The water was damn cold in the river running through the state park, headed for the waterfall. She’d been expecting that. What she hadn’t been prepared for was the swiftness in which she was swept downstream.

When she surfaced she was already yards away from where she went in. She saw a form running through the woods, but the shooter was no match for her current method of transportation.

And it was a he. She was sure of it. Too tall and too big to be a female. It had to be Robert. How did he know where she was? Surely Nina wouldn’t have told him after the discussion with the police in the hospital room.

Far from the shooter, Alex focused on her next problem: getting out before reaching the waterfall. There was no way she’d survive a drop from that high. Boulders lay at the bottom ready to catch her. Not such a great idea. And her speed was increasing, quickly.

The flow picked up velocity, making her escape harder. She paddled and tried to grab onto rocks, sticks, or foliage dangling close. Nothing was in reach.

Suddenly, the water was gone from beneath her and she rolled over a low ledge, going under the freezing current. Now she remembered that small drop. As a kid, they used to float paper boats along here to watch what would happen when they went over. As expected, each boat drowned, well, each of hers did.

Before she surfaced, she slammed into a rock, knocking her ribs that were sensitive earlier. Now they hurt in earnest. She sucked in water and surfaced, coughing and gagging for air.

The area was stone-filled, turning into white water. Her speed picked up and she gasped for air, her body bouncing like a pinball from one target to another. The thunder of the falls reached her ears. She had to get out now.

The stream was shallower here, and she was able to put her feet down to maneuver somewhat. The water still pulled her along, determined to take her to her death.

At an exposed boulder she readied herself for, she swam as hard as she could to beach herself onto it. Her body slid sideways and up the smooth edge of the stone where she came to a rest.

On her stomach, gagging on water and panting, she let the sun warm her for a moment. The wind was quiet. Thank goodness for that.

Taking stock of herself, she started to laugh. Yeah, it sounded a little—a lot—hysterical, a little stress relieving. But dammit, she was alive. No bomb or bullet was taking her down. A wave splashed on her face, getting water up her nose. Okay, maybe water, though.

After getting her breath and strength back, she made her way along the bigger rocks to dry land and crawled up the bank. There she followed the worn path that trailed the river in the direction leading to the cascade.

The trail ended at a ranger station. Exactly where she needed to be. She looked back the direction she’d come to see if the shooter was tracking her, but she was a mile from her entry point. And there were places where the path veered away a distance before paralleling the stream again. He couldn’t reach her. She hoped.

With her ass in gear, she power walked until reaching the falls where she took a break.

Blowing out a deep breath, she pushed hair out of her face with her fingers. The area was just as nice as it had been. Now there were picnic tables on the flat ground below and observation stands at the top on both sides. It was pretty, but it was time to go.

With fear and common sense pushing her, she made it to the ranger station before the sun dipped below the trees.

Partially dry, she knocked on the office door and let herself in. A female ranger sat behind a desk on the other side of the door. When she saw Alex, she jumped up.

“Oh my lord, are you all right?” From a cabinet, the ranger pulled a green blanket and wrapped it around Alex. “What happened to you? Did you fall into the river?”

Chattering, Alex nodded. Without the sun on her in the forest, she’d become cold to the point of almost stopping. Luckily, the logical side of her brain had been working and she kept moving.

The ranger led her to a chair and sat her down. “Look up at me, hon.” Alex raised her chin. “As I thought, you’re going through shock. Your pupils are larger than they should be as well as your ashen skin.” She put another blanket around Alex. “Stay right there while I get you something hot to drink.”

Alex didn’t have the words to tell the lady she wasn’t going anywhere for a long time. Days, if she could help it.

The ranger returned with a mug of tea. “The coffee is old, so I thought tea would be better. It’s chamomile, so it should help to soothe you, too.” Alex took a sip and sighed as the warm liquid left a trail of heat down the middle of her.

After taking out a pad of paper and digging through her desk for a pen, the woman focused on her. “Can you tell me what all happened, hon? I have to write up an incident report.”

Alex frowned. “No, you don’t have to do that. It wasn’t that big of a deal.” Well, the guy shooting at her was, but not her bumpy maiden voyage down the river. Shit, she almost drowned. Okay, it was a big deal. “I changed my mind. Ready?”

Alex relayed the past couple hours of her life. When finished, the ranger’s eyes were as big as her own.

“You’re so lucky to be alive,” the lady said.

Alex snorted as she recalled the doctor saying the same thing. “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me this morning.” When the ranger paled, Alex waved it off. “Never mind. Just something at work.”

“All right,” the park representative said, “we need to get you someplace safe for the night. Are you fine staying in one of the rentals down the road?”

There was no way the shooter would find her in such a short time. She would be miles from Nina’s land. “Yeah, that would be fine.” She glanced at the landline. “Can I make a long-distance call to my cousin? She’s the one who owns the cabin I am—was—staying in.”

“Sure, hon. Not a problem.” The lady dragged the phone toward her. “Take as long as you need. I’ll be in the kitchen to give you some privacy.”

“Thank you.” Alex dialed Nina’s number, hoping she was in the office. The clock on the wall over the door to the kitchen read five after four. She hoped Nina was still at her desk. When she got her voicemail, she left a message to call the number on the caller ID if she got the message soon. She’d try her cousin’s cell phone next.