Collins raised his gun, but before he could pull the trigger, a hand shot up through the fog and caught him hard behind the knee. A powerful yank and the knee buckled, sending the man down. In almost the same movement, the hand grabbed his jacket, and pulled him over the edge. Two seconds—that’s all it took. Maybe less. His arms and legs slicing through the mist, the killer bellowed as he fell. The screams ceased abruptly with the sound of shattering bones. Lou had no trouble picturing the man exploding on the rocks below—blood and brain splashed everywhere. It was then he heard Vaill cry out.

“Lou, help, I’m losing my grip!”

Panicked, Lou scrambled forward, leaning as far over the cliff’s edge as he dared. His arm became an oar, sent out searching for a drowning man.

“Lou, Jesus, I’m falling!”

“Vaill, grab my hand, dammit! Grab my hand.”

Lou could see enough now through the fog to know that he was inches short of Vaill’s outstretched hand.

“Lou!”

Lou pushed himself ahead another half foot, no longer aware if he was at or over his balancing point. It didn’t matter. At what seemed the last possible moment before they both followed Collins down, Vaill grabbed hold of Lou’s right wrist. Clawing into the damp, stony earth with the fingers of his left hand, Lou twisted his right arm around until he was able to grab hold of Vaill’s wrist.

“Hang on, brother!” he shouted, certain that any moment, he was going over.

Don’t let go … for God’s sake, just don’t let him fall.…

Not this one, he vowed. Not this one.

With all his strength, forcing his stiff, chilled fingers even deeper into the pebbles and dirt, Lou pulled, driving his knees into the muddy earth, searching for leverage. Through the mist, Vaill’s eyes were Cap’s, pleading with him for strength.

Driven by that image, Lou clenched his jaws and drove back even harder, the muscles in his back and arm burning.

One inch … another …

Not this time … Lou pulled to the rhythm of his words. Not … this … time.

Below him, Vaill’s grip remained fast, but Lou’s own was weakening.

Not this time …

Then, with a ferocious, warrior’s cry, Lou gave one last yank as he rolled backward. Vaill came shooting up out of the fog like a missile and landed in a heap beside him, both men gasping for air. Vaill regained his breath first.

“Come on, you lightweight,” he said, rolling to his knees. “Someone’s sure to be calling splatterboy back and wondering why he doesn’t answer.”

He was upright by the time Lou could even turn over.

“Lightweight, huh,” he said. “Well, take it from me, no one could ever accuse you of being that.”

He made it to his feet. The two of them exchanged fist bumps.