Flash Point - Savannah Kade Page 0,31

creek. She’d planned to set him down, take off her waders so that she could have the traction of her boots, then harness the boy in a second rig and send him up first.

There was no time for any of that plan now. Jo aimed directly toward the oncoming mud and water in order to reach the point where Leo could haul them up. She splashed her way through with high steps, praying she made it in time. Just walking through water was difficult, walking through oncoming water was worse. But there wasn't time to be petrified or truly stop and think or even to let the exhaustion that was taking her have its way.

Jo had angled directly toward the extraction point. When the water and mud appeared to be coming too fast, she thought, screw it, and changed her aim. She had to go to the side of the ravine. It didn’t matter where, she just had to be “up” so they didn’t get caught. She could figure out how to get to the extraction point after she got them out of the mud.

They couldn’t afford to be in the water any longer. If she could get above it, and they could wait it out while it went below them, then that's just what they would have to do.

Jo managed to get her foot onto the bank just moments before the mud barreled down behind them. She felt as it hit her heel and grabbed and sucked at her, as though it were actively trying to pull her under.

The feel of it as she fought to reclaim her own foot was terrifying, and her arms clenched tighter around the boy.

“I know you're cold. I know this is scary,” she told him. “But I need you right now to climb around onto my back. I'm going to piggyback you up.”

It was the only option. There simply wasn’t time to send a second harness down. The mud was rising behind them and Jo tried to climb another foot higher even as he moved slowly trying to get into a safer position.

Her harness line was in front of her and it had already been effort to avoid getting Jason tangled in it. Now she leaned forward, giving him a platform, she wished the kid would climb faster.

“Up!” she yelled to Leo. And even as she felt the kicks and inadvertent elbow strikes of the boy trying to get into place, she felt the tension on her harness.

Thank God.

Jo reached for the nearest sturdy thing she could grab. There wasn’t much down here by the rushing water. One hand landed on a rock, and she decided that would be the best she was going to get. The other hand anchored on a small tree that she was afraid would come out by the roots if she put any weight on it. But she tested it, and she’d have to trust it.

With Jason firmly clinging to her back, she took a step.

The mud was rising behind them. Each time she got a little higher, thinking she was out of it, the water and mud lifted as far as she did, encompassing her feet and tugging at her.

The single use waders slipped. They were lightweight and not holding against the mud. It wasn’t the job they were made for, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She didn't have time to pull out her ice cleats. She wasn’t even sure they would work, but where would she even find a spot to stop and put them on? She couldn’t.

Jo would have to get the two of them out of here with only what she had. She climbed another few feet higher, disappointed as once again the mud caught up as soon as she gained any ground. Her harness held tight, and thank God.

Leo must have the rope wound hand over hand holding her up. And—as scary as it was down here—she was grateful she wasn't the one hauling him.

“Slow and steady,” she whispered to herself, keeping her thoughts on one thing, though she quickly realized that Jason nodded along.

They'd crossed upward at a little bit of an angle at first. This worked since she'd entered the climb not directly below the harness. She worried that Leo still couldn't see them. There was no safe way for him to peer over the edge and check on them. So he called down periodically and she called back up.

“Jason’s good!”

But she still couldn't see him behind