The Quest (2 of 2 free samples)

---

COPYRIGHT
The Quest by Lindsay McKenna. Copyright 2007 by Eileen Nauman.
All Rights Reserved. Sharing not permitted.

---

Previous

PROLOGUE (CONT'D)

They all wore life vests, a must for rafting the mighty and quixotic Colorado. Nolan figured that, even in a worst-case scenario, they'd bob like corks through the rapids. He knew from many trips down this river that the current was deep and powerful. Only strong swimmers who knew not to fight the current should venture in. But between the rapids were wide sandbars and quieter water. All a person had to do was float through the turbulent waves and paddle toward shore. It might take anywhere from a quarter to a full mile to reach the shallows, but eventually one would. That was the only way to negotiate the mighty river, which cut like a knife through the glorious multicolored layers of exposed rock. Nolan had schooled both women in the procedure--just in case.

Kendra gazed about, feeling comforted by Nolan's jovial words and the confidence he exuded about running the rapids. The beauty around her was breathtaking. Gray sandbars, perhaps fifty feet away on either side, glistened with gold specks. Above them the yellowish Muav limestone and brownish-gray Tapeats sandstone rose majestically.

She was excited to be on a dig with Nolan. Harvard and Princeton were jointly underwriting the project, which dealt with early Native American settlers in the canyon. Kendra glowed inwardly when she caught Nolan's penetrating gaze. He made love with her like a musician playing an instrument. The symphonies they made together were exquisite, reminding her of the passionate thunderstorms when Father Sky loved Mother Earth.

The roar of the rapids grew louder as Nolan guided the small raft toward the next curve of the canyon. Kendra glanced at her sister, who had a scowl on her face, her lips set in obvious tension. Debby was obviously scared and she couldn't blame her. Kendra had never rafted down the Colorado, either, but she was a strong swimmer, so being on water didn't bother her. Still, Nolan's instructions at Lees Ferry, where they'd launched the raft had been frightening even to her. He'd explained about the strong current, the powerful undertows that could suck a swimmer down.

Kendra dragged in a deep breath as the thunder of the rapids grew steadily louder. The white water must begin right around the next corner, a point of jutting white rock. The deep rumbling was a warning to all rafters to beware. Grabbing the thick rope on the edge of the raft, she braced herself for the coming rapids. Nolan had assured them the set would be tame compared to how it was in spring runoff.

Kendra gasped in surprise as they rounded the corner. The rapids stretched from one side of the river to the other, and the waves were huge! Green water glinted in the sun, breaking into spray as it washed up and over boulders. The churning white water went on for as far as she could see.

"Hold on!" Nolan shouted, as he gripped the rudder more surely. "We're going in!" He loved this group of rapids. The water level was a little higher than he'd expected. Heavy thunderstorms in the mountains would often dump inches of water that would hours later wash unexpectedly into the Colorado. The green river had a reddish tint to it from the silt. Clearly, there had been monsoon activity, for the river was stirred up. The roar was so loud that even as he shouted to the women, he doubted they heard him. Debby was crouched down, hanging on to the rope for dear life.

The raft hit the first of the rapids. Spray slammed into the nose and their vessel was lifted upward. Nolan grinned in exhilaration. Though Debby screamed, and Kendra hunkered down, he didn't fear for them. He had run these rapids many times and could skillfully steer the craft through them using the rudder.

The raft bobbed violently up and down, swaying from side to side. Nolan kept his feet braced on the bottom, his grip strong and sure. Things were going well as they made the next turn, and he grinned again. He loved the fierce power of the Colorado, the cold, numbing spray and the wild, tumbling ride on the ever-changing current.

But then something terrible happened. Ahead, above the churning waves, Nolan spotted, too late, a new boulder. One that had tumbled into the river from a thousand feet above them, changing the course of the current. The red rock, the size of two semi-trucks, loomed out of the water, its jagged edges racing toward them.

With a gasp, Nolan jerked the rudder to the left to try and evade the obstacle. Too late! He heard Debby scream again. Kendra threw her arm across her face as the nose of the craft slammed into the rock.

In seconds, the raft was torn apart. Nolan shouted to the women, but his cry was drowned out by the roar around them. Icy water rushed over the side of the listing inflatable, and seconds later, they were all tossed into the wild, bone-chilling water.

Kendra shrieked and launched herself out of the raft. The water hit her like a wall. Stunned, she felt herself being grabbed by the current near the huge, jagged rock. Somehow, she managed to twist herself around to see Debby being dragged beneath the surface.

There was a whirlpool beside the massive boulder! Kendra struggled to grab on to the rock. The force of the water held her captive against it, the cold shocking her. Nolan had washed downstream with the raft and shouldn't help her.

Previous