The urge to chase the fleeing criminals pulled at the cop-side of Morgan but the image of the terrified child was even stronger. The choice was clear. 

Morgan dropped his jacket and kicked off his shoes as he ran to the sea wall. An elderly Asian couple, who had been walking their dog, stood staring at the churning waters and descending headlights as the Mercedes sank.  

“Call 911!” Morgan tossed his own cell phone onto the boardwalk and, without hesitating, dove into the frigid cold waters.  

The freezing blast brought his mental state into complete focus. Have to hurry. I’m not going to last long in this cold water.  

He could see from the headlights that the Mercedes was settling on the bottom in an upright position. The car must have turned upright as it sank.  

Barely visible in the gloomy water was a ‘Kerns for Senate’ bumper sticker. Great. They support the biggest anti-police politician in the state. I’ve got an idea. Focus, Morgan, or they’re dead. 

He rapidly swam down ten feet, reaching the roof of the Mercedes. The headlights and dome light flickered off and on. 

He used the roof to pull himself down to the driver’s side window. Through the stirred up muddy water, he could make out the blonde woman struggling with her seatbelt. When he went to help her she frantically pointed to the back seat where the little girl was strapped into a booster seat.  

Thank goodness the lights are still on! Almost as if he had reminded them they shouldn’t be working, they flashed off, back on, then went off for good, plunging the compartment into complete darkness.  

Doesn’t matter. I saw what I needed to. Morgan swam back to the child through the rear window, which had also broken in the impact. She had been floating limp against her lap restraint. He found the seat belt and managed to extract the young girl from the booster chair. Tucking the unmoving child under his left arm, he headed to the front seat. 

A moment of panic seized him when he slammed his head into a head rest. Am I upside down? It didn’t help that his lungs were starting to burn from lack of oxygen. 

Calm down. My years of swimming tell me I have at least thirty seconds of air left. Stay focused or we all die down here.  

When he reached his arm around to the front seat he felt the steering wheel. No woman. Had she escaped? Then he touched her hair.  

The driver was floating on the ceiling of the car. She must’ve released her seat belt. Is she unconscious, or worse, dead? Maybe I should leave her? 

Morgan grabbed the rim of the driver side door, cutting his fingers on shards of broken glass. Ignoring the injury, he squeezed past the woman and was back outside the car. 

I’m lucky she isn’t a big lady. His oxygen deprived lungs started to ache. I must’ve been down for over two minutes now.  Don’t think about that, numbnuts! Focus! Can’t leave her.  

He reached back into the cold dark car. For a moment he panicked when he only felt open water. Then, reaching in deeper, he struck her hand.  

Morgan rapidly located the woman’s hair and wrapped his hand in circles, looping several strands around his palm. Sorry, but if we’re all very lucky and somehow manage to survive this, you’ll thank me later. With a hefty tug, he yanked the motionless woman from the car.  

Now his lungs were screaming for air. He was mere seconds from passing out. Morgan kicked hard with his powerful swimmer’s legs.  

With the child under his arm while pulling an adult by the hair, the ten-foot climb to the surface took what seemed like an eternity. The extra weight slowed him immensely while darkness threatened to take him as he finally broke the surface. 

Luckily, the elderly couple were still there. Sucking in sweet cool air, he quickly handed off the child whom they pulled up near a built-in metal-rung sea ladder. A tired Morgan struggled to climb up the ladder with the lifeless woman in tow.  

The old man came over and grabbed her by the hands and, working together with Morgan pushing from behind, they got the lady up onto the boardwalk.  

When Morgan climbed out, he was breathing heavy, freezing cold, and exhausted. Staring at the two bodies sprawled out in front of him, he knew he didn’t have time for any of that.  

Both of the females’ half-closed dull eyes stared skyward. He had seen that look many times before. It was the look of death. There was no time to waste or all his efforts were for naught.  

He could barely make out sirens in the distance. Still far off, but close enough to give these girls a fighting chance. That was the good thing about living in a big city. Rescue was always nearby, often beating the police to accident scenes. Still, the ladies had been without oxygen for a couple of minutes already. 

Seattle Police Department policy was to wait for EMT’s or to use an airbag for disease prevention. I won’t be following any of that nonsense. 

The soaking wet Morgan began CPR on both of the victims. Breaths, pumps breaths, pumps; he rotated back and forth as quickly as he could.  

The elderly Asian couple offered to help him as he progressed. He showed them where to push and they took over the chest compression rotations, while he sat between the two females and rendered breaths back and forth. 

A crowd of onlookers gathered around. Two younger men came forward and took over doing chest compressions for the tired older couple. 

While Morgan continued administering breaths, his mind raced. Please God. PLEASE! I know I begged you to give me a miracle in that church. I know I said just one. Tell you what. These people shouldn’t have gotten caught up in my mess. Give them my miracle. They can have it. Please let them live and I’ll take whatever I have coming. I’m not sure if you work that way, but I’m begging you. Please! 

Just as the ambulances and police were arriving, the little girl began to cough. After being turned onto her side, she vomited up a rush of brackish sea water. A moment later, her eyes fluttered to life. Crying came next. This brought about loud cheers from the onlookers.  

When the EMT’s ran up, a shivering Morgan fell back onto the boardwalk and closed his eyes. He was no longer feeling cold as his entire body had gone numb.  

So much for staying off the radar.  
 

Character/Suspect List: 

Homicide Detective Morgan Harper - The heavily faulted main character who never recovered from the suicide of his wife.  

Kelly Pierson - a young, new to the game, prostitute who is frequented by Detective Morgan. 

Tamra Burns- a crime scene technician who is Debra's identical twin.

Internal Affairs Officer Brian Anderson - Investigating Morgan Harper.

Homicide Detective Hutch Kelly - Morgan’s partner. 

Captain Howitz - Morgan’s boss who runs the Homicide Unit. 

Ronny Tate - Street cop who can't stand Morgan.

Darrin Belzar - Religious by-the-book street cop. 

Paco Sanchez - A local pimp and street thug.

Hugo Chavez - Paco's thug/bodyguard.

Doctor Millison Parker - Morgan’s psychiatrist.

Mac Yung- Aggressive reporter. 

Ted 'Teddy' Norton - Morgan's old academy training officer. 

Steve Vance - Vicki's husband.

Vicki Vance - An old friend of Morgan and Debra’s. Murdered in her bar by the killer. 

Beth Mackie - A murdered prostitute. 

Jennifer Collins - The first victim prostitute. 

Amy Henderson - The second victim prostitute.

Debra Harper - Morgan’s deceased wife who committed suicide.