Alien Diplomacy

gun out of his hand. It went off as it landed, shattering the windshield.
    The car hit a railing and, probably due to the lack of a door, caught on something and flipped. The men were shouting in a language I couldn’t understand, and I considered screaming but figuredI’d save that for later. Especially since I fell out of the limo and headed for the water.
    Time seemed to move really slowly. I figured the car was going to land on me, because that was exactly how my luck ran, so I managed to flip myself around and into a dive position, thanking my parents for insisting that I learn how to swim and dive despite living in the middle of the desert.
    The limo was reflected in the water, and I could tell I’d been right—it was falling on top of me. I took a deep breath and held it as I hit the water.



CHAPTER 19
    T HE POTOMAC WAS COLD, WET, AND ICKY. It was also hard when I hit it, but I’d been prepared for that. Sort of.
    Track was good for more than running—it had expanded my breathing capacity, so I could hold my breath for a good length of time. Every action movie said the same thing—when something big and nasty was falling on you, get as far down underwater as you can. I swam down as fast as I could.
    Despite the movies prepping me for this visually, what I hadn’t been prepared for was the impact the limo made when it hit the water. I was close enough that the water’s displacement knocked me over. I’d have panicked, but I didn’t have much longer until I’d have to breathe. I looked around to figure out which way was up.
    Happily, I saw what looked like the bottom of a boat and kicked up toward it. I got around it and hit the surface just as I thought my lungs were going to explode. I looked around and realized what else I hadn’t been prepared for: the amount of water traffic. I might no longer be at risk of drowning or being shot, but I was at real risk of being run over by boats.
    The limo’s swan dive hadn’t been missed, and there were more boats congregating and heading toward us. The water got choppier, I got colder, and I became more concerned that I wasn’t going to get out of this well.
    I tried to remember what to do in cases like this. Not fall in was probably the first rule. Be wearing a life jacket was undoubtedly up there in the top three suggestions. Kick off your shoes was in there somewhere, but I didn’t want to lose my Converse if I didn’t have to, and they really didn’t seem to be weighing me down.
    Save the others if you’re okay was definitely a rule. Asking myself why I was trying to save the men who’d tried to kill us multiple times over, I swam back toward where the limo had gone in.
    I couldn’t see anyone, so I took a deep breath and ducked back under the water. I swam down, but it was hard to see. I flailed around and by sheer luck hit what felt like a fender. Dragged myself lower, flailed around again. This time I hit what felt like a human hand. I grabbed and tugged.
    Whoever I had didn’t move. I tugged harder and felt the body move a bit. But I was almost out of air. I let go and kicked up to the surface. Took another huge breath and went back down.
    I found the arm faster, but I wasn’t able to really move him. I was also getting colder and tired. I tugged one more time, feeling like my lungs were going to burst. Nothing. I let go, but I had no energy. I kicked up, but wasn’t getting any real action from my legs.
    As I waited for my life to flash in front of me, I felt an arm go around my waist. Whoever had me was strong and fast, and we bolted to the surface, me gasping like a drowning fish.
    “What are you doing?” Jeff asked as he held me up so I could get air without water splashing in my face. “And why are you doing it in the Potomac?”
    “Trying to save the guys who tried to kill us. No, I don’t have a good answer for why, just think we need to. What are you doing here?”
    “Trying to save you. Can you float?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Okay. Then stay here, on the surface.” Jeff dove down.
    I waited, treading water and enjoying breathing, while more boats came closer. I counted in my head. He was down for a minute, and I was about to dive down again, cold and tired or not, when Jeff’s head surfaced. He had the gunman.
    “Can you hold him, baby?”
    “Yeah.” I grabbed the man in the hold lifeguards used, hopefully correctly, as Jeff dove down again.
    The air around us started whipping, and I looked up. There was a big helicopter