His knee jammed into something immovable underwater. He put his hands in the cold river and ran them over the obstacle. A concrete public trash can. He could see its former contents now, a trail of paper cups and red plastic straws, crumpled take-out bags and water bottles, stretching out in a vague trail across the water. Archie found his way around the trash can, and then nearly lost his balance going over a curb. A branch swept past and Archie grabbed it, using it to trace the ground ahead like a blind man.

He could wade out. Make his way up to the rescue crews on Burnside. Get help. But it would take valuable, maybe crucial minutes.

The Willamette had pulled them in opposite directions, Archie guessed. If he was right, if Susan wasn’t nearby, then she was in the river.

The helicopters still hovered overhead, only now their spotlights scanned along the edge of the waterfront. They were looking for survivors.

Archie could hear sirens. And see some kind of light gliding on the surface of the water, getting closer.

He saw other lights then. Skating along the water, appearing from behind buildings and dispersing.

Rescue boats.

The first light he saw was headed toward him, moving north down what had been the parkway.

“Here!” Archie yelled, waving his arms. “Here!”

A spotlight beam hit him in the face and stayed fixed on him until the boat was right at his side.

An arm reached under each of Archie’s armpits and pulled him, belly first, onto the black Zodiac. Someone put a blanket around him.

When Archie looked up he saw two National Guard soldiers wearing black life jackets.

“You find anyone else?” Archie asked.

They shook their heads no.

Archie coughed, and when he caught his breath he looked out toward the river. He knew what the current was like out there. If Susan and Patrick had been swept into the Willamette, they’d be a half mile away by now.

“How fast can this thing go?” he asked.

Chapter 58

CHAPTER

58