Page 64 of Rescued Heart

“Quiet on set!” a megaphoned voice bellowed from below.

Bearded man tugged Eddie back toward the ladder.

Five thundering heartbeats later, Leo hollered, “Action!”

The car tilted forward until it was nearly vertical. Then the crane released the chains, and the car plummeted for the river.

Even though it was scripted, Bianca’s scream hit him right in the gut.

The car struck the water with a splash and rippled the river. But instead of the car’s back end splashing down into the water too, only the hood remained submerged.

“Isn’t the car supposed to lean back into its normal position?” Eddie asked.

Bearded guy put his arm back in front of Eddie. “It will level. Give it time.”

Except both time and water poured into Bianca’s open window. She moved her hands, but what was she doing?

Eddie shoved the bearded guy’s arm away from him. “She’s supposed to be out by now.”

“We wait until?—”

“Eddie!” Bianca shrieked his name a second before the driver’s-side door of the car plunged farther into the water.

“Bianca!” Eddie pushed the bearded guy out of the way. “Pull up the car. Get her out of there!”

The younger guy headed down the ladder. “The car can’t sink. It had rubber added…”

There wouldn’t be time to go down the ladder. Eddie unhooked his harness.

“Wait, what are you?—”

“Saving her.” Eddie sprinted toward the edge of the platform.

And jumped over the edge.

THIRTEEN

Bianca yanked on her seat belt, but it only tightened against her chest. “Help!”

She kicked her feet through the river water pouring in the opened windows and swelling around her legs. Another shiver jetted through her body as darkness invaded the first seat of the car.

“Eddie!”

This was so not the scene plan. The scariest thing was supposed to have been the heights, not drowning.

She arched her back against the car seat and tilted her head toward the ceiling. The water rose to her shoulders. Fast. She never should have done the scene. She should have listened to Eddie.

The car was supposed to level out. Float, not sink. Why wasn’t her safety harness releasing her?

God, I want to see You, but not today. Not like this.

She pulled her numbing legs up through the water and pushed her feet against the dash. Nothing loosened. Still stuck.

God, please help!

She gathered one last gulp of air and then open her eyes under the water. She could barely see the steering wheel in the murky water.

Her ears popped, whether from the pressure of sinking deeper into the river or from not being able to get more air.

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