Chapters (82)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- Praise for Blood in the Water
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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“I’m not talking about the ribs. Or the cuts, or the gunshot. I don’t have any doubts about you physically.”
“What, then?”
Cicero’s gaze never left Cormack’s. “It’s been a while since you got your hands dirty.” Cormack started to protest, but Cicero held up his hand and cut him off. “I’m not talking about taking a cut of the shit coming through the harbor. I’m talking about gettin’ your hands really dirty. From what I’ve seen, you’ve been relying on your bark for quite some time now. It’s been a while since anyone really saw your bite.”
Cormack sat up straight, ignoring the pain that surged through his body. “I’ll have to remedy that, then, won’t I?”
“Yeah, you will.”
“I’m good with that. Anything else?”
Cicero shook his head. “That’s all I needed to hear. Where are we starting?”
“On the inside. My people,” Cormack said. “There were only three people who knew I was at the Mariner last night. Cookie, Nate Chaplain and Buddy Cavanaugh. Cookie’s above suspicion. Besides, he’s in the morgue, downstairs.”
“Where are the other two?”
“That’s what I need you to find out.”
“OK.”
“Cicero, one other thing.”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“Now that Soh’s made his move, he won’t just come after me, he’ll come after Diamond, too. You need to make sure she’s safe.”
“Have you told her about last night yet?”
Cormack shook his head. “I was still getting my bearings, and I didn’t want her to see me until there was a little more life back in me.” He looked down at his hands. They were still white and he could see blue veins running over the bones and sinew. “She never asked me specifically about my work, but she knows some, I’m sure. When she sees me, I’m sure she’ll have a lot of questions. I’m still thinking through how to answer those questions. Right now, I just want to make sure she’s safe.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
TWENTY-TWO
Toby White sat at his desk at the union office in Southie, looking out at Boston Harbor. This was his sanctuary—the only place where he felt normal and safe. Out in the world, he was a freak. People stared at his deformities in horror. In here, though—in this office—he was in control. He worked with Cormack to keep the harbor running smoothly. At Cormack’s direction, he oversaw the movements of millions of tons of cargo, and hundreds of men. It was the closest to actual power he would ever come. When he heard about the events of the night before, he realized that he’d almost lost it all. The thought made him physically ill.