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Back Blood in the Water Save as PDF
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

Cormack could feel it deep down in his marrow as he sat in his office, looking out at the harbor. Events had not played out as they were supposed to. For the best part of two days he’d telegraphed where he was going to be at various times. He made sure that there were plausible reasons for his whereabouts to become known throughout the waterfront community. He’d had Toby set up a union meeting, where the rank and file needed to be reassured that he was still in control. That would have been a prime opportunity for Soh to try something.

At that meeting, he’d let it be known that he would be visiting the Customs Office later that afternoon to press for reforms that would ease the workload for stevedores who were charged with keeping count of containers and tonnage removed from ships in the harbor. It was the view of the union that there should be a separate position for such monitoring. This would result in less work and more jobs controlled by the union. Again, when he visited the Customs Office, he’d been as exposed as he would ever be.

And yet Soh never took the bait.

It was possible that Soh had suspected that each opportunity was a trap—which they were, though imperfect traps that still left Cormack vulnerable. Cormack could have as many eyes as he wanted watching him, but a single bullet would still end his life, and make Soh’s path to power free from any impediment. It was hard to believe that Soh had resisted the urge to have Cormack taken out, particularly when he’d already taken greater risks to do just that. It didn’t make sense.

“Maybe one of his own men killed him,” Cicero proffered an answer to the silent questions he knew Cormack was asking.

Cormack shook his head. “If someone had killed him, they’d make it be known. They’d be feeling around for a reward of some kind from me if they’d done me that sort of favor.”

“Maybe he’s given up on his ambition.”

Cormack shot Cicero a look. They both knew that wasn’t a possibility. “There’s only one answer,” Cormack said.

“Which is?”

“He doesn’t think I matter anymore. He thinks he’s found a better way to neutralize me and make sure I don’t fuck up his plans.”

“How can he neutralize you without killing you?”

It was eleven forty-five, and Cormack stared out at the dark harbor. No ships were moving; the water was still. Ice caps congregated along the shoreline, and the city skyline had dimmed. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I need to find out.”

FIFTY-EIGHT

The room was behind the kitchen. It was hot, and the smell from the cooking was overwhelming. Chicken and beef and chorizo simmered and the aromas made Kit Steele feel light-headed.