"Stay low!" Rhys’s voice cut through the darkness, a rough whisper instantly swallowed by a cresting wave. "Don't fight the current!"
The freezing Hudson River didn't just feel cold; it hit like a physical blow. The sudden plunge swallowed me whole, shocking every drop of air straight out of my lungs. When I broke the surface, gasping, the taste of brine, fuel, and raw industrial waste coated my tongue. Above us, the roaring red-and-blue strobes of federal patrol boats swept frantically across the choppy dark water.
"I can't clear the stern!" I shouted, kicking blindly against the vicious undertow. "They’re swinging the spotlight!"
"Drop deeper!" Rhys lunged through the black swell, his hand locking onto the collar of my tactical vest with a grip so fierce it bruised. "Let the drift pul
