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Before Zane could ponder the dangers any further, Ty dove headfirst into the water, disappearing under the little whitecaps and the sticks and other debris that floated past

"Goddah he kneouldn’t hear hi a hand over his head and beginning to pace He looked back out over the water, every part of hi his partner wade across the river But not being able to see him at all? That was so --securing the ATV so it wouldn’t slide, packing up their equip the winch in case Ty got washed downstream--but he couldn’t He had to watch for Ty

The blue coil of rope on the ground in front of the ATV unwound steadily, whether because Ty was actually ress across the river or because the water was pulling it in was hard to tell Zane found hi Ty could hold his breath A few ive or take

After a fullthe water h He didn’t co down instead of across!" Zane said over the river noise

"Current’s gonna take hi everything he could fit into the packs to be carried across "He’ll correct it," he said with utmost confidence

Zane spared a s like that when Ty could actually hear him The confidence he had in his son bordered on blind faith sometimes Zane wondered suddenly if Ty knew it and that hy he took everything his father said in stride Be quick about it, his father had said It implied complete confidence that Ty could make it across, didn’t it? But it was also a fairly co onto others your belief of what should--and thus would--happen to achieve an end He glanced at Earl, hoping that confidence was real and seeing their relationship in a slightly different light

All their eyes snapped to the rope when the coil suddenly started rolling out far too quickly for Ty’s progress Deuce stood up on the seat of the ATV, trying to look downriver and find any telltale signs of his brother

So that quickly The rope iftly playing out It would hit its end far too soon for the but hope Ty wasn’t crushed by whatever had hit him and he could free hi up on threeany He jerked into et down to the water’s edge, and went splashing in after the rope He was up to his knees before Earl got hi strength As Earl pulled hiripping the winch controls until his knuckles turned white, trying to give Ty ashim back They all knew the , the less likely he was to et away fro the rope, Ty’s head broke the surface of the water, ht he would be Deuce shouted as soon as he saw hi strokes through the water, but he didn’t go anywhere as the current beat hi fro the river’s bottoo any deeper; he watched where Ty had been, willing hi back and forth between there and the ATV, checking the rope, oblivious to the water splashing up his thighs and soaking his jeans

After what see hiid water on the far side of the river, and the vise around his chest let loose so he could breathe again Earl stood there staring at his son for a long et hi his soaked shoes and socks off, his eyes on the opposite riverbank the entire ti over slippery rocks, probably frozen already and unable to feel the fingers he was using to scratch his way to dry land Once he was clear of the steep riverbank, he turned and waved to the him like hawks the entire ti hie After he was sure he’d gotten their attention, he yanked at the line a few good ti backward as the tension was released

Deuce sat back doith a relieved thud and closed his eyes for aat his forehead Earl finally tore his eyes fro their supplies into dry packs

"Lucky son of a bitch," one of the two prisonersback up onto the bank and looked over the four o next? Then there will be two of you over there e send one of them" He jerked a thumb at Earflaps and Redjacket

"Good plan," Deucejust as Ty had done They stuffed his and Ty’s things into one of the waterproof packs with asit over his shoulders as Earl worked the winch

On the other side of the rushing water, Ty had found a tree to secure the heavy nylon line to When the winch pulled it tight and it held, Zane could see Ty’s shoulders slu himself But not yet He watched as Ty picked up a handful of leaves fro to dry hiot too cold They needed to hurry

"Ready to go?" he asked Deuce

Deuce sighed as he looked at Zane, but his lips quirked into a wry s clever to say," he adan to follow it into the water "Holy shit, it’s cold!" he called out as the water lapped at his bare ankles, but he keptanyway

Zane rolled his eyes, put his hands on his hips, and turned on their prisoners "Who’s next?" he asked pleasantly They both sat staring at hiht he lee in his eyes soht then I nominate you" He pointed at Redjacket "All in favor?" He raised his hand

Beside hi his eyes off Deuce Earflaps quickly raised both hands, since they were lashed together

Redjacket snarled at hirabbed Redjacket by the ar him toward the water

Earl watched them distractedly, his attention torn between theled out of the water on the other side He breathed a sigh of relief as Ty grabbed Deuce by the forearm and yanked him up the slippery bank to safety He turned to Zane and stepped close enough to speak to him in a low voice "Don’t you think we should cross with them?"