The Breaking Point

Chapter 10

 "Stop here!" Kevin ordered the driver, whose car immediately skidded to a stop. Kevin hopped out and gestured for the others to do the same. He paid the driver and the car sped off.

Mark's eyes swept the new surroundings. "You brought us to a bridge?!"

Kevin nodded.

"And one under construction too," Hurly added, intertwining his fingers behind his head.

Mark looked at Kevin. "Why'd you bring us here?"

Both ends of the bridge were cut off by caution tape and yet, Kevin dared to hop over it, followed reluctantly by Mark and Hurly.

The bridge itself was like standing in the middle of a desert, sand in all directions. In their case however, nothing but road with a couple strangely large cracks. Mark hoped it would be able to take their weight, now that they were nearly at its heart. Kevin stood before the edge, staring into the distance. Mark and Hurly stood on either side of him and followed his gaze.

The ground in front of them wasn't simply cracked, as in earthquake cracked- it had been completely chipped off. Part of the road and some of the lining had met their end in the deep waters, and Mark had to admit that the view was more than a little frightening.

Holding back a gasp, Mark looked up at Kevin's bowed head. "What is it?"

For the first time since he had found them, he gave a proper answer. "Nathan." Or almost.

Mark narrowed his eyes in confusion. "I don't understand."

Kevin's hands covered his face.

"Me and Nathan, we got a call from some guy. He told us that some accident happened in Hokkaido and we both decided to go check on Shawn. I actually had some questions for him. We had to walk across the bridge because the dumb taxi dude said Hokkaido was too far a drive and told us to walk across the bridge and find another taxi. Me and Nathan were walking then a huge helicopter came and they fired at the bridge. The entire bridge started cracking and then someone in the helicopter tried firing at us. N-N-Nathan shoved me away. He didn't get hit but he fell. I couldn't catch him. It was my fault, I'm sorry."

Mark's eyes widened "Nathan!"

Kevin's voice cracked.

"I'm so sorry. I called everyone I knew but no one picked up. I tried the police and the ambulance but they refused to make it over the bridge. The water patrol said they don't work on weekends. How dumb is that?! I knew I needed someone who could swim. I even tried Willy (even though we all know how the water works with him). He couldn't help but he gave me your location and I got you. Mark.........I-I'm sorry."

Mark tried to take it in. Kevin was right to be panicked, this was a bad situation. But he wouldn't give up that easily. There had to be some other way to save the bluette-if he was alive at all.

"What makes you so sure he's dead?"

Kevin removed his hands, revealing a tear-stained face. With one hand on Mark's shoulder, he pushed the captain forward; enough to see the scarlet painted water but not enough to fall. Hurly leaned in as well and gasped at the red puddle dancing amongst the blue river. For once, he was starting to rethink his ocean fandom.

"Hold," Mark ordered, and Hurly straightened himself just in time to catch Mark's suit and then his black tie and dress shirt. He watched as Mark sat down, slipped his shoes off and wriggled out of his socks. "Hold all of these," Mark added, handing Hurly his socks rolled up in his shoes.

Kevin looked at Mark in surprise and confusion as he ripped the lower part of his pants off and shoved them into Hurly's grasp. The two exchanged a worried glance as they looked at their captain, dressed only in a white T-shirt and his torn black pants.