The scary thing was, there was the sort of dedication and grit to her voice that made Rachel sure that something had shifted in Lisa. Something was different now, and she might very well jump. Rachel saw the womans knee bending slightly, as if she might launch herself off of the strut at any moment.

No one will miss me, Lisa said. I just hope the families of those people might forgive me. I hope…I hope…

The last hope came out in a strangled cry. With that, Lisa gave a pleading look up to the sky. An odd expression crossed her face in that moment, a horrifying mixture of peace and fear. And it was that expression that told Rachel what was happening next.

Just as Lisas feet bent and her body started to push itself forward toward the open air, Rachel placed her hand on the lip of the wall in front of her and heaved herself up. Seeing Lisa pivoting off of the strut, Rachel didnt have a chance to even balance herself on the wall and step out onto the strut. As Lisa went airborne, so did Rachel.

She catapulted herself off the wall and dove out over the strut Lisa had been standing on. She caught her left foot on it, sending a flare of pain through her.

It was a momentary pain, a brief flickering ache that was soon drowned out by the lack of ground and stability. That slight pain, like every other sense within Rachels body, was overcome with a sense of absolute weightlessness as she started to fall.

CHAPTER THIRTY

It only took two seconds for Rachel to recall why she was falling. She had jumped because shed wanted to keep Lisa from killing herself. But the sensation of falling, the wind on her face and the terrifying sense of freedom, swept her up and she momentarily forgot herself. When her mind came back to her, she frantically reached out to grab Lisa only to find that it was easier than she thought.

Their bodies had tangled slightly as theyd gone off of the bridge. Their left arms werent quite entwined but were lapped over one another. In mid-fall, Rachel used this to her advantage and pulled Lisas falling body against hers. In an awkward, spinning half-circle, she had to fight to get her right hand around Lisas falling body. Her arm was nearly blocked by the bungee cord as she fought for purchase. When she finally had Lisa held tightly to her, she locked her hands over her wrists in a crude sort of chokehold around Lisas stomach.