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

At the moment, he was at work sanding down some patchwork in the metal hull of a twenty-two-foot boat used for patrols by the Massachusetts Environmental Police. The boat had struck a rock during a rescue a few months previously, and had been awaiting the final preparation to go back into the water since the deep freeze had arrived six weeks before. It was suspended over the pier by a small crane that could swing out over the dry dock to lower the boat easily into the water once the repair work was completed.

Jackson was lying on his back, under the boat, when he saw a man carrying what appeared to be a heavy canvas sack enter the repair area.

“You can’t be here, sir,” Jackson called out. “It’s a restricted area.”

“Put the boat in the water,” the man said.

“What?” It was such an odd order that Jackson didn’t even look up. He assumed it was a joke.

“Put the fuckin’ boat in the fuckin’ water!” This time there was no mistaking the tone for humor. Jackson slid half his body out from under the boat, and faced the barrel of an assault rifle. “You hear me?” the man said. He was of average height, around fifty, with a salt-and-pepper beard and an Irish lilt in his angry voice.

“Holy shit!” Jackson thought he might soil his work pants. He put his hands up to his face, as though they might defend him against a bullet. “Holy shit, don’t shoot!”

“I’m not gonna shoot you,” the man said, though there was still urgency in his voice, and Jackson wasn’t fully convinced. “You’re gonna put that goddamned boat in the fuckin’ water, and I’ll be on my way.”

Jackson was on his feet now, working the crane to get the boat in the water. He looked at the canvas bag and saw that it was filled with guns of various sizes. Jackson gasped, and worked faster. The boat was hanging a foot or so over the water now. The man reached over Jackson’s shoulder and hit the switch that released the suspension cords from the crane and the boat fell to the water below with a loud splash. He threw the canvas bag into the boat. “Keys,” he said, looking at Jackson.

“In the ignition.”

The man jumped down into the boat and started the engines. He hit the throttle hard, and the boat shot forward.

“That epoxy hasn’t been sanded yet!” Jackson called after him. “It may not hold at speed!”

The man didn’t even acknowledge him. It seemed that sinking in the small patrol boat was the least of his worries.

SIXTY-EIGHT