Another surge of water came, the level suddenly reaching Tom’s knees, pulling hard at his legs. He saw Barney stumble, but before Tom could even react, George reached out and took hold of Barney’s arm, righting him.

They were pushing hard but the current was against them and the roaring upstream suggested they weren’t in the worst of it yet. He heard shouts from the bank, sounding muffled and distant even though they were only a few yards away.

Another swell of water came, pulsing and pulling so powerfully that for a moment Tom could only plant his feet and hope to hold firm. As soon as it eased, they pushed on again and this time they reached the bank, and the lights danced again as hands reached down to pull the three of them and the boat onto the higher ground.

They were still catching their breath when the roar intensified and the flashlights focused back on the flood as something like an ocean wave surged and crashed through the horseshoe of the beach. Water sprayed up as it broke against the bank, making everyone take another involuntary backward step.

More lightning flashed and now they could see how the water had completely engulfed what had been their camp until a few minutes ago.

Joel said, “Barney, that was a crazy thing to do. Brave, I’ll give you that, but we could’ve lost you.”

Barney said, “We need that boat.”

“Of course we do,” said George. “Quick thinking, Barney—we would’ve been in trouble without it.”

“Thanks.”

“Point taken,” said Joel in an oddly petulant tone. “Now, is everyone okay?” He got a slightly dejected chorus of positive responses, then said, “Anyone got any idea of the time?”

“Just after four,” said Tom.

“Okay, well it’s a good hour or so over the hill to the other part of the river. Why don’t we get ourselves organized, then walk up to that bluff we stood on?”

Chloe or Mila—Tom wasn’t sure which—said, “What, in the dark?”

“It shouldn’t be a problem as far as the bluff,” said Joel. “We cut the path back as we walked, so it’s pretty open, and we have our flashlights. We can rest there until it gets light and that way we won’t have so far to walk to the river.”

There was no real response after that, because the plan seemed set in stone. For once, Tom even agreed with him, because it was an easy path, one they’d already descended in darkness, and it was better to be moving rather than standing here waiting for the sun to come up.

It was only when they got themselves organized that Alice said, “What will this do to the river on the other side?”