Chapter 77

Arthur

"Cecilia!"

My voice echoed off the canyon walls, swallowed by the roar of the river. I'd been calling her name for what felt like hours.

Following Jack's lead as he navigated the treacherous terrain with the confidence of someone who'd done this a hundred times.

Alice was right behind me, her breathing harsh but steady. The guides had fanned out along the western branch, their voices occasionally drifting across the water as they called out coordinates and negative reports.

Jack suddenly stopped, his hand shooting up in a signal I'd learned meant wait. He tilted his head, listening, then pointed downstream to a section of the canyon wall where the rock face curved inward, creating what looked like a shallow alcove.

"There," he said. "That's where things get caught."

I moved forward carefully, testing each foothold before committing my weight. The rock was slick with spray, treacherous, and one wrong step would send me into the same water that had taken Cecilia.

"Cecilia!" I called again, louder this time.

And then I heard it—so faint I almost missed it over the river's roar.

"Here! I'm here!"

My heart stopped. Started. Hammered so hard I could feel it in my throat.

"Where?" I shouted. "Keep talking so I can find you!"

"The alcove—I'm in the alcove—Arthur, I can't—"

Her voice broke, and I was already moving, scrambling over rocks with a recklessness. Jack kept pace, his small form darting through gaps I had to force myself through, until finally I could see it—a dark opening in the rock face, partially hidden by the spray.

And there, pressed against the back wall, soaking wet and shaking violently, was Cecilia.

"Ceci." Her name came out strangled as I reached the opening, my hands finding purchase on the slick stone. "Baby, I'm here. I've got you."

She looked up at me, and the relief in her eyes was so intense it physically hurt. "Arthur. You found me. You actually—" She broke off into a sob. "I knew you would. I knew—"

"Of course I found you." I was pulling off my jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders even though it was already getting soaked. "Did you think I wouldn't? Did you think I'd ever stop looking?"

She was crying now, full-body shaking that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the adrenaline finally crashing. I pulled her against my chest, one arm around her waist, the other cradling her head.

"You're okay," I murmured into her wet hair. "You're safe. I've got you."

"My wrist," she managed through chattering teeth. "I think it's broken. And my leg—there's something—"

I pulled back just enough to look her over properly. Her right wrist was swollen, the skin already darkening with bruises. Blood was seeping through a tear in her pants at her left thigh, mixing with the water.

"Alice!" I called over my shoulder. "I need the medical kit!"

Alice appeared at the alcove's entrance, her face pale but determined. She passed the kit through, then squeezed in beside us, her hands immediately going to Cecilia's injuries with the practiced efficiency of someone who'd done pre-med training.

"Hey," Alice said softly, her voice remarkably steady despite the tears streaming down her face. "Hey, Ceci. You scared the shit out of me."

I watched Alice work, feeling useless and grateful in equal measure. When she moved to examine the gash on Cecilia's leg, I took over holding Cecilia upright, keeping her weight off her injured wrist.

"This needs stitches," Alice said, looking up at me. "But I can bandage it for now. Stop the bleeding."

"Do it."

While Alice worked, I kept Cecilia talking, knowing that if she stopped, if she gave in to the exhaustion and cold, we might lose her.

"I hit the water," she said, her voice thin. "It was so cold. And fast. I tried to swim but the current—it just took me. I don't know how long I was in it. Everything's blurry."

She paused, her eyes distant. "And then I was here. In this alcove. I managed to pull myself out of the main current, but I couldn't get any higher. The walls are too slick."

"You did exactly right," I told her. "You stayed put. You stayed conscious. That's all that mattered."

"I almost didn't." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Arthur, I almost let go. I was so tired, and it would have been so easy to just—"

"But you didn't." I cupped her face in my hands, making her look at me. "You held on. You fought. That's who you are, Ceci. You're a fighter."

"I saw him," she said suddenly. "My father. I was—I don't know if I was dreaming or hallucinating or what, but I saw him. And he told me to fight. He told me you'd find me."

Something in my chest cracked open at that. "He was right."

"He said to tell you thank you." Tears were streaming down her face now, mixing with the river water. "For loving me the way I deserve to be loved."

I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe. I just pulled her closer, burying my face in her hair, and felt my own tears start to fall.

"Done," Alice said, sitting back on her heels. "The bandage should hold until we get her to the facility."

I looked at the path we'd taken to get here—narrow, treacherous, barely wide enough for one person let alone two, with one of us injured.

"I'm going to carry you," I told Cecilia. "It's not going to be comfortable, but it's the only way."

"Okay." She didn't argue, didn't protest. Just let me shift her weight, positioning her so I could lift her without jarring her injuries too badly.

Jack appeared at the alcove entrance, his young face serious. "The rope team's ready. They've got a line secured at the top."

"Good." I lifted Cecilia carefully, feeling her wince despite my best efforts. "Alice, stay close. Watch your footing."

The climb out was brutal. But I'd carried heavier loads over worse terrain during my military training, and the thought of dropping her, of losing her after just getting her back, was enough to keep me moving.

Jack led the way, his small form somehow finding purchase where I saw none. Alice followed behind us, ready to catch if either of us slipped.

By the time we reached the rope line, my arms were screaming and my legs were shaking, but I didn't stop. Didn't slow. Just kept moving until we were on solid ground and the rescue team was swarming around us.

"Get her warm," I ordered, lowering Cecilia onto a stretcher. "And call for the medevac. I want her at the facility's medical center in twenty minutes."

"Arthur." Cecilia's hand found mine, her grip weak but insistent. "Don't leave me."

"Never." I bent down and pressed my lips to her forehead. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."