Disclaimer: see chapter 1
A/N: Sorry it's been awhile, but I haven't been speaking to Zach until I watched yesterday's episode, so this story has been hard to write. Also, shout out to Derek, who must be getting tired of being the only chief of police that has zero authority over his town!

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She had been screaming and screaming ever since the water had started to trickle into her little slice of this cavernous hell. She had tried everything – screaming, trying to pull her hands through the cuffs, pulling and pulling and pulling, but nothing seemed to be working. Her feet were soaked as the water started to pour in a little faster.

"At least I know where I am" she said to herself. "Not that it will matter when I'm dead." She knew this part of the caves under the falls – they always flooded when it rained. She leaned her head back against the wall, cursing herself in her head. She hadn't even thought when she heard Dixie's voice on the other end of the phone. All she was thinking about was Spike and getting him back safe and in one piece. Dixie said she was at the falls and Kendall took off. She didn't tell anyone where she was going and didn't ask anyone to come with her and she was in more trouble than she could imagine as the water started to cover her feet.

"Come on Zach, where the hell are you? You always find me… I don't know how you do it, but you do! Do it now! Get me out of here" she said, choking out a sob.

Zach jumped out of the car before it had even stopped. He started to get this feeling as the approached the falls – much like he had the night he found Kendall hung up in that hammock. He heard Tad and Ryan behind him, but he didn't care what they did. He pulled the flashlight out of his jacket and turned it on, looking around, praying for a sign. He started to walk, scanning the falls, getting soaked in the process. He wound the light around in the dark and rain, hoping it would be a beacon to something. As he slid the light along the ground, he noticed what looked like drag marks. They were quickly filling in with water, so he started to run.

He came upon a small opening and the tracks stopped. He looked around, hoping to see anything, to find her somewhere, but it just seemed to stop, like they disappeared. He turned and leaned back against the rock, doing his best to control his breathing. He looked over and noticed it – an object that definitely didn't belong out here. He shot his light over and saw a green stiletto – one that Kendall had been wearing the last time he saw her. He looked around and noticed a small opening. Tad and Ryan came running up as he stuck his head in.

"Have you seen her, Zach?" Ryan asked, eyes darting around.

"Shhhh…" Zach said. He thought he heard… but Ryan kept talking and blathering on and on and on. "Lavery, if you don't shut the hell up right now, I'm going to shove you back over those falls!" Ryan snapped his mouth shut and Zach closed his eyes. That's when he heard it – very faintly, he heard his name. "Call an ambulance and the police" he barked at Ryan as he pushed his way into the cave.

He slid down most of the way and he was sure that his leg was probably going to be infected tomorrow when he sliced it open on a rock, but he could hear her. "Kendall" he yelled. "Kendall, are you down here?"

She thought she was dreaming. Her eyes shot open and she looked around. The water was halfway up her calf now and she was exhausted. "Zach?" she yelled hoarsely.

"Kendall!" he screamed, hearing her clearly for the first time. He plowed on and fell into the room. He sloshed his way over to her and grabbed her. He cupped his face in her hands. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright! GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. Zach noticed that she was chained to the wall. He wondered how long Dixie had actually been planning this. His eyes darted around the room. The water was over her knees now and was only coming in faster. He knew he didn't have much time. "Kendall, I have to go back and…"

She grabbed his hand, sobbing violently. "No, Zach, you have to get me out of here. I want to go home and see Spike and fall asleep with you and I can't do that if you leave me here and…" She was scared silly, with every right to. He covered her mouth with his hand.

"Kendall, I have to go get bolt cutters. Hopefully the police are here by now, but I need to go get them." Kendall shook her head back and forth as quickly as she could. "No, Zach, please…"

He kissed her lightly. "Do you trust me?" She nodded slowly. "Then trust me. I'll be right back and I will get you out of here. Ok?" She nodded slowly again. "Ok then. I'm going to go." She could only watch as he started back out of the room. "ZACH!" He turned back to her. She ducked her head. "Zach, if something… if I don't… promise me that you will help Ryan take care of Spike… and that he'll know that I loved him and…"

"Kendall." She looked up at him. "Kendall, I'm taking you home tonight. Stop that right now. You're getting out of here. I'll be right back."

"HURRY!" she screamed as he started back up the incline.

He was limping by the time he got back to the entrance. "I need bolt cutters" he huffed out, leaning on Tad. "She's down there, chained to the wall. I need bolt cutters!"

"Zach!" Zach had failed to notice the lights and police around. Derek tapped him on the shoulder. "Zach, she's alive?"

"For now, but I need to…" Zach tried to take a step, but winced in pain. Derek noticed the blood stain on his pant leg. "Zach, we'll get her out, but you need…"

"No, Derek, what I need are bolt cutters. I told her I would be right back, so give me the damn cutters and let me go get my wife!" Derek stared at Zach for a moment before he pulled off his jacket and ran back to one of the cars. Derek pulled a pair of bolt cutters out of the trunk of one of the cruisers and ran back to Zach. "Fine, but I'm coming in with you. You can barely walk yourself, but I know there's no use in trying to tell you to stay behind. Come on." Zach just nodded and led the way.

The water was over Kendall's chest when they got back to her and she was flailing around. "ZACH! ZACH!" she screamed as they came back in the room. He waded over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her up. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sobbed. "I want to go home."

"And you are" Derek said "but you need to stay calm. I'm going to have to do this underwater, so it's going to take a little longer, but you'll get out of here, I promise." Derek dove under the water.

"Hey, look at me" Zach said, doing his best to take her mind off being chained to a wall in a cave that would be completely filled with water in a matter of minutes. Kendall pulled her head off his shoulder.

"Is Spike alright?"

"Oh yeah, he's fine. He's with Erin right now, probably getting hopped up on M&M's and Mountain Dew."

"You do realize that he's only a month old, right."

"Well, the boy is very mature for his age."

"What's next, brandy and cigars at the casino?"

"Well, I thought we would start with juice and lollipops first, but yeah, eventually." They heard a thud and Kendall yanked on of her arms up out of the water. Derek reemerged and looked around. Zach had Kendall as far off the ground as he could get her, but the water was covering his chest and would be over all of their heads in a matter of minutes. "Be right back" he said, diving back under the water.

Kendall turned back to Zach with worry in her eyes. "You should get out of here" she whispered to him.

"No way" he said, shaking his head. "I'm trying to decide between pepperoni and mushroom on my pizza tonight and I need you to be the deciding vote."

"Zach, I'm serious."

"So am I. Both sound really good, but I can't decide. You're going to have to…" they heard another thud and Derek came back up over the water. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"With pleasure" Kendall yelled as they started to swim across the room.

TBC…