Landon: Justice Series ― Erotica Paranormal Romance (15 page)

As she got into her own kayak and moved it into the slow moving water, she kept an eye on the couple she was with. They were trying, she had to give them that. And not doing a bad job of it either. They were both soaked by the time they were twenty feet from where they’d started, and laughing like they had not a care in the world. She reached up and turned on her camera at her helmet and told them to do the same. She thought this couple would love a copy of their day. By the end, she was enjoying herself as much as they seemed to be.

“It was amazing, and you were right, we did wonder why we didn’t try it before now.” Nodding at them, she smiled, but her mind was elsewhere. Roger wasn’t back yet. That did not bode well for any of them. As soon as she was able to detach herself from the couple, she went to the security office to see if they had any idea where he was.

“They’re on the last leg, but don’t seem to be getting anywhere fast.” She asked Sandy what she meant. “They won’t budge any further. They’re telling Roger that no one told them it was going to be this hard or that they’d get wet.”

“Yeah, right. You’re in the middle of the fucking river. What did they expect to happen?” Sandy laughed. “Can you get in touch with him for me?”

As soon as Roger got on the two-way with her, she knew that he was about at his wits end. His anger was enough to make her smile just a little. She asked him how it was going.

“These motherfuckers are claiming that I took them to the only part in the river where they’d get wet, and then I made them do all the work. How the fuck was I supposed to make it so that they did all the work, I ask you? It’s a one person boat, for fuck sake.” Mac asked him what he was going to do. “Nothing. Leave their asses here. Hope they can flag down someone that can bring them back, and charge them double for pissing me off.”

“I’m on my way.” He didn’t say anything, and she figured he wasn’t going to argue with her about what she said next either. “Leave them. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes or so depending on conditions. All right?”

“Yeah, but you should know that they’re calling themselves in a lawyer. I have no idea what they expected, but they got him on the line right now.” She told him she wasn’t worried. “But I am. I can’t be out of work right now, Mac. I just bought me a house, and I got Adie in college this year. I just can’t afford this.”

“You know I have your back, Roger. Don’t worry. Just tell them that you’re coming in here, and if they want to come, then that’s fine. Otherwise, just go. I’ll take care of it all.” He thanked her and told her he’d let her know when he was on the water and if they came with him. “And Roger, don’t tell them to take the cameras off. We want as much as we can get with them and their idiotic ideas.”

Twenty minutes later, he called her back to tell her that he’d left them. “They’re powerful mad, just so you know. Telling me that I’m on their list of people to sue. Even the owner is going to feel their wrath. Also, they said they were going to give us a review that will knock our socks off. I don’t think they mean that in a good way either.”

After assuring him that she was going to handle it, she got in her own kayak and moved into the water. When there was no one with her Mac could make amazing time, and was pulling into the area where the Smithys were about fifteen minutes later. Mac knew this area better than most people knew their own yards. This was, she thought, her own yard.

“Mr. and Mrs. Smithy.” The man launched himself at her and she sidestepped him just as he lunged at her. Mac was in much better shape than him and only had to sidestep him a little, then give him a little push for him to end up on his ass. She grinned at him when he started cursing at her. “Not a nice way to treat someone that has come to get you back. Now. This is how we’re going to do this. You’re going to—”

“You’re going to listen to me, is what you’re going to do. I want you to have a helicopter come in and get us. Then I want you to have that owner of yours write us a check. A nice fat one with lots of zeros after the number. Then we’ll think about not suing your ass for leaving us out here without means to protect ourselves.”

“From what?” He looked confused. “What is it you think you need to be protected from? The biggest prey we have around here is mosquitoes, and those aren’t so bad this time of year. Spring is the worst, but we’re into fall and they’re not around so much. The fish? Well, since you haven’t been in the water, I think we can rule that out. What is it you need protecting from?”

“That man never told us we’d get wet.” Mac looked at Mrs. Smithy and then at the water. When she looked back at the woman, she actually stomped her foot. “I paid two hundred dollars for these shoes, and almost that much for my outfit. Just look at me. I’m a mess.”

“Yeah, happens when you do a little work. And you did see all the signage in the office that said ‘you will get wet,’ didn’t you? Then there was the waiver. Also, inside the kayak, there’s at least three signs there that say that you’ll be wet. And also, there is the added fact that you’re in water using an oar. Pretty sure that it would be a given to most that you’re going to get wet.” The man growled at her. “In the event you’re confused on how this is going to work, I’ll tell you. You’re either going to get in those boats and move yourself down the river, or I’m going to leave you here. Alone. No one will come back for you, and I will not call in any chopper to come and get you. Not that anyone would. This is pretty remote even for them. It’s the river, or you stand here until you get it in your head to make it back. Oh, and since these kayaks belong to Extreme, they’re leaving with me. With or without you.”

“You’d just leave us here. With no way of getting back.” She told the man that she would and have no problem with it. “I’m going to own that company you work for. See if I don’t.”

“In order to do that, you’re going to have to get back to the land of the living. And that’s not going to happen any time soon if you don’t get your butts in the boats and move with me. Because as of right now, you have five minutes to decide. And once I’m gone, so is your means of moving to where your car is.”

Mac set her watch and then went to her own boat. She was just pulling away when the couple, pissed as fuck, moved to climb into theirs. She had no idea if it was anger or just plain nastiness, but they made pretty good time getting back to the area where the buses would pick them up.

“They’re on their way. Did Harmon show up yet?” Their attorney for the company was also one of the teachers. He didn’t work for them much on the river, just a way for him to get some exercise, he told her, to burn off the office ass, but he did a lot of work for them when they needed legal help, and she let him ride for free.

“Yes, he’s here. As is their friend. He’s not an attorney, but he is acting like he is. I sent Roger home. He was pretty upset.” She told her thanks. “Also, you should know that we’re full up in the morning, so if you can make it in before that, I’ll bring in some donuts.”

Telling her to take money out of the petty cash, Mac told her that she was going on home. It was only another four miles downriver, and she was just too tired to deal with going back to the office. As she got into her kayak and started out, she thought of all the things she wanted to do next week when she was off. An entire week off to drive out to see her friend Addie Stark. They were going to have a good time, she hoped. Ten minutes later, she was hearing what she thought was loud laughter.

Only it wasn’t fun and games as she’d thought. The screams had her pausing in her rowing. Looking to her left, she could see the people in the large raft. They were pointing downstream, screaming at someone in the water, and that was when Mac saw it. The child.

It was bobbing up and down in the water like a bobber on a line. And the two people that were moving quickly away from the child were in as much if not more trouble than they knew. The falls, about fifty feet from them, were coming up fast. Mac pulled her headset down and called for help.

“Three in water, one child, two adults. No life jackets on adults that I can see, child in arm bubbles and some sort of vest. Near the bend at Winding Row. Mackenzie on scene.” The dispatcher asked her if they needed the net. “Yes. And hurry.”

She felt her back pull as she rowed faster than she had since college. Every part of her was focused on the child. The adults were going to have to fend for themselves until she could, if she could get to the child.

As she neared the falls, a place that few ever ventured over unless you really wanted a thrill, were coming up fast. The water was churning so quickly that she was having a hard time keeping the child in her sights. Just as Mac was close enough to touch her—she could see it was a little girl—her kayak wedged between two large stones. Mac grabbed up the child and noted right away that she wasn’t breathing. A hard shake to free her from the tangle she was in brought a scream from her that made Mac’s heart take an unexpected twist. Then the girl launched herself at Mac, and they both went over the falls.

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Justice Series