Chapter 7
A deep murky darkness wet and slippery covered all over Jack's body. His mind became aware of something heavy pressing him down. He choked back a mouthful of water and realized that he was in a car, slowly sinking into a deep pool.
He shook his head wildly and struggled to find the door of the auto. He banged wildly against the pressure of the water against the car door as it sank deeper and deeper, then he held his fear in and calmed himself. He realized the only way out was to roll down the window slowly. Suddenly he remembered Joan and searched around wildly in the murky depths until he saw her, bound and gagged, struggling to reach the tiny air pocket at the roof of the car.
He reached down and dragged her up, forcing her head to the roof. She sucked the air in greedily, then he began to slowly roll down the window. When he had it open far enough he pulled the struggling girl free of the car and swam hurriedly to the surface with her.
He could hardly believe their luck.
He pulled her along agonizingly until they reached the shore, then he lay there gasping for breath. Finally he untied the girl and held her while she sobbed quietly against his chest.
His eyes darted around the countryside and he came to understand that they had been tossed into the lake behind the dam. It would have worked too, once the thing blew, there would be little trace of them afterward.
"Holy mother of God!" he shouted and began running toward the small walkway at the edge of the dam. Far below him he could hear the faint sounds of Roper making a speech. He could see Sadick walking steadily back from the elevator that lead the length down the inside of the dam. The man had a reel of wire that he was unraveling, and a switch- box sat at the edge of the entrance to the walkway.
There was a man waiting there and Sadick had now seen him. The man turned as Jack reached him but he was too late. Jack shot out his fist and the man fell. Sadick began shooting at him, but Jack hadn't spent all those years with the police beat for nothing. He'd spent many hours on the pistol range and it only took him one shot to put a bullet through Sadick's gut. The man screamed and fell down on the walkway.
Jack rushed over to the edge of the walkway and picked up an intercom telephone. He cut into the P.A. system and his voice carried over the surrounding area.
"This is Jack Newman, reporter. I'm up on the top of the dam. I've just stopped a man from blowing it up. I suggest some of you cops down there get your asses up here."
Roper's eyes went wide and he jerked his gaze up from the text in front of him. He leaped from the stand in in the screaming confusion grabbed Mary Tracker's arm and pulled her along with him toward his helicopter. The jig was up, he knew it, and he realized he might need something to bargain with before he was through.
Paul Garnner turned and saw the screaming girl pulled into the chopper and he sprinted toward the steadily rising craft. He leaped into the air and caught hold of the skids and the crowd screamed in panic as they saw the senator rising swiftly in the air, hanging on for dear life.
Paul hauled himself up into the helicopter and grabbed the surprised Roper. They grappled wildly for his gun, a couple of shots going off in the air. Suddenly the pilot jerked the chopper sideways and Roper fell forward, sliding over Paul's body and falling, screaming into the air.
Paul watched the fat blob disappear down toward the earth below, then he put his arms around the shaking Mary, and told the pilot to take them home.
He hugged the shaking girl to him tightly, petting her head and speaking to her softly. She was crying uncontrollably on his shoulder.
"Take it easy, honey," he said, softly, "It's going to be okay."
"I... I was afraid you were going to die."
"I'm afraid that the Governor took over that position for me." he glanced out of the window to the earth far below them.
"Poor Roper, he never could hold onto anything real."
"That evil bastard! I'm glad he's dead!"
"I can't argue with you there, honey. Still, it's a hell of a way to go."
"I'm glad you're safe Paul." she said. All I was thinking of was that if I got out of this I was going to make you my wife." "No, Paul."
"Yes, and now that I'm safe and you are too, I intend to make you Mrs. Paul Garnner - whether you like it or not."
She laughed through her tears. "I think I'll like it," she said, smiling.
The helicopter spun around and landed near the speaker's stand. Paul Garnner got out and was overwhelmed by dozens of reporters. They were firing questions left and right and it took him a few minutes to quiet them down.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen. All I can tell you now is that I know for certain that Governor Wilbur T. Roper was involved in some very shady deals which I intend to investigate fully starting Monday morning. That's all I can say right now. Oh, I will give you a scoop. I'm going to ask my wife for a divorce so that I will be free to marry my secretary Miss Mary Tracker."
He laughed as the reporters began shooting more questions to him and he slowly threaded his way through the crowd, leading Mary to his car. They got in and spun away from the scene leaving the media-men dumbfounded and frantic.
Jack Newman and Joan Brando said their goodbyes after he had dealt with the police. They stood at the edge of the dam, Jack looking over the valley, Joan at his side. "Leaving, huh?"
She nodded. "It's done here, for me, there are lots of other places that need my help."
"Good luck, babe, you're one hell of a gal."
"Maybe we'll see each other again."
"Maybe." He smiled and watched her get into the van. She started the engine then blew him a kiss and slowly pulled up the mountain road. He watched her van fade slowly away until it disappeared into the sunset, then he walked over to a police car that was waiting to take him home.
He thought of her going somewhere new and muttered, "Maybe, Maybe," smiling to himself as they left the dam and headed toward the city."