Part 5 (1/2)
”What are we going to do?” The tremble in her voice was more p.r.o.nounced.
He could only see one option. ”Can you swim?”
”Swim?” Panic edged her words. ”What do you mean, can I swim?”
”Can you swim?” He was yelling, but he couldn't help it. If she couldn't swim, he didn't know how the h.e.l.l they'd survive, because he didn't think he could get them both to sh.o.r.e. He steepened the descent and cut the speed. He could see whitecaps now.
”Yes, I can swim! Are you telling me we have to land in the water?”
”I don't see any alternative.” He clenched the wheel, clenched his teeth, even clenched his toes. If there was a coral reef just under the surface, they were done for. ”I'll try to put it down as close to that beach as I can get without running into the cuff. Once we hit the water, we-”
”Hit the water? Can't you just settle the plane gently down into the water?”
”Look, this is not the f.u.c.king Millennium Falcon, okay?”
”Don't get all mad at me! I'm not the one who got us into this.”
”No, it was your precious boyfriend Nicky, wasn't it? What did you ever see in that slick talker, anyway?” The water drew closer.
”He seemed very nice! I suppose you knew all along that he was a murderer, because you're so smart. Tell me, Mr. Smarty-Pants, if you didn't trust him, why did you come on this trip?”
”Because Matt asked me.” G.o.d, they were coming in too fast, the water skimming along underneath them. He worked with the flaps, hoping that would help. It seemed to, a little. ”And because I thought-”
”What? Oh, Jackson, we're going to die, aren't we?”
”I don't know.” But he thought they might, so he decided to tell her. ”I came on this trip mostly because of you. I thought I might be able to help you when Brogan broke your heart.”
”That's so sweet. I take back calling you Mr. Smarty-Pants.” Her voice was thick, like she might be crying. ”You are smart, though, and I admire that. And you've always been nice to me, especially on this trip, when I was scared.”
”I'm sorry I'm not a better pilot.”
”You're doing your best.”
”Okay, I'm going to cut the motor. We'll go down pretty fast after that. Once we're down, get out of the plane as quick as you can and start swimming for the beach. Don't try to find me first. Just start swimming.”
”Okay. Same with you. Just start swimming.”
”And you're sure you can swim?”
”Yes.” She choked back a sob. ”Every kid in the Hollow learns to swim.”
”Good. Cover your head with your arms.” He cut the motor.
Waiting for the impact was horrible, and it seemed to take forever. Genevieve had time for plenty of regrets and prayers and loving thoughts for the mother and brother she might never see again. Would the plane never land?
Then it did, and she wished it hadn't. The water had no give to it, and they hit so hard the winds.h.i.+eld cracked. She tasted blood and knew she'd bitten her tongue.
Still, she was alive.
”Let's get the h.e.l.l out of here!” Jackson shouted.
And thank G.o.d, so was Jackson. As water poured in from the open cabin door, she struggled to unfasten her seat belt.
”Come on, Gen!” Jackson shouted again.
”I'm trying!” She concentrated harder on the seat belt as the water level in the c.o.c.kpit rose almost to her knees. At last the seat belt came free. Then she couldn't think what to do next.
Jackson was already on his feet. ”Through the back door, d.a.m.n it!” He started to lift her out of her seat.
”I'm going!” s.h.i.+tfire, she didn't want him worrying about her. He'd said it would be every man for himself. She waded through the plane to the open door, took a quick look to make sure she knew where the beach was, and realized she'd lost her right contact. She shut her right eye and looked through her left.
”Go!” Jackson yelled in her ear.
”I'm going!” The beach still seemed much too far away. She was used to swimming for enjoyment, not distance. Oh, well. She launched herself into what she prayed weren't shark-infested waters and starting swimming as fast as she could.
The crawl stroke, her old reliable method of getting herself through the water in a hurry, was twenty times harder while wearing a dress, jacket, and high-heeled sandals. But stopping to take them off could leave her a sitting duck for Jaws and all his relatives. She kept going until her arms ached and her lungs burned. At least the water was warm, but after a while she forgot to be thankful for that because her body was in such agony.
Finally she switched to the breast stroke and squinted through her left eye again. The beach didn't appear to be much closer, d.a.m.n it. Maybe she should just drown and get it over with. Then she wouldn't care what ate her.
”First one to the beach gets a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino!”
Treading water, she turned her head and saw Jackson bobbing about two yards away. Without his gla.s.ses on. ”Can you see?”
”Sort of.” He swam a little closer. ”At least I recognized you.”
”Very funny.” Treading water like this let her catch her breath, although she didn't want to think of what could be circling her, waiting to move in and take a big juicy bite. But as long as she was taking a break, she might as well work herself out of her shoes. ”Did you lose your gla.s.ses?”
”Nope. Tucked them inside my underwear.”
She a.s.sumed that meant he wore tighty whiteys instead of boxers. Knowing Jackson, that figured. She nudged one shoe off and glanced back to where they'd left the plane. Nothing but water. ”The plane's gone.” She felt even more vulnerable now that their link to civilization had sunk beneath the waves.
”I know. Come on,” he said. ”Race you to the beach.”
”I'll be lucky if I get to the beach. Couldn't you have landed a little closer?”
”I should have, huh? I totally forgot that the water taxis aren't running at this hour.” He grinned at her.
”Jackson, did you take a blow to the head? In case you haven't noticed, we're in a heap of trouble here.”
”I suppose.”
”You suppose? First there's the swim to the beach, where we might either drown or be gobbled up by sharks. Then once we get to the beach we have no supplies, no flares, no nothing.” And no shoes for her, now that she'd kicked off the second one. But she was used to being barefoot.
”Yeah, but did you notice that we're not up in the air anymore?”
”Well, sure, but-”