Water Rising


TEASER

“Hey, kid!” shouted AJ, gasping in a breath as the strong current tugged at him when he fully submerged onto the cool flood waters. The little boy cracked one eye open to look at AJ, but quickly shut it again and clutched his wet puppy closer to his soaked body, his other small arm tightening its hold on the swaying tree limb.

AJ frowned, then glanced up at the helicopter thumping above him, “The kid’s frozen to that tree. I’m gonna haveta unhook the line. Is Howie close with that boat?”

“Yeah,” came the reply through AJ’s red helmet, static snapping after the clipped reply, “Howie’s about a mile away now, but do you have to sever the line? If that current gets any stronger...”

“I’m gonna have to get up in that tree, Kevin,” answered AJ, already working at the ropes and avoiding the warning in Kevin’s last words. If the current got any stronger, which it already was, that tree was going to be swept away, along with the little boy and AJ, “The kid isn’t gonna come down and the ropes will just get caught up in the branches. I’ll be fine, I got it under control.”

There was a minute of silence as Kevin traded glances with Brian. Brian adamently shook his head, wishing his headset was working so he could voice his opinion to AJ. Kevin looked away and reluctantly answered AJ, “All right, AJ, but make sure you get to that tree and keep hold of your extra rope so Howie can pull you in.”

“Thanks, Kev,” smiled AJ, releasing the last rope that connected him to the helicopter hovering above. AJ looked up as he threw the rope away, “Now get outta here, the wind that chopper’s makin’ ain’t helpin’ us any.”

As AJ swept toward the tree, Kevin pulled up and backed off a safe distance, Brian taking in the dangling line with a disapproving scowl on his face. Kevin pursed his lips as he watched AJ surge into the tree, a feeling of relief releasing his breath as AJ caught a branch and halted his wild course. Keeping his eyes on AJ’s progress, Kevin spoke into his radio, “Rescue 38, this is Rescue 1. Howie, do you read me?”

Crackling static and then, “Yeah, Kevin. I got ya.”

“What’s yer ETA?”

“We should be at your location in about ten minutes,” answered Howie.

“What’s the rush?” asked Nick, sending Howie a confused look as they skimmed along the brown water.

“AJ’s cut loose,” answered Kevin, “He’s up a tree goin’ after a little boy. He couldn’t reach the kid with the line and severed it. I need you out here ASAP. That tree ain’t gonna hold up against this current.”

“Ten-four. We should be there in eight minutes. Rescue 38 out,” cracked Howie’s voice, then silence.

Kevin hovered a little closer to the water logged tree, barely making out AJ and the boy through the branches and leaves. Seeing AJ closing the distance to the boy, Kevin looked upstream, looking for the little red boat Howie and Nick were piloting. Brian suddenly appeared at his shoulder.

“I don’t like this, Kev,” Brian shouted over the noise of the chopper.

Kevin sighed, “I don’t either, but did we have any other choice?”

“We coulda waited for Howie and Nick,” replied Brian stubbornly. God, he wished the horrible feeling in his gut would go away.

“It mighta been too late for the boy by then,” was Kevin’s solemn reply, his attention back on AJ below.

AJ let out a grunt as he hoisted himself fully from the clutching waters, lodging himself into the swaying tree. He looked up and saw the little boy staring back at him, the dark eyes wide and bright as tears slid down the dirty cheeks.

Pulling himself up along side the boy, AJ smiled, “Hey, my name is AJ. What’s yours?”

The sandy haired boy sniffed and hugged the whining puppy higher up on his chest, “K-Kyle.”

AJ switched his brown gaze to the wet bundle of brown and white fur Kyle clutched, “And what’s his name?”

A small smile turned Kyle’s pink lips, “This is Mac... I got him for my birthday.”

AJ nodded and locked eyes with the boy, noticing the shivers shaking the water soaked form, “You wanna get outta this tree, Kyle?”

“C-can’t,” stuttered Kyle, eyes widening in fear as he tightened his hold on the tree, “I’ll fall in the water.”

AJ pressed his lips together, then he glanced around quickly as the tree creaked and tilted down a couple feet. Kyle gasped and huddled against the tree, the puppy letting out a sad howl.

“AJ!” came Kevin’s voice in his ear, “Hurry up and get the kid, that tree is gonna go! Howie and Nick should be here any minute.”

“I’m tryin’, Kev,” answered AJ, then turning his attention back on Kyle. “Hey, Kyle.” Kyle looked at him, “I got a boat comin’ that will take us to land, okay? So, you let me get ahold of ya and I’ll get you to safety.”

Kyle stared at him, then looked down at his puppy, “Mac, too?”

A nervous smile flashed on AJ’s face as the tree cracked ominously, “Yeah, Mac too. Why don’t you let me tuck him in my jacket. He’ll be warm there and then you can hold onto me, ‘kay?”

“O-okay,” relented Kyle and AJ reached out for the pup. He got his hand around the small dog and then pulled it from the boy with a whine. AJ unzipped his jacket and then tucked the pup inside, sucking in a breath at the cold body. He zipped it back up and then reached out for Kyle.

“All right, Kyle. I want you to put your arms around my neck and to wrap your legs about my waist. Let me take care of the rest, okay?”

Kyle nodded and AJ managed to lean close to the boy. Kyle did as AJ had told him and soon the boy was securely in AJ’s grasp. Then, just as AJ began to ease back to the water to take some of the weight from the top of the tree, the tree creaked and gave way to the current.

Kevin saw Howie and Nick approaching in the boat and turned back to the tree, just in time to see the tree give out to the current.

“AJ!”