23. Travis

“It’s getting dark,”I shout at the Coast Guard, asshole, who is saying his men need to swap over. I don’t give a fuck they’ve been out here all day, I’ve been here too and I’m not being a fucking pussy about it.

“The men are here, as soon as the boat comes back in, they will swap and go back out.” I look up at the helicopter, going over the water. “We won’t stop until we’ve found her. But my men can’t be underwat-”

“I’m coming with you,” I cut him off because he”s pissing me off now. His fucking men can’t be in the water, Bea’s been there for almost a full day. A full fucking day in the water, and we can’t find her.

“You-”

“Listen here-” Logan steps between us. “We come with you, or we get our own boat, and go. Do you want to be the reason you lose the three of us?” Blake pulls me away from the conversation.

“Focus, breathe. You’re snapping at everyone. We’re here, we have almost a hundred people here looking for her. We’ll find her.” Blake points to all the people around us. “We will find her, but you need to be strong when we do.” Blake pats my chest. “I don’t know how you are feeling, but seeing August on the bridge almost killed me. So I’m telling you, you have to be there for her, when we find her.” I give Blake a nod, letting him know I hear him. He”s right, but it’s not easy to do.

I look at my phone, twenty four hours she’s been in the water, and it’s starting to get dark now.

“Let’s go.” Logan nods his head, and the three of us make our way to the boat. “Here,” Logan throws the radio over to me, and I listen to the guy in the helicopter letting us know they are moving to a different part of the water.

Logan was on the phone this morning with the coach letting him know why we aren’t at practice, and he will let him know when we get back. He wanted a update on what was happening, and told Logan once we find Bea, that I can take the week off, fuck the week. I’m not leaving her fucking side when I find her.

The speed boat races through the water, and it’s fucking cold. The air feels like it’s biting my skin. This is only a percentage of what Bea must be feeling right now.

“Nothing,” I hear a voice on the radio.

“What’s that mean?” I ask the head officer on the boat with us.

“The group of divers a mile that way, have nothing.” He points in the direction, but I don’t bother looking. “We have three more groups of divers around, five miles out from where you said,” he tells me.

When we got here, I told him that I don’t care how much it will cost, I want as many men out here looking for Bea as he can get.

“Move north…there is something, can’t make out what.” The voice on the radio comes through, and the guy speeds up, and I start looking around. It”s getting dark now, and the only thing we are seeing is where the helicopter light is. “The buoy.”

“Which one?” I ask, there are four here.

“One second, getting over to it.”

I watch where it’s moving, and see the light which sits on top of it. There she is. Before anyone can stop me, I dive into the water. Fuck, it’s freezing, fucking hell. I swim as fast as I can to the buoy,. She’s not moving, she not fucking moving.

“Bea!” I shout as I get closer to her. The boat stops far enough so his cold air doesn’t hit her, but close enough to see what’s happening. I finally reach Bea, “Bea, open your eyes,” I shout at her. I climb up a little, to cup her face. Quickly checking for a pulse, because she’s not fucking moving.

“Travis?” Blake shouts.

I continue to focus on the pulse, come on Bea. “I’m here firecracker, I’m here.” Come on, where is the fucking pulse?

“Travis?” This time Logan shouts.

“Can’t find a pulse,” I shout.

Looking to the side, when I hear the splash on the water. “Sir, move out the way!” he shouts, and I don’t even fight him, and jump back in the water for him to check her over. The helicopter lowers down a bed ready for her, and I bring it closer to the guy.

“What’s happening?” I shout, because he is being so quiet.

“Nothing…get ready.” It’s all I can hear from him. “Bring the bed over,” he shouts at me, and I hold it tight.

“What’s happening?” I ask him, and his eyes glance to mine quickly, then gets back to Bea. That fifteen second look kills me, the pain hits me like a brick, but it’s the one thing I won’t believe. I grab his hand, and pull him closer to me. “One to ten, how bad?”

“I won’t answer it,” he pulls his arm out of my grip, and brings Bea onto the bed, and I hold it still for him. “Are you with us?” he asks me.

“Yes,” I shout over the noise, because the helicopter has moved down closer to us.

“Throw one down, take her up.” Before they do, I lean in closer to Bea.

“Come on, fight,” I whisper, then kiss her cheek. They take her up, and the guy starts getting me ready, but he’s going fuck slow. “What’s happening?” I get a good grip on his hand, tightening it so he knows there is no way he is getting out of it.

“It’s not good,” he finishes getting me ready. “Up, boyfriend.” He warns them, and I look over at Blake and Logan, as the boat speeds off.

“Clear,” the guy shouts, and I watch Bea’s body jump. Another guy takes my harness off, and I watch the one with Bea rub the defibrillator together. “Clear!” He shouts. “Need to warm her body!”

“Go, go, go!” the guy who was in the water shouts, making me quickly grab the side to hold myself up.

“Clear,” he shouts again, while the others throw blankets over her, and I kneel next to her rubbing the blankets over her, quickly pulling away. “Clear.”

I don’t give a fuck how many times they have to do it, they are not stopping, she is not losing this fight. She’s my girl, and my girl is a fucking fighter.