The Great Wolf: A Legacy of Kilkenny Novel Book Three (The Legacy of Kilkenny Saga) (23 page)

“Someone’s
shooting at us! You’ve got to help us. We’re leaving Fort Lewis College. Dad,
where are we?”

“Heading
toward Huck Finn Pond.”

“Huck
Finn Pond!” Therese screamed into the phone as the car swerved, her seatbelt
digging into her hip. Then she noticed the blood dripping down the back of her
mother’s neck and onto her mother’s silk scarf. “Oh, my God! Mom? Mom, are you
okay?”

“She’ll
be okay, Therese!” her father shouted.

“Oh my
God! I think my mom’s been shot! You’ve got to do something! You’ve got to help
us!”

A
crushing sound shot through the car, and Therese felt herself jolted hard to
the right. She hit her head on the window and dropped the cell phone. When she
bent over and tried to pick it up, the back end of the car lurched upward like
a seesaw, and her head hit the back of her mother’s seat in front of her. She
sat up and saw they were sailing through the air over the lake. The front end
of the car hit the water, causing her head to flop forward and back. She heard
the air hissing through the airbags as they inflated in the front end. She was
so stunned, she couldn’t speak. She watched in silent shock as water crept into
the front end of the car, up to her father’s neck, the untied bowtie of his
tuxedo floating around him. The front airbags pressed against her father’s
cheek, her mother’s face. Water spilled over the front seat and onto the
floorboard in back where she sat elevated higher than her parents.

She
unfastened her seatbelt and leaned over and looked down at her mother in
horror. A bullet had put a hole in the back of her neck, and blood rushed from
it. Her head lay against the airbag turned to one side, toward Therese’s
father. Her eyes were open and she was gasping for air, but blood was pouring
from her mouth and choking her.

“Mom! Oh
my God! Mom!” Therese’s teeth chattered uncontrollably as her mother strained
to look at her. She reached down and caressed her mother’s hair. “Mom! Oh my
God!”

She
realized her father had been shouting her name for several seconds. “Listen to
me, Therese! Therese! Try to open your window. Therese! Try to get out of the
car!”

His
voice sounded like it did when he was cheering her on from the deck of the pool
at her swim meets. “Keep going, Therese! You’re looking good! Kick! Pull!”

Except
now it was tinged with desperation.

“I’m not
leaving without you and Mom! I’m scared! Dad, please! Can’t you get out?” Her
teeth continued to chatter.

The
water level rose to his mouth. He shook his head. “I’m stuck!” He shouted
through the water. His eyes widened as the water crept to his nose. He was
drowning right in front of her.

“Dad!
Dad!”

In a
state of frenzy, he turned from side to side, only the top of his head visible.

Therese
watched in silent shock.

She
looked at her mother. Her mother’s eyes met hers briefly, then closed as the
water washed over all but her red hair. Unlike her father, her mother didn’t
move, but simply relinquished herself to the water. Her hair danced like
seaweed, like long veins of blood. Therese became aware of the coldness of the
water that had been sucking her down. Its cold fingers crept up to her
shoulders. Her white gloves floated beside her, pointing at her. 
You!
Do something!

She took
a deep breath and went underwater toward her father. She couldn’t see in the
dark, so she pushed against the airbag and felt around for the harness. The
belt was undone, but the steering shaft was crushed across her father’s lap.
She pulled with all her might on the steering wheel. It didn’t move. She tried
to puncture the airbag but without luck. Then she yanked on her father’s
lifeless arm. She couldn’t lift him from the seat.

Another
memory shot through her mind: She was pulling her father’s arm, coaxing him
from his recliner. “Come see the deer,” she was saying. She was small—maybe
six. “Come on, Dad. Come see.” He had laughed and made a comment about her
chipmunk cheeks and dimples, that he’d do anything to see those dimples. She
pulled at his arm and he laughed and climbed out of his chair to follow her
outside.

But now
she could not get her father to follow her.

She felt
her mother’s hand and flinched. She found it again. It was as cold as the water
and as limp as a dead fish. She hugged her mother, held on to her for dear life
till her brain hurt and she needed air.

Therese
popped back up near the top of the car for air, but there was none. She hitched
her body up and hit her head on the roof of the car. She then noticed a bright
light shine on her through her backseat window. She thought she saw someone
swimming toward her. She heard another crash and a surge of water, but she
needed air! Panic overtook her like a wild beast, and she opened her eyes as
far as they would open, writhed her body against every molecule in reach, and
strained her mouth wide open. Her lungs filled with burning water, the cold
water burning her like fire. She gagged on the water, gagged, kicked, went wild
with fear, and then stopped and gave in to the darkness.

***

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