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Back Blood in the Water
Chapters (82)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. Praise for Blood in the Water
  81. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  82. Newsletter Sign-up

He threw off the assault vest to give himself a little more mobility and started down toward the water. He was no longer concerned with maintaining silence. Speed was all he cared about.

FIFTY-ONE

Buddy and Cicero heard the explosion, and there was no mistaking Cormack’s misdirection. They were in motion as soon as they felt the fort shake. They threw open the door and paused for just a second to make sure that gunfire was not coming down the corridor in their direction, but it seemed that Cormack’s diversion was, at least for the moment, keeping Soh and his men occupied.

Buddy was the first into the passageway. The ceiling was low—just over six feet, and he had to keep his head down as he ran to avoid it scraping against the cement. Cicero was able to run without bending, and he overtook Buddy midway down the corridor. He reached the door at the far end first and gave Buddy a quick glance, just to make sure that he was ready for an attack. Then he turned the latch.

Buddy felt a wave of relief when he saw the latch actually turn. It was possible, he’d thought, that it might be rusted beyond opening. It was even more likely that it was locked. In either event, Buddy had no idea how they would get through the doorway. They could try shooting at the latch and hope that it would give way, but it was far more likely that the ricochet off the metal and cement would kill one or both of them. The fact that the latch turned seemed a miracle, but Buddy was willing to believe in miracles at that point.

Cicero gave a nod and pushed the door open.

It swung in about six inches, and then stopped. Cicero frowned and pushed harder, but the door wouldn’t budge. “There’s something blocking it,” he said.

Buddy’s heart sank. If they didn’t make it through the door, it was a virtual certainty that he would never see Diamond again—both she and his unborn child would be killed. “Move away!” he hissed.

Buddy lowered his shoulder and charged at the door. He connected hard, and his shoulder shot pain throughout his body, but he felt the impediment give slightly. The door was close to a foot open now, and he was able to stick his head through. There was a large table with supplies pushed up against it. There was no one in the room, though, and Buddy assumed that anyone who had been there had been drawn to the northern entrance by Cormack’s attack.

“We can move it!” Buddy said. “Help me push!”