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She was surrounded by death. And there was only one way out.
You have to do this. If you stay here, you’ll die.
The stark words were like a shout in Jaia’s head. Continuous and impossible to shut off.
Drenched to the skin from her first failed attempt at trying to escape the flooding cave, she fearfully eyed the inky depths of the rising water made visible only by the faintest glimmer of gray light on the surface. Her heart pounded a sickening rhythm against the inside of her ribs, stark fear a metallic tang on her tongue.
Whatever that asshole had drugged her with in the van had worn off just enough on the boat trip here to make her aware of what was happening. He’d brought her in here by boat when the tide had been way lower.
She’d barely been conscious when he’d left her on this rapidly shrinking ledge at the back of the cave, saying he’d be back for her soon.
Jaia hadn’t believed him then, and she didn’t believe him now. He’d ditched her here, leaving her to die trapped in this watery grave.
She had accepted that no one was coming for her. That she had to save herself. And if she didn’t find the courage to get back in the water and swim out of here in the next few minutes, she would die.
She eyed the rising water, shivering. She couldn’t go through that again. The first time she’d worked up the courage to get into the water she’d sunk like a stone before flailing her way back to this spot.
A wave of terror swamped her, the sound of her shallow, rapid breaths echoing in her ears as she tried and failed to calm down. Everything in her screamed to retreat, to find another way out, but there was no other way out.
Her mind flashed back to that hot, humid day in India when she was five. She’d been bouncing a ball. A bright red rubber one that Sukhi had bought her with the little pocket money he had saved from his work at the glass factory near their house. It had gotten away from her. Rolled down the hill and into the pond at the bottom.
She stood there at the edge, staring at it floating in the middle of the calm surface. Not so far away. All she had to do was step in, lean forward and reach out for it, and she could probably grab it.
The water was so cool and refreshing around her feet and ankles. It was almost a relief to walk deeper. Until the next step sent her plunging under.
She flailed with her arms to bring her head above the surface. Then she heard Sukhi’s voice, sounding far away. “Jaia! I’m coming!”
She went back under. The light above was suddenly extinguished. Fear choked her. Then hands grabbed her around the ribs. And pulled. Dragged her up until she could get some air and pulled her out onto the bank. Sukhi gathered her to him. “You’re okay. You’re okay now. Don’t be scared.”
Jaia blinked, surfacing from the memory. Don’t be scared. She could almost hear Sukhi saying it to her now. He would want her to be brave and save herself now.
She had to do this, no matter how scared she was. Getting back in the water meant she might drown. But staying put meant she would drown.
That made the decision for her.
Cringing, she lowered her rear onto the ledge and inched toward the lip of it. The frightened sound she made echoed off the unseen walls around her.
But survival instinct was a powerful thing. She had to make it out of here before there was no air left.
For courage she closed her eyes and thought of Sukhi. Sent up a silent prayer asking him to help her. Then she thought of Brandon, and a sob caught in her chest.
Waiting won’t help. Do it. Do it now.
Gripping the ledge tight in both hands, she slid over the edge and lowered her body into the water, her feet and legs dangling into nothingness.
Instant fear ripped through her, the cold wrapping invisible cables around her ribs and making her muscles go rigid. She had no idea how deep it was here, but far too deep for her to touch bottom, and she shuddered when she thought of what might be swimming around beneath her.
The fear paralyzed her for a long moment, but the swelling, rising water snapped her mind back into gear.
You have to do this, Jaia. There’s no other way.
Bracing herself, she gathered all her courage and pushed away from the ledge.
Her body dropped into nothingness, sinking fast. The icy chill of the water stole her breath. She gasped, flailed at the surface for a few seconds until she remembered to stretch out on her belly.
With a stern mental command, she forced her numb legs to kick and paddled with her arms, aiming for the faint bit of daylight coming through the tunnel from outside.
Every moment the water pushed her, up and back, sometimes down. The force of it pressed in on her, trying to force her back toward where she’d come from.
She glanced up, strained to see through the darkness. There wasn’t much room above her now. Maybe not even enough room for her to keep her head above water as she—
A wave slapped her in the face.
She spluttered, panicked and straightened upright in the water, fighting to get her head clear above the waterline. She was blind. Choking. Struggling for air.
All her remaining bravery and thoughts of escape vanished in an instant.
Raw instinct took over. She thrashed helplessly in the water, throwing her left arm out, searching for something to grab onto. Anything. All the while the tide kept pushing her toward the rear wall, an immovable force she couldn’t hope to overpower.
Somehow, she kept her head above the surface. It seemed to take forever before her straining fingertips met rock again. Blindly grabbing it with both hands, she clung to it for dear life while she spasmed with cough after cough, her body trying to clear all the water from her lungs.
She managed to scramble up and get a hip onto the rock ledge, coughing and terrified, shaking so hard her teeth chattered. Twice now she’d attempted to brave the water to save herself. This last time had nearly killed her.
Kneeling in the icy water, she huddled in a ball against the rock wall at her back and squeezed her eyes shut. Oh god, oh god... She’d almost drowned.
No. STOP. You’re okay. You’re still okay, she told herself, trying to override the fear clawing at her.
But it didn’t work. She was the farthest thing from okay. She was petrified and couldn’t move.
Shuddering, she forced her eyes open to look across the cave. The tiniest bit of daylight seeped down the tunnel from outside the mouth, much fainter now than when she’d first been awake enough to move around.
The tide was still rushing in. This ledge was shrinking constantly. There was nowhere else to go, and the water was already up to her waist. It seemed to be rising faster now, every minute flooding the cave higher and higher.
Oh God, what do I do? The acute sense of aloneness like a blade twisting in her chest. The water swirled hungrily around her, the current tugging at her now even here, engulfing more of her every minute.
She rocked back and forth, fighting terror and hopelessness. Knowing that soon she would be swept off this tiny refuge. She would be pulled back into the maw of the water again, forced into a final battle for her life.
Then she would either swim out...or drown.
The cold sapped her weakened muscles, each desperate shudder harsh and painful. Her chest was tight, her breaths coming in rapid gasps. She could no longer feel her hands and feet, and the numbness was spreading upward.
Her mind began playing tricks on her. Over the chattering of her teeth, she imagined she heard something from outside the cave. Then a voice, calling her name.
Jaia...
She squeezed her eyes shut, steeled herself for one last, desperate bid to survive.
“Jaia!”
Her head snapped up and she stared toward the cave mouth. Was she dreaming? Hallucinating?
“Jaia! Can you hear me?”
She stifled a sob. “I’m here!” she shouted, her whole body jerking under the force of each shudder. “Help me!”
Whoever it was shouted something back, but it was lost under the deafening thud of her pulse in her ears and the swirling, rising water now greedily tugging at her waist.
She frantically scanned the surface of the water in front of her, barely visible now, the amount of light from outside all but cut off by the rising tide. There was no way anyone could get a boat in here now, and she doubted someone could swim in either.
A desperate flame ignited inside her, frustration and fear colliding. Help was just on the other side of the cave mouth, yet there was no way for it to get to her, or for her to get to it.
She blinked in surprise as a faint light appeared below the waterline across the cave. It grew brighter and brighter until it burst through the surface. Shocked, she squinted against the sudden brightness, throwing up a hand to shield her eyes.
“Jaia?”
Her breath hitched. She knew that voice. But it was impossible. He couldn’t be here.
Heart pounding, she lowered her trembling hand and peered through the beam of light at the black silhouette behind it. “Over h-here,” she said through chattering teeth.
A splashing sound filled the cave as the man swam toward her. “I’m coming, baby. Just stay still.”
A sob escaped her. “B-Brandon.” He was here. He’d found her.
In seconds he was at the ledge and hauling himself up on it. She flung herself at his chest, unable to control the sobs when his arms closed around her, crushing her to him.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” he murmured, rocking her slightly.
Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. She choked them back, fighting for breath. He was here.
“Are you hurt at all?” he said urgently, tipping the headlamp up at the cave ceiling before taking her face in his hands to peer at her intently.
“N-no,” she whispered, shuddering, her fingers digging into his shoulders like claws. The water was up to her chest now and climbing.
He smoothed the wet hair back from her forehead. She could feel him shivering too. “Baby, we can’t stay here.” He was breathing fast.
Her entire body rebelled. She shook her head. “I c-can’t get out. T-tried—”
“I can get you out. I’m going to get you out.”
She shoved away from him, shaking her head frantically as panic roared through her. “N-no—”
“Jaia. Listen to me.” His voice was calm, but there was pure steel in it.
“I-I can’t,” she choked out. “P-please don’t m-make me d-do it ag-gain.” Even as she said it, the water swelled around them. Lifting her from the rock ledge. She shot her hands out to grab him, clamping tight.
“The tide’s still coming in. Soon the water will completely fill this place. We have to go now.”
“N-no. No,” she begged, shaking her head as hot tears scalded her eyes.
He cupped the side of her face in one hand. The blend of apology and determination in his expression wrenched her heart. “Baby, I know you’re scared, and if there was any other way to do this, I would. But there isn’t, and there’s no time.”
Not trusting herself to speak, she clamped her lips together and forced a nod. He’d been brave enough to come in here to try to save her. She wouldn’t let her hysteria win. Wouldn’t let the last memory he had of her be of her panicking and acting like a coward if she was about to die.
“I c-can’t swim,” she said between tremors, an awful resignation beginning to take hold, adding to the heaviness in her chest.
“That’s okay, because I can.” He gripped her hands. “I’m going to ease you toward me and we’re just gonna float for a bit, okay?”
She managed another nod, her entire body stiff as concrete as he slid off the ledge and pulled her with him. A flash of terror exploded in her brain, only his hands grasping her upper arms keeping her from shooting into blind panic.
“I’ve got you,” he told her, his face only a foot from hers as he treaded water. Keeping them afloat. The roof of the cavern was right above their heads now. “Just move your legs back and forth and I’ll hold you up. That’s it.”
“Don’t let g-go,” she blurted, clenching her numb fingers around his wrists.
“I won’t.”
The fear receded a little, allowing her brain to stutter back to life. But the cold was painful, constricting her lungs and making it hard to breathe.
“I’m just going to move us forward a little now. Hold on and keep kicking.”
He tugged her forward. She clamped her teeth together and kept kicking, fighting past the fear lashing at her, the knowledge of what was coming threatening to shatter her tenuous control.
They were in the middle of the cave now. The beam of his headlamp showed there was less than a foot of room between their heads and the roof of the cave. That would be gone soon too.
“Okay.” He stopped and continued treading water, pulling one hand free to reach up and take off his mask. “I’m going to put this on to cover your eyes and nose.”
The rubber strap at the back caught and pulled at her hair, then the mask was over her eyes and nose. He adjusted it, checked the band to make sure it was tight, then switched his grip to her upper arm and started shrugging the scuba tank off his back. “I’m going to put this on you, then—”
“No,” she protested sharply, horrified. She didn’t know the first thing about how to use a scuba tank, and it would leave him without oxygen.
“Jaia, listen to me,” he said, giving her a tiny shake that snapped her out of her fear long enough to meet his eyes. She stared into those blue, blue depths, grief twisting inside her. “This is the only way.”
Chest hitching, she stayed as still as she could while trying to tread water with him, her feet completely numb and her legs growing heavier every moment.
Brandon got the scuba tank on her, fastened the harness across her chest. “Take the regulator in your mouth,” he said.
Her jaw was trembling so much she could barely force her teeth apart long enough to get it into her mouth. The shape of it felt alien and terrifying, and the mask blocking her nose forced her to breathe through her mouth.
“That’s it. Keep your lips closed around it and just breathe normally.” He turned them slightly, glanced around before facing her again. “You’re going to close your eyes when I tell you, and then I’m going to push you under.”
Terror welled, her entire body stiffening. No!
Brandon’s gaze remained steady on hers, his voice calm but his expression hard. She understood the gravity of the situation they faced. One wrong move on her part underwater, and she was dead, possibly taking him with her.
“I need you to keep your eyes closed and let me move you. You can’t fight me, do you understand?” he said, no give in his voice. “This tunnel we have to go through is narrow, and it’s pretty long. I need you to keep your eyes shut, stay as relaxed as you can and just keep breathing until we come out the other side. Okay?”
She gulped back a protest and forced a tight nod, hating everything about this, but especially that he would be without oxygen. But this had to work. Had to.
The smile he gave her was so tender it almost made her start crying again. “You can do this, Jaia. I’ll be right behind you the whole time. Now close your eyes.”
I can’t. I can’t do this. She ripped the regulator out of her mouth, a new fear taking hold.
“You c-can’t d-die to save m-me,” she said in a rush. The PJ motto was That Others May Live. Brandon was exactly the type of man to sacrifice his life for hers, and she would be damned if she’d allow that. “I won’t l-let you.” She’d damn well drag him out and shove the regulator into his mouth if she had to.
He pushed the regulator back into her mouth. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be right behind you. Now close your eyes.”
She stared at him for a few last, endless heartbeats. There were so many other things she wanted to say. So many things she was afraid she wouldn’t get the chance to tell him. And she didn’t want him to die. Would rather die to save him.
“Please, baby,” he said. “Close your eyes and trust me.”
I do trust you. Completely.
Swallowing tears, she shut her eyes and prayed.
