BooksBarbecue
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 looked at his watch again, and saw that it was now just after eleven. For a moment he thought that the call had been some sort of a diversion, and it was likely that no one would show up. Just then, though, he heard an unmistakable rhythmic beating above him. He looked up and saw the helicopter coming in low and fast. It pulled up short and landed at the very far end of the clearing.

Three men got out of the helicopter. One was small and slight, carefully attired in a perfectly tailored suit. The other two were also well dressed, though in suits that were not as well tailored, and they towered over the first man. Both of the larger men held automatic pistols and were pointing them in Cormack’s direction. They approached Cormack, and the smaller man smoothed out his blond hair, which had been disrupted by the helicopter’s blades.

“It’s convenient transportation, but it doesn’t do much for one’s personal presentation,” the man said by way of introduction, straightening his suit.

“It’s also fairly conspicuous. You may draw the attention of the police,” Cormack pointed out.

“It seems the authorities have all their attention trained a mile north of here, at the courthouse,” the man said. “Besides, we will be gone before the police would be able to get here to investigate. You are Cormack O’Connell. We’ve never had the pleasure.” He didn’t hold his hand out. Cormack still couldn’t place the accent that adorned his high-pitched voice.

“You know who I am,” Cormack said. “I don’t know who you are.”

“Nor do you need to. I have never done business here before, nor am I likely to again.”

“What sort of business do you do?”

“I sell arms, Mr. O’Connell.”

“Guns?”

The prim little man gave a chuckle, as though Cormack were too naïve to truly understand the way the real world works. “Guns only in large quantity. Most of my business involves heavy artillery. Tanks. Missiles. Even the occasional aircraft.”

“Interesting,” Cormack responded. “What brings you to Boston?”

“A peculiar order. One which I fulfilled, but about which I have reservations. For obvious reasons, I can’t go to the authorities. From my inquiries, I was informed that you are the authority that those who can’t go to the police deal with.”

Cormack digested this. “What was the order?”

“It was an order placed by a man named Javier Carpio.”

“For?”