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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

She could feel her pulse racing the way it had when she’d woken from the dream. She could feel the sweat forming on her brow. For a moment she thought she might collapse, but she took a deep breath and steadied herself. Then she spoke to him with all the control she could manage. “Don’t call me again,” she said.

She ended the call, and stood in the hallway for a moment, trying once again to compose herself. And then, once she’d felt the shaking subside to the point where she thought it might not be noticeable, she walked back into the room.

“OK,” she said to the men gathered in the office. “Let’s go through this one more time.”

SIXTY-FIVE

Soh watched the boy carry the backpack toward the front of the crowd that had gathered at the federal courthouse. He was one of his best soldiers, in spite of his age. Suarez had recruited him himself. He recognized the alienation in the boy’s face. He had been separated from his mother at the border after making the months-long trek from El Salvador to the United States. His mother had been detained, and he had been taken into protective custody. He hadn’t seen her or spoken to her since the night they were picked up by the Border Patrol a mile inside the country more than two years ago. He was transferred to a holding facility in Massachusetts while she was deported. Eventually, he was settled with an El Salvadoran family in Lynn. Suarez trolled the schools, looking for kids like him who were searching for someone to give them purpose.

His name was Pedro. He was fourteen years old, and he had taken to gang life like he’d been born to it. His anger was potent, and he was vicious when convinced that his viciousness was in protection of his new gang family. He was also unquestioning in his loyalty. When asked to perform any task, he carried it out without hesitation or question. So it was not surprising that he never asked Soh why he was being asked to put on a backpack and walk into the heart of the protesters.

There were two other boys wearing similar backpacks, but Pedro was the only one whom Soh was sure Suarez would miss. But he also knew that he would get over it. He had sent more people to their deaths than he could count in his lifetime. Any guilt that he believed he might have would be short-lived.