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occurred to Cori that the blow to his temple might’ve killed him outright. That he’d never had a chance at all.
    “Again.” Wetness rolled down Eve’s cheeks that had nothing to do with the melting sleet. Her face reflected the entire team’s anguish as the third try met with no success.
    No movement. No life.
    “Julian, it’s been too long,” the lieutenant said quietly, laying a big hand on Salvatore’s shoulder. His eyes were red-rimmed, his voice breaking. “He’s gone. I’ll call time of death.” The other man shrugged off his touch.
    “No! Dios , not yet.”
    “Y-you can’t give up! Please . . .” Cori stood riveted in stunned horror. God, this man drowned saving my life. He’s dead.
    Tanner wiped a shaking hand down his face. “Howard’s right. There’s not—”
    “Wait!” Eve shouted. “We’ve got a faint pulse. Let’s get his lungs clear, get him breathing.”
    Salvatore pushed upward on Zack’s diaphragm, shoving the water from his lungs. Murky liquid gushed from between his bluish lips several times, but Salvatore’s efforts went unanswered.
    Paxton, who’d removed the harness, leaned forward. “Come on, buddy, breathe.”
    Salvatore spat a vicious curse in Spanish, flung aside his hat. Helpless anger twisted his features, but his attention never wavered from their fallen brother. Moving positions, he tilted Zack’s head back, pinched his nose, and placed his mouth over the other man’s. Gave a couple of puffs of air, sat back.
    Nothing. “Dios mío.” He bent, gave two more.
    Zack’s chest heaved once. Twice.
    His body jerked, and he vomited the river. Coughed a couple of times, and lay immobile. Much too still.
    “That’s it, my friend, hang on,” Eve whispered, smoothing back his raven hair.
    There were no joyous cries, no relieved faces. He wasn’t responding as they’d hoped. Cori knew the survival rate on revived drowning victims wasn’t good, and during nursing school, she’d known a handful of them to come into the ER during her required rotations. More than half hadn’t made it. Knight wasn’t out of the woods by a long shot.
    “He’s breathing, but his pulse is too weak,” Tanner said as he and Salvatore lifted the backboard and Zack onto the gurney. “Salvatore, you’re the acting FAO.”
    A ripple of shock seemed to bolt through the assembled group at this announcement, but they recovered quickly. Cori wondered what on earth an FAO was and guessed the title used to belong to Zack. Poor man.
    “Six-Pack, ride in my place on the quint. I’m going with Knight, and Eve’s driving. Let’s get him rolling! Go, go!”
    “Sterling’s the closest,” Eve said, expression tense. She looked at Cori. “I recommend you get checked at the hospital. You can go with one of the officers and make your statement, or we can transport you in the ambulance with Knight, but we can’t just leave you stranded here.”
    “I’ll ride with Zack,” she replied firmly. At Sterling, she could keep tabs on the man’s condition through the doctors and nurses she’d soon be working with. A no brainer.
    “Could get rough.”
    Meaning, her rescuer could still die. The emotional consequences didn’t bear thinking about. “Rough is what I do best.” The woman had no idea.
    Zack was strapped in, ready to go. Eve and Tanner quickly slid the gurney into the waiting ambulance. The others sprinted for the quint, where they’d follow Knight to the emergency room. The cops and another engine company would handle the remaining mess out here.
    Tanner climbed in the back of the ambulance. Cori scrambled in after him, taking the opposite seat. Eve slammed the back doors shut, and Cori winced inwardly at the ominous sound.
    As the vehicle began to move, Tanner laid a hand on Zack’s shoulder. Sorrow and regret swam in his green eyes. “I’m sorry, Zack,” he said hoarsely. “Please forgive me.”
    Cori’s throat burned as she lowered her gaze so the man wouldn’t see how his