Chapter 3

Ten years later, I'm back on the shore of Blackwater Bay.

Expensive gear is everywhere: sonars, huge lights, rescue boats.

A dozen experts point at maps.

"It's Hayes's kid! We save him no matter what!"

My throat closes up.

Ten years ago, Lilly fell in. All we had was one cheap rubber boat and two old ropes. And Elena's fake promises.

Nobody rushed. Nobody scrambled. Nobody brought an army.

Because Lilly was just some poor kid from the wrong side of town.

Today, an entire rescue army shows up in two hours because it's Victor's kid.

What was my sister to them? Just a step on their ladder to get rich.

A diver runs over, pale. "The kid's tank only has twenty minutes left! If nobody goes down, he's dead!"

"Cora, get your suit on!"

I shake my head. "You have high-tech sonar and hero divers here. You don't need me."

Elena turns ghost-white. Tears stream down her face. "We got hurt ten years ago! We can't dive deep anymore! Please! My boy is innocent!"

"Your boy is innocent," I repeat. "So was my sister."

Elena flinches like I slapped her.

She slams her head against the dirt, crying hard.

The crowd loses it.

"Cora! Do you even have a soul?!"

"She's on her knees, you heartless bitch!"

Three divers grab my arms, shoving me toward the water. "You're going under today whether you like it or not!"

I plant my feet and look at them. My voice comes out raspy.

"You all want me to dive?"

They stop pushing.

"Even if I go down... even if I find him..."

"How do you know I won't just unhook his line and let him drown?"

The silence hits like a truck.

"How do you know I won't do exactly what Elena did to my sister?"