“It’s not something you just figure out Bethany.”
I glowered ferociously at him. “I would rather take my chances with that instead of running across something over a hundred feet in the freaking air Aiden!” I snapped, unsure why he was stubbornly clinging to this crazy notion. He was one of the smartest people I knew, but he was being adamantly stupid right now. My idea wasn’t without risk, and possibly death, but it was still better than this absolute insanity.
“She has a point,” Cade said. “We can swim around the canal, avoiding the currents, and come up somewhere more sheltered on the other side.”
“We don’t know how to use scuba gear,” one of the other group insisted firmly. “We would never be able to do it.”
“I know how to scuba dive.” My attention was drawn to a young woman in her late teens or early twenties. Her long reddish hair, so dark that it was nearly brown, hung in thick curls to the middle of her back. Her cat green eyes were intense as she surveyed the group. “My father and I used to go lobster diving. I’m not an expert, but I do well enough with it. I could help.”
I looked eagerly to Aiden, but his jaw was clenched and I could tell he was still against it. “We don’t know for sure that the store will have rental gear.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Abby said.
“There may not even be enough for all of us, and then what?” another woman in the group inquired.
My patience was reaching the end of its short rope. “Then we come back here tomorrow night, but at least we would have tried,” I stridently stated.
“You can stand here and debate this all you want. I’m not waiting anymore. The closer it gets to dawn, the less likely our chances of getting across are going to become,” a man amongst the group insisted. “And we may not have another night. This may be our only chance to escape, and I'm not going to blow it.”
“But this isn’t a chance, this is death!” I insisted. “Please don’t do this. It’s foolish.”
I didn’t understand their absolute instance upon this course of action. Was it because it was the only plan they believed in? Was it because they believed the other side of the bridge was magically better? Or was it simply because they finally had something to do, something to cling to other than fear and uncertainty?
Whatever it was, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to stop them, and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to talk sense into Aiden either. Would he leave Abby and I here just to do this? Just to prove a point?
“You’ll see Bethy, when we get to the other side, you can join us.”
My heart was hammering. Abby was shaking even more as her fingers dug into my arm. “Aiden don’t,” she pleaded.
He looked at her as if he didn't know who she was; apparently he’d thought that she would be eager to cross too. “Why don’t we just think over what Bethany is saying,” Cade suggested.
“What is there to think about?” The burly man shoved his way through the group to us. He hoisted his spear higher as he swung his pack onto his back. “This is the plan.”
My heart was hammering; my mouth had gone completely dry. There didn’t seem to be any way to stop this. “At least stay with us,” I urged Aiden. “If they make it to the other side then maybe we’ll consider going.”
Aiden looked torn; he glanced back at the group of four that was starting to gather near the road. “We're in the third group, we’ll go then.”
Apparently I had already been divided without my knowledge, or approval. “Why are we even splitting up?” Abby inquired.
“Smaller groups will be less noticeable,” Aiden explained.
“Yeah, that’s gonna help,” I retorted.
“You know I love you Bethy, but optimism has never been one of your stronger qualities,” Aiden said.
I glared at him, fighting to keep control of my rising temper as my hands fisted at my sides. He may be my brother, and one of my best friends, but there were times when our personalities completely clashed. Unfortunately this was one of those times, and his stubborn insistence may very well get us killed. No matter how much I was against crossing that bridge, I knew that I wouldn't let him go alone. I couldn’t. “Realism is not the same as pessimism. You’re being foolish Aiden; you’re not even listening to reason.”
“This is a good plan.”
I bit my lip, arguing with him was getting me nowhere. I looked toward Cade, but his attention was focused upon the people already leaving the woods. I closed my eyes, made a plea for their safety, and then forced myself to watch. I couldn’t keep my eyes closed against this; I had to know what was going to happen no matter how awful it might be.
“No, it’s not,” I whispered.
Bret stepped closer to me and slid his hand into mine. “I’ll keep you safe.”
I managed a tremulous smile for him, but we both knew that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to stop the kind of murderous intent that we had seen earlier. His hand was warm and strong in mine. I knew every callous and every small scar that marked it. Yet as I held his hand, I didn’t feel the strong pull, the strong need that tore at me whenever Cade was near.
The next group stepped forward, entering the street as the first group reached the far side of the rotary. They were only five feet from the beginning of the bridge, just passing the entrance of the IHOP. They stepped onto the bridge, moving cautiously as they began the climb up. They weren’t quite over the water yet, but still above the concrete walkway and jagged rocks that marked the side of the canal. I shuddered at the thought of something happening to the bridge now, not like falling into the canal would save them, but it seemed somewhat more pleasant than concrete and rocks.
“Ok, let’s go.”
Bret took a step forward; apparently he was in our group while the other man and woman would be the last ones to go with Jenna and Cade. “Wait!” Abby said anxiously as Cade stepped toward us.
My heart was hammering, I could barely breathe as my hand clenched around Bret’s. The second group was almost at the beginning of the bridge. The first was just cresting the middle of it; if not for the lights they would no longer be visible. I could sense Aiden’s growing excitement; he really believed that this was going to be ok. I wanted him to be right, they had gotten further than I’d expected, but I was still unable to accept it.
“We have to go Abby, it’s the plan.” Aiden seemed agitated by the fact that we weren't adhering strictly to the plan. I understood his need to control something, to feel like he ruled his own life again. I just would have preferred if he had chosen something a little less deadly, like our food supplies maybe.