As they made their way through the quiet roads and towards the river neither man spoke. While they had been in the station it had begun to rain and so the only noise was the wipers moving back and forth and the occasional voice from the GPS.
It was finally Cristian who broke the silence, "I need to apologize for earlier-it was wrong for me to bring up Vegas."
"It's ok, Cris." John didn't feel like rehashing the past right now-or even words that had been spoken just a few hours ago. All he could focus on was getting to this house and getting Natalie safely back to Liam.
"I know, but we've been past that for a long time. Probably since the prison riot. So, to bring it up was just petty of me."
John nodded, keeping his eyes on the road as the GPS directed them, "This guy, Raul, he's not a Walker Flynn type. I really didn't see him coming after me like this."
"Sometimes you don't know what someone is capable of until their back is against the wall."
John nodded, but said nothing else as he made the final turn up the driveway. He took a deep breath as he put the car in park and released the seatbelt. "I'm going to get him to release Natalie and Erin-I want you to bring them back here and head back to town. I'll negotiate with him until Bo and the rest can get here."
"Don't be a hero, man," spoke Cristian as they got out of the car.
"Good thing I left my cape at the apartment," he said as he flashed a grin.
They made their way up the house to find the front door open, and after a quick search found it empty. Once in the living room they looked out the big picture windows overlooking the river to see Raul standing down below on the covered dock.
"Where are the girls?" spoke Cristian quietly.
"I don't know," replied John as he walked out onto the deck and they made their way towards the water. He hated doing this out in the open-especially since he didn't know how many of Raul's men might have a gun trained on him and Cristian. "Raul-what are you doing? This isn't your way of things-you aren't the type to take hostage two innocent women. You want my attention, you got it-now let them go so we can talk."
"You think you get to call the shots? You think after you took away my business that I'm going to let you say a single word?"
"I was just doing my job man-don't take it personal."
"You want personal? I'll give you personal," he shouted.
"John," whispered Cristian. While John had been talking he'd stayed silent and watched as Natalie and Erin were brought out to the docks on each side of the one they stood in front of. They way everything was spread out there was no way to rescue both of them and take down Raul at the same time.
John looked over to see what Cris was pointing out and made eye contact with Natalie. She nodded at him letting him know she was ok. All these years and they could have an entire conversation without a single word.
The moment was broken when gun fire broke out over John's head. He and Cristian ran for cover. It didn't last long, and when it ended John looked to see that Raul and his men had hopped on a boat and were gone.
Cristian noticed first that Erin was hanging onto the dock she'd been on and rushed to help her up. John looked towards Natalie's dock and saw it was empty. Running towards it, he hoped that she was hanging on nearby. But instead-he saw her going down the river, trying to keep her head above water. "Cris!" he yelled, getting his attention, and unwrapping the rope from the dock.
"Go-I'll wait for Bo and be right behind you," he hollered back and watched as John took off.
John felt himself take a breath as he made his way down the embankment and saw her hanging onto a log that was about fifteen feet out,
"Natalie-hold on, ok? We're going to get you." he shouted over the rushing water and rain as he looked for a sturdy tree close to the bank. As he began securing the rope around the tree he kept looking back, praying every time that he did she was still there. He couldn't lose her-Liam needed her. He needed her.
Hearing the sound of twigs snapping he shouted, "Cris-down here!" and watched as he made his way through and to him.
"John," said Cristian, slightly out of breath as he made his way to him and helped him with the rope.
"I'm going out to her and attach her for you to pull her back in, then you swing the rope back to me and pull me back in as well."
"Got it," he said as he watched the man give the cord around his waist one last tug. "Bo said they are on their way with the ambulance."
"Good," he said as he turned towards the water and began walking carefully along the tree trunk. "Hey-I'm here," he said as he made it to where she was and straddled the log.
"John-what are you doing?" she asked through a cough and watched him take the rope off of him and begin attaching it around her chest.
"Cris is going to pull you back to shore, then he'll toss me the rope."
"No, it's too dangerous."
"We're all making this out together and getting back to Liam and Charlie, ok? Erin is fine-you are going to be fine," he said as he felt his confidence waiver. Giving a pull he looked back at Cristian and put his arm up to signal him to start pulling.
Turning back towards Cris he sat there watching her being rescued and a simple thought ran across his mind. What if I'd never come to Llanview. How much different everything would be-how much different he would be. This woman was the one who got him past Caitlyn's death. She was the one that helped him put his father's ghost to rest. He wasn't going to lessen the child he lost with Marty, but Natalie was the one that made him a dad.
Seeing her be pulled onto the shore he shimmied his way closer, ready for the rope to be thrown back and watched Cris pull her into a hug.
"Hey-no llores," whispered Cris as he felt a continuous shiver run through Natalie's body-not sure if it was from the cold or the fear of everything that had just happened. As he pulled her away he wiped her wet hair out of her face and couldn't help but smile at her being alive and out of danger.
Natalie smiled at his words-it had been so long since he'd said them to her, but hearing them made her relax, "The kids?"
"Roxy found them before anything happened," he said as he released the rope and placed the thick blanket that Bo had handed him around her shoulders. Turning towards John he smiled, "Now let's get Superman back on land," he said and watched as a loose log came rushing down the river. Seeing where it was headed he screamed, "John-watch out!"
Natalie had put her head down, trying to catch her breath from it all when she heard Cristian's exclamation. She looked up at John just in time to see him get knocked off from where he'd rescued her at. "John!" she screamed and started running down the bank.
"Hey-hey, stop," said Cris as he grabbed her around the waist and held on tight as she fought him.
"He's-we have to save him, Cris."
"I know, they will," he said as some police officers and paramedics arrived. "John just got knocked into the water," he told them and they kept moving.
"I want to help-I need to help."
"No," he said firmly, knowing she was going to argue with him about this. "You need to be checked out-that water is freezing. They'll find John. He's like a damn cat with nine lives," he said as she gave in and went with the paramedics.