Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“No, Benny will say we have to hurry and get on the shuttle or we’ll be left behind. Please, Vienna. I really have to go.”
Vienna looked toward the heavens. It wasn’t as if they were going to get lost. “You are such a pain in the butt, Zahra.”
Zahra flashed her a grin. “I know, but you’re so sweet you love me anyway.”
Vienna looked the bank over. Most of it wasn’t very approachable. The current was getting stronger and the wind was picking up. She didn’t want to fight her way back to the marina.
“If you see somewhere, give me the heads-up. The current’s pulling at us.”
“Just ahead, it’s a small sandy spot. I know they said to be careful where you pull up your kayak, that the river fluctuates fast, but I won’t be a minute and if you stay with it, we won’t lose it.”
“That’s all we’d need,” Vienna groused, but she really didn’t care. They were fairly close to the finish of the trip, and she was enjoying every second on the water. The slight delay was only going to allow her to be on the river longer.
It did take some strength to fight the current in order to get to the little beach Zahra had spotted, reminding Vienna of Liza’s inability to manage to dock at Sauna Cave. Zahra hopped out, caught up her daypack and raced to an outcropping of boulders a short distance away. Vienna found herself laughing and looking up at the sky where a couple of birds circled lazily. This was so Zahra. She marched to her own beat. Quirky. Funny. Giving. She was her own person all the way.
True to her word, Zahra was back in the kayak within minutes and they were once more paddling down the river toward the marina.
“I noticed you managed to get into the kayak all by yourself,” Vienna observed. “I wasn’t certain you could take a step without support.”
“If I was good at wielding these paddles, I’d smack you the way Stella is always saying I smacked her. I sacrificed for you.”
The sound of terrified screams was loud, reverberating off the canyon walls. The screams came from multiple sources and went on and on, seemingly increasing in volume. Vienna poured strength into her paddle, Zahra adding her muscle so that the kayak shot through the water.
Just up ahead they saw their group of kayakers gathered around two of the kayaks. Clay was fastening a tow rope to both kayaks. He tossed one to Harlow as Vienna and Zahra swept in close to them.
“You sure you can do this?” Clay called to Harlow.
“Yes, just go. You called ahead for ambulances?”
There was no place to stabilize the wounded. Vienna could see splashes of bright red. One was Burt’s kayak, the other Elsa’s. She pulled her kayak close to Elsa’s. The older woman was slumped over, unconscious. Verma cried piteously and called out to her.
“Keep paddling, Zahra,” Vienna instructed. She reached for the first aid kit. It would be difficult to try to assess and treat Elsa on the water in a moving kayak, but she didn’t want her to bleed out if that was a possibility. “Stay at the exact pace with Elsa’s kayak.” That wouldn’t be easy either, not with the wind and current.
She waited until Zahra had lined up their kayak, bringing Vienna opposite Elsa. Vienna leaned carefully over until she could gently move Elsa back to examine her. One bullet had skimmed her forehead. That had taken a chunk of skin. The bleeding was severe, but head wounds often were. The one that looked gruesome was the one up high in her shoulder, close to her neck. That had to have shattered her shoulder. Hopefully, it hadn’t severed an artery. If that had happened, there was nothing Vienna could do.
She searched for the entry and exit wound. Once she found both she was fairly certain the artery had been missed by a hairsbreadth. Her kayak bumped the other one and bounced off, jerking her and throwing the unconscious older woman sideways in her seat.
“I’m sorry, Vienna, I’m trying,” Zahra said.
“You’re doing great. Clay’s towing Elsa’s kayak and he’s having trouble as well,” Vienna soothed her. “Verma, honey, please stop crying so loud.” She didn’t want to say the woman was getting on her nerves, but she was. If it was bothering her, she couldn’t imagine what the noise was doing to Zahra, who wasn’t used to kayaking and had to be afraid. “I need you to try to help steady the kayak. Clay’s strong, but he’s fighting the wind, paddling for his kayak and yours. Zahra has never really done this before. You’re far more experienced than she is. Can you help out so I can take care of Elsa?”
Verma hiccuped and nodded her head wildly. She dipped her paddle in the water and steadied the kayak, her gaze fixed on Clay, suddenly matching the way he pushed the paddle through the water. Zahra lined up Vienna with Elsa and guided their kayak alongside.