Water's Edge (19 page)

“Rick, you can’t park here,” Hal protested. “You’ll get towed, and I’ll have to hitchhike home with Tom and end up riding with the carload of beautiful, uncommitted women who stop to pick him up.”

“Don’t worry,” Rick said. “I have permission from our guide.”

A muscular man in his forties with his head wrapped in a red bandanna approached and greeted Rick.

“This is Gary Wheeler,” Rick said. “He owns Ocoee Extreme.”

“Welcome,” Wheeler said to the assembled group. “We had a big rain last night, so the river is in top form. I think it’s going to be one of the best days of the year.”

Hal punched Tom and winked.

“The river isn’t going to feel like bathwater,” the guide continued. “If you fall out, your body temperature can drop faster than the water rushing over the rocks at Hell’s Hole.”

“I have wet suits for everybody,” Rick said, popping open the back of his SUV. “The pink one is for Hal.”

“The bathhouse is over there,” Wheeler said, pointing to a garishly painted wooden structure.

The men changed into the wet suits. All the suits were black. They strapped on lightweight life jackets.

“This neoprene can’t hide my muscles,” Hal said, flexing his long arms. “But this one-size-fits-all approach is going to leave my ankles exposed to hypothermia.”

“Which is why Wheeler is going to put you in the safest part of the boat,” Rick answered. “The rest of us are experienced.”

Outside, the guide was standing next to a raft that was narrower and sleeker than the ones piled on top of the converted school buses. It even had a name, Bubba’s Boat, stenciled across the front.

“It’s named after one of the rapids you’ll see today,” Wheeler said. “Give me a hand, and we’ll take her down to the river.”

Each man grabbed the rope that circled the raft, and they carried it to the edge of the water.

“Before we put in, I want to tell you what we’re going to do, describe some of the rapids we’ll face, and go over safety procedures,” Wheeler said.

“Use small words,” Hal said. “And remember, I’ve never done this before.”

The guide’s description of the river brought back memories for Tom. There’d been summers when he rafted the Ocoee two or three times. He’d even taken girls on rafting trips, but never Tiffany. His most memorable rafting date was a dark-haired young woman named Cynthia who screamed the entire trip in a voice that made the roar of the rapids sound soothing. It was the last time he asked her out.

“We’ll try to catch some surf near Dixie Drive,” Wheeler said. “And then pass through Torpedo, Table Saw, and Diamond Splitter. We’ll hop out for a rest before tackling Hell’s Hole, which, as most of you know, is near the power plant. If the river isn’t too crowded, we’ll try to make our way upstream to repeat some spots if you guys are up to it.”

“I just showed them my guns,” Hal replied, flexing his right arm again.

“He’s talking about biceps, not jaw muscles,” Rick replied.

“We’re all going to wear helmets and life jackets,” Wheeler said, pointing to a pile of both items at his feet. “The last thing you need is to hit your head on a rock or log and lose consciousness. If you should fall out of the boat, turn so you face downstream and let the current take you to a calmer place where you can swim to the side and either wait for us to pick you up or crawl out on the rocks. Your life jacket will keep your head above-water. Don’t try to swim against the current. That’s impossible.”

“What if you go overboard, Captain?” Hal asked.

“I’ll do what I’m telling you to do. Rick has been with me many times, and I understand Nick and Tom have experience on the river.”

“It’s been awhile,” Tom replied.

“It’s like riding a bike,” Rick replied. “It’ll all come back to you. The main point is to dig our paddles in the water and keep the boat from getting sideways in the current.”

“That’s right,” Wheeler said. “If I’m not with you, concentrate on getting down the river safely. We’ll regroup for another run that includes the extras you paid me for.”

“I thought this was free,” Hal said.

“Pelham Financial is paying for it,” Rick replied.

“Just like everything else in Etowah County,” Hal said.

They carried the boat into the shallows. Smooth stones covered the bottom. The river water covered Tom’s surf shoes.

“You’re right; it’s chilly,” he said to Wheeler.

“It feels great to me,” Hal said. “I take a lot of cold showers, especially before the meetings at work when Rick’s father chews me out in front of the rest of the local management team.”

Wheeler positioned everyone in the boat. He put Rick and Tom up front with Nick and Hal in the rear. Hal slapped the water with his paddle and sprayed water into the raft.

The middle section of the Ocoee explodes with five miles of almost continuous white water. Empowered by the recent rain, the current was running as strong as Tom had ever seen it. Focusing on what lay ahead in the rapids helped him push aside his encounter with Tiffany. They quickly started moving down the river, bobbing up and down in the water. Hal let out a war whoop.

Rick glanced over his shoulder. “This is nothing.”

“Just practicing.”

“When we get to the rough stuff, you’ll be paddling too hard to yell,” Wheeler called out.

They quickly approached the first rapid, Grumpy, a class 4 section of white water. With Wheeler barking out commands, they shot through it. The river felt alive beneath the boat. Cold spray splashed over the sides.

“Paddles in the boat,” Wheeler said when they were through.

They coasted through a calmer section. Wheeler guided the boat with an oar he used like a rudder.

“That was fun,” Hal said.

Tom licked his lips. Other rapids quickly followed. Because it was late in the season, there weren’t many boats on the water. Wheeler kept his promise to let them test their strength by paddling upstream to repeat a couple of sections. Tom dug his paddle in the swirling water and did his part to help the boat conquer the current. He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed the river.

“I love this narrow raft,” he called out when they made their way through a rapid named Double Suck for the second time. “It’s a lot more maneuverable.”

“Don’t relax yet,” Wheeler replied. “Double Trouble is just ahead.”

From his position in the front of the raft Tom could see the rolling rage of the water in front of the boat.

“Dig hard on the right!” Wheeler called out as they entered the rapid.

Rick and Nick thrust their oars into the water. Tom sat poised, waiting for his instructions.

“Quick on the left!” Wheeler yelled.

Tom stuck his oar into the water. He made two firm strokes, but when he prepared for a third, the raft suddenly flipped up like a bucking bull, throwing him into the water. He landed on his back with his legs up in the air. His head went under the water. The wet suit minimized the shock of the cold, but he came up sputtering from a mouthful of the river. A sudden shift in the current spun him around 360 degrees. When he regained his bearings, he could see the raft, with at least two people in it, continuing down the river.

Tom saw an arm flailing in the air. It was Hal Millsap. He was trying to swim across the rushing current to the opposite side of the river.

“No!” Tom yelled. “Go with the river!”

The river spun Hal around so he was facing Tom, who saw terror in Hal’s eyes. Tom motioned downriver. Hal nodded and turned around. They swept around a corner. There were fallen trees jutting out into the water on the left bank of the river. Tom saw Hal trying to move in that direction. A thick limb jutted out into the river just ahead of him.

“No!” Tom yelled again.

Just before he reached the limb, Hal disappeared beneath the water. One of his hands, but not his head, broke the surface. Tom leaned to the side and kicked hard with his legs, pushing himself toward the spot where Hal had gone under. When he reached it, Tom felt his legs collide with Hal’s body. The submerged man grabbed Tom’s waist with his hands, but the slick neoprene suit didn’t allow a handhold. Tom reached up with his right arm and grabbed a thick limb as his legs swept forward out of Hal’s grasp.

Using the limb as leverage, Tom turned so he was facing the current. A smaller secondary branch of the tree went downward, disappearing into the water near the spot where Hal’s hand surfaced. Grabbing the smaller limb with his left hand, Tom jerked as hard as he could. He felt the limb crack. He pulled again, and it broke free. Hal suddenly surfaced directly in front of Tom, striking him hard on the chin with his helmet.

Stunned, Tom lost his hold on the larger limb and was swept downriver by the current.

chapter
SIXTEEN

A
splash of cold water washed over Tom’s face, and he blinked his eyes. Turing his head to the side, he saw Hal, his face tilted back and his eyes closed, floating about six feet away from him. Tom swam to him.

“Hal!”

There was no response. Hal’s lips were slightly blue.

Tom grabbed one of the straps on Hal’s life jacket. They came around a bend into a calmer stretch of water. Tom saw that the raft was out of the river and resting on rocks in a shallow area. Rick, Nick, and Wheeler were looking upstream.

“Over here!” Tom shouted.

Wheeler saw them and dived into the water.

“He’s unconscious or worse,” Tom sputtered when Wheeler reached them. “Got caught in tree limbs and was pulled under.”

“Get to shore,” Wheeler said. “I’ll take him.”

Wheeler grabbed Hal in a rescue hold and started pulling him toward the shallows. They continued to move downriver. Rick and Nick ran along the shore. Tom reached the bank slightly ahead of Wheeler and stumbled onto the rocks. Rick came up to him.

“What happened to your face?” he asked.

Tom looked down and saw blood dripping onto his wet suit. He touched his chin. His fingers came away red.

“Hal hit me with his helmet.”

Nick was waiting for Wheeler when he reached the shallows. The two men grabbed Hal under his arms and dragged him out of the water. His body was limp. Wheeler laid Hal on his back and started giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Tom prayed silently.

With a slight lurch of his chest, Hal gave a choking sound and water drained from his mouth. Wheeler turned Hal’s head to the side until it cleared, then continued administering mouth-to-mouth. Hal choked again and coughed up more water. He started breathing on his own, but it was a mixture of gasps and chokes.

“Is he going to be all right?” Rick asked in a subdued voice.

“He’s alive,” Wheeler said grimly. “The rest depends on how long he was underwater.”

Hal’s breathing became smoother. The color returned to his lips. He groaned and opened his eyes. Wheeler raised Hal’s head and held it in his lap.

“Can you hear me?” Wheeler asked.

Hal nodded slightly. “Where—” he said, then choked violently.

Wheeler held Hal’s head higher. He spit out more water, then took a deep breath. Tom, who’d barely been breathing himself, did the same. Hal opened his eyes and looked around. The men clustered around him.

“Wh-what . . . ?” Hal asked groggily.

At the sound of Hal’s voice, all the men relaxed. Wheeler glanced over at Tom.

“You need to get some pressure on that cut. Rick, grab the first-aid kit from the raft.”

“What happened?” Hal managed.

“You and Tom were knocked out of the raft by a boulder that was a few inches beneath the water. Usually it’s visible, and I can steer around it. You’ll have to ask Tom about everything after that. I didn’t see you again until the two of you floated around the bend. You were unconscious with a quart of river water in your lungs.”

Rick returned with the first-aid kit. Wheeler took out a thick piece of gauze and handed it to Tom, who pressed it against his chin. Wheeler then tore the wrapping from a pair of butterfly bandages.

“Let’s see if this will do the trick,” he said, squatting next to Tom.

Tom tilted up his head. Wheeler removed the bloody gauze from Tom’s chin, applied a fresh piece, and stretched two bandages over the wound.

“That should hold until we get out of here. You may need a few stitches.” He turned to Hal. “Can you drink something?”

“Yeah. It’s weird, but I’m thirsty.”

“Can you walk?”

“I think so.”

With Wheeler and Nick on opposite sides supporting him, Hal got to his feet and unsteadily made his way across the rocks to the raft.

“What happened in the river?” Rick asked Tom.

Tom didn’t answer. They reached the raft. Hal leaned against the inflated side and took a few sips of water. Wheeler handed Tom a bottle of water and an energy bar. The men stood in a silent circle for a few moments. Merely being alive was something worth savoring. Hal ate a small piece of apple that Wheeler cut with his knife.

“Man, this tastes good,” he said.

Tom felt slightly queasy. He nibbled on the energy bar.

“I remember my foot getting caught on something and going under the water,” Hal said. “That’s it, until I started coughing up water.”

“Did you see how he got free?” Wheeler asked Tom.

Tom took another drink of water and bit off more energy bar. The other four men stared at Tom.

“Counselor, you’re not going to dodge our questions,” Rick said. “Go ahead and give a complete account before I have to get rough with you in your weakened condition.”

Tom swallowed the bite and told them what happened. Hal’s face turned pale as he listened. Rick shook his head when Tom described his efforts to break off the limb.

“That tree hasn’t been down in the water for very long,” Wheeler said. “It sounds like Hal’s foot got lodged in a tangle of branches, and the current pushed his body forward. That sort of thing can also happen with submerged rocks.”

Tom glanced at Hal’s right ankle. It was red and scraped. Hal reached down and rubbed it, then looked up at Tom.

“Thanks,” he said.

“You should thank him.” Tom pointed at Wheeler. “He’s the one who brought you back.”

“And gave you mouth-to-mouth,” Rick said with a short laugh. “That must have been nasty.”