Page 90 of The Devoted Game

When Worth moved even slightly, the strain on her fingers increased. She cried out.

McBride leaned farther away from the rung that he held on to with his other hand. “Come on, Worth. You gotta reach higher.”

“I can’t,” he said, dropping his arm. The shift in his weight made Vivian’s body quake. Though her arm was numb, pain radiated from her shoulder across her back.

“I don’t know how much longer I can hold on,” she warned McBride.

His fingers went back around her wrist. “I’ve got you.” A moment of dead silence passed while McBride considered the situation. “Can you swing him toward the rungs?”

“I can try.”

“Worth,” McBride shouted past her. “When she swings you toward the wall, try and grab on to a rung.”

“I’ll . . . try,” Worth mumbled.

McBride locked his gaze with hers. “Easy does it, just a little swing.”

Vivian squeezed her eyes shut, gritted her teeth, and commanded her throbbing arm to react.

Her fingers started to slip.

Her eyes snapped open. She tried to tighten her grip. Couldn’t.

“I can’t hang on!” Fear exploded inside her.

“Concentrate on holding on,” McBride urged, his tone frantic.

“Just let go, Grace,” Worth said softly. “Just let go.”

“Grab on to my legs,” she screamed at him. “Do something!”

“I . . . can’t. My arms won’t work . . . they’re . . . they’re numb.”

“Dammit, McBride,” she shouted at him now. “Help him!”

“Let go, Agent Grace!” Worth ordered.

She looked past her shoulder and downward, could just see his face. “I can’t do that, sir.”

“Let me go,” he begged, “or we’ll both end up dead.” She tried to manipulate her fingers ... tried to get a firmer grip.

“Let go, Grace,” he repeated.

“I . . . can’t.”

Then her fingers failed her.

The harness strap slipped out of her hold.

Worth’s weight ripped from her grasp.

She watched him fall into the darkness. Heard him hit bottom.

He didn’t even scream.

She hadn’t been strong enough ... hadn’t been able to hang on.

“Reach for me with your other hand, Grace!”