muscle to hold both of us. Can you do it?"
"Sure. Whatever you need, I'll do it."
"Good. I'll depend on that. Yolanda, too."
Jake stripped down to his shorts while Rudi bounced around again, yelling encouragement to Yolanda.
"Hang on, babe! We're going to get you! Jake's coming out there after you! He'll help you back safely. Don’t worry."
Jake glanced at Yolanda. She probably couldn't hear everything Rudi was saying, but his voice and actions would encourage her, showing her that they were doing something positive to rescue her.
Rudi's words sounded so simple. Jake's coming after you. But the rescue would not be simple. It was risky for both of them. Anything could happen to plunge them into the swift cur rent. But now wasn't the time for evaluation. They had to act. Get her, he repeated to himself. Get her out.
Brit moved as fast as she could, slipping in the mud but managing to stay upright as she raced back with the tennis shoes. She halted before an almost nude Jake, a man with a lean body framed with taut muscles and sleek tanned skin from the width of his chest to the length of his sinewy legs. "H-here," she stammered, shoving the shoes into his waiting hands.
"Thanks," He tugged them furiously onto his feet.
Brit tried not to notice the intense masculinity of the man, nor her own stomach-knotting reaction to the sight of him so scantily clad. Get a grip, she told herself firmly. We've got a job to do. And yet, this view of him convinced her that Jake indeed had the ability they needed to com bat the dark, swirling waters; he was the only one who could rescue Yolanda. He just had to do it. Feeling a mixture of emotions, ranging from pride to fear, she turned away from the magnificent man, back to Yolanda, back to the subject of their rescue.
"Listen up!" Jake grabbed Rudi's and Brit's arms. "I can't do this without your assistance. Both of you will have to hold on with all of your might. Rudi, you will have to keep me upright. Wrap the rope behind your back so you can use your body as leverage. Brit, use this boulder to brace yourself and pour all your strength into the pull. Got it?"
Rudi nodded eagerly. "I will, man. Just get her, please."
Jake knotted the rope around his slender waist. "Okay, when I get out there, I'll be your responsibility. I intend to support her, assist her on the way back here, but there's no way I can completely carry her. She'll have to walk with me. Think she can do that?"
"I don't know, man. She's scared of water."
"Does she swim?"
"Nope. Not a lick."
Jake breathed out a curse. "Oh, great. Another strike against us. That's why she's totally panicked." He was already figuring how he might have to force her to move, if she wouldn't come voluntarily. And he wouldn't use gentle encouragement. It might be pretty rough, especially for Rudi to witness. Jake pressed his lips together. He would just do his best and hope it worked.
Brit stared anxiously at Yolanda who continued to cling to the rock. “She’s losing it, Jake. We’d better hurry.”
"Okay, let's do it," Jake said, plunging into the muddy swirls. "Rudi, keep that rope stretched taut, especially when I grab her. Brit, don't let up. Rudi needs you."
"Right." She wanted to hug Jake or give him some sign of her support, but he was already moving into the engorged river. There was no time for emotion. Only action.
As she watched him, Brit was struck by the notion that although Jake was anything but small, right now he appeared vulnerable and frail. A mere man versus a world gone berserk. The waters swirled up Jake's body, past his thighs, hips, and waist. When the water reached his chest, he stumbled. Rudi struggled with keeping the rope tight until Jake regained his footing and moved onward. At this point, he seemed to be swallowed by the nemesis, a part of the greater mass, lost in the depths of the universe.
Brit and Rudi watched anxious, breath-holding silence. Their hands laced side by side on the rope,
"Sure. Whatever you need, I'll do it."
"Good. I'll depend on that. Yolanda, too."
Jake stripped down to his shorts while Rudi bounced around again, yelling encouragement to Yolanda.
"Hang on, babe! We're going to get you! Jake's coming out there after you! He'll help you back safely. Don’t worry."
Jake glanced at Yolanda. She probably couldn't hear everything Rudi was saying, but his voice and actions would encourage her, showing her that they were doing something positive to rescue her.
Rudi's words sounded so simple. Jake's coming after you. But the rescue would not be simple. It was risky for both of them. Anything could happen to plunge them into the swift cur rent. But now wasn't the time for evaluation. They had to act. Get her, he repeated to himself. Get her out.
Brit moved as fast as she could, slipping in the mud but managing to stay upright as she raced back with the tennis shoes. She halted before an almost nude Jake, a man with a lean body framed with taut muscles and sleek tanned skin from the width of his chest to the length of his sinewy legs. "H-here," she stammered, shoving the shoes into his waiting hands.
"Thanks," He tugged them furiously onto his feet.
Brit tried not to notice the intense masculinity of the man, nor her own stomach-knotting reaction to the sight of him so scantily clad. Get a grip, she told herself firmly. We've got a job to do. And yet, this view of him convinced her that Jake indeed had the ability they needed to com bat the dark, swirling waters; he was the only one who could rescue Yolanda. He just had to do it. Feeling a mixture of emotions, ranging from pride to fear, she turned away from the magnificent man, back to Yolanda, back to the subject of their rescue.
"Listen up!" Jake grabbed Rudi's and Brit's arms. "I can't do this without your assistance. Both of you will have to hold on with all of your might. Rudi, you will have to keep me upright. Wrap the rope behind your back so you can use your body as leverage. Brit, use this boulder to brace yourself and pour all your strength into the pull. Got it?"
Rudi nodded eagerly. "I will, man. Just get her, please."
Jake knotted the rope around his slender waist. "Okay, when I get out there, I'll be your responsibility. I intend to support her, assist her on the way back here, but there's no way I can completely carry her. She'll have to walk with me. Think she can do that?"
"I don't know, man. She's scared of water."
"Does she swim?"
"Nope. Not a lick."
Jake breathed out a curse. "Oh, great. Another strike against us. That's why she's totally panicked." He was already figuring how he might have to force her to move, if she wouldn't come voluntarily. And he wouldn't use gentle encouragement. It might be pretty rough, especially for Rudi to witness. Jake pressed his lips together. He would just do his best and hope it worked.
Brit stared anxiously at Yolanda who continued to cling to the rock. “She’s losing it, Jake. We’d better hurry.”
"Okay, let's do it," Jake said, plunging into the muddy swirls. "Rudi, keep that rope stretched taut, especially when I grab her. Brit, don't let up. Rudi needs you."
"Right." She wanted to hug Jake or give him some sign of her support, but he was already moving into the engorged river. There was no time for emotion. Only action.
As she watched him, Brit was struck by the notion that although Jake was anything but small, right now he appeared vulnerable and frail. A mere man versus a world gone berserk. The waters swirled up Jake's body, past his thighs, hips, and waist. When the water reached his chest, he stumbled. Rudi struggled with keeping the rope tight until Jake regained his footing and moved onward. At this point, he seemed to be swallowed by the nemesis, a part of the greater mass, lost in the depths of the universe.
Brit and Rudi watched anxious, breath-holding silence. Their hands laced side by side on the rope,
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