
“Who?”
Willa leaned down.
“Whitfield escaped.”
Everett closed his eyes.
Not from weakness.
Anger.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Tomas looked toward the road.
“We move now.”
“How?”
“Backup.”
A truck appeared from the opposite direction.
Three men jumped out.
They helped drag everyone to shore.
One of them wrapped Everett in blankets.
Willa stayed beside him.
The safe house was not a house.
It was an abandoned Catholic school on the South Side.
The windows were boarded.
The gymnasium had been converted into a command center.
Maps covered the walls.
Weapons sat on tables.
Phones rang constantly.
Men Willa had never seen looked at Everett as though a dead king had walked into the room.
Some stared.
Some crossed themselves.
One man began crying.
Everett was wheeled inside.
Nobody spoke until he lifted two fingers.
Then every man stood straighter.
Tomas said quietly.
“Word travels fast.”
Everett looked around.
“How many?”
Tomas hesitated.
“Still counting.”
“How many?”
“Seven dead.”
Everett closed his eyes.
Willa saw guilt settle across his face.
Sterling, tied to a chair nearby, smiled.
“That number will grow.”
Everett looked toward him.
Sterling continued.
“You think waking up makes you king again?”
“You’ve been gone eight months.”
“I signed contracts.”
“I moved people.”
“I bought loyalty.”
Everett whispered.
“You rented it.”
Sterling’s smile faltered.
Everett looked at Tomas.
“Ruth.”
Tomas nodded.
“We found a lead.”
Willa stood.
“Where?”
“One of Sterling’s shell companies owns a private care facility outside Joliet.”
Willa turned toward Sterling.
“You put my mother there?”
Sterling said nothing.
She approached.
“Is she there?”
Silence.
Willa slapped him.
Hard.
“Is she there?”
Sterling smiled.
“I wouldn’t waste time driving.”
Her blood went cold.
“What does that mean?”
Sterling leaned closer.
“It means you have until morning.”
“For what?”
He looked at Everett.
“To give me what I want.”
Everett stared back.
Sterling smiled.
“Otherwise Ruth Hayes won’t remember her daughter ever existed.”
Willa’s face went white.
“What did you do to her?”
May you like
Sterling’s smile widened.
“The same thing Whitfield did to Everett.”
