Chapter 47
Jack heard Sydney scream as the car hit the water and began to sink. He looked over and quickly checked her for injuries as he unbuckled her seat belt; then he glanced back to see that Laura appeared to be all right and was removing her own belt. "Sydney?" she asked him.
"Fine. We need to get out."
Laura nodded. "You take Sydney and go out the driver's side, I'll go out the passenger side."
Sydney was shaking, her eyes wide with fear, but Laura was eerily calm, Jack thought as he pulled his daughter into his arms. His stomach dropped as he thought that maybe this wasn't an accident any more than the one last week had been. No time, he told himself, and pushed the thought from his mind.
Jack unbuckled his seatbelt as Laura rolled down her window; the water was still an inch or so below the bottom of the window. She put her hands on the sill, then turned to lock eyes with him. They stared at each other, motionless, for a heartbeat that seemed an eternity. Then the water reached the bottom of the window and began to pour in.
"I love you," Laura said. Before Jack had the chance to respond, she pushed herself through the window.
"Daddy?" Sydney said, sounding panicked.
"It's all right, Sydney. Put your arms around me and hold on tight." He felt her arms go around his neck; he held her close with his right arm while he quickly rolled the window down. "Take a deep breath and hold it, Sydney." She took a huge, audible breath; Jack took a deep breath of his own, then started to go out the window. Laura had slipped out easily due to her horizontal position in the back seat, but Jack had a bit tougher time; he had to wriggle a bit to fit both himself and Sydney out while contorting his legs to give them a push. By the time he finally pushed free of the car, only the roof was visible.
"Okay, Sydney?" Jack asked as he wrapped his other arm around his daughter while treading water with his legs. She nodded against his chest. He looked around for some sign of Laura, but saw nothing. "Laura?" he called. "Laura?" There was no audible response, but he imagined he heard her voice in his head, chastising him for not getting Sydney to safety. He turned toward the bank and began slowly making his way toward it.
***
The authorities combed the river that night, all the next day, and again on Saturday, but aside from bits of the plaster cast, they found no sign of Laura. A police officer showed up at Jack's door shortly after dark on Saturday night, hat in hand, to tell him that they were giving up the search; they could only assume that the body had been washed down the river into the ocean. Jack simply nodded and thanked the man; he couldn't tell him, of course, that he believed there was nothing to find.
The church pastor wanted to cancel the concert on Sunday, but Jack told him that Laura would have wanted it to go on. So the concert was performed as scheduled, though a few choir members had to leave the risers during the course of the piece to collect themselves. The choir director had taped the rehearsal on Thursday; at the appropriate point in the middle of the Requiem, the tape of Laura's solo was played. When it was over, there was a long period in which there was little movement, and the only sound was that of quiet sobbing.
A memorial service was held the following Thursday. Jack didn't trust himself to speak, so he wrote out a eulogy and gave it to Emily to read, which she did after giving her own eloquent remembrance.
Later that night, everyone had left the house except the Sloanes. Sydney finally fell asleep and could be pried away from Jack; she'd clung to him every waking moment since the accident. Emily offered to carry the sleeping child upstairs and put her to bed.
"I'm curious, Jack," Arvin said after Emily was out of hearing range. "How much of today was acting?"
Jack stared at his friend for a moment. Of course, he told himself; he couldn't expect Arvin to understand. "I loved her for ten years, Arvin. That doesn't disappear in a week."
Sloane nodded. "I'm sorry it turned out this way, Jack." He paused. "The CIA has concluded that the accident was probably staged by the KGB, but we doubt that she survived. With her leg broken—even if they had her cooperation, it would have been very difficult for the KGB to remove her without leaving some sign."
"I don't believe she's dead, Arvin," Jack said with certainty. "She'll contact us soon. We just have to be patient." He had decided on the night he lost her that he had to believe that, because he had to see her again, to tell her the truth that he hadn't even been able to admit to himself until she was gone. In spite of everything she had done, in spite of the lies and the murder, there was only one thing that mattered. He loved her.
*THE END*
AN: A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read this, and an even bigger thank you to those who have reviewed. I enjoy each and every response and loved hearing what you thought about this fic.
Jack heard Sydney scream as the car hit the water and began to sink. He looked over and quickly checked her for injuries as he unbuckled her seat belt; then he glanced back to see that Laura appeared to be all right and was removing her own belt. "Sydney?" she asked him.
"Fine. We need to get out."
Laura nodded. "You take Sydney and go out the driver's side, I'll go out the passenger side."
Sydney was shaking, her eyes wide with fear, but Laura was eerily calm, Jack thought as he pulled his daughter into his arms. His stomach dropped as he thought that maybe this wasn't an accident any more than the one last week had been. No time, he told himself, and pushed the thought from his mind.
Jack unbuckled his seatbelt as Laura rolled down her window; the water was still an inch or so below the bottom of the window. She put her hands on the sill, then turned to lock eyes with him. They stared at each other, motionless, for a heartbeat that seemed an eternity. Then the water reached the bottom of the window and began to pour in.
"I love you," Laura said. Before Jack had the chance to respond, she pushed herself through the window.
"Daddy?" Sydney said, sounding panicked.
"It's all right, Sydney. Put your arms around me and hold on tight." He felt her arms go around his neck; he held her close with his right arm while he quickly rolled the window down. "Take a deep breath and hold it, Sydney." She took a huge, audible breath; Jack took a deep breath of his own, then started to go out the window. Laura had slipped out easily due to her horizontal position in the back seat, but Jack had a bit tougher time; he had to wriggle a bit to fit both himself and Sydney out while contorting his legs to give them a push. By the time he finally pushed free of the car, only the roof was visible.
"Okay, Sydney?" Jack asked as he wrapped his other arm around his daughter while treading water with his legs. She nodded against his chest. He looked around for some sign of Laura, but saw nothing. "Laura?" he called. "Laura?" There was no audible response, but he imagined he heard her voice in his head, chastising him for not getting Sydney to safety. He turned toward the bank and began slowly making his way toward it.
***
The authorities combed the river that night, all the next day, and again on Saturday, but aside from bits of the plaster cast, they found no sign of Laura. A police officer showed up at Jack's door shortly after dark on Saturday night, hat in hand, to tell him that they were giving up the search; they could only assume that the body had been washed down the river into the ocean. Jack simply nodded and thanked the man; he couldn't tell him, of course, that he believed there was nothing to find.
The church pastor wanted to cancel the concert on Sunday, but Jack told him that Laura would have wanted it to go on. So the concert was performed as scheduled, though a few choir members had to leave the risers during the course of the piece to collect themselves. The choir director had taped the rehearsal on Thursday; at the appropriate point in the middle of the Requiem, the tape of Laura's solo was played. When it was over, there was a long period in which there was little movement, and the only sound was that of quiet sobbing.
A memorial service was held the following Thursday. Jack didn't trust himself to speak, so he wrote out a eulogy and gave it to Emily to read, which she did after giving her own eloquent remembrance.
Later that night, everyone had left the house except the Sloanes. Sydney finally fell asleep and could be pried away from Jack; she'd clung to him every waking moment since the accident. Emily offered to carry the sleeping child upstairs and put her to bed.
"I'm curious, Jack," Arvin said after Emily was out of hearing range. "How much of today was acting?"
Jack stared at his friend for a moment. Of course, he told himself; he couldn't expect Arvin to understand. "I loved her for ten years, Arvin. That doesn't disappear in a week."
Sloane nodded. "I'm sorry it turned out this way, Jack." He paused. "The CIA has concluded that the accident was probably staged by the KGB, but we doubt that she survived. With her leg broken—even if they had her cooperation, it would have been very difficult for the KGB to remove her without leaving some sign."
"I don't believe she's dead, Arvin," Jack said with certainty. "She'll contact us soon. We just have to be patient." He had decided on the night he lost her that he had to believe that, because he had to see her again, to tell her the truth that he hadn't even been able to admit to himself until she was gone. In spite of everything she had done, in spite of the lies and the murder, there was only one thing that mattered. He loved her.
*THE END*
AN: A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read this, and an even bigger thank you to those who have reviewed. I enjoy each and every response and loved hearing what you thought about this fic.