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 hit the far edge of the narrow roof and hurled himself headfirst off the building. His arms whirled and spun and he lost his grip on his gun. The roof was fifteen feet above the pier, and the pier was at least another ten feet above the water, so the fall seemed endless. It was dark out, but the fire had fully overtaken the building, casting a bright orange reflection on the black water so that he could see it rushing up toward him.

At the last moment, he put his arms out, pointing his fingers to break the water. Nevertheless, he hit hard, the flat water driving into his chest, punching the air from his lungs. Great chunks of ice carved into his face, slicing the skin, the salt water invading the wounds. For a moment he thought he was dead. He’d contemplated Hell before, but his imagination had never conceived of any torment as cruel as the one he was experiencing. The water was so cold it burned through him, and his deflated lungs refused to expand. That might have saved him—if he’d been able to inhale immediately, his lungs would have filled with water, and he likely would have succumbed.

He fought to keep his wits and gain his bearings. The blaze spilling out from the Mariner lit up the surface of the water above him, and as he looked up and started to push himself toward the light, the water was pierced by a rapid succession of gunshots. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced his body along parallel to the surface, toward the giant wooden pilings that supported the pier. Only once he was able to touch one did he allow his body to float to the surface.

When his head cleared the water, the new pain made the previous few moments seem like paradise. He opened his mouth and the air rushed in, icy and biting, and his ribs shrieked as his chest expanded. For a moment he thought he was going to be sick—he probably would have been, but he forced himself to keep quiet, knowing that Soh and his men were still in the area, looking for him.

He was frozen through, and he wondered how long he could survive in the water. Not more than another few minutes, he estimated. He’d already lost feeling in his hands and feet, and he clung to the piling using his arms like giant fingerless chopsticks. Soon he would lose the feeling all the way to his shoulders. When that happened, he would lose his grip and slip back under the surface. And yet he was not anxious to face Soh’s men.