A Rip in Heaven

Cummins explains that the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is named for a line of massive boulders below that makes it one of the deadliest stretches of the Mississippi River. Tom does not know how deadly the drop is as he plummets into the river. He miraculously survives the fall and makes it to the surface. He sees Julie behind him, who screams for Robin. Together, they struggle to stay afloat and avoid drowning in the debris-filled rapids. Eventually Tom loses sight of Julie, fearing she has drowned.

After nearly an hour, Tom is finally able to swim to shore. After scaling the steep, slippery riverbank, he realizes he must quickly find help for Julie and Robin. He makes his way through the trees, despite being battered, having a broken hip, and being in shock.

He makes it to a road and, after several cars speed past him, eventually stops a tractor trailer. The driver promises to send the police and drives away. Tom realizes that he is on Riverview Drive, and that his four assailants might likely drive by him here, that he might already have flagged them earlier. He hides back in the overgrowth off the road. He later stops another truck driver, who also promises to send the police. A patrol car eventually finds Tom in response to the two truckers’ calls. A large group of police later show up, and they take Tom back to the bridge.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Gray congratulates Richardson for being brave in sending the three teenagers to their deaths. Winfrey reflects that he did not really expect his friends to kill them, and he was the only one who did not rape the girls. He begins to panic. The others laugh at him, and they drive off, stopping for cigarettes and sandwiches with the money they stole from Julie and Robin. They smoke a joint, thinking that the three victims must be dead and believing they are safe from consequence.

The Kerry and Cummins families are awoken early by the police, who inform them that there has been an incident with Tom, Julie, and Robin but provide no other information. Gene and Kay, Tom’s parents, leave for the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Tink and her sister Kathy are left at their grandparents’ house. Elsewhere, Julie and Robin’s mother Ginna heads out for the bridge.

At the bridge, Tom waits in the back of the ambulance while a morass of police, crime scene investigators, and press congregate outside. As Gene arrives, the scene overwhelms him with worry, even after his years as a soldier, firefighter, and paramedic. He is interrogated with questions about Tom, Julie, and Robin, and he finally demands to know where his son is. The officer explains what has happened to the three teenagers. Gene and Kay are horrified to learn that their nieces are likely dead, before Ginna arrives.

Gene and Kay finally see Tom in the ambulance, and they comfort him as he cries and explains the situation. He tells his parents that the four men should be executed for their crimes. Ginna appears, and Tom privately tells her what happened.

Tom is soon asked by two homicide detectives to accompany them on the bridge to walk them through the crime. Gene goes with them, which they allow only as a professional courtesy, since the father and son are firemen. Afterward, they ask Tom to accompany them to the station to make a statement. Tom is eager to help them catch the four criminals. His parents encourage him to come home to change clothes and refresh himself, but the detectives are insistent.

Back at the house, Tink and Kathy’s grandmother gets off the phone, and she tells the girls that Julie and Robin are missing, to their dread. Tink cries in the shower, in denial that her cousins could possibly be missing only hours after she saw them. She and Kathy watch images of Tom and Ginna on the news. Kay sits with them to explain what has happened. Tink runs to the bathroom to throw up after learning her cousins were gang raped.